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Author Topic: Melorani Safaris  (Read 8135 times)

Offline Greg Szalewski

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Melorani Safaris
« on: August 29, 2014, 09:07:00 PM »
OK it's about time I get around to doing this. Karen and I got back from our trip of a lifetime to Africa with Dale and Sandie Karch 3 weeks ago. I did not go tOhere with visions of filling the game room that I don't have but ended up shooting many beautiful animals that have great memories to go along with them.

     
I started out with this red hartebeest that Karen picked out for me. He was an old bull.

   

The next day Karen picked out this blue wildebeest. Sharing a blind with your spouse is part of what made this trip so enjoyable. Anyway, he gave me the shot I was looking for and I did in fact shoot him in the heart.

   

The next day Dale was sitting with me jinxing up my blind as he usually does when finally this huge female warthog came in. Dale did a great job getting it on video. Jessie the tracking dog had a short job of finding her.

   

Day five Karen picked out this fine kudu. Actually I was set on trying to get a shot from first sight and had to wait nearly a half hour to get a shot. This one I used my three piece longbow I made with Africa woods(I had to take this bow). I had a double lung pass through and saw him go down after a hundred yards.
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Offline Greg Szalewski

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Re: Melorani Safaris
« Reply #1 on: August 29, 2014, 09:13:00 PM »
   

Day six I was left unsupervised when this big male warthog came rushing in with his buddy. I was going to shoot his buddy until he shoved him out of the way. This was another pass through and took off the top of his heart leaving a blood trail I could see from in the blind. He ran full speed forty yards and ran into a ten inch dia. tree putting deep gouges in the bark from his tusks. The tracking dog lept off the truck at the scent of all the blood.

     

Day seven was very busy at the water hole when a group of impala rams came in and the big one gave me the shot I was waiting for. He collapsed from the double lung shot on either the last bound I  saw or the next making for another short tracking job.

     

I went back into the blind after the impala was taken away and had this nice gemsbok come in and make me wait for over an hour until I could get a good shot at him. Once again I chose the longbow. I nailed a rib on the way in severely limiting the arrows penetration to just one lung but the dogs did the job in the end of running him down.

We were hunting in South Africa with Stewart Dorrington at Melorani Safaris. It was everything I could have ever hopped for and way more. Stewart runs a very high quality bowhunting camp. All in all it was a fantastic trip. We went to Victoria Falls after the hunt to make more fantastic memories.
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Past President, Wisconsin Traditional Archers
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Offline hybridbow hunter

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Re: Melorani Safaris
« Reply #2 on: August 30, 2014, 05:27:00 AM »
Congrats of these fine trophies. That red hartebeest and kudu are magnificent trophies    :clapper:
La critique est aisée mais l'art est difficile.

Offline Benny Nganabbarru

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Re: Melorani Safaris
« Reply #3 on: August 30, 2014, 07:34:00 AM »
Awesome kudu! Congratulations!
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Offline Joeabowhunter

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Re: Melorani Safaris
« Reply #4 on: August 31, 2014, 09:01:00 PM »
Congratulations!  Those are some great pictures.

Offline Piratkey

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Re: Melorani Safaris
« Reply #5 on: September 01, 2014, 01:16:00 PM »
Whaou... congrats.

Offline David lozzano

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Re: Melorani Safaris
« Reply #6 on: September 02, 2014, 01:01:00 AM »
Awesome hunt, congrats on those fine trophies!
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Online Lucas K

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Re: Melorani Safaris
« Reply #7 on: September 04, 2014, 12:34:00 AM »
Goodness that's quite a haul! Great animals and you had a wonderful time with your wife, congratulations!
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Offline duncan idaho

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Re: Melorani Safaris
« Reply #8 on: September 07, 2014, 08:57:00 AM »
Great hunt and well done. Would you list your equipment specs? draw weight? arrow weight and broadhead choice? Thank you.
" If wishes were fishes, we would all cast nets".

Offline Greg Szalewski

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Re: Melorani Safaris
« Reply #9 on: September 07, 2014, 09:13:00 PM »
Thanks for all the kind words.

Most of the time I was using my RER recurve that pulls about 55# at my draw. On the kudu and gembok I used a longbow that I had made that is also 55# at my draw. That was the Bingham's pronounced design. I used the same arrows with both bows. They were 3Rivers traditional only shafts with tube weights and original Woodsman (250 grn) heads. Total weight 700 grn. The RER sent that at 175fps and the longbow 155 fps. Everything worked fine except the gemsbok. They are built a bit tougher and after hitting the rib on the way in penetration was limited. I was very happy with the set up otherwise and can't stress enough the importance of patience to get that slam dunk shot. Precise shot placement is the most important part.
PBS Regular, Ask me about The Professional Bowhunters Society; we stand for ethics.
Past President, Wisconsin Traditional Archers
Life member, Wisconsin Bowhunters
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Traditional Bowhunters of Florida
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Offline Al Kidner

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Re: Melorani Safaris
« Reply #10 on: September 10, 2014, 07:56:00 PM »
Well done Greg !! Nice animals right there mate…


Africa, only 11 more months till my second trip and can't wait!

Nice Kudu also.

Thanks for posting.


ak.
"No citizen has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. What a disgrace it is for a man to grow old without ever Seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable." Socrates.

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Re: Melorani Safaris
« Reply #11 on: September 19, 2014, 09:35:00 PM »
Very nice animals! Africa is a special place indeed!

Congrats,

Bisch

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Re: Melorani Safaris
« Reply #12 on: September 19, 2014, 09:35:00 PM »
Very nice animals! Africa is a special place indeed!

Congrats,

Bisch

Offline Bobaru

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Re: Melorani Safaris
« Reply #13 on: September 28, 2014, 05:26:00 PM »
Very good, Greg!
Bob


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Offline Shortlongbow

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Re: Melorani Safaris
« Reply #14 on: September 30, 2014, 04:49:00 PM »
Congratulations Greg. What a fine adventure!
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Offline coaster500

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Re: Melorani Safaris
« Reply #15 on: October 12, 2014, 11:20:00 PM »
Great hunt!!

Beautiful animals!!
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Offline LITTLEBIGMAN

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Re: Melorani Safaris
« Reply #16 on: October 13, 2014, 10:41:00 PM »
Beautiful animals Greg. Congratulations!!
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Offline IndianaBowman

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Re: Melorani Safaris
« Reply #17 on: January 07, 2015, 12:06:00 PM »
Great shooting Greg! Congratulations!

Offline Bobaru

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Re: Melorani Safaris
« Reply #18 on: January 11, 2015, 07:44:00 PM »
Hey, that was great!  Nice trophies.
Bob


 "A man has to control himself before he can control his bow." Jay Massey

Offline Bernie B.

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Re: Melorani Safaris
« Reply #19 on: February 27, 2015, 05:16:00 PM »
Congratulations Greg on the hunt of a lifetime!  I enjoyed seeing your album at the Wisconsin Trad gathering last weekend.  Beautiful animals!     :thumbsup:

Bernie

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