Bushbuck hunting in Namibia

[2wfstlhunting]

I fell in love with Namibia and am not interested in anywhere else.  I have read the bushbuck thread but it is not specific in several cases about the location of the hunts. Can you guys tell me the name of PHs or outfits where I might have a reasonable crack at a longbow bushbuck?

Steve

[Txnrog]

Namibia is not blessed with alot of bushbuck habitat. They tend to prefer heavily brushed, moist areas. That being said, I believe there are some Chobe bushbuck in the Caprivi strip area. Might want to start your search there.

Best place to get bushbuck with a bow is going to be on the eastern cape, or in the Limpopo province along the river. They are pretty water dependant, and will frequently visit well-conceiled waterholes.

[2wfstlhunting]

Thanks, finally an answer.  Fortunately  I am a patient man.

[chrisg]

Sorry! Also Mpumalanga, northern Natal. The E Cape is famous bushbuck country but Zim lowveld Mpumalanga, Natal have lots too. Quite correct about habitat. They like riverine thickets, but where there are lots of nyala the nyala will drive them out or kill them.
chrisg

[2wfstlhunting]

I know nothing of Natal. Is it "safe"?  Is it archery possible? Who do you know in that area that is a reputable PH or outfitter?


Steve

[jonsimoneau]

Steve, I know what you mean.  I have hunted in Africa 3 times.  Once in Namibia, and twice in south Africa.  While I appreciate the fact that South Africa has a greater species diversity...I like Namibia better.  Much wilder, and more rual.  
     Bushbuck are in my opinion way underated.  Everyone thinks the Nyala is the most beautiful antelope, but in my opinion it is the bushbuck.  I was fortunate enough to take a nice bushbuck on my last trip...and hunting them for 3 days made me quickly realize that they are one of my favorite animals in Africa.  They are a species that I would enjoy hunting over and over.  Good luck!

[PZee]

Steve,

KZN (Kwazulu Natal) is about as safe as the rest of South Africa. KZN has some of the most beautiful bush in South Africa and would be well worth the visit.

As Jon Simon says, Namibia is more wild than South Africa, as will be the rest of Southern Africa. I was chatting to my brother last night about how fenced in SA farms are compared to Zimbabwe and Namibia ect.

If you are looking to hunt in KZN, then Zingela safaris used to offer hunting in the area. Do a search on hunting in KZN, there are loads.

Thanks

Pete

[2wfstlhunting]

thanks guys.  now I have a place to start

Steve

[John Sturtevant]

Steve, no Bushbuck at Makalaan?

Thanks again for taking the time to fill me in on your experiance there.
I booked 10 days for late August 2011...only one in camp so far.  You hould consider going back.

John Sturtevant

[2wfstlhunting]

John,

[2wfstlhunting]

oops
John, I picked up on the fact that you had booked on the Bowsite thread that Eyedoc put up about getting a crew together. It is nice to see things picking up again.  You have no idea how much I think about going back: like every day.  I was close to going this year on the cull hunt but decided that it was too soon, and in fact I have several other family vacations already booked so ran out of time.  To answer your question, there are no bushbuck at Makalaan as far as I know. The above exchanges make the point that they are wet terrain animals and although Antonie certainly has waterbuck the area is definately not "wet". He did say that there was a lake at the far side of the ranch but that is a distance from the bowhunting area.  I do not know whether he takes people into that area.  I enjoyed being there as the only hunter more than I can convey, although I do know that I was exuberant about my experience when we spoke.  
I have gotten a bug for these smaller antelope and mistakenly thought that Namibia would have them if I just looked around a little.  It would appear that I will need to look around a lot.  If I get back I would really like to try for one, and would nevertheless feel like I missed out if I didn't get back to Makalaan.  I was beginning to think about actually doing something that I have not done in the past: travelling from one operation to another focusing specifically on what each has to offer.  More planning, but then that is half of the fun.  You will have a wonderful time and you will take lots of game and experience a really charming family and enjoyable family. If you have any questions building up, call me

Steve

[storm5]

I have hunted whit Lowlands Hunting safaris in KWN seven times over the last 6 years. And trust me, there is a reason that I keep going back to the same place every time, you will love it. There is a good population of Bushbuck and other small antelopes like mountain reedbuck and common reedbuck. Most of their hunting is walk and stalk, but they also have blinds and tree stands available. Most of their hunters are hunting whit compound bows, but the last 3 hunts I haw hunted strictly whit a longbow. The concessions we hunt are very good for stalking in close.  
 http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=27;t=000252

[John Sturtevant]

Thanks Steve....I will do that.   I had a partner that wanted to go, but it appears that is not going to happen.
 
Good luck on your Bushbuck search.

John

[2wfstlhunting]

Oh man, I thought that I had this under control, but now I am getting reved up again for Africa and it is all "you guys'" fault.  I even got crazy enough last night to say to my wife: " I am thinking about going back to Africa next year".  She didn't blink and didn't throw anything so I am ahead.  It was only 2 weeks ago that she said that I could go if I didn't kill anything, as there was no room left.  Don't be silly, there is always room left for something else.  You just have to work at it.

John , I hope to hear from you if I can fill in some blanks, and you just never know about next year.  

Aun, thanks for the info and the directions to your own hunt.  I will read it through later tonight and check out the outfitter.  

Steve

[chrisg]

Natal is a rather 'unknown' hunting area which is ironic as one hundred and fifty years ago you could still hunt for ivory and get it! Natal has a  truely remarkable  mix of terrain from the Afro-montane highlands around 9000ft along the edge of the Drakensberg to the tropical magic of Maputaland, throw into that middleveld mixed bushveld, deep wild river gorges of the Tukela and at least five others, woodland and the grand old parks of Mfolozi-Hluhluwe, Mkuze, Greater St Lucia wetland. The list is long and there is lots to hunt. Fishing too, up at Jozini there is good tiger fishing,the midlands and berg have plenty trout and the coast all kinds of surf and open water fish. Hunting, fishing, sport, culture, battlefields, History, beaches it's amazing. Ok enough advertising, I don't even live there!! Heh heh I'm a Vaalie! go Bulle!
cashan

[Txnrog]

There are some open concession lands in both KZN and the East cape - there are a couple large low fenced conservancies down there that you might look into. Noel ross is on one of them about an hour from Port Elizabeth. I rifle hunted a different part of his property many years ago, and it's beautiful country - all free range except for a smaller enclosure where he has a couple 'exotics' - lechwe and red stag.

One thing to keep in mind is that bushbuck are kinda like warthogs when it comes to fences - very few will hold them in.

[2wfstlhunting]

This is very nice gentlemen.  It just took awhile for the pump to get primed.  I am getting more and more interested in this new direction that we are going.  Please jump in if you know anything else that will help me get a good solid start.

thank you all again

Steve

[PZee]

Chris G,

So your Bulle take on the Stormers in the final! What you have to say about that? I've never been a Bulls fan, however I will admit that they are the reason SA Rugby is at the top at the moment! And due to being out of SA for a while, I say I don't care which SA team wins the Super 14, as long as it is a SA team winning. Here's to a great match!!!

And us Vaalie's always dream of the open spaces of KZN. As the song goes, 'Groen is die land van Natal......' (Green are the fields of Natal)
Do you shoot at Sterkriver?

Pete

[Johan van Niekerk]

If your main aim is to take a trophy bushbuck with a longbow I would strongly recommend you contact Mark Whitehead Safari's. He could easily guide you to longbow killing distances on a bushbuck. He also has a few real nice rams. Not as many as in most places in the eastern cape but they're almost never hunted (He keeps them exclusively for trophy hunters).
Mark is a bowhunter himself and thus understand your needs way better than most. HUGE areas of his farm are bowhunting only zones. I often hunt on his farm and will in fact be there for 5 days again in 3 weeks time  
 http://www.mwsafaris.co.za/

[Johan van Niekerk]

Oh...just by the way. Bowhunting on low fenced land is illegal in the eastern cape UNLESS you have a load of legal permits/paperwork. If you DO plan to go that route you can contact me again and I'll see if our bowclub can help with the legal side of things. You basically need a Certificate of proficiency (CHASA/ABO), a south african hunting license, a letter of permission from the farmer AND (and this is the bastard to sort out) a permit fom local nature con that specifies that you are allowed to hunt with bow and arrow according to hunting ordinance. (The last one you can only get if you already have the license and COP. Having some contacts in local nature conservation also helps. Otherwise it can literallly take up to year  :(  )
Mark's farm has a certificate of adequate enclosure. Which means you don't need the rest... Only his permission and a south african hunting license (20 rands and almost any gun shop can sell you one)