Typical Day & Tactics:

Upon arriving to Macarthur River, hunters are greeted by the outfitter and it’s just a couple hours in the Land Cruiser to reach the general hunting areas. Once in camp, settle in for the evening, and any remaining daylight allows hunters to shoot their bows or perhaps even sneak out for a quick little scouting mission before dusk.

Wake up before light, have a simple breakfast and leave camp by dawn only driving a short distance before proceeding on foot. These Buffalo are hunted using spot and stalk tactics. Begin by walking dry creek beds checking billabongs for wallowing buffalo, or glassing the vast floodplains and sneaking through bedding areas with the wind in your face. A typical morning sees 50+ Buffalo, and its not unusual to inspect over 100 animals each full day. For any hunters having difficulty walking great distances, its not a problem as most of the hunting areas are accessible by 4×4 vehicles. Its often that hunters spot and glass buffalo from the vehicle before planning and initiating a stalk.

Mid-day usually finds hunters back in camp to avoid the heat and strong mid-day sun.  This is the perfect time to kick off your boots for lunch, cool down with a swim in a clear spring fed billabong, or flick a few lures hoping to hook into a Barra if you haven’t already chosen to take a midday siesta instead. Prepare to head back out in the field early afternoon and continue playing cat and mouse with these huge buffalo until dusk. Once the buffalo are down, turn your attention to scrub bulls, feral hogs, and wild dogs. Trophy preparations are laborious given the massive size of these buffalo, but once all is complete, hunters are shuttled back to MacArthur River by the outfitter in time to catch the return charter to Darwin.

Landscape & Climate:

This is a land of extremes that ranges from flooding to fires in an annual cycle. The terrain is generally flat and sandy. During the prime Buffalo season, its very dry, and the ephemeral creek and river valley systems lined with Pandanus or Screwpine provide a great environment in which to hunt.  Dry open flood plains mixed with dense forest and long grassy tidal meadows makes for great archery stalking cover. Most abundant here are the Ironbark trees, and the rest is generally mixed varies of eucalyptus. In addition to buffalo, scrub bulls, feral hogs and wild dogs, expect to encounter Red and Grey Kangaroos, Wallaby’s, Cockatoo’s, Kookaburra and the colorful Bee Eaters. Black headed Pythons, Goannas, Bull sharks, Fresh and Salt water Crocodiles also call this remote wilderness home.

Conditions during the hunt are warm and dry, with typical daytime highs getting quite hot, but then cooling down in the evenings and overnight. Rain would be highly unlikely and little more than a light sweater is needed in camp during the cooler hours. For detailed weather data, Wikipedia is an excellent resource for historic weather trends found in the “Climate” section available for any city worldwide.

Meals & Accommodations:

Accommodations are mobile tent camps to stay on the buffalo, but with every comfort while afield. This region of Australia sees virtually no permanent structures due to the annual process of both floods and wild fires. Hunters sleep in raised 12×14 foot tents complete with cots and 4-inch foam mattresses. All sleeping bags, pillows or bedding linens are also provided. A gravity shower, portable outhouse, generator and solar powered lights, freezer, refrigerator, water pump and charging station provide all that’s needed. While hammocks, a central fire pit, tables and lounge chairs complete this outback style mobile hunting camp. Nestled in the heart of the of the outfitting area, spend the week only minutes from the Buffalo!

The camp cooked meals are rustic and wholesome. Breakfasts are generally light. Cereal, toast and fruit namely. Once back for a midday, a bacon & eggs brunch can be prepared, as well as sandwiches, usually with corned beef or chicken, lettuce tomato and cheese. For dinner, use some traditional outback open-fire cooking techniques. Never a set menu but with popular items such as steak night or oven roasted chicken, lamb or pork roasts or buffalo spaghetti! Grilled or crumbed Barramundi is also delicious promoting hunters to spend more time fishing.

Key Equipment Suggestions:

This hunt requires a slightly more detailed equipment list; a 65lbs draw weight bow or more is preferred, along with 12 arrows tipped with 550 grain broad heads of fixed 2 blade solid construction, a good internal-frame day pack, 10x binoculars, rangefinder, hydration bladder/water bottle, hat, sunglasses and sunscreen, a headlamp, comfortable walking boots and a digital camera would make up some of the most essential items.