MAURITIUS: BOWHUNT: Africa A Different Way Or Bowhunting On Mauritius

nimrod-100

AH senior member
Joined
Jul 7, 2010
Messages
68
Reaction score
19
Website
www.nimrod-100.de
Media
79
Articles
1
Hunting reports
Africa
7
Member of
AfricaHunting.com, SCI, SDBJV, DBJV, SABA
Hunted
Namibia, France, USA, Mauritius, Mozambique, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Spain, Czech, Germany
Africa a different way... or bowhunting on Mauritius :)

During the Jagd & Hund fair 2010 in Dortmund/ Germany a booth caught my attention regarding the attractive combination of hunting along with a wonderful beach and sight-seeing vacation on the island of Mauritius. Relaxing and hunting on this paradise island in the Indian Ocean roughly 1243 miles away from the African continent east of Madagascar in an awesome 4-star Resort & Spa hotel sounded very interesting.

Moevenpick Resort in Mauritius

watermark.php


watermark.php


watermark.php


watermark.php


watermark.php


watermark.php


watermark.php


watermark.php


watermark.php


watermark.php


watermark.php


watermark.php


watermark.php


watermark.php


watermark.php


watermark.php


watermark.php


watermark.php


watermark.php


watermark.php


watermark.php


So I got acquainted with Lionel Berthault Le Chasseur Mauricien (Le Chasseur Mauricien)
Lionel was born in France but is living since 2003 on Mauritius. Beside the fact that he is a very nice guy he is also a passionate hunter since his early childhood when he accompanied his father for hunting at the age of 6. As a teenager of 15 years he obtained his official hunting license and later started his working career at the French government hunting authorities. He is a rifle hunter but also since 14 years passionate about hunting with bow & arrow. Hunting is not just work for him it is his real passion.

He is the agent and organizer, Professional Hunter & Outfitter in person.

watermark.php

Lionel Berthault (right) from Le Chasseur Mauricien

Hunting on Mauritius?
What can you hunt there maybe one or another will ask?
OK, quite a lot and hunting had an old and important tradition on Mauritius.
Mainly you hunt the Rusa or also called Java Deer a big stag (Cervus Timorensis Rusa Rusa).
It is a bit scraggy but nevertheless gracious stag with strong and heavy 6-point antlers.
During the rut they decorate their antlers sometimes with tuft of grass, branches and leaves.
Furthermore you can hunt on wild boar, hare, pheasant, quail and helmeted guinea fowl.

watermark.php

Hunting lodge in Mauritius of Le Chasseur Mauricien

watermark.php

Hunting lodge in Mauritius of Le Chasseur Mauricien

Lionels ambitious explanations, the offer as well as pictures and references were very convincing so that it was easy to convince also my ?on-hunting Ms. tonight at home to travel to Mauritius. The next day I called Lionel and we defined the trip in detail and I booked the Жolden Medal Package (acc. to SCI & Rowland Ward specs.).Via email we handled the rest without any problems.

The rut starts at the beginning of July and lasts roughly two months. So we left Germany on July 15 and flew in to Mauritius via Paris with an11-hours over night flight. The arrival and immigration the next morning at the 鉄ir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport in the southeast of the island went flawless and Lionel was still waiting for us. By the way Lionel took care about everything starting at the airport, the hunting, organisation of trips & more very professional & reliable.

The sun is shining and we have comfortable 75 degrees F (24 degrees C). The 1-hour drive to the hotel in his Toyota Double-Cab Pick-up led us through small villages, huge sugar cane fields, the Indian Ocean to our left and the interesting mountain scenery to our right before we arrived at the Moevenpick Spa & Resort in Bel Ombre in the South

The Moevenpick Spa & Resort is a beautiful complex situated directly at the Indian Ocean and is resembled a little bit like the Taj Mahal. We had a warm welcome with a tasty cocktail while the formalities were settled quick and easy.

Our room, literally it was more a gorgeous luxury cabin, had a straight view on the lagoon and ocean, surrounded by pine and palm trees, our own beach and within 100 feet or 33 yards you stood in the crystal-clear water of the Indian Ocean fantastic.

Our booking included half-board accommodation with an extraordinary breakfast buffet as well as an abundant, tasty and continuous changing dinner-buffet. There was a nice and well equipped Spa- & Wellness area, lots of water-sport options, a gym as well as 2 tennis courts available. If you wanted to play golf the 18-hole court was 5 minutes away by taxi or car.

Everything was available for a nice vacation and lots of activities before or after the hunt.

Also your wife / partner would feel comfortable.

Hunting grounds overlook in Mauritius

watermark.php


watermark.php


watermark.php


watermark.php


watermark.php


watermark.php


The Hunt
Directly on the afternoon of our arrival I slipped in my Sniper Africa Camo cloths, grabbed my bow and drove with Lionel to the hunting grounds in the mountains roughly 10 minutes by car from the hotel. Our way went thru 10 ft high sugar cane fields and sub-tropical vegetation before we reached the 3500 Hectares (8650 acres) hunting grounds of Bel Ombre. There is also another hunting area west of Bel Ombre called Case Noyale close to the Black River Gorge National Park area. The hunting lodge is in a wonderful spot on top of a mountain where I had an awesome overlook of the hunting and stalking areas for the next days. The Lodge is quite big with several shoulder-mounts of Rusa- resp. Java Deer stags and some full mounts of pheasants as well as lots of pictures. It has a huge lounge and terrace where the hunters join and meet for the driven hunts. Moreover it has a kitchen and small bar where we had a Welcome Drink - a tasty Mauritian beer called æ’¤hoenix?

watermark.php

On the stalk

watermark.php

On the stalk

Then I made some practise shots with my bow to check that everything is alright before we started. The hunting area is mostly mountainous with steep slopes, meadows, pine trees, broadleaf trees and subtropical forest with bulky and high bamboo, small creeks and there is also a 100 ft. high waterfall.

watermark.php

Chamarel Waterfalls in Mauritius

Hunting is only by spot & stalk respectively walk & stalk no tree stands or blinds and absolutely no hunting from the car.
From the lodge we could spot with the binos a small pride of java deer roughly 800 yards away in the valley. We decided to walk down to the valley. Maybe we would find some deer during our stalk downwards in the forest or on the meadows in between.

watermark.php

On the stalk

We crossed a small creek and worked our way through thick and huge bamboo trees uphill and downhill - interesting but also sweaty. To be in good physical shape is definitely an advantage for stalking here. Suddenly Lionel stopped because two females were lying in the high grass 50 yards in front of us. If they would see and realize us their barking would betray us. We hide behind a grass covered hill and he tried to push them along by imitating the fawn distress call. It worked they were looking up to find out how the land lies and moved away. We also moved back roughly 100 yards before we further went downhill and roamed through a copse of bamboo. Lionel stopped again because there they were at ca. 80 yards a small pride of about 20 Rusa deer stood on the grassland between us and the palm forest on the opposite. Cows, fawns from last year, yearlings and two year old as well as 3 big stags with huge antlers stood there.

watermark.php

Rusa Deer

We had to turn around them in a wide circle to get closer because they were standing near to the palm forest behind them and the sparse cover on the grassland would not be sufficient for a stalk. Slowly we backed out and walked a bigger loop to the right to stalk through the thick cover offering subtropical forest where we passed the above mentioned nice waterfall and went along the sunken course of a river before we climbed up the slope again.

About 20 minutes later we were on the opposite side of the spot where the stags were browsing. Quiet and slowly we sneaked up the stony slope. On top we were lying on our bellies and looked through the binoculars.

watermark.php

Rusa Deer

The herd was still there browsing at about 45 yards. Like a duck we toddled behind a palm tree to find some cover. Lionel was pointing to a big stag I could shoot and whispered that he is standing at 40 yards distance. I did not hesitate long and drew back my Elite GT500 bow.

At the moment I aimed on his vitals with the appropriate sight pin the stag was looking at us. It looked like that he realized that something is wrong and ?jumped off. Immediately the pack also set in motion. Cautious I let off the bow. Wow what an amazing experience and start I was thinking when my adrenalin kick went down to normal level. We tried to follow the pride but when they started running uphill and the dawn was starting we stopped and went back to the lodge.

watermark.php

Rusa Deer

Saturday morning started early at 5:20 a.m. and a pick up at 6:00. It was still dark when we entered the hunting domain. At sunrise at 6:30 we were on the opposite side of the lodge & domain because the deer often spends the night there. We found a group of 30 animals with the binos and stalked them although it started raining. Unfortunately the rain got worse and we had to pause under a palm tree. At 9:00 a.m. it t rained cats & dogs so we stopped and went back to the hotel where I enjoyed the warm refreshing shower and afterwards the rich and tasty breakfast buffet. Unfortunately the weather was not in our favour for the rest of the Saturday. So we decided not to go for hunting in the afternoon and early evening...

...On Thursday morning I was out for hunting again.

watermark.php

Rusa Deer

Mostly it was a replication of the day before but to be out in this wonderful nature was more than relaxing. After breakfast we spent a nice and sunny morning and lunchtime at the beach before I got picked up for hunting again at 2:00 p.m. This time we went to the south-west part of the hunting property. We strolled over a harvested sugar cane field before we virtually got swallowed by the tight and dark woods. After a downhill stalk we crossed a creek where I stopped for a minute to enjoy the gurgle of the creeks water as well as the spare rays of sunlight that found their way through the thick subtropical leaves and plants. We moved uphill thru 15 ft. high bamboo with a diameter like a drain pipe before we entered a mixed forest and heavy brush area again. We took cover behind the trees and bushes to look for deer on the meadow in front.
Yeah there were 5 big stags, some cows, youngsters and last year fawns in the high grass.

All stags had good trophy size antlers. Far right was one with huge approx. 37 antlers too much respectively the trip would be a lot more expensive than planned.

watermark.php

Rusa Deer

But left to him a good stag with nice symmetrical antlers was lying in the grass. He was ideal because no other deer was lying behind him like the others where sometimes females or youngsters were laying packed together with the stags or just the antlers were visible. We were ca. 35 yards away but from the bushes and trees was no shooting window or not enough space to pull the bow. Therefore we decided that I should crawl outside on my own to close the distance. So I moved forward inch by inch on my belly to get in a better shooting position.

watermark.php

Rusa Deer

At a snails pace I crawled. After what felt like an eternity I was only 20 meters (22 yards) away.

watermark.php

Rusa Deer

So far nothing had changed. The stags were still lying calm in the grass. Now it started to get interesting and challenging because I had to straighten up to shoot from a crouched kneeing position sitting on my heels. At this position I would have no cover. The stags still did not realize me so I raised my upper body in slow motion and sat on my heels.

My left hand clasped the Gripwerks quilted maple grip of my Elite GT 500 bow and I drew the 70 lbs slowly to full draw.

watermark.php

Rusa Deer

I had agreed with my PH that he imitates the sound of a fawn when I am ready. Ok he did it but it did not impress the stags or females at all nothing happened. After 40 seconds I let the bow slowly down always looking at the deer not to spook them. Two minutes later, they still had not noticed me, I drew again and this time he roared like a big stag which sounded a little bit funny but all of a sudden all animals were on their feet. The one I aimed on was facing directly to my direction. Тtay calm Frank hopefully he will turn broadside? I thought. All hunting gods were in my favour this time and he turned left and stood broadside for a few seconds. Before he could walk downhill I released the trigger of my Scott release and sent the Carbon Express Maxima Hunter arrow with the G5 Tekan II broadhead on its deadly mission. The stag jumped up and kicked out with his hind legs before he ran downhill with the others. My blood pressure was in a range that cardiologists would not recommend so that I sat down for a moment. We crawled on our knees forward to look down the hill and saw the group standing roughly 90 yards away close to the edge of the wood. With the binoculars we checked if the one I shot was with them but he was not there. Maybe he had left the group and went down into the wood? We decided to wait for at least 45 minutes which seemed to be endless. Meanwhile the animals had left the spot and we searched for the arrow and a blood track.

In spite of intensive and accurate searching we did not find any blood or the arrow. Дamned, this will be no laughing matter? I thought to myself.
We decided to walk into the forest from the spot where I had shot the stag. Perhaps he bedded down in the wood. About 100 yards later through the wood we saw a big and dark brown object lying on the steep slope. That was not a stone or something this was my Rusa stag stopped by a tree when he probably died and felt down the slope.

Horrido Waidmannsheil Congratulations
My eyes were shining with joy and our sense of delight nearly endless. What an exciting and challenging hunting experience. We both were more than lucky when we started to retrieve my stag. Therefore we had to call two guys from the hunting lodge to support us along with the pick-up and the winch to pull up the nearly 400 pound heavy stag.

watermark.php

My Rusa Deer

At 5:30 p.m. we made the trophy photos. It was shortly before dawn when it started to drizzle and we had uploaded the deer and drove our way back to the lodge and abattoir.

During the skinning and slaughtering we recognized that the carbon arrow penetrated through both lungs and was an invariably lethal shot.
The skinner prepared everything accordingly for a straight looking nice shoulder mount and finally we enjoyed a very tasty and delicious Mauritian beer.

The next day I had the opportunity to bowhunt on wild boar, hare, pheasant, helmeted guinea fowl, a yearling Rusa deer or a female. Therefore we drove this time to the hunting grounds called Гase Noyale which are located west of Bel Ombre within a 20 minutes drive.

Also here I had wonderful stalking opportunities in a breathtaking landscape. The vegetation was less sub-tropical and the climate was more arid and a little warmer.

Yohann, my guide and PH told me that in this area also coffee is cultivated which tasted very good by the way.

While stalking I could get 27 yards close to a hare and could shoot but foolishly the arrow hit the small branch in front of him and so the arrow was deflected and flew clearly over his body fortunately hare and arrow were save.

With the wind in our favour we stalked together a small wild boar of about 25 lbs in the thick bushes close to 18 yards. I did not shoot it although there was a perfect shooting window because we were chasing for a big bruiser. These hogs we saw but they were smarter than the young ones and gave us no opportunity to get closer.

My first attempt on a pheasant ended at 55 yards distance when he spotted me and got airborne in the clear sky of Mauritius. Second time same game again.

At 5:00 p.m. I got a last chance when we heard and saw two pheasants yelling to make clear whose territory it is. Between both rivals were approx. 35 yards distance and I stalked with Yohann towards the bird on the lower end. I was hiding beside a bush at about 14 yards when the bird turned towards me his chest swollen with pride and I released the arrow with the adder head which hit him hard in the middle of his chest. Congratulations - he was directly dead no movement, no quivering. What a great final for another nice hunting day.

watermark.php

My Pheasant

The last days we just relaxed and did some sightseeing. The Walk with Lions - yeah real big lions - was again a special highlight. Tuesday we made a nice last Game Drive all together through the Bel Ombre hunting estate before we had to leave back home the next day.

Conclusion
This hunting and vacation trip was a wonderful and challenging experience. It was a great combination of exciting bowhunting paired with a sightseeing, beach and shopping vacation. Every time again.

Thank you very much to everybody who made it happen and especially indeed to Lionel and his wife from Le Chasseur Mauricien

Waidmannsheil, Horrido and always good hunting

Frank

If you like to read the complete report and see more picture please go here:

Photos:
Frank Berbuir - Photos Mauritius 2010

Report:
Frank Berbuir - Report Mauritius 2010

Link to Le Chasseur Mauricien:
Le Chasseur Mauricien

Hope you like it.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Frank, What a trip!!! Congrats on your Rusa with a bow and thanks for sharing those beautiful images from Mauritius, truly splendid.
 
Frank,

Thanks for sharing beautiful photos & a brilliant hunt report. A grand Rusa Deer you got there. Congratulations !!!!

Happy Hunting ....

Monish
 
Thank you very much guys

Jerome, thank you for your support with the pics

Always good hunting, fellows
 
Thanks to do this report,

It will give the hunting atmosphere to a lot of people because the way you write this article will give our exact way of hunt, the exact ethic and the exact fragrance to this wonderful island that I adopted 7 years back...

Rusa deer here with a bow is a great challenge for the great and real hunters and this is why I have no doubt and no hesitation to say that you desserve it COMPLETELY...

Cheers.
 
Congrats!!!

What other spiecies were available for bowhunting?
And how much was the costs?
 
Thank you Dox,

Beside the trophy java deer stag it is possible to bowhunt on yearling male/female deer, wild boar, hare, pheasant or guinea fowl

Regarding the costs please look here:

http://www.africahunting.com/great-deals-hunts-worldwide/1950-rusa-deer-hunting-mauritius-island.html

If you want a hunt especially tailored for you, e.g. 10 days and 3 hunting days please get in contact directly with Lionel from Le Chasseur Mauricien
He speaks and writes fluently english.
Here is the email address:

lechasseurmauricien@hotmail.com

Bowhunting on Mauritius was a great experience.
 
Thanks for the awesome hunt report and all the beautiful pictures...truly a great hunting adventure!
 
very good hunt report sir!
All the best
Ibie!
 
Well done my friend!
 
Thank You for an outstanding report. I enjoyed reading about your hunt and your photos were outstanding. I am looking to spend a couple months hunting around africa and doing some different things with my family. This certainly looks like a nice place to visit and pretty close to South Africa.
Thanks again for taking the time to share your trip.
 
"The hunt ain´t over until the trophy is on the wall"
Now the remembrance is perfect.
The taxidermist on Mauritius did a great job and was fast too.
Just 6 month after the hunt I got my trophies.
Once again thank you very much to Lionel & Kathleen, Le Chasseur Mauricien and the taxidermist.

watermark.php
 

Attachments

  • One rusa and pheasant.JPG
    One rusa and pheasant.JPG
    116 KB · Views: 180
Last edited by a moderator:
Back to Mauritius - Successful again with Le Chasseur Mauricien

Back to Mauritius - Successful again with Le Chasseur Mauricien!

After three years we fortunately made it back to Mauritius in November 2013.
One time more my wife and I had a fantastic time with a wonderful welcome by Lionel and his family,
a great stay in the Heritage Le Telfair Resort, a perfect organization by Le Chasseur Mauricien
and the opportunity and good luck in hunting my third golden medal Rusa stag with bow and arrow.

014-Bowhunting Mauritius.JPG

While in Mauritius you will be staying since this year in the five-star Heritage Awali or Heritage Le Telfair Spa & Resort
in Bel Ombre, a beautiful property right on the Indian Ocean on a private beach, offering spacious rooms and suites, several swimming pools, bars, restaurants, jewelry and gift stores, a fantastic Spa, Fitness Centre, Tennis
and Volley Ball courts.
For those who would like to add golf to their activity menu a perfectly manicured 18-hole Golf course is
across the street from your Hotel. All people are very friendly and everyone speaks English or French.

001-Heritage Le Telfair Suites and Villas.JPG

002-Heritage Le Telfair.JPG

007-Heriatge Le Telfair-main pool.JPG

008-Heritage Le Telfair_Spa.JPG

Our suite, literally it was more like a gorgeous luxurious colonial style home, with our own beach
surrounded by pine and palm trees just 40 yards from the terrace into the clear
and clean waters of the Indian Ocean.


003-Heritage Le Telfair-our suite.JPG

004-Heritage Le Telfair_our terrace view.JPG

005-Heritage Le Telfair-Beach_1.JPG

006-Heritage Le Telfair-Beach_2.JPG


The stalk was tremendous exciting and as well physically demanding due to the hunting terrain.
Stalking in 30 degrees Centigrade uphill and downhill, always keeping the wind in your favor with many
detours to prevent spooking females and young bucks or get caught by their distinctive eyesight,
sense of smelling and hearing was extremely challenging.

009-Le Chasseur Mauricien-Case Noyale Hunting Grounds-1.JPG

010-Le Chasseur Mauricien-Case Noyale Hunting Grounds-2.JPG

After a day full of experiences we finally sneaked in successfully late in the afternoon at about 5 p.m.
to an really old rusa stag later we called him Methusalem and at about 27 yards I pulled
my quiet and smooth Mathews Z7x to full draw.
The related pin of my Apex sight was focused on his vitals when I activated the trigger of my Scott release and
sent the Carbon Express Maxima Hunter arrow with the G5 Tekan II broadhead on its deadly mission.
The arrow went out fast and hit the buck hard so that he rolled downhill.
What a great experience again and an awesome performance of the bow and arrow.
Lionel and myself were extremely happy and exhausted as well when we made some nice trophy pictures.

011-Frank_and_Rusa-02.11.2013.jpg

012-Lionel_Frank_and_Rusa-02.11.2013.jpg

013-Lionel_and_Frank-02.11.2013.jpg

Once more thanks again to Lionel and his wife Kathleen and all the other guys who made this happen.
Always good hunting and Waidmannsheil!

Frank

Link to Le Chasseur Mauricien:
Le Chasseur Mauricien

015-Mauritian Sunset.JPG

Pictures say more than words - here are some.
Hope you like it.
 
Congratulations on another great hunt. You are the only person I have heard of who has ever hunted on Mauritius. Neat unique travel/hunting destination. This is certainly the nicest hunting lodge/camp I have ever seen. Thanks for the report and the photos.
 
nice stags on both hunts , nimrod
in ,well a flash camp mate :thumb:
definitely won some good husband points there bloke.
in what month do the rusa rut in Mauritius ?
it would sound awesome listening to them roar, in that vegetation ,echoing off them hills .
thanks for showing us
 
nice stags on both hunts , nimrod
in ,well a flash camp mate :thumb:
definitely won some good husband points there bloke.
in what month do the rusa rut in Mauritius ?
it would sound awesome listening to them roar, in that vegetation ,echoing off them hills .
thanks for showing us

Thank you very much @ Wheels & bluey.
Absolutely. You bet that I got some "brownie points" from the wife.
Good for hunting next year again somewhere in a remote location where the wife definitely don't wanna accompany you - hahaha.

The rut of the Rusa on Mauritius is in July/ August and it is a great experience and show to see and hear the stags roaring and fighting with their competitors. We had this spectacle in 2010 - amazing!
 

Forum statistics

Threads
53,613
Messages
1,131,117
Members
92,666
Latest member
ModestaHac
 

 

 

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
Living life like a lion for 1 day is better than living life like a jackal for 100 years.
 
Top