Wheelchair Buffalo

by Rich Riethmayer

 I am totally jazzed to the max. On Monday I bagged a big Buffalo bull. He scored a 58.3 in the Safari Club International record books. He weighed  between 1800 - 1900 lb. I took it with a 30-06 at Ted Turner's Armendaris Ranch in Truth or Consequences, NM. I think this is the first Bull Buffalo taken from a wheelchair. (If not the first, one of the few! ed.)

   At 10:00 am we spotted him bedded down in a Mesquite thicket about 2 miles from Red Tank where I had set up my blind. My guide (E.D. Edwards) said that the Buffalo wouldn’t be heading for water until afternoon so we toured the ranch. We found numerous herds of Antelope (200 head) and quite a few herds of cow Buffalo (300 head). There was also a herd of about 15 Oryx. They were only about 50 yards off the road.

  At 1:00 we were back at Red Tank glassing my Buffalo but he was still bedded down so we opted to return to the site where we first spotted him. About 45 minutes later he got up and started to move towards the tank. We hustled back and set up my blind about 80 yards from his usual trail.  I put my camouflage jacket over the wheel of my chair and had a few tumble weeds put in front of me and settled in for a wait.

  Finally the Buffalo got out of the Mesquite thicket but he stepped behind a big old Yucca and disappeared. The next time we saw him, he was bedded down  1400 yards away. An hour later he finally decided to drink so towards us he came.  That big ol’ buffalo head a bobbing with each step.

  At about 500 yards I chambered a round into my 30-06 and clicked the safety on . At 50 yards he stepped behind a Mesquite. I clicked the safety off and shouldered my rifle. On he came but not following his normal trail, he was headed straight for us. As he neared all he offered was a steep quartering shot. At 18 yards he finally turned a little and offered a better broadside target so I took it. The shot went in just behind the elbow and passed clean through the heart and exited between the ribs. After the shot I quickly jacked a fresh round into the chamber because he turned and looked straight at us. My guide had his 30-06 reticule trained on the bull's ear. As the Buffalo's eyes started to glaze he took a step towards us then made a left turn giving me a prefect broadside shot which I took and again the 180 gr. 30-06 bullet passed through the heart, this time at 15 yards. I chambered a third round but as I did he pointed his tail at us, his rear end broke down and he finally collapsed.

Rich Riethmayer