I am watching "Under Wild Skies Africa" and they just used an umbrella to stalk over open plains in the Okovango Delta.

Johan Calitz and Tony makes and umbrella in a mobile blind....

Who has done this before???

I have seen this being done in Tanzania several times.

It does work.

It's a hell of an old trick and works well enough. I've used 'em occasionally when hunting Buffalo........ the hardest thing about it is trying not to laugh at the ludicrousness of the situation!

The real fun happens when one wears a ghilly suit, and goes close to a herd of buffalo in the open!

As soon as you get very close, and they feel something is amiss, they all get closer to the tree!?

Having a herd of buffalo trying to hide behind you is NOT funny

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
The real fun happens when one wears a ghilly suit, and goes close to a herd of buffalo in the open!

As soon as you get very close, and they feel something is amiss, they all get closer to the tree!?

Having a herd of buffalo trying to hide behind you is NOT funny

i wanted to try that just could not find a source for the umbrella

WE USED PALM LIMBS ONE TIME. WORKS LIKE A CHARM.

quote:

Originally posted by Bryan Chick:
i wanted to try that just could not find a source for the umbrella

Bryan,

didn't you know they grow wild on umbrella thorns?

some of us southern boys ise camo pattern umbrella's as ground blinds have been doing it for yrs.

It definitely worked well for Tony Makris on cape buffalo and I've seen it used for antelope (Western US) as well. Where do you pick up camo pattern umbrellas?

I also saw that Under Wild Skies show, but it was quite some time ago. Anything to break or hide the human form helps.

I have broken off bushes or pieces of sagebrush and held them in front of me while crawling for a closer shot.

Last winter I was in Denver, and bought a "golf size" large camo umbrella at the Bass Pro store there. I have also seen them on evil-bay.

It is true that any dark or greenish piece of cloth or mesh that will break up or blur the human outline will work.

By stalking behind such a screen, we have duckwalked to within less than ten yards of a herd of 300 Cape buffalo in Tanzania.

We filmed the entire herd as they passed us by at spitting distance. The wind was good, and they never suspected that we were there.

Steve: Next time you pass one pick it for me and post it to me.
Ha! Ha!

Just picked up both the camo and the black umbrellas at Bass Pro this afternoon. I plan on seriously trying them out. I've seen them work on two hunting shows now, and a turkey hunter also stated that he uses the camo one while turkey hunting as well. Can't hurt to try it!

Umbrella stalking transcends continents, apparently...

This pic I took of a bloke happily hunting along a few years ago deep in the woods of Maine. It was raining, after all, and made perfect sense...

Old George Hoffman used a pair of sticks with reeds attached to them so that when they were spread open, they made a tri-angle like an up side down fan, with a 4" hole at eyelever to look through. You could advance on buffalo in open grass with this littls gadgitn and when you got in range, the "V" at the top was to rest your rifle over. Worked like a charm!

George had a lot of little tricks like that in his medicine bag! I sure miss that old codger!

We have big green umbrellas we use all the time. Both for rain and making the sneak on critters out in the open. I personally saw a big giant forest hog taken this way. The Umbrellas have Ethiopian Rift Valley Safaris in white script on them but evidently the Giant Forest Hog couldn't read.

Rich Elliott

Mac,
The first time Geo. ever tried that was with me on TZ safari 1992. They took photos of us. It was me, Geo and the tracker all trying to stay behind the A frame long grass shield. It was a Larry, Curly and Moe situation but it worked like a charm. The buffalo is the one you see hanging in my office.
He said he had always wanted to try that but he needed someone as goofy as me to try it with.
I miss him too and Thanksgiving is coming up. We always hunted my Chimney Hill ranch at Thanksgiving for the dangerous Whitetail.

At the shot show this last year there was a company that had something they called the shadow shield. It was basically a big plastic mirror that was held so that it angled slightly toward the ground and reflected that image toward the animal your were stalking. Not sure how bright that would be stalking in on buff as another heard?????

http://www.theshadowshield.com/sport.phtml

I have stalked buffalo in Zim behind a couple of black umbrellas. One for me and one for the PH. It did seem a bit comical, but worked like a charm as the buff just stood there. Don't undersell this tactic.
Bill

quote:

Originally posted by Harry:
Mac,
I miss him too and Thanksgiving is coming up. We always hunted my Chimney Hill ranch at Thanksgiving for the dangerous Whitetail.

Yes Mims,it certainly must seem something is missing down at the Chimney, to share the turkey & dressing! This thread reminded me of him, and I re-read his book again just for old times' sake!

I will send any one who want one or three camo umbrella's for $20 +shipping and handeling. bdu camo pattern

correction one for $20 not three