During the first few days of my last Safari in northern Mozambique I was lucky enough to have an opportunity to get within thirty meters of small groups of Cape buffalo bulls every day. this in its self was a mission as it was late June and the Jesse bush had just dropped the bulk of their leaves, thus creating a 6" bed of crunchy leaf litter in the places most likely to find the owners of the Spoor we where following.
Although we had great time this close to groups of undisturbed bulls, we where unlucky that they where always younger bulls and certainly not what I was after.
On the evening of about the seventh day we where driving along an open plain where Stuart the PH stopped as he thought he could see Buffalo. Being just short of last light we hastily kitted up, checked the wind and cover for the approach and moved as fast as possible over around one kilometre of elephant rutted ground. During the approach we had to manuver between a couple herds of Impala and Waterbuck. We were trying to get into a position that would have the herd pass us on their way down to the Lugenda for water.
Unfortunately with the help of one noisy Impala, a cow buff detected our movement within the clump of thornbush we where using as cover but wasn't to sure what we where . As they milled around feeding and looking for danger (Their life's work) we Glassed them over and hoped they would still move before the fast coming darkness. When all eyes where not looking in our direction we would close the distance by a few meters with the help of smaller and smaller bushes.
The herd consisted of around one hundred animals and although we didn't really expect a mature trophy bull to be there, all of a sudden an old gray sod stepped out from amongst the crowd and tried to mount a nervous cow. Well this bull was old, fourteen years old in fact. This guy must have be suffering Alzheimer's and obviously didn't no this was the job for younger guys.
Any way, with a soft ready, Illuminated scope on and sticks in place, I touched of a shot that would have been around the one hundred meter mark. We heard the hard thump of a solid hit followed by him stumbling. As the herd took off, we took off in pursuit also, when they stopped, we stopped also. Another shot and we did the same procedure but after this we where forced to stop as a cow looked as though she wanted retribution for being disturbed.
With the help of the two 300grn Swifts in the chest, the old grey guy was easily seen not looking so healthy. one more bullet through the lungs, this time a 286grn Woodleigh solid and we moved in as the herd moved out. As we moved in the Bull was still standing up, holding on. Another solid in the High shoulder dropped him and one more between the shoulder blades finished this enjoyable hunt.

My next Bull was taken a few weeks later when most of the fallen leaves had broken down and weren't as noisy but the August winds became more unpredictable.
This lone daggerboy was tracked up at one o'clock in the afternoon feeding in the long grass and Bamboo. We bumped into him at around thirty yards as he fed along, a solid from the 9.3 sent him running and after a couple minutes we moved along the Vegetation choked gully he moments before ran into. A little way in and he was spotted looking our direction, a 9.3 solid was sent in poll axing him. I climbed a tree to see his shape in the grass and after a couple more minutes we slowly moved in.

Between these two different hunts, I couldn't tell you which I enjoyed most. Yes I could have used open sights for the second Buffalo, but It has been my experience that with these Wiley Moz Buff often found amongst the Miombo, Jesse and Bamboo that shots can be very difficult. As a great example of tricky shots check out www.kambakosafaris.com promo video.
Also, for those that think that Buffalo are similar to domestic cows are sadly full of s%$t. This animal is almost always being harassed by lion and they don't live long if they aren't switched on and are one of the most "switched on" animals that I have had the pleasure of hunting.