Mar 28, 2015 3 min read

“All that was left of him was his boots, and that’s what we buried.”

These words are from a story by famous outdoorsman Jack O’Conner, who was talking about hunting the Cape buffalo of South Africa. He also said something along the lines of, in a defining moment, the hunter either stands and shoots or runs and quickly dies.

The Cape buffalo is probably the deadliest of the big-game mammals in Africa. It kills more people annually than any of the other big five which are lions, leopards, black rhinos, elephants and, of course, the cape buffalo.

This list of mammals does not cover hippos, which also kill people regularly, but are listed with crocodiles because most deaths occur in the water.

Of the five, black rhinos and elephants are considered endangered and no longer regularly hunted.

I’m not sure all hunters understand the level of skill required in this life-and-death hunt. And to be honest, I’m not sure we all could hunt at this level.

It’s certainly something to ponder.

A short while ago a friend of mine, Will Orndoff, owner of Orndoff Sporting Goods in Graysville, went to South Africa on such a hunt. His tale is one worth repeating.

Orndoff was with a small party of hunters out for a day’s hunt looking for the Cape buffalo. He was carrying his .375 Remington when he came upon a large male.

His first shot hit the buffalo dead center in the chest, but did not stop the animal from charging.

The next thing he remembers is the buffalo lying 20 feet from him on the ground, dead from his second shot.

He said he doesn’t remember taking that shot but if he would have needed a third, it would have been from the hip. He had no time to reload and put the gun up for the shot.

Now that must have been a life-defining moment.

That was Will’s moment of truth.

If you happen down that way, stop at Orndoff’s to hear the tale yourself. If you love to hunt, it will give you something to think about.

George H. Block writes a Sunday Outdoors column for the Observer-Reporter.