>>--Red Arrow Crew--> is back from Namibia

[jonsimoneau]

Hey Ed, glad you made it home OK.  Yea when we got to Dulles, I barely had enough time to get my stuff and get on the plane.  They were boarding when I got through security!  

By the way guys, Ed's new name is "Ed Frye the killin' guy".  Ed shot a truckload of animals, and I mean literally, a truckload!

[paleFace]

well since you let the cat out of the bag regarding Ed i guess we better let them in on your new name, "Wart Hog Man"....  

i will probably hear from Piet soon that they have a real shortage on wart hogs. thanks to Jon!

   

[paleFace]

ok lets start with Day 1:

Ed jump in any time with your story and don't forget  to quote me.  

me "are you going to shoot"? Ed "i'm thinking about it"!

"how do you miss something the size of a barn"?

[doctorbrady]

Gangs all here now.  Lots of catching up to do in the office today, so I will chime in as able.  Have to be careful not to give everything away...we want you to get the video!!!!!  We'll add enough to get the mouth watering.  How's that sound    ?

[doctorbrady]

After 36 or so hours travel made it to Windhoek, Namibia.  This trip everybody's luggage made it except my treestand.  That's a heck of a lot better than my last trip where nobody had a bow or clothes for 3 days.  A quick overnight in Windhoek courtesy of our host, Piet Mostert, and we were on our way to camp!

4 hours later we arrived.  Camp was a lot drier than when I was there 2 years ago.  The grass was very short where it existed.  Last trip it had been chest high in most places.  It didn't take us long to get out on the practice range and get settled in with bows, arrows, and broadheads.  Everybody was in a hurry to get in a hide (blind) for the first afternoon's hunt, so we were set up with our PH's and driven out.  My first afternoon I hunted with my wife, Dana and PH, Jorum at a pit blind dubbed Kudu Post.  It had been productive for me during my past visit, and I expected no less this trip.  Eland frequent this spot, as much as anywhere, and a big eland bull was on the top of my list.  It wasn't long before critters started showing up.  Herds of kudu cow and young bulls watered a mere 15-18 yards away.  We had been instructed to take some cow kudu, eland and wildebeast to help manage the herd in this dry season.  My wife was excited and wanted to take her first ever game animal.  She had brought along her compound and her recurve, Despite a lot of practice with her recurve prior to our arrival, she had difficulty pulling the necessary hunting weight, so she opted to hunt with her compound for ethical reasons.  The 1st herd of animals had a nice mature kudu cow, so I motioned for her to get ready.  The watering cow heard us getting set up and was preparing to exit, so I came to draw, focused in the triangular area between its shoulder blade and leg bone, and released.  My arrow flew beautifully to the exact spot I was focused upon....it's just that the kudu wasn't there any more.  A slow motion replay revealed that the nervous kudu had "jumped string" and the arrow sailed harmlessly over her back.  Stike one.
Thankfully another group came in shortly after the first.  Dana was prepared to shoot and got into position.  The only animal to present a shot was a young bull, so we held off.  A few cows stood just 15 yards away, but their slightly quartering towards position didn't lend itself to a high percentage shot, so Dana held off.  The best part was that Dana was so excited that she leaned back and whispered, "I feel like I need to sit down." and then later " I feel like I need to pee."  She didn't get to loose an arrow, but she was getting to experience what it is that makes us do what we love to do so much.  
We watched a few warthogs come and go, then just before dark another herd of kudu approached.  Still very slightly quartered, the PH encouraged her to shoot, telling her exactly where to place her shot.  I debated with him for a few moments before conceding.  She took careful aim and released.  The shot entered the front of the shoulder and penetrated about half way.  The animal took off down the trail.  Dana jumped up and gave out a quiet "whoopee."  I turned and said, it was a little far forward, just a second before our PH said, "It's down."  Her shot had been flawless, and the 500 pound kudu had gone only about 30 yards before expiring.  We were both elated.  Not since I had taken my own first animal with a bow had I been so proud.  She had not done it with her recurve, true, but she had made a tough decision, an ethical choice to hunt with a bow which she could adequately pull and she had earned the rank of a bowhunter.  She will continue to practice with her recurve, and will one day harvest with it as well, but for now, this was enough.  In fact, it was just right.
While we were hunting kudu post, Ed and Rob were also having some excitement of their own   .....

[bayoulongbowman]

   

[doctorbrady]

The swirling late winter winds in Namibia tormented all of us at times.  Winds held true most mornings, but a predawn moon allowed the animals to drink at night just before sunup.  This made mornings a little slow, though there were many exceptions.  In the afternoons, the winds often picked up and wrestled for a direction, leaving our scent swirling around the hides that concealed us.  My first success came 4 or 5 days into the trip.  By this point I had done well to provide plenty of footage for the bloopers section of the film.  In addition to the string jumping kudu cow, I also had a BIG warthog get out of the way.  Warthogs are surprisingly one of the jumpiest animals we hunted.  We have plenty of footage of these guys ducking and dodging arrows.  I also missed the same steinbok (an antelope about the size of a jackrabbit) on 2 separate occasions from about 20 yards.  Wisely, he didn't return to offer me a 3rd attempt.  Back to the story....
The wind howled all night and into the morning.  I had "refurbished" an old pit blind a couple of days before and opted to sit in it.  The wind pushed sand into my face and camera lens all morning.  The temperature was a pleasant 45 degrees at sunrise, but promised to rise into the 80's as it did each day we were there.  4 hours into the hunt, I had begun to wonder whether the wind would give a reprieve.  African animals depend upon all their senses to survive the many predators that dine upon them.  Consequently, they rarely come to water wind the wind is high.  Eventually the wind subsided, and the rising mid day heat drove the animals to water.  The first to arrive was a group of 4 young kudu cows.  I enjoyed them, but didn't shoot.  Next came a warthog with a single tusk, four young ones in tow.  Not long after a group of five kudu cows came to water.  One was a large old female, and I couldn't wait to try out my big 800 grain grizzlysticks and eclipse broadheads.  Eventually she turned and showed me her shoulder.  My focus was intent as I drew and anchored.  Careful to keep the shot forward, as most African game have their vitals lower and more forward than our North American game animals, I continued my focus as I released.  The arrow flew true.  800 grains of arrow punched through the near side shoulder and broke the off side shoulder before coming to rest.  Dust was everywhere as the startled animals hurried to escape.  The kudu travelled about 75-100 yards before dropping just out of site.

[paleFace]

i reckon i'm gonna need to write everyones story for them.... the only problem is i wasn't hunting i was filming.  let me just say that even as a the camera man when animals were approaching i would get all excited. my heart would start pounding, hands got sweaty and i needed to take some deep breaths. i don't what's more exciting, shooting with my camera or shooting with the bow.  hummmmm! i think i will keep doing both since i can't decide.

well the first afternoon in the blinds the two rookies to Africa would draw blood.  there would be some fresh game for our Chef, Clemons, to prepare. Clemons is a native Namibian. he lived in Swakopmund where he learned to speak German as well as cook. i need to make a trip to the mall to purchase some new clothes. after all those delicious meals i weigh in about 10 pounds heavier.

heck going to Africa just to eat some of the wild game is worth the trip. Gemsbok steaks melt in your mouth. dinners consisted of a select piece of meat from the harvested game with a sauce or gravy. the meat was usually cooked over the open fire medium rare, except for Dana, she liked hers well done (dead). then there was the veggies and salad all done with a special Africa twist. both red and white wine flowed at dinner.  

after stuffing ourselves to the gill Clemons would stroll back in with desert. each night a new treat of his own design. after dinner came the penalty drinks.  this consisted of shots of yegermeister       one shot for each animal harvested during that day. if i remember right we went through about 5 or 6 bottles since there were only a few days that no game was taken.

after dinner we sat around the camp fire and told the stories (lies) from the day and enjoyed each others company and the beverage of our choice. many nights after leaving the campfire i would gaze up at the night sky. i have never seen so many stars. since we were in a remote camp with no electricity except the generator that ran only for a few hours after dinner, the night sky was black as coal with exception of the zillions or tiny glistening lights. it might be corny but i wonder if any of those other galaxies have planets similar to ours. if so do they have bowhunters roaming around the wilds chasing game during the day and then enjoying good fellowship around the campfire at night as we do? i'd like to think so.

my first afternoon out i would be hunting with my hunting partner of the last 20 years, Ed Frye. i don't know if he will thank me or blame me for being on this hunt.  our PH, Lucus, would drive us out to the blind known as "New Post". the drive out was exciting in itself. we would see Kudu, Oryx, Springbuck and several other animals. add to that the dust that accompanies the dry season and the excitement was building by the minute.

before we could get settled in our blind the steady flow of visitors would start. aside from the large assortment of fowls the first to make an appearance were a family of warthogs. these pigs are so ugly they are cute. you know, the kind only a mother could love. i feel that the warthog is the ultimate member of the swine family. with their leather hide and long bristled hair running from the top of the head back a long their backbone.  and then than tail that points straight up like the flag on a bicycle when the exit. they are like tanks!

these were our first visitors:
   

[paleFace]

for a sow, mama had a nice set of tusk. these hogs are a ball of nerves as you will see later in some of the video clips.  anything out of the ordinary will set them into a frenzy followed by a trail of dust.  

this group went from 0 - 60 in a matter of a blink. i still don't know what caused them to haul ham!

   

[doctorbrady]

There is more to Africa than just sitting waterholes.  It didn't take us long to try some new (to them) tricks.  Rob and I had brought along treestands to try some "whitetail style" hunting in Africa.  You can't hang a tree just anywhere as the mopane trees don't lend themselves to stands.  Still, where bigger trees existed, so did the animals.  The bigger trees serve as food, shade, and cover for animals in this hostile land.  We wasted littel time in getting a couple of stands hung up along a dry riverbed where a series of trails converged. A trail camera placed along the stand site led us to relocate the stands as it revealed primarily eland using the trails, and this at night.  Jon moved one of the stands to a large tree overhanging the riverbed.  The other remained in the riverbed as he "ran out of ambition."   Jon had spotted a couple of dozen kudu bedded below this particular tree on different days.  The spot was promising.  I climbed in it one day, only to disrupt the nap of a couple of sleeping kudu.  As I climbed up the tree which hung 20 feet above the river, I noticed some very large claw marks going up the trunk along with a worn area on the large branch which overhung the river.  It seems that we were not the only hunters that liked this vantage point.  No doubt, the leopard who made the fresh marks had also thought this tree fitting for ambushing a meal.  I kept my eyes open while I sat watching for both predator and prey.  My brief stint in the stand was unsuccessful, though one of my other stand sets produced an easy shot on a kudu cow.  I also passed up many warthogs and even a large male duiker from one of my treestand set ups.  The duiker was fortunate that I had taken a large male during a past visit, and even more so that I couldn't get my camera adjusted on the tripod quickly enough to get the shot on film, so I watched as it walked 2 yards away.  Jon also had some treestand success with a large warthog, one of many that he put on the table during our stent.

[paleFace]

a few images from the trail camera we set up by one of the tree stands.

   

   

   

[paleFace]

one thing this trip proved, is that tree stand hunting can be just as productive as sitting on water holes. stands placed a long travel routes or a long trails that lead to the water holes can be just productive as sitting at the water holes and some times a better choice depending on the wind.

the folks we hunted with at Afrika Jag Safaris were very open to trying new techniques with tree stands being one of them. the PH's have already purchased some tree stands and the stands that we brought were left for future bowhunters.  since the animals there are not as used to danger from above they don't look up like our white tails do. i would recommend giving it a try if you have the room to carry a light weight hang on. climbers are a waste of time in Africa since most of the trees have numerous limbs and none are straight.

[Ed Frye]

Ok guys I'll try to make this as long and boring as possible. LOL! After a 4 hour drive from wienhoek to Afirka Jag Safari camp, we were ready to settle in and get out to do an afternoon hunt. Now this was my first time to Africa and little did I know what it was going to do to me. After getting ready my Buddy, I say with some reservation, LOL Rob Burnham(aka Paleface) whom I have hunted with for the last twenty years went out with our PH Lucas to a stand that was called New Post. It was a beautiful afternoon and I had no Idea what was going to happen and how it would change me. We were set up in the Hide (blind) Rob fliming and I ready for a Kudu Bull. This was my primary target. We had seen several animals going to the hide. We watched wart Hogs, Steenbok and then Rob and Lucas heard the sound of something walking to us, as they looked with binoculars they saw two Eland coming to us. As I joined in watching they came closer and closer. Never had I seen such a sight as there was not two but three and the third was a big older bull. Now being a first timer I did not know the cliking sound I was hearing was not them walking on rock but the sound of the older bull's hooves. A sound I found out later was a true sound of a trophy. As they approached the waterhole they went behind it and looked like they were going to go on by and then the older bull just turned and started to the water to get a cool refreashing drink. Now being that I was not interested in shooting a Eland and Rob knew this, At least I was'nt when I got there how quickly that changed, LOL After seeing such a sight and I was already kneeling with bow in hand, I started to reach for my arrow. Rob looks at me and asks "Are you going to shoot?" and with a simple reply I said "I'm thinking about it" Then with out even knowing I was drawing down on the biggest thing I have ever seen or shot at. 18 yards, shaking like a leaf in high wind, heart pounding my arrow was suddenly released and flying. I watched as it flew toward it's target and I started to laugh as I thought I shot to high. Now how do you miss something as big as a friken BARN! Lucas and Rob are asking "Are you sure?" I'm in awe, I can't believe it so we watch the playback then go to look for my arrow. Lucas finds it and then we know, I did not miss. My Eland only went 150 meters. What a thrill, Now for the kicker guy's. This was my first traditional harvest. Thats right I had not even shot a deer or anything with my trad gear up to this point. What a way to start my trad hunting!!  

[Ed Frye]

A little more info for you all, I was shooting a 52 pound Assienhimer, 710 grain arrows tipped with Razor sharp Eclipse broadheads. What a combination. Africa, It's not a country, It's a obsession! It has hooked me and I am already to plan my next trip for next year.

[paleFace]

i must add a little more to this story.  what Ed didn't mention was the fact that since we were not sure of the hit the PH Lucus decided to wait until the following morning to take up the track. now if you know Ed you would know that he is anything but quiet. normally that is. well he i don't think he said more than a few words the entire night. i still remember him shaking his head when the lights when out as they shut down the generator for the night.

the next morning just after daylight found us on the track and within minutes we were staring at the amazing animal. almost a ton in weight, Ed was beside himself and he wore a smile as bright as the rising sun. to say he was happy would be the understatement of the year. hugs and high fives followed and we were both ready to go back to camp and celebrate.  what a way to start a hunt, much less start your adventure with traditional gear.

congrads again bud, you done good!  

   

[vermonster13]

Nice job Ed!

[chrisg]

That's a great pic of the hogs. Did someone say 'stringjump'? Fast little devils aren't they?
chrisg

[Joseph]

That is a huge Eland and starting to get some age to him also.  Congratulations!    I wasn,t planning on shooting one either until it strood in front of me a little to long.  Mine was a very old bull and has one horn rubbed off about 3 inches shorter than the other.  Joseph

[Danny Rowan]

WOW, nice Eland.

Danny

[tradtusker]

fantastic eland, Well done!