Watts Bow Hunting Safaris will provide you with unlimited communication, assistance and detailed information regarding every aspect of your safari prior to your departure. The following is a general overview of frequent topics regarding safari in South Africa. If there is not an answer to a particular question you have, please don’t hesitate to Contact Us. We will be happy to answer all questions and concerns you may have.
Bow Hunting Questions
For plains game hunting, you should bring your normal big game set up you would use for whitetail, elk or any other type deer. We have archers who use compound, re-curve, and long bow as well as crossbows. The most important aspect of your hunt will be that you are familiar with your bow and equipment you bring.
We recommend a fixed three blade cut on impact. No mechanical broad heads.
Most of our blinds are elevated or pit blinds. They are very roomy inside. You shoot trough vertical slots in the front of the blind. The blinds are very dark inside so you are very concealed. We also use pop up blinds, tree stands and natural brush blinds, pending on what species you hunt and the hunting area.
Shooting on level ground, from tree stands and from inside pop up blinds would all be very good practice. You need to be very proficient from 50 yards and closer.
Most of the shots will be 25 yards or less. It does not always work that way and longer shots are taken especially when following wounded game.
We prefer our bow hunting clients to come from June to October. This is winter and early spring for us and the weather is quite nice for bow hunting. By this time normally all the scattered waterholes have dried up and animals come to water daily. Also most of the cover is gone from the trees and you can see the game coming in and gives you the chance to study the animals for trophy quality.
Yes you can….the requirements is a minimum of 80 foot pounds (kinetic energy) is needed for buffalo, giraffe and lion. A 105 foot pounds (kinetic energy) is needed for elephant, rhino and hippo. You would need a heavy fixed two blade broad head that is sharp to the tip to get maximum penetration. Arrow weight should been between 700 to 900 grain. Some Dangerous game do need the required permit for such a hunt.
Not at all. Unlike fire arms, bows are currently not regulated coming in to South Africa. You simply pick up your bow and proceed through the customs area.
Blue colour:
These hunts are usually farm/ranch/estate hunts and most hunting is done from blinds or tree stands.
Green colour:
Moderate physical hunts such as walk & stalk plains game in hilly country, semi – mountainous, sandy and river gullies terrain.
Red colour:
Wilderness hunts for certain species such as Buffalo, Elephant, Vaal reedbuck, Klipspringer and others in mountainous, hilly and sandy country. Bad weather conditions may also play a role in the physicality.
