KEVIN THOMAS is one of Magnum’s most experienced contributors and his account of this dagha boy hunt in the Bubye Valley Conservancy conveys the frustrations – and joys – of hunting buffalo. (Original has been shortened.)
“He’s Coming!”
By Kevin Thomas
Published: November 2013
Tracking a solitary dagha bull strikes me as the purest form of buffalo hunting a sportsman can experience. In Zimbabwe, during the month of May, the large herds have a fair number of bulls in attendance – usually younger, green-boss bulls. However, old dagha bulls often orbit the herd’s periphery, and as the dry months wear on, these old bulls invariably move off and take up a solitary existence or join up in small bachelor groups.
I met Peter Tague in the US, where we discussed finding a good trophy buffalo. He stressed that while inches were not the issue, the emphasis was on good. Peter also wanted a classical African safari experience. This is the kind of client I like to guide. We’d be hunting Zimbabwe’s Bubye Valley Conservancy.
On our first morning out of
