I am thinking of bow hunting on my hunts in the save with save safaris and Moz with Mokore.

I don’t want to deal with taking guns across into Moz.

I also think bow hunting will be a challenge and I may be able to get some good game pictures waiting around for a close shot.

Goal is to shoot a few impala.

If I continue on my quest for a bush pig I will post likely switch to a rifle.

How much do regular bow hunters practice before they go? How good does one need to be?

Thanks for any info.

Mike

I bow hunted my second hunt( in RSA).Hunting will almost certainly be from a blind at a waterhole, so pictures are probable. Things like impala and warthog are easy, bigger stuff a good bet. Practice is the name of the game, at least 30 minutes a day. You should be able to to put every arrow in a 3” group at 35 yards.

quote:

Originally posted by jdollar:
I bow hunted my second hunt( in RSA).Hunting will almost certainly be from a blind at a waterhole, so pictures are probable. Things like impala and warthog are easy, bigger stuff a good bet. Practice is the name of the game, at least 30 minutes a day. You should be able to to put every arrow in a 3” group at 35 yards.

I'm not a bowhunter, but I once had a client who had taken the Big Five (and a lot of other game) with a bow in Zimbabwe, South Africa and elsewhere.

He was not the first to do this.

Of the three elephants he shot, one required a rifle to finally put it down. The second took a couple of arrows, and the third died within a few steps after his arrow sliced the top of its heart and exited the animal.

I seem to remember his bow was a 120-pound longbow. I was younger and couldn't draw even an inch.

The guy has successfully hunted nearly all of the world's most-wanted game and has never used a rifle. He's still hunting, too.
'
Bill Quimby

Mike,
Not sure of your proficiency with a bow, but you will need to be very proficient within say 35-40 yards with the expectation to be quite comfortable with your equipment.
Essentially, be able to hit a target the size of a grapefruit 95% of the time or just outside of that.
Also be comfortable with shot placement and trying to tick your arrow in behind major bone structure.
You'll be fine and you'll have fun.

I have bowhunted once in Zim and twice in SA in 12,13, and 14. I took a variety of plaines game and a Cape buffalo. Took 16 animals in total.
Most of bowhunting is high fence I believe. That’s what I hunted. The size of the concessions I hunted ranged from 9000 to 32,000 acres. It most certainly did not seem like I was hunting penned animals.
I believe that it would have been very difficult to spot and stalk these animals.
All of the hunting was from blinds at water and some areas were baited. The amount of and diversity of game that was seen was awesome. Shots taken were 15-30 yards with most just under 20 yards.
If you are an experienced Bowhunter, I highly recommend a safari. But I would be sure to go with a safari company that specializes in bowhunting.
And if you have any specific questions, pm me.

quote:

Originally posted by billrquimby:

quote:

Originally posted by jdollar:
I bow hunted my second hunt( in RSA).Hunting will almost certainly be from a blind at a waterhole, so pictures are probable. Things like impala and warthog are easy, bigger stuff a good bet. Practice is the name of the game, at least 30 minutes a day. You should be able to to put every arrow in a 3” group at 35 yards.

I'm not a bowhunter, but I once had a client who had taken the Big Five (and a lot of other game) with a bow in Zimbabwe, South Africa and elsewhere.

He was not the first to do this.

Of the three elephants he shot, one required a rifle to finally put it down. The second took a couple of arrows, and the third died within a few steps after his arrow sliced the top of its heart and exited the animal.

I seem to remember his bow was a 120-pound longbow. I was younger and couldn't draw even an inch.

The guy has successfully hunted nearly all of the world's most-wanted game and has never used a rifle. He's still hunting, too.
'
Bill Quimby

Sounds a bit like Pete Shepley.

Today’s equipment is very forgiving and user friendly so you should be able with help in good pro shop to get fairly good and proficient in couple of months
With traditional bow, give it good year and shit load of practice, because that’s the real deal

quote:

With traditional bow, give it good year and shit load of practice, because that’s the real deal.

+1

Thanks for all the info.

I will be using the only bow I have a Bowtech Invasion.

Plan is to try and stalk at least an impala.

My goal is enjoy 17 days in the Bush, get close to many animals, maybe kill a few impala and other small plains game and get some good pictures.

Also I will try and spend 30 minutes everyday in the back yard shooting my bow.

Mike

So many years ago Pete Shepley and Don Castrup came out to South Africa and hunted with the bow.

Pete Shot a lion down in the Lowveld and I still have a picture of it. Don shot a Gemsbuck on my late friend Wynand Du Toit's Kliphoek lodge in the Waterberg.

At the conclusion of that hunt Pete had his factory make me a custom 80 pound compound with longer limbs for finger shooting. That bow is still around, I gave it to a friend here in town and he stil shoots it from time to time.

Wynand Du Toit had the only exemption permit in South Africa that allowed for bow hunting. He had Tink Nathan help him start up the business, they built blinds over water and feeding areas. For some years that was the only legal bowhunting operation in South Africa and it was only after the testing done by Tony Thompkinson of the Natal parks board with the help of Dwight Shuch and Larry Jones that bowhunting became legal.

quote:

Originally posted by jdollar:

quote:

Originally posted by billrquimby:

quote:

Originally posted by jdollar:
I bow hunted my second hunt( in RSA).Hunting will almost certainly be from a blind at a waterhole, so pictures are probable. Things like impala and warthog are easy, bigger stuff a good bet. Practice is the name of the game, at least 30 minutes a day. You should be able to to put every arrow in a 3” group at 35 yards.

I'm not a bowhunter, but I once had a client who had taken the Big Five (and a lot of other game) with a bow in Zimbabwe, South Africa and elsewhere.

He was not the first to do this.

Of the three elephants he shot, one required a rifle to finally put it down. The second took a couple of arrows, and the third died within a few steps after his arrow sliced the top of its heart and exited the animal.

I seem to remember his bow was a 120-pound longbow. I was younger and couldn't draw even an inch.

The guy has successfully hunted nearly all of the world's most-wanted game and has never used a rifle. He's still hunting, too.
'
Bill Quimby

Sounds a bit like Pete Shepley.

My client wasn't Shepley, Natham or Du Toit. Wish I could use his name, but I can't. I know of four others with similar experiences with bows and dangerous game.

Bill Quimby

Steve Cobrine I believe also has the Big Five with a bow - his Elephant didn't go 50yds.

Husband had a Black Widow recurve bow made for our 1996 trip in Zimbabwe. He did not want to hunt over a waterhole, so most of the time was blown stalks.

He did get a sable on a stalk, but trying to get within recurve range of a tsessebe was a disaster.

I've taken a bunch of PG animals in RSA with a bow. Most from blinds but I have successfully taken warthogs and impalas by spot and stalk. Mostly they were more ambush as I stalked ahead of their path and positioned myself where I expected them to pass. But I did sneak up on a wartie and kill him and got close enough on several impalas but spooked them drawing...

It's tough to stalk them but it is fun - especially when your true goal is getting close enough and and the actual kill is kind of secondary :-)

I do enjoy bowhunting waterholes sometimes just to watch all the animals come in and their antics.

For spot and stalk you need to be confident out to at least 35yds from a kneeling position. Fast, flat shooting arrows are an advantage for sure..

I practice to 40yds but generally turn down shots over 30 unless conditions are perfect, my eyes are not what they used to be!

I try to shoot 2 dozen arrows every day for a few months leading up to the trip and between 50 - 100 arrows each day the last few weeks before I leave. My bow is 70lbs and I have to continually draw it to maintain the muscle memory and strength..

Mike,

I've booked a couple of very successful bow hunts on Coutada 9 with Mokore. For a wilderness area I think the bow hunting is unmatched.

Mark

Finally! I been lurking here for years and finally a question I feel I can answer


I've only hunted Africa once, and it was a combo bow/gun hunt. But I've killed a pile of stuff around home and out west here in the states.

If you can shoot everyday in your backyard, you'll be miles ahead. Don't try to pound arrows until you get tired. Once you get tired, you'll start developing bad habits. Shoot some every evening. End on good notes. I shoot every evening from about April to September just to get ready for elk hunts and deer at home. Some nights I may only shoot 3 or 4 arrows.

Last year I spent a TON of time shooting long range. It's amazing how shooting at 90 yards will tighten up those 40 yard groups. I'm not shooting at un-hit game at 90 yards, but it will definitely force you to work on your mechanics.

I shot 4 animals with my bow in SA with Crusader Safaris. I shot my kudu out of a blind, the others (warthog, lechwe, zebra) were all shot on stalks.

I had a very limited time schedule, so I reverted to gun on a lot of animals, but I'm confident if given the time I could have killed more with a bow. And I was shooting awful that trip too. That didn't help either.

Good luck and have fun. I'm scheduled for a trip back to RSA that is almost exclusively bow in 2019. I really wanna stalk the river and concentrate on nyala and bushbuck. We'll see

quote:

Originally posted by fulvio:
Steve Cobrine I believe also has the Big Five with a bow - his Elephant didn't go 50yds.

He shot a Roan at 100 yards with Thor Kirchner at Munyamadzi in the Luangwa.

quote:

You should be able to to put every arrow in a 3” group at 35 yards.

Mikey, can you do that with a scoped rifle? :-)

I'm all for bow hunting, do your thing. But I gotta say sitting in a blind is more about shot accuracy than hunting. I know I'm gonna catch some shit, but it's how I feel. And yes I'm a bow hunter who has spent my time hanging off the side of a tree/blind.

quote:

Originally posted by Biebs:

quote:

You should be able to to put every arrow in a 3” group at 35 yards.

Mikey, can you do that with a scoped rifle? :-)

With a double that is often a stretch for me

Mike

Yes, it is for most.

Been bowhunting in Africa twice and going again in May. Great majority of the opportunities will be from a blind. However..... walk and stalk (aka spot and stalk)does work, at least some of the time on some of the game. Ambush works too. And it is very satisfying to connect on an animal when you're out of the blind. Very!

I figure the success rate about 1 in 10, that is for every 10 animals you try to stalk, 1 will result in a reasonable shot. The other 9 are just good fun!

The practice suggestions here are spot on. I would only add that shooting from your knees ought to be a major part of the regimen. And take knee pads - this I learned!

In addition to practice from the kneeling position, practice like hell from the SITTING position.

quote:

Originally posted by tomahawker:
I'm all for bow hunting, do your thing. But I gotta say sitting in a blind is more about shot accuracy than hunting. I know I'm gonna catch some shit, but it's how I feel. And yes I'm a bow hunter who has spent my time hanging off the side of a tree/blind.

I don’t totally disagree, but there is more to killing an animal from a bow blind than pulling the trigger on a release.
Some of us prefer “ambush” type of hunting, or shooting if you prefer to call it that.
I hope to get back to Africa soon and I will be sitting in a blind, and loving it.

Bowhunted Mokore in 01 and 04, had outstanding results. Gary and Neil are very familiar with bowhunting. A close friend bowhunted Coutada 9 one on one with Gary a few years ago. Among numerous trophys, he came home with a 59+" kudu (heard the story so many times, I can recite it). Book it, you'll have a blast. I strongly recommend going one on one.
On another note, bring more than one bow. Should an equipment failure occur you're not out of luck. Invest in a portable bow press and learn how to use it. Spare strings, cables, etc. Odds of finding a bow mechanic on safari is not good.

Or get real bow

You don't need to limit yourself to a blind if you don't want to. I hunted 10 days in Botswana and did not hunt out of a blind. Spot and stalk is great fun in Africa. If you can shoot straight and are in a game-rich environment, you should have no problems taking an animal every 2-3 days stalking. Just know you'll blow lots of stalks! Good hunting.

"And take knee pads - this I learned!"

"In addition to practice from the kneeling position, practice like hell from the SITTING position."


Both are so TRUE!!! I have thorns in my knees that I don't think will ever come out LOL!

Thanks for the advice. I need to start preparing.

Just as a note - killing for me has become a very low priority event. I can go to Africa hunt for weeks and not kill anything and be just as happy. Okay, I would like to kill an impala, mainly cause I like to eat an impala.

Doug Duckworth is a bow hunter on his personal time so he knows and likes the game. He will now have to tag me along. We may also get serious about hunting bush pig and I will switch to one of the camp rifles.

Leon DuPlessis - I will just have a blast irritating him via bow hunting. That beats most trophies (other than a bush pig).

I need to get a good bow case to travel with. Does anyone have a list for all the specialized gear/stuff one needs to back for a bow hunting trip.

Thanks,

Mike

You already have a bow and presumably arrows, release, etc. That’s about all except maybe a spare release. I really can’t think of any special equipment.

quote:

Originally posted by Beretta682E:
Thanks for the advice. I need to start preparing.

Just as a note - killing for me has become a very low priority event. I can go to Africa hunt for weeks and not kill anything and be just as happy. Okay, I would like to kill an impala, mainly cause I like to eat an impala.

Doug Duckworth is a bow hunter on his personal time so he knows and likes the game. He will now have to tag me along. We may also get serious about hunting bush pig and I will switch to one of the camp rifles.

Leon DuPlessis - I will just have a blast irritating him via bow hunting. That beats most trophies (other than a bush pig).

I need to get a good bow case to travel with. Does anyone have a list for all the specialized gear/stuff one needs to back for a bow hunting trip.

Thanks,

Mike

I don’t have a specialized list.
But I took two bows fully set up with rest, and sights. And I took a back up release.
I used an SKB double bow case.

I only did two bowhunting trips in Africa to Namibia before I switched back to a rifle. But it was great fun. Some great photos. I learned to aim for the exit and if you break the arrow on the off shoulder, you're golden. It's better than a through and through.

Mike,

With today's equipment it isn't real hard to be able to shoot lights out at 30 yards pretty quickly with practice.

You have been there many times, so preaching to the choir, but don't spend the whole time in a bow blind. I think a mix of bow and rifle are great, but spending 7-10 days looking out a slit in a blind for a week isn't the reason most of us go to Africa. Stalking will be tough with a bow, but fun.

You might also consider a crossbow (not sure legal in Moz). I know they are illegal in Zim. You could do the blind thing (and get great photos) as well as do some stalking and be a bit more confident in shot placement, power of penetration, etc.

I would be happy to send you a crossbow/case to use and take with you. You know how to get ahold of me...

Bowhunted in South Africa twice...2003 and 2005. I've been an almost totally bow hunter since the early 90's here in the U.S.
After the first trip I could hardly wait until the second. It's a unique experience compared to bow hunting in the U.S. My trips were both focused on blinds over waterholes with a couple of tree stand set ups included. You see many more animals and a greater variety of animals than in the U.S.
However, after the second trip, I realized it was much like going hunting at the Zoo as opposed to the hunting I do here. While I greatly enjoyed both trips and treasure the assorted trophies I find I have very little interest in another such adventure.

I have been a few times staring in 2001 in Namibia. Mozambique, Zambia,RSA,Botswana and Namibia. A few things you might consider-
- If you end up hunting from a hide/blind, consider a light system for your pins. Depending on the situation you may find yourself at last light and no pins to sight with. Check the laws.
-Redundancy on releases, sights, rest. You may want same for your bow. I found that the Tuff Pak works better for me than any conventional bow case.
-Double what Heeler said about sitting. On any stalk that might be your best chance to let one go.
-You will see few PHs utilizing full camouflage. Consider that and don't forget gloves and mask.

How is the skb double Bow/rifle case?

I am thinking of taking a blaser k-95 30/06 (if I get it in time) in addition to the bow for zim.

Mike

That’s oroaba my the best case on the market for a bow and rifle. I have one and have done many trips with it.

quote:

Originally posted by Beretta682E:
How is the skb double Bow/rifle case?

I am thinking of taking a blaser k-95 30/06 (if I get it in time) in addition to the bow for zim.

Mike

I have made about eight trips to Canada, Alaska, and Africa with my SKB double bow case.
Works fine. Last trip one of the locks broke when I was unpacking at home. Called SKB. They sent two locks immediately, free and they were easy to change out.

I am far from a seasoned traveler, having only hunted out of the country one time to RSA. I used a Badlands Terra Glide rolling duffel, has a hard bottom and back, and packed my clothing around my bow. just looked like a regular duffel bag and i had no issues. I did not take a firearm on that trip, so i wanted to avoid all of that.

this is my impala shot from a blind:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a40QyMxSpdc

my wildebeest:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeRIVu4Rk3g

filmed by my PH in the blind with me.

here are a few of Dad's shots as filmed by his PH's cell phone:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Kb0es_rE74

and one of my favorite, Dad's impala shot caught on video via my trail camera
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81gNrT-stRI

we tried spot/stalk with the bow on that trip to no avail. it was dry, there were no leaves, and the terrain we were hunting was basically totally flat. it was impossible for us to get anywhere near bow range on foot unfortunately.

as far as practice...a lot. impala are small targets and very very jumpy. my impala above was ~23 yards away. my bow is very, very quiet; was in a blind, and if you watch the slow motion part he still managed to move a bit before my arrow got there. the bow is an 80# bowtech destroyer 350, shooting 641gr arrows at 275 fps. an arrow that heavy plus all my silencing junk on the bow is what makes it very quiet.

i used a 2 blade single bevel strickland helix broadhead. the wildebeest required a follow up rifle shot when we got to him after dark. he was just standing, could not run (or at least didn't try to). as an american i shot him too far back. the arrow exited the center of the shoulder mass on the opposite side, and you can see the entrance tucked just inside the near side shoulder. i should've had the exit just in front of the opposite shoulder is what i was told. that was a tough bastard.

I will rifle hunt, but i prefer to bow hunt anything and everything when possible. one day i will hunt a cape buff with my bow...one day...

quote:

Originally posted by Beretta682E:
How is the skb double Bow/rifle case?

I am thinking of taking a blaser k-95 30/06 (if I get it in time) in addition to the bow for zim.

Mike

Mike,

I bought the SKB double case and took two Excalibur Crossbows in it (RSA 2014). Had no problems. Held up like a champ.