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Where to start?

Yep, plans are starting to meld. I have borrowed a 45-70 from Rusty on AR to practice on here at home. I am going to use Rob's guide gun for the hunt. Right now I am deciding what weight bullet and manufacturer for the hunt. I may go with a handload to be done by a friend or I may go factory with Buffalo Bore. The BB ammo seems to be quite capable.

One friend wants me to use solids from start to finish, others say go with a hard cast lead. While I know many buffalo do not die from the first shot it seems that the pressure is on for me to make a one shot kill. While I intend to do so, the reality is, that might not happen.

So the game plan is for Rob to get me in close, which is what I like anyway. I have expressed my desire to be 50 yards or less, let's hope we can do that!

My buff hunt begins August 17th for 7 days. It will be in the region of the Gonarezhou which is on the north side of the Kruger park. They have everything from lion and ele, to all the plains game and big buffalo. I have been told it is a good area for buffalo genetics. The leopards are supposed to be absolutely fantastic. I am hoping to take a hyena somewhere along the line but will not shoot anything else (unless it is a RW/SCI #1 or 2) until the buff is in the salt.

I will leave home on August 4th, I am hunting in Limpopo with two of my other RSA outfitters. One concession is strictly archery only hunting and am looking for a massive impala buck I saw there last year. At the other camp, down the road we will be looking for an old bushbuck and brown hyena or caracal. Both properties are on the Botswana border and have river frontage.

After the 45-70 buff hunt I am going on to visit and hunt with my other Zim PH, Pierre Van Wyk, who John here has hunted with. I will be there for only 5 days and do not have a particular goal other than his red bushbucks. Ya never know what else may get shot! I will also celebrate another birthday in Africa in Pierre's camp this time. He's an archer and will certainly test my archery skills while there.

From Zimbabwe I go back to RSA to relax in my favorite Zululand widlerness camp for some hunting with Rob and a mutual South African author friend. We will party hard and hunt for nyala, reedbuck and red duiker. The property is beautiful, 10,000 acres of hate and discontenting hills of bushveld and subtropical forest but so fun to hunt. I missed a 16 + inch reedbuck there last year. He is still waiting for me.

Hopefully I come home with some great buff hunt photos and video.

Mike Dettorre from AR will be my guest during the buff hunt. He was my second choice as my first choice is in Iraq and will not be home until December.

So, in a nut shell, that is the plan so far.

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~Ann

Everyday spent outdoors is the best day of my life.

Aspen Hill Adventures