Buffalo Hunting-where to go??

[Rat Trapper]

If a person was looking for a good place to hunt buffalo what would you recommend?? I don't want a big old bull, but am thinking more in the line of a young cow or spike bull.

Has anyone here hunted buffalo with a 54 caliber rifle? If so what do you recommend for a load?

 

[Rev_William]

Not sure if Montana still has a drawing but they had a pretty good herd of free range buff. that would move in and out of yellowstone.

 

[Little Wattsy]

This is post of a bufalo hunt I did few years ago with a .54 shooting a handcast round ball....
http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/232538/post/700405/hl//fromsearch/1/

here is a place to get one... http://craterlakebuffalo.com/

90grains of Pyrodex RS, a .015 prelubed patch, and a .535 round ball ....

 

[Ed Cigallio]

I would look up Hawes Outfitters in Ford, Kansas. I killed a young bull there several years ago and those guys were top notch.
Lee used to run that outfit but Cody, Lee's son may have taken over.
Ed

 

[George T.]

I found one a cow bison on sale last year for $650 it was some where in north texas. I did a search of hog hunts in north Texas and this came up. They had a surplus of cows. My guess is that it was more or less put and take! Geo. T.

by the way how was the meat and what did processing run?

 

[oletymepreacher]

I second Hawes Outfitters. My wife and I came home with two buffalo. Big mistake-there was no room left in the freezers for ice cream.

 

[stinkyfeet]

I'd start search game ranchs throughout the mid-west and then work my way west. I shot one with a bow at the game ranch a cow for $800 plus tip. It was a decent hunt I actually had to crawl forever to get close enough with the buffalo with a bow. I switched from a carbon arrow to an older aliminum 2219 and shot 80 lbs of draw weight, the arrow penetrated up to the fletching at 25 yards. I imagine a 54 cal ball would work just fine. There was so much meat of that cow we didn't buy beef for 2 years it was a great investment over all.

 

[ohiosam]

Check out this for a free range hunt.

http://gfp.sd.gov/state-parks/directory/custer/hunting/trophy-bison.aspx

 

[rafterob]

Gee, only $5000 :shocked2: Refunded if you get skunked. IF the money isn't an issue, it would sure be the ticket. I am a past SD resident and Custer State Park is beautiful. I highly recommend a visit there (and to the Black Hills) for anyone. I think it is a must-see region of our Country that is little known to outsiders.

 

[stinkyfeet]

There hunts for cow and small bull meat hunts in Kansas from 2250-3000 on many different web sites. And some you even camp in a tee-pee as well that specialize in realistic prarie style vintage hunts.

 

[ohiosam]

Gee, only $5000 :shocked2: Refunded if you get skunked. IF the money isn't an issue, it would sure be the ticket. I am a past SD resident and Custer State Park is beautiful. I highly recommend a visit there (and to the Black Hills) for anyone. I think it is a must-see region of our Country that is little known to outsiders.

5k is the trophy bull fee. A non-trophy bull is $1500 and a cow is $1000. Not unreasonable numbers.

 

[crockett]

Dixie Gun Works used to publish a Black Powder Annual and around 2005 or so they had an article about a Kansas opperation that did a 1870's type hunt with black powder cartridge guns. The drill was to stop at a diner in town and change into period clothes. This gave the locals a chance to laugh at you. :grin: The guide then picked you up and drove you to a "dugout" (that is, a sod cabin half into a slope) There were other hunters there as well, and then it was horses and mules- no modern anything. It all sounded great but the only thing in the article I would have changed is how they butchered the buff- like you would do a deer which isn't the way the mountain men did it- they cut in the middle of the hump and peeled off on either side- leaving the skin on the ground beside the buff and then took off the hump ribs, tenderloin, etc.
I thought it would be great if a group could agree to do at least one buff that way, roasting the marrow bones, making boudin, the whole thing- just to have that experience.
IAE- Kansas would be a good place.

 

[Little Wattsy]

I second Hawes Outfitters. My wife and I came home with two buffalo. Big mistake-there was no room left in the freezers for ice cream.

TWO???? :rotf:
manure ONE is about 19 cubic feet of freezer full! :surrender:

 

[Spikebuck]

Has anyone tried the Reservations? I have been looking at the Lower Brule reservation near Chamberlain, SD as it's less than a day's drive for me.
http://www.lbst.org/wildlife/buffalo.htm

Prices went up this year, I see. It's also a draw, which is a downside.

If you've seen "Primal Dreams - Essential Encounters" this is where Mark Mitten shot the big bull buffalo shown.

 

[stinkyfeet]

Crockett thats the one I was refering to it is Hawes Outtfitters in Kansas.

 

[BillinOregon]

I thought Hawes got out of the business recently.

 

[stinkyfeet]

I dunno anymore maybe they did not sure. :idunno:

 

[Rat Trapper]

I had Hawes book marked, but the other day I found I couldn't get their site to work?? Are they out of business??