Are we missing out on the true African experience by blind hunting only

[chiefdale]

on my trip 3 years ago for a 10 day hunt spent 8 of the days in a blind by water holes bowhunting and two days rifle hunting because were not seeing the variety game at water holes. what was interesting would see a limited number of animals by waterhole (250000acre concession)during day went in july dark moon 38 degrees in morning up 80 by mid day .one of main waterholes would be dominated by kudus 15 to 25 every day which kept alot smaller away .so after few days of seeing same thing went spot and stalk with rifle what was amazing is the number of animals seen outside the waterhole hundreds . looking back wish would have tried spot and stalk with bow to break monotony of sitting in a hide and did enjoy spot and stalk with rifle (dont throw me out of the archery society for that comment) as a side note the most amazing thing to see in africa was the tracking skills of ph and trackers.I used to think I was decent a tracking wounded deer and bear but after seeing their skills in action no even close to being in their league

 

[Alexandro Faria]

Never understood people spending all the money to come this way only to sit in a hide. Best experiences I've had were on foot, no contest. Unless you're in a really dry place, I feel like blind hunting will always limit what you see- you miss all the little things and many big things as well.

I've spoken to guides and land owners who have said that hunter fitness is an issue- the guys just aren't cut out to walk 15-20km a day up and down hills after eland or kudu. So the guides throw them into a blind and that's that. Not saying you fall into that category, simply exploring the situation a bit.

In addition, people get all jumpy the first time they see a big kudu bull for the first time- I know I did. The blind eliminates many of the "unknowns" and allows the hunter to focus on the shot.

I'm probably prejudiced as I am mostly a rifle hunter, but those are my thoughts on the matter.

 

[Red Leg]

If the issue is with respect to bow hunting, I would Indeed suspect a large majority of game is taken from blinds at waterholes. I am certain the vast majority of bow hunters have had most of their experience hunting whitetail from tree and ground blinds. Therefore, the transition is relatively easy. That said, there are a number of exceptional hunters on this site who take African game successfully every trip with a bow by spot and stalk.

With respect to a rifle, I have only hunted leopard from a blind. I have taken a few warthog from a waterhole.

 

[buck wild]

I totally agree and have tried to avoid siting in blinds as much as possible while hunting in South Africa. I will do it but told my PH on my first trip I didn't come all this way to stare are 60 yds for my 10 days. I have 75% been safari or walk and stalk and 25% sitting in a blind. I do think the bow hunter has a better chance of success sitting in a blind for obvious reasons. I always tried to comprise some and sat in blinds 10am-2pm, with daylight to 10 am and 2pm to dark outside the blinds when I sat at all. It is very effective means of hunting though.

 

[375Fox]

I’m not an archery hunter, but I do think you are missing out on the full experience by only sitting at blinds. I’ve really enjoyed sitting in blind for warthogs and actually eland too in one area, it’s neat to see what comes in and all the birds, but there is a lot else going on in other areas besides just the water hole that you won’t see unless you search it out.

 

[SafariA]

There is definately options besides sitting in a blind .....You can do walk and stalk ... have to be able to shoot a little further ... and maybe different time of year with a little more cover.

It can be done .

 

[leslie hetrick]

on my six hunting trips to africa i have both stalked and a sat in a blind, but prefer to spot and stalk. and have taken most of the game on early morning and late afternoon stalks. the hardest hunt was for a eland, two and a half days of walking. hard on a 70 + man to be sure.

 

[AES]

It's the same equation everywhere. Sitting in a blind solo just sucks when you aren't seeing anything and you obviously don't get to experience as much of the landscape. There's not enough Skoal in the world to make a dead sit fun for 8 hours. It may be the most effective type of hunting at any given time (i very much like it for black bear) but agree with what it sounds like you are leaning towards which is, for someone not from africa, the experience seems very muted compared to a traditional safari. All of that said, on a multiday hunt (or at night), it would be fun to put in a little sit with a great book about hunters of the past - no reason not to mix it up.

 

[WAB]

I have no problem blind hunting if that is what you want to do. Personally, if I am flying all the way to Africa, I am going to be following a tracker on the trail of elephant, buffalo or eland. I don’t care to collect species, I want to hunt, with boot leather.

 

[leslie hetrick]

i just spent quite a few days sitting on my arse hunting turkeys, they are very hard to spot and stalk in the shotgun season. in the rifle season i use a .223 rifle.

 

[Tanks]

Never understood people spending all the money to come this way only to sit in a hide...

I've spoken to guides and land owners who have said that hunter fitness is an issue- the guys just aren't cut out to walk 15-20km a day up and down hills after eland or kudu...

If someone is not getting in shape for their hunt then they are doing a disservice to themselves. I start my day with 15 minutes on the Peloton, high intensity, to get my heart rate up and then body weight exercises. I follow it with a hike later on in the day for a few months before my hunt. The hike of course depends on what else is going on, some days I can't hike as much. The goal also last month before my hunt to work myself up to about a 30 lbs weight vest for the hikes.

 

[Philip Glass]

It can be fun to sit at a water hole and check out what comes in but I could Not do it everyday on Safari. I have not bow hunted much since I was younger plus I enjoy spot and stalk with a rifle,
Philip

 

[Tgood1]

As much as possible i try to incorporate every method possible. The last trip to the limpopo area we spent the heat of the day watching waterholes then back out on foot. Great time.

 

[Art Lambart II]

I am an archer and a rifle hunter and I enjoy both equally, I have never bow hunted Africa but if I do this is how I would do it. I would take my Excalibur Crossbow and my 35 Whelen, that way I can easily spot and stalk with either hunting tool. IMO Excalibur makes the finest hunt crossbow on earth, is offer two critical hunting features that its competitors don't. The first feature is the ability to change the string in the field in less than 5 minutes with out loosing zero, the second is the ability to easily remove and reattach the limbs without loosing zero. This last feature allows me to pack my crossbow and my rifle in the same case saving me the expense and hassle of additional luggage on an over seas trip.

 

[Nyati]

Siting in a blind is just not my idea of hunting, bores me to death .

I have done it for warthogs, but not more than half a day.

 

[BenKK]

I think about this question, and personally I am drawn to experiencing Africa by walking as much as I can. But I’ve enjoyed taking a break and having a few beers while taking photographs from a blind. And I also enjoyed my experience of hunting baboon from a natural brush blind we made with machete. If I am to do an ambush hunt, for me it is important to make a natural brush blind.

 

[Saul]

I only sit in a blind for photography

 

[spike.t]

Totally

 

[Paul Raley]

If ones idea of “hunting” is sitting in a blind and shooting / harvesting an animal then that is your right , but if you want a true hunt and you really want to experience the African bush with all its wildlife/vegetation/scenery/beauty then walk and stalk is the way to go .
I have encountered many interesting and unexpected sightings whilst hunting on foot such as leopards , pythons , aardvarks , etc - stuff one would most probably not see if you were sitting in a blind .

 

[ActionBob]

<Are we missing out on the true African experience by blind hunting only>

Absolutely!