Twists of the Wild: Spiral-Horned Antelope

Three days in a blind under the sub-Saharan sun will test the patience of any hunter. For a bowhunter, the mind begins to wander—daydreams of picking up a rifle just for the sake of moving, anything to break free from the sweltering furnace of stillness. But there I was, baking in a fabric pop-up blind, waiting for one shot at the elusive trophy bushbuck ram.

Despite three previous trips to the Limpopo region, I had yet to lay eyes on a mature bushbuck outside the safety of a national park. That changed in an instant. From the haze of exhaustion came a bolt of adrenaline as a mature ram cautiously stepped out of the brush. Nico, my PH, tapped my knee and I knew it was time. The ram was followed by a ewe, scanning for danger. As the ram lowered his head to drink, Nico raised the camo netting and hit record. I came to full draw, steadied my breath, locked onto an off-color patch of hair, and sent the arrow on its way.

A Working-Class Dream in Africa

While my wife might disagree, I think I’m a pretty realistic bowhunter. Sure, I dream of hunting Argali or chasing dangerous game in Tanzania. But the truth is, I live in a blue-collar world where adventures need to fit within a real-world budget. That said, South Africa offers something special—affordable opportunities for the working-class hunter to chase truly exotic game.

The spiral slam—kudu, nyala, bushbuck, and eland—had been a long-term goal of mine. These beautiful antelope can be hunted at reasonable prices if you’re willing to save and prioritize. My journey began in 2003 with a stunning 50” kudu taken at Cruiser Safaris and concluded in 2014 with a hunt I’ll never forget.

The Bushbuck That Tested Everything

The bushbuck I mentioned earlier was taken in 2011 while hunting with Dries Visser Safaris in Limpopo. It was anything but easy. On day three, Nico and I visited a farm near Thabazimbi where trail cams had shown good rams near a cattle waterhole. The permanent blind was a solid 50 yards from the water—too far for a precise shot. Nico set up a new pop-up blind just 20 yards out.

The setup worked—eventually. Several immature rams came in before a mature one finally approached. I aimed low, anticipating he would duck at the string—and he did. The arrow passed behind the shoulder. After waiting 30 minutes, Nico called in General, our tracking dog.

General found the ram still alive. In an instant, the animal charged. Nico shoved me aside, putting himself between danger and me. The ram veered off at the last second, collapsing 10 yards later. He was an old warrior with broomed 13” horns and worn teeth—a true trophy.

Pursuing Nyala: A Sunset Moment

I returned in 2014 to hunt with Dries Visser again, this time after nyala and eland. Nyala, once native only to KwaZulu-Natal, now thrive across South Africa thanks to game management. With trophy fees averaging around $2,500, they’re not cheap—but still attainable when paired with lower-cost species.

On day four, a mature nyala bull walked in just before sunset. He circled the blind for half an hour—long enough that my GoPro battery died. At 25 yards, I bracketed his vitals and released. He ran 80 yards before going down. Wrapping my hands around those spiraled horns in the fading light was unforgettable.

The Eland: A Giant on the Move

Two days later came the eland. From a tower blind, we watched a herd of 25 approach the watering hole. Two bulls stood out—one old with worn horns, the other wide and prime. Willem, my PH, gave the green light for either.

I took a quartering-away shot on the wider bull—low, but solid. After a long tracking job, we recovered him. Eland are massive animals, comparable to moose. Coming from Alaska, big animals are nothing new to me, but the shorter legs of an eland make recovery much easier. Willem’s truck winch handled the job with ease.

A Blue-Collar Bowhunter’s Dream

Like most bowhunters I know, I live paycheck to paycheck. I watch the markets—even if I don’t understand them—and stretch every dollar. Africa felt impossible for years, but careful planning and smart package deals made it real.

The spiral slam might be a footnote for elite world-travel hunters, but for a working-class bowhunter like me, it was the trip—and the accomplishment—of a lifetime.

Peyton Merideth is the CEO of Shoshone Adventure Consulting.