An impala is well known for its alertness.

Blending in with surroundings in ghillie suit.

Blending in with surroundings in ghillie suit.

Insufficient camouflage due to bare hands, which are easily noticeable and sure to betray your presence.

By JC Botha

I consider the walk-and-stalk hunt the ultimate bowhunting experience. It is the only way to experience bowhunting in its truest form. Nothing else compares to being one with the environment, on the animal’s turf, where you need to outsmart the game in order to be successful. It is without doubt the most remarkable sensation, where you can actually smell the animals and observe them at close proximity.

When it comes to walk-and-stalk hunting, game are elusive. Where you seek them it is done on their terms, well beyond civilization’s reach. That is why I love the bushveld and its surroundings. It’s where my heart comes alive and runs wild. The true heart of any man is to never stop exploring. He is a warrior at heart. With walk-and-stalk, the credit belongs to the bowhunter, who best understands the eventual triumph of a successful day. He is not one of those timid souls who have never experienced victory or defeat. A true bowhunter cannot be fenced in, because he needs to feel the rhythms of the bushveld and its glorious surroundings. He has adventures to live. Walk-and-stalk is but one bowhunting method, however, and one that not every bowhunter is comfortable with. If you are not yet ready for a walk-and-stalk encounter, rather make use of a hide or a tree stand. Never try to walk-and-stalk if you are unprepared and physically unfit, do not know the veld and its characteristics, or may cause your quarry to suffer due to poor shot placement.

Practise does it
My advice to all aspiring walk-and-stalk candidates is first learn to shoot properly. It is important to begin shooting from a hide to experience your reaction when aiming at and shooting an animal at such a short distance. You will feel the blood rush through your veins and your heart beating like a drum, while you find it difficult to breathe properly. Your throat is so dry, it’s impossible to swallow and still you must be able to place the arrow exactly where you are aiming, follow through, then see where it hit and in which direction the animal is running. All this happens simultaneously.

The excitement and thrill of any walk-and-stalk hunting expedition lies in anticipating whether you’ve got what it takes to be a true bowhunter. First you must make absolutely sure that your shot placements are perfect. This comes only from practise, practise and more practise. Also, you have to know your equipment extremely well. You should be able to nock an arrow correctly and hook your release to your string while, for example, looking at an animal standing 15 yards away, all without making a sound.

Decide well in advance which broadheads you are going to use and tune your bow accordingly. Practise daily with these until your accuracy is as good as with your field points. Use golf ball-sized targets and shoot one arrow per target at different distances. Do not shoot more than one arrow at a target, as this could become a very expensive exercise. Try hitting the centre of the target with each arrow. Move to the furthest distance where you can still hit the centre with each shot and then move ten yards closer. This should be your maximum hunting distance. Ensure that the arrow’s kinetic energy and weight are well within the recommended parameters for the animal you plan to hunt.
When practising, wear everything you are going to wear during the hunt – gloves, face mask, ghillie, quiver, water bottle and/or hydration pack – to ensure that you can shoot comfortably with all your gear. Make sure that your broadheads are razor-sharp at all times.

Check that your permits are valid for the region in which you will be hunting. Contact the game farm and confirm everything in writing to avoid any disappointment or misunderstanding later on.
Ensure that you are comfortable in the veld and know and understand animal behaviour and sounds. Prepare yourself by reading up on the habits and behaviour patterns of the animals and birds that frequent the area in which you are going to hunt. Remember that it is always easier to get close to a lone animal than to stalk a herd. It is also not advisable to shoot at an alert animal, as the chances are good that it will string jump.

Check your clothing
How you wash your clothes plays a significant role in your success rate when on foot. Animals’ eyesight and other senses are more highly developed than that of humans, especially where the reflection of ultraviolet light is concerned (Jay Neitz, University of California, 21 December 1989). Normal fabric softeners and washing powders make your washing whiter and brighter and hamper your chances for success. Regular hand washing with the popular green Sunlight soap bar will dull the colours of your clothes and remove the brightness. Hand-dry your clothes outside, away from all odours, and do not iron them afterwards. Seal them in a black dustbin or plastic bag after they have been washed and dried.

A pair of protective gloves is essential for when you need to walk on your hands and knees. I use second-hand military police leather gloves and cut them down to size. They are very strong and last for many seasons.

Shoes are one of the most important items during a walk-and-stalk hunt. Nothing jeopardises an otherwise successful hunt more than sore feet. Your shoes should be broken in and have soft soles to guarantee a quiet walk. The ideal way to walk-and-stalk is on bare feet, but unfortunately, owing to our modern-day lifestyle, not everybody’s feet are hard enough to endure the ground cover for a long period.

A decent GPS (global positioning system) is a must. When you are focussed on an animal, you do not always take cognisance of your surroundings and can easily become lost. Always start your hunt with new batteries. You don’t want to end up in the middle of nowhere with flat batteries!
Make sure that your camo clothing is of a soft, non-abrasive material and that it fits comfortably. It is unpleasant to hunt for a whole day while your legs are raw and burning inside your pants from chafing. Never go on a hunting trip with brand-new camo clothing. Buy your outfit well in advance and wash your clothes a few times before the hunt. I carry small pieces of camo net strips with me to use for cover during mid-day when resting.

The idea of a gili suit is to break your silhouette and outline, and enable you to blend in with your environs. It’s very important to have the same colour as your surroundings. Ensure that your bow arm is free from loosely hanging material to prevent string slapping against your gili. I made a gili top by copying an old tracksuit top and cutting it from camo netting. While watching television I tied pieces of camo material strips through the netting using a paper clip. It took me about three evenings and I had a pair of sore fingers to show for my efforts, but the end result worked perfectly. Make sure you always cover your shiny Rolex or diving watch to avoid the noise factor and sending Morse code glares to your quarry.

It’s essential to take enough water. I use a standard issue military-type bottle covered with camo material.

Before spending a day in the veld, make sure to shower with non-scented glycerine soap and do not use deodorant afterwards. I brush my teeth with salt and lemon juice and avoid using toothpaste. That’s what is so great about being away from civilization. You are allowed to wear the smells of your environment.

In the veld
At last, you are as ready as you will ever be for your great adventure. The actual walk-and-stalk is what you’ve come for. This is it! Make certain to move cautiously from one shady part to another, with sufficient back cover. Walk slowly and stay motionless in a sitting or kneeling position under a tree or in the shade. Spend about two thirds of the time watching and listening for movement and animal sounds. Try to become one with your surroundings, even while slowly moving around.
Moving quietly through dense bush is a challenge in itself. Do not go for overkill with your optical equipment. A good-quality rangefinder will have decent magnification. A pair of binoculars will only hinder you and become entangled in the dense bush. I use a piece of old wetsuit to cover my rangefinder. In this way I am not surprised when it accidentally hits against a stone or branch and makes a noise, which could spoil the hunt. Take care to be aware of the reflection of lenses, which could be a dead giveaway.

Using a skin-type back quiver is less cumbersome than side or quick-detach bow quivers, and makes it much easier to move quietly through the bush.

The ultimate walk-and-stalk experience is to be in the bush, getting close to animals. Use your time well by watching animal, bird and insect behaviour. The more we learn about what is around us, the more we get our hearts back.

And never forget that you do not have to harvest an animal to experience a successful and first-rate hunt.