SOUTH AFRICA: RIFLE: BOWHUNT: A Month In RSA!

Your title got my attention. 1 month!!!!! Good for you.

That wasnt one of those rare and endangered dark giraffe was it??? Lmao

Well done. Some great animals.

Looks like a great time was had by all, congrats!!

Enjoying the report as I have hunted with Paw Print and Dies Visser both.

Arrived at Dries Visser Safaris around 12:30. Expanded since we were here ten years ago. Bought the neighboring property which doubled what they had previously. Really a first class operation. Our friends Steve and Tammy showed up 15 minutes after we arrived. They brought their son, Alex who is the same age as the girls. Got unpacked and went on a game drive. Saw lots of animals. Willem is our P.H. He didn’t remember that he was 10 years ago also until he looked at his scrapbook. Buffalo and sable are the top targets.

I thought you forgot us! I’ve been anxiously waiting on “the rest of the story!”

Going after buffalo this morning so up early at 5:30. Dries’s wife has a display of leather purses she makes in the lodge. Barb wanted to go reserve a couple this morning. I asked her what the hurry was we’re going to be here 12 days. She said, someone could buy the one’s she wants. Got to the lodge and told Elana. She put them all away except two. Barb shows up and Elana tells her received a big order but if she’s willing to wait a couple months more will be made. Very disappointed....leave her on the hook through breakfast. In the blind by 7am. Willem, Barb and me. Twins decided to stay in today. Animals all day but no buffalo. Monkeys, warthogs, waterbuck, impala, oryx, blue wildebeest and kudu. One very nice wildebeest and oryx. Steve and Tammy’s anniversary today. Steve shot a blue wildebeest and impala and Tammy shot an oryx. The blinds have one way glass and the birds come and attack their reflections at times. Scares the crap out of you if you’re not paying attention.

Up at 5:30. This would be the norm unfortunately. Went to the lodge and jumped on the WiFi then went and shot an arrow. Alex was out there practicing the crossbow. Apparently excited to shoot something after watching his parents have all the fun yesterday. The twins are going to ride with Archie on the feed truck today. It takes him all day to feed all the spots. No days off during hunting season. Can’t begin to guess what it costs to feed like they do. All the blinds are named after animals. This morning we’re in the heartebeest blind. Had 20 sable bulls come in. Pretty amazing. On my list but not these. They are fairly conditioned to the feed truck and haven’t been shot at yet so not real wary. Willem says that will change quickly once they start getting hunted. Changed blinds about four times today trying to outsmart the buffalo. Again saw lots of animals. 55” kudu bull and a good eland bull. Moved back to the heartebeest blind, where we started the day, at 5. About 10 minutes late as the buffalo were standing in the road headed that way. Alex took a warthog today. His first animal ever. We’ll see if the twins get the bug. Camp is pretty full. Cull hunter from Alaska, Walter. Craig from Texas and a new couple also from Texas arrived this evening.

I like the one way glass and the photo of the guinea looking at itself!
What fun it must have been to see so many animals coming to feed! Great pictures of them!

Poor Barb getting tricked! Women and their purses!

Up at 5. Willem wants in the blind before light. Started out in the heartebeest blind again. Saw a herd of impala, some sable at the water hole then some zebra cross the road off in the distance. Moved blinds but the wind was bad so moved again. Buffalo dam blind. Archie saw buffalo heading that way. Barb sat in the blind while Willem and I got in a tree stand about 80 yards from it. Two buffalo came in, one looked good but Willem said couple more years. Never presented a shot and got behind us. Another herd was coming in but the two behind us winded us and blew everything out. Stayed another hour then went to the sable blind. Started off with seven impala rams and then seven good kudu bulls. The nicest around 58” but one with deep curls that will eventually go over 60”. Suffice it to say they have some really spectacular kudu here. Left that blind around 3. Got within half a mile of the next blind and walked in as quietly as we could. Saw 5 red heartebeest males. One of the harder animals to get with a bow. Too bad Tammy wasn’t here as they are number one on her list. Left at dark and pulled chips from game cameras at other blinds. Buffalo are drinking at night and basically outsmarting us. The blinds they are at during daylight have not had favorable wind conditions so we’re just being patient and not blowing them out of the country by being stupid. Tammy shot a huge warthog. Troy from Texas shot a 46” sable. Ben the tracker was trying to figure it out. Sent the dogs loose but they were on wrong track of another sable. Charged the dogs and head butted Ben. Dries thought he was dead! Took him to hospital. Sore but going to be okay. Yikes!! Craig shot the eland we saw yesterday.

Saturday August 17th. Up at 5. Kind of tired. Barb staying with girls today. Willem and I hoofed it down road about a mile to the blind. Trying to be as covert as possible. Wind getting bad so caught a ride on the feed truck to the leopard blind at 9:30. Many warthogs, couple smaller impala rams and lots of kudu. 5 bulls, one 60” with a broken horn. About noon, Willem says, zebra! I will never pass one up. So smart. Unless something else is at water they won’t come in and when they do they get there drink and go. No messing around. They are immediately at the water. Three bigger ones lined up. One finally clears and Willem says take it. Luckily I had time to take off my buffalo arrow, put on plains game arrow and adjust pin. Very important and I had gone over it in my head a thousand times what I needed to do. Would of been just great to send my arrow off at 40 yards on an animal that was at 15. Took the shot and saw the red lighted nock disappear in the sergeant stripe. Everything blasted off and mine did a circle, crashed head first in a tree stood up on hind legs and fell over dead! Wow. Clean pass through and traveled 58 yards. First thing I’ve shot with the Ironwill v’100’s and I’m impressed. Took some pictures and back in the blind. Lots more animals and some blue and gold wildebeest right before dark but no buffalo. Steve also shot a zebra today.

Up at 5 again. Halfway through the hunt. Checked for buffalo sign until 8. Stalked into the buffalo dam blind. Barb in blind. Willem and I in tree stand. Had several kudu bulls walk by us. Feed truck came in and Dries and Troy had hitched a ride. Archie said buffalo were in this block so back up into stand. Very windy but 8 kudu bulls ( one 58”) blue wildebeest, oryx, 2 impala rams and warthogs came in. Dries kicked buffalo off the leopard blind so out of the tree and over there at 11. Willem hopeful they will be back to drink at some point. Had camera up and could see he ate but didn’t hit water. Again much to look at with constant animal activity but no buffalo. Steve shot a Springbuck and Darin from Idaho arrived today.

Monday August 19th. Up at 5. Barb sleeping in today. I’m jealous. Checking the cameras and for tracks. Saw a bat eared fox. Pretty cool. Sable blind had pictures of buffalo in the afternoon and early morning. Different groups. Dries and Troy had a group of 10 come in last night at last light. Had the one he is after which I guess is around 45”. No shot though. Headed to the buffalo dam and they were by the tree stand! Drove away and stalked back to the blind. Wind is not great so kind of a shot in the dark. Willem doesn’t know what to say. Full moon, inconsistent wind, nocturnal buffalo. 13 kudu bulls come to the dam. One is tearing up the mud with his horns. Got out at 10 and checked the camera. The buffalo were here yesterday two hours after we left. Frustrating but with the wind like it was might not of showed up had we been here. Went to the rock blind. Kicked off kudu, warthog, blue wildebeest and zebra. This is the blind Barb shot a warthog at and I got an eland at ten years ago. We see 10 more kudu bulls. 23 nice kudu bulls this morning all together. Around 11 Silas shows up with Barb and we are off to try and get a sable. Saw Nyala, impala, black impala, saddle back impala and of course sable. Our guy came in and spooked out of there. After 15 minutes here he comes. Stopped at 23 yards slightly quartered to and checking out the blind. Thought I could slip it in there. Let the shot go and immediately knew I hit shoulder. Jumped the string and very little penetration. Dumb to take that shot. Too cocky and in a hurry. At the very least wait until he’s not looking our way. Just stupid. Watched the video which confirmed what I thought I saw. Hoping for 6”-8” of penetration but in my gut knew that wasn’t the case. Wait and then follow the tracks. Amazing how these guys decipher what tracks are who’s and figure it out. Found a total of five blood drops. Was surprised he didn’t bed down though. Tracked for a couple hours and called for reinforcements. Willem gave me his rifle and I jumped in the back of a truck with another Ph’s tracker driving. Heard Willem telling him on the radio we must drive to the corners but I don’t think he understood because we would drive a little ways and just sit there. Have about 4 trucks driving around. In hindsight should of jumped in with one of them. Hour goes by and I hear a gunshot follows by another seconds later. Radio chatter. Gerald, Darin’s ph, sent the dog after him and got him. Everyone is happy except me.........I understand it’s on me. I made a bad shot but would of liked to be driving with one of those guys that knew what they were doing. I’m sure Darin and the other guys thought I was a real asshole. Here’s a 45” sable and I could care less. Had it been a fatal shot then I’m somewhat okay taking a little credit. It wasn’t though so in reality I have no ownership in him. I’m glad he’s down and not suffering but mad at myself for taking a shot that I know better then to try and do. The rifle shot is basically touching next to my arrow which is still in him. Wasn’t really keen on talking pictures with him. Willem says humor him and Barb says, that’s 50% my animal so get your ass in there. I do so begrudgingly. I’m still on the fence whether I want to take him home. I’m not one of those guys who is going to brag about this sable I shot because I didn’t. I don’t understand people like that. This is going to sting for awhile and my confidence is shot. Willem try’s to cheer me up. Says you were half an inch off from a perfect shot. Maybe but that’s not much consolation. This is the sable that head butted Ben. I go back and shoot some buffalo arrows. Tammy shot a nice impala today. Craig who has shot around 10 animals with his crossbow is off to Mozambique with Cobus to hunt buffalo. Hopefully we can get it done tomorrow.

Forgot a picture of Tammy’s warthog.

I agree with you about the sable. Bad situation to put yourself in. But we all have our not so good shots.
I called a bull elk in, stuck him to the fletching through both lungs and never found him. I was crushed and didn’t hunt any more that season. I knew he died, but I never found him. The next year a hunter had found a skull and horns and had it on a picnic table at his camp. Yes, it was mine. The hunter wasn’t around, so I just took a picture and left it.
Then I severed all 4 tendons in my right shoulder and couldn’t draw a bow. Never bow hunted anything again.

Yall are racking up the memories and trophies!! Enjoying the read!

Up at 5. Breakfast and on the road at 6. Walked to the buffalo dam blind and got settled in at 6:20. Plan is to switch to the stand when the feed truck shows up. Buffalo show at 7:27. 5 minutes later then yesterday. Over by the stand but come directly to the water. Big one is second in line and drinking head first facing me. Range him at 31 yards. Adjust my pin and wait. As soon as he picked his head up and started to turn I drew back. He stopped and was slightly quartering away. Pick a spot and follow through. Hit him exactly where I wanted and saw the green nocturnal bury at least 24” deep. Took off running and stopped briefly before lumbering off again with the rest of the six bulls. What a rush! Another example of the ups and downs of bow hunting. Yesterday was a deep low. The worst. After this shot an ecstatic high. Silas comes with the truck and we wait 30 minutes before we take up the track. At some point Willem thinks he hears the death bellow. He warns me the other buffalo could be near him and pose a danger as well. If you see one charge drop your bow and find a big tree, he says. I understand the dangers. The day we arrived Steve and Tammy’s P.H, Armand had a good friend charged by a buffalo. Tracking another animal and this buffalo broke loose from a poachers snare and got him. Ended up dying the day we left. Think there is a story about it on this forum. Anyway, the tracks aren’t hard to follow and I record the process on my phone. After around 200 yards Silas jumps up and is running towards us. Willem throws up the rifle and I’m looking for a tree. Silas laughs and points to the dead buffalo 50 yards away. He looks dead but we walk up and put another arrow through him. He doesn’t budge. What a rush. Unbelievable how big he is. Just amazing. Lots of people think buffalo hunting in RSA is easy. This was not. 7 days of hard hunting to get this shot. Have Barb and the twins come out with Elana and take lots of video and pictures. Back at the lodge at 10:30 for a relaxing day. The girls decide they would like to take something with the crossbow so we have them practice. Put the Ironwill v100’s on the bolts and they fly great. Just lay down for a nap and Willem wants to know if I’m interested in setting up a honey badger bait for a guy coming in a couple days. How can I pass that up? Just finish that and hear that Troy hunting with Dries has stuck a buffalo. Only about 8” of penetration. Hit it exactly where Dries told him just bad results. He was shooting grizzly sticks with a 315 grain Ashby. As I said earlier I was looking at the same setup but after researching it decided otherwise. Jump in the truck with everyone else and find the herd 150 yards from the blind. Have to make sure it’s the right bull and it turns into a rodeo. Lots of shooting and dogs jumping out of the truck but finally a dead buffalo. What I thought would be a relaxing day has actually been quite busy. Off for bushbuck tomorrow morning and then impala for the girls. What a day!

That´s a great hunt, congrats

Excellent shot on one fine buffalo! If you put an arrow, or a bullet in the right place deep enough, it will certainly do a great job!

The guy that only got 8 inches of penetration did he have a component failure or just too much bone?