Bow Hunting poll about first African animal

Lrntolive

AH fanatic
Joined
Sep 15, 2015
Messages
538
Reaction score
375
Location
Colorado
Media
2
Hunting reports
Africa
1
Member of
RMEF, SCI, NRA, WCF&W
I'm so close to finally calling some outfitters and booking my first Africa hunt. I've chosen Namibia as the country for my first hunt. But, I'd like to ask all you fellow hunters who've been to Africa at least once the following questions:
1. On your very first hunt in Africa with a bow, did you get the primary animal you were after? Meaning, if you were after a 13" or larger springbok, did you get it?
2. If you didn't get your primary animal, how many times did you go back before you got it?
3. How many animals did you take on your first hunt?
4. Hunt from blind or spot and stalk or both on first hunt?
5. How many days did you hunt?

Thanks everyone.

Lrntolive
 
I have only taken a rifle to Africa. I went to ZIM in august 2014. I am also an avid bow hunter in the US. I would suggest taking both a rifle and bow if possible. This eliminates the trophy of a lifetime being just out of range. Don't get too caught up on inches is the best advice I can give you there will be so much game you wont believe it. Just relax and take in the whole experience. I ended up shooting 7 animals on my first trip, my father shot an additional 6 on the same trip. we hunted 14 days total. An animal a day is not abnormal. all of our hunting was spot and stalk. Finally, don't be too set on which animals you will take and which ones you won't, because your going to run up on some things in the bush that are magnificent trophies that weren't even on your radar when you stepped off of the plane.
 
iI planned my very first African safari much like many here who had the mindset that it was going to be a "once in a lifetime trip" and I would likely never get to go back..... That was 6 safaris ago....

It's really difficult to give you specific answers to every one of your questions because there are so many variables to consider.... My primary animal on my first bowhunting safari was a greater kudu. I chose the Limpopo region specifically because of the quality of kudu that are consistently taken there. I killed a 54" bull that was massive and old. His tips were broomed and he was as big as he was ever going to get. It was a successful hunt for the goals I had set for myself on that hunt. We took most of the animals on our wish list, and the ones we took were quality animals. That said, I will promise you that there will always be something to go back for.... That goes to my point as to what you are specifically looking for out of your hunt and the caliber of trophies you seek. Do you want book animals, or would you be happy with respectable representative animals? Are you willing to sacrifice opportunity for quality? The answer to these questions has to be determined through research of each specific outfitter that you are considering. It will also likely be determined by the quality of the outfit you are willing to pay for.

Most first-time African bowhunters have a specific wish list of trophies they are hunting. They also usually have a limited amount of time to hunt. Both of these factors usually dictate that the outfitter have the client hunt water/food sources from ground and elevated hides for the majority of the time. This gives the client the best chance and most shooting opportunity at the biggest variety of species on their list. Many outfitters allow, and the better ones will encourage you to spot & stalk. Some species are more pursuable than others when it comes to spot & stalk, and you can have some of the most rewarding experiences hunting this way. Keep in mind, though, that if you want to spot & stalk exclusively, you will be limiting your shot opportunities significantly. I personally love to spot & stalk, and I never sat a minute in a hide on my last couple safaris. However, I know going in, that my opportunities will be different compared to hunting primarily from hides. Your skill as a hunter will obviously also affect your success rate on the stalk.

When planning your safari, I would try and schedule as many days as possible for your hunt.... Especially if you wish to do any spot and stalking..... Animal quality, quantity, and opportunity can vary greatly from outfitter to outfitter. Thorough research is the best way to determine if your outfitter can provide you with the type of experience that you are looking for. Feel free to PM me with an specific questions. I will be glad to help if I can...
 
Thriller and Fire,
I don't have any specific size in mind as I really don't care about record books. But, I do want my first animal to be an Impala. My good friend, he's like a brother to me, is coming with me and his mind is set on Kudu. Again, doesn't need to be record book, just a nice looking animal for the wall.

Our first trip is more of a recon trip as both our wives want to come in the future. Both our wives are very supportive of our passion and love to travel. My wife even says I'm forced to go next year, so I have to hurry up. (y)
 
on my first adventure into south Africa , my number one was a sable , I spent 5 full days out of a ten day hunt walking this one particular bull up , and never got ihm , the very first encounter on the second day was my best chance ,and I had the camersa in my hand not my bow......
on day six he walked from behind us ,when we were in the tree stand the tip of his left horn was 4 foot from my right boot and he turned and walked the way he came , with out offering a shot .
after we left and returned home , the very next hunter shot him on his second day .........
for that first adventure , I was lucky enough to take six animals walk and stalking most of the days , and sitting in blinds at midday and evenings ,
the first animal we took was a nyala walk and stalk it is still the easiest animal , ive taken in Africa
 
Lrntolive,

Why wait to bring the wives on the next safari? There is no reason not to bring them on a first trip. Now more than ever, there are countless non-hunting and cultural activities available for the non-hunting companions to enjoy while you are out with your butts in the bush... Add a 2-3 day side excursion to Cape Town, Kruger or Vic Falls and you have the ultimate couples safari/vacation.
 
Lrntolive,

Why wait to bring the wives on the next safari? There is no reason not to bring them on a first trip. Now more than ever, there are countless non-hunting and cultural activities available for the non-hunting companions to enjoy while you are out with your butts in the bush... Add a 2-3 day side excursion to Cape Town, Kruger or Vic Falls and you have the ultimate couples safari/vacation.

Hey fire,
Wife's orders. We just did a 10 day trip to Scotland this year and she called that her trip, so she says I have to take a guys trip. I love my wife! Not to mention, it gives me a reason to go back to Africa and hunt a second time. :D
 
I'm so close to finally calling some outfitters and booking my first Africa hunt. I've chosen Namibia as the country for my first hunt. But, I'd like to ask all you fellow hunters who've been to Africa at least once the following questions:
1. On your very first hunt in Africa with a bow, did you get the primary animal you were after? Meaning, if you were after a 13" or larger springbok, did you get it?
2. If you didn't get your primary animal, how many times did you go back before you got it?
3. How many animals did you take on your first hunt?
4. Hunt from blind or spot and stalk or both on first hunt?
5. How many days did you hunt?

Thanks everyone.

Lrntolive
My first safari was an all bow hunt in 2012.
I did the whole hunt of 5 days from a blind. Saw hundreds of animals.
I did get my number one animal a Kudu on the last day.
The other animals on my list were Warthog, Impala, and Blue Wildebeest. On the first a big Blesbok came in and my PH said I should take it. After a while with it out in front of us he suggested that I shoot it instead of a Warthog since the were about the same price. I did that and he just missed SCI gold by about a half inch so it was a monster. Later that day after pictures and sending it back to skinning a single Blue Wildebeest came in and my PH again said that it again was one we should take. Since this was on the list when the shot presented itself I shot him he didn't go 20 yards. He did make SCI gold so we had a good first day. The Impala wasn't as good a story the third day three good Rams came in and I got a shot at about the second biggest one but hit him high in the back no blood on the arrow if I would have got him a little higher I would have spined him but we spent the next two days at that blind hoping he would come back since he was my Impala at that point! Never came back but on the last day since we were still looking for a Kudu we got mine not a monster but was bring one home.
They told me that the wounded animals some time get sick and if they found the Impala they would take it to the taxidermist I was using. It never showed up.
Was part of the reason I went back and got a Worthog, Impala, Nyala and Red Hartebeest but this time with a rifle.
If I were you I would hunt seven or more days and do hunt spot and stalk. You will get to see more of Africa that way and if you spend some afternoon in a blind and a good animal comes in take it and then go back to S and S.
I had very bad luck with the taxidermist in Africa so the second time I shipped my trophies back.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Lrntolive ....great questions !
My original plan was to go to Africa (Namibia ) with a camera , My Cousin whom I was going with said No ! we are going to hunt. Ok I'll take my bow . I was a little afraid of the price list I seen for the 7 animals ...I was to take . Kudu , Gemsbok , Spingbok , Warthog , Jackal , Blue Wildebeest and Steenbok . 1090 t0 75 usd per animal . Wow ! this was gonna be expensive ! With the bow I was hoping to minimize the expense . What Africa offers...is what you should take . I'm not a trophy hunter ...... but everyone was impressed with what I 'd shot . My advice is simple ...Go have faith in your PH to put you on animals that he figures you will enjoy and be happy with . So now I'll answer all your questions .
1. No standards set other then the animals listed ... we were told we could switch out ... what I took were African Wildcat , Kudu , Gemsbok x2 , warthog and a Black Wildebeest . Most difficult was suppose to be the cat ..... best trophy was the Black Wildebeest ...others were good representations .
2. Looking to go back when I can afford it .... but only because it should be NEVER ! be considered a once in a lifetime expirence !
3. 7 animals over 10 day hunt .... I took 6 ....my PH confided in me that the expectation for a bow hunter was 1 animal every 3 or 4 days ... so he said I did extremly well .
4. All my animals were taken from blinds ...though we did try spot and stalk . I also made mention that I had a leafy suit (gillies suit ) and my PH wishes I had brought it with me as we could have had such fun trying to way lay a few animals.
5. 10 days....wasn't enough !
Trip it self was PRICELESS !
Good luck and play safe !
Glen
 
On the last entry my comments got stuck in the quote so just click to expand it:( sorry

Bhfs300,
Thanks for the advice. I definitely wouldn't pass on other animals, but really like the way the Impala looks. Just a cool looking animal. I've studied so many animals now that it is hard to decide on the others. Although, my wife has said that I must take a Gemsbok(oryx) as she loves the color on the face. The other animals I would be interested in are springbok, blue wildebeest, warthog, kudu or waterbuck. I'm sure there could be others, but I don't want to stretch it too much or my wife won't let me hunt on my second trip. She's great, but too many trophies on the first trip, and she'll wonder why I need more on the second trip.

Skinner,
I'm hoping to do seven hunting days. I think that would be good enough to get my Impala and a couple more animals.

This post is turning out great as I hoped everyone's responses would turn into mini hunting reports and hopefully good memories of past hunts for most. Please keep them coming.
 
Hi Lrntolive
I just got back from Namibia last month, I hunted from Oct 5-18, 13 days, it was extremely dry and the waterholes had amazing action. My list had 4 primary animals, kudu, impala, eland and oryx. I was open to what ever else gave me an opportunity at. I had an absolutely great PH, Ruan Botha, who made the trip, an extremely knowledgable guide who knew his trophy animals. I ended up with 10 animals, 9 with bow. Did some spot and stalk but the dry conditions made it tough, got within 40 yards of a kudu and oryx, but passed on both shots. I got an old mature 54"kudu on the last morning with rifle after 6 hard days of hunting, the rabies has hurt the numbers there and big kudu are a little tough to find. Good luck with your hunt, you will truly enjoy it! I am already making plans to go back in 2018, it does get in your blood.
kudu.JPG
 
To answer your questions.

1. On your very first hunt in Africa with a bow, did you get the primary animal you were after? Meaning, if you were after a 13" or larger springbok, did you get it?

the bow was delayed so I did not have it for the first 9 days.

Yes I got my main trophy species with the bow.
Arrow Buff.jpg

BOW BOSS.jpg


2. If you didn't get your primary animal, how many times did you go back before you got it?
3. How many animals did you take on your first hunt?

11 - Not all with the bow though.

4. Hunt from blind or spot and stalk or both on first hunt?

Spot and Stalk with the Bow. Subsequent hunts I have done the blinds and spot and stalk.


5. How many days did you hunt? ........

6 with the bow and 24 in total.
 
To answer your questions.



the bow was delayed so I did not have it for the first 9 days.

Yes I got my main trophy species with the bow.
View attachment 51839
View attachment 51838



11 - Not all with the bow though.



Spot and Stalk with the Bow. Subsequent hunts I have done the blinds and spot and stalk.




6 with the bow and 24 in total.

Wow! Nice buffalo with a bow Brickburn! I'm guessing that was with spot and stalk?

Hi Lrntolive
I just got back from Namibia last month, I hunted from Oct 5-18, 13 days, it was extremely dry and the waterholes had amazing action. My list had 4 primary animals, kudu, impala, eland and oryx. I was open to what ever else gave me an opportunity at. I had an absolutely great PH, Ruan Botha, who made the trip, an extremely knowledgable guide who knew his trophy animals. I ended up with 10 animals, 9 with bow. Did some spot and stalk but the dry conditions made it tough, got within 40 yards of a kudu and oryx, but passed on both shots. I got an old mature 54"kudu on the last morning with rifle after 6 hard days of hunting, the rabies has hurt the numbers there and big kudu are a little tough to find. Good luck with your hunt, you will truly enjoy it! I am already making plans to go back in 2018, it does get in your blood.View attachment 51835

Dang GP. Nice Kudu. That's what my buddy will be after. I don't know what he wants in the way of horn length, but I believe it's just a good reputation of a Kudu for the wall. 10 animals in 13 days is impressive with a bow. I'm just hoping for 4 in 7 days.
 
heck of cape buff there Brickburn, someday that will be on my bucket list, will have to quiz you on setup for those bad boys.
 
Dont over think it !!!! As mentioned above- take what Africa gives you. If you get hung up on one animal you might miss other opportunities. The good thing is your main animal is an impala- there are great impalas all over Africa and most places have good numbers of them so that should help. I would also recommend you have a rifle plan in place and maybe spend a couple of your hunting days safari style so you can see the country. I didn't want to spend my first trip staring at a waterhole all day long. You see lots of animals that way but not a lot of teh country side. My wife loves it over there and has a blast every time !! If it were up to her (and if she was paying :p) we'd go every year.
 
Impala are prone to string jump, so try get your bow silenced.
I have two booked this year. One for my brother in law with a rifle and one for me with a bow. Where in Namibia are you planning t hunt?
 
Lrntolive,

Why wait to bring the wives on the next safari? There is no reason not to bring them on a first trip. Now more than ever, there are countless non-hunting and cultural activities available for the non-hunting companions to enjoy while you are out with your butts in the bush... Add a 2-3 day side excursion to Cape Town, Kruger or Vic Falls and you have the ultimate couples safari/vacation.
AND YOU HAVE THE ADDED ADVANTAGE OF THE WEAKER RAND... SO MORE TO DO AND SEE FOR YOUR DOLLAR..:)(n)(y)
 

Forum statistics

Threads
53,634
Messages
1,131,627
Members
92,723
Latest member
edwardsrailcarcom00
 

 

 

Latest posts

Latest profile posts

Early morning Impala hunt, previous link was wrong video

Headshot on jackal this morning

Mature Eland Bull taken in Tanzania, at 100 yards, with 375 H&H, 300gr, Federal Premium Expanding bullet.

20231012_145809~2.jpg
 
Top