Bow Hunting

These days I am an avid bow hunter myself and hunt with a recurve. Being a bow hunter, I know the specific necessities to make any bow hunt a success. I have concessions that cater only for the bow hunter, making the whole experience much more enjoyable. The most shots range at about 20 to 26 yards wich make it possible even for the young and inexperienced bow hunter. Most blinds are bunker blinds (dugouts) but I also have elevated blinds. To hunt plains game you don't need a 80 lb bow. A 60 to 70 lb bow will do just fine. Even a lighter bow will do depending on the size of the animal. I have seen a lot of brought heads in action, and do recommend any fixed blade. Not mechanicals. The best results I had were with Muzzy's. The best time of year to be bow hunting is in August and September. That is the end of our winter and most of the scattered water holes have dried up, making the animals more concentrated in a certain area. Lots of practice before the safari is essential. You don't want to be wounding animals. Bringing a bow into the country is not a problem at all. You book your bow case in at the oversize counter and pick it up there in South Africa and walk through customs. Just make sure you have a strong bow case for that long flight. Bring enough arrows as well as field points for practicing or just plain shooting.

   

Rifle Hunting

I started hunting with a rifle as a 7 year old boy and still do up to this day. My concessions are big enough and have an abundance of wildlife making it a true African experience. The average shot in the bush will range at 110 yards and up to 250 yards in the open Highland areas of the country. Choice of caliber is decided on the animals on your wish list, but even for an 1800 lb Eland a 300 magnum will do the job. For big five a 375 H and H is the smallest caliber you are aloud to use. For an Impala and smaller animals a 243 is more than enough. Second to bullet placement, the choice of bullet plays a very important role in every rifle hunt. I recommend any well constructed bullet that does not brake up. I use Barnes X bullets and am very impressed with their results, but have also seen Nosler and Hornady doing a good job. The best time to rifle hunt is from April to end of October. Hunting is done mostly on foot so get your fitness level up and bring a good pair of leather boots (already broken in). As with any safari, you will need to practice. Don't just practice on the bench, try different positions. Bringing a rifle into the country is not difficult but it takes up a little bit of time. You will need to have proof of ownership of the rifle which you can obtain by filling out the customs form 4457 that you can obtain at any of the U.S customs offices. Please do that in advance and not the day of your departure. On this side you will need to fill out the SAPS 520 form which you can download here and have it done before you enter the country. Please note that the form have to filled out in black ink and must not be signed before you are in front of the police official issuing the permit. Please note that the issuing of permits is free of charge. PHASA offers a service where they pre issue a permit for you but there are costs involved in that. You will not need more than two rifles and are aloud a maximum of 200 rounds per caliber.