Who Says There Are No Roaming Herds Of Buffalo?

[tt11758]

http://www.kiwaradio.com/local-news/almost-all-buffalo-accounted-for-but-a-few-still-roam-in-northwest-iowa

Date posted - May 17, 2012

Sheldon, Iowa — Earlier this week, we told you about several buffalo that were loose and that you should be careful driving, so as not to hit one.

The owner of the buffalo has asked us to announce that you should still be aware while driving because there are a few buffalo still out roaming around.

The buffalo escaped from Frick and Joe Buffalo Ranch, at 4982 200th Street, near Ashton. They report that the herd consisted of 225 animals to begin with. About two-thirds of them were out. Some of them they were able to corral right away. Seventy to eighty animals escaped and were roaming northwest Iowa.

Of those, about 30 were taken back alive, and about 55 had to be shot and will be butchered.

The last buffalo were last seen in four different locations.

South of Sibley on L40
East of Highway 60 on 210th Street
Near Melvin
Near 260th and L26
We talked to Steve Frick, one of the owners of the buffalo, and he asks motorists to be careful not to hit them, as they are very large animals. He also asks the public to please not shoot the buffalo. He says he’s had a report that somewhere near Sanborn, a citizen shot one or more buffalo. He says first of all, if the owners don’t give their permission, it is illegal. Secondly, they would much prefer to get them back to the ranch alive.

Frick says they’re working on an agreement to sell the meat for a donation. He says they’re going to butcher a few and see if they’re fit for butchering into cuts, or if they will need to be made into ground buffalo.

If you’re interested in some buffalo meat — which is usually described as similar to beef, but leaner — Frick says you can contact the Frick and Joe Buffalo Ranch.

He also says he wants to thank people for all their help in rounding up the buffalo all over northwest Iowa.

I talked to one of the guys who had been in the hunting party of the animals they were forced to kill.  He said their hides were so damned tough that 12 gauge slugs were just bouncing off.  They ended up using .30/06 and 7mm Magnums.  Sadly, nobody invited me to join the hunt.   

[Pathfinder]

What Einstein even thought that a 12ga would work? Seriously? ?  Buffalo hunters of old used high powered rifles - Sharps, Springfields and the like - for a reason, they work, lesser rifles and shotties do not.

Buffalo/bison are dangerous, and not just to cars. A neighbor's cousin had 3, put them in his Dad's corral. He had to leave for a few days but he told his Dad - if they get out, just let them roam, the son would gather them when he got back.

Sure enough, they got out, but Dad was an old farmer familiar with livestock, so he and a neighbor rounded them up and drove them back to the corral. Dad opened the gate and stood there waiting for the buffalo to pass to then close the gate. As one of the buffalo charged into the pen, the critter tucked his horn and gutted Dad on the spot as he ran past, died right there in moments. Cows typically don't do that unless you're in a bullring.

[twyacht]

 30/06? Still effective after all these years. The ol' Garand would have worked well....Even the Moisin Nagant, or ol' Mauser....Hate I missed it...

Although the .300 Rem Ultra Mag is impressive.

The 45-70 would have been the uber choice.... Worked over a 120 years ago on Bison/Buffalo....

Would have liked some Buffalo Burgers....

[Timothy]

Would have liked some Buffalo Burgers....

You can buy it here in any supermarket for about 8 bucks a pound.  It's all I use when I'm making burgers, chili or anything that calls for ground beef.  Very seldom do I not find it..

[lhprop1]

What Einstein even thought that a 12ga would work? Seriously? .

They were using slugs.  Most slugs are around 300 grains!  Having never shot a buffalo, or anything larger than a deer for that matter, I probably would have gone for the slugs first, too.

[Sponsor]

[sledgemeister]

Slug out of a shotgun delivers something like 1600ft lbs energy at 100 yrds (on average) a 45/70 (govt) about 1450-1500 with a 300gr JHP
I would have thought a slug from a shotty would have done the job.
Personally I would have liked a little more room for error than either of those.
375H&H would have been perfect!

[twyacht]

Slugs are not effective for penetrating uber thick Buffalo Hide, hits them like a train, but you need deep expanding penetration....Like bullets....

[Hazcat]

I few years back on Cowboys the host (can't remember his name) had a single shot sharps type rifle special made to shoot the Casull .454.  He used it to take a Buff at about 100 yards.

[Pathfinder]

I dropped my buffalo bull with a .30-30. You don't need anything exotic, just a rifle! A .22LR can drop one, if it's in a chute and you're above and behind it. But these are on the loose and at some distance (if you're smart - see my previous post), so a rifle is called for.

The issue here isn't simply energy - it's penetration and then energy. A big, heavy, slow moving (relatively) slug may work in certain circumstances. Buffalo ain't one of those circumstances. With a shotgun slug, all you're doing is tenderizing a very small piece of meat.

[tombogan03884]

I dropped my buffalo bull with a .30-30. You don't need anything exotic, just a rifle! A .22LR can drop one, if it's in a chute and you're above and behind it. But these are on the loose and at some distance (if you're smart - see my previous post), so a rifle is called for.

The issue here isn't simply energy - it's penetration and then energy. A big, heavy, slow moving (relatively) slug may work in certain circumstances. Buffalo ain't one of those circumstances. With a shotgun slug, all you're doing is tenderizing a very small piece of meat.

And annoying a VERY large animal with horns.