Thwane Game Lodge ( an African tribal name for the African Caracal cat
) was established in October 2000 and is situated 80 miles from the Limpopo River in the Limpopo Province, North West of Johannesburg. The Ranch is 5,000
acres (2000 ha) and is situated in a Malaria free area
in one of the richest game areas in Africa. The farm is only a four hour drive by road from Johannesburg, on tar as well as dirt roads, which are in good condition and a pleasure to drive.
The bush comprises
of mixed thornveld, turf veld and riverine bush. All are recognized as being able to carry the highest quantity of both browsers
(leaf eaters) and grassers (grass eaters), that any ecosystem can support. The blinds can easily accommodate a Bow hunter
and his cameraman. The abundance of game ensures the Bow hunter that he will not go home empty handed. Most of the animals
found on the farm are definitely trophy quality and in excellent condition. The Bow hunter is in constant communication with
the Lodge by means of a 2 Way Radio which ensures that the animals taken are immediately recovered and removed to the slaughtering
facilities for processing. Setting of bows and target practice can be done at
the lodge where there is a 80 m shooting range. After the hunt, field preparation of trophies and skins are done and stored
in a skin/salt room. Meat is stored in a cold room.
Enjoy unforgettable sunsets in the bush where Adriaan Rall, your host and his team, will entertain you with some South
African cuisine, cooked on an open fire.
Exquisite South African wine, and other local drinks
such as Amarula (a liqueur made from the marula tree fruit)usually leads to late night talks and sharing of African hunting experiences and hunters' tales around an open fire - enough to get
a taste of what all the great hunters.
Adriaan Rall, aged 45 is your professional hunter and has been hunting
for fifteen years of which five were with a rifle. It was inevitable that the challenge of bow hunting got his attention and
now he pursues this hobby and has packed away his rifles. It is Adriaans vast knowledge of the bush, birds and game that he
would like to share with you on a dream hunt to Africa. Adriaan has the qualifications to help
inexperienced bow hunters set up their bows correctly and give advice on what would best suit the local hunting conditions.
Other than being a P.H, he passed with distinction an advanced level bow course which deals with:
- Arrow Pattern and Technique Analysis
- Bow Dynamics
- Arrow Dynamics and Arrow Building
- Broad head Dynamics
- Advanced Shooting Techniques
- Bow hunting Techniques
- Mental Approach to Archery and Bow hunting
- Bow fishing
- Tracking
- Interpreting Animal Behavior
- Bow Maintenance and Repair
- Hunter First Aid
- Survival Skills for the Bow hunter
- The Trophy - Photography, Field Dressing and Measurement
- Target Panic This course is accredited by the African Bow hunting Chapter
of S.C.I.
Since Thwane Game Lodge was established, no rifle hunting
has taken place and we pride ourselves on this fact as the animals remain far more relaxed.
Hunting takes place from seven
established hides near water points and there is a eighth portable hide which
can be set up on well used game trails. And one tree hide.
The best time for hunting is in winter(May to October) because it is our
dry season, and therefore affords far greater opportunity for game to drink at waterholes
and the daytime temperatures range from 18 -25 deg C and night 0 -10 deg C. Hunting during new
moon is better than full moon as the animals are afraid to drink in the pitch dark
because they cannot see predators and this forces them to drink during the day.
The nature of the bush offers excellent walk and stalk or spot and stalk opportunities, however one
must allow a lot of time for this and would only be recommended for very fit experienced Bow hunters capable of shooting groupings
at 50 yards.
For those who have never walked and stalked, nothing beats the challenge and excitement of stalking a
warthog. It is possible for the less experienced to try this, as there is an abundance of them on the ranch and depending
on the time of year (cover available), one can often approach within 20 yards of these animals. Any animal that is wounded
must be paid for in full and evidence of this will be demonstrated to the client by visual blood signs and the P.H's decision
in the bush is final.