84 CENTRAL AFRICAN GAME AND ITS SPOOR. 



In regard to shooting, it is excessively hard to select and shoot a good head 

 (unless one has the fortune to meet them in an open dambo with convenient 

 approaches), as they are perhaps the most cunning of all game. Usually they will be 

 tracked up into thick cover, where they will have made a detour before lying up, so as 

 to leave their tracks up wind of where they are lying, and thus will have stampeded 

 before anyone following on their tracks will have seen them ; or if they are overtaken 

 a female will be seen standing sentry, and it will be difficult, or impossible, to locate 

 the others lying and select a good head without her seeing you and giving the alarm. 



In thick country it is excessively difficult to tell male from female. The points 

 to be looked for in the male are the more massive horns, thicker neck, and generally 

 darker colour. 



In distinguishing an old bull from a cow only the greater size of the neck and 

 forequarters should be noticed, and not the bulk of the body. 



Their sense of smell is nearly as good as that of elephant, in addition to which 

 their sight and hearing are wonderfully acute. 



As instances of their cunning, we would instance a lone bull who wandered up 

 at night within sight of our camp fires, and when followed next day was found to have 

 crossed a river waist-deep eight times, and in one case wading two hundred yards up 

 stream before landing. 



He also brought us to his fresh spoor of the former evening, which he followed 

 for some time before branching off again ; at another place he went down to the river 

 as if intending to cross, and after stamping up the ground near the edge doubled 

 back parallel to the bank in the thick reeds. 



If the sportsman has the misfortune to be followed by a honey-bird while on their 

 track, its twitterings will give the alarm on approaching the herd, and cause them 

 to stampede. 



Buffalo are almost invariably found in herds, generally of from twenty to fifty 

 animals, a lone bull, as mentioned above, being most uncommon. When following 

 into cover where it is thought they are about to lie up, with a hunter's instinct it is 

 occasionally possible to leave the track at the right moment, and, making a detour, to 

 come on them up wind to avoid the track they have carefully laid between them and 

 the wind. As to when this can be done we can only say that with experience and a 

 kind of instinct one feels that they are about to lie up, and that they will probably 

 do so this or that side of their original track. Of course, their tracks often show that 

 they have frequently stopped and perhaps tried some place by kneeling down, and it 

 may be gathered that they are about to lie down. 



There is a certain time, depending on the heat of the day, their pace, and other 



