Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Cape buffalo vs bull

what do you make of this? https://youtu.be/Z2oviQC_L7w

Both are bovines but I suspose a scrub bull could be hunted for far less coin. Both have the potential to be dangerous. Your not packing the meat home if your hunting cape buffalo so why is a cape buffalo such a big expense and big deal?

Yes I know what the standard answers may be and I've been amongst both. But when it comes down to it a wild bull or a cape buffalo can both stomp you into the dirt.

Impressive as hell. I never would have expected a domesticated bull to stand a chance against a Cape Buffalo, but he was more than holding his own, and actually winning the match, even though smaller. He was determined to keep that cape buffalo away from his cows.

I ain’t fricking around with that bull for sure.

You ought to see how big a bull the average little Jersey bull can whip. And how many cows he can breed.

Not that bulls first rodeo

Impressive.

BIL was 'managing' some ground for a local guy, that ran cows on the property for tax reasons...........

Time for the cows to go. Just your average mixed breed Florida pasture cows and a couple of bulls, with pretty nasty scrub and cogan grass to hide in. Cows had not been worked in years.

Normal measures did not work.

Hired some 'real' Florida panhandle cowboys, brought horses and cow dogs, trailers, ropes and such.

After a couple of hours -1 dead horse, gored and put down, cowboy with broke leg, all cows still running free.....

Finally penned a few of them, shot the rest.

When you look at the size that some of our domestic bulls can reach, not to mention the NA Plains Bison and their cousin the Woods Bison, it's not a surprise that the Cape Buff may not be #1........

What advantage they DO carry is centuries of selection in some rather nasty environment and neighbors............

IMHO

When it comes to stomping the life out of you, nearly lost an uncle several years back. He had a penned cow and calf, cow that he had for years. Something happened, cow flipped out, he was on the ground. Cousin got him to the ER with just minutes to spare, lacerated kidney, all but bled out.....

They butchered the cow, Aunt insisted that the whole thing be made into burger....... she was taking no chances.

Not an ordinary bull. That's a Longhorn and they were even recorded to have killed grizzly bears years ago.

not a longhorn, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nguni_cattle

The video was very interesting for me as it showcased the basic capability of the bovine. Even though I've seen both in their respective habitat I've never seen them together and especially doing a little throw down. When it comes down to it whats the real difference between a cape buffalo and a bull or big range bull. The reality is probably not a lot. I think its just that one was once hunted in what once was a very wild and mysterious and once dark continent of Africa. Theres the whole storied history and ambience of hunting game in Africa but truly as far as the economics go, hunting the wild bovine there that you pose pictures with and never butcher, and pack the meat home is more for the very well heeled with a good amount of expendable income.

I can remember in the early 2000's at the Bozeman field house during winter there was a sportsmans exhibit and trade show. I had an opportunity to talk to an outfitter from Namibia. I asked him about the dangers of their game and the differences from what we have in the Americas. He ended up telling me it was more dangerous walk out on the ice infront of his hotel room and the sidewalk that hunting in Africa. He went on telling me that nobody in their right mind would hunt in these mountains around Bozeman in that cold and unstable ice and snow footing to go after elk and other game. That was his perspective .

What does this have to do with the youtube video of a cape buffalo doing a little crazy with a bull? Well its just something that came to my mind and something that paints a picture for me that theres maybe a bit of hype in going after wild bovines, at least in the price department. And the reality that danger is danger no matter how you slice it or how its served to you. Theres creatures everybit as game as a cape buffalo and they just don't get the glory or shall I say the marketing from hunting novels and sporting publications. But thats business and a money game.

Now hippo, giraffe, and elephant, baboon, and croc, and the big cats. Those are try exotic and very different than most anything else. Even our American alligator is pretty darn docile compared to nile crocs and the salties. This stuff is actually worlds different.

Which one should I shoot, Dad?


-Bobby Hill