Buffalo Hunt-Oct. 14, 2004

[OJR]

On Oct. 14th of last year, 3 friends and myself headed to Lonepine, MT to get us 2 buffalo!

We had planned this trip starting in March and had checked out the ranch in July. We found out that the ranch was 2,500 acres and they had around 250 head of buffalo.

We arrived around noon on the 14th and met with the rancher. He informed us that he also leased 10,000 acres from the tribe and the buffalo were somewhere out there! He
had been out that morning and had a general idea as to where the buffalo were.

We headed out to see if we could find them. After going about 2 1/2 miles, we spotted a bunch of about 150 but we could not get close because of washouts and gullies. We
drove about another 200 yards and about 30 or 35 of them split off from this main herd and headed towards us.

My friend and I had agreed that he would shoot at close range and I would shoot at longer range. He was shooting a 458 2" American and I was shooting a 270.

We were going for meat only so we could only shoot the dehorned cows. Of the 30 or 35 that were headed towards us, there were 3 of them in this bunch that we could shoot. We had to be very careful not to shoot something other than those 3! The rancher also informed us that we had to look out for the "boss" cow and if she charged to shoot her! I
wish he had told us this before this time!!

This "boss" cow and one of the dehorned ones split from the group and headed right to us.

My friend got out of the truck and dropped this cow. The "boss" headed over to where it dropped. I was very concerned and my friend went over and stuck the one he had
dropped. As a result of him shooting, the other 2 were mixed in the this herd and I didn't have a clean shot.

I waited and finally I had a clear shot and dropped another one. Now the "boss" and about 7 or 8 other buffalo completely circled the one that I had dropped. I couldn't get close to it. Finally after a bit, they left and then we could start to field dress both of them.

What a job!! Those things are big!! I never want to hear anything about how hard it is to field dress a "little" whitetail!!!

We got them field dressed and loaded in a truck and hauled them back to the ranch shed where he had a 5 ton chain hoist! What a lifesaver!

We got them skinned and let them hang and cool off overnight. The next day, we headed back to Idaho and the locker plant. Between the 2 buffalo, I had about 1,000 pounds of meat in the back of my truck! It rode like a Cadillac!!

I don't have any real good picture of me standing by the one I shot because I was standing guard ready to shoot at "boss" if need be!

Would I do it again! You bet!! The meat is the best meat I have ever eaten! Now I am trying to line up 2 or 3-25 year olds to go with me this fall and do it again! I will shoot and
they can do the rest!!

I didn't know this was going to be the one I ended up shooting.


Now the work began! Lots of heavy work!


Very heavy hide and head!

[buckee]

That's cool Orlan
Buffalo burgers forever
It looks too much like work man..

[Shaun_300]

congrats Orlan!! wow, that sure sounds like tons (literally) of work

[iron buck]

Sounds like a great time! Congrats on the hunt.

[waterfowler_gal]

That's cool-thanks for sharing. I like buffalo burgers too.. good eating!