By Jerry Long, August 30, 2010   

In this series of blogs I share the day-by-day journal from my archery safari experience with Dries Visser Safaris in the Republic of South Africa.  The entries will likely contain more detail than some desire, but in keeping with dv’s Mostly Archery mission, I want to help you be more successful and I think the extra details will.  

August  13th, 2010 – Travel Day 1  

Note:  There won’t be lot of pictures during the travel days entries.  Please bear with me, they are coming.  

I checked in with United Express in Milwaukee.  I was planning to be quite solemn when it came to my bow case.  It was larger than the 62 allowable inches (length plus thickness plus width), but to me this is a scam.  I could find no airline approved compound bow case on the market that fit in this allowance.  The counter attendant never said a word.  She tried to get me to take an earlier flight to Chicago O’Hare which I refused.  Conceptually, I wanted my luggage and I to be on the same plane.  I am glad that I refused as its doors closed before I got through security.  My flight was overbooked, but I made it safely onboard.  

The SKB double parallel limb bowcase.  

Upon arrival to Chicage O’Hare I navigated my way to the Dulles departure gate.  Boarding this flight went well also.  Once at Dulles I found the international departure gate for the seventeen hour South African Airway’s flight and settled in for the seven hour departure wait, perused the gift shops and scouted out dinner.  I read and listened to the radio via my I-pod while making sure it was charged for the long flight.   

At some point the counter called for us to change out our originally issued boarding passes for new purple ones.  I did it quickly, but despite many calls others did not.  Upon boarding these passengers had to go stand in line again to get a purple boarding pass.  

Turns out I was seated next to Tim from Oregon who was also a bowhunter.  We passed the time off and on by sharing stories.  I had an outside aisle row seat and it turns out passengers can’t store stuff under the seat in front of them in this particular seat.  That was an inconvenience since my pack was loaded with things like water, No Jet Lag pills, two I-pods, books and magazines.  It ended up working out to store it in the overhead, but it was, again, slightly inconvenient.  Doug at Gracy Travel had helped me choose the aisle seat since I get up to the call of nature a lot and, due to a left calf blood clot from 2007, I wanted to move around occasionally.   

The meals and beverages were decent, filling and frequent.  The personal entertainment system, consisting of a TV mounted in the back of the seat in front of each passenger, had plenty of good movies, music, TV shows, games, flight map and silly exercises to choose from.  I read and never even got my I-pod out.  Every two hours I took my No Jet Lag pill and walked to the back of the plane.  The stewards and stewardesses were very accommodating.  Having suffered a blood clot in my left calf in 2007 I had been advised by the Hunt Doctors to wear compression socks (I simply used some extremely tight-fitting soccer socks that also double for winter running) and ensure I got up and moved occasionally.  I performed a series of upper and lower body stretches as well as some toe raises to get the blood pumping each time.   

Each time Tim would get up and return he brought something back with him; juice, chocolates, sunflower seeds (which actually turned out to be instant coffee).  That helped pass the time.  The one-hour fuel stop in Dakar was uneventful.  The associated fumigation was also not that bad.  

happy hunting, dv   

If you liked this blog you may like the following:     

Feedback, Questions & Comments  

I’d like to hear your tips, feedback, comments or questions.  Please leave them below.     

Subscribe    

Like this blog? Want to be notified of updates? Subscribe via RSS feed by clicking here.  

 By Jerry Long, August 23, 2010 

Completing the Customs and Border Protection Form 4457, Certificate of Registration for Personal Effects Taken Abroad, in preparation for traveling to the Republic of South Africa.

If something is “supposed to be done” I generally try to do it to be on the safe side.  The subject of whether or not to complete the CBP Form 4457 was tossed about on various African hunting forums.  Some bowhunters said they completed it while others said they didn’t.  One bowhunter said he had been asked for his.  For serialized items other than firearms the form prevents a traveler from having to pay tax on an item over and over again.  Once completed, the form can be used forever according to the agent who helped me.  For firearms the form is required in conjunction with the South African Police Service (SAPS) registration form.

A completed CBP Form 4457.

Although I am taking no firearms I decided to complete the form just in case.  I downloaded and filled it out to include my two I-Pod Nanos, rangefinder, binoculars, camera, video camera, cell phone and bow.   Once that was done I located my local servicing office here and gave them a call.  The closest office to me is a one-man-band covering two counties.  This guy is as busy as a cat in a dog kennel.  After playing appointment tag with him for a couple of weeks he suggested I go to the next closest office.  Turns out that was good advice. 

I was able to walk in with my bow, electronics and ID (they preferred my passport) into the much larger office, cautiously waiting to be tackled by a CBP officer for carrying a weapon in their midst, the same day.  After showing the officer my items he checked my passport to make sure I wasn’t wanted anywhere, then stamped and signed my form.  All in less than 7 minutes.  He indicated I should carry the form with me at all times while traveling and keep it ready for producing when asked to do so.   Again, he also indicated it was good forever.  Some forum contributors did note that for firearms a separate form should be completed for each as a traveler cannot pick and choose which firearm off the form is traveling with him or her. 

That was it.  Quick and painless.  So, take a lesson from me if you are near a smaller office.  If you run into problems making an appointment go to a larger location.

happy hunting, dv 

If you liked this blog you may like the following:  

• Short Draw Bow Speeds And Technical Discussion
• Short Draw Bow Kinetic Energy And Trajectory
• WWAC – What Would Africa Cost?
• dv Goes to Africa – Expenses Part I
• dv Goes to Africa – Expenses Part II
• dv Goes To Africa – Bow and Arrow Set Up
• dv’s List Of Archery and Bowhunting Don’ts
• dv Goes to Africa – Packing List and Packing

Feedback, Questions & Comments 

I’d like to hear your tips, feedback, comments or questions.  Please leave them below.   

Subscribe  

Like this blog? Want to be notified of updates? Subscribe via RSS feed by clicking here.

 By Jerry Long, August 16, 2010 

Here’s a trip report from a hunt to Shiloh Ranch Hunting Camp in Stonewall, OK.

High school classmates 20 years later; Brian, Will and myself. 

1) Outfitter: Shiloh Ranch Hunting Camp

2) Owner: Matt & Cheryl Napper

3) Address: 28570 CR 3630, Stonewall, OK, 74871

4) Phone: (580)265-4462

5) E-mail: shilohranch@tds.net

6) When: March 19-21, 2007

7) Where: Stonewall, Oklahoma

Guided: Pointed out stand locations, offered advice, etc.

9) Drop: No

10) Transportation to hunting area: Hike in & out, used quad vehicle to recover harvested animals.

11) Accommodations: Shed type cabins including WELL-equipped cooking / dining cabin, lounge cabin, sleeping cabin, shower, and privy. 

12) Trophy hunt only: No

13) Species hunted / harvested: Feral hog and Fallow deer.

I took a nice 132 pound sow. 

Lifetime friend Mike “Bluehawk” Adams took this nice hog with a traditional percussion blackpowder rifle.

My father took a nice sow with his .75 caliber flintlock.  Awesome dad!

Buddy Brian with a nice fallow doe taken from a Double-Bull blind.

14) Tools used: Bow, blackpowder (.50 traditional caplock and .75 traditional flintlock).

15) Land hunted: Private

16) Cost: $295 per person per first feral hog or wounded hog, $1.50 per pound for additional hogs, Fallow deer variable depending on sex from $300 up.

17) Challenging terrain adversely affect hunt: No

18) Did weather adversely affect hunt: No

19) Quantity of game: Excellent

20) Quality of game: Excellent

21) Guide’s Competence: Excellent. For better or worse (our shooting) we utilized Sage the tracking dog on three occasions this trip.  I really enjoyed seeing her in action and recovering the fruits of her labor.

22) Guide’s Hunting Ethics: Excellent

23) Condition of Equipment: Good

24) Food: We provided our own and it was enhanced by the well-equipped cooking / dining cabin. Shiloh can provide meals upon request without prior notice.

25) Accommodations: Good. The shower is cumbersome.

26) Trophy care: Not required, but could be handled by local locker.

27) Meat care: Shiloh has teamed up with a local locker, P&P Deer Processing, with outstanding results. Fifty dollars (up $10 from last year) paid for a “basic” hog package that included some OUTSTANDING pork sausage. Plus, Alvin and his employees couldn’t be nicer. 

28) Number of outfitted / guided hunts for myself: 4

29) Contact me on Bowsite, handle dustyvarmint if you have questions.

30) Recommended: I HIGHLY recommend Shiloh Ranch. I specifically recommend Shiloh for an archer’s first hunt or someone who wants to build experience and confidence.

General comments: This was our second trip to Shiloh.  There was a $30 or $35 tracking fee for use of Sage the tracking dog.  On the second or long day of hunting, hunters were required to be out of the field from approximately 10:00 am to 12:00 pm so that corn could be spread on the internal and external roads.  I sat stand two the entire time this trip and felt the hogs were more skittish this time than in 2006.  Additionally, despite sign to the contrary, the ranch was certified chupacabra free by Cheryl (I didn’t ask for industry qualifications).

happy hunting, dv 

If you liked this blog you may like the following:  

• No Bird Left Behind - A Turkey Tale
• Outfitter Report – Javelina And Hogs In Texas
• Boar Attack – Anatomy Of A Hog Shot Gone Wrong
• Pronghorn – Rained Out
• The Best Valentine’s Day Ever – Winter Bowfishing
• WWAC – What Would Africa Cost?
• Return On Investment – Outdoor’s Style
• dv Goes to Africa – Expenses Part I
• dv Goes to Africa – Expenses Part II
• Passing On The Tradition
• dv Goes To Africa – Bow and Arrow Set Up
• dv’s List Of Archery and Bowhunting Don’ts

Feedback, Questions & Comments 

I’d like to hear your tips, feedback, comments or questions.  Please leave them below.   

Subscribe  

Like this blog? Want to be notified of updates? Subscribe via RSS feed by clicking here.

 By Jerry Long, August 10, 2010 

For a change of pace I attend the National Trapper’s Association Convention in Marshfield, WI and get to spend some time with my father and an old family friend.

Not quite a year ago dad called and said he and long time family friend Harvey King, Harvey King Custom Knives, would be attending the 2010 National Trapper’s Association Convention in Marshfield, WI.  Since dad and Harvey live in Kansas and I live in Wisconsin this would be a great opportunity for us to get together.  Outdoors buddy Seth and I traveled to the Two Brothers’ Cabin on Friday night, partaking of the hot tub, checked out Camp Pug food plots on Saturday morning and then ventured up to the Marshfield fair grounds.  There we met dad and Harvey.

Dad with the shiny head like mine, Seth and Harvey in front of Harvey’s knife table.

Seth is much more of a trapper these days than I, but I grew up trapping and worked in a fur-buyer’s skinning shed for a few years in my teens.  I do love trapping, but it is just one more thing that competes with my available time for bowhunting.  I’m hoping that once I get caught up on my available vacation I can take a combined deer hunting and trapping vacation each fall.

Anyway, as one would expect, there were traps, some big enough to catch me, and accessories every where.  The wafting essence of skunk cover scent was ever present in the air and two days later seems to revisit my nostrils.  While trapping basics remain the same there have been some really neat innovations.

These traps are large enough to catch me.  Note the bow in the background.

One of the greatest new things in my mind is a hydraulic or winch powered skinning hoist that would easily reduce a fur-skinner’s labor by fifty percent in my estimation.  There are clamps at the bottom or at waist height that allow the “opened” flaps of skin from the hind-quarters to be clamped and then hydraulic or winch power is used to pull the hide off with very little need of knife work and no need of “hunching” like I used to do so much of.  Hmmm, deer application?  Also, I am quite impressed with the dog and cat proof “coon cuff” type traps that are species selective by design and seem quite humane.

There were a lot of great everyday people vendors.  Being a sucker for beautiful wood products I was immediately drawn to Kip Feroce of Ferocious Calls out of Lower Burrell, PA.  He had beautiful box calls from quartersawn sycamore, purpleheart, Osage orange, walnut and many more.  The boxes were beautiful, sounded great and were reasonably priced.  I highly recommend them.     

Kip Feroce of Ferocious Calls holds up a beautiful quartersawn sycamore box call.

We also ran into Steve and Tess Greene of Dunn’s Custom Knives.  Originally based in Kansas, now in Florida, I can remember barely being tall enough to look at the founder’s, Melvin Dunn, knives on his display tables.  I’ve always dreamed of owning a Dunn knife, but my custom knives have one thing in common.  Unfortunately, years ago, I lost a beautiful Harvey King Custom Osage orange scaled knife given to me by my father so now they all have orange scales.  When I asked about different scales Steve explained he was just too busy and too old to make custom orders.  Guess I’ll stick with my Harvey King Custom Knives. 

Tess and Steve Greene at their booth.

A Harvey King custom hunting knife of my design and a filet knife of Harvey’s design.  Note that both have handles easily spotted in the woods and grass. 

I was particularly impressed with the offerings at Northern Shire.  Since Mrs. dustyvarmint is a basket maker I have an appreciation for what goes into a fine basket and what they are worth.  I felt Northern Shire’s baskets were outstanding and of extremely reasonable price (maybe too reasonable).  I also have a life-long interest in blacksmithing – yet another hobby that I don’t have time for.   Northern Shire offers iron products for the hearth, campfire and other hardware. 

A sampling of Northern Shire’s baskets with some ironware visible in the background.

Seth and I had great time at the NTA convention.  We both declared it the best outdoors event we’d attended together.  The people were nice, the products were down-to-earth and reasonably priced.  The convention comes to Columbia, MO in 2011 so if you are in the area you might want to consider it.

happy trapping, dv

If you liked this blog you may like the following:  

• Forschner Knives – Buy Now, Thank Me Later
• How To – Use A Sharpening Steel
• Deer & Turkey Classic Review
• Judging An NWTF Turkey Calling Contest
• 4H Archery

Feedback, Questions & Comments 

I’d like to hear your tips, feedback, comments or questions.  Please leave them below.   

Subscribe  

Like this blog? Want to be notified of updates? Subscribe via RSS feed by clicking here.

 By Jerry Long, August 3, 2010 

Bowhunter and friend Gary Martin harvests the Tule elk turning his Super Slam 28 into the North American 29.
 
Over time you’ve read about and seen pictures of local Super Slam bowhunter and friend, Gary Martin, here on dv’s Mostly Archery.  He called last Friday morning to tell me he’d taken a 6×6 Tule elk via spot and stalk on the second day of his hunt. Gary estimates he may be only the eighth person in the world to complete the North American 29 using a bow.

Gary with his Tule elk.
 

 
After years of conservation effort Tule elk hunting was re-opened in 2009. According to Wikipedia Tule elk are a subspecies of elk found only in the grasslands and marshlands of California.  Tule are the smallest species of American elk.  It is estimated that 500,000 roamed the regions when Europeans first arrived, but by 1895 habitat loss and hunting had reduced their population to only 28.  Today it is estimated that the wild population exceeds 4,000.
 
Gary completed the archery Super Slam in 2008.  He is sponsored by Muzzy, Strother, Easton and Vital Bow Gear.  He’s been a contributing member of West Allis Bowmen for more than 25 years as well as a lifetime member of the Wisconsin Bowhunters’ Association, a National Bowhunter Education Foundation instructor, a lifetime North American Hunting Club member, a lifetime Foundation for North American Wild Sheep member, a National Rifle Association member and a Grand Slam Club member.  

However, unless you knew him and asked him about hunting you’d never know how accomplished a bowhunter he is.  He often bowhunts, bowfishes and shoots with us “everyday” bowhunters and Gary has locally mentored future archers for the past eleven years through 4H at our local club, West Allis Bowmen. 

happy hunting, dv

If you liked this blog you may like the following:  

• Packin It In And Out – Treestands
• Photographing Your Hunting Trophies
• No Bird Left Behind - A Turkey Tale
• Outfitter Report – Javelina And Hogs In Texas
• Boar Attack – Anatomy Of A Hog Shot Gone Wrong
• Pronghorn – Rained Out
• A Clothing System For Cold Weather Bowhunting
• The Best Valentine’s Day Ever – Winter Bowfishing
• WWAC – What Would Africa Cost?
• dv Goes to Africa – Expenses Part I
• dv Goes to Africa – Expenses Part II
• Preserving Bowhunting Memories
• Passing On The Tradition
• dv Goes To Africa – Bow and Arrow Set Up
• dv’s List Of Archery and Bowhunting Don’ts
• The Foundation of an Outdoors Person

Feedback, Questions & Comments 

I’d like to hear your tips, feedback, comments or questions.  Please leave them below.   

Subscribe  

Like this blog? Want to be notified of updates? Subscribe via RSS feed by clicking here.