By Henk du Plessis

The pointers were quivering with excitement. The sun was just above the horizon. The pheasant was right in front of one of the dogs and was sitting tight because of the Peregrine falcon we flew earlier.

I nocked an arrow and moved closer. The dog’s excitement was contagious. Although I was waiting for it, the sudden beating of the flushed pheasant’s wings startled me. As it took flight I concentrated on the centre of its back while drawing back my 60-pound longbow.

Wingshooting African fowl – is it possible? Certainly, but regular practise is necessary and you need the right equipment. Practising shooting at discs thrown in the air is of little use. The only real practise entails shooting at clay discs thrown by a machine. Start off with the machine at a medium setting on the spring, with the target thrown at a 45-degree angle away from the archer. A traditional bow is probably your best bet, or a compound shot instinctively with fingers.

We started with Snaros (blunt point with wire loops). Although they have a large surface area, the airborne birds absorb the impact of the arrow with little injury. We thought the six-inch diameter of the Snaro would provide an advantage, but after three solid hits with nothing more than feathers in the air we gave up in frustration.

Next we tried judo points and had better success. Although very effective on birds on the ground, birds on the wing tend to absorb the shock by moving with the arrow. In a sense, the bird rides the arrow, much like a boxer rides a blow. Eventually we found the age-old broadhead to be the most effective for shooting birds on the wing. Broadheads are expensive, as arrows tend to get lost. Do not despair, however, you can easily make your own from old circular saw blades fastened to the arrow with glue and copper wire. Although birds are softer than bigger animals, please sharpen your arrows for humane kills.

Any arrows that are correctly spined for your bow are suitable, although losing a carbon arrow has a bigger impact on your wallet. Consequently, we favour wood, as it is a natural material, which when lost is accepted back by Mother Nature with open arms.

The arrow is fletched with four high-profile five-inch feathers, set at a helical. The nocks are selfnocks cut into the wood. All in all, the arrow is very inexpensive, except for the time it takes to build. We have found that white feathers show up better in bright sunlight, while yellow feathers are easier to see at dusk. Paint the shafts white to make the arrow easier to find. After the shot, mark the arrow and keep your eyes glued to the spot where it disappeared or landed. Sometimes this is difficult, as you also need to keep your eyes on the bird in the event of a second chance.

A back quiver is a handy accessory as it can carry a dozen or more arrows. Having a bow without a quiver attached to it facilitates fast and accurate shooting, as a bow quiver tends to throw off the balance of the bow as you swing on a fast-flying bird.

I prefer higher poundages, since big feathers slow down the arrow. Speed is necessary to catch the bird from behind and the arrow must have enough velocity to penetrate instead of merely adding a couple of knots to the bird’s speed.

The degree of hunting difficulty varies from bird to bird. Pheasant are probably quicker on the take-off, but work wonderfully well in front of dogs and supply you with a large variety of angles to sharpen your shooting skills.

Guineafowl are probably your easiest bet. Although bigger and slower than other fowl, only the most experienced dogs can keep them sitting tight. A well-placed arrow is any guineafowl’s downfall.

Ducks are fun to shoot at, but take a lot of arrows with you. You will need them. Ambushing spurwing and Egyptians can be great fun, with moderate success, especially over decoys.

We have had so much fun, doing so little damage to our bird population. The dogs are exercised and you can hunt regularly on a farm without making a dent in the population.

Farmers tend to laugh at you and permission is rarely denied. It surely opens many farms unavailable to shotgun wingshooters.

To get back to the hunt, the release was smooth and I watched in amazement as the arrow intercepted the bird in mid-air and it came tumbling down. On command, the German pointer rushed forward and retrieved the bird. That night it was toasted with a fine Scotch whiskey. A few days later the bird made a fine meal and brought back fond memories of a day happily spent in the veldt.

Please make sure you have the necessary licence in your pocket, as well as permission from the farmer. Then go out and give it a try, you won’t regret it.