I told Josiah that we would go hunting on Saturday morning, I gave him the choice of 3 different blinds to hunt out of. We were after Warthog, Springbok or Blesbok. Josiah has shot a bow almost as long as he has been talking. He has shot 3D and has won his class many times but has not been real interested in hunting until lately.
It is easy for a father who loves to hunt to put too much pressure on his children to follow in his footsteps. I have always tried to encourage and support them without the pressure. Although I do require that if they are to hunt that they must shoot their bow proficiently and consistently, up to my standards. Once Josiah had decided he would like to hunt with his bow, he started practicing on his own. When I picked up my bow he also went out to practice with me. Josiah shoots a Mathews SQ-2 at 50 lbs with a 25 in. draw. I set him up with Carbon Express Terminator Hunter arrows, left them long so we could have 550 grains with the Muzzy Phantoms.
We had paper tuned his bow, with broadheads the arrows were flying like darts with the same impact point as target tips. We set up 2 pins on his sight, one at 15 meters, the other at 20 meters. We were planning on a 15 meter shot with no farther then 20. Josiah also practiced closer shots and also at splitting his pins between 15 and 20 meters so he could put the arrow exactly where he wanted it. We spent a lot of time on arrow placement, watched videos together with Josiah showing me where he would put the arrow.
We live at Bushman Bowhunting Safaris, so living on a bowhunting only ranch you know where the animals hang out. Josiah picked a Double Bull Matrix blind set up over a salt lick. As we drove up at around 8:00am, on a nice clear, cool day with a steady wind blowing in our faces, we had to run off a Springbok who watched us get into the blind at 40 meters then finally ambled away. We had not even gotten settled into the blind when Springbok started coming in. I had Josiah get comfortable by drawing his bow a few times, making sure he was not going to hit the backside of the blind. I talked to him about me speaking to him while he is trying to shoot something, if that would make him nervous. He said that it would not, so I planned on talking to him during the shot and also videoing the hunt.
We had now been in the Double Bull Matrix ground blind about 10 minutes and had 8 to 10 Springbok in front of us. All off a sudden a ram comes in grunting and runs several of the youngsters off. Still grunting he comes running back and forth several times. I whisper to Josiah if he would like to shoot that one. His eyes get big and I am sure his heart rate doubled!
Earlier I had ranged several different spots for reference. The ram is still quite busy walking and trotting around running off the smaller rams.
I whisperd to Josiah not to worry that he will settle down and to make sure to pick a spot. Aim small, miss small! The ram is standing at 15 meters, Josiah draws but I tell him to wait because he is not quite broadside. Seconds later the ram makes another run by the youngsters, Josiah lets down. He comes back to 20 meters but I tell Josiah to wait that he will come closer. Almost on cue he comes to 16 meters perfectly broadside, I whisper the yardage and to pick a spot. Josiah comes to full draw and a ewe steps behind the ram. I whisper "Wait". Meanwhile, the ram decides to do another run by and Josiah lets down.
Confidently he comes back to 15 meters but now there is a ewe in front of him. He turns around giving Josiah a clear shot and just as Josiah comes to full draw an ewe steps behind the ram again. Josiah lets down again. I don't know about him but I was a nervous wreck. Thank God for Steady Shot on the video camera because I was shaking so bad you would not be able to watch it!
The ram steps into the clear at 16 meters slightly quartering away with his head down. I whisper to Josiah the distance and tell him to pick a spot. Josiah comes to full draw, puts his 15 meter pin a bit behind the near shoulder and looses the arrow. We watch as the arrow flies true for a complete pass through. The ram, mortally hit, takes off like a bolt of lightning. Well done Josiah!
A first bow kill for young Joshiah
We are sitting in the blind videoing Josiah about his hunt when he says, "Dad there is a warthog coming in!" He walks right up to the salt lick 15 meters away. Josiah asks if he could take him. Why not! I whisper "15 meters, top pin, pick a spot." As Josiah waits for the warthog to turn broadside he comes to full draw. Taking careful aim, he puts his 15 meter pin straight up the nearest leg and fires off his second arrow of the day. Once again, we watch as it too flies true. The warthog takes off in a cloud of dust but slows at 50 meters. Trotting unsteadily he lays down at 100 meters. He then gets up again and goes another 50 meters, lays down and dies right there!
Warthog down makes #2
Well done Josiah. 1st and 2nd bow kill all in the same day, same blind and 15 minutes apart. We call Mom who was our chauffeur for the day to come pick us up. We put Jesse, who is our blood dog, on the trail of the Springbok and 200 meters later there he is piled up in the bush. Josiah told me "Dad- this is the best day of my life!" If we spend time hunting with our children, we won't have to hunt for them later.
About Joshiah: Josiah is 12 years old, lives in Komani South Africa on Bushman Bowhunting Safaris. He was born in Great Falls Montana, in 2000 he moved to Texas where he lived on a bowhunting ranch.In 2004 we moved to South Africa where we live full time. He shoots a Mathews SQ2 @ 50 lbs. He also shoots a 40 lbs Howard Hill Longbow but hunts with his Matthews. He has killed small game with his longbow.
The ranch we live on is 13,500 acres in size and has over 15 different species of plains game, along with the mountainous terrain makes the ranch a bowhunter's paradise.
