Wide or Old–What Makes a Good Cape Buffalo?

By Dave Fulson • Nov 16, 2025

In discussions with prospective buffalo clients, one question, without fail, comes into the conversation: "How big are your buffalo?" With the complete ease of a well-polished wise guy, I will usually say, "Well, if the rains were good, and there is plenty of grass, a big one will weigh around 1,700 pounds, give or take." The awkward pause is soon followed by, "No... I mean, how wide are the buffalo in your area?"

And I am not alone. Every booking agent and safari operator must answer this question countless times in their career, which is, of course part of the job. Certainly, buffalo hunters want to leave Africa with a buffalo they will be proud of, and I am no exception. But the answer to "what makes a good buffalo" is quickly changing. And for good reason.

Certainly, a wide bull catches your attention quickly, be it through your rifle scope, in a photo, or in someone's game room. But all too often, a wide bull is not necessarily a mature bull. Experienced PH’s agree—no matter how wide a bull is, unless he is fully mature, he should not be considered a shooter.

There is no doubt that genetics will play a role in the development of a bull's boss, width, and overall horn configuration. Although there are exceptions, the buffalo of East Africa tends to see more drop in the horns as a bull matures than the buffalo of South Africa, which tend to flare out more, although often at the expense of a looping drop. The buffalo of Zimbabwe and Mozambique are somewhere in the middle. But there are always exceptions. 

As a bull ages, the spongy material will harden, becoming a completely solid structure that usually, but not always, meets in the middle of the forehead. By eight years of age, the average bull will have a fully developed boss. Some bosses will be raised up high off the forehead and are very impressive. Some are extremely flat, only raising an inch or so off the skull. The widest bull I have ever seen measured a colossal 18 inches from front to back! Most are between 12–13 inches wide.

A surefire indicator of advanced age are the horn tips themselves. A bull begins to wear down his tips in his lifetime of tussles with other bulls, as well as his habit of rubbing trees and concrete-hard termite mounds as he prepares both mood and body for the rigors of adulthood, especially turf wars that lead to fights over breeding rights. Older bulls often grind their tips down to a point that more resembles the end of a baseball bat. That is a dead giveaway to an old, fully mature bull. Find that kind of buffalo, and you are in business!

Of course, the buffalo hunter’s dream bull has it all. He has a pronounced and rock-hard boss. His horns will sport a deep and attractive curl, and his tips will be well-worn. Finally, he will be breathtakingly wide, and the number of candles on his last birthday cake will make it hard to blow out. They are out there, but not all of us will find that bull, even over multiple safaris. He's not yet on my wall, that's for sure!

I recommend hunters go for the old bull—a fully mature specimen that has passed his genes down to his many sons. He will have a collection of lion stories that would fill a book, and chances are, blood, both his and theirs, has been spilled in epic battles in lonely pieces of bush. The hunt for him will be your ultimate trophy if your head is on straight. Inches and score sheets will be forgotten as the years roll by, but not the memories.

Many times, in private moments, you will recall the flutter in your gut as the trackers slowed to a crawl after hours unwinding and following his tracks, and how your PH whispered, “We’re close, so stay right with me.” You will recall when tiny sounds, such as your feet lightly stepping through the grass, seemed to resemble a bulldozer going through a picket fence. You will remember the split second when you realized that the coming confrontation—and, trust me, it will feel more like a confrontation than an opportunity—will be squarely on your shoulders. If all went right, the sticks came up, you settled your rifle into their secure cradle as you saw a magnificent old bull turning to face you. You don't remember the sound of the shot, or the crunch of recoil, but you will never forget that wonderful thump that came back to you the instant before the bull exploded from heavy cover.

Some things definitely do not improve with age, but thankfully, Cape buffalo bulls do! Immature animals, of any species, taken before full maturity should never be the goal, even though their genetics might give them enough horn, antler size or length of pelt to make them record book candidates. European hunters tend to place far greater value on age than any other factor, and on that subject at least, I think they have it right.

The Cape buffalo is one of hunting’s most rewarding yet challenging endeavors. If you decide to play this game, do so for the experience it provides; that is the real trophy of this adventure. If you seek out a veteran ‘Dagga Boy,’ no matter the spread or number on some score-sheet, you will have earned membership into a very special fraternity, all of whose most senior and experienced members will tell you “Bloody good show; now that’s the perfect buffalo!"