Where, when and what in 2009?

[Tilzbow]

Where are you going, when ya leavin', what ya' shooting as far as bow/arrow/broadhead combo, what trophies ya going after, what do ya have planned beside the hunt?????

I'll post what I'm doing soon but I wanted to kick off the excitement since we're within a few months!

[Wile E. Coyote]

Second trip across the Big Pond for me. This time going with Ken Moody for 10 days Limpopo region SA, leaving July 17th.

Shooting Blacktail Elite @ 58#, Grizzly Sitka and some Hickory shafts, Zwickey & Snuffer heads. Total arrow wt. around 675 gr.

Looking for Zebra, Blue Wildebeest, Warthog, & Impala although I doubt I will be able to pass up a nice Kudu Bull.   :rolleyes:  

Best to all traveling this year, Bring back some picks for us all.  

[4Blade]

My wife and I are headed to RSA - Dries Visser Safaris August 8th.  The wife is going on a photo safari to Kruger while a friend and I hunt with Dries.  She will join us for the last few days of hunting.  After the hunt we plan on touring Capetown for a few days.  This is the first trip for all of us.

I am planning on shooting a 62" Foley TD 55lbs @ 29" she is the prettiest, fastest, smoothest, and most quiet bow in the stable.  And (just ask my wife) I have and have had alot of phillies in the corral.

A heartfelt and sincere thank you to Dries and Ron Foley because without them this trip would not have been possible for me.  I bought the hunt and the bow @ the PBS auction at the Pittsburgh gathering last year.  These gifts were wonderful donations to our organization and a great opportunity for me and my wife.

Ron's bows are the top of the line and with a stellar recommendation from Gene, I can't wait to get to Dries Visser's.

I plan on hunting impala, warthog, blesbok, gemsbok, blue wildebeest, and red hartebeest.
Ammo will be Gold Tip traditionals with Zwickey or Magnus heads.

All the arrangements are made, all the equipment is assembled, now it's just the waiting.

[chrisg]

4blade that sounds like the right kind of trip, all the best places! Have fun.
chrisg

[4Blade]

Thanks Chris, we are all looking forward to the trip especially after a long winter here.

[Trad Lad]

Leaving for Melorani, on June 9th.
I will be taking two bows with me, a Robertson Prarie Falcon ( a newer one that Dick resurrected as a one shot deal a few years ago ) 58# @ 30" and a Thunderstick MOAB 52# @ 28". I will be shooting Cedar shafts footed with Tamarak and Wenzel Woodsman broad heads weighing about 755 grains, and am also taking some weighted carbons with eclipse broadheads weighing 730.
I will be shooting pretty much what gives me the best shot between Kudu, Gemsbok, Blue Wildebeest, Warthog, Impala, Zebra and Waterbuck. Can't shoot them all but not knowing is part of the fun, and I am anticipating the time of my life.

I am leaving for RSA on June 18th. I will be hunting with Ledjadji Safaris. I have a package that includes a Gemsbok, Blue Wildebeest, Impala, Warthog, and my choice of a Baboon or Jackal ( I would rather have the Jackal). I told my PH I also wanted to shoot a Kudu OR Waterbuck and a Blesbuck. I will be shooting a Sarrels Blueridge TD longbow(55#@28"  62") and am taking my Sarrels Bobcatt TD recurve(50#@28"   62") as my backup bow. I will probably try to take something with both bows but the longbow is my go-to bow. I will be using Gold Tip 55/75's with 250gr up front( 100gr brass insert and 150gr German Kinetic BH).

 My wife is going with me and does not hunt but we have a full itenerary for her which includes shopping, museums, spa, etc. We are going to take two side trips. One to Botswana to a real nice lodge that has photo elephant safaris and another to Blyde River Canyon. I'm less than 3 months out and can't wait!

Good luck to all on your trips,
Bisch

[chrisg]

Bisch whereabouts does Ledjadji operate? The name says up north in Limpopo province. Your wife is going to have a blast and after the shopping etc Blyderiver is stunning, and Bots, well! I guarantee you will be planning a return trip or three.
chrisg

[BUFF]

August 22nd for me.
Hunting with Dries
Cape Buffalo 83# BW recurve
then 5 days to hunt
Black Wildebeest, Bush buck and a few other critters with my 74# BW recurve

[shortstroke 91]

Going in August to Limpopo SA for 5 days with the wife, she's taking bow and rifle, Im taking my Quinn Stallion Classic #47 & 500 grain arrow with magnus heads. All I really want is a nice Warthog but I'd like an Impala and Blue Wildebeast also. They advised our shots should be averaging 15 yards so I hope #47 is enough for the gnu.

[Tilzbow]

You guys have some great trips planned!

I'm heading to Melorani for 7 days starting on July 18 with a good friend and his wife. After Melorani we'll have a 1 day travel day and then hunt Tshepe for another 7 days.

My main bow will be a 56# @ 31" Habu Vyperkahn triple carbon longbow and I'll be shooting Gold Tip Carbon arrows weighing in at about 600 grains and tipped with a 100 grain Snuffer + 75 grain steel insert and I'll also be trying out the new Silver Flame 180 grain XL on the same arrow.

Being my second trip I'm going to focus efforts on Nyala, Bushbuck, Warthog, Black Wildebeest, Springbuck and Blesbuck. I can't rule out another Impala and I plan to take a bunch of shots at Guinea Fowl this time and just have a good time overall. I really want to spend at least half the time walking and stalking rather than sitting in a blind.

I haven't decided on a backup bow yet but it'll be the one that tunes with the same arrow as the new Habu assuming I can get one to work.

[chrisg]

Update on the animals. I know Stuart's cousin he told this weekend that Stuart shot an impala on Melorani last month that weighed 75 kilos on the hoof! That is a huge impala, about 15 kilos over the normal 'big' one. (field guide to mammals puts average male at 50-65 kilos. The peak summer  weight is reached in March around 76 kg -Skinner & Smithers )This one had thick fat along its spine and around the kidneys. Impala are normally lean through the year so this shows the fantasic condition of the animals at the end of a rainy summer, he said all the animals look sleek and plump ...mmm!
chrisg

[huntnmuleys]

leaving for bush africa safaris in south africa may 22.  getting pumped, its coming up fast.
this will be my first trip over there, and of course a kudu is on the top of my list.  im considering quite a few differnet animals, the only other ones im sure on are an impala, beautiful and affordable, and a warthog to remind me of all of my ex-girlfriends.
cant wait.

[Tilzbow]

My setup didn't work out exactly as describe earlier in this thread but I've got it down to two arrow/broadhead combos I'm going to take and both are shooting in the low 190's from my 56# Habu triple carbon.

The first is a Gold Tip Big Game shaft tipped with a 125 grain Snuffer; total arrow weight is 570 grains.

The second is the same Gold Tip Big Game shaft tipped with a 125 grain SilverFlame; total arrow weight is 560 grains.

I'm using the oak dowel footing in the front of the arrow that was suggested on this site by O.L. Adcock and Dr. Ashby. I'm doing this to get my arrow weight to where I want it and get the FOC up a little bit while maintaining the same dynamic spine. This really works!!!

Even in the 5 to 10 mile/hour breeze the big 'ol Snuffer was flying really well tonight and hitting with my field tips to 30 yards (I didn't shoot past that). The SilverFlames always seem to fly well even if my bow isn't tuned. The biggest question when I get there is going to be which combo to shoot at any given time.

I've got two months before leaving to fine tune everything and get my shooting dialed. I can't wait to get there!