the crossbow is in the background
Cool. Didn’t see that obviously.
The debate is all a bit predictable. All the usual hullabaloo about shooting an animal with anything other than a mega powerful firearm. How the bowhunters are going to arc up and create a scene etc. The irresponsibility of the situation and so on...
So what is the point of close up stalking one of these creatures in the first place? It’s all about the thrill, right? And the Cape Buffalo falls into the category of dangerous game, right?
I’m going to make the assumption that this is a game farm in South Africa. Often in these kinds of situations the hunter isn’t so much pitting his wits against the animal in a true fair chase, as being placed in close proximity by his guides, receiving lots of help from the knowledgeable and experienced, who tell him what to do, and when to do it. Usually he will be using a big bore rifle that has a certain degree of glamour attached to it. Expensive / classic / supremely powerful. Without any of the aforementioned tools and assistance, the average bloke would probably be fairly useless, and come away either dead, or alive but unsuccessful.
Whichever way you look at it, under normal circumstances the odds are stacked in favour of the hunter. Which with the wife and kids in mind, and the fact that they do not need to eat the buffalo to survive, is probably quite a good idea.
There’s a variety of hunter who wants to do things differently, the thrillseeker looking for way more adrenaline. It’s no different to lots of other recreational activities - hang gliding, base jumping, wing suit flying being three that come to mind that involve playing with gravity, when if you want to simply fly, a small Cessna will do the same job a whole lot safer. Mega fast cars and motorbikes, tightrope walking, extreme skiing, snake wrangling, rodeo, luge, freediving... it’s a long list of what ordinary people regard as recklessness.
If the hunter is wanting to experience the true thrill of the chase then using a .416 plus a PH and others isn’t exactly chancing your arm. A crossbow is a devastating weapon in the right hands with the right type of bow and bolt. The bow hunters that stalk dangerous game close in, alone, are the truest representation of man versus beast that there is, bar spear hunting I guess. Animal welfare doesn’t really come into it.
If the risk taker dies or gets seriously injured in their pursuit then so be it. If you are a professional hunter or a guide and you are taking their money to allow them to take their risk and you get cleaned up in the process, then that is a risk you took knowingly and you must take it on the chin!
I reckon they will tell the story for years, and love every minute of it.