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The 2008 hunting season got off to a great start. Rather than wait for spring bears and turkeys out West, we packed up the TV cameras and headed to New Zealand, where early March found the red stags roaring. We hunted with Gerald Fluerty of Wildside Hunting Safaris www.wildsidehunting.com, and had an incredible experience.
Wildside's land is made for the spot-and-stalk hunter, and given the quality and number of animals around, there was no shortage of excitement. On the second day of the hunt, a shot opportunity finally presented itself as a big red stag came up the same trail Gerald and I were walking down. Quickly we dove into the brush, and moments later the 24-point stag took an arrow at 16 yards.
From there, we moved to the lowlands, where our focus shifted to one of the South Pacific's most prized deer, the sika (see-kuh). After a day and a half, a long shot with the Thompson Center dropped the deer in his tracks. He's one of the most striking deer I've hunted in the world, and made for great eating.
Another spotted buck would fall to the rifle, this time a fallow deer at 165 yards. I'd blown a chance at a monster buck earlier in the day, but connected in the final minutes of the hunt. His spotted coat and palmated rack were a beautiful sight to walk up on. I also connected on a curl-and-a-half Arapawa ram at 260 yards, one of the bonus animals hunters can find in New Zealand.
Two more red stags would be taken on this trip, including a 20-point monster. We followed this roaring stag for two hours, and finally caught up with him in a brushy ravine. There was only one opening in the bush, and he walked into it, giving a shot opportunity at 100 yards.
A final stag would be taken with the BowTech General, on the last day of the hunt. A long stalk found us within 36 yards of the drop-tine stag, and the Rocky Mountain Titanium 100 at the end of a Gold Tip Ultralight Pro 400 arrow did the rest.
All of these hunts were filmed for television, namely Wild Encounters and the American Archer, both on the Outdoor Channel. These hunts are scheduled to air this year...Stay tuned!
In May, I was fortunate to head back to South Africa, where we once again shot a series of TV shows with Tam Safaris www.tamsafaris.com. Since I was a boy, the number one animal in the world I always wanted to hunt was a male lion. On this trip, my dream became reality. The hunt couldn’t have been more exciting, where, on the third day, I connected on a beautiful animal. Despite having the lion within 15 yards at one point, we could not get a shot through heavy brush. The lion bolted, and the stalk was on. A few hours later we got in front of him, and had him walk right toward us. After watching the cat work our way from over 200 yards, the shot finally came at 60 yards. The big cat measured 10’1” from nose to tail-tip, and weighed 500 pounds. This hunt can be seen on Outdoor America.
After the lion hunt, another of the greatest hunts of my entire life unfolded, as we snuck to within 30 yards of a monstrous white rhino, and darted him. These “green hunts” have played a large part in the survival success of the white rhino, as much needed dollars go directly in to conservation efforts. As soon as the bull, which weighed 2.5 tons, buckled, wildlife personnel were fast at work, collecting blood and tissue samples. This hunt, and the others that follow, can all be seen on Wild Encounters.
While hunting with brothers Peter and Stephen Tam, I also took the springbuck slam. These are exciting animals to hunt, and we did all four species by way of spot and stalk. I also took a handsome gemsbuck, along with an African lynx, or caracal, a cat I’ve always wanted to hunt. We also took a huge lioness, on a management hunt. This was my seventh Africa safari, and we’re making plans to return, soon. This time, I look forward to taking the family along, so our sons can see just how special that part of the world truly is.
My final hunt of the spring found myself and buddy, Mike Jenkins, on a do-it-yourself black bear hunt on the island of big bears, Prince of Wales, in Alaska. We saw several bears, and took a couple of well-furred beauties. On Mike’s hunt, we used a Jones Calls Mini Mouth, and called it right in. After several minutes of irate chomping, jaw-popping and tearing up stumps, the bear finally came out of the woods. Mike made a perfect shot at 75 yards as the bear was coming at us.
After a long stalk, I snuck to within 30 yards of my bear as it fed on grass along the beach, then threaded a bolt through both lungs. The bear went 12 yards and tipped over. It was the first bear I’d ever taken with a crossbow, and I was amazed at the effectiveness of this hunting device. I love trying new things, and the hunt with a crossbow was a blast! We stayed at Thorne Bay Lodge www.thornebaylodge.com, who specializes in catering to the do-it-yourself hunter. They provide a vehicle and skiff, too, and offer excellent fishing around the island. This exciting hunt will air on Outdoor America.
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