Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/433799
S P O R T I N G C L A S S I C S 1 5 5 65-pound recurve.) And with one lucky exception (an arrow that struck the animal at the base of the neck), every shot that resulted in any other kind of hit led to a lost buffalo, no matter how heavy the bow. Fortunately, the combination of good stalking cover and animals that receive virtually no hunting pressure made it fairly easy to get close enough to launch a lethal arrow, as demonstrated by the bull I killed during my third trip to the area. F ickle winds spoiled a couple of stalks that morning, but we spotted a lone bull plodding downwind along a well-defined pad through the scrub. We knew where the trail led, and a high-speed walk eventually brought us into what we thought would be a good position for an ambush. In fact, it was almost too good. The moment we arrived the bull appeared out of the jungle, and I barely had time to crouch behind a cycad and nock an arrow before he was right on top of me. Timing my draw so that he was bringing his near leg forward when I released, I sent an arrow through his chest from a range of three yards. Moments later he collapsed in plain sight barely 50 yards from where I'd shot him. Asiatic buffalo readily invite comparison with another large bovid—the Cape buffalo of southern Africa. Physically they're quite similar, although the Cape buffalo carries a bit more weight in its front quarters. And—a point of particular interest to bowhunters—the ribs of both species lie very close together. It's almost impossible to drive a broadhead into a buffalo's chest without hitting bone—a good argument in favor of the heavy arrows and sharp, fixed blade broadheads mentioned earlier. Although buffalo can and do kill people in Australia, I think Asiatic buffalo lack the malignant personality of their African counterparts. I've never killed a Cape buffalo but have spent considerable time around them, and I would have to think long and hard about shooting an arrow into one from a range of three yards. A midst all the talk of bowhunting dangerous game, it's easy to lose sight of one of this hunt's most memorable aspects—the tropical wilderness where Asiatic buffalo live. The uninhabited far end of the island where we hunted looked like the kind of place where Robinson Crusoe might have washed ashore. Fly-fishing for barramundi and other game fish was fantastic, and the huge saltwater crocodiles are the most imposing creatures I've seen anywhere on earth. The exotic birdlife in the canopy overhead had me thumbing through my reference book every day. Due to complex local political changes, there's no hunting on the island now, though buffalo remain abundant throughout the Northern Territory mainland and hunting opportunities abound. Furthermore, Bill Baker died of cancer before his time during the last year I visited Australia, and the place just wouldn't be the same without him. I can't count the number of people who told me they wanted to hunt buffalo with us . . . someday. I'm glad I was crazy enough to make my own someday happen while I could.