Adventurous Bowhunter Nigel Ivy

Want to extend a welcome and introduction to our new Adventurous Bowhunter , Nigel Ivy.

Nigel was born in Zimbabwe and was never far from a hunting camp or fishing rod.
At 6 years of age hunting with his father, Nigel killed his first Impala. Like many, that set a foothold to a passion for the outdoors and the hunt.

Since then Nigel has hunted around the world, traveling and experiencing some great hunting grounds. It did not take Nigel long to pick up a Bow and Arrow and that’s been the focus of his hunting since seeing that first arrow in flight. Nigel hunts with both traditional and modern compound bows.

Nigel has a strong interest in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation and the sustainable role a hunter plays in the management of the whole ecosystem.

With a natural ability behind the camera, I hope you guys enjoy some of his fine art wildlife photography as he documents his hunts and adventures through the lens and behind the string.

Axes

Feb28 by Andy Ivy

Like a good knife, its hard not to appreciate a great Axe.

Something time tested, a tool of the ages, taken for granted now except by those that still live off the land were the trusty axe is no more then an arms reach away, throughout the day.

Its a life saving work horse when you need a good one. And Im never in a hunting camp or extended trip without one.

There are a few today that stand above the rest, which Iv used and worked hard with over the years. They come highly recommended.

Made in Finland, Outstanding quality, designed and built to be simple, functional and effective. Make no mistake, these axes and Tough like hell, I had my doubts when I first laid eyes on them, but in hard use these thing are unbelievably Strong. I love the design, I like the weight distribution, unlike some old axes, with heavy handles and heavy overall carry. The Fiskars axe’s reduced weight where it is not needed but did not compromise the weight needed to get the job done.

The hardened forged steel blades, are very resilient, and maintain there edge under the hardest of cutting of conditions. It will not chip or crack.

From Splitting to chopping to Felling there are some nice options to choose from. My go to is the x15

Fiskars axes, use a shock-absorbing FiberComp handle, that is perfect in the hand, Stronger than steel! Iv badly over swung on occasion slamming the handle into the log, enough to easily break the average handle, and had zero effect on the FiberComp handles on these axes. Durability +5.

Another great option for the backpack hunter that needs an Axe is the Fiskars X7, Compact and lightweight.

remote trophy recovery and Splitting Hardwood for the Safari camp, with the X17

Next is the

The Axe of all Axes. Gransfors Burks in my opinion set the Benchmark for Axes, these beautiful, hard working axes are the top of the line.

Made in Sweden

Each Axe, forged and hammered by selected professional Smiths, Each Axe stamped with the Smiths initials that stand proud of there work. Its quality over quantity for this company and its great to have a real Craftman behind a product. Gransfors Bruks, as well as there quality also have an environmental Ethic that’s is almost non existent in today’s industry.
I encourage you to go to there website and read more about them.

http://www.gransfors.com/htm_eng/index.html

Between my father and I we own and have used just about all their Axe’s, Hunting, Camping, Bushcraft, as well as felling and woodwork making cabins and splitting logs for the cold winters. My Gransfors Burks Hunter axe is one of my most prized possessions, worked hard and looked after I have no doubt it will still be going strong when I pass it down when the day I can no longer swing it comes around. There is an axe for any need in there line up.

My Go to for this is the Hunter. But there is everything from Big splitting axes to some of the smaller, hatchets for those wanting smaller and lighter options.

The Forge quality is superb, as good as some of the best custom knifes I have, You can get these things Broadhead Sharp!

The handle is excellent quality Hickory, the best Iv seen in Axes. I really like the stippling at the base of the hunter handle, for extra grip and control, in the demanding conditions.

The Hunter

If your looking for an Axe to depend upon over the years, no matter the aplication the Fiskars and Gransfors Burks I can hands down recommend.

Be safe and happy chopping.

Andy Ivy

Bowhunting Fitness

Jan14 by Andy Ivy

There are a lot of things that contribute to becoming a better bowhunter. To gain the best edge out in the field there are a lot of things you can do in preparation, Fitness is one of those things.
Technology is rampant in just about all things today, and its flooded todays bowhunting world, there are thousands of gadgets and accessories (some not all that bad), that are there to make things, Easier, Faster, more Efficient, etc…But its a grave mistake to depend on them over the fundamentals. And thats becoming the norm these days, bowhunters are overlooking the fundamentals.

A good level of fitness can only benefit you out in the field, it will benefit your health and extend your hunting time in years to come, It go’s hand in hand with making you a better shot, increase’s confidence in all your abilities, and allows you to hunt longer and harder.

Some argue hunt smarter, not harder….and I agree, BUT your missing the point if you think you have to choose one over the other, you can do both and if your looking to take things to the next level, you should do both.

Now Im no fitness junky, far from it, and ill be the first to crack a beer back at camp after a long day, But I train because there is no doubt its benefited my hunting over the years, that’s all the motivation I need.

My advice is to keep your training basic and try mimic what you’l will be doing out hunting. Hiking with a loaded pack is a great way to get outside and keep your legs and back strong.

I can think of more then a few pretty unfit hunters, with a proven success under their belt that speaks for itself, but at the same time there is not one amongst them that would not have been more successful or achieved it a lot more easily, had they been in better physical shape. Its not to say you have to be fit to be successful, but all else being equal the fitter you are the more you will get out of all the aspects of your hunting.

Now there’s Gym fit and Hunting fit. Before pointing out the difference let me say that ANY form of fitness however it is attained is better then non at all.
However you choose to go about it, within your means, desires and abilities make it a part of your year round hunting preparation. It is after all a part of the Hunt.

I’v not set foot in a gym to train since my school days, you don’t need to pay a monthly fee to get into great hunting shape. I keep things simple and keep them relevant to the hunting ill be doing. An hour of the right training every other day is plenty to get you and keep you in good shape.
There is a wealth of information on different forms of training, find what works for you and find a balance that will best benefit the hunting you wish to embark on.
Cardio and Endurance will keep you ahead of the game and allow you to keep pushing on in the final stages of a hunt. Strength gives you the ability to exert and get over that last ledge, carry on you own shoulders what you need for a hunt and then carry out your rewards, Core and balance is key for stalking, allowing you to move decisively and under control in sometimes tricky situations during the stalk. Etc. the list goes on……..all aspects are required and all combined will improve your ability to bring it all together and make that one shot, you’v worked so hard to get all come together.

(No gym required) Simple bodyweight exercises are a great way to get into hunting shape. During the Buffalo season I use a pull up bar to prepare for the mountains. One of the best tips I can give is “Variety” is your friend, always change things up, it’l keep you interested and challenged and will reward the best results.

Preparation for a hunt also includes preparing your body physically. Its the start of a new year and its as good a time as any for you to get into it.
Give up those waisted hours behind the key boards scrolling through bowhunting this and that and put that time into something that will make you a better bowhunter. The rewards will speak for themselves.

As always if there are any questions, feel free to ask, between the Stark Brothers and Pedro ( those boys are mountain goats) we’l be more then willing to help and advise where we can.

All the best for 2013, the good old days of hunting are here and now. Make the most of them!

Andy Ivy

Vantage Point Archery “Vapor” Review

Dec17 by Andy Ivy

The Vapor is the new ILF Riser that Vantage Point Archery have released earlier this year.

I have been testing, shooting and hunting with it for a few months now and Im impressed!

Strait off the bat…as with the “benchmark” of broadheads VPA are producing today, the Vapor is bombproof.
Its built for the serious hunter that values reliability and versatility in their gear.

The Riser is machined from 6061-T6 bar stock aluminum, and is 13″ long. With the versatile ILF to accommodate both recurve and longbow ILF limbs. The Limb combinations available can make this bow anywhere from 52″ to 60″ long. I have it at 58″ and draw 29″

My bow is set up with Recurve limbs, built by Jim Belcher of Sky Archery. (again another bomb proof yet high performance limb build)

There are a few things I really like, Firstly All hardware is Stainless steel, that will withstand the worst weather a hunt can throw at you.

Then the Grip, This is available from VPA in Low Medium and High. Its a locator style grip with a Non slip rubber back, helping keep it warm in cold weather and Slip free in wet or hot sweaty weather. The Locator type ridge feels unusual at first, but I Really like it, amazing how consistent your grip is shot after shot. Which is key for accuracy.

The bow is very well balanced, dead in the hand….and FAST! The speed is the first comment everyone makes after shooting it.

Im shooting it strait off the shelf with an adjustable hard stop. This is just how I like it. But you can put on a rest or plunger…Lots of options here, its very versatile.

I went ahead and put a TightSpot quiver mounting bracket on there and have the quiver that I can interchange with some of my other bows in seconds.

Here getting it ready for the hunt with Jim on 5 Pines. Which was great and my first chance to take it hunting properly.

Never did get a crack at a big buck that week, but killed this Big doe, arrow passing strait through after a nice tight heart shot. Bow performed flawlessly under the conditions, easy to handle in the stand and in the field. Tuning was a breeze, with the adjustable features.

Overall very impressed with this rig and Im looking forward to putting it through some hard hunting over the next season.

If there are any specifics Iv missed or questions feel free to ask…there are going to be some happy Vapor shooters out there.

Regards

Andy Ivy

http://www.vparchery.com/vpa_vapor_riser.php

My Search for Whitetail

Nov27 by Andy Ivy

The bread and butter of American game. Like most outsiders looking in there is a whole world of whitetail hunting, bowhunters dedicating there entire year or years to chasing a mature buck, putting meat in the freezer, and preparing for the hunt.

As time passed my interest grew, I had to see what all the fuss was about. I was invited to hunt with some friends in Nebraska back in Oct 2009 and then Minnesota with another good friend. I spent 3 days in Nebraska and 7 in Minnesota and after learning a stack about whitetails, their habits, stand placement, deer management ect from a good friend James Gilmer, I came away with nothing but fun memories from NE and a miss with the longbow on doe in MN, and a drive to some day come back and give it another shot.

It would be 4 years before I could return to hunt whitetail, I put in a lot of research over the years, and had a much better understanding of the deer this time around. After a the full archery season in Colorado chasing Elk it was time to focus my efforts and thoughts to the upcoming Whitetail season. My first hunt would be a week in Oklahoma with a friend of mine, and then back to Jims farm in MN for another week accompanied by my beautiful partner Bec’s. I was well prepared this time and I would hunt the first week with the PSE and the second with my new VPA Vapour ILF recurve.

After a full days drive to Oklahoma, I arrived unpacked, sharpened the VPA 150gr 3blades to a crisp edge and hit the sack. Alarm sounds in the pitch black of the morning, Kuiu gear on, Coffee x 2 mugs, check the forecast, run outside to double check it and then head for the stand.

I had spent some time going through some Trailcam pics and knew there where a few great bucks getting around, I was not to bothered early on to take a doe, and decided to focus my efforts on a mature buck.
As well as lots of deer this area held some beautiful Rio Grande Turkey and was keen to also try my luck on a fall turkey if the opportunity presented itself. First day on stand I saw a stack of deer with some great young bucks with great potential, is was hard to let them pass ill admit, but they’l never get BIG if you don’t let them grow right.

The days passed and I was seeing some nice deer, and several nice flocks of turkeys, despite the warm weather.

Its still early and most of the bucks where still in small groups, but the smart old guys where being as elusive as ever.

After patterning some turkeys I decided to set up and try for one. It was bad wind for most of the stands we had and going against my friends recommendation to sit a stand over a good deer trail, I opted for my turkey set up, the wind was swirling and right on time the turkeys started to move through my set up, 30m out I rolled the cams over and sent the shaft on its way, centering the bird. I watched the shaft blow through the bird and saw it go down in 20m. I was pretty excited, as these birds have been somewhat of a nemesis of mine. There was still and hour of legal shooting light and I decided to wait until dark to recover it. Not 20mins later I watched a doe walk right past the stand my buddy had suggested, I had just lifted my binos for a closer look when I saw 3 buck following her Indian file…..BIG Bucks!!! Murphys Law at work as usual, encouraging to see some early rut activity non the less.

I climbed down before dark and recovered my first Rio.

The next morning I woke to rain, the others in camp had no intention of sitting in the rain so I would be out alone. I sat the day with some nice sightings, the rain cleared early and turned out into a great day with lots of deer movement, I let every doe walk in the hopes of a buck to come along following, until nightfall with no luck.

D day and Im up a small cedar overlooking a nice field, there was a doe out in the field and I had to take care to get in without alerting her, she fed until day break and then moved off.

8;01 am and I see movement, I pull out the video camera and see its a nice 8 point coming my way, perfectly symmetrical but still a young deer, he walks right past me at 20m to my left, I look back out and see another deer, I see antler right away, he’s coming and he’s coming fast, I fumble to get the camera into my pocket…He’s a good buck! Im struggling to get my bow up and ready, he stops at 30m front on and feeds for a while, then turns to his right and is going to pass on the same trail as the buck before, I risk it and come to full draw in the freezing cold, maybe he sensed something maybe he just decided to stop, I fight to raise my pin and settle, burning every once of focus I have and in a flash the arrow is gone, in my minds eye the arrow flew true. But things happened so fast I had just enough time to raise my bino’s and get a glimpse as he left the field at full run, I saw no blood.
Now my blood was rushing, the cold had dropped my core temperature and that along with the excitement was causing me to shake. Loving ever second, scenes on high taking in lung fulls of fresh air, and reliving the event in flash repeat in my mind. I waited 40min before climbing out of the tree, text my friend Doug and told him I hit a good buck, he arrived with Barry to help track at 9;15.

I walked over to the arrow, the VPA tipped shaft was deep in the soil, the tracks showed a heavy deer. We started the track and made it to where he left the field, moving slowly up the hill I looked up and there he was, having traveled 130m from the shot. I did not say a word..or at least I don’t remember saying anything, just soaked it all in.

a Beautiful Buck, everything I could wish for after waiting it out for a mature deer after passing many before him. It took some time to really realize it had all come to pass.

It was made even better by having spent time hunting and making new friends though the binding vines shared by like minded hunters. We celebrated with a 18 year old Macallan single malt which let me tell you went down like a home sick mole!

The next few days where bliss just roaming around “attempting” to stalk turkeys and filming animals. The last day I stalked and killed a nice doe at 20m. With cool-boxes full of venison I headed for CO to pick up Bec’s for the next leg of the hunt in MN. Another 3 days on the road and we hit 5 pines farm. Oct 25th with a cold front moving in and a huge storm. We spent the next day catching up with our friends, going over stands, deer movement, upcoming forecast the usual. Also gave me a chance to get a days break between traveling and hunting.

Time to break out the VPA Vapour and get the brain sighted in.

Jim and I getting in some practice behind the Yurt.

Now MN is cold and for an Africa I wont lie I froze my ass off up there like usual, and loved every minuet of it. The bucks where starting to move and there was great sign on the ground.

We hunted hard and put in a lot of hours on stand, we set up a few new stands after monitoring movement.

First morning I had a nice doe feed behind my stand, in the cold I could see another breath on the cold air, a glimpse of antler….turned out to be a BIG buck, he moved to 30m behind my stand and never presented a shot, I watched as he walked out of my life and like almost all big bucks….never to be seen again. Great start non the less. Before getting down for the morning I could hear more movement 3 does heading my way, I got into position and readied, they moved through in front of me and at 15m one of the does turned slightly quartering away, tension built on my finger as the recurve limbs tracked back, at the touch of the corner of my mouth the arrow was gone. I did not see it fly but heard the unmistakable sound of the arrow. I looked up to the skies and smiled back at the hunting gods that where smiling down at me.

I returned to the yurt and had a pot of coffee waiting for Jim upon his return, after a quick cup we headed out on the spoor. 150m down the heavy blood trail was my doe. A beautiful big Doe.

Now it was time to try focus our efforts on some of the great bucks cruising the area. We’r where up early and in bed late, but just could not get things to work out. We where seeing some young bucks though.

One morning I hunted a transect of too old logging roads and early through the leave over the ridge came a nice big 10 point, he passed by me at 60m and dropped onto the road heading strait for James, who was sitting 250m across from me on that very same logging road. He was great buck, I sat back down when he tipped over the ridge, hoping he would pass by my hunting partner. Next thing I know I hear some leaves and the big 10 is heading strait back towards me, it was everything I could do to get up and get ready before he passed my shooting lane 25m directly in front of me. Game on, he stopped just before my lane, quite relaxed, 2 more steps and id have my shot, my brain was racing reading for the shot, the buck then ran through my lane stopped again just the other side of it and walked slowly out of my life. I was kind of stunned, “What the ?” “what are the dam odds of that” just 2 more steps that’s all I needed. All I could do was sit back down and laugh…just was not meant to be on that one I guess.

I hunted that same Ridge again in hopes of catching that buck moving through again, with no luck. I did however see a nice buck across the valley tending a doe, 30yards from one the stands, wrong place and the wrong time. I took this pic through my bino’s whilst on my way out. It was to be the last buck I saw for my season, and the whole experience had left me with a greater understanding of the passion for chasing these majestic deer, and I fondly look forward to my next time in the whitetail woods.

Andy Ivy

“From the Field” Water Buffalo Anatomy and Shot placement (Part 2)

Oct30 by Andy Ivy

I’ve always had a keen interest in testing gear out in the field (in real hunting situations). As a bowhunter there are no two situations ever exactly the same when hunting and some things are still uncharted waters when it comes to big game and the new specialized gear that is at our fingertips today.
Doing this ground work gives me a better first-hand understanding of the animal so I can become a better hunter, avoid wounding animals unnecessarily and give better advice to those hunting with me or those wanting to hunt.

Some notes on gear:

I’ve seen a wide range of set-ups kill buffalo.
From as low as 60lb Trad bows through to 80+ lb Compounds.
Arrows as low as 500grs through to 1000grs plus.
So it can be done with a wide range of gear.
But it comes down to the individual, his limitations, taking the right shot at the right time, a bit of luck etc…
There is no “one size fits all” with hunting set-ups, but I try avoid the “it’s enough” or “it could work under the right circumstances” approach.
With big game it should be as good as you can personally get it and a big game set-up or any bowhunting set-up for that matter is about finding a balance.
How much bow weight, arrow weight and the broadhead type depends on what the individual can handle and do so “accurately” and with total confidence in your ability and equipment.

“Your set-up is only as good as the weakest part within it” Don’t spend big $ on the safari of a lifetime and big $ on all your gear only to go and put a broadhead that has failed someone before on the front of your arrow.

Notes on Shots

The broadside shot…. its pretty rare to slip one through the ribs and it’s unrealistic to hope for that to happen…90% of the time you will be hitting a rib, so the set-up needs to be able to punch through a big rib, and the broadhead needs to be able to handle that heavy bone without failing.

There has been a lot of info on what works and what does not so do your research, choose your gear carefully and prepare properly. Don’t get sucked in by advertising and if you take advice, try take it from someone that has actually killed a few buffalo.
Plan B - “the front on shot”

This has been on my mind for years with buffalo but I had to wait until I really had a good understanding of taking this shot before I went ahead and tested it out thoroughly.

I know it is not a shot many take on game, and it’s not a shot I look for on game like deer and for valid reasons. But, it is an option.
That “option” is yours to decide. For buffalo it’s an option I recommend you consider.

All I will do is show what I have found.

Buffalo don’t jump the string, even if looking straight at you when you release.

Buffalo are curious. It is not uncommon for a buffalo to move closer to you to get a better look.
A smart bull will circle down wind and then it’s game over but others will move straight towards you, especially if you are well concealed.

You can “call” a Buffalo in under the right circumstances through noise and motion.

A calf distress call can be very effective, but I only use that as a last resort as it will put the bull on edge to danger.
Flapping the hat is the most common way to get a buffalo in. The set-up has to be right, you have to be low to the ground and preferably 80% concealed, that way you are nonthreatening and the bull has to move closer to see what you are.
Height is threatening to buffalo. The higher you are the more threatened they will be.
We’ve pulled buffalo in from as far as 150m using these methods.

One thing to consider with this shot is that the bull is looking at you and knows exactly where you are.

But you have NO bone to penetrate if you hit it right, and your realistic kill zone is not much smaller than the broadside shot.
You get the “long cut” though the vitals.
You have veins and arteries close under the neck, then over the top of the heart, down the length of the lungs, and you cut through the diaphragm. 20″ of penetration will get you all the way to the start of the guts.

This is a common sight.

Center of Mass is what you want here. Middle of the chest, half way up the body.
The buffalo have chest and throat markings that can be used as a guideline for shot placement.
You want your arrow between these two lines.

One thing to be aware of is the huge long neck.
Head position must be right for taking this shot.
Low, Mid and High head positions are what you will get, the low head position offers no shot. It covers the area you want to hit.
The mid head position means you will have to go through more neck before getting into the chest. The high head position requires less penetration to get into the vitals.

Most of the time this shot will be under 25m.
*Note, high head position and chest and throat markings.

Here is a Bull killed with a low chest shot. Do not shoot lower than this shot placement or you will start to contact bone.

The result.

Here is a rough half view of what you have, showing the hole you have with no ribs.

Here is a Video of the front on shot. This is the buff I actually killed with a recurve, you can see in the video where I hit it. My shot was a little to the side but still killed the bull. But where this arrow goes is the “sweet spot”

and this is cutting the arrow out after the shot on video..except I had to pull the arrow out so you can see it in the pic.

I’ts quite something getting to full draw and having a ton of animal staring down his nose at you.

All the best and keep a tree close.

‘From the Field’ -Water Buffalo Anatomy & Shot placement (Part 1)

Oct8 by Andy Ivy

Water Buffalo are the pinnacle dangerous game animal on the Australian continent and walk and stalk with the bow, they prove to be a worthy advisory, and an adventurous hunt for any bowhunter.

The Buffalo were introduced in the late 19^th century by settlers on the north coast of Australia as a source of meat and as a beast of burden. But when the settlements were abandoned around 1949, the buffalo spread and established through the northern floodplains.

The Water Buffalo tips the scale shoulder to shoulder with its African counterpart the Cape Buffalo, but with no natural predators on the continent they are not quite as weary as the old dugga boys. They are however big, cunning and dangerous. The thick hide and heavy flat ribs protecting the engine room, and the unforgiving wild area they inhabit make it a very challenging big game bowhunt which requires good preparation both mentally and in ones choice of equipment.

Over the last several years guiding Water Buffalo safaris in Australia’s Northern Territory, I’ve compiled some rough pics, field notes and observations that I hope will be of some use to anyone interested in bowhunting the bulls of the far north.
I don’t claim the following pics to be 100% correct, more so I intend them to be a good first hand insight and guide to Water Buffalo shot placement and anatomy.

The bread and butter shot is the Broadside or Slightly Quartering away. Preferably head forward and feeding. “Straight up the front leg, half way up the animal”. It’s easy to calculate and gives you the most room for error.

You can tuck the shot in tighter to the triangle (putting you just above the heart) but it’s really no more effective than a solid double lung hit and you risk contact with the heavy front leg bones.

The are a few things to be careful of when taking this shot:
Actual angle.

The Buff are a big slab and can be very deceiving. It’s often difficult to see if it’s truly slightly quartering away, perfectly broadside or slightly quartering on. With such a big neck the animal’s whole torso can move when it moves its head. For example a broadside Buffalo that has its neck and head turned and looking at you, will make its chest slightly quarter towards you. So you need to look carefully at the true angle.

Take a look at this pic, this Bull is ever so slightly quartering on. It’s a good shot but you have to be aware that your arrow will be slightly angling back on the far side. The reason I point this out is it’s important you make a double lung hit.

Slightly Quartering Away

Here is the slightly quartering away shot. Good shot to take, but I don’t like it to be any more quartering away than this bull. See the near side leg is back and also note its head and neck position, the ribs are going to be crunched up tight together as a result.

The Most common Error I see with the above broadside and slight quartering away shots is hitting too far back, too low or both!

On a broadside bull you just can not afford to hit him back. The guts come all the way right up behind the front shoulder so if you are even 4″ or more back from the “crease” and low, there is a good chance you may lose your bull.

Now I’ve seen time and time again some quartering away shot problems… The angle is great for most game but I do not believe it to be a good shot on Buffalo. So much so I will not take a quartering away shot myself. I’m not saying it can not be done but I certainly don’t recommend it.

It comes down to two things, the steep angle of the big flat ribs and broadheads “skidding” and “deflecting” off them.
I’ve seen it many times and because we are obliged to shoot wounded bulls with the back up rifle it means we can take a look and see what went wrong.

This is also where I’ve seen a lot of broadheads fail. That angled impact really puts a lot of pressure on the broadhead and front of the arrow. I’ve seen tips curling or the adapter bending right behind the head, resulting in a deflection off the ribs and a wounded Buffalo.
Next is a Mid size Buffalo Bull..Standing.
We set it up to give a more realistic position for testing, so the bone and vitals are in the natural position.

Ribs

The gap between the ribs when standing facing forward is as thick as your index finger.

Lungs

*Note, I put a cut in the guts and liver to show their position.

Lungs, Liver and Stomach *Note that the lung does not go back much at all past the back of the “crease” …I.E. Do not shoot too far behind the front leg!

Heart The Big Bulls can have a serious engine block.

Video

Check back for part 2……..

VPA Broadheads

Sep25 by Andy Ivy

Over the last several years testing Broadheads I have to give credit where credit is due.
Hands down the best Broadhead I have come across in years! Vantage Point Archery(VPA) answered the call for those bowhunters wanting a serious Broadhead – something made with precision and reliability that you can depend upon in the moment of truth. Time and time again!
Made in the USA, VPA Broadheads are made by bowhunters for bowhunters.

A Solid one-piece machined Broadhead.

The VPA 2 Blades Available in: 150, 175, 200, 250, and 300 grain models

VPA offer several options within their line-up. Small Game Thumpers, The Spur Turkey point, as well as their 2 blade and very popular 3 blade series. All available in a wide range of weights in both screw in and glue on.

The VPA heads are a solid one piece construction, precision machined from high carbon steel and PTFE Teflon coated.
No welds, no screws, no moving parts, no joints…eliminating all the weaknesses. I’ve been so impressed with these heads over the last few years, it would be a shame not to share them with those looking for the best broadhead to complete your set-up. The 2 and 3 blade heads have a 1 1/8″ cutting diameter. The high grade steel is tempered to 50 Rockwell and takes an amazing edge . The structural integrity is unmatched! It’s common to use the same head several times over.

The VPA 3 Blades

New this year as well is the 325gr off-set single bevel for those bowhunters wanting to really take on some big game. I tested it throughout the Northern Territory Buffalo season with impressive results!

The whole line up of VPA Broadheads are bomb proof, and there is a size and weight to suit any bowhunter’s needs from Rabbit to Buffalo. All backed by a company that stands behind their product.

Broadheads are one of the most important parts of your set-up and if you’re like me and expect your equipment to stand up to whatever the hunt throws at you, then give these heads a try.

Sharpening the VPA 3 blades

One of several Big flood plain Bulls killed with the VPA 300gr 3blade.

Africa, Late Season Walk and Stalk

Sep17 by Andy Ivy

Over the last few years I have been hunting late season, in South Africa. Its a great time of year and for the most part I have the hunting to myself. Its makes for a very challenging hunt, the game have been under a lot of pressure through the year so they are well in tune with the bush, and you have to be on the top of the game to be successful.

Early rains can quieten the bush and bring through some color, making things a little easier to stalk.

(Nigel glassing)

We spend a lot of time glassing and trying to pattern game from Kopjies (rocky outcrops). You can cover a lot of country with glass without having to push game around or disturb good areas. Once we pick out something, we will keep tabs on the wind and plan our approach and stalk.

This year I was after 3 specific animals Bushpig, Kudu and Wildebeest. I had never taken any of them walk and stalk yet except for the Kudu and I was only going to be hunting on foot. We had a lot of time to scout and already knew of a few great animals that we had seen during the season.

When not hunting from the kopjies, we would drop into the dry rivers and areas of thick bush when the wind was good. You have to hunt slow and keep very quiet. I stop and glass maybe every 10 steps so you have to be focused and patient. It’s absolutely key that you spot the game long before it is aware of your presence, and that includes game that can alert other animals of your position.

One afternoon on the way back to camp I spotted a nice little Steenbuck feeding on some green pick that was growing from an area of burnt bush. I picked my way in around the small Acacia trees until I got to 20m. I carefully came to full draw as I eased around the last tree, keeping my pin low on the chest I released. The arrow hit tight and low behind the shoulder and the little buck went 30m before going down. A great start.

I had a few days with some really good wind, so I decided to stick to the rivers in search of Kudu. I had several encounters but passed a few younger bulls in hopes of getting an older animal. Early one morning I got right into a bedded wildebeest and after crawling to less than 10m from the old bull, I had no shot through the thorn trees. Frustrating to be so close and have no opportunity, at the same time really neat to be so close. Finally the wind swirled and the bull exploded out of there.

The next morning I decided to walk from camp. By mid-day the wind was still good so I kept pushing on. I made my way out of the thick river bush and after glassing the edge, found two great Kudu bulls feeding towards the river. I quickly dropped back into the river and got in front of the bulls. I crawled out into some good cover were I knew I would have a few shooting lanes. I quickly ranged a few trees, nocked an arrow and waited. By the time I spotted the first bull he was already close, I could see the tips of his horns waving above the bushes. He walked through one of my lanes before I could draw, then made his way to the opposite side of the acacia I was hiding behind and started to feed. The second bull came into sight. I had to time the draw very carefully with the other bull so close. As I got to full draw the second bull stopped right at 30m, I settled in and really took my time. When the pin hovered tight behind the front leg, I squeezed off the shot. The arrow disappeared exactly where I was aiming. Most of the next few minutes where a blur and I really had to force myself to sit tight and really just take it all in before following up the blood trail.

(VPA 150gr 3Blade )

The Bull did not travel more then 100m and I was ecstatic with the result. A beautiful mature Kudu bull is one of the most impressive of the African plains game Animals.

After several failed attempts at the Bushpig, and the fact the population was so low from the relentless poaching, I decided to concentrate my efforts on the Wildebeest. I had been seeing some good bulls over on the far side of the property. I patterned one big bull drinking and feeding off one of the big dams every night. I got close a few times but just could not make it happen in the final stages of the stalk.

One afternoon whilst walking in, I came across a group of Wildebeest bulls bedded not far from one of the dry rivers. After some time getting the wind right I very quietly made my way through the river and as close as I could get to the herd. From there I leopard crawled on my stomach another 40m to the last remaining little bush between the bulls and I. From this position I was 30m from a good bull. I sat tight and waited until they finally got up. When they did I wasted no time getting to full draw. The wind was blowing hard and I had to really concentrate to keep the bow steady. The arrow flew perfect and hit the bull right behind the shoulder. The herd exploded out of sight at the shot all except the bull I shot, traveling only 120m and dying on the run after taking a VPA 3 blade through the top of the heart. I was pumped, the reward of going after and taking an animal walk and stalk is impossible to put into words. But I can tell you its worth every bit of effort you put into it!