e tem gente que ainda acredita que 22LR,243 e outros calibrinhos foram feitos pra boi preto... Took me a while to put it to pen as after the accident I spent some days hospitalized and am still going through physical therapy. But its a good story, and most importantly, 100% true. Aaron Neilson, who arranged the trip for me knows it, as does my buddy Chris who was travelling with me and so do the guys at SSG Safaris who were nothing short of life savers for me during and after the ordeal. It was September 4th, 2013 at 5:30 AM when we finally sighted buffalo along the Limpopo River. It was day 5 of my 7 day buffalo hunting trip with my buddy Chris. As some of you may know, in that particular area in Zimbabwe, right across the Limpopo river from South Africas Kruger National Park, the buffalo has a habit of going into South Africa before sun rise and coming back into Zimbabwe after sunset. Thats a reason why they do that but thats not really important. We were in the bushes on top of the north bank of the river when one of our trackers, Robson (a.k.a Robo), heard the animals. We darted off through the bushes and down to the river bed and see the first few buffaloes (a dozen or so) already making the cross to ZA. My guide, Ishmail, signaled for me to be ready and sets the sticks down. We were about 130 yards from that particular herd, which was the closest to us. Important to say that we were facing east, with the rising sun exactly where you dont want it, behind the target. He says the third bull from the left. I get the trusted 416 Rigby on the sticks and after a good exhaling, I pull the trigger. According to the guide, who had been glassing all along, I hit him on top of the right shoulder, which was good news given the distance and the overall setting. But... the whole bunch of animals, including mine, turned 180 degrees and head right back into Zimbabwe. We ran after them and climbed back onto the river bank. To make a long story short, we tracked that buffalo for the next 9 hours. At the end of which I was exhausted, dehydrated and kind of annoyed that my guide didnt back up my shot. I told them I couldnt take another step and if I had to pay for an un-recovered buffalo, so be it. We headed back to the truck, which was parked about 2 miles away from us at that point. We get to the truck and theres about an hour of sun light left when Ishmail says you stay here, the trackers and I will go back to the field as the buffaloes are about to come back from ZA and will make a mess out of our tracking scene. 15 mins passed and I hear a shot. I was elated... I had my buffalo... Or so I thought... Another 15 mins and a further 6 shots were fired. I really thought then the buffalo was dead. 30 mins later and the 3 guys come back looking really unhappy. It seemed that the buffalo, despite 8 slugs in him, was still alive and well and running away from us. The guide said dont worry, hell certainly be dead before the night is out. Well get him tomorrow morning. Next day, September 5th, 2013 at 6:00 AM... We had been walking for 15 mins or so when my guide crosses into a small clearing, no bigger than maybe 10 ft long by 4 ft wide. Robo, one of the trackers was second, I was third, flanked by the other tracker, Marruf. When I made it into the clearing, it was just in time to see my guide already in mid-air. The buffalo was hiding under the canopy of the bush at the end of the clearing and hit Ishmail, who never saw him coming, at the bottom of his legs and sent him flying. Robo, who was behind him saw it before it actually happened, managed to get out of the way. By the time my brain processed this bizarre scene, it was too late for me to do anything, least of all try to shoot the animal. He was less than 6 feet away from me and at full gallop already. Instinctively I knew that there was no running away from him, not in that kind of thicket and sandy terrain. If I turned around to flee he would be on top of me in 2 or 3 seconds and break my back in half. So I just dropped the rifle off my right shoulder and when the buffalo lowered his head to hit me in the gut I took a step forward and, with both hands, grabbed the end of his horns, hanging myself from his head. Needless to say, now the animal is absolutely furious and trying very hard to shake me off his head, like a rag doll. Im screaming all the way Shoot him, shoot him, shoot him... but no shots were fired... the rest of my party was afraid of hitting me in such a tight space. The buffalo now pins me down to the ground and proceeds to bang my back against the trunk of a bush; that is my butt is on the ground and my back to the tree trunk. Im still screaming but now I feel I cant hold on much longer. My focus is only one, to keep his boss away from my face. A few seconds of this pounding and I hear the much awaited shots.... 9 in total, they told me. The buffalo sank on top of my right leg. Both my legs were stretched on the ground. I then hear my guide calling my name and telling me to walk away. But, believe it or not, the buffalo wasnt dead yet; thankfully he must have been hit in the spine so he could only move his head, which was still trying to hit me. Ishmail came around and pulled me from under the animal and it was only when I saw that it didnt try to rise to follow me that I breathed a sigh of relief. BUT... my left leg refused to work and I saw then that my lower leg and boot were covered in blood. While trying to get me off his head he stepped on my left leg, just above the knee. The crushing injury caused the flesh to burst behind and above the knee. I couldnt walk so they carried me to another clearing and set me down. Ishmail and Robo went to get the truck and Marruf stayed with me for first aid. 20 minutes later the truck arrives and they drive me - through the thicket, mind you, to a nearby village that had a clinic. By the time I got there, less than an hour after the accident, my leg was almost double the size and purple from top to bottom; there had been a lot of internal bleeding. And I cant move the leg; we dont know if its broken and theres no x-ray machine within 4 hours car ride. By the time we got to a hospital that had one it was late in the afternoon and by the grace of God I had no broken bones. But that was all they could tell me. Nothing to say about vascular damage or muscle compartment syndrome which is very serious. Despite the risk of flying home with all that damage to the leg, I decided to come home...It took me 4 flights and 32 hours to get back to New Jersey. I went straight to the hospital and spent 4 days there. I was VERY lucky. Im not quite 100% but nearly there. Lesson for all of you African hunters: When they tell you not to track a wounded cape buffalo, you should listen. Safe hunting!
Posted on: Tue, 12 Nov 2013 12:23:18 +0000
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