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NOVEMBER 2014VOL 15 - ISSUE 11SOUTH AFRICAR34.00 [incl VAT]USA $ 6.50OTHER COUNTRIES R29.82 [Tax excl] Broadhead test:

Samurai 125 grainsTom Miranda:Rugged rams

Dream buffalo huntSable with stick and stringImprovised mousetrapHunting methods and fair chase

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Bow or gun?

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3NOVEMBER 2014 AFRICA’S BOWHUNTER

4 AFRICA’S BOWHUNTER NOVEMBER 2014

CONTENTS

5 Comment: take your children hunting

7 From our readers

8 Bow or gun?

12 Magnificent buffalo

16 Rugged rams

22 Dream buffalo

25 Sable, stick and string

28 The wayI see it: opportunity only knocks once, but temptation knocks all day

30 A bowhunter’s adventure with rifle hunters

32 Test your knowledge

33 For the kids: colour me in...

35 For the kids: emergency cooking stove

37 Walk and stalk versus blinds

39 My welcome to the wonderful world of hunting

40 Trapping – an improvised mousetrap

42 Readers' trophies

44 Broadhead test: Samurai 125 grains

49 ABO news

51 SABA news

52 The ethics question part 2 – hunting methods and fair chase

55 ’n Radio wat opwen!

56 My first bow animal

59 Subscribe

62 Bowhunting opportunities

63 Bows for sale

64 Letter from the rookie

Cover image: 123RF.com / Cape buffalo

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I trust you are all well and safe and enjoying sitting around the braai, reminiscing about your hunting this year or perhaps dream-

ing about next year already. Dreaming and planning are actually two of the most enjoyable aspects of hunting and should be seen as part of the hunt.

In this issue there are some thought-provoking articles. The second in a series of three on hunting ethics will perhaps set you thinking. It goes against what many of you have been led to believe without questioning what has become the accepted norm. We need

free thinkers – people who do not just swallow whatever they read, hear or see in the popular media.

I am also intrigued to see how many women and young children are getting involved in hunting. You will read about a delightful young lady who has already proved herself a suc-cessful hunter with a rifle. It is encouraging to hear what young Kaylee Nel has to say in her article “My welcome to the wonderful world of hunting” and how much children appreciate being introduced and immersed into outdoor activities and the shooting sports – it opens up a whole new exciting world for them that is also healthier in terms of body, soul and spirit. Teaching our children to hunt is a skill that may become very important in the not too distant future – for a variety of reasons. So dad’s (and mom’s) get the kids out there. It is true to say that “if you take your child hunting you won’t have to hunt all over for your child!” Children are far too preoccupied with electronic gadgets nowadays. Needless to say it important that they be properly taught when it comes to using weapons be they guns or bows with safety being a priority. You will also read a story about a bowhunter who accom-panied rifle hunting friends who made them see bowhunting in a different light.

Should you hunt exclusively with a bow or also with a rifle? “Bow or gun” may help you to answer this question and, more importantly, it points out why hunters of all types should be supportive of one another.

Fritz Rabe writes two exciting articles on a buffalo and a sable hunt – enough to make any bowhunter envious. Unfortunately the cost of hunting is becoming exorbitant and get-ting beyond the reach of lower and even middle income wage earners, especially when “up market” species are involved. An alternative may be – instead of hunting every year – to save up for three years and then go after the animal of your dreams.

The broadhead test this month focuses on GrizzlyStik’s Samurai. The trapping series shows you how to improvise and make an effective mousetrap from throwaway materials.

Stay safe and on your knees (in prayer). The world needs it.

Cleve CheneyHunting editor

AFRICA’S BOWHUNTERAfrica’s Bowhunter [ABH] is an independent monthly publication for the archer, bow hunter, game farm owner and nature lover. Copyright on all articles and material published in ABH resides with the publisher. No part of ABH may be copied or reproduced without permission of the publisher. Opinions expressed in articles or advertisements do not necessarily reflect those of the editor, editorial committee or publishers. Submission of articles for publication is welcome, but although care is taken, the publisher can accept no responsibility for loss or damage to any material submitted.

Africa’s Bowhunter Magazine cc[CK/] 96/32848/23PO Box 31688Waverley, 0135South AfricaTel: 012 330 3464 Fax: +27 86 615 7044E-mail: editor@africasbowhunter.co.zaWebsite: www.africasbowhunter.co.zaOffice address: 880A Crots Street, Rietfontein, Pretoria .

PUBLISHERRean SteenkampE-mail: editor@africanarcher.com

EDITORRean SteenkampE-mail: editor@africasbowhunter.co.za

HUNTING/ENVIRONMENTAL EDITORCleve CheneyCell: 082 922 5547E-mail: cleve@africasbowhunter.co.za

COPY EDITORMariette KrielEmmerentia Steyn

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ADVERTISEMENTSLizandre van RooyenE-mail: lizandre@africasbowhunter.co.za

Take your children hunting

6 AFRICA’S BOWHUNTER NOVEMBER 2014

7NOVEMBER 2014 AFRICA’S BOWHUNTER 7

Die storie van my waterbokMy naam is Cloete Hepburn van die plaas Tusk Safari & Game Lodge. Ek is die bestuurder van Tusk en het in die vier jaar wat ek en my vrou op die plaas werk, al baie mooi waterbokbulle gesien en gejag. Tusk Safari het nog talle mooi bulle wat baie jagters tevrede huis toe sal laat gaan met trofees van 27 tot 34 duim.

Ek wil boogjagters meer vertel van die plaas Tusk en die goeie gehalte wild wat daar is. Daar word gereeld goeie trofees gejag: wildebeeste 26 tot 32 duim; rooibokke 23 tot 27 duim; elande 31 tot 37 duim; koedoes 52 tot 57 duim; rooihartebeeste 22 tot 24 duim; gemsbokke 36 tot 40 duim; en vlakvarke 9 tot 15 duim. Die plaas het genoeg skuilings om 10 boogjagters op ’n dag elk in sy eie skuiling te plaas sonder dat hulle in mekaar se pad is. Tusk Safari het alreeds sy advertensie in Bowhunter geplaas, en lesers kan op die webwerf (www.tusksafaris.co.za) gaan kyk om meer te sien.

Ek wil graag vertel van my waterbokjag op 25 Augustus. Ek het in Julie die spesifieke waterbok gesien wat in ’n geveg met ’n ander bul betrokke was. Hy het ’n besering opgedoen wat veroorsaak het dat hy kondisie begin verloor het. Waterbokke het die manier om tot die dood te veg as een hom nie uit die voete maak nie. Ek glo die bul wat ek gejag het, was een van die gelukkiges om weg te kom. Tog was hy nie so gelukkig nie, want hy het steekwonde in sy maag en lies gehad wat septies geraak het en veroorsaak het dat hy baie vinnig agteruit begin gaan het. Ek het besef die bul gaan dit nie maak nie en het my boog geneem om hom uit sy ellende te bevry. Dit was ’n mooi bul en ek wou hom ’n ereplek teen my muur gee.

Op 25 Augustus gaan sit ek in die miershoopskuiling vir hom en wag om water toe te kom. Die dag het stadig begin maar

teen 14:00 was daar baie wild rondom die watergat – wilde-beeste, sebras, koedoes, rooibokke, vlakvarke, njalas, ’n gems-bokbul en ’n blesbokram – maar die ou bul was nêrens te sien nie. Ek wou eers moed opgee, maar besluit om nog ’n ruk te sit. Dié besluit was toe die regte een. Nie lank daarna nie sien ek die waterbokbul se horings soos hy sy pad tussen die ander wild deur kry na die water toe. Die Matthews-boog was gou in my hand en met ’n Easton Axis 340 en ’n 195 grein-jagpunt was ek reg vir hom. Hy het op 23 meter gaan staan en het ’n perfekte bladskoot gebied. Met die skoot sien ek die pyl aan die teenoorgestelde blad uitval toe hy omswaai om weg te hardloop. Skaars 80 meter verder kom hy tot rus en is hy verlos van sy lyding. By die slagpale het ek hom gemeet: Hy was 26,4 duim al twee kante, net ’n halfduim minder as 27 duim.

Groete

Cloete Hepburn

The opinions expressed in this column are not necessarily those of Africa’s Bowhunter. Send your letters to editor@africasbowhunter.co.za or PO Box 31688, Waverley, 0135, South Africa.From our readers

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T ABH

8 AFRICA’S BOWHUNTER NOVEMBER 2014

By Cleve Cheney

I had a telephone call recently from a newly

converted bowhunter who is so enamoured with his new-found passion that he said he was not interested in hunting with a gun again. He enumer-ated the well-known (to “old” bowhunt-ers) attractions to and inherent character-istics of hunting with a bow – the chal-lenge, the silence, the absence of distur-bance to other animals and people pos-sibly frequenting the same area, and was particularly impressed with how effective bows and arrows are as hunting weapons.

All he said was true. Bowhunting came into its own in South Africa when acquiring a firearm licence became more difficult and there was a veritable exodus of hunters from the gun-hunting fraternity to the bowhunting side. This led to an unfortunate paradigm shift in thinking. You were either a gun hunter or a bowhunter. Following on this was an increasing level of rhetoric where the attributes of hunting with a rifle were pit-ted against those of hunting with a bow. The debate became quite personal, caus-tic and derogatory, and tended to become very subjective. Gun hunters began to speak condescendingly of bowhunters and bowhunters responded in kind. This is an unhappy state of affairs, which is no doubt applauded by the anti-hunt-ers. Divide and rule – get them arguing among themselves and breaking each other down.

So, what is it to be: bow or gun?Before making a decision consider for

a moment the following. There are pros and cons for hunting with a gun and hunt-ing with a bow. You can do some things with a gun that you cannot do with a bow, like shoot a springbok at 200 metres or drop a charging elephant (if, of course, you are using an appropriate calibre and you know where to place the shot). On the other hand, you can do things with a bow

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9NOVEMBER 2014 AFRICA’S BOWHUNTER

that you cannot do with a gun, like practise in your backyard in a built-up area or shoot fish.

I most certainly do not want to face down a charge by a dangerous animal with a bow in hand unless I have a competent backup armed with a big-calibre rifle who can shoot straight. I realise too the futility of attempting a shot at an animal with any degree of certainty that I will hit it in the vitals from more than 40 yards. Yes, I know there are Robin Hoods out there who can shoot a flea off a running warthog’s back at 70 yards, but I am unfortunately not one of those.

What I am saying is that bows have limitations, which is why hunting with archery equipment is a big challenge – not necessarily a greater challenger than hunting with a rifle. Taking a freestanding shot, even with a scoped rifle, at a gems-bok 400 yards away on a hot day when not only the range but shimmering mirage adds to the difficulty can be just as chal-lenging in its own right.

Try shooting fish with a rifle and you might end up with unpleasant consequences. If you shoot a bullet at a shallow angle into water the surface reacts as if it were a solid object and the bullet will ricochet and land who knows where? Possibly take out a contented fisherman, beer in one hand and rod in the other, sitting on his foldout chair on the opposite side of the river or lake. Try shooting your rifle in an area frequented by “green” tourists and you will soon have a mob of demented bunny hug-gers breaking down your door and threatening to lynch you!

The fact of the matter is I love guns and bows and I get really upset when bowhunters start criticising gun hunters, who in turn have a lot of uncomplimentary things to say about bow-

hunters. What is the point of playing one off against the other? It is unnecessary and does hunting no good at all.

I have never left one for the other. I derive as much pleasure loading up a bunch of ammo for testing as I do from fletching and preparing some arrows for hunting. The two are not at odds with each other – they are complementary. My guns and bows are like old friends. I could not dump one for the other.

Bear in mind that there are regulations in force in South Africa which limit what you are allowed to hunt with a bow. No elephant, no lion, no leopard, to name but a few. I am happy to say that I still have my trusty old .458 Win Mag in my safe so that should the opportunity present itself to hunt one of these species I have the means to do it. I must admit that I enjoy the bang and recoil of a large calibre rifle and the smell of burnt powder, but this does not mean that I do not love hunting with my bow. The fact that it is silent is special in its own right. The thrill of seeing an arrow silently arcing its swift way to a target is every bit as enjoyable as shooting a big bore. One is not bet-ter than the other – each is as challenging and rewarding as the other.

Comparing one to the other in terms of performance is like comparing a combat aircraft to a combat submarine. Both have capabilities and limitations. Broadhead arrows dispatched by a bow can kill an animal quickly and humanely. This does not make it better than a rifle. A rifle can achieve the same result. The fact that arrows and bullets kill by different means is what makes comparing guns to bows like comparing apples to pears. Bows achieve efficient kills with arrows of very low kinetic energy compared to bullets fired at high velocity from a rifle.

10 AFRICA’S BOWHUNTER NOVEMBER 2014

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