AFRICA's BOWHUNTER - October 2015 by PressPad

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More about mechanicals Wildebeesjag Testing a PVC recurve bow

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Broadhead test: Maasai 200 grain

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CONTENTS 5 Met die lente kom nuwe lewe... 7 From our readers 8 Bowhunting Burchell zebra 12 On broadheads and let’s be practical! 13 Works for me...: it’s a wrap! 14 International participation and what it takes 17 Natasha is SA’s latest world champion 18 Archery and Bowhunting 18 Where to begin … never to end – Part 3 20 Me, my brother-in-law and a lady warthog 23 PVC bow test 27 The way I see it 30 Broadhead test: MAASAI 200 grains 34 Lorica se wildebeesjag 38 Videoing your bowhunt part 1

Africa’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/] 96/32848/23 PO Box 31688 Waverley, 0135 South Africa Tel: 012 330 3464 Fax: +27 86 615 7044 E-mail: editor@africasbowhunter.co.za Website: www.africasbowhunter.co.za Office address: 880A Crots Street, Rietfontein, Pretoria . PUBLISHER Rean Steenkamp E-mail: editor@africanarcher.com EDITOR Rean Steenkamp E-mail: editor@africasbowhunter.co.za HUNTING/ENVIRONMENTAL EDITOR Cleve Cheney Cell: 082 922 5547 E-mail: cleve@africasbowhunter.co.za

45 Tanks vs arrows 49 Subscribe 51 Test your knowledge 52 Welcome to the Crazy Warthog Bow Hunting & Archery Club 54 Bowhunting opportunities 55 Bows for sale 56 Letter from the rookie

COPY EDITOR Emmerentia Steyn DESIGN AND LAYOUT André van Schaik E-mail: repro@africasbowhunter.co.za REPRODUCTION & PRINTING Paarl Media Midrand Telephone: 011 201 3460 DISTRIBUTION RNA Distribution Hazel Luüs Tel: 011 248 3639 SUBSCRIPTIONS Yolande Steenkamp E-mail: yolande@africasbowhunter.co.za ADVERTISEMENTS Yolande Steenkamp E-mail: yolande@africasbowhunter.co.za

Cover image: Burchell zebra. Photo by Panthat Sitdatviradee ©123RF.com.

AFRICA’S BOWHUNTER OCTOBER 2015

COMMENT

Met die lente kom nuwe lewe... D

aar kom ’n einde aan alles. Die jagseisoen het pas afgeloop en voor ons ons oë kan uitvee, is die jaar ook verby. Dat daar ’n einde aan alles kom, het vir my ’n werklikheid geword nadat ons onlangs ’n familielid aan die dood moes afstaan. Sy was maar in haar vroeë dertigs en laat ’n eggenoot en ’n agtjarige dogtertjie agter. Waarom dit moes gebeur, weet ons nie. Ons het nie ’n antwoord daarop nie. Ons weet bloot dit is binne God se wil. Hoe gouer ’n mens vrede maak daarmee dat dinge in hierdie wêreld nie vir altyd aanhou nie, hoe beter. Gelukkig is dit gewoonlik ook waar dat die einde van een ding die begin van iets anders inlui. Tans word die veld om ons groen en begin die bome bot. Die lente is so ’n pragtige tyd van die jaar. Dit voel altyd vir my asof die lente eintlik die ware nuwe jaar inlui. ’n Jaar moet met ’n lente begin, dan volg die somer, die herfs en laaste die winter. Só verloop ’n mens se lewe en só behoort ’n jaar ook te verloop. Dit is maar net my mening en dié siening is gewis baie aanvegbaar! Nietemin, met die aanbreek van lente kom nuwe hoop en lyk sake wat gedurende die winter beroerd gelyk het, minder bedreigend. In Hooglied staan geskryf: “Daar is bloeisels in die veld, dit het tyd geword om te sing; die tortelduif se stem klink oor ons land. Die voorvye kom al uit, die wingerde bot en versprei hulle geur.” In dié tyd kry ’n mens weer moed om nuwe avonture aan te pak en nuwe planne te beraam. Dit is ook asof daar deesdae weer nuwe lewe in die boogskiet- en boogjagbedryf is. Die rand se swak vertoning teen die Amerikaanse dollar het veroorsaak dat die prys van boë en boogtoerusting baie gestyg het. Dit is egter ook waar dat bykans elke boogfabrikaat ook boë beskikbaar gestel het wat baie meer bekostigbaar is. Harry Marx het al van hierdie boë getoets en vasgestel dat dit glad nie minderwaardig is nie. Inteendeel, hy was beïndruk met van dié boë se prestasie. Daar is geen rede waarom ’n nuwe jagter nie een van die meer bekostigbare boë kan aanskaf om mee te jag nie. By Africa’s Bowhunter kyk ons terug op ’n goeie jagseisoen waar ons op verskeie plekke kon jag, deel kon wees van die Wild & Wragtig-span met die verfilming van ’n paar jagte, onder andere saam met Tom Miranda en Deirdre Mathews, asook Tony Ruggeri – wat al baie jare lank vir die tydskrif skryf. Ons sien egter ook uit na nog baie nuwe avonture en het reeds nuwe planne vir die toekoms. In hierdie uitgawe van Africa’s Bowhunter is daar stories oor ’n paar jagte, heelwat oor kompetisieboogskiet, ’n jagpunttoets en meer oor meganiese jagpunte, asook hoe om jou jagtog op video vas te vang. Africa’s Bowhunter wens al sy lesers ’n wonderlike lente en vrugbare somer toe. Groete

Rean Steenkamp Redakteur

OCTOBER 2015 AFRICA’S BOWHUNTER

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AFRICAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S BOWHUNTER OCTOBER 2015

From our readers 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.

 Adrian’s reply to Fritz Rabé’s letter In reply to Fritz Rabe’s article, “Sixth sense – fact or fiction?” (Africa’s Bowhunter, July 2015) I would say, “Fact, definitely! It is true not only for humans, but for animals too. I have seen dozens of warthogs over the years just suddenly look up and run away even though there was absolutely no way they could have known I was stalking them. I have seen impala and kudu suddenly look in my direction the minute I started staring at them. The big cats are even more astute. NEVER look at their heads when you are stalking them, only look at their feet. Lions, being at the top of their food chain, are fairly relaxed and not that alert when they have recently eaten. Back to humans. I call a sixth sense rather a “premonition”. I believe all humans have the capability of mental telepathy in some form or another. When my wife is shopping she often buys me exactly what I have been thinking of. We practise with each other continuously and are getting better by the day. I have come home on many an occasion and without seeing anyone around, I have picked up that there is imminent drama – and I have been right. My most important premonition ever occurred in 1989. My son, Shane, was about six years old and we were walking on our first farm along the river when I suddenly got the most horrible premonition that I was about to die. I can’t tell you what the feeling was like as I’ve never had it again. I literally thought any minute now I was going to die, how or why never came into it. “Shane, if something happens to me, do you know where the car is?” I asked my son. “Yes, down the river next to the game fence,” he answered. “If something happened to me, take food and water and go and wait in the Cruiser till someone comes, okay?” Still feeling terrible I said: “Let’s go home and come back next weekend?” “No, we’ve just got here, I don’t want to go home. Let’s go for a walk along the river,” he said. Reluctantly I capitulated, but we did change direction along a rocky pathway where I found a long dead porcupine with a huge pile of quills, which I knew the boys liked collecting. “Dad, let’s collect the quills,” said Shane. “Sure, son, take as many as you can carry,” I said and off we went. Still feeling bad I thought: What if the premonition was that Shane would trip and stab himself in the eyes? I was about to push through a large kareeboom, when I stopped and turned around, and bending down with my arm out, I said, “Shane, pass me those quills, I’ll carry them for you.” As Shane passed them to me he looked between my legs and said, “Dad, don’t move, there’s a huge black mamba right behind you!” I froze and very, very slowly turned my head. There was the open, coffin-shaped black mouth right by my face! The

OCTOBER 2015 AFRICA’S BOWHUNTER

snake was so big that his face was level with mine – and why was he so cross? He had just eaten an adult dassie and as he moved off the dassie had jammed between two trees, so he felt threatened. I did not stay frozen for long. I dived forward, grabbed Shane’s heavy winter jacket as I ran past him and we flew down the mountain pass. I stopped to see what was happening behind me and saw the mamba, jammed in between the two trees, biting at everything that moved. He looked 15 feet long and as thick as my calf muscle. Suddenly the feeling of impending doom lifted and I felt 100 per cent! Sixth sense or premonition, call it what you like, believe it. I’ve had two more since then – good ones, and they have both come true. Dr Adrian de Villiers

 First, second of sixth sense? In your July issue Fritz Rabe asked the question: “Sixth sense – fact or fiction?” It is a fact, and as far as I am concerned, one that can be easily explained. I agree with Fritz that these things happen, but if none of your other five senses warned you, how does it work? The simple answer is that this is the work of the Holy Spirit. How? This is a topic for another day. Why does it happen? Because Jesus loves us with a passion that few people truly grasp. Fritz pointed out that the times he reacted to it, it “saved lives”. This is exactly what Jesus does: He saves lives! Why? If you are already saved (as in reborn) it is because He fulfils his promise to protect you. If you are not yet saved, it may be to allow you a period of grace in order to still repent. If you have ever had such an experience, I challenge you to analyse it and ask yourself: Is what I have stated above fact or fiction? Henk Wissing

T ABH

Bowhunting

Burchell zebra By Cleve Cheney

urchell’s zebra (Equus quagga burchellii) is named after the British explorer and naturalist William John Burchell. It is one of the most striking and beautiful animals to grace the African plains (Figure 1). Description The plains zebra is mid-sized, smaller on average than the other two zebra species, and thick- bodied with relatively short legs. Body stripes are less numerous and broader than those of the Cape mountain zebra (Figure 2), and extend around the belly. Leg striping is less prominent. Each individual zebra has unique markings and no two individuals look exactly alike. They have black or dark muzzles. It is said that newborn zebra stay close to the mother to imprint her patterns. The southern Burchell’s zebra has a distinctive shadow brown stripe in the white stripe, a characteristic which diminishes the further north they occur. Burchell’s zebra have rounded ears approximately 160–170 mm long, which are shorter than the ears of the mountain zebra. The front portion of mane forms a black tuft between the ears. The function of zebra stripes is believed to provide motion

Figure 1: The Burchell’s zebra.

camouflage. A 2014 study supports this hypothesis. It was found that, when moving, the stripes may confuse predators and make it difficult to single out an individual during a chase. Stripe patterns may also assist individuals in recognizing one another. Adults of both sexes can stand from 1,1–1,45 m (3,6–4,8 ft) tall at the withers (shoulder), are 2,17–2,46 m (7,1–8,1 ft) long, not counting a 47–56 cm (19–22 inches) tail, and weigh 175–

AFRICA’S BOWHUNTER OCTOBER 2015

Figure 3: Zebra harem stallions fighting.

385 kg (386–849 lbs). Males may weigh 10% more than females.

Figure 2: Comparison of the Burchell’s zebra (top) and the Cape Mountain zebra (bottom). Note the longer ears and different stripes on the latter.

OCTOBER 2015 AFRICA’S BOWHUNTER

Biology • Behaviour and habits Burchell’s zebra live in small family units called harems, which typically consist of one stallion and few mares with their foals. Herd stallions are between four and 12 years old. The adult membership of a harem is highly stable, typically remaining together for months to years. A stallion will defend his group from other males. When challenged, the stallion issues a warning to the invader by rubbing nose or shoulder with him. If the warning is not heeded, a fight breaks out (Figure 3). Zebra fights often become very violent, with the animals biting at each other’s necks, heads or legs, wrestling to the ground, and occasional kicking. Non-breeding stallions occur in bachelor groups of 2–15 individuals with an age-based hierarchy led by a young male. These males stay in their groups until they are ready to start a harem. Water holes together with favoured grazing areas attract family groups, which collectively congregate in large numbers. They are often seen in close association with wildebeest and other plains game. The main predators of zebra are hyena and lion, but they are also sometimes taken by crocodile when attempting river crossings. For protection from land predators, the plains zebra retreat into open areas with good visibility at night. When the groups forage or sleep, one zebra will keep watch, and if a predator is spotted, it will bark or snort loudly to sound the alarm. The zebra can be a formidable adversary, since they have a strong bite and a kick powerful enough to kill land predators. At least six different calls have been documented for the plains zebra. • Preferred habitat Short grassland areas within savannah woodland and grassland plains constitute the preferred habitat. Their dependence on water restricts the Burchell’s zebra from wandering further than 10–12 km from water. Densely vegetated areas are avoided. • Food and water requirements Zebra are predominantly grazers, feeding in areas with short

Figure 4: Zebra will drink up to 20 litres at a time.

Figure 5: Zebra tracks. Note similarity to that of a horse.

Bowhunting zebra • Method Zebra will be found in well-grassed woodland or in fairly open grassland. It is relatively easy to stalk up to zebra in woodland, but it can be quite difficult in open habitat. To the advantage of the bowhunter zebra are not easily spooked. They are inquisitive and will sometimes stand to watch an approaching intruder. They might even approach closer to investigate. Even after having been stampeded they will stop after having run off a short distance. It is not unusual for them to return to the site of disturbance to investigate the source of their fright. Although zebra will allow you to approach them in open habitat their flight distance is too far to fall within bow range. It is therefore advisable to try, as far as possible, to approach without being seen or to position yourself to intercept a herd along its direction of travel. Zebra have a keen sense of sight, hearing and smell. Always approach downwind if possible. Zebra are successfully hunted using spot-and-stalk and walk-and-stalk techniques, or using hides or elevated platforms. In open areas the use of a ground blind or even hiding in a disused aardvark burrow is a further option open to the bowhunter. The dependence of zebra on water makes waterholes and the approaches to waterholes good ambush sites. A good hunter can sometimes call zebra in by mimicking their call.

Figure 6: Typical zebra scat.

Figure 7: Scat may become “sloppy” during the wet months when grazing has a high moisture content.

grass. In one study, the zebra’s diet was estimated to be 92% grass, 5% herbs and 3% shrubs. Unlike many of the large ungulates of Africa, the plains zebra do not require (but still prefer) short grass to graze. They eat a wide range of different grasses, preferring young, fresh growth where available, and they will also browse on leaves and shoots from time to time. Zebra have a strong sensitive upper lip with which they gather herbage by collecting the grass between the lip and the lower incisors before plucking the harvest. Zebra have a simple stomach and use hindgut fermentation, which allows them to digest and assimilate larger amounts of forage during a 24-hour period. Zebras are thus less selective in foraging, but they do spend much time eating. The zebra are a pioneer grazer and prepare the way for more specialized grazers like blue wildebeest, which depend on shorter and more nutritious grasses. If water is available zebra will drink at least once a day (Figure 4). During the dry season, zebra will dig to a depth of 50 cm to reach the water table. They will drink up to 20 litres at a time. Zebra can drink brak (salty) water and complete their mineral needs by eating soil. • Reproduction A zebra stallion mates with all his mares. Mares may give birth to one foal every twelve months. The birthing peak is during the rainy season. A harem stallion is generally intolerant of foals that are not his and may kill them.

Figure 8: A zebra dust bath.

• Zebra sign Tracks – The tracks of Burchell’s zebra resemble those of a small horse (Figure 5). The length of the track is about 120–140 mm with the hind track being slightly longer and narrower. On hard

AFRICA’S BOWHUNTER OCTOBER 2015