Looking down from my tree stand I begin to shake. I knew I would. The six big Cape buffalo bulls making their way towards my tree were something else, more like monsters than buffalo. Each hoof pounded the ground, creating a red mist that swirled across the savannah like a dust storm. I tried to control my breathing and keep my composure the best I could, but I was excited and as nervous as I had ever been. It took forever to get the release on the bow, but after four tries I finally did. This was going to be the most important shot I would ever make in my 35 years of bow hunting and I knew it had to count.

When I was a kid, I had always dreamed of going to Africa to hunt Cape buffalo. Years passed, and like most dreams that die this one did not. During that time, I read every book, flipped through every magazine and watched every video I could get my hands on about African hunting. I practically wore them out, hoping someday to make it a reality.         

Time is a funny thing, but years later with college done, a family started and other pursuits I landed a job that allowed me to save a little money and start an African fund.  It took a few years, but finally I had enough to go. So, in 2003 after some careful planning and searching I booked a hunt with a good friend of mine, but it wasn’t for buffalo. Buffalo were expensive to hunt in those days and on my budget it just wasn’t possible.

I spent 10 incredible days in South Africa, with each day being better than the last. It was awesome, beginning with a pre-dawn ride to the blind and then seeing all those incredible animals, it was simply amazing. I was extremely lucky on that first safari, taking seven animals including a 56” Kudu and a 26” Impala and even though I couldn’t shoot, I did get to see and film a lot of big buffalo on that trip.

Like all good things they never last long enough. Africa is like that, once you get home you want to turn around and go back again. Six years later I made my second trip back to Africa, but this time on my own. My wife didn’t like it much, but all my hunting friends were busy and just couldn’t go. Nevertheless, I went, knowing a little more about what to do and what not to do when I got there. This trip included those species that I’d seen the first time I was there but had not taken. Again, buffalo were not on the menu.

It was an awesome 10 days. Memories from my first hunt mingled with the new creating a mystical magic that few hunts can fulfill. Each day was something new, from spot and stalk Red Hartebeest, to climbing a tree and hunting Black Wildebeest, it was truly remarkable! I took eight animals in those ten days, saw hundreds more including the animal that I wanted more than ever, but couldn’t hunt, the buffalo.

Like everything else, hunting in Africa takes time and money, which can be tough to come by these days, but compared to some of the current prices here in North America it’s still a pretty good deal. After returning in 2009 I decided to cut back on travel and save for another trip across the Atlantic. It took time and many sacrifices, but I knew that I could have my fill here in the Arctic hunting moose, caribou and bears. I’m lucky I know, and many would consider that enough, but the dream of bow hunting Mbogo still haunted me.

Eventually I bit the bullet and I decided it was now or never and begin making preparations for another trip to the Dark Continent. I had done my research and with buffalo prices on the decline I knew this was the time to go. More importantly I had the resources and a friend who wanted to go with me. My long time Alaska hunting partner Lew Pagel wanted the experience too and was all in for the adventure. This would be his first safari and his first big bow hunting experience. The planning began.

After two trips to the Dark Continent with the same safari company I knew who to call, more importantly I knew what to expect. Dries Visser Safaris is the leading safari company in South Africa and have been for many years. Well known for producing the biggest trophies, but also for creating one of the best experiences in Africa today. Dries Jr along with his longtime friend and PH Hein Lottering are synonymous with African game and are true African hunters. They’ve also become good friends over the years. 

I emailed Dries and asked the necessary questions that all guided hunts require. Dates, cost and various other questions that you need to know when it comes to booking an adventure of this magnitude.

“Cape Buffalo?” he asked in the email and I said yes, plus I would like to hunt porcupine and hopefully a Red Hartebeest if we’re lucky, two animals that eluded me the last time over. 

Lew was excited as well; booking one of the many packages Dries has to offer while on safari. The “first timer” package is popular and includes a bag list of the more common animals that you hunt on your first trip. Lew knew what he wanted and made preparations for such. We booked for eight days, hoping that was enough time to get it all done. 

Whether hunting arctic grizzlies or Cape buffalo there are a lot of things you have to prepare for when hunting dangerous game and I knew I needed to give myself plenty of time. Cape buffalo are big nasty animals that can be incredible hard to kill if not done correctly or without the right gear. Everything I’ve heard, read or seen about these bad boys seems to be true and having the right archery set-up was a must if I planned to get the job done. As a longtime ambassador for BowTech I knew my bow wouldn’t be a problem, I have total confidence in them, I just needed to decide how to set it up.

Bow hunting dangerous game requires a bow that can produce 80 pounds of kinetic energy, so I called BowTech and had them send me their new 70-pound BT-X bows. I also ordered a dozen arrows and a dozen Ashby broad heads from “Grizzly Stik”, an Alaskan Bowhunting company long known for producing great products used here in Alaska. This combination was deadly, meeting all the requirements needed to take down a massive buffalo.

Two weeks later boxes began to arrive, and I was excited to say the least, but having it and getting it set-up to shoot were two different things. Taking it to my local pro shop, my good friend Roddy had the bow ready to go no time. 

“81.4 kinetic and shooting bullet holes”, he said. I was pumped!

Preparing for any bow hunt requires practice and for the next four months you could find me shooting everyday. Those big old arrows and broad heads looked funny setting on the Trophy Taker rest, and I wondered at every shot if they would actually go to where they were supposed to. They weren’t the fastest, but each time the Copper John sight settled they found their mark. 

Lew arrived at my house in Oklahoma a few days before our June 20th departure. We continued our practice sessions and visited a couple of animal parks to have a look at some of the species we would be hunting. Sounds weird, but you can’t believe how much this helps when it comes to hunting animals that you’ve never seen before. We also looked at several mounts, trying to get an idea of what big looked like versus not so big. It was a great fun.

Our plane ride over was smooth and the three-hour ride to camp, even though it was in the dark, went by quickly. Both Dries, Hein and Lew’s PH met us at camp where dinner was waiting for us. One thing true about safari, the food and drink are always good and plentiful. We discussed the next day’s events and even though I had a bad case of jet lag I found sleep easily.

The next morning was what I was waiting for, a feeling that only an African bow hunting safari can produce. The pre dawn walk to the truck, then the drive to the blind or a tree, all knowing that you’re getting ready to see some of the most magnificent animals in the world is pure excitement. It’s also winter in Africa, where cool temps combined with long sleeves and jackets give it the feel of fall in North America, make it even more enjoyable.