africa’s
bowhunter Test on the Pathfinder broadhead
Secrets of walk-and-stalk hunting Loop-en-bekruip in die Kalahari What's in a nock point? Hunting in Europe
Insekte deel 2 FEBRUARY 2014 VOL 15 - ISSUE 02 SOUTH AFRICA R34.00 [incl VAT] USA $ 6.50 OTHER COUNTRIES R29.82 [Tax excl]
2014 BOWTECH and HOYT
Bows: what is achievable?
www.africasbowhunter.co.za
CONTENTS 5
Comment: what works for you
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From our readers
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What is achievable? A realistic look at the limitations on compound bow design and arrow velocity – part 1
13 Secrets of walk-and-stalk hunting – part I 16 The difference couldn’t be greater 20 What’s in a nock point? 25 Loop-en-bekruip in die Kalahari 29 Wild boar with bow and arrow in South Africa 33 Revisiting minimum requirements 36 Readers’ trophies 39 Product showcase: Bowtech unveils two new bows for 2014 41 SABA news 42 Another bow with a difference... 43 The way I see it 46 Product showcase: Hoyt’s bows for 2014 49 Subscribe 51 ABO news
VergevaL Die 800ha plaas is geleë in Pongola ongeveer 12 km uit die dorp uit op die Vryheid pad. Boog en geweer jag word toegelaat. Daar is vyf luukse put-skuilings op die plaas wat so ontwerp is dat die jagter maksimum resultate kan kry. Die skuilings is modern en groot genoeg vir twee jagters om gemaklik daaruit te kan jag, die afstande vanaf die skuiling tot by die water is tussen 15 en 20 “yards”. Koel en slag geriewe asook 'n skietbaan is beskikbaar wat ingesluit is by die verblyf. Indien u nie van ons akkomodasie gebruik maak nie sal 'n dagfooi van R150/jagter gehef word. VIR NAVRAE OF BESPREKINGS: Niel Uys, Posbus 978, Pongola, 3170 Tel: 0834969990 Anel Uys 0828765969 E-pos: nieluys@impcon.co.za
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53 Die slegte sy van insekte – deel 2 56 Test on Pathfinder 300-grain broadheads: as tough as nails and as good as gold! 60 Barky’s notebook 62 Bowhunting opportunities 64 Letter from the rookie
Cover: Bowtech RPM 360 and Hoyt Carbon Spyder 34
AFRICA’S BOWHUNTER FEBRUARY 2014
LEAD ARTICLE
What is achievable?
A realistic look at the limitations on compound bow design and arrow velocity – part 1 People who believe marketing hype are led to believe that the bow shooting the fastest arrow is the best for hunting, writes Cleve Cheney in a follow-up series on the previous series “Compound bows - History and innovations”. Given their gullibility and lack of understanding of the important role that arrow weight and momentum play in the “killing equation” this article will cater to their kinetic energy and speed infatuation and come to terms with the limitations of compound bow design.
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compound bow shooting a 450-grain arrow at 500 feet per second! Impossible! Well at this point in time yes. In the future who knows? There was a time when the 300-fps barrier was thought impossible yet now we are passed this and looking at 400 fps or more as attainable. However, there are certain limitations on the Figure 1: We are very close to reaching the maximum possible arrow current materials and technology that go into manufacturvelocity limitations based on current safety standards. ing compound bows, which will put a ceiling on what is attainable for now and into the near future. With current compound bow technology it is no great shakes tegrate in the hands of a user – ever! That’s what safety rules are if you use a light enough arrow to surpass 400 fps. However, for and the five-grain-per-pound rule is still in effect and will this is dangerous because it places extreme stresses on the probably be so for a long time to come. Sure, compound bows equipment, which can lead to catastrophic failure and severe are built much tougher today and can withstand dry fires that injuries. Remember the five-grain-per-pound rule enforced on would have disintegrated bows of a decade ago, but they are not the manufacturers by safety standards? This in effect places yet tough enough to repeatedly withstand the stresses imposed limits on what is possible. by firing ultra-light arrows of two, or three or four grains per Maximum compound bow speeds have not changed much in pound – which comes very close to a dry fire each time an the past 10 years or so despite advances in design and materials. arrow of this low mass is fired from the bow. Besides, it would The fastest compounds seemed to have plateaued out at around be very difficult to manufacture an arrow with such low mass 350 fps IBO. that itself would have a spine stiff enough to handle the stresses Is it currently possible to manufacture a commercial comimposed when fired from the bow. pound bow capable of velocities in excess of 400 fps IBO? The The safety standards have changed over the past decade answer may surprise you. Yes it is possible, however, you proband a half. Fifteen years ago the industry standard for velocity ably would not buy one and you may not be able to shoot it anytesting was the AMO (American Manufacturers Organization) way. Let me explain why. method. This stipulated using nine grains per pound, a 30-inch Michael Blanton in an article in “Hunters Friend” expressed arrow shot from a 60-pound bow. Velocities using these paramit this way: “The quest for more and more speed has brought eters appeared rather slow with most compounds clocking in the compound bow industry to the precipice of the performance the low 200’s (fps). A bow of 245 fps was considered fast. When cliff… there is nothing left to do but gather at the edge – or the IBO system appeared (five grains per pound, a 30-inch jump”. What follows is based on this excellent article. arrow shot from a 70-pound bow) and began gaining popularity, Speed sells compound bows (people still believe the kinetic the bows using the AMO system appeared by comparison to be energy myth) – the faster the speed the more sales. But there is standing still. It was a marketing ploy to bluff people into thinkone thing that bow manufacturers may not compromise on in ing that their 300 fps IBO rated bow was faster than the 245 their quest for more speed and that is safety. They simply cannot fps AMO rated bow of the opposition! Improvements in design afford the risk of building a bow that will catastrophically disinand materials had, however, made it possible to shoot arrows
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AFRICA’S BOWHUNTER FEBRUARY 2014
of walk-and-stalk hunting: part I By Fritz Rabé
T
he photo shows a dirty face and clothes, an impala ewe skilfully posed with an arrow positioned strategically and a smile that shows more emotion than joy. This is what most bowhunters dream of. The success of a hunt that ended with an animal that was hunted on foot by using skills that took years to develop and patience beyond what most could master. It took dedication and endurance, insight and instinct and the understanding of nature in the same way a leopard utilises it to feed its hunger. To obtain the skill and all the other factors that contribute to a successful walk-and-stalk hunt, a person must condition himself or herself even more so than what it takes to win a competition in archery. Through a few articles I shall try and introduce the reader to some of the things that he or she must master in order to have some success in the hunt. The first part of the preparation can start in the comfort of your own home. You can start by studying ecology. Trees, scrubs and grasses are of the essence to every animal in any hunting area be it herbivore or carnivore. Without the correct grazing or browsing there would be no prey for any predator in a given environment. Most of the animals that are hunted as trophies or for biltong are grazers. They utilise all the different grasses in different ways. Some grass are not palatable at all and will not sustain the grazers or be utilised be them. Some are eaten only during the first growing period while others can be grazed upon anytime. By getting hold of a study guide that can educate you in all of the different species and the uses of the grass in the area that you prefer hunting will already give you a huge edge when the time for stalking dawns on you. Knowing what grass is preferred by what animal in what
FEBRUARY 2014 AFRICA’S BOWHUNTER
season and with you being able to identify that grass will give you the knowledge to predict where to search for that animal. Most hunters that start walk-and-stalk hunting drive around a farm until they see an animal in the distance and only then do they try and stalk close enough to release an arrow. Although it can be seen as a walk-and-stalk hunt, it was still using a “mobile blind” and cannot qualify as the purest pursuit in hunting. The same goes for the hunter that just walks off with his face into the wind until he spots an animal that fits his or her budget. Only then will he or she try to get within bow distance. The type of walk-and-stalk hunting that I am talking about is when you sit in your lounge after the last hunt of the year ended and you are still waiting for the biltong to dry. It is when you dream of creeping up on that 55-inch kudu or that old dry wildebeest cow with the shiny rump. It might even be to outsmart that warthog that kept evading you by only
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Another bow with a difference... By Rean Steenkamp
H
ere is yet another bow with a difference you might not have seen yet. Martin introduced the Seeker about a year ago, when the company claimed it to be the most technologically advanced bow on the market. Well, it certainly looks quite different from the other bows and one might describe it as a grip with a bow attached to it – or a bow with a sliding grip – you make your pick. The Martin Seeker has a brace height adjustment of 2.25 inches – from 5.75 to 7.75 inches. Both brace height and grip angle can be adjusted to fit one’s shooting style. This bow can be adjusted to create a 3D bow with top speeds, or allow for a longer brace height on the target range, says Martin. A sight can also be mounted to either the main riser frame or to the grip section. Quite versatile, one must admit! The 2013 Seeker has an adjustable grip that allows the archer to adjust the angle and/or the brace height of the bow. This allows the archer to fine-tune the bow to his or her preference. This adjustment feature of the Seeker enables an archer to increase or decrease the speed and forgiveness of the bow very easily. The Martin Archery Seeker has an axle-toaxle length of 33 inches and weighs 4.6 pounds, which is one pound (0,45 kg) heavier than the average for all hunting compound bows. This bow has a maximum brace height of 7.75 inches. The Martin Archery Seeker has a draw length of 27 to 32 inches and a maximum draw weight of 70 pounds. This bow offers an arrow velocity of 340 fps, which is 12 fps faster than the average hunting bow. One wonders what other interesting bows are available on the market... bows that one never see or hear from. T ABH
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AFRICA’S BOWHUNTER FEBRUARY 2014