SOUTH AFRICA: BOWHUNT: Our 3rd Hunt With Limcroma Safaris

firehuntfish

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My wife and I just returned from our 3rd hunt with Limcroma Safaris in the last 7 years. Anyone who has read any of my previous posts about Limcroma know that I am partial to them. It's for good reason... Once again, Hannes Els, and his awesome crew did not dissappoint. We have hunted with other outfitters, yet we have never experienced the same level of enthusiasm, dedication, and professionalism as demonstrated by Hannes and those that work for him. They never fail to deliver exactly as promised and do so with particular attention to detail.

About the hunt....Let me preface by stating that we are not wealthy folks by any means. My wife and I are hard working people who share a common lifestlye which is our love to hunt and fish. We work hard and save our money and we have been fortunate enough to pursue the things we love the most. We love Africa simply for the fact that it is still the best hunting destination for the value considering the accommodations, game variety and opportunity. It's hard to justify going other places when Africa continues to deliver. It's truly an addiction that we hope to have for the rest of our lives.

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These days, our hunts are about having fun and shooting lots of arrows, bullets, shotgun shells, and just taking advantage of whatever may come. It's not about trophies and inches for us. It's about the experience... On this trip, we got that in addition to some unique and unexpectled suprises...

Our first few sessions started out with a bang. Hannes and I hung a couple of tree stands on a property where he was breeding some cape buffalo. He said that the warthogs had been wreaking havoc by digging holes and stealing feed. He told us to shoot as many as we could. We did our best to honor that request by taking several. I just love hunting warthogs with a bow...

During our 10 days, we took several impalas, warthogs, and a couple of female waterbucks that needed to be taken out of the herd. I can't fail to mention the guinea fowl. They are great targets with a bow. They are fun to shoot and suprisingly tough little birds. We love to shoot them, and the trackers love to get them for dinner.....We had alot of fun with a Primate Slam that we were able to pull off in the first 15 minutes out of one of the evelvated hides. Anyone who has hunted monkeys and baboons with a bow will tell you that they are quite a challenge. They are very clever, and they see and hear extremely well.

My wife was after the mini antelopes on this trip. She wanted to take a steenbok and a duiker. She made a great shot spot & stalk on a huge steenbok. The duiker proved to be a bit more challenging. We saw the hind ends of several as the bounded through the high grass, but no shots this trip. Our PH told us that it would be next to impossible to kill one spot & stalk with a bow. He had never seen it done. I believe him....We' will get the duiker next time...

This hunt unexpectedly turned into a dream hunt for me. I got the chance to take 2 great trophies with my bow that I never thought possible. Hannes was telling me about an area down by the river where he has some great trail cam pics of some very good free range bushbucks. He said that we need to hang a stand down there and see what happens. That afternoon, we hung a leaner tree stand in a great tree overlooking an active trail. 15 minutes before dark that same evening, I took a 40 yard shot that rewarded me with my first ever bushbuck! That made my entire trip. He's not a giant, but a respectable buck with a bow. I could not have been happier! What a rewarding experience to be able to scout, hang a stand, and harvest an animal.....

My second suprise came on the second to last evening of our trip. My PH put me in a hide where I could take a manamgement impala, warthogs, monkeys, baboons, guineas, or whatever else presented itself. Before he left, he said that there was one old zebra stallion that was past his prime and needed to go. I could shoot him if I saw him. The trail cams only had pics of him coming to water at night as old, wise zebras will do...Luck was with me on this trip. I was shooting well, and just feeling it with every shot. With about 20 minutes of shooting light left, here he comes. He was nervous, and jumpy. He would stick his head in the water for a second and quickly withdraw and scamper away. This went on and on, and light was fading fast. No broadside shot was going to be given up by this old man. It wasn't his first rodeo at the water hole... With literally seconds of good light left, a blue wildebeest came in and unknowingly did his zebra buddy in... The zebra spooked and whirled away opening up a quartering away shot at 30 yards. I touched off the arrow and watched the lighted arrow nock disappear into the crease of the shoulder. With a cloud of red dust, and the thunderous sound of him crashing through the bush, I heard him hit the ground with a solid thud 45 seconds later. I double lunged him and he dropped at 75 yards. What an awesome feeling..!

I had also arranged to try and take a brown hyena with my bow on this trip. We pre-baited a site for several nights. The trail cam showed one coming in 2 out of the last 3 evenings. I sat the next 2 nights and he never showed. Maybe he was full of impala and zebra meat. Maybe he was just smarter than us...I think the latter is was the case...I did have several jackals, African wild cats, and a big civet cat come into the bait, but I did not want to risk shooting and blowing my chance at my werewolf...Oh well, next trip....Like I need another reason to go back....

All in all, it was another incredibly successful hunt. We took lots of management animals, and a few true trophies as well. We met some great new folks and made new friends for life as we always do at hunting camp. The evenings around the fire with an adult beverage in your hand and a foxy-russel napping in your lap are pricesless to us. I think we enjoy camp as much as the hunting. It's the culmination of the entire African experience that brings us back time and time again....

I know there are many great African outfitters, but for us, none compare to the trips we have had at Limcroma. I can't imagine another outfitter doing it any better...Please feel free to contact me anytime if you would like more details on hunting with them.... Until next time... Thanks for letting me share my experiences with you all...
 

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Congrat's! My wife and I feel the same about Africa....I will never get enough...The smiles on your faces say it all!
 
Here's a few more pics of the new river camp at Limcroma Safaris... Also a few assorted pics that all make up the whole African experience...
 

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Thanks for the pictures and hunt report. That is one nice zebra and steenbok. It's got to be fun bowhunting them.
 
Looks like a nice camp. Some good trophies mixed in w/ the management animals. Good shooting. Bruce
 
Congratulations to the both of you! And thanks for sharing these moments and pictures with us. Please post also some pictures in the photo gallery...
 
Broken horned Impala.... the one thing that eluded me.
Congratulations on your hunt.
 
Thanks for the pictures and the hunting report. Glad you had a great time. Never seen a "termite blind" before.......now I have. Not being a bow hunter no telling what I am missing out on.
 
Broken horned Impala.... the one thing that eluded me.
Congratulations on your hunt.

Jeez Brick....Anyone can shoot one with both horns...There are lots of those running around... It's the broken horned ones that are the rarest trophies...lol...
 
Thanks for the pictures and the hunting report. Glad you had a great time. Never seen a "termite blind" before.......now I have. Not being a bow hunter no telling what I am missing out on.

I strongly encourage you to go out and buy a bow.... Then you can justify spending thousands of more dollars on equipment to inevidibly frustrate yourself on a whole new level like the rest of us bowhunters....lol...

I'm not a purest.. I love to hunt by any means. I will happily hunt with a rifle, handgun, or bow. There is just something deeply primal about killing an animal with a bow and arrow. I really like the idea of getting close to the animals. There is something about needing to get that close to the animal, and having them not know you are there.....To be able to smell them and watch them breathe is a rush I can't explain. I would trade 10 kills with a rifle for 1 with my bow...
 
These days, our hunts are about having fun and shooting lots of arrows, bullets, shotgun shells, and just taking advantage of whatever may come. It's not about trophies and inches for us. It's about the experience...

I'm not a purest.. I love to hunt by any means. I will happily hunt with a rifle, handgun, or bow. There is just something deeply primal about killing an animal with a bow and arrow. I really like the idea of getting close to the animals. There is something about needing to get that close to the animal, and having them not know you are there.....To be able to smell them and watch them breathe is a rush I can't explain. I would trade 10 kills with a rifle for 1 with my bow...

Congratulations to you and your wife! What an incredible adventure, and yes they are all trophy's. You got me thinking Zebra. What a thrill. Happy for both of you
 
Sounds like a great time and some nice trophy's.

Thank you for sharing with us.
 
Congrates, to take a bushbuck with a bow in a stand that u placed, thats a great story in itself!!!!!! I am like u, a working stiff who is infatuated with hunting in Africa!!!!!!!!!
 
Congrats to you and your wife for a fantastic hunt all fine trophies and the Vervet Monkey and a Baboon with a bow! Awesome thanks for sharing.
 
Congrats for a great hunting trip, it shows on your happy smiling faces, and a very nice Steenbok.

Thanks for sharing !
 
I know that you went on a bow hunt but do you know anything about Limcroma's rifle hunts and concessions? A friend and his wife won a hunt at a Ducks Unlimited Auction for a 7 day package with Limcroma. As you can imagine, they're pretty excited. And I try to add to their excitement and anticipation by telling them stories from my two RSA hunts. ;D
 
Rickp Hannes has some great bow set ups on his Ranch and they have a multitude of ranches the hunt around and in the area, they should prepare them selves for an awesome time and some great hunting.....they will have a blast.

Firehuntfish, thanks for the report and pictures clear to see that you had an awesome time and one of many still to come.

My best always
 
What a great trip, story and photos. It is so cool that both you and your wife hunt together. I missed that boat with my wife but at least she lets me go and fill the freezer (at least when I am hunting in NA). I love the zebra, gonna make it a rug?
 
RickP,

Limcroma has over 200,000 acres of properties that they either own or manage as a concessions for their clients. They maintain certain properties exclusively for bowhunters, but they have LOTS of excellent rifle concessions. My wife and I love to primarily bowhunt, but we are not opposed to picking up a rifle for the right opportunity. We have done lots of rifle hunting there over the years with great success....

Jaco,
We regret not ever getting the chance to meet or hunt with you during your times at Limcroma. Hannes has nothing but great things to say about you, and your reputation as a PH preceeds you...I trust you are successful in your new endeavors...

Sanderson0203,
Thanks for the kind remarks...We already have a rug from the wife's first zebra...This one will be a shoulder mount and the backskin will go iside the panels on a pedestal mount...
 

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