See List of Outfitters and Exotic Ranches with Hunting Packages for Asian Water Buffalo Hunts.
Cost of Water Buffalo Trophy Hunts
Prices for an Water Buffalo hunt on a game ranch is between $2,500 and $9,000, considered affordable to moderately affordable for an exotic game hunt. The final total depends on the size of the rack, trophy fee, rifle or bow hunt, number of days, taxidermy fees, guide fees, quality of accommodations, amenities and services available.
Water Buffalo Hunting Season
All year
Hunting Trophy Water Buffalo
Though these animals look ponderous and slow, they can run 30 MPH or faster to escape predators. If threatened or cornered, the water buffalo has been known to fight, and defeat lions, tigers and even crocodiles using its speed, weight and massive horns. Hunting them is extremely dangerous.
Most Asian Buffalo horns are between 24 inches and 32 inches, though five-foot long horns have been recorded. These horns extend backward and downward at first, but then they hook upward and curve in a spiral pattern. They will eventually curve all the way into a semicircle. These long, crescent-shaped horns have a single ridge running down the length.
Physical Characteristics
The water buffalo is a huge animal, weighing between 1,250 pounds and 1,450 pounds on average. However, some have weighed more than 2,200 pounds. They stand between 48 and 55 inches tall at the shoulder, with females slightly shorter, between 47 and 50 inches. One notable feature of the stocky, powerful build is a pronounced dorsal ridge and short tail.
As the name implies, the water buffalo lives in the water, so it has hoofed feet that are very large, keeping it from sinking when walking in mud. There are two types of water buffalo: river buffalo and swamp buffalo. The skin of the river buffalo tends to be black or slate-colored. On the swamp buffalo, the skin starts out grey and then turns darker and bluish as the animal ages.
Origin, Native Habitat and Countries
The vast majority of the water buffalo population – there are more than 158 million in the world – is in Asia; some estimates put it at 97 percent. Though there is some dispute, it is most likely native to China and India, though it is now found in Thailand, Vietnam, the entire Indian subcontinent, Peninsular Malaysia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Borneo.
On the whole, these animals live in muddy waters, rivers and swamps. They eat leaves, herbs, and grass, but they mostly focus on habitats that have many aquatic plants. Though it can be found out of the water, the water is always close by.
Behavior/Social Characteristics
The water buffalo chooses to live in smaller herds, though a few large herds have been noted. Herds are used to offer protection in numbers from natural predators. By staying submerged in the water and mud for most of the day, the animal is able to live in places with high temperatures. It would potentially overheat without the water, but submersion keeps its internal temperature consistent.