The Bowhunter’s Dream: Bill Epeards’ Bow Helps Him Take an Elephant
John E. Phillips 09.25.12
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: Bill, what was one of your most memorable bow hunts?
Epeards: I guess it was my hunt for the elephant. I’ve been fortunate enough to take an elephant, a Cape buffalo, a lion and a rhinoceros with my bow.
Question: Where were you hunting?
Epeards: I was hunting in Zimbabwe with Sigianuna Safaris with a guide, Riaan Vosloo. I shot my Cape buffalo, my lion and my rhino (which was a green hunt) with Riaan. When you’re bowhunting for dangerous game, you’re trusting your guides with your life, because when you’re hunting the big five, there’s a lot of danger involved.
Question: Which bow did you choose to take the elephant?
Epeards: To take an elephant with a bow, you’ve got to have a bow with a tremendous amount of kinetic energy. I shot the PSE X-Force at 98 pounds draw weight with Alaska Bowhunting Supply arrows, because they make a dangerous game arrow that’s 1,600 grains. I was shooting an Ashby broadhead.
Question: How did you train for this hunt?
Epeards: When you’re pulling a bow that’s almost 100 pounds, you’ve really got to train hard. I shot 35 to 40 arrows every day before the hunt. To test the broadhead and the shaft, I shot the broadhead through a car door. I went to a salvage yard, and the owner let me shoot through a car door to make sure that I could get the penetration I would need to take an elephant. When I got to Zimbabwe, I made several stalks. But each time we made a stalk, the elephant would wind us and run off. On one stalk, the elephant charged us, and I couldn’t get off a good shot.
Question: What did you do when you got charged?
Epeards: I backed up really quickly. When you have an 11-foot-wide animal running at you with his trunk up and his ears flared out, the time has come to move. I don’t care what you’ve got in your hand to stop him with. Riaan was standing right next to me with a .416 Rigby rifle. Luckily, the wind changed. Suddenly the elephant laid back his ears, dropped his trunk and walked away. On another stalk, we were moving close to two big bull elephants. I heard something to my left, and I whispered to Riaan, “I hear something to my left.” Suddenly, this big bull elephant came out at 37 yards, and I took the shot right behind the shoulder. The arrow buried up all the way to its fletchings. I was really concerned about making sure I got the arrow past the ribcage without hitting the bone. Luckily I did. When the arrow took the elephant, he grunted and ran off. We wait for two hours and then brought in the trackers. We tracked the elephant for about 250 yards and found him piled up.
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."
