Bison hunt

[flik316]

i was lucky enough to get drawn for bison this yr up by zama....just lookin for some info if anyone has any on what to expect? best places to go? accomodations? what gear to take along? success rate? any info would be greatly appreciated

[Matt L.]

From what I've heard you want a sled and about eight of your strongest buddies lol.

[mxz1997]

Thread a while back on this. Dale767 was willing to help guys out

[dale7637]

Yep, check my post out, or PM me.

And good winter clothing...its been flippin cold here.

[mathews z7]

bring lots of baileys and a few good men

[walking buffalo]

Learn where to shoot on a Buffalo. They are Not just a bigger version of deer, elk or moose. Buffalo have a different anatomical structure, the lungs and heart are much more forward than in our ungulates.

Check this out....

http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showthread.php?t=77701&highlight=buffalo+placement

Bring a VERY sharp knife and a stone. No other animal will dull a blade like skinning an old buffalo.

Shot placement is a concern I express with buffalo. Their lungs and heart are much farther forward than in our other ungulates. Keep your shot tight to the shoulder and in the lower half of the chest. A shot "behind the shoulder" will likely hit the liver, or even the stomach. Good luck recovering a gut shot buffalo..... I have shot many buffalo, my preference is to hit them just above the elbow when their near leg is forward, hitting the heart without a large leg bone in the way. Rifle size is not a big concern to me with buffalo, shot placement is everything.

Here are some pics for reference. The skeleton pic gives you an understanding of how low the spine is, just above the center line of the body, thus my call to shoot low. Note how big the stomach is. A last tip is to gut the buffalo as quickly as you can. Their stomachs bloat very quickly, which makes gutting them more difficult as time goes by.

http://i772.photobucket.com/albums/yy10/keetspics/bisonvitals1.jpg

http://i772.photobucket.com/albums/yy10/keetspics/BisonSkeletonVitals.jpg

Thanks go to Cas-has-cars from HuntingBC for this pic. :)
http://i772.photobucket.com/albums/yy10/keetspics/bisonstomach.jpg

[wildalberta]

I have been in zama since september. They are allot less dence with all the snow and cold, they move south from what allot of people say. Ive only seen 1 herd in the dark in the last 2 weeks. Its been very cold in these 2 weeks also, not a day warmer than -20. About 2+ feet of snow.

[2 Tollers]

Thought I would add a view of real front quarter to aid WB's illustration. The circle is where I shot and had a double lung hit. You can see the way the hump is a visual distortion you have to deal. Shoot low, behind the elbow on the front leg and good luck to all.

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c221/hughwarren/untitled-2_zps892f86d7.jpg