Bison Bust'n
Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2011 1:43 pm
This year I chose Sand Hills Outfitters in Stuart NE for my annual Buffalo Hunt.
Rick Hamilton is the owner and guide along with his wife Doris.
Hunt is a 4 night 3 day affair with lodging and meals provided.You can include a half day pheasant hunt if you schedule a hunt in Sept or Oct. Rick also has a full size Buffalo Steel Gong Target that duplicates the Quigley and Alliance target and can be shot from 500 to 1000 yards.
All aspects of the entire adventure from initial contact to picking up the processed meat were excellent.
Arrived Monday late afternoon and Hunted Buffalo Tuesday morning
Temperature was 42 degrees and wind was blowing 25 mph out of the Northwest…Brrrrrrr
Used 45-110 with MVA full length dovetail mount scope.
105 grs KIK 1.5 36” Drop Tube no compression; .030 VFW, .125 SPG CG, .030 VFW all in FL resized Norma brass. 20:1 .442” BACO 536gr Creedmoor Style PP Bullet, Patched with 100% rag 9lb paper for an end diameter of .448”. Slight taper crimp to hold bullet in place and then patch coated with Rooster PP lube to seal it up against any rough handling or light moisture. Rifle will fire 4 of these loaded cartridges into a 1.5” group @100yds with no wiping or blowing between shots.
1 ½ year old Bull took two shots fired one right after the other @ 120yds. First shot through lungs approx 2” above the heart, Second shot 4” lower went through the heart. Buffalo traveled less than 30 yds before he went down which was less than a minute after the shots.
Six to seven mature cows immediately surrounded the downed Bull and stayed around him for about 5 mins. After that, the herd moved on with the exception of one mature cow who would not leave the downed bulls side. She stared us down for another 5 mins and made a few false charges then followed us back to the truck when we decided it would be better to retreat rather than push the issue. She finally left and rejoined the herd after we started up the truck.
Young bull weighted just under 900 lbs. Hanging carcass weight was 385 lbs which rendered 284 lbs of boneless packaged meat. That was 80 lbs more than my two previous meat bulls and filled my 10 cubic foot chest freezer to the brim. Wife and I will need to eat bison 4 times a week for the next year to clear out the freezer before next year’s hunt. I am planning on bringing enough bison burger to feed the Restwel Motel group at the Quigley next year.
Rick Hamilton is the owner and guide along with his wife Doris.
Hunt is a 4 night 3 day affair with lodging and meals provided.You can include a half day pheasant hunt if you schedule a hunt in Sept or Oct. Rick also has a full size Buffalo Steel Gong Target that duplicates the Quigley and Alliance target and can be shot from 500 to 1000 yards.
All aspects of the entire adventure from initial contact to picking up the processed meat were excellent.
Arrived Monday late afternoon and Hunted Buffalo Tuesday morning
Temperature was 42 degrees and wind was blowing 25 mph out of the Northwest…Brrrrrrr
Used 45-110 with MVA full length dovetail mount scope.
105 grs KIK 1.5 36” Drop Tube no compression; .030 VFW, .125 SPG CG, .030 VFW all in FL resized Norma brass. 20:1 .442” BACO 536gr Creedmoor Style PP Bullet, Patched with 100% rag 9lb paper for an end diameter of .448”. Slight taper crimp to hold bullet in place and then patch coated with Rooster PP lube to seal it up against any rough handling or light moisture. Rifle will fire 4 of these loaded cartridges into a 1.5” group @100yds with no wiping or blowing between shots.
1 ½ year old Bull took two shots fired one right after the other @ 120yds. First shot through lungs approx 2” above the heart, Second shot 4” lower went through the heart. Buffalo traveled less than 30 yds before he went down which was less than a minute after the shots.
Six to seven mature cows immediately surrounded the downed Bull and stayed around him for about 5 mins. After that, the herd moved on with the exception of one mature cow who would not leave the downed bulls side. She stared us down for another 5 mins and made a few false charges then followed us back to the truck when we decided it would be better to retreat rather than push the issue. She finally left and rejoined the herd after we started up the truck.
Young bull weighted just under 900 lbs. Hanging carcass weight was 385 lbs which rendered 284 lbs of boneless packaged meat. That was 80 lbs more than my two previous meat bulls and filled my 10 cubic foot chest freezer to the brim. Wife and I will need to eat bison 4 times a week for the next year to clear out the freezer before next year’s hunt. I am planning on bringing enough bison burger to feed the Restwel Motel group at the Quigley next year.