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DCA's Jeremy Boyd and his hunting trip to South Africa
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We arrived in Johannesburg, South Africa, at 5:25pm and Lambert, owner of Facocero Hunting Safaris and professional hunter, was waiting to drive us the 5 hours to the Shakawa lodge near All Days, South Africa, in the Limpopo province. The Mrs. and I finally get to bed around 2am that first night.
We slept in the first day and then went to the range to make sure my bows survived the trip and were still sighted in. After verifying the bows, we had lunch and went straight to the blind.
Just before dark, the first animal on my list of potential trophies that came to the water hole was a good size impala. He came in at 25 yards at a slightly quarterly towards me angle and I stood up to get ready for the shot. I must admit I was a little nervous. I was surprised to get a shot opportunity so soon and wasn’t accustomed to having an audience – wife and PH.
I waited for the impala to put his head down to take a drink. I took my time, settled in for the shot, thinking to myself “please Lord, don’t let me screw this shot up” and focused on my shot sequence. Whoomp! Hit him right behind the shoulder.
The impala immediately jumped straight up – appeared to have like a 10 ft vertical jump – did a 180 and slowly walked off in the direction he had come. We could see blood dripping from both sides as he moved off. With the blood and the way he walked off, we knew it was a good hit.
Since it was getting late and we knew it was a lethal hit, the PH wanted to find him quick before it got dark. He wasn’t crazy about us trailing a wounded animal through the bush at night. So, we only gave him about 10 minutes after the impala went out of sight before we went looking for him.
We couldn’t find my arrow but we did immediately find good blood. We trailed him for about thirty yards and then I saw the impala stagger to stand about 10 yards in front of us and then slowly walk off.
Dang it! We had jumped him! Lambert then decided to pull out and the long wait until morning began.
The trackers started tracking the impala at first light the next morning and found him about 60 yards from where I had seen him stand the night before. Yes! First animal down!
After taking a few pictures, we went back to look for my arrow. I found it after a few minutes of searching, buried about 4-6 inches in the dark red sand behind where the impala had been drinking the night before – straight pass through.
When I finished enjoying the first kill, we immediately climbed back into the stand. After about two hours, Lambert taps me and says “gemsbok . . . nice bull” – the top animal on my list! I slowly started to stand and then saw the big beast come into my view at just 20 yards.
Again, I wait for the animal to take a drink before coming to full draw. With heart pumping, I start my sequence for the slightly quarterly towards me shot. Whoomp! Another hit right behind the shoulder.
The gemsbok takes a couple very quick steps and then starts to walk very slow directly away from the blind. As we watch the beast walk off, we can see blood pumping onto the ground. The gemsbok gets about 80 yards from the blind and lays down within sight directly in front of us. I look back to where the gemsbok was standing when I took the shot and I can see the white vanes of my arrow against the backdrop of the red sand. Another pass through!
After we recovered the gemsbok, we moved the next day to a termite mound hide on the other side of the property to hunt the second top animal on my list, the blue wildebeest. The first day in the new blind we had a good size lone bull come within 90 yards of the blind but would not come in to drink.
The second night we had a herd of wildebeest come into the waterhole right at dark. Most are either cows or young but there is one large bull in the group. The large bull of the group passes in front of the hide at 15 yards and I come to full draw. Unfortunately it is too dark. Not only could I not see my pins but I could not make out a specific spot on the animal to place my shot. I let my bow down a little frustrated but still happy to just have the opportunity.
The next day we are at the same hide hunting wildebeest again. That evening we have a herd of wildebeest come in to the water hole. Again, there is one bull in the group of cows. He comes in to drink from the water hole at 40 yards quarterly towards me. It is a little far for such a tough animal, not a good angle and he looks a little young to me. I again pass on the shot.
The next morning we are at the same hide again and I tell the PH if the nice red hartebeest we saw the day before comes back out, I will be willing to take him. Wouldn’t you know it, he does. He comes to drink at 33 yards and at a quarterly away angle. I place my 30 yard pin on his opposite shoulder and begin my shot sequence. Whoomp! Ting! Ting! Ting! Another pass through! The arrow also bounces off the stones that are covering the pump for the watering hole.
The red hartebeest takes three quick steps through the water hole and then, like the impala and gemsbok, begins to walk very slowly and lies down after about 20 yards. The PH and I must have been making too much noise or something after the shot because the hartebeest did stand back up and walk another 20 yards before bedding down in his final resting place.
The next day we move to another termite mound hide to continue our hunt for the blue wildebeest. Again, we have some close encounters with a couple of herds of wildebeest, among numerous other animals, but no shooter bulls.
My last hunting day, Lambert has to drive to Johannesburg to pick up the next group of hunters, so his father is guiding me this morning. The fourth animal into the water hole is a nice lone blue wildebeest bull. I slowly come to full draw while trying not to spook him or the two bull kudu that are already at the waterhole. The bull wildebeest is standing broadside at 30 yards. I couldn’t ask for a much better opportunity. Whoomp! Crack! Whonk! Whonk! Whonk!
You guessed it. I hit him low, right into one of the thickest bones a wildebeest has in his chest. My arrow only gets about 6 inches of penetration and breaks off three inches from the tip as the beast spins around, barking repeatedly as he hurriedly hobbles off.
Fortunately for me, the trackers are good at their job. It takes us a couple of hours and he travels what seemed like forever, but he was bleeding just enough for the trackers to be able to trail him, and find him to give me an opportunity to put him down for good.
It was an excellent trip and an experience I will never forget. The accommodations were AWESOME! The food was AWESOME! The hunting was AWESOME! What really impressed me was the family atmosphere the outfitter provided my wife and me. Every night the entire family; grandfather, grandmother, father, mother, son and daughter would have dinner with us. They really made us feel like family.
I would highly recommend an African hunt to anyone that gets the opportunity and I would also highly recommend Facocero Hunting Safaris. They are really nice people and went out of their way to make our stay pleasurable, even catering to our food preferences.
My setup for this trip: 2010 Mathews Monster 7.0 @ 71lbs with a 27” draw, Easton ACC Pro Hunting Series arrows in .300 spine, 145gr Steel Force Phat Head broadheads and Flex Fletch FFP-360 vanes. Total arrow weight 479gr @ 259 FPS and 14%+ FOC and 72 KE.
DISCLAIMER: I was offered an opportunity to work as a part-time booking agent for this outfitter as a side job, but I would still recommend this outfitter whether I accept this offer or not. If you are interested in finding out more about Facocero Hunting Safaris, reach out to me and I will provide you with all the information you need.
We slept in the first day and then went to the range to make sure my bows survived the trip and were still sighted in. After verifying the bows, we had lunch and went straight to the blind.
Just before dark, the first animal on my list of potential trophies that came to the water hole was a good size impala. He came in at 25 yards at a slightly quarterly towards me angle and I stood up to get ready for the shot. I must admit I was a little nervous. I was surprised to get a shot opportunity so soon and wasn’t accustomed to having an audience – wife and PH.
I waited for the impala to put his head down to take a drink. I took my time, settled in for the shot, thinking to myself “please Lord, don’t let me screw this shot up” and focused on my shot sequence. Whoomp! Hit him right behind the shoulder.
The impala immediately jumped straight up – appeared to have like a 10 ft vertical jump – did a 180 and slowly walked off in the direction he had come. We could see blood dripping from both sides as he moved off. With the blood and the way he walked off, we knew it was a good hit.
Since it was getting late and we knew it was a lethal hit, the PH wanted to find him quick before it got dark. He wasn’t crazy about us trailing a wounded animal through the bush at night. So, we only gave him about 10 minutes after the impala went out of sight before we went looking for him.
We couldn’t find my arrow but we did immediately find good blood. We trailed him for about thirty yards and then I saw the impala stagger to stand about 10 yards in front of us and then slowly walk off.
Dang it! We had jumped him! Lambert then decided to pull out and the long wait until morning began.
The trackers started tracking the impala at first light the next morning and found him about 60 yards from where I had seen him stand the night before. Yes! First animal down!
After taking a few pictures, we went back to look for my arrow. I found it after a few minutes of searching, buried about 4-6 inches in the dark red sand behind where the impala had been drinking the night before – straight pass through.
When I finished enjoying the first kill, we immediately climbed back into the stand. After about two hours, Lambert taps me and says “gemsbok . . . nice bull” – the top animal on my list! I slowly started to stand and then saw the big beast come into my view at just 20 yards.
Again, I wait for the animal to take a drink before coming to full draw. With heart pumping, I start my sequence for the slightly quarterly towards me shot. Whoomp! Another hit right behind the shoulder.
The gemsbok takes a couple very quick steps and then starts to walk very slow directly away from the blind. As we watch the beast walk off, we can see blood pumping onto the ground. The gemsbok gets about 80 yards from the blind and lays down within sight directly in front of us. I look back to where the gemsbok was standing when I took the shot and I can see the white vanes of my arrow against the backdrop of the red sand. Another pass through!
After we recovered the gemsbok, we moved the next day to a termite mound hide on the other side of the property to hunt the second top animal on my list, the blue wildebeest. The first day in the new blind we had a good size lone bull come within 90 yards of the blind but would not come in to drink.
The second night we had a herd of wildebeest come into the waterhole right at dark. Most are either cows or young but there is one large bull in the group. The large bull of the group passes in front of the hide at 15 yards and I come to full draw. Unfortunately it is too dark. Not only could I not see my pins but I could not make out a specific spot on the animal to place my shot. I let my bow down a little frustrated but still happy to just have the opportunity.
The next day we are at the same hide hunting wildebeest again. That evening we have a herd of wildebeest come in to the water hole. Again, there is one bull in the group of cows. He comes in to drink from the water hole at 40 yards quarterly towards me. It is a little far for such a tough animal, not a good angle and he looks a little young to me. I again pass on the shot.
The next morning we are at the same hide again and I tell the PH if the nice red hartebeest we saw the day before comes back out, I will be willing to take him. Wouldn’t you know it, he does. He comes to drink at 33 yards and at a quarterly away angle. I place my 30 yard pin on his opposite shoulder and begin my shot sequence. Whoomp! Ting! Ting! Ting! Another pass through! The arrow also bounces off the stones that are covering the pump for the watering hole.
The red hartebeest takes three quick steps through the water hole and then, like the impala and gemsbok, begins to walk very slowly and lies down after about 20 yards. The PH and I must have been making too much noise or something after the shot because the hartebeest did stand back up and walk another 20 yards before bedding down in his final resting place.
The next day we move to another termite mound hide to continue our hunt for the blue wildebeest. Again, we have some close encounters with a couple of herds of wildebeest, among numerous other animals, but no shooter bulls.
My last hunting day, Lambert has to drive to Johannesburg to pick up the next group of hunters, so his father is guiding me this morning. The fourth animal into the water hole is a nice lone blue wildebeest bull. I slowly come to full draw while trying not to spook him or the two bull kudu that are already at the waterhole. The bull wildebeest is standing broadside at 30 yards. I couldn’t ask for a much better opportunity. Whoomp! Crack! Whonk! Whonk! Whonk!
You guessed it. I hit him low, right into one of the thickest bones a wildebeest has in his chest. My arrow only gets about 6 inches of penetration and breaks off three inches from the tip as the beast spins around, barking repeatedly as he hurriedly hobbles off.
Fortunately for me, the trackers are good at their job. It takes us a couple of hours and he travels what seemed like forever, but he was bleeding just enough for the trackers to be able to trail him, and find him to give me an opportunity to put him down for good.
It was an excellent trip and an experience I will never forget. The accommodations were AWESOME! The food was AWESOME! The hunting was AWESOME! What really impressed me was the family atmosphere the outfitter provided my wife and me. Every night the entire family; grandfather, grandmother, father, mother, son and daughter would have dinner with us. They really made us feel like family.
I would highly recommend an African hunt to anyone that gets the opportunity and I would also highly recommend Facocero Hunting Safaris. They are really nice people and went out of their way to make our stay pleasurable, even catering to our food preferences.
My setup for this trip: 2010 Mathews Monster 7.0 @ 71lbs with a 27” draw, Easton ACC Pro Hunting Series arrows in .300 spine, 145gr Steel Force Phat Head broadheads and Flex Fletch FFP-360 vanes. Total arrow weight 479gr @ 259 FPS and 14%+ FOC and 72 KE.
DISCLAIMER: I was offered an opportunity to work as a part-time booking agent for this outfitter as a side job, but I would still recommend this outfitter whether I accept this offer or not. If you are interested in finding out more about Facocero Hunting Safaris, reach out to me and I will provide you with all the information you need.
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