AFRICA's BOWHUNTER - January 2016 by PressPad

africa’s

Bowhunter

Die lang skoot What shoes to wear for archery My hunters pack Game farming: The reality

Videoing your bowhunt 4:

Errors and

pitfalls

January 2016 VOL 17 - ISSUE 1 SOUTH AFRICA R34.00 [incl VAT] USA $6.50 OTHER COUNTRIES R29.82 [Tax excl]

Bucketlist buffalo hunt

Bowhunting springbok

JANUARY 2016 AFRICA’S BOWHUNTER

AFRICA’S BOWHUNTER JANUARIE 2016

CONTENTS

AFRICA’S BOWHUNTER

Comment

From our readers

Bowhunting springbok

Bucket-list buffalo

What shoes to wear for archery

My hunter’s pack

Hunting and tournament

My dream warthog

A collapsible kettle

Spider silk could change outdoor gear forever

Jake saves the day (again)

Game farming – the reality

Videoing your bowhunt – part 4: Errors and pitfalls

Shot Placement book for sale

The “prodigious” Bowtech Prodigy is here (to stay)

Readers’ Trophies

Hook for skull mounts

New 2016 products from T.R.U Ball

Toilet seat paper testing!

Easton and Beman goes metric

Subscribe to Africa’s Bowhunter Magazine

For the kidz

Basket fish traps

8-Piece field butcher kit

Bowhunting opportunities and classifieds

Die lang skoot

The way I see it: Why use aluminium arrows?

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 3464/1301 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 COPY EDITOR Emmerentia Steyn DESIGN AND LAYOUT Rean Steenkamp E-mail: rean@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: Sprinbok Photo: Dreamtime.com See page 8.

AFRICA’S BOWHUNTER NOVEMBER 2015

COMMENT

THE RISE AND FALL AND RISE AGAIN…

cannot recall the manufacturer of my first bow which my parents bought for me from Kings Sports in Durban whilst we were on holiday. It was a wooden, child’s size “longbow” and with it came a dozen wooden arrows with bright cresting and feather fletches. It cost less than R100.The year was 1965 (50 years ago). I loved the bow and it provided me with years of fun. Fast forward to the mid-seventies. Sounds like a long time ago and makes me feel old. Well, let’s face facts I am 40 years older than I was then as a sprightly, wet behind the ears twenty-two-year-old ranger in the Kruger National Park. That was when I bought my first compound bow – a 60 pound 28-inch draw-weight, Martin Warthog that, with 6 Easton Aluminium arrows, armguard, and shooting glove (before the days of release aids!), set me back about R350. During this era there were but three archery shops in the whole of South Africa. Kings Sports in Durban (where I bought my first bow), Parow Arms in Cape Town and Jacks Archery in Pretoria where I bought the Martin Warthog. At about this time, I started bowhunting and bowfishing and there were maybe a handful of guys (no gals) on the Southern tip of the continent that hunted with bows. It was also a time when firearm licenses were relatively easy to come by. No competencies required. Put a deposit down on your firearm of choice – fill in a form to hand in at the “cop shop” and within a month the license would be approved. I think I waited less than three weeks for my first rifle – a Winchester Model 670, 30-06 Springfield which cost me – with a box of ammo and a primitive (by today’s standards) Lee Reloading Kit, under R400. Bear in mind that the rand /dollar exchange rate in those days was 1:1. Yes, that’s correct one rand got you one dollar (US). Today’s exchange rate hovers at over fourteen rand to the dollar. South African men love their guns and in those days most men often owned at least four or five. One old gentleman colleague I worked with on my first ranger posting owned more than 120! It was the “day of the gun”! It is rather strange that there were much less crime and murder in those days. We then moved into changing times and changing governments and with that came a clampdown on gun ownership. The introduction of firearm competency legislation, complicated application procedures, Unit Standards and waiting periods, pending application of approval or rejection of up to 4 years! It was chaotic and confusing. Many applications were turned down. Then the government made the pronouncement that all old (existing) firearm licenses were considered lapsed and firearms had to be surrendered to the police or handed in at a licensed firearm dealer or the firearm re-applied for – the applications of which were mostly rejected. This “law”, passed by the government, was contested in court and the government lost the case but by this time (by deceitful design and intent!) thousands of legally owned firearms had been handed in and destroyed without the legal owners being compensated one cent by the state for their personal property which had, to all intents and purposes, been “stolen” by the state. Very few people were now interested in trying to acquire firearms and interest in guns and firearm ownership was suppressed and waned. The “gun” had passed its peak. Enter the bow. South African men must have something in hand that shoots and suddenly there was an interest in bows and black powder firearms. Magnum Archery (then run from home in Sasolburg by Kobus Cilliers (with the help of his sons) was the main archery supplier in South Africa but soon, as popularity in bowhunting began to grow at an almost exponential rate, spurred on by the publication of Africa’s first bowhunting magazine in May 2000, bow-shops started up in virtually every major town and city in the country and even in small rural towns. Bowhunting and archery clubs were established, and archery for the first time ever, became a recognized sport in many schools. Field and 3D shoots became popular and bowhunting that had been the sole domain of men saw the appearance of women bowhunters. Many game ranches now designated their farms as “only for bowhunting”. Accurate figures are difficult to come by but during the years 2000 to 2009, estimates of the number of active South African archers and bowhunters had passed the 10 000 mark! The archery/bowhunting market/industry was experiencing a boom. Those were the years of the bow! After 2009 the application for firearms licensing became slightly more streamlined, establishments to provide for firearm competency training sprung up like grass after early spring rains, and South African men's hands began to itch again for something that goes “bang”! Since 2009 with firearm licenses being issued more readily than the preceding 10 years, there was a pronounced recovery of the firearm market and firearm hunting, accompanied by a fall in the interest and popularity of bowhunting. The number of active bowhunters and archers declined sharply. Many bow businesses closed shop. Bows were stored away or sold and the new “firesticks” loaded up. Guns were back in business and the firearm industry boomed literally and figuratively once again. However... there are indications that more restrictive firearm legislation is again on the cards. If our “beloved” president and his cohorts could have their own way they would disarm all law abiding, gun owning citizens of South Africa. Something we must resist in the strongest possible way. But it appears inevitable that history is going to repeat itself and when gun ownership again becomes an “issue” the resurgence in firearms will again wane as it did in the past. And when the Ponzi scheme of overinflated game prices and colour variants collapses (as I believe it will) – who knows – bowhunting may once again become affordable for the average Joe soap like me. You may have noticed that cycles are an integral part of life. Spring, summer, autumn, winter and back to spring. Dawn to day, to sunset, to night and back to dawn… And so it will probably go with bowhunting. Hopefully, you did not sell your bow. The one thing that will probably not improve is the rand/dollar exchange rate. It will be EXPENSIVE to buy a new one so hang onto it for soon, out of the ashes the bow will rise again...

Cleve Cheney Hunting editor

NOVEMBER 2015 AFRICA’S BOWHUNTER

Trots Afrikaans

Navrae: Nico 082 442 4506

Maandag tot Vrydag – 08:00 - 17:00 Saterdae 08:00 - 14:00 Sondae nie oop nie

Nou in 5... Stalker... ...Vellie

...”Slip-on”

...Ratel 7” • Wildebees- of

Koedoeleervoering

• Polyurethane wig

Spoorloos 6”... • Wildebeesleer • 2de Laag wildebeesleer • Geheuespons-binnesool met

kalfsleervoering • Italiaanse voetbord • Dubbele vrotweer stiksels • 12 mm plantation crépe

So taai soos 'n wildebees

Loop so sag jy dink jy’s kaalvoet Grootste verskeidenheid kamoefleerdrag in SA

3de laan 243, Bredell, Kempton Park / GPS-koördinate: S 26 05 min 31 AFRICA’S sek, EBOWHUNTER 28 18 min 19 sek JANUARIE 2016 6 Tel: 011 979 3060 / Sel: 082 442 4506

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, Twitter @bowhuntermagsa or PO Box 31688, Waverley, 0135, South Africa.

Too high? Think again! I shot this huge giraffe with a 70-pound AR bow and an 800grain arrow. I show you this picture in order to show you how big the giraffe’s vitals are. This arrow passed through the thoracic aorta and killed the animal in seconds. It looks way too high, doesn’t it? However, it was not. It was a good shot and the giraffe died quickly. Dr Adrian de Villiers

Eerste bok met 'n boog Hi Rean, Vind asb aangeheg 'n foto van my eerste boogjag. Na baie jare se jag met die geweer en vyf jaar nadat ek my eerste boog gekoop het, na 'n skouer operasie wat my vir 2 jaar nie kon laat jag nie, het ek uiteindelik op my eerste jag met die boog gegaan. Die koedoebul is op ongeveer 18 meter geskiet. Dit was 'n pragtige bladskoot. Hy het ongeveer 60 meter gehardloop en gaan asem uitblaas waar ons hom gekry het. Ek het twee dae vir 'n rooibok gesoek totdat hy oor my pad gekom het. Die jag het plaasgevind op 'n boogjag plaas buite Nylstroom. Boog is 'n Mathews Z7. 62 pond met Gold Tip X T Hunter pyle en Rage se 125-grein punt. Ek is baie trots om ook uiteindelik 'n foto te kan instuur na al die jare se kwyl oor julle wonderlike tydskrif propvol informasie en stories. Groete Riaan Burger.

Combretum Boë lewer goeie diens Beste Rean Ek wil graag positiewe kommentaar lewer oor diens en boog, wat ek by Combretum Boë gekry het. Groete Pieter Fischer

JANUARY 2016 AFRICA’S BOWHUNTER

Bowhunting

By Cleve Cheney

springbok

The springbok is an iconic South African animal widely distributed in the drier parts of South Africa but absent from the Lowveld (Mpumalanga) and Kwazulu Natal. They are common in parts of the Free State, the Karoo, and Northern Cape Province. They are also found in western parts of South Africa bordering on Namibia and Botswana. They do not occur in Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

he diminutive springbok is one of the most beautiful of our South African antelope (Figure 1). The sight of a herd of springbok “pronking” stiff-legged, with raised dorsal crests, is a sight never to be forgotten. This stiff-legged jumping, referred to as “stotting” or “pronking”, is what gave rise to the name “springbok”, which literally means “jumping buck”. Springbok are brightly coloured with sharply contrasting bands of rufous fawn and chocolate brown on the flanks set against an underbelly of pure white. Shoulder height is about 76–82 cm. They weigh about 32–36 kg (70–80 pounds). The head is pure white with a narrow dark brown stripe across the

eye and from the cheek to the muzzle. The buttocks and a large triangular patch on the lower rump are pure white, bordered with dark brown. A dorsal gland on the back is covered by inverted long white hairs which flare open to form a conspicuous crest when the animal is excited. When folded into a ridge on the back the white crest is covered by light brown hair. They also have pre-orbital glands below the eyes and tarsal glands on the lower legs. Horns are fairly short but are strong, heavily ridged in the males, lyrate and rise slightly upwards and backwards, diverging outward and curving sharply inwards in a hook at their tips. The horns of females are noticeably more slender and straight-

AFRICA’S BOWHUNTER JANUARIE 2016