Saturday, Martin (Grand Safari PRO staff member) wants to take his bow for a walk on one of our concession close to the Indian Ocean. It is a lovely afternoon and I decide to join him.
… Some Nyalas on our left are checking us out, a very nice bull of about 27’’ leading the troop. We’ve decided to look for Cape Bushbuck, any bow hunter’s dream buck to harvest. Martin will walk the valley on the left, I’ll take the right one and we can meet a tour usual spot, a big rock from where we can glass the hills further. There is something special about hunting any spiral horn antelope species, especially walk and stalk with your bow …
This time of the year, the bush is thick and the grass very long, allowing to get real close but also to bump into something without seeing anything. Well, soon enough, it is a young ram that jumps in front of me and dive in the thickets with a very upset bark …
Further on, it will be a big ewe and a young lamb happily browsing on the hill in front of me. Then an other one barks on my right, this place is full of them!
Further on, a young ram gives me his shoulder at about 45 yards, I’ll try to get closer for fun but the wind turns and he also dive into the nearest bush.
Martin is already on top of the rock and found 3 or 4 rams, but rather too far to reach before it gets dark. We decide to walk back to the 4×4, we have about an hour left before night.
We’ve been walking together for less than 10mn when a beautiful ram shows himself about 200 yards below us. He has his noise stuck in a bush browsing some juicy green leaves. A beautiful stalk in the long grass and behind thick green bushes takes both of us to about 20 yards away. He is really a M.A.G.N.I.F.I.C.E.N.T buck possibly touching 15’’.
I draw my bow and as I am about to stand up for a shot, he lift his head up and start looking around, finally decide to walk up the path towards us …
It is with one knee down that I will let the arrow go in his shoulder as he passes us at about 10 yards … He will run 15 yards, rounds his back and just collapses in the open.
He is beautiful, and what a hunt!! We truly have some world class bow hunting in the Eastern Cape of South Africa!!!
A week earlier, it is a group of French hunters that Martin and Patrick took to the hills of Tarkastad area, on an other exclusive Grand Safari concession. Their hunters took 2 superb East Cape Kudu (with one just above 50’’ ranking quite high in the book, look at those deep curls!)
Our hunters also took some good Nyalas, Oryx/Gemsbok amongst other species. Great hunt, great people, good time!
