After
another pound gaining brunch of meat pies and fruit pastries, Adriaan, his 11
year old son A.J. and myself went back to look for Nyala or a Kudu cow for A.J’s
first bowkill attempt.
AJ Scores!
As
the early of day started to heat up so did the waterhole. A whole lot of differant
animals came in then came Kudu. There were several cows, calves and one fair
bull. They got jumpy and ran from the waterhole several times before drinking.
Most of them within 15 yards. Finally an old, dry, cow started a slow walk,
close and broadside. A. J. with his 80#
bow, held by a DRAWLOC took deadly aim.
He put the arrow through both lungs of the unsuspecting Kudu. A.J.s face was
something great to see, only bettered by the pride and love that showed on his father's,
my humble PH. Priceless!
Maybe
just over 50 yards to the piled up Kudu. Something so great about seeing a boy
and his father on the son's first bow kill. The skies of Africa
continued to bless me.
We
went back the blind we had set up where I shot the Hartebeest, The monitors had
shown Nyala movement.
It
was about 3pm when we got in the Double Bull at this location. We were very
close to the water and some alfalfa that Adriaan had put out. In minutes
warthogs and impala had smelled the alfalfa and were coming in. Wow, three
Impala rams skirted the water to the right at about 25 yards. Two were
monsters, over 24" Although I had impala already, when one like this
appears you had better take the shot, for it may never come again. I drew, only
to have bad angles, The rams, slowly walked out of range, never giving me the
shot I wanted.
Looking
like King Kong, the sky was blotted out by the monster Kudu bull. I was
flabbergasted. I have seen a lot of kudu, but never such deep curls. Wow, I put
on my release. The bull came in one way, faced dead away and drank then eased
into a bunch of cows facing the other way. I kept telling Adriaan I could make
the shot, he kept waving me off.
Kudos to the Kudo Killer
The
bull stiffened up, his ears thrown back. "He' s going to run!" Whispered
Adriaan, the bull taking a step forward as he tensed to spring and the arrow
was off. Beautiful, complete passthrough a third the way up and tight in the
shoulder. We went ahead and hi fived, for we knew this bull was down for keeps.
A
half hour later, we followed a steady blood tack 40 yards to the enormous bull.
The tape Andrien, another PH on THWANE had brought, went 55 inches! I was charged! I had not intended
on taking a Kudu as I had taken one last trip but this was no ordinary Kudu. Beside
I also got a bonus, I beat my brothers that went 52"
Harry
Shelby, Famous PH out of Cairo
in the 50's, credited for guiding Robert Ruark made the complete statement
about Kudu. "A Kudu has the power to create a personality change in the
hunter." Don't know a Kudu hunter that could disagree, it is like
harvesting something from heaven.
An
uneventful morning of baboon hunting had us fed and back in the blind a bit
late the next day. I had dropped my bow and missed a guinea that morning. I was
thinking I should have checked it again at the lodge.
Today,
hunting with us would be Rean Steinkamp, editor of African Bowhunter and
romantic traditionalist. I made his day with an arrow from Frank Addington Jr.
and a signed photo from Glen St. Charles. He in proper S. African manner gave
me a polished Kudu horn. “The horn of the hunter."
Anyway, we had about everything come in except Nyala or zebra. A magnificent
Blue wildebeest bound to go over 30." I had a 30 incher on the wall
already. It was not one of the animals I had wanted the most. It was just
nearly too dark to shoot, when, as only they can, a Nyala bull popped out of
nowhere.
Nyala stops for a drink
When
he turned broadside I drew. One thing about Nyala is there is not visible
"SPOT" to shoot like elbow crease or hair line like other critters
there. I put in one him in the low light and took my shoot. Nyala have a long
main of hair that runs underneath them creating a bit of depth perception
challenge. I watched the bright Lumenock and thought I had missed. The bull ran
out about 20 yards, and spit out what it was grazing on and acted woozy.
"Adriaan and Rean assured me he was hit. I could not maneuver with three
of us in a Double Bull for another shot, the bull walked about 100 yards,
slowly then bedded.
We
eased out, and decided to eat, then come back where we saw Jackal tracks where
the bull had bedded. They had jumped him. We would return in the morning hoping
to find my Nyala with hair intact.
8
hours of daylight over 3 miles without blood, our trackers found the Nyala.
They had lost tracks when Adriaan scanned the ever thick brush with my new
Nikon Monarch's and saw the tip of the horns.
**image3***
I
was able to close within 35 yards and collect my trophy; You will never, ever
see any kind of tracking skills that compare to these native trackers. It
turned out; my bow had been knocked 4" left and 2" low. It didn't
make me really feel better, because the Nyala was all that was on my mind.
It
would be my last day and there wasn't much of it left. I had taken more animals
than I had planned on, but had not got the animal that motivated me back to Africa the most, the zebra.
The trophy Zebra Toney wanted
Blessings
seem to fall freely from the red African skies. Soon a small herd of zebras was
making their slow approach. I like to have lost it. After 5 minutes of being in
range and crossing or watering away. I was about to bust. Finally the lead
stallion turned away and started to walk away, turning a little quartering,
mainly broadside shot. I remember Keith Beam telling me to shoot where the
strips form an upside down V on the soldier. The arrow buried to the fletch.
The zebra spun, spun and collapsed. I was numb. I have not found the words that
do justice to the emotion one fells when they touch their first zebra. I think
it is best left to your imagination.
Last
morning, we shot some guineas while hoping for baboons.
After
brunch we decided to wrap up our day, it was finally getting hot, hunting
warthogs. I had a friend that wanted a pair to mount in his Taxidermy shop.
One ugly critter
After
seven Nyala bulls came in, the biggest over 30" and two bunches of zebra,
warthogs began a constant procession. I arrowed 3, two boars and a dry female
with exceptional tusks. Shot the rest of my arrows at franklin. We tracked
warthog and called it a day. A good day, once again.
I
have never hunted such a game/trophy rich ranch nor hunted with such a polite,
competent professional than Adriaan Rall. I have been doing this over 30 years
folks and he is the best. If you go to Africa
you OWE IT YOURSELF to book with Adriaan. He is our sport in South Africa,
the bowhunting frontier.
On
the THWANE ranch you can bowhunt over 20 species of game. Adriaan can arrange
to guide your bowhunt anywhere for anything in Africa.
I could not recommend someone higher.
Double
Bull Matrix, got incredible accolades from the professional hunting community,
as always, the gotterdone! The brown color disappears in front of you.
Bowtech,
I used the Bowtech Defender, the only cam bow I have ever liked. I have a
14 for 14 record going with all on film. Bowtech takes a lot of the worry
about bowhunting for me, I just love them.
Nikon,
without my Nikon rangefinder I would not have taken or made several shots,
certainly the Gemsbok bull. I was testing a new 8X with amazing clarity and low
light capacity.
Magnus
new BUZZCUT 100 gr. broadhead. Got complete pass through at 56#'s on Kudu and
Waterbuck. They fly perfect and have great penetration characteristics, far
superior to other serrated edge heads I've used. Nothing to go wrong.
Carbon
Xpress, Maxima 250 arrows. Never a problem, love the way they fly.
Trueflight
Feathers. because it looks like bowhunting!
LIMBSAVER
by SVL, never own a bow without them, great product, great people.
Wildlife Research
Center, soaps and scent spray.
Always makes a difference.
LUMENOCK,
making the flight of the arrow more exciting.
Eze
Eye arrow crest, helping me see them.
SKB
flight cases, used in the music world, wouldn't fly my gear in anything else,
they also make camera and custom cases.
Predator
Camo, works on the Double Bull eh? African's loved it.
