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http://www.clintorms.comwill never forget watching my arrow’s
fletch glide through the air, and how
easily the bull ducked before the arrow
hit home. The agility of this animal was
more anything I have seen, and thanks
to my PH who was filming, we were able
to understand what happened. Definitely
one of the quickest animals I have seen.
And as if just finding these animals in
that terrain and stalking them wasn't hard
enough, they can also jump!
Every morning we would ride in our
mokoro, paddling through a seemingly
endless network of channels until arriving
at the hunting grounds. Flocks of birds
soared above the glowing horizon as our
paddles slowly broke the water. It was a
beautiful way to start each day.
The sitatunga has adapted perfectly to
thrive in these swamps. Since they live on
ground that mainly consists of floating
papyrus roots, they have a peculiar hoof
shape. The larger surface area of the hoof
prevents it from breaking through the
soaked ground. It’s amazing to watch them
effectively navigate, run and swim through
this inhospitable habitat. To escape
danger, a sitatunga will submerge its entire
body while leaving its nostrils slightly
above the water’s surface. This is simply an
incredible animal, and that’s why so many
hunters fall in love with them.
Part way through the hunt, and after
many hours in the serebeti, we got a
second chance on the same bull I had
missed a few days prior. He was coming
out to feed in a large burned area, but too
far from the serebeti to loose an arrow, so
again, our only chance was to pursue him
on foot. Stalking over spongy ground and
constantly stepping on floating papyrus
roots can be extremely difficult. The
papyrus floor is riddled with holes that are
masked by a tangle of unsupported roots,
and if you step on them you’ll likely fall up
to your waist in water. To top it off, from
ground level you can only see the tips of
horns as you approach, so finding a clear
shooting window is a complex task. The
stalk was crazy and seemed impossible, but
it was our only option.
During my stalk, I spooked a female that
we had not even seen from the stand, and
the opportunity seemed foiled. Luckily,
as the bull trotted away, he stopped for
one last look in a small opening. I quickly
found a gap in the vegetation and managed
to thread an arrow, dropping the bull in
his tracks. I couldn't believe it worked out,
this was truly a dream come true! I felt
so fortunate to have hunted this elusive
animal on such adverse terrain.
After taking the sitatunga, I focused my
efforts on bushbuck. The bushbuck has
been described as the African version of
roe deer. Both possess similar behavior,
habits, physical characteristics, and even
create the same barking sound. This was
the first spring that I was not hunting roe
deer in Spain, and I was missing it. It felt
awesome to be stalking a creature that is
akin to roe deer in so many ways.
The terrain in Uganda is great for bow
hunting, with soft grass and adequateA face-off! Two kobs spoiling for a fight.
Uganda: 2014