Bowhunting SA first timer!

I am planning a hunt to SA for wildebeest, impala, and warthog. I plan to take my bow along and hunt a couple days with it. I shoot a PSE with a 70lb draw and a 400+ grain arrow. I feel this will be plenty enough to take any of these species.

I only have 5 hunting days and dont know if it is worth the extra time to try a spot and stalk hunt. I know they do hides on watering holes and think this would be my best bet.

What do you guys think?

I think you will have a great time. Are you taking a rifle as well? Your bow is plenty sufficient

Sounds like the bow is secondary, as Tom inquires.
If you are talking about adding extra time to the hunt to try it. Yes, it would be worth the experience in my mind.

You are correct it is not the first choice method with a bow. People do it and there are some good reports about successful hunts.

Wildebeest, Impala and Warthogs don't tend to be running around alone.
They also all like their water.

If the properties you are hunting on are conducive to walk and stalk, ie. brushy and hilly terrain you may be more successful. If the property is wide open grassland..... maybe not.

Good luck and have fun.

Your equipment (bow) should be fine to take everything up to a Eland. 5 days is going to fly by fast on a safari. Depending on the time of year you are going, waterholes with a bow will be the way to go, especially later in the season as water becomes very important to the animals. If you hunt with a rifle, anytime will be good, but bow shots are going to be closer and the water really comes into play then. Good luck on your hunt and have fun and let us know how you do.

We have a bowhunting-only ranch and although 5 days is short, the species you're looking for are very common at waterholes and the blinds overlooking them. Assuming you have 5 full days you could do 1 day stalking, 1 day in a blind, 1 day stalking etc. That'll give you some outdoor time and should be more than sufficient to give you plenty of good shot opportunities. The benefit of coming to a bowhunting-only ranch is that the animals are a lot less skittish and therefore easier to get close to.
Check out our picture galleries for some inspiration and get in touch if you want more information.

well I am also taking a .30/06 along because I'm not going to put all my eggs in one basket with the bow. I plan on doing three days with a gun and 2 with a bow, i'll see if I can do one spot and stalk and one from a hide. I would really like to take a warthog with my bow.

But I will be hunting 2x1 so it will be nice to hunt watering holes so we can fill our quotas if it gets to the end of the week and we still have animals left to take.

I know African game is tough, do you guys have any problem loosing more game shot with a bow vs a gun?

Not at all. Bowhunting in Africa is a bit different than here at home. You will have more opportunities in one week than you would in a whole season at home.

Practice a lot and remember vitals are way far forward on African game.

Originally Posted by kedman

..... I know African game is tough, do you guys have any problem loosing more game shot with a bow vs a gun?

Put the arrow or bullet in the boiler room and you'll have pictures and stories to share here.
Look at those shot placement images as Tom suggests and go practice and have fun.

100% agree with Tom and Brickburn!

Hi There

Some really good advice from the posts above.

Your Bow is more than adequate - dont know what your draw length is but on an ave. 29" draw you are probably shooting at about 270 - 280 fps with about 69lb KE - which is more than ample for any South African Plains Game.

Hunting from a blind can be far more productive than walk and stalk / spot and stalk - as a lot of Farms are typcal South African scrubland with thornbush ( and more thornbush, and more thornbush ! ) which doesnt lend itself to great cover - a further problem, s that there are just so many eyes in the South African bush - sound silly, but its a fact !
Another concern you may wish to consider is that there are not many farms that allow BOTH Rifle and Bow hunting on the same farm. If you do find a farm that allows both, you will probably find the animals to be a lot more spooky - which will compound your problems with the Bow.

Just be cautious on Impala and Warthog - these guys are " walking neurotics " and are more than likely to string jump you on any shots over 25 yds - a fast / quiet bow being the answer here - a word of caution here - dont try 50/50 shots on them ! Wildebeest are also extremely tough - be sure of your shot placement before you release - many Wildebeest are lost with the shot being too high due to the illusion of lower 1/3 on a Wildebeest due to the unusual humpback. Dont let this put you off - if you place the arrow on the shoulder, on a side on shot, you will be just fine - they are also a bit too bulky to string jump you.
Enjoy your hunt in Africa ! let us know how it goes and please share some photos with us !
If you need any assistance / advice, dont hesitate to drop us a line.

Originally Posted by Dark Continent

Hi There

Some really good advice from the posts above.

Your Bow is more than adequate - dont know what your draw length is but on an ave. 29" draw you are probably shooting at about 270 - 280 fps with about 69lb KE - which is more than ample for any South African Plains Game.
.

well I have a 32 inch draw length and I'm shooting a little north of 300fps and I think i'm over 80 ft/lbs KE Its a little overkill for whitetail but I like pass throughs. (I lost my first buck I ever shot with a bow due to a slight quartering shot and hitting the off side shoulder)

I like the idea of having the PH carry the one i'm not using because you never know when an animal will present itself. It may be at 50 or 200.

Do you guys always go for the heart/lungs or does anybody shoot for the high scapula shot and try for the spine?

Originally Posted by kedman

well I have a 32 inch draw length and I'm shooting a little north of 300fps and I think i'm over 80 ft/lbs KE Its a little overkill for whitetail but I like pass throughs. (I lost my first buck I ever shot with a bow due to a slight quartering shot and hitting the off side shoulder)

I like the idea of having the PH carry the one i'm not using because you never know when an animal will present itself. It may be at 50 or 200.

Do you guys always go for the heart/lungs or does anybody shoot for the high scapula shot and try for the spine?

Stick it right in the boiler room!

Originally Posted by kedman

Do you guys always go for the heart/lungs or does anybody shoot for the high scapula shot and try for the spine?

With a spinal shot your margin of error is much smaller. If you hit a little bit high your last view of the animal will include your arrow waving at you while the animal dissappears into the bushes. Much safer to put it in the boiler room where you can be a couple inches out and still get a deadly hit.
Its quite common to spine animals when they're leaning forward (eg. eating or drinking) and quartering towards you. But this is usually accidental and not something you want to try deliberately.

the only reason I asked is on our larger North American game (moose, elk caribou) which is more comparable in size to Kudu and Eland it is becoming more popular to shoot them there. But that is with a rifle not a bow.

I agree with you guys, they cant run far when they cant breathe.

Doesn't matter what weapon you shoot.
Accuracy is the key. go for a high percentage shot.
Pop his air bags and he will be yours.