[Sasakwa]

I went on one of those buffalo hunts a couple of years ago up in Kansas...I know there was a fence around them but it must have been one big pasture..anyway, I thought I would share some of it with yall..It was a 3 day and 2 night hunt...all I furnished was my bed roll and my gun...we traveled out to the camp ground in wagons..the owner wants it to be as much like the real thing as possible..no vehicles were allowed..Myself and my little buddy..( the one that owns the land on the Red River) had a choice of staying in a tee pee or a dug out..we chose the dugout because we figured it would be warmer..but anyway we would ride up the draws on horse back until we spotted a herd of buffalo and then we would hobble our horses and belly crawl thru the grass until we were close enough for a shot..they would do all the work for us once the buffalo was down..like skining it and quartering it and carrying it back to the ranch and hanging it in the cooler...probably one of the best times I have ever had...like I said I know there was a fence somewhere but the owner tried to treat the buffalo exactly like 200 years ago..I mean...no feed...no water...no shelter...no medication or anything...they had to live and survive on their own or they didn't make it..this tends to make them pretty wild..the other plus for the trip was it was probably some of the best meat we have ever had...even the wife liked it and that's saying something..oh..and another thing...I had the skin tanned and actually used it for a rug in the house for the past couple of years...I just put it on e-bay last month and it brought 420 dollars....Thanks for letting me share...Sasakwa

 

[Farmboy]

SWEEET!!!! How much does a hunt like that cost? Sounds like a heck of a good time!

 

[Bird (this time)]

I've got a buddy that has a Sharps 45-110 that would love a hunt like that!

 

[Gauge]

Thats a dream hunt their Ray.
Thanks for sharing it with us all.

Farmboy,I know if your lucky ya can hunt Bison for $2500.00 here in OK.

 

[dennishoddy]

From my conservsations with sasakwa..........that would be the ultrimate hunting trip]

 

[Farmboy]

Alaska is my ultimate goal, but a buffalo in Kansas would be a nice start. ;D

 

[dennishoddy]

I never knew there was this was something like this in Kansas???? I think this would be awsome, not counting the lo fat primo meat

From what I heard, it was an experience

 

[Sasakwa]

I just looked on the web site and the hunt is like everything else...it's gone up...I took what they called a spike bull..which was 20-24 months old..the total cost was 900 dollars..It now is 1125...
This isn't one of those hunts that you have to work at it or you come back empty...they are going to make sure you get your buffalo...and it is the experience that they're actually selling...that's why they incourage you to wear vintage clothing and use old rifles...the rifle I used was the oldest one I own...an old Remington 35...but most of the hunters used Sharps or other models...most were in 45-70 or bigger..like I said they are selling the experience and not just the buffalo...after supper at night and all the guns are put away, everyone has beverages of choice and set around the fire...the owner ( Lee Hawes ) will kinda get the conversation started by telling the history of the area...what it was once known as the( Great Slaughtering Grounds)..he will tell you how many buffalos it is estimated that were once killed in the area which was a tremendous number...also he explains how the natives actually killed them...most were not killed by shooting them with an arrow from a running horse, but were actually stampeded off of the cliffs and they actually would fall to their death..like I said..this isn't in the same class as an Alaska hunt but the price wasn't bad at the time... counting the meat and the hide...the hunter gets everything...It's one of those things that I am glad I went on and could actually afford it at the time...BUT...now with the cost of gas and everything else going up except for wages....probably won't happen again for awhile..the web site for the hunt is http://www.hawes.org/hunt/
Oh, one other comment...it was amazing to me just how tough these things are...I watched a big bull....I mean really big...anyway the guy shot him 6 times with a double barrel 60 caliber muzzle loader ....hit him really good...we followed him and his buddys for about 3/4 of a mile before he spit up the bits...but like I said...he was huge..Thanks for listening to me ramble....I apoligize if I wrote too much...

 

[kele]

awwwww,you could never write to much.That's some very interesting stuff,sounds great.Thanks for the link!!!and Nice story,
Greg

 

[Bird (this time)]

Heck no you didn't write too much, in fact I'd like to hear more about it.

 

[Sasakwa]

awwwww,you could never write to much.That's some very interesting stuff,sounds great.Thanks for the link!!!and Nice story,
Greg

Hey Greg, I've been wondering about my ole Buddy in California lately...Girty has been asking about Kele everyday but I just keep telling her she'll have to wait...anyway...I'm glad to hear from you and look forward to your awesome pictures....Ray

 

[Gauge]

Greg's on the coast of CA.
He's hunting Columbian Blacktail Deer.