Curtisstykbow
AH member
Good Morning Fellow AH members!
Bear with me a little bit as I set the stage for our August 2021 bowhunting adventure with @BAYLY SIPPEL SAFARIS. This was my third trip to Africa, and I might add the most enjoyable so far. My first two experiences were with other outfitters which did a fine job. One outfit was a larger organization that ran many people through their lodge each day. The other experience was more intimate than that where I stayed with the outfitter and his family. In both situations, the professionalism and friendliness of the outfitters and staff was wonderful and the opportunity for and quality of animals taken was, I'm assuming, average or above average. As good as these experiences were, they felt incomplete; good food, good company and dead animals didn’t fill the emotional need I was seeking from Africa.
I’ve been a do-it-yourself bowhunter in the western US my whole life and although I'm at the age where I enjoy being a little bit pampered, I wanted to have a little bit of a different experience and one that didn’t have a "hard sale" on killing animals. I started reading reviews here on AfricaHunting.com and watching videos on YouTube. I began to get a sense that Bayly Sippel Safaris might be more of what I was looking for. Of course, I wanted opportunities to take good animals, but I also wanted an outfitter that would share his knowledge and enthusiasm of hunting not just an appreciation of an animal killed because it meant more money in his pocket. Before I even contacted Dempsey Bayly, I had a good idea he was who I wanted to hunt with. If you’ve ever seen his videos, you get a sense that his love of animals and passion for hunting is real. We interacted through email, and when I expressed to him on the phone what my expectations and desires would be, I could hear that he genuinely understood and wanted to do his best to provide that experience.
Dempsey is partnered with his good friend Michael Sippel for Bayly Sippel Safaris. Although Dempsey was my PH through the 8 days we were there, Michael joined us in camp for several days and it was a joy to get to know him. Dempsey and Michael bring their education, enthusiasm, and hunting expertise together to create a solid foundation for their outfitter business. One of their goals is to bring back the feeling of the "old safaris". I never went on a Safari 30 years ago, so I don't know if I was feeling old-time nostalgia or not, but the time I spent with them scratched the itch brought on by my African hunting dreams.
Bayly Sippel Safaris has several exclusive areas and concessions available for hunting. There were three of us in my group, each of us bowhunters. We chose a concession that was a little more "rustic". (That is a very relaxed term.) Our Hemingway style tent accommodations were better than those of many hotels where I have stayed. They were roomy and adequate with nice bathroom facilities connected.
Each night, meals were prepared by the crew in camp of animals taken a day or two previous. Salads and side dishes were refreshing and complimented the main fare. Our group were the oddballs because none of us drink alcohol. Plenty of flavored waters and juices were provided for our refreshment. Entertainment for us was provided by those that were drinking.
The table fair and companionship was excellent. Around the fourth Night I asked, what are we having for dinner tonight? Dempsey replied, "we are not peasants we are having tenderloin!" The various meats served were delicious and there was variety from tenderloin to carpaccio to impala testicles. I wasn’t too thrilled about trying the testicles but was very surprised at how enjoyable the flavor was. I think they were referred to as the "scallop of the bush." During both of my previous visits to South Africa, I had eaten zebra. Although I did not find it offensive, it hadn’t been much to brag about. Dempsey assured me that his marinated zebra tenderloin braai would change my mind. He was right. It was delicious and was served with bragging rights.
As is typical with South African bowhunting, most of our hunting was out of blinds over water.
We did have the opportunity to do spot and stalk. I was fortunate to stalk and take a beautiful Sable and had a super fun stalk on a steenbok. I closed the gap to 30 yards, but he flitted off as I was drawing back. To me, that is the essence of bowhunting. Getting close to animals on foot is what it is all about!
Although the area we chose to hunt was fenced it is large enough that the species hunted are self-sustaining. Animals on this property die of old age. For me, hunting is more about the whole experience and isn't summed up with total inches of horn on an animal. I enjoy taking trophy animals as much as anyone and Dempsey opened my eyes regarding the special trophy quality of the older age-class animals in Africa. Old-growth on horn has its own special beauty and he shared with us how to judge a trophy based upon horn length and old growth. For me and my hunting partners the time in the blinds was a delight and went too quick. Dempsey, Craig and Mark who acted as our PH's shared their knowledge of the plants and animals. Their stories of past hunts and experiences not only entertained us, but educated us. There was NEVER any pressure to shoot an animal-not always the experience I had in Africa previously. Several times very good quality animals presented for a shot and we were encouraged to "hold off, we can do better!"
My two friends that accompanied me, Steve and Landon, were a father-son team. It was Steve's first big-game hunt with a bow and Landon's first time hunting in Africa. We all envied Landon. He harvested a very nice Kudu, Impala, monkey, baboon and 3 very nice Warthog! He is a pig killer back home in Hawaii and continued that reputation on this trip. Steve was not to be outdone and killed a sensational impala ram, zebra and warthog. In addition to the beautiful Sable, I returned with two trophy warthog, a monkey, baboon, old blue wildebeest and a "non-typical" bushbuck!
There were opportunities for other magnificent trophies, but they were left for future hunters or a return trip. The area we hunted has self-sustaining herds of Tsessebe and Waterbuck. Dempsey lamented that American hunters don't appreciate these fine trophies and they are often overlooked.
If these are on your list, this is the place to go.
My first two trips to Africa were wonderful and were full of the wonder and magic of the newness of Africa. This last trip however, stirred that deep visceral emotion within me that is the essence of Hunting. I was once told by a gentleman, "This is my ninth once-in-a-lifetime trip to Africa!"
I understand!
Steve enjoying his first morning in Africa!
A perfect shot for Steve!
Last trip to the waterhole!
Midnight rendezvous at camp waterhole!
Landon's Impala Ram!
Little Ricki! Tracker and personal companion to Dempsey
"Big" John--The backbone and muscle of the group! Don't let that fool you- he speaks 11 languages!
Steve returned home early. Landon and I weren't THAT greedy!
It was our pleasure to spend eight days with the crew of Bayly Sippel Safaris. Dempsey Bayly and Michael Sippel, Greg, Mark and Big John were a pleasure to be with and professional in every way.
We will be back in 2023. We are already booked!
Our bowhunting adventure is just one of many that they offer. They have some spectacular rifle hunts and lodge hunts with amenities for those more discriminating. For those who want a challenge, they have a package combining a hunt for reedbuck, bird hunting and flyfishing for trout. It doesn't sound that difficult, but the goal is to be successful with all three in ONE day!
If you are interested in learning more or booking with Bayly Sippel Safaris-I'm happy to share what I experienced and answer any questions.
Whether you are going for the first time or the 10th, You can’t go wrong giving these gentlemen a call!
CurtisStykbow (an old AOL handle from when I only knew traditional archery)
Curt
Bear with me a little bit as I set the stage for our August 2021 bowhunting adventure with @BAYLY SIPPEL SAFARIS. This was my third trip to Africa, and I might add the most enjoyable so far. My first two experiences were with other outfitters which did a fine job. One outfit was a larger organization that ran many people through their lodge each day. The other experience was more intimate than that where I stayed with the outfitter and his family. In both situations, the professionalism and friendliness of the outfitters and staff was wonderful and the opportunity for and quality of animals taken was, I'm assuming, average or above average. As good as these experiences were, they felt incomplete; good food, good company and dead animals didn’t fill the emotional need I was seeking from Africa.
I’ve been a do-it-yourself bowhunter in the western US my whole life and although I'm at the age where I enjoy being a little bit pampered, I wanted to have a little bit of a different experience and one that didn’t have a "hard sale" on killing animals. I started reading reviews here on AfricaHunting.com and watching videos on YouTube. I began to get a sense that Bayly Sippel Safaris might be more of what I was looking for. Of course, I wanted opportunities to take good animals, but I also wanted an outfitter that would share his knowledge and enthusiasm of hunting not just an appreciation of an animal killed because it meant more money in his pocket. Before I even contacted Dempsey Bayly, I had a good idea he was who I wanted to hunt with. If you’ve ever seen his videos, you get a sense that his love of animals and passion for hunting is real. We interacted through email, and when I expressed to him on the phone what my expectations and desires would be, I could hear that he genuinely understood and wanted to do his best to provide that experience.
Dempsey is partnered with his good friend Michael Sippel for Bayly Sippel Safaris. Although Dempsey was my PH through the 8 days we were there, Michael joined us in camp for several days and it was a joy to get to know him. Dempsey and Michael bring their education, enthusiasm, and hunting expertise together to create a solid foundation for their outfitter business. One of their goals is to bring back the feeling of the "old safaris". I never went on a Safari 30 years ago, so I don't know if I was feeling old-time nostalgia or not, but the time I spent with them scratched the itch brought on by my African hunting dreams.
Bayly Sippel Safaris has several exclusive areas and concessions available for hunting. There were three of us in my group, each of us bowhunters. We chose a concession that was a little more "rustic". (That is a very relaxed term.) Our Hemingway style tent accommodations were better than those of many hotels where I have stayed. They were roomy and adequate with nice bathroom facilities connected.
Each night, meals were prepared by the crew in camp of animals taken a day or two previous. Salads and side dishes were refreshing and complimented the main fare. Our group were the oddballs because none of us drink alcohol. Plenty of flavored waters and juices were provided for our refreshment. Entertainment for us was provided by those that were drinking.
The table fair and companionship was excellent. Around the fourth Night I asked, what are we having for dinner tonight? Dempsey replied, "we are not peasants we are having tenderloin!" The various meats served were delicious and there was variety from tenderloin to carpaccio to impala testicles. I wasn’t too thrilled about trying the testicles but was very surprised at how enjoyable the flavor was. I think they were referred to as the "scallop of the bush." During both of my previous visits to South Africa, I had eaten zebra. Although I did not find it offensive, it hadn’t been much to brag about. Dempsey assured me that his marinated zebra tenderloin braai would change my mind. He was right. It was delicious and was served with bragging rights.As is typical with South African bowhunting, most of our hunting was out of blinds over water.
We did have the opportunity to do spot and stalk. I was fortunate to stalk and take a beautiful Sable and had a super fun stalk on a steenbok. I closed the gap to 30 yards, but he flitted off as I was drawing back. To me, that is the essence of bowhunting. Getting close to animals on foot is what it is all about!
Although the area we chose to hunt was fenced it is large enough that the species hunted are self-sustaining. Animals on this property die of old age. For me, hunting is more about the whole experience and isn't summed up with total inches of horn on an animal. I enjoy taking trophy animals as much as anyone and Dempsey opened my eyes regarding the special trophy quality of the older age-class animals in Africa. Old-growth on horn has its own special beauty and he shared with us how to judge a trophy based upon horn length and old growth. For me and my hunting partners the time in the blinds was a delight and went too quick. Dempsey, Craig and Mark who acted as our PH's shared their knowledge of the plants and animals. Their stories of past hunts and experiences not only entertained us, but educated us. There was NEVER any pressure to shoot an animal-not always the experience I had in Africa previously. Several times very good quality animals presented for a shot and we were encouraged to "hold off, we can do better!"
My two friends that accompanied me, Steve and Landon, were a father-son team. It was Steve's first big-game hunt with a bow and Landon's first time hunting in Africa. We all envied Landon. He harvested a very nice Kudu, Impala, monkey, baboon and 3 very nice Warthog! He is a pig killer back home in Hawaii and continued that reputation on this trip. Steve was not to be outdone and killed a sensational impala ram, zebra and warthog. In addition to the beautiful Sable, I returned with two trophy warthog, a monkey, baboon, old blue wildebeest and a "non-typical" bushbuck!
There were opportunities for other magnificent trophies, but they were left for future hunters or a return trip. The area we hunted has self-sustaining herds of Tsessebe and Waterbuck. Dempsey lamented that American hunters don't appreciate these fine trophies and they are often overlooked.
If these are on your list, this is the place to go.
I understand!
Steve enjoying his first morning in Africa!
A perfect shot for Steve!
Last trip to the waterhole!
Midnight rendezvous at camp waterhole!
Landon's Impala Ram!
Little Ricki! Tracker and personal companion to Dempsey
Steve returned home early. Landon and I weren't THAT greedy!
It was our pleasure to spend eight days with the crew of Bayly Sippel Safaris. Dempsey Bayly and Michael Sippel, Greg, Mark and Big John were a pleasure to be with and professional in every way.
We will be back in 2023. We are already booked!
Our bowhunting adventure is just one of many that they offer. They have some spectacular rifle hunts and lodge hunts with amenities for those more discriminating. For those who want a challenge, they have a package combining a hunt for reedbuck, bird hunting and flyfishing for trout. It doesn't sound that difficult, but the goal is to be successful with all three in ONE day!
If you are interested in learning more or booking with Bayly Sippel Safaris-I'm happy to share what I experienced and answer any questions.
Whether you are going for the first time or the 10th, You can’t go wrong giving these gentlemen a call!
CurtisStykbow (an old AOL handle from when I only knew traditional archery)
Curt
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