by Joella Bates

 

 

 

 

 

Ever since arrowing my first Cape buffalo in Africa on May 10^th, 2001, I have dreamed of bowhunting Africa's Big 5. South Africans Tienie and Ananja Bamberger and American hunter, Dave Erdman from Florida put the plan in motion at the 2009 Harrisburg Outdoor Show. The Bambergers spent months planning and preparing for the record setting safari prior to my arrival in Johannesburg in early September. The month-long safari, culminated in me becoming the first woman to take the Big 5 of Africa with my bows between September 7^th and October 3^rd of 2009 and the first bowhunter to accomplish the feat in a single safari. We met the challenge. I realized my dream.

 

The Big 5 consists of the lion, elephant, Cape buffalo, white rhinoceros, and leopard. Any one of these animals presents the hunting experience of a lifetime, but to put it all together into a single safari offered more intense and demanding adventure than I could have imagined even in my wildest dreams. My dream to pursue the Big 5 with a bow and arrows had spanned eight years. There were many setbacks along the way, but my determination and positive never-say-can’t attitude prevailed with the very professional assistance of the Warthog Safaris staff.

 

On September 7^th, after a 30-mile 10-hour stalk zigzagging across the Kalahari Desert, Tienie’s command, “Shoot your lioness!” brought me to full-draw a mere 6.5 yards from the roaring lioness following her mock charge that brought the native trackers running past us in fear for their lives.

 

My heart was racing as I drew the 75# Athens Accomplice and hurriedly shot a great arrow tipped with an Atom broadhead through her heart.

 

“Shoot your lioness again!” I did. The lioness crouched lower after each shot.

 

“Shoot your lioness again,” Tienie repeated, as I followed up with a third and final frontal shot before she turned, bounced two strides, and walked away only traveling 25 yards to her final resting place.

 

“That was really close,” I commented, but little did I know that the events that would follow would take me even closer.

 

“One down and four to go,” Tienie responded as he gave me the first of many congratulatory hugs that were to come.

 

 

On September 12th, during my problem elephant hunt in Zimbabwe, I experienced the real danger associated with the competition between man and beast and the combative situations that occur with the every-day exposure of the natives and large populations of elephants in and around their tribal lands especially at the end of the dry season.

 

A day an a half into the elephant hunt, we had stalked to within bow shooting distance to a large herd of elephants that included a large sleeping elephant a mere 10 yards from our position. The big bull was facing the opposite direction all sprawled out with his legs outstretched and his eyes closed. If you listened carefully, you could hear snores coming from him.

 

We were close enough that Tienie told me to draw after reading me the distance of 25 yards to the bull on the right. I was at full draw with the prototype 90 pound Athens Accomplice with my site pin centered on the bull that stood and postured. He began urinating like you see bull elks do when they are excited and showing their dominance. He then mock charged, but he stopped, still facing frontal. I had been told to wait for him to go broadside, so I followed instructions while staying at full draw hoping he would turn. His mock-charge scared the trackers and they took off like scalded dogs.

 

I guess that spooked the cow elephant that had been standing straight to our front but facing our way. She turned toward us, and we suspect she saw the men running. She mock charged them backed up two steps before coming for us in a full charge. At 10 yards she kept coming, running over and breaking the trees in her path. Remember, I am still at full-draw but now aiming with the pin on her chest. It all happened so fast. I finally let my bow down as she crashed to the ground just two steps from my feet.

 

If it had not been for Tienie Bamberger, my PH and owner of Warthog Safaris, and his assisting PH, Sean, who each placed perfect brain shots, we may have all been stomped and killed. I am alive today because Tienie Bamberger knows what to do and does it instinctively even when in the pressure cooker.

On September 16^th, I placed three Carbon Express arrows tipped with a 175-grain First Cut broadheads all of which had been lubricated with ATL into the heart of a behemoth six-ton bull elephant form a short distance of 20 yards. My equipment worked perfectly and I got incredible penetration.

 

The meat from both elephants was donated to the villagers that proudly came and butchered their prize and feasted on the bounty of the land.

 

 

On September 18^th, I released another frontal shot from the 90# Athens bow. This time the full-length weighted Carbon Express Rebel Hunter traveled 14.5-yards into the heart of a very nice old dagga boy Cape buffalo. He had broken off a tip of one horn while fighting with another big bull, so he already had a bad attitude.

 

With all the excitement and close encounters with critters up to this point, I fully expected him or his big dagga boy buddy to charge. I hated the thought of having to climb to safety. You know I’m no skinny young girl. But thank God, he and the other bull ran away. They only traveled 30 yards before he crumbled and expired. The meat from this 3,000 pound brute was donated for use by orphanages and church camps.

 

 

Two days later, I green hunted a white rhinoceros, shooting him with an arrow tipped with a syringe containing a tranquilizing drug. This temporally put him to sleep allowing us to gather data and blood work. We took lots of pictures before I administered the antidote. Of course the vet inserted the needle, but I squirted in the antidote. The bull rhino left leaving a cloud of dust and then came back for one last stand before disappearing into the thick thorny bushes. Ben, Tienie’s dad, observed the rhino the following day. It was fine, but still a bit agitated from being hunted. I was blessed to have experienced a rare opportunity to enjoy all the excitement of the hunt, but then release the trophy animal back into the wild to roam again.

 

 

On October 3^rd, I completed the Big 5 challenge when Tienie recovered the leopard that I had arrowed with the 75 pound Athens Accomplice. The Nikon laser rangefinder read 16.5 yards from the blind to the bait tree. I practiced that exact shot shooting from my knees for several days at the range back at camp. We had rehearsed the scenario many times without talking before I finally released that arrow into my leopard.

 

 

You will have to get the DVD or book to get the details. Reserve your copy of “Closer than Close” here at Joella’s website www.joellabates.com or www.warthogsafaris.co.za or email joella@joellabates.com. Look for Joella and Tienie at an outdoor show near you.

 

I send many whole-hearted thanks to Warthog Safaris for making my dream a reality. Book your hunt with Warthog Safaris at www.warthogsafaris.co.za. Joella’s website will soon contain details on the 2010 Archery for Bowhunters’ Clinic and 10-day African Safari.