NitroX
.700 member
Reged: 25/12/02
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Loc: Barossa Valley, South Australi...
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THE ALL-AFRICA OLDEST AND UGLIEST BUFFALO CONTEST
A contest to reward the hunter who takes the “oldest and ugliest” buffalo of 2014!
by Kevin Robertson
Kevin Robertson took this ancient buffalo in the Dande. He was aged by the Taylor 1st molar tooth method to be in his fifteenth year. Robertson considers this old bull his greatest trophy.
I've often written about the sporting pursuit of my favorite dangerous game animal, Syncerus caffer caffer, the Cape or Southern buffalo, and I’ve frequently commented on what I believe to be the detrimental influence the record books have on trophy quality. From the sustainability perspective I’ve also discussed at length the importance of harvesting old, past-breeding-age bulls so as to afford breeding bulls the opportunity to pass on their genes.
Now there is an exciting new development on the horizon which takes all these factors into consideration and for which credit must go to professional hunters Myles McCallum and Buzz Charlton of Charlton McCallum Safaris (CMS) in Zimbabwe. I’m impressed not only by their professionalism but also by their dedicated commitment to the greater conservation cause in their concession area—the Zambezi Valley’s Dande Safari Area. Last year they introduced an annual competition entitled “The Dande’s Oldest and Ugliest Buffalo” with the simple intention to give twelve-year-old and older buffalo bulls greater trophy appeal.
All the buffalo shot annually in the Dande are aged by the Taylor First Molar Tooth method, and they’re also photographed. The inaugural 2013 competition’s winner was Dr. Edward Kreps. With an average first molar tooth crown height of 8.15mm, his bull was officially aged at late thirteen or early fourteen years of age.
All this sparked an idea. Why not, I wondered, expand CMS’s “oldest & ugliest” idea into an all-Africa competition? There are many areas in Africa where far too many bulls of breeding age are still being sport hunted and where the buffalo trophy quality is also dropping. If an incentive helped to shift the average safari client’s hunting emphasis from “inches” to “age and ugliness,” good-quality breeding age bulls will have a better chance of passing their genes on. The end result will benefit the buffalo, just as it has in the Dande.
So now, under the umbrella of Sports Afield magazine, an All-Africa Oldest and Ugliest buffalo competition has been launched.
Go to www.sportsafield.com/content/buffalo-contest for full contest entry details!
http://sportsafield.com/content/all-africa-oldest-and-ugliest-buffalo-contest
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John aka NitroX
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Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"
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Rell
.375 member
Reged: 03/12/04
Posts: 642
Loc: Oyster Bay, NY, USA
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I saw this and quite frankly it reminds me of those "bring a heifer home to the frat house" contests from my college days. I could not get into it then and I don't like it now.
Most guys go to Africa a few times and take a couple of buffalo in their life. Why would they put there money on the bar and then shoot a ugly animal? It smacks of hypocritical assholeness by guys more privileged then most. Trying to guilt a guy into shooting an ugly animal for conservation ... If they want to charge half price in daily rate and lower trophies that's one thing, but full price ....
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450-400, 9.3x74r and 7x65r.
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Cazadero
.375 member
Reged: 17/10/11
Posts: 561
Loc: Texas
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Rell,
I respectfully disagree with you. I've met and talked with Kevin Robertson at length and I know that he is sincere in the expression of his convictions.
What he's trying to stop is all the (primarily South African outfitters in my experience) individuals that market "trophy" hunts to people so rabid for the taste of an African buffalo that they might not realize the importance of the differences at the time.
I agree with his efforts 100%.
I saw a post on the web just yesterday where some poor schmuck had blogged about his "trophy" buffalo bull. He posted pictures and all. And the sad part was that while it was clearly more than 40 inches wide, it had a completely soft boss that looked like a great big, grey, baby's ass.
The same goes for those hunting shows where they shoot a breeder bull out of a herd, then carefully edit the film so all you see at the end of the show is side or rear views of the kill, because what they don't want you to see is that mushy grey triangle above the eyes.
Hunting an old loner is hard work, and that's what makes for a great hunt. Think about it - very few people would brag about shooting a herd bull from behind a fence. By comparison tracking a herd is easy, and don't be fooled by those who arguer that all those eyes make it more difficult - if you're shooting from over 100 yards away it doesn't mean that much.
A true trophy doesn't equate to inches. If the animal is old [beyond just "mature"], he'll present a much more difficult prospect for closing the gap. After that, if it turns out that his horns are large, so much the better.
Hunt Zimbabwe. (while we still can) The trophy fee only comes if you kill an animal. Then it's up to the hunter to decide whether or not to pull the trigger. In that sense you are correct about unscrupulous outfitters, but it doesn't have to be that way. If you can only go to Africa once or twice in your life {like most of us}, then by all means don't ruin it by shooting the big baby of the herd.
Best from Texas.
E
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Claydog
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Reged: 17/08/12
Posts: 1150
Loc: Katherine, Northern Territory ...
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Rell
I also disagree. I looked for an old bull like that and as Cazadero says its hard work. I would love to have that head hanging on my wall. I would more than happily pay the trophy fee on a bull that looked like that. The bull I ended up with was a decent old bull but I would have paid extra for the one pictured.I have two sets of water buffalo horns on my wall. One is 106 and the other is 89. The 89 is by far my favorite as they are are thick, worn down and splintered from a life of use and came at the end of a good hunt and a careful stalk. Might not be impressive to anyone else but mean a hell of a lot to me.
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HuntingSchneider
.333 member
Reged: 02/04/06
Posts: 381
Loc: Tamworth, NSW
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Personally I think that the bull pictured is sexy as hell and I would be proud to have him on my wall.
.
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Liberals, stealing firearms since '96.
Steal one firearm, you're a thief. Steal a million, you're a Prime Minister.
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NitroX
.700 member
Reged: 25/12/02
Posts: 40642
Loc: Barossa Valley, South Australi...
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German hunters in particular often like old and gnarly bulls in preference to big perfect (often young) trophy bulls. Both in Africa and here in Australia.
Some others do as a preference too. I remember our old member 500grains posted a photo of an old broken horned bull he particularly liked. I thought it was ugly, but it is an old warrior.
Rell, I do agree, for the average client, shooting one of these just for a competition would be silly. The hunts are bloody expensive, and most if able to hunt cape buffalo, take one, two or three, if very lucky over a lifetime. Would be silly to shoot one of these UNLESS one liked them already.
Now if the trophy fee was much reduced and I could take more than one bull, I would in a heartbeat. Just like I would take a good cow trophy. An exceptional cow I would take immediately as they are often the biggest.
On my first water buffalo hunt, the FIRST big bull we came across was a big old broomed off bull. He also ran away, then turned, hooked a tree, broke it down, and came back to us. Faced us off at about 20 yards. Then stomped closer. Stopped. Again and again. We kept backing away. I had the .450 up and aimed the whole time. Was wondering if two rounds were enough.  Matt, the guide, meanwhile had a jammed .458 Win Mag rifle. Never mentioned that before. But the rifle was a loaner as he didn't own the business then and was in the process of buying it. He was trying to clear the rifle all while this was going on. I asked him if it was a shooter. He said it was good but we could do better. So I elected to back out of it, before we had to shoot the bull. It was in a bad mood and so eventually one thing or another would have happened.
The point is afterwards Matt told me, his criteria is, not inches, but would it look good on the wall. The old broomed off bull would definitely look good on the wall. With that thought in mind, I had second thoughts on the wisdom of my decision. But my decision was made also on not wanting the hunt to finish on the first morning. Got a nice bull later on day two or three anyway.
I now have three good bulls trophies and a number of allsorts in addition to those. I would like an big old broomed off warrior bull now. 
Such a beast deserves a mount on the wall, not an end rotting in the bush.
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John aka NitroX
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Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"
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NitroX
.700 member
Reged: 25/12/02
Posts: 40642
Loc: Barossa Valley, South Australi...
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*** GENTLEMEN, IF YOU HAVE SOME PHOTOS OF YOUR OWN GNARLY OR BROOMMED OFF CAPE BUFFALO BULLS, OR WATER BUFFALO, PLEASE POST AND SHARE ! ****
Both cape and water buffalo are acceptable here on NE. Even scrub bulls or other wild bovines. From any time or place.
If enough are posted of personal photos I am sure some gift can be organised for the "best" one. No rifle though.
Also if people have examples from elsewhere, please share them too.
None of the above stops anyone entering the competition posted.
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John aka NitroX
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Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"
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NitroX
.700 member
Reged: 25/12/02
Posts: 40642
Loc: Barossa Valley, South Australi...
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Here's one from Chris from Heym USA.
Chris says" "This bull almost broke the 50" mark... even with nearly 4" missing off of the short horn. Lots of years shown in the wear of that horn... a great old bull well past his prime."
http://www.heymusa.com/
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John aka NitroX
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Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"
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Rell
.375 member
Reged: 03/12/04
Posts: 642
Loc: Oyster Bay, NY, USA
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Gentlemen,
I appreciate your points of view. But this still scream elitist snobery to me. If it's a legal buff and the client wants it, it would be disgraceful for a PH to stop him form taking it. You should always listen to your PH, but a trophy is a personal thing and shame on anyone for trying to diminish it In the hunters that took its eyes.
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450-400, 9.3x74r and 7x65r.
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93mouse
.375 member
Reged: 17/08/07
Posts: 745
Loc: Slovenia
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Quote:
Some others do as a preference too. I remember our old member 500grains posted a photo of an old broken horned bull he particularly liked. I thought it was ugly, but it is an old warrior.
Here is Dan's "scrum-cap" - my holy grail of Buffalo trophy:
The closest I got so far:
...but the dream lives on and I will be going back...
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xausa
.400 member
Reged: 07/03/07
Posts: 2037
Loc: Tennessee, USA
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This is my oldest, if not ugliest buffalo. He was an old loner who liked to take his afternoon siesta in a clump of bushes. One of the local herdsmen had spotted him and led us to his bower. I set up on one side of the bushes, everyone else started yelling and throwing rocks from the other side. He came thundering out of the bushes right in front of me, somewhat down hill. I put four .505 solids in him as he went past, and he stopped so suddenly that he plowed up the ground with his nose. This was in Kenya, 1974, just before the bell tolled for hunting there.
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Cazadero
.375 member
Reged: 17/10/11
Posts: 561
Loc: Texas
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Since it's a gentleman's forum, and one in which I'm happy to participate, let me just state that I'm not trying to start an argument. But this statement is way out there if you ask me.
"If it's a legal buff and the client wants it, it would be disgraceful for a PH to stop him form taking it."
No, the disgrace is that the PH would let him shoot it simply because it's "legal." Lots of things are legal but it doesn't make them right.
and as for this following statement;
"You should always listen to your PH."
There's no way in hell that I would ever agree with that. Experience has taught me otherwise.
Not all PH's (or hunters) are created equal, but if an individual (personally) feels satisfied with shooting large but immature bulls, I suppose that's his or her prerogative.
No disrespect or offense intended to anyone, I just don't agree with the idea that success in hunting equates to killing something.
Here's my entry;
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JabaliHunter
.400 member
Reged: 16/05/07
Posts: 1958
Loc: England
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I agree with Cazadero. The point is that it should be all about the hunt, not the size of trophy. A lot of the good looking 'trophy' bulls are young and of breeding age, so any conservation-minded hunter should be aware of this fact. The lore of buffalo hunting has always been about seeking out lone dugga boys anyway, but SCI et al don't recognise this fact in their scoring methodology which has encouraged the pursuit of horn length over any other merit, particularly age. If there wasn't a conservation problem, then such initiatives would not be necessary. Good on Charlton McCallum safaris for initiating this and to and Kevin Robertson for backing it publicly...
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Ripp
.577 member
Reged: 19/02/07
Posts: 16072
Loc: Montana, USA
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Quote:
I agree with Cazadero. The point is that it should be all about the hunt, not the size of trophy. A lot of the good looking 'trophy' bulls are young and of breeding age, so any conservation-minded hunter should be aware of this fact. The lore of buffalo hunting has always been about seeking out lone dugga boys anyway, but SCI et al don't recognise this fact in their scoring methodology which has encouraged the pursuit of horn length over any other merit, particularly age. If there wasn't a conservation problem, then such initiatives would not be necessary. Good on Charlton McCallum safaris for initiating this and to and Kevin Robertson for backing it publicly...
Agree as well..the last time I was in Zim, we had taken 2 buff in the past 3 days, so I NO longer had the ability to take another..as fate would have it, while tracking eland one day, we came across an old buff bull, all broken up and very little left of his horn..he looked awesome in my eyes..a true old warrior..and would have taken him in a heart beat had it been legal....
Ripp
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ALL MEN DIE, BUT FEW MEN TRULY LIVE..
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Cazadero
.375 member
Reged: 17/10/11
Posts: 561
Loc: Texas
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Oh to have been in East Africa when XAUSA was there...
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ozhunter
.400 member
Reged: 18/08/04
Posts: 1692
Loc: Sydney, Australia
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A couple of mine;
Aged at between 17 and 19 years old.
Aged around 14 years old.
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NitroX
.700 member
Reged: 25/12/02
Posts: 40642
Loc: Barossa Valley, South Australi...
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OK gentlemen, which is the winner? ie for the small NE prize, not the magazine one.
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John aka NitroX
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Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"
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Cazadero
.375 member
Reged: 17/10/11
Posts: 561
Loc: Texas
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OzHunter's 17 year old scrum cap wins easily if you ask me.
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Claydog
.400 member
Reged: 17/08/12
Posts: 1150
Loc: Katherine, Northern Territory ...
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In complete agreeance with Cazadero. Oldest ugliest and best, daylight second.
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Ripp
.577 member
Reged: 19/02/07
Posts: 16072
Loc: Montana, USA
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Quote:
In complete agreeance with Cazadero. Oldest ugliest and best, daylight second.
+1
Absolutely the winner..IMHO
Ripp
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ALL MEN DIE, BUT FEW MEN TRULY LIVE..
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NitroX
.700 member
Reged: 25/12/02
Posts: 40642
Loc: Barossa Valley, South Australi...
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Adam - Ozhunter it is!
Dan's (500grains) scrum cap would have been another, but he decided to leave the forums some time ago, alas.
The other four heads are all rather too pretty I think.
I think a couple bottles of wine for Adam and also for his lovely girlfriend who recently enjoyed her first safari. A sparkling red to slightly chill for the lady. (if the bottle fits in the pack as it is a champagne style bottle and larger)
AND as the other gentlemen were good sports and entered, I did a random draw and Cazadero was the winner. I will PM you to see what you might be interested in. I can't send wine to the USA unfortunately as it is usually too difficult. Texas MIGHT be OK though. ???
Thanks for entering.
Gentlemen,
Please post more ugly buffalo photos, cape or water, even scrub bulls if you have them.
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John aka NitroX
...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"
Edited by NitroX (20/09/14 07:24 PM)
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Rule303
.450 member
Reged: 05/07/09
Posts: 5248
Loc: Woodford Qld
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Quote:
Quote:
I agree with Cazadero. The point is that it should be all about the hunt, not the size of trophy. A lot of the good looking 'trophy' bulls are young and of breeding age, so any conservation-minded hunter should be aware of this fact. The lore of buffalo hunting has always been about seeking out lone dugga boys anyway, but SCI et al don't recognise this fact in their scoring methodology which has encouraged the pursuit of horn length over any other merit, particularly age. If there wasn't a conservation problem, then such initiatives would not be necessary. Good on Charlton McCallum safaris for initiating this and to and Kevin Robertson for backing it publicly...
Agree as well..the last time I was in Zim, we had taken 2 buff in the past 3 days, so I NO longer had the ability to take another..as fate would have it, while tracking eland one day, we came across an old buff bull, all broken up and very little left of his horn..he looked awesome in my eyes..a true old warrior..and would have taken him in a heart beat had it been legal....
Ripp
Agree with the above.
To me an old animal does not get to be old because they are stupid. Normaly makes makes a better trophy in my eyes.
So Adams 17year old wins.
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Cazadero
.375 member
Reged: 17/10/11
Posts: 561
Loc: Texas
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I'll happily take 2nd place!
I wish the wine would work but it probably would never make it...
Here are my two Zimbabwean bulls at home.
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