I have been asked to shoot a buffalo for a friend. They are planning to butcher it and in the past they have had trouble with the police for shooting a gun to put them down. The pens are at the edge of the city limits so they wanted to know if I would use my bow to kill it. I know this isn't a hunt but before accepting their offer I want to be sure I can make a clean kill. I'd be using 28 1/2" carbons with a 200 gr internal footing and a 150 gr magnus 1 with a 100 gr steel insert. This gives me a FOC of over 30% and an arrow weight of 675gr. I'd be shooting that out of my 55# longbow. So do you think that is an acceptable setup. Mods if this is unacceptable for this site please remove it with my apologies.
A buff is a buff, a big tough animal. Some diehards on here will freak out if you don't call it a bison but whatever. I took mine with a Grizzly Stik and STOS head at a total of about 1000 grains out of a 76# silvertip.
However, my friend took one a year layer with an Olympic setup, shooting Carbon Express with Magnus heads. Still heavy draw, I think it was about 80#'s. The arrows weren't nearly as heavy though. He got a complete pass through mid way up the body just about eight inches behind the front leg. It looked beautiful, but two hours later there was a very angry bison still on his feet ready to take out anything that moved. Very dangerous. Quartering away is very important if you can. Stay about a quarter of the way up from the belly right behind that leg and you'll get into the boiler room. I can't tell you that your setup will work as I've nevcr shot one with a lighter setup, but if you put a super sharp two blade broadhead in that spot your chances are increased dramatically. Do not shoot a three blade head no matter what anyone argues. You need as little resistance as possible going into that giant animal with a light bow like that..
As far as the pen thing, the buff is going to get shot no matter what by you or the other guys for meat. You might as well get the experience of taking it with a bow as far as I look at it.
I don't believe the native americans shot 1000 grain arrows out of 80# plus bows, so maybe you'll do fine? But I am assuming here.
If that Magnus is good and sharp that should do nicely. A friend of mine killed one a few years back shooting 60# but a lighter arrow, around 550 grns with a three blade 125 thunderhead.
Man, I swear someone on here was in this same situation about a year ago or so!!!
We use to sell about 100 a year at a state auction in Kansas. I hope the pen is very strong. I saw a 3.5 year old bull go right through a 2x12 treated lumber fence wall as if it were paper because we separated him from the other animals. Being a herd animal they don't much cotton to being put in solitary -- your bison might already be used to this separation though.
I can't imagine what a confined bison would do when mortally hit? It would be best if the Bison were shot in way that it didn't know from wence the shot came from. Then, a razor sharp broadhead in the boiler room might not alarm him terribly. I wouldn't want a Bison be motivated to run a particular direction -- towards or away from me.
By the way, unless it is illegal I'd have a back-up firearm handy in case the beast is about to get out. I'd rather have a loaded firearm than a loaded bison on the loose.
Doug Campbell has killed a bunch with a bow....made a great shot with a 53# or 57#(I can't remember) selfbow with a wood arrow and a flint head that died in 7 seconds.
Here's a couple of threads that might be helpful.
thread 1 (http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=089639#000000)
thread 2 (http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=080969#000000)
Thanks Terry! If this isn't appropriate for PowWow please feel free to pull it. I just have to take this choice seriously I don't want to turn anyone against bowhunting and I don't want to not do the animal justice.
Terry Didn't you shoot a Bison a few years back.. I can still see that avatar now thinking about it... What did You Use and how far did it run?
"Clean" kill? At some point that buffalo may realize it's life blood is ebbing away and may decide the pen is a bad place. Could get exciting. I've helped do cow with a .22 MAG pistol and it is lightning fast on a steer's forehead and not very loud.
Here ya go Mystic....
A Montana Longbow Adventure (http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=4&t=000120#000000)
what stump said...
Your set-up is fine,how the bison is going to react is the problem.As far as shooting them in the head with a pistol,their a whole lot thicker then a cow.
Leland
Before anyone else suggests using a 22 the reason they asked me is they had trouble with the police using bigger guns so last year they used a 22 thinking they wouldn't cause problems with them and the first shot between the eyes ricocheted off. It took them 24 shots to put it down. They didn't want to go through that again. The location and situation of this is the biggest problem for them. Everything is legit but the location causes problems.
Benbow,
Your setup is fine. The most important thing is to put the arrow where it needs to go: Study the buffalo/bison's anatomy, it is different then a deer, elk or hog. Doug Campbell knows more about killing these critters then anybody I know send him a PM and ask him for some advice on where to aim and any anything else he might recommend.
Best of luck and let us know how you make out.
Doug got to be friends with them before making them dinner!!! :biglaugh:
I have to think if the Plains Indians killed buffalo with their primitive 40 pound bows and stone tips, you should be OK with your setup.
Or you could make up a huge spear like a Zulu warrior carries and have a go at the buffalo with that. Now that would be sporting. lol I've always wanted to kill a whitetail from a tree stand with a steel-bladed spear. A buffalo in a pen with a spear. Now that would be interesting. And very quiet except for your screams as he turns on you after the first "probe".
Hey, it's just an idea.
Jack
I took a yearling bull a couple years back with a 50 # curve and 750 grain carbon and a grizzley 160 head. Complete pass through.
My advise in this situation is keep shooting. No reason to shoot once and watch for an hour in a pen. Get two or three arrows in the heart lungs quickly and make it a fast death.
Mike
PLEASE!!!
Keep us posted.
I want to hear how everything works out for you and the buffalo/bison.
Can I ask if you'd consider wearing a heart monitor during the event. It could tell us if your are 2 or 4 cycle driven...lol
God bless,Mudd
your answer was here in several threads.
YES your set up will work,
YES study their anatomy. . even 5 minutes of your time will tell you where to aim and where not to aim, and
YES, try to shoot it several times. It is caged and will not likely run away. Get er done.
ChuckC
QuoteCan I ask if you'd consider wearing a heart monitor during the event. It could tell us if your are 2 or 4 cycle driven...lol
:scared:
Were I in your situation I'd take StumpKiller's advice. Talk to some folks that butcher cattle and find out the right way.
You run an arrow through that buffalo and he goes through the fence and ends up in the neighbor's swimming pool and you'll have a big mess on your hands.
I have a steer that gets to take a ride in the trailer on January 9 - I'd NEVER CONSIDER shooting him with an arrow. I'm butchering livestock to eat here...not hunting.
I'm sure the owners can work something out with the police on this one....and everyone can avoid a potentially nasty situation - think of the black eye you could cause for bowhunting if just one thing goes a little wrong. You don't want to be the guy on the front page of the newspaper on this deal.
I guarantee there is a way to kill that animal humanely without shooting him 24 times or causing a messy scene with an arrow.
Just my 2 cents.
Ryan
First off, yes your setup will work fine. If you put the first arrow in the right place he will be down in seconds and not even know he's hit. The vitals lie forward on these things, the center of his football size heart is just above and right behind his elbow. That is where I would aim for.
Second Ryan has a very valid point, a bad hit and the adrinalin (sp?) get to flowing... As your friends found out a bison can be real hard to finish off. If you have good enough facilities to contain him no problem but if not I can assure they can go for miles.
In my oppinion if your butchering yourself there is nothing at all wrong with killing him with an arrow, done right it's neat and quite. Every situation is different, I guess this one depends on the facilities and your confidence to put that arrow in the right spot. I'd sure have a big gun in calm hands there for emergencies though. A big bullet behind the ear if not quiet is very quick and neat also.
Have to weigh in on this one. I worked with bison for 34 years at a national park. Having seen them killed with all manner of weapons; from large bore rifles, shotguns, pistols, vehicles, helicopters, bow and arrows; I believe a well placed arrow will kill more effectively than all the rest. As said above, study the animal for arrow placement before shooting and put in arrows until the animal is on the ground. Your setup is plenty good.
IF they decide to kill it with a gun, 12 guage slug right behind the ear is the fastest.
Your point about a buffalo's skull is well taken. I really have no idea.
I do know a large steer collapses in a heap with a jacketed .22 WMR bullet.
I also had an "occurance" where a motorist hit a whitetail doe on our road. Hips were crushed but she was struggling. I called the sheriff and, much to my surprise as I was turning to talk to my wife at the time, he shot it in the head from 3 feet with a 9mm FMJ - through the nose. He shot it a second time when that had no effect - hitting it in the neck. He shot it a third time finally entering the skull.
By then I was yelling: "Jxxxx Cxxxx! I could have done better with a rock!"
As ChuckC said - study up a bit and have a plan. We have bison at our city Zoo and I have watched them enough to know there is a lot of non-vital mass there. When we go to a zoo my wife gets a kick out of me peering at the elk and mt. goats. "You're hunting them, aren't you".
"Thwack!" says I.
Like in real estate: location, location, location. Put that broadhead where it will do the best work.
Or call the local renderer and borrow/rent their mobile pheumatic gun.
A well placed arrow may not even have much visible effect on the critter. A gun shot will surely spook it, but the arrow may not. A sharp broadhead thru both lungs will kill even a T Rex as quickly as anything short of a brain shot with a .50 Barrett.
Maybe play some loud music to get him in the mood, Ghost Riders in the Sky Maybe ?
ChuckC
(http://i868.photobucket.com/albums/ab246/yornoc/Buff16.jpg)
Wait for quartering away. You have the time to pick your absolute best shot. 1/4 the way up from the belly at the crease where the front leg meets the body. The heavy frontal fur line meeting the shorter body fur can be deceiving, dont use it as a marker. Especially if broadside.
You can see the nock sticking out on the mid-lower left side of the bison. Don't look for a passthrough, you want it angled INTO the chest, not passing through behind the shoulder. You don't need a bloodtrail, you want to kill it ASAP.
QuoteOriginally posted by Terry Green:
Here ya go Mystic....
A Montana Longbow Adventure (http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=4&t=000120#000000)
Thanx Terry
Yes, It will be interesting to here what happens.
Sounds like an excellent set-up to me...
todd
Finally have an arrow setup that should work great. Its a 28 1/2" Vapor 2000 shaft with a 4.75" 200 gr internal footing, a 1" 2117 external footing, and a 250gr Tusker Concorde left single bevel broadhead. This gives it a 32.46% FOC and a total weight of 695gr. They have postponed everything till next weekend.
QuoteOriginally posted by Carbon Jack:
I have to think if the Plains Indians killed buffalo with their primitive 40 pound bows and stone tips, you should be OK with your setup.
They didn't make 'one shot kills'....they road along beside them and pin cushioned them and followed them till they bled and exhausted themselves to death.
Ben.....that weight will most likely be fine....regardless of what the FOC is.
Best of luck to ya sir....and fine dining!!!
Mate i reckon shooting anything in a pen is wrong whqt ever the intent.
What the greenies say if they seen this?
They did it before they had horses as well.I remember were two bulls were brought in to be harvested here once.They shot the first one and when the other saw that he got the heck out of there through alott of containment.He headed out into the mountains and was sighted all over the place heading south for over 6 weeks on the lamb.Finally a truck hit him one morning in the fog 60 miles roughly south ,with two pretty good mtn.ranges and a good sized river he crossed several times.The whole ordeal was comical in retrospect.Best of luck.Colt45 between the eyes is my method,but that bow will workgood.Maybe have a back up plan though.They can be incredible.