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

[cagkt3]

Fantastic looking bull! I bet that tracker got your blood pressure up with his little joke

 

[Bhfs300]

Here is just a thought with all the people that are following this thread some might want to see the story of the PH that lost his life with an encounter with a Cap Buffalo that you mentioned.
I hunted with FC in 2014.

https://www.africahunting.com/threa...l-hunter-fc-prinsloo.52735/page-3#post-571198

 

[jpomazi]

Up at 5 and got the girls going. Barb staying in as there will only be room in the blinds for the four of us. Drove about an hour to the property where they hunt bushbuck. Primitive blind so no talking. Blinds at Dries Visser are completely enclosed so you can get away with a lot. Girls do great and entertain themselves. Have some monkeys come in and then a female bushbuck about 9:30. Stayed until 10:15. About 11 a couple small rams start in but blow out as the wind has changed in a bad way. Decide to pack it in and go hunt impala. Drive another 30 minutes to there. Willem says this place use to be 5 star but is run down now. Still have some good animals though. Mattie is up with the crossbow. I’m nervous. She’s practiced with it 4 shots and did great but this will be her first animal. Completely different. Willem and I have gone over where she needs to aim. Have an old kudu bull come in after half an hour. He’s almost white. Then a lone impala ram comes in. Mattie gets on him and after a long while is ready to shoot. On this crossbow it has a safety up top in front of the stock and then a button on the lower stock you need to press with your offhand while simultaneously squeezing the trigger. I flipped the back one. She finally squeezes the trigger but nothing. Figure out quickly the bolts not seated all the way. Mattie’s not rattled and gets back on the ram. Takes the shot and the ram springs out of there. Perfect hit. She’s super excited but not as much as me! We exit the blind and find the bolt in a tree branch covered in blood. Silas shows up to the blind and I can tell by the way he’s talking he saw the ram driving in. I look over and can see his white belly. He’s gone 43 yards. How incredible. Such a fun time witnessing someone’s first kill especially your kids. Once in a lifetime feeling. Many pictures and back to the Citadel. New couples from Iowa and North Dakota in camp. Good news. Don’t have to get up until 6:30 tomorrow!

 

[Ridgewalker]

I’ll bet you were one proud Dad? I know the feeling. I was so proud of my granddaughter on her hunts!

 

[jpomazi]

Thursday August 22nd. Up at.......4:57. Unbelievable. Can’t get back to sleep either so I get going. It’s Charlee’s turn today. Mattie will stay in so Barb can go. Out in the blind at 8:30. Willem has to build a platform of bricks to get her up high enough. Originally she was thinking warthog but has decided impala like her sister. If a zebra comes in then Barb will try it with the crossbow. Girl loves her zebras! Have some warthogs, nice sable and two good blue wildebeest bulls come in before 9:30. Thought Barb might be tempted by the wildebeest but no. There is more then just zebra you know. A few oryx, couple kudu bulls and some banded mongoose. Lone impala ram heads that way about noon. Very cautious and never came in all the way. Very stressful on me. Five years off my life minimum. It’s hot in the blind. Charlee didn’t eat breakfast and hasn’t ate or drank anything in the blind. A little worried about her but seems cool as a cucumber. About 1:45 three impala rams coming from the left. Took them forever to get to the water. I’m a wreck. Finally the biggest one is drinking quartered away. Have to explain the aiming point. After an eternity Charlee takes the shot and hits him perfect. The first thing she says is, they’re right I could hear your heart beating. Barb and Mattie both said that about me when I was watching them. Charlee’s arrow is stuck in a tree also. Something about twin telepathy she says. Her impala went about 100 yards. I’m emotionally exhausted. What a great two days though. Girls going shopping tomorrow so Steve and I will hunt together for the last day.

 

[Ridgewalker]

Awesome! Both twins successful!
Yep, I know you’re exhaustion well!

 

[jpomazi]

Last day to hunt. Steve and I go with his PH Armand. Willem is taking the girls and Alex shopping. In the blind at 6:45. Barb woke me up at 1:45 to search for a mouse supposedly the size of a badger. Couldn’t find it but wondering if a day at the lodge napping wouldn’t of been a good choice. I’ve known Steve since first grade and have been best friends since so this is a good day. Really haven’t spent much time together as we hunt all day. See each other at dinner but that’s pretty much it. He’s after a Nyala. I’m just here to goad him into shooting something and maybe take something myself but I don’t really have anything particular in mind. Had a female duiker 10’ from the blind then a male comes in. Nice one but Steve is not interested. What the hell! Regret later not shooting it myself but I did get one a couple weeks ago. Slow until 10 when a group of 30 black and saddleback impala come in. Really nice Reedbuck appears. Definitely would of shot but you need a permit. Blue and king wildebeest come in after lunch along with some female Nyala. Couple springbuck at 2:30 but we’ve both shot one this trip. Blesbuck and more springbuck come in and finally I convince Steve to shoot a nice white one. Makes a perfect heart shot and it piles up 53 yards away. Photos and back in blind for Nyala. Have some bulls come in but not quite big enough. Have a small bush pig come to the water. Very cool. First I’ve ever seem. Get out at dark after a 12hour sit. See a nice Nyala bull driving out 100 yards from the blind!

 

[Ridgewalker]

Yep, you made me think about all the animals I’ve passed on and should have taken.

 

[cpr0312]

Congrats to the girls also!!!!

 

[Matt_WY]

Cool trip. Thanks for the report!

 

[BenKK]

Those girls did great with the crossbow! Congrats to them!