My first trip to Africa the Gemsbok was the only must have trophy. The last hour of my last day there, I had a shot at 30 yards from a ground blind on a huge specimen in the last hour of my last day in country. I did not make a spectacular shot on her - she began to move just as I released the arrow, so it was a liver shot instead of a heart/lung shot - still effective, but it was well past dark before we found her - remarkably tough animals. She was well past breeding age and her horns put her well into the top 20 archery at that time. It should be noted that pretty much all of the top Gemsbok trophies are female as they tend to grow much longer horns (though a bit smaller in girth than the typical male horn).
Well PJK - at least ya got it. I take flak for it but I don't care. On game, I will shoot at 30 yards but everything has to be perfect. It's not a matter of being able to hold on target, it's a matter of the critters jumping the string. I flat out refuse to go longer on a bow even though on a static 3D target of that size - I can put them in the kill zone all day long.
Are you a stick shooter or are you on training wheels like me, PJ?
For 3D comps I loved using a stick bow - for hunting, it has always been compound bows - All stolen in a burglary some years back. They stole bows, arrows, ladder stands, lock on stands and camo clothes - they were pretty well ready to hunt when they left my place.
All of my photos from that first hunt in 1998 are gone in a move from one house to another - there was no digital photography at that time, so they were all 35mm - I can take a picture of her on the wall, but that seems a bit cheesy to me (unless you would like that anyway). At 30 yards, that was easily among the longest shot that I have taken on large game personally - I will take pretty long shots at predators though. I have been told that 30 yards would be considered a close shot on caribou - they are never standing still either. I had booked a hunt for caribou some years back and had done quite a bit of target practice at 75 yards - stationary target though. I wound up being deployed for work and lost my deposit for the hunt.
My first trip to Africa the Gemsbok was the only must have trophy. The last hour of my last day there, I had a shot at 30 yards from a ground blind on a huge specimen in the last hour of my last day in country. I did not make a spectacular shot on her - she began to move just as I released the arrow, so it was a liver shot instead of a heart/lung shot - still effective, but it was well past dark before we found her - remarkably tough animals.
ReplyDeleteShe was well past breeding age and her horns put her well into the top 20 archery at that time. It should be noted that pretty much all of the top Gemsbok trophies are female as they tend to grow much longer horns (though a bit smaller in girth than the typical male horn).
Well PJK - at least ya got it. I take flak for it but I don't care. On game, I will shoot at 30 yards but everything has to be perfect. It's not a matter of being able to hold on target, it's a matter of the critters jumping the string. I flat out refuse to go longer on a bow even though on a static 3D target of that size - I can put them in the kill zone all day long.
DeleteAre you a stick shooter or are you on training wheels like me, PJ?
Love to see a pic of that critter too.
For 3D comps I loved using a stick bow - for hunting, it has always been compound bows - All stolen in a burglary some years back. They stole bows, arrows, ladder stands, lock on stands and camo clothes - they were pretty well ready to hunt when they left my place.
DeleteAll of my photos from that first hunt in 1998 are gone in a move from one house to another - there was no digital photography at that time, so they were all 35mm - I can take a picture of her on the wall, but that seems a bit cheesy to me (unless you would like that anyway).
At 30 yards, that was easily among the longest shot that I have taken on large game personally - I will take pretty long shots at predators though.
I have been told that 30 yards would be considered a close shot on caribou - they are never standing still either. I had booked a hunt for caribou some years back and had done quite a bit of target practice at 75 yards - stationary target though. I wound up being deployed for work and lost my deposit for the hunt.
ReplyDeleteOryx are all over White Sands New Mexico. Aways fun to run into a herd. Big and beautiful. Eod1sg Ret