Congrats to you both! What an awesome adventure!
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Wow just wowComment
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One the way to track the zebra, we dropped by to pick up the trackers that worked at the farm we were hunting. As we pulled up, I looked over and not far from their block hut stood a warthog amongst a few cattle. I pointed it out to Lammie and he holler something in Zulu to the guys then looked at me and said "grab your bow!", so being the polite guy I am, a obliged! He told me to circle around behind them and I should be able to get a shot as he'd face them by the truck. So, I eased around the side and as soon as I got the shot I picked a spot, drew back and Thwack! The pig let out a roar and took of to the brush line and fell right within sight! I remember standing there thinking "did that just happen?"! The trackers were all smiling and throwing high fives to each other and I felt like this wasn't a first for this to happen. Lammie came over and and said good shot and I asked, based off of the trackers reactions, if that had happened before. He said the warthogs will fall in with the cattle sometimes if they get some feed and they will continue to stick around as long as the feed or "treat" keeps coming, but as soon as they don't get it for a day or two, then away they go! I was glad we got there while he was still around!
Lucky for me, Lammie said he was just a freebee and I could still get a big hog if I got a shot! Well, a couple days later my opportunity arrived. A very nice boar came in and actually caught us off guard. The blind we were in was a pit blind and was hard to see certain spots unless you were looking right at them. As we set, I heard a slurping noise so I set up to see the hog drinking at about 17yards.
I had had a prior run in at this very same spot the day before in which an impala ram ducked my shot and got away with little more than a shaving scar. I wish I had the video to show as I could not have made a better shot, but the impala proved to just be a lot faster than my arrow!
Any how as the boar drank, I focused on a spot, drew back and let and arrow fly! Unfortunately, this little piggy must have had some impala blood in him as he ducked and turned into my arrow causing a hit up into the shoulder a little high of the vital zone. We found the arrow about 30yards from the shot with about 6" of arrow broke off. Very little blood was found and after watching the video only a couple times, I knew the shot was no good and the evidence we found after was just a bitter confirmation of it. Lammie said they are very tough and he felt like the pig would be fine, although a bit sore for a day or two. So, as I type this, part of the "little john" arrow is still roaming the African plains....
Just as with the impala, if you watch the shot in slow motion and put a peg on the spot where I wanted to hit, the arrow hits that exact spot. Had he stayed put, I would be showing an LDP instead of these... That's bowhunting with a stickbow I reckon!Attached FilesComment
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Congrats on the trophies!!!! I am tickled to see my name on that arrow and that critter on the ground. I know that was what you wanted most!
Congrats on the successful adventure budComment
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Thanks buddy! And yes, definitely the critter on the most wanted list for the trip!Originally posted by jreyna920 View PostComment
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Cool trip! Congrats to both of you!!Comment
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Good Stories ! Great Pics. Glad ya'll had a Blast! Looking forward to more Tales.--DanoComment
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I have no words sorry brother lolComment
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Originally posted by little john View Post
Haha, I know what ya mean sir! Guess that's how it goes!Comment
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Man that is an awesome experience... Thank you for taking the time to post the pics and the story..Comment
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It's ON! Semi-live from South Africa!
The main animal in my package was nyala. When I was little, a gentleman who lived across from my grandmother went to Africa and built a trophy room next to his house. He killed many animals on his trip, but the one I thought was the most beautiful was his nyala which he'd had a full body mount done on. Since then, I've seen several nyala mounts and they always have one thing in common, they are all beautiful critters! To get the chance to hunt them was truly a dream in the making!
We'd hunted several days and I'd seen tons of nyala bulls, but I had yet to get a mature bull to come into water or close enough to shoot. I'd seen enough of them not only hunting, but also driving in and out during the day, to have a decent idea of what was big or what wasn't. With that though, a few I'd seen I considered good were waved off as just not quite good enough when I'd asked for confirmation about my size guesstimating abilities.
One morning Sahara and I were going to be hunting together in a spot where there were a lot of blesbuck, impala, wildebeest, an nyala frequenting the water hole regularly. I felt confident in the spot and that I'd be able to pick a good nyala out if it were to come in. I was really hoping a good blesbuck would appear for Sahara to shoot at and if some of the other critters rolled by we'd just swap roles.
We had seen a ton of animals throughout the morning, but none of our target animals wanted to come in. A group of wildebeest came in, but only the calves came in to drink. I knew they were big animals but I didn't realize how big they really were.
Because the management was so tight and they are really striving to increase the size of their impala, Lammie was very particular about what was a shooter and what wasn't and went more by age than size and all of the hard work showed as he had a ton of bruiser impala rams running around.
Anyhow, having hunted the same spot a couple days before, he'd given me the go ahead to shoot a ram that would have typically been safe due to age, but was a monster of a ram, that had broken about 4" off of one side. I watched all day that day an he never came to the water hole or close enough to shoot. Before entering the blind on this set, Lammie said let's lay off the impala today and focus on nyala and blesbuck. As luck (just my luck) would have it, the ol broke horn ram came right in and stayed for an eternity giving shot after shot and wearing my patience out!!
Finally, my buddy left out to go chase some girls, and I sat on the steps of the pit blind just shaking my head. I think Sahara thought it was comical because all I could get out of her was a laugh an a smile as she knows my luck all to well. As I sat on the steps watching the impala rut activity, just like a ghost appearing out of nowhere, a big nyala, or so I thought, came strolling into view heading our way. I hoped up and grabbed my bow and set my phone up to get the shot on film. Sahara set behind me as we watched the nyala pass the waterhole, then circle back around from the other side. I remember her saying "is he big?", to which I replied "he's big enough today!". I say and watched him for a moment looking at his body language waiting for the right shot just as Lammie had talked about. Once I felt the bull was calm, I studied the vital area, picked a spot and drew back, then....
Thwack! I jumped up in time to watch the bull as he bolted away and see my arrow come flipping out the opposite side! I felt like the hit was really good and the video confirmed my thoughts. I gave Lammie the call and told him I'd shot a nice one. We decided to let him sit for 45minutes or so then go look for him. Unfortunately, we'd have to bail out a bit early as Sahara wasn't feeling well at all and wanted to get back to camp. As the picked us up, we could see my bull standing in the brush about 150yards up from the blind. After a LONG 1hr wait at camp, we headed back out and I was finally able to get my hands on a true dream animal for me...
I honestly didn't know what I had until they really went to talking about how nice he was then I knew I had done well and actually made a good call on shooting. They pulled out the tape and he measures just a hair shy of 29". Had he only been 10", I would
have still felt as though I was on top of the moon. It was just icing on the cake to an amazing adventure.Last edited by MedicineMan7; 06-22-2015, 10:07 PM.Comment
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That nyala is a stud, my friend!
I guess you are going to have to butter up that taxidermist uncle of yours now, huh?
Congrats again!
BischComment
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What a beast! Those horns are really cool, too. I can see why you would dream of that animal since seeing it as a kid.Comment
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Shiloh, Please tell me that was My arra! Huh HUH Please !! LOL Great shot ! Great trophy !! I'm very proud for you both !!--DanoComment
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It's ON! Semi-live from South Africa!
Haha, Well, I talked to a good buddy of mine who's actually went through my uncles taxidermy school and worked for him for awhile and for now he's the man! He's actually done full body mount nyala with my uncle so it wouldn't be his first time messing with one! I also backed out on the full body mount and going to go with a half body instead!Originally posted by Bisch View Post
Yes sir! Truly beautiful critters!Originally posted by tradtiger View Post
I knew I'd forgot something!Originally posted by Gandgolf View Post
Kinda tough to see but the killin arrow was guided along by "SwampRabbit"
Thanks buddy! It was an awesome adventure for sure!Comment
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