Ricardo (L) and Peter (R) Reunited at the Harare Airport.
By Ricardo Leone
August 2025
I am sure you do not want to read yet another story about a buffalo hunt. Please, stay with me – this is an account of shooting a brace of buffalo – not once, but three times with the same PH at three different concessions in three different countries. My PH is Peter Chipman. We call each other Bwana. AHG’s Editor, Richard Lendrum, wrote about Peter and his storied career. Without rehashing Peter’s history, he is a modern-day Buffalo Bill Cody. Buffalo Bill killed thousands of American Bison back in the day. Peter is the professional hunter for over one thousand African buffalo – clearly worthy of the name, Buffalo Bwana.
Of my thirteen African hunting safaris, Bwana has been there for nine of them and arranged a tenth. Bwana is more than my outfitter and PH; he has become a dear friend to me, my long-term African hunting partner, Manno, and my youngest son. In fact, he talks English football more with my son than I talk with him about hunting. Last month Bwana was in Zimbabwe with Manno and me, and Bwana and I shot a brace of Cape buffalo – our third double together. I asked him of his thousand buffalo, how many doubles he shot – the answer was five. I replied, “we have three of those five”! Given only five doubles out of thousand and our three together, I feel compelled to share our unique experiences.
A Real Cluster
Manno, Bwana, and I travelled to Bugungu Wildlife Reserve in Uganda back in 2022 where would hunt Nile buffalo, one of the five species of buffalo in Africa; of the five species, the Nile is closest to the Cape buffalo. Bruce Martin, the owner of Lake Albert Safaris was our outfitter. To the best of Bruce’s knowledge, we would be the first folks to legally hunt Nile buffalo in five decades on this concession. Looking at a map you will find Bugungu Wildlife Reserve at the southern boundary of Murchison Falls National Park. To put a finer point on the location, look up the location of Ernest Hemingway’s second plane crash in Uganda back in 1954 – it was at the now defunct airstrip in Butiaba on the shores of Lake Albert just across the road from Bugungu Wildlife Reserve.
As the hunting concession had just opened, there was only one working road cut into the bush – we had to rely on the tracker’s recent knowledge of where the buffalo might be and pick our way carefully through the brush. We all travelled together on one Land Cruiser. Within an hour, we bumped a small herd of less than ten buffalo – mostly cows, a couple of calves and one smallish bull. Bwana, and our local PH, Charles, were guiding me. Bruce was sure there was another bull based on the intelligence from the trackers – neither Bwana, Manno, nor I saw a second bull. Before we could dismount, the herd ran off and shortly thereafter the skies opened and drenched us. We returned to camp, changed shirts, and as we waited out the rain there was continued debate about whether the bull was a shooter or not and, of course, there was the question of a second bull – did we miss something? After an hour, the rain stopped and we continued our hunt. The rest of the drive was quiet.
The next morning, we decided to stay together on one vehicle again due to the wet ground. Sadly, the morning proved unproductive despite an intense stalk through thick brush. We saw a big herd but never saw a shooter. After lunch, we left camp to resume the morning plan. The ground was noticeably dryer. We found the tracks of the small herd from the morning and decided to leave the Land Cruiser to begin our stalk. We had walked for no more than fifteen minutes when I saw the small herd – others in our oversized entourage saw the herd and clearly the herd saw us and ran off. Bwana took over and we walked to our left to use the brush for cover. We made our way around the brush and followed where the herd ran – we could see two bulls ahead, but they moved before we could get a shot. We kept moving to our left behind cover hoping to cut the herd off. As planned, we met up with the herd – there was one bull at one hundred yards, facing to our left. Bwana set the sticks. I set my Rigby .416 rifle on the sticks, took aim at his left front shoulder, and shot. I could see the buffalo buckle – the entire herd ran to our left with no opportunity for a second shot.
We all walked to where the bull was standing hoping to pick up a blood trail. As we arrived where the buffalo was first standing, the herd spotted us from afar and was on the move again. They broke to our right taking cover in brush about 125 yards away. Bringing up the rear was the buffalo I shot – his front left leg was dragging. We made a quick plan to move forward toward the bushes and wait for herd to break again. We hoped my buffalo would give me the chance at a second shot. The cows and calves followed the script but not the bulls. Then a bull poked his head out with part of his front quarter exposed – now facing to our right. Our entourage, some seven strong with Manno on the stalk too, was overly excited with many opinions among the three PHs, guides and trackers. The wisdom of the village decided this was my wounded buffalo despite no clear confirmation. Bwana set the sticks – I stepped up and Bwana told me to put a shot on his shoulder. The buffalo was only partially exposed with the grass covering his knee. I took the shot and hit the buffalo which ran forward in the same direction the cows and out of sight. This buffalo’s front left leg was not dragging. Now there was doubt in the air. Bruce thought there could be two wounded buffaloes. He told Bwana to prepare Manno just in case we had two buffalo to clean up.
We all walked forward angling left to make sure the buffalo with the wounded leg was not waiting behind – remember, we never saw it in all the drama. Bwana led, Charles next, with me on their heels. Bwana and Charles saw the buffalo with the lame leg just as the buffalo saw us – it turned and looked directly at us. Bwana set the sticks and told me put a round into him before he charged us. Given the angle, I put a well-placed shot between his shoulder and head. The buffalo took the load and backed up – he then turned 180 degrees and stepped forward and stopped. Bwana picked up the sticks, walked forward and set the sticks once again. I put two more shots into the buffalo – this time, he rolled. We waited for the death moan. We started to step forward and Bwana said we should hold fast – he did not want to walk into the tall grass with a possible second bull still out there. Bruce and Charles doubled back to retrieve the Land Cruiser while the rest of us waited there.
As Bruce had suggested, Manno was on deck to finish off the second bull. I had already fired five rounds, at least four into the one lying in front of us. As we were waiting, Bwana saw a large black mound in the bushes just thirty-five yards in front of us. He had spotted the second buffalo; it was facing to our left. Bwana set the sticks for Manno who stepped up and fired. We cautiously walked wide to the left of the bushes – the buffalo was still in the same position clearly compromised. Bwana reset the sticks and Manno shot again and then took a third security shot. The second buffalo succumbed to Manno’s Rigby .416. We approached the second buffalo which was lying on his left exposing a high lung shot from my initial shot confirming this was the second buffalo. It must be said Bwana’s sixth sense of forbidding us from entering the tall grass surely saved us from harm’s way. Buffalo Bwana’s experience is second to none.
As we started to unravel events, the Land Cruiser arrived. Collectively we pieced the puzzle together. Bruce looked satisfied with proof the small herd did have two buffalo as he thought. With no more doubt, we made a new plan on how to take photos of the two Nile buffalo together. The two buffaloes were symmetrically aligned and ready for photos. While the picture looked good, the hunt was a real cluster. Too many cooks in the kitchen for sure. Manno helped me clean up, but this was not the buffalo hunt he signed up for. Bruce acknowledged this and arranged for Manno to hunt his own buffalo later in our trip.
Despite the cluster, it should be noted that these two buffalo were the first legally taken in the Bugungu Wildlife Reserve in five decades. Furthermore, this was the first buffalo meat to be delivered to the local village over a similar timespan. Delivering the meat was something we all looked forward to. While the village was clearly happy to be the recipient of fresh nyama, the chairman of the village did not miss the opportunity to tell Lake Albert Safari’s local operations manager that he should hire more local people. I may have been seven thousand miles from home, but the politics were the same.
The Rhetorical Question
A brace of Nile buffalo after a real cluster.
Buffalo Bwana and I taking aim together into the dense brush.
In 2023, Manno, Bwana and I headed to the Selous in Tanzania. This was Manno’s and my tenth safari together, all but three with Bwana. Bwana was my PH for most of this trip. Most days, we left camp looking for old Dagga Boys. Manno had been working a few waterholes and had already taken two buffalo, one 42” wide. Early one morning, Bwana and I spotted two old Dagga Boys on our left walking from a drying waterhole, over two hundred and fifty yards away. The crew jumped into action with Bwana taking the sticks from the head tracker, Longi, with me close behind Bwana with my new Grifin and Howe .404 Jefferys. I had three bullets in the rifle and five on my belt. Bwana set the sticks at 180 yards. The buffalo sensed us and nervously moved about.
Bwana told me to look at the one on left through my scope and after glassing longer, Bwana told me to take the one on the right and I took a well-placed shot off the sticks into his shoulder. Bwana told me to take another shot, and I missed – I took a third shot as the bull ran and connected. The initial shoulder shot took its toll, and he fell with the third shot. I took another shot while he was on the ground. Bwana then took the sticks and chased after the second buffalo who had moved to our right, away from waterhole into woods. However, he did not want to leave the first buffalo. Bwana then asked if I wanted to shoot a second buffalo – it was clear to me this was a rhetorical question as he was intent on following the second one. Longi had been guiding me from behind with his hand on my back. Bwana had closed the gap to 120 yards. The second buffalo was still moving so Bwana repositioned the sticks and told me to shoot at my pace. I had a good broadside shot and took it – again, a well-placed shoulder shot. Bwana had me keep shooting while the buffalo was moving. I loaded my last bullet and told Bwana I needed more bullets. Longi asked where they were – I told him they were in my pack on the Land Cruiser roof rack. The buffalo had slowed to a stop. The first buffalo let out a moan – the second buffalo moved back towards the first with his head facing in the direction of the first. Bwana repositioned the sticks and I took my last shot which landed well. We waited for Longi who came running with his two hands cupped around seven bullets. While waiting for Longi, I told Bwana he might need to get his .470 double ready – he did not budge. I started to load one bullet and Bwana said to load three. The buffalo was not moving. I took one more shot and we had two old Dagga Boys down – they were one hundred yards apart. I had “a brace” in front of me. Bwana was incredibly happy – in his thirty-five years as a PH he said this was only his fourth double. This was a special time for Bwana, Longi, and me – we stood still and absorbed the moment.
We approached the second buffalo first – he was done. He was a great old Dagga Boy with nice curls. We took pictures, then went to see first buffalo. Despite the several death moans, he was still rolling a bit. He tried to raise his head and that was his last gasp. Bwana really liked this old one – his large boss was worn smooth, and tips worn down. We took pictures with him while the Land Cruiser pulled the second buffalo next to the first. Bwana positioned the two old bulls head-to-head for more pictures.
This was our second double of buffalo in as many years, although the previous year in Uganda was real cluster and I had Manno’s help. This year’s double was mine alone.
Buffalo Bwana celebrating our second double with me.
Back Me Up
Manno and I were in the Save Valley Conservancy hunting with Roger Whittall Safaris this past August 2025. My PH was Guy Whittall, and we had already had a fabulous hunt despite the buffalo eluding us over the twelve previous days. It was the last morning I planned to hunt, and before we left, I told everyone I was relaxed and did not care if we only shoot a squirrel. We left camp at 5:45 a.m. and by 6:30 a.m. our tracker, Benson, had spotted a few old Dagga Boys in some thick brush – not really the type of brush I like to hunt, and to be clear, Bwana disapproved. We kept driving past the buffalo and parked the Land Cruiser and walked back to find them. Guy, Benson, our ranger, and I are barely 5’9” with our boots on, but Peter is a towering 6’2” and was the only one who could see over the thick brush. So, while our tracker was on the
Buffalo Bwana and my third double together.
tracks, it was Peter who could see the buffalo. Even Guy, who climbed up on a pile of dirt, could not make a visual on the buffalo. Bwana directed traffic from the rear until we all had a visual. The closest buffalo was sixty yards away; he was feeding with his head down so we could not see his boss to know if it was an old Dagga Boy or soft-top. Bwana walked to his right get a better look at the buffalo’s boss and gave the thumbs up. Given the dense brush we decided Bwana would back me up with his borrowed .458. Not sure whose idea it was, but I welcomed the thought of not walking through dense brush to find a dead buffalo – as the saying goes, it’s the dead ones that kill you.
Guy set the sticks for me and asked me to wait until he got a visual. Once he was ready, I heard “shoot.” As soon as I fired, my unprotected right ear felt Bwana’s .458 shot in no uncertain terms. There was barely a full second between shots. We both watched the buffalo about face and disappear into the brush. We waited for a bellow – nothing. While waiting I saw Guy wave me over – he had set the sticks on another buffalo who was looking directly at us from seventy yards out. I asked Guy how he knew that buffalo was the one we had shot? He looked at me and said we are taking a second one. I was totally with the program. I jumped on the sticks while Bwana positioned himself next to me. As I put ear protection into my right ear, Guy said to shoot him in the chest. I took aim and took a frontal shot – Bwana followed suit. We watched this buffalo back-up, turn and drop to the ground. Then we heard the first buffalo’s bellow – we had the “all clear.” Even so, we navigated through the brush with caution and found the two buffalo about fifteen yards apart. The first buffalo required a mercy shot and we had our double.
Bwana and I instinctively knew how we wanted to position our brace for photos – we had done it before. Despite all the brush we were concerned about, there was a clearing adjacent to where the buffalo lay, and with the help of the Land Cruiser, we easily moved the buffalo. Guy was equally stoked and told us this was his first double – welcome to the club.
For Buffalo Bwana this was his fifth double in over a thousand buffalo. I did not have to remind him it was our third together. After the cluster in Uganda and the rhetorical question in the Selous – I told Bwana, this was the way to do it with him backing me up. He said if we were in dense brush again, he would be right behind me locked and loaded – otherwise, he would watch me with pride, especially if we were ever lucky enough to see double trouble again.
Welcome to the club, Guy.