The Bowhunter’s Dream: Bill Epeards Takes a Cape Buffalo with His Bow
John E. Phillips 09.26.12
Author’s note: Bill Epeards of Goshen, Ohio, has traveled the world and taken some legendary animals on some unbelievable hunts. A member of the PSE and Mossy Oak Pro Staffs, he works with Jimmy Houston Outdoors and is a member of a world-champion archery target team. “I shot competition archery for a lot of years, but I got away from it,” Epeards reports. “Then I got with some other older fellows, and today we shoot the senior class of the Bowhunter Division of the IBO. We won the national championship for two consecutive years – 2008 and 2009 – came in second in 2010 and won 2011 and 2012.” Epeards also guides and hunts in the United States. This week Epeards shares with us some of his most memorable bow hunts.
Question: One of the most dangerous of African game animals is the Cape buffalo. Tell us about your bow hunt for this animal.
Epeards: I was hunting in Zimbabwe. We’d stalked a herd of buffalo, but the wind changed and spooked the herd. My outfitter said, “for the rest of the afternoon, let’s go sit in a blind at the water hole, and see if any buffalo come there. We often see buffalo and sable at this waterhole.” When we got to the water hole and set up, we hadn’t been in our blind for more than 20 minutes before a herd of Cape buffalo showed up. I was shooting my same PSE X-Force bow that I’d taken the elephant with, only I had a different set of limbs on it and a draw weight set at 90 pounds. I was shooting a PSE Black Mamba arrow with a New Archery Products Razorbak broadhead. The buffalo turned and presented a shoulder shot, and my X-Force delivered. The shot was only 33 yards. One of the real thrills of this hunt was that there were about 35 buffalo in the herd. I didn’t know what would happen once I took the shot. The buffalo might fold up right on the spot, but that usually didn’t happen. The buffalo might run off after taking the arrow, which was what mine did, the buffalo could charge, and/or the whole herd could charge.
Question: What were you thinking when the buffalo took the arrow?
Epeards: I’m a police officer, and when I go into a dangerous situation, I get into a zone. I don’t get shaken up or nervous when I’m in a dangerous situation. But after the problem has been solved, or the shot has been taken, then I get all wound up, somewhat nervous and sometimes even shake some, because the adrenaline is really pumping. One of the advantages of shooting a bow once you’ve practiced enough and taken enough animals is when you’re in a position to take a shot, your total focus has to be on the spot you want to put your pin on, holding steady and making a clean release. There’s not any thought about what’s happened before or what may happen after. You just have to be in that zone to make that really good shot and not worry or think about anything, until the arrow is released and hits the target, or in this case, the buffalo. I was filming this hunt for Jimmy Houston Outdoors and for my own use in the hunting seminars I conduct all over the country – about 40 seminars a year at different sports shows. I play these videos when I do my dangerous game seminars.
Question: How big was the buffalo?
Epeards: He was a big, mature buffalo with big bosses (the bases of the horns). This hunt was great, exciting and one of those hunts of a lifetime.
Learn bowhunting strategies in the new Kindle eBooks, “Jim Crumley’s Secrets of Bowhunting Deer” and “Bowhunting Deer: The Secrets of the PSE Pros,” by John E. Phillips. Go to http://www.amazon.com/kindle-ebooks, type in the name of the books, and download it to your Kindle, and/or download a Kindle app for your iPad, SmartPhone or computer.
Click here to check out John Phillips’ article archives, including more stories from Bill Epeards coming later this week.
John, the 2008 Crossbow Communicator of the year and the 2007 Legendary Communicator chosen for induction into the National Fresh Water Hall of Fame, is a freelance writer (over 6,000 magazine articles for about 100 magazines and several thousand newspaper columns published), magazine editor, photographer for print media as well as industry catalogues (over 25,000 photos published), lecturer, outdoor consultant, marketing consultant, book author and daily internet content provider with an overview of the outdoors.
Phillips has been a contributor to many national magazines, has been affiliated with 27 radio stations across Alabama serving as their outdoor editor and wrote for a weekly syndicated column, "Alabama Outdoors," for 38-Alabama newspapers for more than 13 years. Phillips was Outdoor Editor for the "Birmingham Post-Herald" for 24 years. Phillips was also the executive editor for "Great Days Outdoors" magazine for 3 years.
The author of almost 30 books on the outdoors, Phillips is a founding member of the Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA) and an active member of the Southeastern Outdoors Press Association (SEOPA). Phillips also is the owner of Night Hawk Publications, a marketing and publishing firm, and president of Creative Concepts, an outdoor consulting group.
Phillips conducts seminars across the nation at colleges in freelance writing, photography and outdoor education besides teaching courses in how to sell what you write to writers' groups. Phillips received his photography training as a still-lab photo specialist for six years in the Air Force. He was the chief photographer for Mannequins, Inc., a Birmingham modeling agency, for 11 years.
While serving as 2nd Vice President of the Alabama Wildlife Federation, Phillips was in charge of all press releases for the organization as well as serving as Chairman of Alabama's Big Buck Contest, which he founded more than 30 years ago. He also was president of the Alabama Sportsman's Association for three years.
Phillips is the recipient of a Certificate of Merit from the Governor of Alabama and the Department of Conservation for his work in the outdoor field. Phillips is vitally interested in the outdoors and travels the nation collecting personalities, stories and how-to information for his articles and features.
EDUCATION: B.S. degree from the University of West Alabama with a physical education major and a history minor.
EXPERIENCE: 10 years parttime and fulltime physical director for YMCAs and 34 years as a freelance writer, photographer, editor, book author, lecturer and daily-content provider for websites. Currently, Phillips is a field editor for Game and Fish Publications; serves on the editorial board of Grandview Media; is a regular contributor to 12 internet magazines and a daily content provider for 8 websites.
WRITING AWARDS: Runnerup - Best Outdoor Magazine Feature - 1981 - SEOPA; Certificate of Merit - Awarded by Alabama's Governor for writings on conservation; Most Outstanding Sports Writer in Southeast - 1983 & 1984; Best Outdoor Feature in Alabama, 1987 - Alabama Sportswriters' Association 3rd Place; Best Book of the Year - 1989 - SEOPA; 2007 - inducted into the National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame as a Legendary Communicator; 2008 - received award naming him 2008 Crossbow Communicator of the Year from the Crossbow Manufacturers' Association; 2009 - GAMMA Honorable Mention for Consumer/Paid Best Essay for July/August 2008 in "Southern Sporting Journal."
