We just returned from a fantastic safari with Harry Nel and African Arrow Safaris near Ellisras in the Limpopo. There were 4 of us guys hunting and the lone wife on the hunt decided she wanted to get into the action and borrowed the crossbow and got after it! Me, Monty, David, Terry and Becky, David's wife were all on the hunt. Here is a recap of my hunt and pics from the rest of the guys and gal. A video of the lion hunt will be posted after I receive the edited and final DVD.
All of us were very fortunate in the fact that we were going to be able to hunt lionesses in the Kalihari region of NW South Africa. The last town we went thru was Kuroman and the 50,000 acre concession was 160 kilometers from Kuroman, all by gravel road. Monty and I spent the night in J'oberg while the rest of the party headed to Harry's lodge in the Limpopo. WE left early the next morning for the 10 hour drive to the Kalihari with Harry, Gary, another PH and Anton, the vidoegrapher. We arrived at the San Suici lodge about 6 in the evening, had a great meal, visited and hit the hay for a very restless sleep in anticipation for or hunt to begin the next morning.
We were up early, ate breakfast and shot our bows to make sure nothing had moved. Monty and I were both dead on and ready to go. We jumped into the ranch vehicle with our 2 PH's, another PH and San Suici ownere's son and a couple of trackers and headed out into the bush to look for tracks. We spottted our first set of 2 tracks about 8am, but did not know if they belonged to a pair of large lionesses or a couple of young males. We circled the area by road to make sure the tracks did not leave this area of the thick African bushveld. We got back onto the tracks around 8:30am and commenced on foot to see if we could find wahtever was making the tracks. After circling, backtracking, winding about and criscrossing the road twice, we finally found some very fresh sign of the two cats we were after, a very fresh but dead Blue Wildebeest cow. We knew we were close and sure nuff about 15 minutes later we spotted the pair laying in the shade underneath a large tree. It was now 10:30am. As big as they looked at 100 yards, Monty and I thought they were male lions, but when they stood we knew they were lionesses. The push was on. We got very close to both cats right before noon and one of the cats separated while one went straight and claimed her ground under a huge Acacia tree with overhanging limbs reaching the ground. We closed to within 50 yards, but had no clear shot. We would have to cirlce to teh opposite side of the tree for an opening. The lioness was not a happy gal as she began to growl at our every step. About a quarter to the spot we needed for a cleas shot, Harry turned to me and said there was a 99% chance she was going to charge by her repeated growls and body language. I told him to shoot if necessary. We continued our stalk and finally reached a spot 180 degrees from wehre we began and had a small opening in the limbs. The big female was laying at the base of the tree, dug in for either a charge or to protect her ground and was still growling in ever increasing tones. The way she was positioned I would have to put an arrow just to the right of here nose for a perfect shot. It would have to be one of the beswt if not best shots I have ever made in my hunting life. Harry said 42 yards according to the range finder, I drew and then let down and then drew again, anchored, held the 40 yard pin slightly high on her shoulder and touched the release. I lost the arrow flight when it reached the shadows of the tree, but she let me know I had hit her with a loud roar and a tremendous jump into the air. She swapped ends in midair and ran to our right. At about 20 yards she began to wobble and I knew this cat was mine. She walked another 20 yards and leaned against the base of a small tree, took 4 deep breaths and succumbed to my shot. I had done it! An African lioness with a bow in the remotes of the Kalihari! Talk about a thrill, adrenaline rush, nerves and doubt, it was all there. I had expected a 20 to 25 yard shot in a tree, but this was way different. After waiting about 15 minutes to settle my nerves and calm down we approached my cat with weapons pointed, but not needed, she was done. They estimated her weight at over 400 pounds and the tip of her nose to the tip of her tail at between 10' and 11". This was a huge female and in perfect shape. The most amazing and awesome hunt I have ever experienced. I have no idea where is will put her in my house, but she will make a beautiful full body mount addition to my other trophies.
Monty ended up getting the lioness that had split off to our left with a perfectly placed 20 yard shot as she had treed after we spooked her from a sound sleep at 25 yards. When she came out of her bed growling and roaring, we had no idea where she was headed and thnkafully she headed away from us and into the next large tree. Wow, 2 lionesses with bows in a day. Amazing.
All of us were very fortunate in the fact that we were going to be able to hunt lionesses in the Kalihari region of NW South Africa. The last town we went thru was Kuroman and the 50,000 acre concession was 160 kilometers from Kuroman, all by gravel road. Monty and I spent the night in J'oberg while the rest of the party headed to Harry's lodge in the Limpopo. WE left early the next morning for the 10 hour drive to the Kalihari with Harry, Gary, another PH and Anton, the vidoegrapher. We arrived at the San Suici lodge about 6 in the evening, had a great meal, visited and hit the hay for a very restless sleep in anticipation for or hunt to begin the next morning.
We were up early, ate breakfast and shot our bows to make sure nothing had moved. Monty and I were both dead on and ready to go. We jumped into the ranch vehicle with our 2 PH's, another PH and San Suici ownere's son and a couple of trackers and headed out into the bush to look for tracks. We spottted our first set of 2 tracks about 8am, but did not know if they belonged to a pair of large lionesses or a couple of young males. We circled the area by road to make sure the tracks did not leave this area of the thick African bushveld. We got back onto the tracks around 8:30am and commenced on foot to see if we could find wahtever was making the tracks. After circling, backtracking, winding about and criscrossing the road twice, we finally found some very fresh sign of the two cats we were after, a very fresh but dead Blue Wildebeest cow. We knew we were close and sure nuff about 15 minutes later we spotted the pair laying in the shade underneath a large tree. It was now 10:30am. As big as they looked at 100 yards, Monty and I thought they were male lions, but when they stood we knew they were lionesses. The push was on. We got very close to both cats right before noon and one of the cats separated while one went straight and claimed her ground under a huge Acacia tree with overhanging limbs reaching the ground. We closed to within 50 yards, but had no clear shot. We would have to cirlce to teh opposite side of the tree for an opening. The lioness was not a happy gal as she began to growl at our every step. About a quarter to the spot we needed for a cleas shot, Harry turned to me and said there was a 99% chance she was going to charge by her repeated growls and body language. I told him to shoot if necessary. We continued our stalk and finally reached a spot 180 degrees from wehre we began and had a small opening in the limbs. The big female was laying at the base of the tree, dug in for either a charge or to protect her ground and was still growling in ever increasing tones. The way she was positioned I would have to put an arrow just to the right of here nose for a perfect shot. It would have to be one of the beswt if not best shots I have ever made in my hunting life. Harry said 42 yards according to the range finder, I drew and then let down and then drew again, anchored, held the 40 yard pin slightly high on her shoulder and touched the release. I lost the arrow flight when it reached the shadows of the tree, but she let me know I had hit her with a loud roar and a tremendous jump into the air. She swapped ends in midair and ran to our right. At about 20 yards she began to wobble and I knew this cat was mine. She walked another 20 yards and leaned against the base of a small tree, took 4 deep breaths and succumbed to my shot. I had done it! An African lioness with a bow in the remotes of the Kalihari! Talk about a thrill, adrenaline rush, nerves and doubt, it was all there. I had expected a 20 to 25 yard shot in a tree, but this was way different. After waiting about 15 minutes to settle my nerves and calm down we approached my cat with weapons pointed, but not needed, she was done. They estimated her weight at over 400 pounds and the tip of her nose to the tip of her tail at between 10' and 11". This was a huge female and in perfect shape. The most amazing and awesome hunt I have ever experienced. I have no idea where is will put her in my house, but she will make a beautiful full body mount addition to my other trophies.
Monty ended up getting the lioness that had split off to our left with a perfectly placed 20 yard shot as she had treed after we spooked her from a sound sleep at 25 yards. When she came out of her bed growling and roaring, we had no idea where she was headed and thnkafully she headed away from us and into the next large tree. Wow, 2 lionesses with bows in a day. Amazing.
Comment