Jim's Blog
One-Shot Buffalo and Len Shows Spunk
We hunted all day yesterday, but we never saw any fresh puma tracks or jaguar tracks, all we saw were two male Brocket deer, one a little bit bigger than the one I shot, one smaller. And then we went hunting buffalo all afternoon, but couldn't find a big-enough bull. We saw a few we sneaked up on them, but nothing big enough. It was really fun hunting.
The buffalo hunting down here is way cool. These buffalo have been here for 100 years. They're off in the swamps and the thick stuff and they come out on the edges of the fields sometimes. Just like Cape buffalo except way more affordable. And the ones we're hunting here they all look like Cape buffalo, big low sweeping horns, they look identical to Cape buffalo except bigger. Taller at the shoulder and heavier, over 2,000 pounds for sure. The only thing they don't have is a big, heavy boss in the center of their forehead like Cape buffalo, otherwise it's identical to hunting the Cape buffalo. They are switched on, too. You try to sneak up on them, and they spot you from a long way away and take off running back in the thick stuff. Totally all free ranging.
The Next Day ...
This morning we went out and saw two female Brocket deer ... Nothing else really until this afternoon. Went hunting buffalo again, this time we found a huge bull with about four or five cows and another medium size bull We tried stalking and finally got close enough to take a shot at about 50 yards. Perfect. The Nosler bullet went through the ribs and found it in the meat on the opposite shoulder right through the top of the heart. He died within 50 yards. They've almost never had a one-shot kill. The other day the one we got with another guy was nine shots with a .300 Win. Mag.
This one was great footage, and we're really happy about that.
Still puma hunting and and then still trying to dart a jaguar, not having any luck finding fresh jaguar tracks. The weather here has taken a real cold turn.
Last night when I called, Louise said Len was making plans to get out of the hospital. He was talking about how he was going to start working out to get his legs back in shape because he's been sitting in a hospital bed so long. He made Louise smuggle him in a beer. And then when the nurses caught him drinking the beer, he had a big fight with the nurses. We don't want to get our hopes too high, but they're doing an entire re-evaluation today of his health. Never know ...
6/22/2010
