African Hunting Gazette-October 2020

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de
Vol 26.2 Hunting the great continent of Africa Oct/Nov/Dec - Winter issue 2020
Top quality unting a utfitting
A- A- UE - - -
FRIC MBI BIQ NIA MIB
IA
TH A - ZA ZAM NZ A - NA
- S OU - MO - TA
OFFICE: OTHER CONTACT NUMBERS:

Elmarie Vos +27 82 3737902 James Quin +27 83 441 5536
E-mail: [email protected] Robert Stretton +27 82 578 2334
Web: www.sesafaris.com
Address: P. O. Box 53,
MOLTENO, 5500, South Africa
Hunting Africa
Contents
18 26
Chobe bushbuck image: Divan Labuscaghe
• Published quarterly, a quality journal

presenting all aspects of hunting available
in Africa.
• The traditions and tales, the professional 32 38
hunters of today, and the legends of
yesteryear. Editorial
• Reporting on the places to go, the sport It’s about…YOU 5
available and all the equipment to use.
• Examining the challenges of managing News & Letter
wildlife as a sustainable resource and the Fan Mail By Joe Julian 7
relationship between Africa’s game and its Fan Mail By Rick Holbert 7
people. What’s New for Swift in 2020? 4
Fan Mail By William Archibald 6
Publisher & Editor-in-Chief
Richard Lendrum John Ledger’s African conservation column
[email protected] Covid-19 Pandemic Wreaking Havoc on African Wildlife and Biodiversity 8
Managing Editor Focus on an Animal

Esther Sibanda Oribi from “Game Animals of the World”
[email protected]
By Chris and Mathilde Stuart 12
Design & Layout
Heinz Bawa Huntress Diana
Namibia 2019: Annie’s Hunt By Rick Holbert 14
Advertising Enquiries:
Richard Lendrum
[email protected] Hunting Stories:: On the hunt in
Namibia 2019 By Philip Massaro 18
South Africa 2019 By Francois van Emmenes 26
Subscriptions Namibia 2019 By Jofie Lamprecht 32
www.africanhuntinggazette.com
Tanzania 2018 By Geoff Wainwright 38
North America South Africa 2018 By Mike Arnold 44
Tel: +1 406-988-0725 Zimbabwe 2011 By Gary Duckworth 48
[email protected] Zambia 2020 By Marc de Chaplain 54
South Africa 2012 By Darrell Sterling 60
Africa
Esther Sibanda
[email protected] Goodbye to a Hunter
Gérard Pasanini (1926–2020) By Brooke ChilversLubin 64
Published by:
African Hunting Gazette USA LLC.
Highly strung
36N Idaho St, Ste #1, Dillon, Montana, 59725
South Africa 2019: Bow and Arrow and a Sharpe’s Grysbok
Owners: Brad Voyles and Richard Lendrum By Frank Berbuir 66
Eastern Cape Bowhunting – Sable Lodge By Strang Middleton 70
Printed by
USA – Quad Graphics Inc. Taken on the Wing
Africa – Typo Colour Printing Specialists A First-Timer Reminisces By Ken Bailey 72
© Copyright. All copyright for material appearing in this magazine belongs
to African Hunting Gazette USA LLC. No part of this magazine may be Tales from yesteryear
reproduced without written consent of the publisher. The views and opinions
expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. When Tracks Lead to Trouble By Guy Venter 76
.500 ‘Deluxe’ Hand Detachable Lock Double Rifle
westleyrichards.com
On Safari with...
Directory of PH Grant Taylor
PH Stephan Stamm
82
86
Advertisers Ph Paddy Curtis 88
Rifles in Africa
Is Bigger Always Better? By Karl Stumpfe 90
AHG - African Oasis ............................. 52 Rigby locked-down and loaded By Diggory Hadoke 94
AHG – Life Membership ..................... 56
On Shooting and Hunting
AHG – Shipping ................................. 16 So, you want to get a Big Bore? Part 2 …By François van Emmenes 96
AHG – subscriptions ........................... 108
Terry Wieland On Ammo
Afton Safari Lodge ............................ OBC Percussion. Rhymes (almost) with perdition 101
Animal Artistry ............................. 10 &11
A Hunter Speaks Out
Bobby Hansen Safaris ............................ 23 Elephant hunting ups and downs By Craig Boddington 102
Bull’s Eye Taxidermy ............................ 75 Getting the Best of Screws By Wayne van Zwoll 106
Facing a Cape Buffalo Charge – In Texas! By Rob Schanen 110
Bushmen Safaris ................................... 65
Craig Boddington .................................. 78 An African palette
A Passion for Wildlife By Cynthie Fisher 114
Dallas Safari Club ................................. 31
Darren K Moore ................................... 43 From the Desk of Hunter Proud Foundation
A Value Beyond the Aesthetics By Zig Mackintosh 117
Discount African Hunts ....................... 47
Eland Safaris ......................................... 34 African Dawn Outfitters
A dawn disrupts the darkness 119
EuroOptik ................................... 17 & 20
Field & Stream Taxidermy ................... 113 Terry Wieland’s One for the road
The Travelling Library 128
Hornady Companies ............................. 21
Impisi Safaris ........................................ 40
Jamy Traut Safaris .................................. 92 What’s New for Swift
Jofie Lamprecht Safaris .......................... 53
T
here’s a new .327/100 grain A-Frame for the 32 Federal Cartridges. This is
Krieghoff ................................. 36 & OBC for use in handguns and straight wall hunting rifles.
Also, for the first time ever, is a 10MM AUTO A-Frame in both 180 and
Kwalata Safaris ...................................... 69 200 grain. These bullets are for use in law enforcement and deadly-game back-up
for hunters.
Limpopo Safaris .................................... 99
There are two new straight wall Scirocco bullets, one for the 350 Legend-170 grain
Madubula Safaris ................................... 81 and one for the 450 Bushmaster-250 grain. These are the very first large-caliber
Scirocco bullets being made. They have a terminal performance window of 1250-
Mashambanzou Safaris .......................... 63 2500 FPS and have a high ballistic coefficient.
Mayo Oldiri Safaris ............................... 46
Contact www.swiftbullets.com for additional product information, product availability,
Monterra Safaris ............................... 6 & 7 and where to purchase. 785-754-3959.
Ndumo Hunting Safaris ........................ 89
Rigby .................................................... 28
Rovos Rail ............................................. 42
Shamwari Safaris ................................... 57
Spear Safaris .......................................... 29
Stormberg Elangeni Safaris .......... IFC & 1
Taxidermy Africa ................................. 100
Trijicon ................................................. 51
Westley Richards ..................................... 3
Wintershoek Safaris ..................... 24 & 25
Editorial
Preparing for the future
The situation: With mailing costs going up,

advertising income evaporating, there are still
two things we can count on:
1) The magic of African safaris - still on offer
through professional hunting outfitters
2) The passionate support of our readers and
subscribers
So, with this in mind, we are suggesting a way
forward in such uncertain times. We would
rather be open and frank, ahead of time, with
It’s about…YOU
a plan, than explain and apologize afterwards
when nothing can be done.
Our plans include 3 steps:
Step 1 - Moving AHG to a combination of both
I
print AND a digital edition. Print – because we
f ever there was a product fairly and squarely prepared for whoever hunts and
all love the printed hard copies, and digitally
loves Africa, it would be this magazine, the AHG. Cover to cover, it’s there because it enables extra content while offering
to promote Africa and her hunting. We also promote outfitters, the people new opportunities to deliver that content and
who offer and try to provide the very best hunting experiences for their clients, reach new audiences, along with economic
asking them to encourage their clients to contribute stories of their hunts for benefits.
everyone’s interest and enjoyment. And to a certain extent over the year, with some Step 2 - Growing the network in three areas:
luck. Occasionally I have begged (unsuccessfully I might add) when there was a a. African Dawn Outfitters – working to reach
tremendous story that I heard about and wanted to get it shared. Seems like much their hunting clients;
of what happens in this personal and passionate sector is destined to remain a b. International taxidermists, outfitters and
secret among the few involved. I respect that, but if it is too personal, how about gun shops where hunters frequent and
considering that secret story on a “no names, no pack drill” basis? Anonymity meet;
protected, but story shared! c. Asking our readership to help spread the
However, it took till now for one of our loyal readers to make a suggestion – and word;
Step 3 - Building reserves to weather the next 18
thank you William Archibald. While the PH Q&A profiles run regularly - why not
months via the readership and a limited number
ask our readership the same thing? Damn fine idea and so simple!
of African outfitters who share our values
There are readers among you all with incredible stories and experiences that really
Our goal – Raising $180k. With the 50 x
do need sharing. Having travelled and hunted Africa dozens of times with rich African Dawn Members and the readership of
experiences, I bet our entire community would love to read about a good many of subscribers, this is what's possible.
you! So, while you may not have the inclination to do a book, or even a longish Be it 180 subscribers (less than 10% of our
article – we have below a guideline to help you share some memories and thoughts. total) becoming lifetime members, or our team
Please give it a bash! of 50 African Dawn Outfitters investing for
It would be wonderful to receive a profile from a member of our hunting the next year’s African Dawn Membership – or
community, particularly in a world where it’s increasingly important to rely on a combination!
each other a little more. I understand it is a risk – but when it works,
So - in your own time… it will be worth it. What we have delivered over
• Tell us about your background - you, your family. more than 20 years, I hope, goes some way to
• What is it that you love about Africa? prove this.
• What influenced your love of hunting? I am 100% focused on making this work,
and as passionate as ever about wanting to see it
• What countries have you hunted in and where?
work and see African hunting prosper.
• What guns, scopes, and ammo are you using?
If you’ve got to this point, a sincere thank you
• What is your favorite African animal to hunt and why?
for the time. If you wish to email me - or call, I
• What is your greatest trophy? would so appreciate the contact.
• What was your closest brush with danger / death?
• Any lessons learnt that you’d like to share? Regards, [email protected]
• What do you suggest a fellow hunter can do to prepare for his or her safari? +27 82 653 7185
• Any last words of wisdom?
www.africanhuntinggazette.com 5
News & Letters
I married Mary in 1973. Despite what she the .375s.
Hello Richard says, I did not “marry her for her deer hunting”. AHG: What is your favorite animal to hunt?
I
read with great interest your PH Q+A. I have a daughter, a son-in-law, and a beautiful Buffalo, I’m addicted, But Africa, almost
Why not do a similar article with clients? granddaughter. In 2017, Janellea and Aixla anything. The tiny ten don’t interest me,
Much of the same line of questions would went with me on safari to South Africa. Jan though.
apply. People like myself have gained a lot decided to try hunting. Aixla came along on
of experience and stories. Other folks, even some stalks to “prove her toughness”. She was AHG: What is your greatest trophy?
on the first safari, would have a completely eight then. Jan is now as addicted as I am, and My Mozambique buffalo - three years of hard
different perspective. You have a vast pool of so far they have three safaris on their resume. hunting. I lost one (in 2017), Broke my arm
life members and subscribers to draw from. (in 2018), and finally got him on Day 7 on
Have an exit interview at Afton House? Send AHG: What countries have you hunted in and an 8-day hunt (in 2019)! Miles on foot, in the
an email Q+A form? Phone interview? where? heat, and I had just turned 70.
US, Canada, South Africa, Mozambique,
I have taken the liberty of doing a sample New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maine, AHG: What was your closest brush with
interview of just me, William Archibald, based Montana - Ontario, Quebec, and New danger or death?
on your PH Q+A. Brunswick - Limpopo twice, North West, Take your pick- Charged by a mad bull
Mpumalanga four time, and Mozambique elephant; Guide stepped on a spitting cobra;
Q&A: It’s all about the client! three. Armed poachers at 50 feet in Mozambique
AHG: Tell us about you, and your family. (thank God they ran), and a brush with a black
My mom and dad were born and raised in AHG: What guns, scopes, and ammo are you mamba.
Philadelphia. Dad never hunted until after using?
World War II when his family moved to I have a Remington 700 in 270 W that I used AHG: Any diseases?
the South Jersey shore. I was born in 1949. for the majority of my plains game in SA, and No, but in 2018 I fell and broke my arm in
I started hunting with dad when I was 10. a Ruger Magnum and a Remington 700 in Mozambique. We thought that my shoulder
Wrong guns, lack of proper hunting clothes, 375 H+H as my buffalo guns. All are topped was dislocated. One PH was pulling on my
no gloves - it’s a wonder I stuck with it, but it with a Leupold vx3 1.5x 5. Barnes Vortex or elbow and the other was pushing on my
became a part of who I am. Hornaday 130 gr for the .270 and 300gr for shoulder joint. “Stop, Stop! I felt the bone
move!” Apparently they realigned the bone. to reach outside the bubble and debunk all the to the editor. It’s a suggestion, and something I
No surgery needed. Hurt quite a bit though… misconceptions around safari hunting, and would love to see. An example of what your
It took Ripcord rescue 31 hours to get to me, about Africa. National Geographic, Serengeti, vast pool of safari hunters could produce, with
or rather for me to get to them. Cost me a the Lion King, Aerial Africa - they all give a some direction from the AHG. I would relish
sleepless night in a chair. Cost me a total of 5 false impression of Africa. People need to the opportunity to get different stories, different
hours in a Cruiser over rough ground. Cost me realize that what they see on TV isn’t Africa, perspectives from other safari hunters. You will
a lot of disappointment in Ripcord Rescue. It isn’t reality. (I met Paul Stones in Pemba, also have the opportunity to fill more pages. Please
could have cost me my life if my injuries were Mozambique last October. We had time to accept this as a suggestion. Use my idea, or not,
more serious. chat while waiting for our rifles in Joburg. I as you see fit.
was completely surprised to learn that he was
AHG: What can a client do to prepare for his the author of “The Response”. An honor to Thank you for your kind attention.
or her safari? meet you, Paul.) Keep your excellent magazines coming.
Practice shooting, obviously. Work on strength,
endurance and agility. Think 16 miles on So there. Richard, this is not intended as a letter William Archibald
foot in the heat, carrying an 11 pound rifle,
crawling through thick thorn bushes, and a
Richard,
well-made shot at the end - that’s the potential
I
wanted to thank you for the wonderful
you’ll be preparing for. Expect the unexpected. Dear AHG
article in the latest Gazette. I really
I expected a buffalo at under 50 yards and he appreciate the continued effort you
I
was three times that. have made in sharing Tom’s story. My want to thank all of you at AHG for
family is honored. Please feel free to share this as it caps one of the nicest times
AHG: Any last words of wisdom? my contact with anyone that might inquire I've shared with my daughters. This
for information. is what memories are made of to last a
Quite a while ago, I saw Paul Stones’s “The
Again, thank you. lifetime. I couldn't be back in Africa this
Response”. He spoke of the” Bubble” that
Best regards, year (because of the virus) but I will return
tourists are kept in. I thought about it a lot, in 2022. Again thank you and stay safe.
and realized that we are “preaching to the
Joe Julian, President; Julian & Sons
choir”. We are in our own “bubble”. We need Rick Holbert
Make Africa your own
Contact us
Almayne Hughes: +27 71 670 1571 • Natasha Hughes: +27 82 882 9331
AGH1573
[email protected] • Monterra Safaris
www.monterrasafaris.com
The Wildlife Game
COVID-19 Pandemic
Wreaking Havoc on African
Wildlife and Biodiversity
By Dr John Ledger
The ongoing pandemic of the COVID-19 coronavirus is having an extremely negative
impact on wildlife and biodiversity conservation on the African continent. Restrictions on
international travel have resulted in wildlife-based tourism and associated activities grinding
to a halt and, with that, inflows of critical funding for the management and protection of
wildlife areas and the biodiversity within them have dried up. Donors who have generously
supported protected areas in Africa have seen their own financial resources dwindling as
a result of the global economic downturn, and are having to cut their expenditure. A new
publication provides the grim evidence of this unfolding crisis.
D
r Peter Lindsey from the stems from wildlife-based tourism, which Lindsey et al. cite the example of the
Mammal Research Institute at generates over US$29 billion annually Gashaka Gumti National Park in Nigeria:
the University of Pretoria in and employs 3.6 million people. Trophy one donor who currently provides some
South Africa is the lead author on this hunting, a subset of the tourism industry, 40% of the operational budget may have
collaborative publication by a total of generates an estimated ~US$217 million to reduce support because of falling stock
23 authors with intimate knowledge of annually over >1 million km2. Tourism helps market values, thus plunging the park into
the wildlife and biodiversity situation in governments justify protecting wildlife a funding crisis.
Africa. While there have been published habitat. It creates revenue for state wildlife Botswana was due to recommence trophy
reports of wildlife benefitting in some authorities, generates foreign exchange hunting in April 2020, but now this is on
parts of the world due to reduced human earnings, diversifies and strengthens hold because of the pandemic, with serious
activities, these authors contend that, in local economies, and contributes to food economic implications for government,
Africa, the net conservation impacts of security and poverty alleviation. Tourism community conservation organisations
COVID-19 will be strongly negative. They generates 40% more full-time jobs per and employees of hunting organisations.
describe how the crisis is creating a ‘perfect unit investment than agriculture, has twice Government raised US$2.2 million by
storm’ of reduced funding, restrictions the job creation power of the automotive, auctioning hunting quotas, but this much-
on the operations of conservation telecommunications and financial need revenue may now be in jeopardy.
agencies, cutting off the earnings of rural industries, and employs proportionally Namibia has made huge progress in
communities, and elevated human threats more women than other sectors.” The monetising its biodiversity and wildlife
to nature resulting therefrom. paper includes comprehensive tables and resources through eco-tourism, subsistence
references to back these figures, and should and trophy hunting as well as live game sales.
Lindsey, P., Allan, J., Brehony, P. et be of great concern to all who know and For community-managed conservation
al. Conserving Africa’s wildlife and have fond memories of this extraordinary areas, the pandemic has resulted in a loss
wildlands through the COVID-19 crisis and part of the world. of 90% of their expected 2020 income
beyond. Nat Ecol Evol (2020). https://doi. One of the main sources of income for of between US$3.5 to 4.5 million, a
org/10.1038/s41559-020-1275-6 wildlife conservation activities in Africa is serious blow to the viability of communal
donor funding from outside the continent. conservation areas, in which Namibia is a
They say that “Africa has nearly 2,000 Key For example, the African Parks organisation, shining example on the continent.
Biodiversity Areas and supports the world’s which is largely funded by donor income, These and other equally harrowing stories
most diverse and abundant large mammal currently manages 17 parks in 11 countries from many other parts of Africa are detailed
populations. Financially, the most apparent in Africa. These parks now exceed a total of by Lindsey et al. Rural communities
value of Africa’s wildlife and wildlands 13 million hectares - or the size of England! living around protected areas, hunting
8 www.africanhuntinggazette.com
concessions and other wildlife management
areas are highly dependent on revenue
streams generated by such areas for their
livelihoods. With their economic benefits
drying up, these people will inevitably have
to rely on the natural resources around
them for their very survival. The lesson
from Mozambique, plagued by civil war for
decades, is that in times of need humans will
consume everything that is edible to stay
alive. Anti-poaching measures under such
circumstances become almost irrelevant.
So, what’s to be done to address this
looming disaster? Lindsey et al. have a
number of useful suggestions, of which the
priority is to address the immediate, short-
term challenges:
“African conservation will flounder
unless the international community
intervenes to provide crisis funding,
recognizing conservation as an essential
service and PAs as global public goods. The
developed world is rapidly implementing
mechanisms to bail out impacted businesses
and industries, which in the United States
runs into trillions of dollars. However,
cash-strapped governments in developing
countries lack such potential. Furthermore,
no such mechanisms exist for supporting
conservation specifically. Donors could unite
to create an emergency fund for struggling
wildlife authorities, communities, private
landowners and conservation NGOs. In
addition, key industries underpinning
conservation efforts, such as tourism,
need support, both via tax breaks and
direct financial assistance, provided they
can demonstrate ongoing investment into
protection of the wildlands on which they
depend. Realistically, the developed world
would have to be the primary source of
such funding, from multi- and bilateral
institutions, corporations and the public.
International philanthropic foundations
have an opportunity to intervene, make a
transformational difference to conservation
in Africa and help avert disaster.” rural communities around protected areas what you could do, alone or in unison
My personal experience as a Trustee of in six different African countries where with colleagues and friends, to contribute
the Wilderness Wildlife Trust is that the Wilderness Safaris operates (Botswana, to the survival of a particular area that
generosity of individuals, foundations Kenya, Namibia, Rwanda, Zambia and you know and love, and have personally
and family trusts towards places in Africa Zimbabwe). This grant will help stave off experienced. Make contact with your
that they know and love is extraordinary. hunger and deprivation for many families outfitter or PH to see how you can help in
Wilderness Safaris, as one of Africa’s whose livelihoods have, through no fault this time of dire need. Your dollar will go
leading eco-tourism operators, has enabled of their own, been cruelly cut off by the a long way in Africa!
numerous people from around the globe COVID-19 pandemic.
to experience the continent and all its Readers of African Hunting Gazette
wildlife wonders. We have just received a include many who love Africa and its Dr John Ledger is an independent consultant
donation of US$180,000 from the Michael wildlife, good people who have hunted and writer on energy and environmental
and Karen Stone Family Foundation, Inc., wild Africa and touched and felt and issues, based in Johannesburg, South Africa.
to be used to provide food security to inhaled her unique primeval essence. If [email protected]
people in need of such assistance in certain you are one of these hunters, consider
AHG1575
www.animalartistry.com
Focus on an Animal
Oribi from “Game Animals of the World”

.
By Chris and Mathilde Stuart
Based on Chris and Mathilde English: Oribi DESCRIPTION

Latin: Ourebia ourebi Many races have been described, but most
Stuart’s book, "Game Animals German: Oribi reflect individual variation and most are
French: Ourébi no longer recognised. Because of size and
of the World," published by Spanish: Oribi coloration, Haggard’s oribi (O. o. haggardi)
of coastal Kenya is recognised, but it is not
African Hunting Gazette, MEASUREMENTS huntable. The usual coat color is rufous
Total length: 1.1 m (3.6‘) yellow-orange with white underparts and
here’s everything hunters need Tail: 6 – 15 cm (2.4” – 5.9”) inner thighs. The hair is longer on the back
to know about the Oribi Shoulder Height: 60 cm (2.0‘) and has a somewhat curly appearance. From
Weight: 14 – 20 kg (31 – 44 lb) a distance it is often confused with steenbok,
(Male on average 2 kg (4 lb) lighter than but the proportionally shorter ears and short,
female.) black-tipped tail are diagnostic. The ram
carries short, erect, and partly ridged horns.
DISTRIBUTION BEHAVIOR
It has a very wide sub-Saharan range, from Live in pairs or small family parties, each with March – June peak
Senegal to Eritrea, through much of East one territorial ram and up to four ewes. Each Gestation: 210 days
Africa and eastern southern Africa. Huntable unit uses communal dung heaps and also marks Number of young: One
in most countries where trophy hunting is grass stalks with secretion from a gland in Sexual maturity: Probably 1 year, but males
offered. front of the eye. If disturbed they give a sharp breed later
whistle and run off, sometimes “pronking”, Longevity: Captive up to 15 years 10 months,
CONSERVATION STANDING with black tail prominent, but usually several to 14 years
Abundant in some regions, with perhaps 100 soon stop and look back at the disturbance.
000 animals in West Africa, but with widely Even when harassed they do not leave the FOOD
scattered populations in eastern and southern boundaries of the home range. Where studied, They show a marked preference for short grass
Africa. There are substantial populations in territories are small, varying from 0.3 to about and will move if it gets too long, and also will
the Serengeti and the Bangweulu Swamp 1 km² (74 - 247 acres), but in some areas it is feed on herbaceous plants selectively.
floodplains (Zambia). Considered to be believed that these are somewhat larger. They
threatened in South Africa and Zimbabwe. are independent of drinking water. RIFLES AND AMMUNITION
Suggested Caliber: .224 - .257.
HABITATS BREEDING Bullet: Expanding bullet.
Open short grassland with longer grass to Mating season: Throughout year, but marked Sights: Medium to high-range variable scope.
provide cover, as well as open, well-grassed peaks during rains; in southern Africa mating Hunting Conditions: Expect longer shots in
woodland. Often associated with floodplains. April – June; East Africa all months with open country.
Shot placement
Receive this book with your

subscription special, when you sign up.
Annie’s Hunt By Rick Holbert
Eland at a water hole.
I
'll admit it. I've fallen in love with Africa Upon completion we mounted a Leupold
as so many others have. Reading books VXR 2-7X34 Firedot scope. The rifle was
on hunting Africa while growing up by chambered in .308 Winchester. I've been
all the greats did nothing but fan the flames a handloader for 56 years and the .308 is a
to one day see what it was all about. I had favorite. I put up a load using the Barnes
been back from Namibia for about 6 months 168grn TSX. In her rifle it delivered 1/2
in 2016 when I started making plans for the MOA accuracy. Then as time allowed, I
next trip. Who would I invite to share the started teaching her how to shoot off sticks.
next trip with me? I planned on going back During all of this I contacted my travel
in 2019 but the friends I enjoy hunting with argent to book the flight. As I wanted to see a
would be finishing their hunt the week before different country we elected to go thru Qatar
I arrived. The answer hit me like a bolt. this trip, as they have a flight direct from
Would my daughters be interested? I raised Doha into Windhoek, Namibia. Slightly
them by myself and they had started going longer transit time but worth it to me. Ah,
hunting with me at an early age. Both are and as far as my rifle - didn't need the power
avid shooters and hunters. I contacted my but wanted to use a classic African cartridge.
elder daughter Rachel who loves to hunt but I built a pre-64 Model 70 Winchester in .375
she explained she didn't really care to travel to Annie taking delivery of her custom .308 H&H. I've got a weak spot for medium bore
Africa. I can respect her views but wished she before the trip. rifles. Both rifles were put up with Rhodesian
would have been receptive. Then I contacted slings made by good friend Andy at Andy's
my younger one, Annie. Her reply was, “Are paperwork together. During this time Annie Leather. They allow quick loop up to get rock
we there yet?” The trip of my dreams started commissioned a custom rifle build by good steady. I started working with Annie on her
to come together. friend and custom builder Pete Underwood. equipment for the trip. Boots, gaiters, hard
I contacted my PH, Gerrit Breedt of Elandpro She supplied a Persian 98 Mauser action as case for her rifle and all the other gear she
Safaris in Namibia. I booked our hunt for the base for the rifle, and with his guidance would use.
July of 2019 and started getting the required selected a stock blank of fine-figured walnut. The big day finally arrived, 5July, 2019.
Huntress Diana
We flew out of New Orleans, La. to Dallas

Tx. There we made our connection to Qatar
Airways. I must say I was impressed with the
service we received with this airline. Everyone
was most helpful. The food on the aircraft
was very good. We had an 8-hour layover
in Doha, but frankly there was so much to
see in the terminal that the time passed in a
blink. It seems in no time we were landing
in Windhoek, Namibia. After clearing
customs and the gun room we headed out
into the terminal where we were met by my
PH's son Janneman. He and I had hunted
together on my last trip. He's young but a
fully licensed PH. He worked his heart out
to get me on some incredible animals. I
would hunt anywhere and at any time with
him. We hit it off like we were lifelong
friends. Now it's a 5-hour drive to their
hunting ranch, Mooilaagte, to the northeast First game taken by Annie with a proud dad.
of Grootfontein. Knowing what was in store, back out. Later that day we decided to check
and as it was Annie's first trip, I placed her a waterhole. Just toward the end of the day a
in the front seat of the truck so she would very nice blue wildebeest walked out of the
have an unobstructed view of the countryside brush. Annie centered the shoulder in her
and the animals we would see. Ah the look scope and stroked the trigger. The animal
on her face when we would round a corner dropped on his nose. Two animals on her first
and see gemsbok and such just off the road. It day hunting! I can't tell you how proud I was
was priceless. On arriving at the ranch I made of her.
the introductions to Gerrit and his lovely wife We started our second day of hunting.
Makee. Old friend and U.S. booking agent This day we were with Janneman. We were
Pete Underwood was waiting for us as well. walking along a two-track when Janneman
We had a light supper, then time to turn in as motioned us to stop and move behind some
Watching over a water hole.
the trip was catching up with us. brush. At approximately 60 yards we had a
Up and at them, as they say at O dark 30. took the animal cleanly. The handload had small group of Burchell's zebra come out of
Up to the main house for breakfast and hot performed outstandingly. We called for the the brush to our left. The big stallion leading
coffee. Grabbing our gear and rifles it was truck and transported her gemsbok to the stopped and stared at us. He snorted and
time to confirm zeros then head for the bush. skinning shed. While at the main house we pawed at the ground trying to get us to move
Annie didn't disappoint. Three rounds into got a bite to eat and after a short rest headed as he didn't know what we were. Janneman
one hole. Unfortunately the point of impact
had shifted on my rifle, but four rounds had
me re-zeroed and good to go. As Janneman
was guiding another hunter that day, Annie
and I would be hunting with Gerrit. Annie
had the honor of first shot. We had been
stalking through a maze of thorn bush and
were coming up to a section of road. As
Gerrit started to walk out on the two-track,
I saw him look to the right. He set the sticks
up, pulled Annie up to the sticks, whispering
in her ear and half pointing down the track.
As I was about 10 to 12 feet behind them
and behind a screen of brush, I froze as not
to spook whatever they saw. Annie settled
in on the sticks looking through the scope.
She made the shot and I heard the bullet
slap, knowing she had made a good hit. She
turned to me, eyes big, stammering,” Dad,
I got him, I got him.” Gerrit had a big grin
on his face and said she’d shot a really good
gemsbok. About 60 yards is all the animal
ran. Shot placement was a little high but she Annie took this blue wildebeest just before sundown.
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Huntress Diana
whispered to Annie asking if she wanted a

zebra, to which she said no. He looked at me,
but I had taken a great zebra my last trip, so I
passed. Annie was in awe coming that close to
animals she had only seen in zoos. The brush
was very dry. Namibia was going through the
worse drought they have had in almost 100
years. We didn't see anything large enough
to consider taking that morning. Close to the
middle of the day Janneman suggested we sit
at a waterhole for a spell before going in for
lunch. We had only been there around 30
minutes when I heard Janneman say, “There's Last night at the ranch with PH Gerrit and
your blue wildebeest, Uncle Rick.” Off to wife Makee Breedt.
my left I saw a nice bull coming through the
brush. At 85 yards he stopped to look at the
waterhole. I placed the crosshairs on his neck,
There’s nothing like an African sunset.
and at the shot he dropped in his tracks. The
.375 H&H is a real hammer. After lunch I
some stories (not that they don't already) to
went out with the other client and Gerrit. The
tell about their old dad. Later on when she
other fellow took a rather nice red hartebeest.
looks over her mounts and relives those days
Annie on the other hand went back out with
in Namibia, she'll look back and smile.
Janneman. They spotted a small group of
black wildebeest out in the open. They made
I think it was Harry Selby who said we don't
their stalk, getting up to within some 240
take animals to kill them. We take them to
yards. Annie got on the sticks. Janneman
immortalize them for all time and relive the
pointed out the animal to take. She steadied
One of the locals stopped by to say hello. time we spent in Africa.
up and made the shot, dropping the animal
in its tracks. Needless to say after supper there
was some toasting to do over sundowners
to celebrate some outstanding hunting.
Janneman came to me later to say he figured
I had taught Annie well, and it showed in the
way she conducted herself in the field.
Speaking of supper and meals. I hunt with
Gerrit and his family for a simple reason. No,
they are not like a 5-star hotel. They can be
if that is what one wants and expects. The
rooms are spacious. Hot showers and comfy
beds. His wife Makee could be a gourmet
chef with the side dishes she prepares. But
when I'm at their ranch I feel like I'm home
with family. That counts for a lot with me.
Well we saw a lot of diverse game for the
remainder of the trip. Annie was happy with
the three she had taken and just spent the rest
of the trip looking at the game. I took a cull
black wildebeest and finally had the chance
to collect a very nice warthog. I've seen some
with bigger teeth but this one was symmetrical
and none broken. The dry conditions had
been hard on the pigs in this area.
Well, as is always the case, the time flew
by. Our hunt had come to an end. Even
had I not once pulled the trigger it would
have been a complete success. To watch my
daughter take game like a seasoned pro, using
a rifle she had input on as to how it was to be
built and in what caliber. What more could
a man ask for but to share an experience like
this. I figure someday my daughters will have
During a
Drought…
By Philip Massaro
On the hunt
The herd of eland wasn't exactly cooperating. We’d go left

to get the wind and they’d turn right, so we’d have to circle
back and hustle to get on them again, and the light was
fading fast. There was hardly any cover as a result of the
terrible drought Namibia was dealing with in mid-2019,
so when PH Maré van der Merwe spread the sticks, the
distance between us and the bull was just over 300 yards.
I gave six-inches of holdover, broke the trigger of the .300
H&H, and the bull fell out of the scope. Maré and I walked
those 300 yards chatting about the great time we’d had
hunting together, and I knew, as we stood over an eland
bull with horns over 38 inches, that this would be a point
in time I would remember with nostalgia.
I
t was my last hunting day of a week-long huge Panorama concession, a beautiful,
hunt with Jamy Traut Safaris, organized sprawling area of sand dunes, open pans,
by the folks at Federal Ammunition acacia flats and rocky kopjes, and on that ride
and Bushnell Optics, in order to test some into camp I immediately noticed the effects
of their new products, and what a week it of a terrible drought.
was. In addition to representatives from the I’d long known Jamy’s name from hunting
respective companies, as well as Suzie my magazines and colleagues who’d hunted with
wife who is my photographer on most hunts, him before, and we had met one another
there were two other writers from America, briefly at the Dallas Safari Club annual
all eager to experience a Namibian plains- convention, so I was excited to spend some
game safari. Our group had cleared customs time hunting with him. Jamy is one of those
in Windhoek fairly effortlessly, and drove the guys who makes you feel like you’ve been
two-and-a-half hours to Rehoboth, where we buddies since high school - he and I hit it
met our host, PH Jamy Traut and his lovely off immediately. His lodge at the Panorama
wife Rentia. This would be my first time concession is situated on the top of a centrally-
hunting Namibia, and I was excited to see the located hill, and has all the comforts of
country. We would start out hunting Jamy’s home, without losing that rustic African feel.
Jamy Traut (L) and Phil Massaro (R) with a Namibian gemsbok.
On the hunt
Chatting over sundowners, discussing the a gemsbok with horns that were noteworthy.
finer points of classic African cartridges and “We need camp meat,” Traut said. Say no
rifles as hunters love to do, Jamy explained more, sir! A single .300 Holland ensured
the current situation in Namibia. hunger wouldn’t be an issue, and I was slowly
“Phil, this is the worst drought we’ve falling in love with the Namibian landscape.
had in 120 years of recorded weather. It’s Day two saw my first time of hunting with
having a drastic effect on the game, especially Maré van der Merwe, and also saw my first
the grazers. There’s very little grass left, red hartebeest, taken after a very difficult stalk
anywhere.” That week would show exactly on those scrub flats that hartebeest haunt.
how right he was. We’d spent the morning stalking, crawling,
As there were three of us hunters, Jamy and duck-walking after this herd - and every
made sure there were three PHs on hand: other sort of bipedal locomotion - and finally
himself, Maré van der Merwe, and Jamy’s managed to get within 275 yards. Again, a
partner Louw Lotter. All the writers would single Super .30 sorted this bull out, a heavy-
Massaro and Traut glassing a distant herd
trade off between the hunters, so everyone horned old specimen; this was the kind of
had an opportunity to hunt with each of the
of eland. hartebeest I’d been after for years. A single
PHs, and while I had a great time with each raincloud passed overhead, making for an
of them, Jamy and I came away from this ammunition with 180-grain Federal Trophy epic photograph, but offering no relief to the
hunt as very good friends. Bonded Tip bullets in Norma cases. We hard-baked soil.
Our first day together began with a spotted a group of hartebeest mid-morning, Day three consisted of Jake Edson of
hearty breakfast at first light, and then we but the wind gave us away. We had quite a Bushnell joining my wife and me, along with
immediately got on the Cruiser to look hike up and over kopjes, through the dried Jamy and a skeleton crew on an excursion away
for a good gemsbok or hartebeest, maybe pans, and across those brick-red sand dunes, from Panorama, to the Namib Escarpment in
even a kudu. Jamy admired the rifle I’d and over the course of the day I got to know pursuit of Hartmann’s mountain zebra. The
brought along (actually one of two), a 1959 Jamy and his son Nicky even better. As we escarpment overlooks the Namib Desert, one
vintage Colt Coltsman chambered in .300 shared hunting stories, opinions on guns and of the oldest deserts on earth, and though
H&H Magnum, and I’d handloaded my cartridges, we were suddenly interrupted by it looks more like the surface of Mars than
that of Earth, the landscape holds much
more life than you’d expect. Kudu, gemsbok,
klipspringer, zebra, leopard and hyena - all
were present in that arid land.
The concession in that area was huge. Jamy
told us they had once driven for two days
along the bumpy two-track, and still didn’t
hit the boundary! We had absolute free rein,
and simply drove until we found a small sand
river.
“We should make camp just here,” Jamy
decided. The crew consisted of Jamy, his
son Nicky, Panda (our tracker) and Colin
(the talented camp chef ), who set up our
makeshift fly camp in about half-hour. At no
time in my safari experience had I been able
to do something like this.
We spent the afternoon in search of mountain
zebra, hiking up and down those beautiful
hills, me just soaking it all in, when we spotted
the first small group. It was Jake Edson who
took the first zebra stallion, using my Savage
.280 Ackley Improved, with 160-grain Federal
Trophy Bonded Tip bullets. Jake’s luggage
and rifles had been delayed four days, so he
was borrowing my rifle, and it served him very
well. Handloaded to just under 3,000 fps, the
.280AI makes an excellent long-range plains-
game rifle, and Jake put his stallion in the salt
with a single shot.
Once the photos were taken, congratulations
extended, and the truck very carefully
maneuvered as close to the stallion as possible,
we loaded him and headed back to our little
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importantly, about a half-hour before dawn
- the unmistakable sound of heavy hooves on
the loose rocks.
“Phil, I’m assuming you heard them?”
Jamy asked. Nodding, I suggested we pursue
them as soon as possible. We quickly huddled
around the coffee pot, got dressed, and headed
off in the direction of the zebra herd. We
were fortunate that morning, as it wasn’t long
before we found them feeding on the very
sparse vegetation. At the back of the herd was
the stallion we desired. Jamy and I scrambled
up onto a giant granite boulder. I got into a
prone position, and from about 275 yards I
sent a 180-grain .300 H&H across the valley,
Massaro with an eland bull, taken at just over 300 yards with a vintage .300 H&H into the stallion’s vitals, followed by a second
ensuring shot.
Magnum
I was so impressed with the sheer size of
that zebra and the distinctive fishbone striped
piece of paradise on that sand river. After being set up as hyena bait, to how I would
pattern that extended across the whole body,
a delicious dinner by lantern light – blue explain to her parents and children that she
right down to the hoof, that and I decided to
wildebeest, salad, mashed potatoes and even had been devoured by scavengers!
ask the skinners to prepare him for a pedestal
dessert in the desert – Jamy showed us the In the end it turned out to be her favorite
mount in order to pay proper homage to
open-air sleeping arrangements. Individual experience of the whole trip, and indeed,
such a beautiful animal. We returned to our
cots, replete with the warmest of sleeping bags, one of her favorite
camp for another
were set up for us under the stars for what experiences ever.
would be one of the greatest experiences of The night sky, when I was slowly falling hearty breakfast, and
headed back out for
my life. It was then that my new-found friend viewed from the
worked his magic. Addressing my wife, Jamy escarpment with its in love with the the remainder of the
morning in search
said, “Suzie, did you know that many of the total lack of light
natives sleep with their heads at the bottom of
the sleeping bag, and their feet sticking out?”
pollution, is just
amazing. The Milky
Namibian landscape of a kudu bull. We
spotted several,
and put a stalk on
Swallowing the bait hook, line and sinker, my Way stretched across the vast expanse of
a couple, but all proved too young to take.
wife inquired why they would do that. “So the darkness, bejewelled with twinkling stars,
Camp was packed up and we drove back to
hyenas don’t bite their face off!” falling meteorites and passing satellites. The
Panorama.
One can only imagine the line of interrogation sounds of night were equally magical, with
The day after our return I went with Maré
I had from my darling wife, ranging from the the calls of the nocturnal animals brought
van der Merwe again, and while we were
safety of our current situation, to my sanity, to on a gentle breeze. There was a distant
searching once more for that herd of eland,
the number of other wives around the world hyena, the night insects, and then - most
we spotted the largest springbok ram I’d ever
seen. There wasn't any communication, just
a mad scramble to get off the back of the
Cruiser and cover the 500 yards between us
and that ram. Using the limited amount of
cover available, we got as close as 300 yards,
when Maré stopped and spread the sticks.
I had the .280 AI in hand (Jake’s rifles had
finally arrived), settled it in the sticks, gave
the necessary six inches of holdover, and
squeezed the trigger.
Just out of recoil, I saw the ram drop
to the ground, and if you thought a 16-
inch springbok could make me smile, you
should have seen Maré’s face. I doubt I will
ever find a ram like that again, and I was
absolutely grateful to find that animal among
the thousands of springbok that inhabit
Panorama.
My wife and I spent the last day hunting
with Loew Lotter and his wife, but though we
had a great day out, the rifles weren’t fired. We
Mare van der Merwe and Phil Massaro with a good red hartebeest bull. had one more of those fantastic dinners that
On the hunt
are served at Panorama, and when we all gathered around

the fire pit, Nicky brought out his guitar. As I’ve also been
a player for over 30 years, we had a bit of a sing-along.
I was surprised to find that Jamy is a fine guitarist and
singer as well, and we spent the evening trading back and
forth. It was one of those times that won’t be forgotten by
anyone there.
I left Panorama with much more than five
magnificent animals. Apart from the topnotch hunting,
accommodations, and service, I had some wonderful hunts
with one of the best professionals in the industry. Jamy’s
crew delivers above-and-beyond your expectations, and to
say you’ll get what you pay for is an understatement. Jamy
Traut is simply one of those genuine people who knows
how to do his do his job as a PH, and balances it with
the personal touch that makes you want to return. His
business is truly a family business, as the Lotters have that
same approach to their clients, while Nicky Traut certainly
has the makings of a good professional hunter.
I don’t think this was the last time Mr Traut and I will
hunt together, and I’m glad to hear now that the Namibian
drought is over. Jake Edson, Jamy Traut and Phil Massaro at the campfire on the Namib
Though I do have to get even for the face-eating hyenas… Escarpment, an absolutely idyllic setting.
Philip Massaro is an outdoor writer from upstate New York, whose passions include big-game hunting across North America and Africa, and reloading
ammunition and the study of ballistics. He is the Editor-in-Chief of the Gun Digest Annual, the author of Gun Digest’s ‘Shooters Guide to Reloading’,
‘The Big Book of Ballistics’, ‘The Perfect Shot for Dinosaurs’ and others, and a regular contributor to numerous hunting and shooting publications, as well
as appearing on outdoor television shows.
BOBBY HANSEN SAFARIS

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Contact Info: Tel + 27 82 320 5504 / +27 83 702 1804 / USA Cell (Jan-Feb) 214 663 7708
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Buffaloes –
win some, lose some...
By Francois van Emmenes
On the hunt
T
here are very good reasons why local and
foreign hunters admire the Cape buffalo,
and covet the opportunity to hunt one.
They are, and will always probably be, the most
numerous of all the Big Five, and as a result are
generally more affordable than the other free-
roaming members of this elite clan, making
them a popular choice for a dangerous-game
hunt. Often regarded as Africa’s most dangerous,
and with good cause, buffalo hunting can get
the heart racing and the mouth dry, even for
experienced big-game hunters. Fantastic books
have been written on hunting buffalo – Craig
Boddington’s Buffalo!, Kevin Robertson’s Africa’s
Most Dangerous, Peter Flack’s Hunting the African
Buffalo and Guide to Nyati by the publishers of
African Hunter – all necessary reading for any
aspiring hunter wishing to tackle Africa’s “Black
Death”. One thing all these books have in
common is the shared wisdom and knowledge
that comes from experienced buffalo hunters.
While all of the aforesaid authors may disagree
on which member of the Big Five is the most
dangerous, they will all probably agree that
the Cape buffalo is a serious contender for the
number one spot. This view is supported by
the legends, both past and present, of problem
animal control – game rangers whose job it was
and still is to destroy them in the line of duty.
This, of course, includes the female of the species
as well, not just bulls.
One of the very positive results of the thriving
game ranching industry in Southern Africa is the
abundance of buffaloes available for hunting,
especially in South Africa. The secondary market
for huntable animals has grown tremendously
over the last fifteen years or so. Not every bull or
cow born necessarily qualifies as a “stud” animal
that is retained to breed with or sell on auction,
and these are mostly destined for the hunting
market - likewise with old, non-calf-producing
cows at the end of their life. Good animal
husbandry necessitates the introduction of new
blood from time to time. All of the above leads
to a solid supply of non-trophy buffaloes for the
hunting market. In reality, the hunting of free-
roaming buffalo in large, unfenced concessions is
also becoming scarcer, as well as more expensive.
By that I am not for one moment suggesting
hunting a “tame” buffalo in a small enclosure –
quite the opposite! Southern Africa is blessed
with establishments, that although fenced, are
very large in area and offer the same experience
as would a hunt on a million-acre concession.
During 2019 I experienced two such hunts
with Chivic African Safaris near Phalaborwa in
the South African Lowveld, west of the Kruger
National Park. Outfitter Christo Joubert runs
various large concessions in South Africa and
Mozambique and offers a wide choice of species,
including all of the Big Five, plus hippo and
On the hunt
crocodile. More importantly to me and

hunting buddy Lodewyk, he offers buffalo to
suit every hunter’s pocket. Old, battle-scarred
Dagga Boys command premium prices and
were more than we could afford to spend on
a hunt. Christo offered us two mature, but
non-trophy bulls at a very reasonable price
and assured us it would be a challenge – the
buffalo on his concessions are as wild as they
get from constant harassment from hunters,
poachers and lion. My own hunt ended Hunting buffalo cows can be just as rewarding but comes at a much lower price tag. These
successfully after a few days when I managed two beautiful cows were hunted by my friend Fred Cocquyt and his friend with Chivic
to hunt a bull, sans PH, with only my buddy African Safaris during 2019.
Robert backing me up – a story for another
day. (In South Africa it is legal for a local foliage. All we could do was follow the tracks. continue at first light – it would have been
hunter to do so; foreign hunters of course must At times we were so close we could smell the suicidal to pursue the buffalo any further.
be guided by a professional hunter holding a bull, our senses on such high alert we could Overnight rains wiped out all the tracks and
valid dangerous-game licence for the specific almost hear our heartbeats. Walking slowly we never found the animal.
province that you hunt in). When Lodewyk’s ahead, the lead tracker put up his hand, and At that time I decided to also hunt a
turn came he pulled the shot from his .416 everyone froze. In front of us was a small gully buffalo cow, and spent two days doing this
Rigby and wounded his bull. The general with exceptionally thick undergrowth. From accompanied by Johan Espach, a young and
consensus was that he shot low on a bull twenty yards away we could see absolutely very competent PH, and I worked much
facing him head on, and an adrenaline-filled, nothing. Inside, a twig cracked, and as one harder during that time than for my bull.
tense follow-up ensued. The bull bled well for we flicked our safeties to “off”. But the bull Cow herds with calves in tow are difficult to
about half a mile, then the blood petered out. had gone. Many hours later we caught up approach unseen. They are super alert and
Visibility was down to a few yards in most of with him again, but by then it was dusk. protective of their young. There are many
the area because the mopane trees were in full Christo called a halt and decided we would more eyes to see and noses to smell, and you
YOUR ONE STOP AFRICAN SAFARI DESTINATION

Ernest & Marita Dyason
[email protected]
AHG1505
On the hunt
have to keep your wits about you. The trick Later that afternoon we scouted the area
was to identify an old cow without a calf, in the direction the bull had earlier run and
something that we could not do with certainty saw his tracks crossing a management road.
in the time allowed. I was not disappointed This time he was not so lucky. We searched
however – I was hunting buffalo after all! for about an hour and as we rounded a large
In August I returned with Lodewyk tree he was standing out in the open at about
to Chivic. This time he decided to hunt sixty yards, quartering on slightly. The sticks
a trophy bull and had set his sights on went up and Lood nestled the forend of his
something with character. Christo and Johan .470NE in the “V”. Johan whispered, “Take
told us about a monster of a bull they had him when you’re ready!” The shot went off a
seen previously – huge body with a good second later. The bull collapsed on the spot,
spread and solid bosses. Lodewyk believes it Lood broke open his double, and the spent
was divine intervention, and I believed it was case flew past my face. Lood topped up the
the power of positive thinking, but whatever empty barrel with a solid, and at Johan’s
the reason, we found the bull on the second whispered instructions gave the prostrate
Outfitter/PH Christo Joubert and
day while traveling on the Land Cruiser to a bull another shot in the vitals, reloading
new area. The bull stood looking at us from Lodewyk on our first hunt while looking again immediately.
about eighty yards, his nose up. We continued for Lodewyk’s wounded bull. In stark We watched the bull for a few minutes,
driving at slow speed and stopped half a mile contrast to later in the year, the mopanes then Lood swopped his .470 for his scoped
away, downwind from him and stalked back. were in full foliage in January. This photo .416 Rigby and shot twice from a kneeling
When we reached the spot he was supposed was taken when we took advantage of a position. After three minutes we were sure he
to be, he was gone. Sly old bugger… relatively open area to scout ahead. was now dead, but did not go closer. There
We picked up his soup plate-sized tracks, was no death bellow yet, although this is not
and Johan stayed on them, eventually catching forward and through the ravine to get closer. always a sure indication – sometimes they
up with him an hour later. At this time of the Now we could see better – at least fifteen cows do not bellow… Johan directed us to walk
year cover is sparse, dry leaves plentiful and with half as many calves, but there were more, slowly to get behind the bull’s back, circling
buffalo are wary. The bull spotted us, turned judging by the tracks we had seen. around him. From about 40 yards away
tail and disappeared between the mopanes. We crawled forward inch by inch. Lodewyk Lood gave him shot number five and then
We gave him some time to settle down and was right by Johan’s left shoulder, ready for a one more. Unbelievably, the bull was still
followed, but now he knew we were on to shot at the bull we were sure we were about breathing. I followed with a shot from my
him, and kept circling to get the wind on his to see. The next moment Johan spun around .375 H&H, and to be quite certain, Lood
side, evading us. As we entered a dry, sandy and shouted, “Get away! Run and stay ahead finished with two more from his .416. Ten
ravine, Johan pointed at his tracks where he of me!” Two cows had seen us and were minutes later, after seeing no movement, we
appeared to have joined a cow herd – not coming at a trot. Discretion being the better approached carefully. The bull was, finally,
good news. The cow herd’s tracks were easy part of valor, we did exactly that and got away dead.
to follow and disappeared into a thicket to from the cows with speed. I was making a He was a monster. Body like a tank, a good
our left. We had to circle around to get the video of the hunt at the time and the footage spread and solid bosses. He had a huge, old
wind in our favor, but luckily we were now on as I ran away was quite humorous – blue sky, scar around his neck from a poacher’s snare.
slightly higher ground. Eventually we spotted brown earth, blue sky… The herd ran in the His face bore the scars of lion encounters –
some cows through the thick vegetation opposite direction and we were busted again. truly an old warrior and a great trophy.
and sat tight, hoping we would spot the We returned to the vehicle tired, but happy You don’t have to come to Africa and hunt
bull. Half an hour later, Johan motioned us and took a sustenance break. a bull like this to live the thrills of hunting
buffalo. For a fraction of the price you can
hunt a “management” bull or cow and work
just as hard, enjoy the hunt just as much,
and build on your experience.
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Francois van Emmenes has been hunting

since childhood and has hunted most plains-
game species in his native South Africa. He
has written numerous articles for local and
international magazines on a wide variety of
hunting, shooting, reloading and conservation
matters. He has an extensive hunting book
library, and has a passion for “pre-64” model 70
Winchester rifles, which he collects. He reloads
for all his rifles, shotguns and handguns. He can
The author (left) and Lodewyk with his bull.
be contacted on [email protected]
DSC’s mission is to ensure the conservation
of wildlife through public engagement,
education and advocacy for well-regulated
hunting and sustainable use.
JOIN US!
DSC Convention February 11-14, 2021

[email protected] I www.biggame.org I Dallas Safari Club I (972) 980-9800
C O N S E R VAT I O N I E D U C AT I O N I ADVOCAC Y
P for Paris By Jofie Lamprecht
It was the year 2010 at the Dallas Safari Club convention when Paris Jenkins was
in the booth every hour, tussling whether to book his one and only an expensive
plains-game safari with me, or book a cheaper hunt elsewhere.
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On the hunt
I
t was March of the same year after the
show when I got an email from Paris with
a check on the way. Paris arrived a year
later, dressed in his greens and incredibly
well-prepared for his safari – physically; with
his gear, and in his shooting ability. On that
safari we successfully hunted the biggest oryx
of my career, and one of the biggest kudu
with a broken tip for character, as well as a
great warthog. Around the campfire Paris
savored his drink and told me – “I will have
to make a plan to come back.”
At the same DSC show but now in 2020,
I greeted Paris as he marched purposefully
into the booth. He set out his plans for his
fourth African safari with me in 2021 for
a trophy and non-trophy buffalo. On his
second safari we had also taken a trophy and
non-trophy buffalo and his third incredible
hippo and crocodile. And this is where our Paris lining up for his shot on the hippo.
story begins…
Paris and Cindy arrived in Windhoek in Only six perennial rivers form borders of Our rifles checked, I could see Paris was
2019 at the international airport and were our magical arid country – with only two enjoying every second of his time in the bush
met by one of our staff and taken for a night of them having Namibia on both banks of with me now an old friend. We were first
in a wonderful guest house in Windhoek. the river – the Okavango and the Kwando, guests in our newly finished camp, as well
The following day a short transfer to a before they snake their way onwards. Next to as it being a second safari with one of my
commercial flight from Windhoek to Rundu, the Okavango in the deep shade of a riverine apprentices, Jack. What I could sense was a
a two-hour drive from our concession in forest with giant wild fig, knob-thorn and real concern to Paris was the shot placement
Mahango National Park and Mukongo jackal berry trees, our camp stands in the lazy on the croc, and the danger, if the shot were
breeze with sweeping views of the not placed right, of the croc jumping into the
Mentor, shrink and friend Okavango River. A tranquility of its
own, with adventure around every
water never to be recovered again. As a PH
it is my job to coach my clients and friends
– one of the many roles a corner. Yet it has never been home to
me – and could not be - other than
through this, and help where I can to subdue
their concerns to the best of my ability, to
safaris conducted on both banks of try and present the best possible shot for the
PH plays while on safari the Okavango in tents – glamping greatest chance of success. Mentor, shrink
if you will. It is, however, a second- and friend – one of the many roles a PH plays
Camp. It is always exciting to wait at the generation tradition of hunting these shaded while on safari.
airport for old friends, when you know what white beaches, an allure that I have been After taking a great old impala ram in the
to expect, and you know their preferences unable to shake and probably never will. My first few days, we worked on scouting for
and have everything prepared the way they father left his tracks here in past decades, and crocs and hippo by slowly walking the banks
like it. Conversation flows and memories he is missed still. of the magnificent Okavango River. We got
and jokes of their last safari are easily revived
and relived – with much pleasure in jousting
back and forth about the highs and lows
of previous safaris. Any good safari should
have a fair number of both - this is the way
of Africa in the always true old acronym of
A.W.A. (Africa Wins Again).
We were after the aquatic species - hippo and
croc - with an impala for bait. Goats from the
local community would make up the balance
of our baiting requirements. Our pre-baiting
was moderately unsuccessful, not bringing in
any big crocs, with a leopard stealing one bait
and a variety of other carrion-eaters feeding
on the rest. We had seen several crocs in the
territories that were in the size category that
we wanted. Hippo in Mahango – it is simply
a matter of time.
A flowing river is a rare sight in Namibia. Paris and Jofie with a huge hippo bull.
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On the hunt
wet a lot, and bogged down in the mud a

few times while on foot – but all was in good
humor, with evenings around the campfire
well deserved, and three-course meals savored
before we fell
asleep to the sounds of cavorting hippo and
patrolling lion.
As a point of concern, croc was not far
from Paris’s or my mind. We had not reached
the halfway point of our safari when, while
negotiating a southern stretch of the river, I
happened to look back upriver, and told our
procession to stop dead. We eased away from
the bank with four sets of eyes inquiring as
to what I had seen. Croc! At least two, one
maybe a good size, on a sandbank under the Jofie taking pictures of Paris's hippo.
cover of a high, 14-foot embankment that
guarded it from view. The perfect place for We had made a firm decision that we were
these dinosaurs to hide. NOT going to shoot a hippo in the water.
We slowly got out of view of our prey We wanted to have him out on land. The
and then formulated a plan. The thick bull hippo turned from his right to left side
undergrowth on high bank of the river was – and I saw something amazing etched on his
a great but noisy cover. Estimating just how thick skin. As the midday sun started baking
far back upriver was the big challenge, and I our backs, we quietly backed out and left for
left our small team behind and started a recon camp, lunch and a siesta – “We will come
through the thick bush like a snake. With back later this afternoon and see where they
bated breath the team looked on as I made are in these reeds,” I said.
my way in and out. Finally, I peered down After a delightful lunch and a short rest,
to see a big croc just 20 yards away on the the pace and enthusiasm was high. We walked
sandbank. Through the bush I could make out back into the bank of reeds and waded through
a big gnarly head with two big bumps for the some waist-deep channels and started looking
nose. I motioned for Paris and Jack to make for our target. As the sun started dipping
their way to my position. Moving sticks and towards the horizon our daylight was fading,
leaves as they went, it took some time. While though not our enthusiasm. A dark spot in
I waited, I studied the croc again. I started the reeds close to the bank brought our team
second-guessing myself and looked to where to a halt. Movement. One, no, two shadows
the croc lay on the bank, in a depression on moving towards the shallow channel. One
the white sand. I realised I would not have huge, the other smaller. As they slashed into
been able to see this croc from downstream.
Paris and Jack made it to my position,
and I got Paris set up. “Look at the shot, at Paris with his fantastic kudu, with some
the angle. You got it?” Paris’s ice-blue eyes character, on his first safari.
focused in absolute concentration. Then I
whispered, “This is not the one.” We backed the ankle-deep water, the larger was obviously
up, and I started the snaking move all over a bull – lower tusks pushing his upper lips
again. This time I found the island I had into two big lumps next to his nostrils. And
seen earlier, with a croc only slightly bigger then the etching on his side became visible;
than the one just before – but bigger all the the shooting sticks went up and it was on. At
same. A 25-yard shot. This should be OK for 40 yards, Paris made a perfect side brain shot,
Paris’s nerves. We got set up, Paris sitting on and with this single strike of lightning, our
his knees on “sitting sticks”. I gave him the hunting success was secured.
go ahead and got ready for my own back-up Safety first, we approached the enormous
shot. The croc never even knew what hit him. beast, and then handshakes, high fives and
The ice on the “tough shot” now broken, hugs. I then walked around and showed
we went home for a cold beer after some great Paris – there was a perfect P etched into the
trophy photos. Now for the hippo. hippo’s thick hide – P for Paris. It was meant
A few days later, sitting in the reeds, we had to be. We still had several days to explore this
hippo on land and in the water 180-degrees magical place called Mahango.
around us, not further from the croc shot.
Their lips plucked grass loudly. The herd All the meat from Paris's hippo went to the Paris, see you soon, for in Africa we never say
bull was eating water lilies in front of us. local community. goodbye – it is until we meet again, old friend.
Shooting Sticks and
a Wounded Leopard
By Geoff Wainwright
On the hunt
We were in Tanzania in Masailand, with a view of the

mountain god - pronounced ol doinyo le eng ai - or commonly
called Lengai, in the background. The Toyota Land Cruiser
was parked a few yards away. I had locked my binoculars
scope onto a trophy Grant’s gazelle. Next to me, was my
client, Mark, his .300 Winchester Mag loaded with soft
points, and we were prepared for a long stalk. “Tafadhali
kupa tu, (Swahili for “Please give me”) the shooting sticks.”
The shooting sticks are an essential part of any hunt. “I left
them at the stream where the vehicle was washed,” my driver
Swai replied!
F
ar from the stream, we left the herd we half-circled the outcrop, found a narrow
and drove to the tree-line. Pangas ravine and entered it, the rock walls towering
in hand, Swai and Jackson, tracker- overhead. The air was foul with the smell
cum-skinner, jumped down, while Patrick, of hyrax droppings. We scrambled through
the game scout, armed with a shotgun, was twists and turns, only to find our way choked
left to guard the truck. Mark and I followed with thorn bushes. Our route barred, we
them into a thicket where dik-dik darted turned back and came across a narrow cutting
about. While Swai and Jackson searched in the kopje. In single file, we followed one
for three long sticks, a Masai cow's turd on another up the steep slope. Between high-
a cattle trail caught my eye. It was a day sided boulders, we emerged into a tennis
old, and impressed into it, was a good-sized court-sized clearing surrounded by broken
leopard print. At the top of Mark's wish-list, rocks, with a flat-topped acacia rooted in the
the trophy of his dreams, was a leopard. We middle.
took up the spoor and followed it to where As we took stock, a movement caught my
boulders had tumbled down from the base of eye. Two klipspringers bounded over the
a high outcrop of rocks. Some green acacia edge and disappeared. We had high hopes of
trees contrasted with the stony background. a shot from above. Swai and Jackson waited
All was quiet, while Mark and
except for a bird
chirp. I glassed the There was just the distant I sneaked to the
edge and peered
crags and hollows. over, but saw
On a stone ledge, bark of baboons nothing. Perhaps
about to bask in startled by the
the morning sun, a leopard bellied down. klipspringers, the leopard had vanished. Swai
Only the top of his back was visible above gave a low whistle, beckoned me over and
a rim of rock. I cursed the lack of shooting pointed into the tree. Wedged on a branch
sticks, and so let Mark's rifle rest on my were the remains of the leopard's last kill – a
shoulder. An hour passed. The leopard never klipspringer carcass, the hooves dangling.
stood up, just lashed his tail occasionally. Time was on our side, and a cluster of
Thankfully, Swai and Jackson appeared with rocks formed a natural blind. With a view
newly cut sticks, and we set up. Mark took down onto the shelf-like rock, we waited for
his position, barrel resting in the fork. Only the leopard to show himself. Suddenly there
once did the leopard's head rise briefly. With was the bleating squeal of a hyrax. It flashed
no high ground available, we returned to a into sight, bounded over the lip and vanished.
tree we had passed earlier. Swai scrambled up The leopard was still there. We had found his
to the top to check the position. Mark and I domain!
watched from below. Mark placed his loaded rifle on a rock
Five minutes ticked by. Swai shook his within easy reach. We waited for some hours,
head – no opportunity of a shot from a higher the sun hot overhead. Then, our patience thin,
elevation. He climbed down. In low tones we stood up. From our high vantage point
we discussed new tactics. A plan in mind, looking down, the Toyota resembled a child's
On the hunt
toy as the sun reflected off the wind shield. and snorting, staring
We quietly left. En route to the vehicle, Mark, in one direction.
a man of high ethical standards, said he did A killer was on the
not wish to bait it. “Let's try to hunt it as we prowl.
found it - by chance,” he said. We waited silently
We spent the rest of the day hunting as the sun changed the
plains game. In the cool of the afternoon, colour of the outcrop.
we returned to the kopje carrying two camp Nothing moved. The
chairs. After clambering to the top of the hyraxes basked on
outcrop, we took cover. Mark spread out the the leopard's shelf.
legs of the shooting sticks and anchored them A sentinel baboon
with rocks. He maneuvered his chair into suddenly barked and
position and rested his rifle on the sticks with others joined in.
a view over the shelf. Satisfied, he cleaned They leapt up onto
the scope's lenses, then we began our wait. A the boulders at the
clapper lark hovered overhead, wings rattling, base of the outcrop
and with a “foo-ee” call, fell earthwards, and swarmed over
swooped over the ground, and settled in a them in a frenzy. Where the hunt took place. Note hyrax droppings on rock faces.
tree. We reached for our
Jackson lit a cigarette, the tendril of smoke rifles and hurried over into small stand of ready, we cautiously approached the kill and
drifting in our favour. Then he passed it to trees, making our way to the edge of the saw sunlight glinting off blood. With high
Swai. All was hushed, and as daylight faded, undergrowth. I glassed above the shooting hopes of finding the leopard dead, we warily
the dark shape of the leopard appeared like sticks, and my heart missed a beat. The peered ahead, but saw nothing. Jackson and
magic. With his back towards us, Mark leopard was within easy shooting range. An Swai took up the spoor and we made good
slowly snuggled impala held in its jaws progress for a short distance.
his rifle against his
shoulder. He waited The air was foul with was being dragged over Meanwhile, after hearing the shot, Patrick
the ground. I moved had driven my vehicle up and joined us.
for the leopard to turn aside and told Mark Shotgun in hand, he helped us to search
side-on and present the smell of hyrax to shoot. His shot the vicinity, but without success. We had
a shoulder shot. But, tore the air to shreds. a wounded leopard on our hands and a
the shot never came.
In one silky-smooth
droppings The leopard growled, potential charge or severe mauling! Mark
bucked high into the refused my request to stay with the truck out
movement, the leopard took a few steps, air, then vanished into a patch of waist-high of harm’s way.
angled down, and disappeared into the rocks. grass. All the while, chaos reigned. Some “I have bungled an easy shot. I know the
We waited in silence till the sky darkened, and baboons leaped off the boulders, others risks and want to experience the challenge,”
we returned to camp. Round the campfire, retreated over the ground. he said. The others showed no reaction, but
my hunter confessed that he had “buck fever” We remained still, waiting for a while. with wits sharpened, we continued on the
and had held his fire. His choice not to shoot, There was no sound, so with rifles held at the spoor.
spoke volumes about the integrity of the man.
My respect for him grew
Before first light, our hunting party
quietly made our way to the top. Mark and
I sat on the chairs, Swai and Jackson on the
ground. As the sun rose, a Heuglin's robin
called melodiously. Mark's rifle rested on the
sticks, and our eyes were riveted on the shelf
below. Our hopes high, we patiently waited.
Nothing. We abandoned our vigil.
Before first light the next morning, we
again left camp, a chill in the air. We arrived
at the base of the outcrop before dawn.
The timing was perfect. With the heights
charcoaled against the night sky, we silenced
the engine to sit and listen only to the
yapping of a distant jackal. As the morning
star faded in the east, the leopard gave a
series of saw-like grunts. Hopeful, we talked
in whispers. Then an impala began to snort
in alarm, and we heard the low, drumming
of their hooves. We could see their leaping
bodies in the gloom. The herd was blowing
On the hunt
right. Ever so slowly, our the wind, we entered the cave, the acrid smell
party moved forward. The of damp hyrax droppings assailing us. I shone
ground began to slope the torch down the rocky tunnel, shuffled
steeply up towards the forward, and cautiously peered round a bend.
towering outcrop. We used Eyes shining in the light, the leopard lay
hand and footholds to stretched on the granite floor. As it lifted its
climb. The area was littered head, I pointed the shot-gun, closed my eyes
with broken rocks, some as and fired. For a few moments, my world went
high as our shoulders. We upside down with bats flying everywhere in
had no tracks to follow, thick dust.
only smears of blood. The cave roof was low and allowed only
After losing the spoor, the one man to work. We separated the shooting
crew spread out, then at sticks, linked them together with our boot-
a click of their fingers, we laces, then pulled and wrestled Mark's leopard
went on. The leopard was out into the bright sunshine.
going to his rocky outcrop Not only was Mark happy. Perhaps there
and the tracks took us were many baboons and hyraxes that would
onto a precarious ledge. live in peace for a long while.
Camp skinner with the leopard. We shuffled along it and
arrived on his shelf. We Geoff Wainwright is a seasoned hunter. He
The way led us between round boulders found blood at the narrow mouth of a cave. started hunting in his teens in Zambia where
two storeys high. It was dark and choked The wounded leopard was inside! he became a professional hunter. He was on the
with thorny scrub, the ideal setting for the We waited for Jackson to return from executive committee of the Professional Hunter's
leopard's ambush. Our rifles held ready, we the vehicle with a flashlight. With Jackson, Association and was made an honorary wildlife
threw stones. Nothing stirred. There was Swai and Patrick stationed at the entrance, ranger. He has hunted in Tanzania, and at the
just the distant bark of baboons. As Patrick I exchanged my .375 for Patrick’s shot-gun. age of 72 still does the occasional hunt on game
pointed out the blood splatter with the end Mark and I stuffed toilet paper into our ears ranches, and contributes to hunting magazines.
of his barrel, Mark and I searched left and to cushion the blast. Then, caution thrown to His favourite rifles are .375 and .470.
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Was it a
Unihorn? By Mike Arnold
It was a wonderful day. Bright azure sky, light breeze, and, best of all, we were travelling back
into the mountains that formed one boundary of the 100,000+ acres of the Blaauwkrantz
Safaris property. About an hour out of Port Elizabeth, South Africa, the terrain of the
so-called ‘farm’ (it sure looked like a huge ranch to this born-and-reared Texan) became
thick, lowland brush, open plains, rocky slopes and - my favorite habitat - wildly beautiful
mountainous landscape.
On the hunt
much time you’ve spent on your physical

fitness program.)
Our path led us into a slight depression,
then back up to the ridgeline. Arnold and
Jambo went ahead, to where they could
glass the opposite slope. Immediately they
spotted a trophy reedbuck male lying out
of the wind directly across from us. Arnold
slowly rose from his position on the ground,
and extended the legs of the shooting rest.
“Two hundred yards, directly across from
us, lying side on, with his head to the left,”
he whispered. As usual, it took a bit of time,
but I finally found the little ram in the field-
of-view of my Nightforce scope, which was
turned up to its full 14x magnification.
The Mountain Reedbuck were on the upper reaches of the Blaauwkrantz Safaris property.
I’d never practiced
This view down into the lowlands from which we had climbed illustrates the isolation of
the reedbuck environs.
how to judge a
bullet’s path…
T
hat’s where we were once again to my eyes whenever we stopped. This was
heading to continue our search for really for show, given that I never ever was
the Mountain Reedbuck, a small the first to spot game. But, as they harp Given the wonderful clarity and
African antelope. Though not a member of on in all the hunting shows, “When in magnification of this riflescope, and the
the Pygmy group, a mature ram only weighs Africa you glass”, and besides, it made me solidness of Arnold’s rest, I was able to
in around 65 pounds - not much of a target feel that I was a part of the team – even if precisely and steadily place the crosshairs on
for a hunter used to shooting at big game demonstrably the weakest link. the exact spot I desired. Sadly, this is when
animals at least twice that weight. Having We had made it all the way to the highest the beautiful morning unraveled. I had read
failed to get a chance for a trophy ram while ridgeline when we spotted movement on a numerous tales of how experienced shooters/
hunting in the mountains near Graaff- hillside separated from us by a deep ravine. hunters always allowed for strong crosswinds
Reinet, we were now Arnold or Jambo, I am not by “holding into” said wind.
Well, there was one heck of a crosswind
focusing our attention
on the rocky slopes of the “When in Africa certain who, said it was
Mountain Reedbuck. We that day in the mountains. I did what the
main Blaauwkrantz farm. quickly unloaded from professionals do: I adjusted my hold to
My PH Arnold you glass” the truck, and began the
Claassen, and Jambo our usual crouched jog. Not
tracker began glassing the rock-strewn slopes only does this allow a rapid approach while
as we climbed higher and higher, bouncing keeping the hunters out of sight from their
our way over the rough track, with Arnold’s quarry, it manages to wear out the client
4xwheel drive pickup working overtime on within just a hundred yards or so. (Note to
the steep slope. I would raise my binoculars self: Don’t ever brag to the PH about how
The author’s ram had horns that were a

good bit longer than his ears, earning him
Jambo, the author’s tracker, saved the day by recovering the reedbuck trophy. a Silver Award from SCI.
On the hunt
allow for the bullet deflection that would

surely occur. The problem was, I’m not a
professional. I’d never practiced how to
judge a bullet’s path when affected by wind,
elevation, temperature, the curvature of the
earth, Druid chants, etc. So, I held into the
wind, and hit the little ram right where I was
holding – way, way too far back.
However, the morning could have been
rescued right there and then if I had settled
down, taken my time, and allowed the little
antelope to drop back down into a resting
position, but instead, I threw round after
round at the small form. In fact, after the
whole sad episode was finished, and we had
the beautiful trophy Mountain Reedbuck in
hand, my PH quipped, “You know, I turned
my ankle on all the brass you left on the
ground.” A VERY relieved hunter with his trophy mountain reedbuck – with two horns!
However, the real hero of the whole affair
was Jambo. After my barrage, the reedbuck he disappeared into the treeline, the radio “Just kidding,” Arnold smirked.
staggered into a copse of trees. While in my PH’s hand crackled to life and Jambo That is the closest I’ve ever come to
Arnold and I kept watch, Jambo quickly could be heard muttering something in shooting someone with malice aforethought.
headed down the ridge, crossed the ravine Afrikaans.
and climbed the slope to the small grove. “What did he say?” I asked. Apart from being a Distinguished Research
He had wisely carried a radio with him in “He says the ram only has one horn.” I Professor in the Department of Genetics of the
case he needed Arnold to reorient him once nearly fainted. University of Georgia, Mike’s real passion is
he reached the opposite slope. Shortly after “Oh crap, I shot off one of his horns!” hunting and writing about hunting.
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Perseverance and
Lucky Stars
By Gary Duckworth
It was July 2011. The bush was unseasonably thick, and hunting a
little harder than usual. Obviously getting leopard baits out was the
priority and so we got onto this immediately. While getting about this
task we hunted buffalo and plainsgame.
On the hunt
I
was lucky enough to be guiding Norman
and Susan McLaury on a buffalo
and leopard safari in the Savé Valley
Conservancy. Between spending nights in
blinds, checking baits, and hunting all day,
we were starting to feel tired and drained.
Luckily, in the Savé there are beautiful
sights and interesting game to see while on
the hunting rounds, and so we remained
optimistic.
For hunting leopard we needed some
impala and zebra for bait. This allowed
Susan to join in the fun, and soon she had
a couple of plainsgame trophies of her own.
Buffalo was also high on the wish list, and
so we spent quite some time hunting them
while trying to check baits. One bull we saw
in a large herd really stood out, and although
we came close a few times, there always
seemed to be a tree or another buffalo in the The buffalo hunting party
way at the crucial moment. That is buffalo
hunting, though we enjoyed the constant
close proximity of other herd members while
Buffalo was high on
attempting to get that nice bull.
Eventually, two evenings after we first saw the wish list
him, we managed to get ahead of the herd.
it a bit longer, but because of the fading light
We were on top of a termite mound with a
we pushed ahead. Getting to where the bull
decent shooting channel. We stood for quite
had been, we tried to locate some blood, but
a while waiting, as most of the herd grazed
with the herd having stampeded; there was no
through the gap until the big guy presented
chance. We looked as long as we could, but
himself. It was about a 60 yard shot, and
then had to break off the search as light was
shooting off sticks is never easy. A walking
going and we still had to get out to the road.
shot too, was all we had, so Norm squeezed
One of two cheetah we saw with a duiker That evening, when we got back to camp
off. The bull reacted and we waited a few
kill we replayed the video over and over again
minutes for the dust to settle. I usually give
trying to see the bullet strike. The only
thing we could see was a flash of light near
the bull’s front left foot, and so we were
leaning towards a flesh wound on the lower
leg. However, I did take time to caution our
group that it could be wounded anywhere,
and we would need to proceed carefully as
it was now a potentially dangerous situation.
On returning the next morning we had no
option but to search around where the herd
had bedded that night. After about an hour
we found three drops of blood where he had
lain… not a good sign!
We circled around the whole area a couple
times where the herd had slept to check that
he hadn’t peeled off, and after not finding
anything decided to just follow the herd and
try and see him again. He was a very distinct
bull, and so I was confident I would pick him
out if we saw him. We spent pretty much the
whole day cutting the herd and looking, but
to no avail.
That day was long and tense, and
eventually we retired to camp, tired but still
determined.
First light the next morning found us
Great old hog taken by Norm when we were on our bait checking rounds working the herd again. In and out we went,
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On the hunt
It was about a 60 yard

shot, and shooting off
sticks is never easy
but couldn’t see the bull anywhere. The wind
was really swirling at around 9:00 a.m. so I
decided we should leave the herd for a while
and try again in the evening. While we were
working the herd I had sent my driver to
check leopard baits. When we got to the road
I tried radioing him, but he said he was still
busy. Instead of waiting for the truck, we
decided to walk through the hills looking for
other trophies of opportunity. After about an
hour or so, we came to another road. Still
the same response with the truck, so we
continued to walk.
Finally, we came to the Gwezi River Susan’s zebra we took for bait and for a beautiful rug
which was dry, and met up with our vehicle.
I suggested that we have some tea and a We did get an old bushbuck we had been of the top safari destinations in Zimbabwe and
sandwich and then drive down the riverbed looking for earlier, though we didn’t get the Mozambique. Mokore Safaris was originally
looking for bushbuck. We hadn’t been driving right leopard to present a shot. No matter - formed by safari legends Barrie and Bertie
20 minutes when we rounded the bend near we still had some great hunting in between, Duckworth, who both continue to play an
where the herd had crossed the river the first and a buffalo hunting tale to remember. active part in the business. The Savé Valley
day, and up on the bank in some very thick Conservancy is one of the largest privately
Acacia schweinfurthii thorns, was our buffalo! Gary Duckworth works alongside his wife, owned game reserves on the continent, and
I recognised him immediately. Melanie and brother, Neil, in managing some continues to thrive.
“Quickly! Shoot him!” I urged Norman.
One perfectly placed chest shot, and the bull
went down. What relief and jubilation!
Although perseverance and tenacity pays
off, all the stars had to align to give us that
chance on our very lucky find.
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Mahango National Park Namibia, Okavango River

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Fantastic old Dagga Boy after searching for “It’s all about the experience”
almost two full days
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On the
Seventh Day…
By Marc de Chalain
My week in the Zambezi Valley was over way too fast. It was my second
buffalo hunt; the first, in Dande in Zimbabwe, had ended with me
not taking a buffalo, even though the experience was amazing.
On the hunt
I
arrived mid-morning at Shamwari
Safaris’ Rufunsa camp on the lower
Zambezi mid-morning after an exciting
drive from Lusaka. Being able to travel and
hunt was one of the joys of living in Zambia
during this Pandemic. As I turned into the
Luangwa Valley at the Luangwa Bridge, I got
the first taste of what lay ahead - beautiful
river views, baobabs and ilala palms - truly
Africa at its best. The last section of the road
into camp, from the village of Kavalamanja,
was rough and a bit slower, but I made sure
to soak up the bush and I was already seeing
plenty game tracks. To say I was happy and
excited is an understatement.
The brand-new camp with incredible
views right on a bank of the Zambezi River
was shaded by a thick riverine canopy. The
rooms were spacious and comfortable with
great showers, always a win after a tough day
in the bush, and we spent many social hours
around the firepit.
He took two big steps

forward towards us
After getting settled and meeting everyone,
we headed out for an afternoon drive to
check waterholes in the concession. My PH
for the hunt and owner of Shamwari Safari’s,
Steve Rufus, along with his apprentice PH,
Peter Goneos, had already been scouting for
suitable tracks, so we had an idea of where to
go and check. The afternoon was a great intro
to the area that concluded with a short walk
on some tracks - but no eyes on buff.
The next day was the start of a long week
of 4 a.m. wake-ups and long days in the bush
checking for tracks in the various areas we had
identified as being buffalo locations. There
was a spectacular full moon over that time,
and the early morning coffee at the mopane
fire was unforgettable with views of the silver
Zambezi and airbrushed clouds. We were
almost immediately onto fresh tracks and
spent most of the day tracking and stalking
a small herd. Unfortunately, the wind wasn’t
being kind, and spotting the whole herd
proved very tricky. We were sure there were
some good bulls in the herd based on the size
of some of the tracks, but we just didn’t get a
good look at them all. That’s buffalo hunting!
This routine continued with us stalking
many Dagga Boy groups and herds
throughout the week. Some of the trail cams
we put up caught some great bulls on camera,
but their patterns were erratic making them
tough to locate. We subsequently found,
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On the hunt
through both photos on the cameras and
spoor that this probably had something to
do with some lion operating in the area. We
caught these lion on various trail cams during
the week, including them stealing a leopard
bait from high up a tree!. We saw plenty of
good leopard on the various cameras all over
the GMA throughout the week. This will
certainly be a leopard hunter’s paradise.
As the week progressed, we continued to
track buffalo every day, including a 6 km
climb up a mountain behind a group of buff
that eventually gave us the slip. Rufunsa is
not for the unfit or faint of heart! This is real
African hunting at its best - hard and long
tracking and stalks through tough terrain
where everything has thorns or bites. Steven
does, however, have a team of incredible
trackers, supported by a great community
scout, who tracked buffalo for more than only had one brief opportunity to be on there, though we couldn’t see the bulls we
65 km over the week. More than once we the sticks, largely because of swirling and thought were in there, based on the tracks
doubted that they had been able to follow inconsistent wind, and definitely not because we had seen. So we looped around and tried
the specific bull we were after, until they of a lack of good buffalo. again, only to find that the group had split
proved us wrong. These guys could track a We cut tracks early that last day, and up and the bulls were gone. This was now
cat through my lounge; truly amazing skills. managed to get the wind on our side. We going down to the wire.
On the last day of the 7-day hunt, I was ambushed the buffalo and I was on the Nothing for it, but to load up and head
feeling that the hunting gods had decided sticks! The excitement was palpable, with the down to the Luangwa side of the GMA and
it was not to be. Even though we had seen herd crossing an opening about 45 meters look for tracks; as we suspected after not
plenty buffalo throughout the week, I had in front of us, completely unaware we were finding tracks the day before, the group
Zambia ‘The Real Africa’

Steven & Lucy Rufus: +26 09 7827 0832 / + 26 09 7666 4090
[email protected] / www.shamwarihuntingsafaris.com
down there would have had to drink on the
previous night. They had! There were fresh
tracks and a clear direction to their exit from
the waterhole. The game was on.
We checked the roads in that direction to
see if they had crossed. First road - crossed.
So we headed immediately to check the next
road along, and after careful inspection,
nothing. Then, Bingo! They were still in that
section of thicket, and the day was warming
up, so they would be looking to bed down
for a few hours. The wind was, however not
playing ball. We just had to settle down in
the shade of a big mopane tree and have
lunch and wait a while. We tried to sleep,
but the damn mopane flies drove me nuts.
Eventually the excitement and flies had me
and Peter hassling Steve to get up and get
going.
The wind had calmed a bit and more
Brief History of Rufunsa Game the Great East Road about 100 km north. down the east coast of Africa for centuries,
Management Area – Zambia There are no bridges in the area over the trading in gold and ivory. They rarely
Luangwa or Zambezi, or regular ferry travelled far inland, using the local people
Luangwa, at the confluence of services. to bring the trade goods to the coast. When
the Luangwa and Zambezi Rivers, was The town’s location is strategically the Portuguese arrived on the east coast,
called Feira until 1964. It is headquarters important. The Luangwa forms they penetrated further inland, using the
of a district of the same name in Lusaka Zambia’s border with Mozambique same route up the Zambezi as the Africans
Province. and the Zambezi forms its border had always used. The town of Zumbo, just
Feira was probably the first European with Zimbabwe. In the Zimbabwe- south of the confluence of the Zambezi and
settlement in Zambia, but the dates are Rhodesia War, the Mozambican War of the Luangwa, was established in 1546. The
not well documented. The Portuguese first Independence and Mozambican Civil War it Portuguese at that time traded mainly for
settled on the opposite bank of the Luangwa was the scene of guerrilla activity. Zambia›s gold and elephant tusks.
at Zumbo in Mozambique around 1720, in practical support for nationalist guerrillas The Portuguese met with the local people
order to trade with the Bwila people, and by led to some incursions into its territory by at Feira and they were identified in journals
1820 some had settled in Feira. The town Rhodesian and Portuguese forces in pursuit as the Nsenga. The Nsenga people still live
was abandoned again by 1856, when it was of them. there today and must have traded up and
visited by the explorer David Livingstone and Shamwari Safaris Hunting Camp is based down the Zambezi River between Feira, the
described as completely ruined. It was on the banks of the Zambezi, about half a coast and Lower Zambezi.
resettled in 1887 by John Harrison Clark, kilometre from the village of Kavalamanja, Though far from the famous Luangwa
who lived there until 1895. which was the site of Operation Turmoil in National Parks, the Luangwa District has
After Zambia achieved independence the August 1978, a battle between Zimbabwean spectacular scenery and wildlife of its own.
name of the town was changed to Luangwa, guerrillas and Rhodesian Special Forces The Lower Zambezi National Park west
although the name was resurrected (Selous Scouts, SAS and Rhodesian Light of the town is a rugged wilderness on
in 1973 for the Feira parliamentary Infantry). The village was a staging post for the Zambezi Escarpment, and the lower
constituency covering the town. It has insurgents into Zimbabwe. Luangwa Valley includes unspoilt scenery
only one road in or out which connects to The Arabs had been trading up and and wildlife habitats.
On the hunt
Another two steps forward - he was Shamwari Safaris is on a most beautiful

very keen to show us who was boss. part of the Zambezi and Luangwa Valleys,
As he stopped, I was waiting, and let offering some of the most authentic fair-
the .470NE talk. The shot hit him just chase hunting you could wish for. Wild and
to the right on the front of his neck, tough Africa at its best. Come prepared, and
entering the chest cavity and hunching you will have the hunt of a lifetime!
him up good and proper. As he came Thanks again to Steve and the Shamwari
down, I settled the RMR dot back on team, as well as @PeteG the appy, for a
him for the second barrel, but with his really memorable hunt and experience I will
head dropping and him turning, my remember forever.
second shot was into the boss and along
the outside of his skin on his back. Marc de Chalain grew up in South Africa
The damage had been done already hunting from a young age as the son of a
though, and he turned 180 degrees and passionate hunter. Marc is a dedicated lover of
went down. We moved forward and I classic old school hunting rifles, particularly big
put an insurance shot into his chest. bores. He has been privileged to have hunted
We waited a few minutes before we in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Zambia.
carefully approached and checked the
eye. I had taken my first buffalo!
The sensations and emotions are very
hard to describe, but the satisfaction of
succeeding after a long and challenging
importantly, was consistent. So we took to week of hard hunting made this all the
the spoor, as deliberate and as quiet as we more rewarding. It also made me even more
could be, and slowly inched along. Almost appreciative that I have been able to fulfil
immediately we came across fairly fresh this bucket list item. I have great affinity and
dung, a couple of hours old. We continued passion for Zambia and the Zambezi River
until we twice got to places where we could in particular, so to be able to hunt my first
smell buffalo. The excitement and adrenalin buffalo in this area made it exceptionally
were building. special.
About a kilometer and half into the stalk, My bull was everything I could have
the trackers, Jim and Lazareth, hit the wished for. He was estimated at about 10
ground, pointing. We had just found the years old, with a broken horn and one
group. But almost immediately we heard the testicle. His unbroken horn demonstrated a
familiar crashing of bush and heavy hooves beautiful drop and curl, which would have
on the dry ground. However, this time the put him most likely over the 40/41 inch
hunting gods were on our side, like the wind. mark had both his horns been complete. The
Because the buff hadn’t scented us, they broken horn has a big knob growth on the
stopped almost immediately to look back. end, making him a truly unique old buffalo
Lazareth got Steve and me into position trophy. No true hunter could wish for a
quickly, and I immediately saw the group, and better trophy.
most importantly, the old, broken-horn bull
leading them. They were standing in the shade
of a small mopane clump. Unfortunately,
when I put down my binoculars, all I could
see at the 70 m distance was a black mass
in the shade. Again, raising my binoculars,
I could see the old warrior with the broken
horn staring at us, nose held up. Still unable
to take the shot, because without a scope
on my Krieghoff .470NE I could still only
see a black mass. Then his dominance got
the better of him, and he took two big steps
forward towards us; this put his chest in the
sun.
All of a sudden, I could differentiate him
from the rest, and had a shot. Settling the
dot of my Trijicon RMR on the center of
his chest I was about to squeeze the trigger
when the PH, Steve, said to wait, as we both
noticed the bull stepping forward again!
If there is Lead
in the Air…
By Darrell Sterling
I was all scheduled to go on my longed-for 10-day African safari. The date was set, the
deposit sent, and travel arrangements had been made. All I had to do now was dream
and wait until it was time to go.
On the hunt
I
was getting closer and closer to my hunt
date, when my knee, which had always
given me some minor trouble, finally
decided to give in. I had wrestled, or coached
wrestling for over 15 years, and during that
time my knees had taken a tremendous
pounding. I had tried cortisone shots, but
the doc said I needed major surgery.
I called Cruiser Safaris to see if I could
postpone the hunt to the following year,
but it was not possible. Bob from Cruiser
Safaris told me that they often catered to
handicapped hunters and that they had
been extremely successful on their safaris.
They would drive the hunter to a blind at a
waterhole, where he would be able to take an
animal coming down to drink. This was not
what I wanted. In my dreams, I had always A female blesbok.
imagined a classic spot and stalk scenario,
sneaking through the hot African bush to get colored male, but I was thrilled with Cruiser the gap, but they winded us or saw us, and
within shooting range of my quarry. Safaris; they had been simply fantastic in off they went into some heavy bush. We
I could have canceled and just forfeited my every way, so I was happy to help. continued after them. The game of cat and
deposit to try again next year, like any sane We set out that day in our Range Rover, mouse, of hunter and prey was on, and I
person might have done, but that was going driving through the enjoyed every second
to be tough on me financially. I just couldn’t
afford to lose my deposit and miss my chance
concession until,
off in the distance,
I was hobbling of it. Then the herd
split, with a number
to finally hunt the Dark Continent. My
doctor thought I was nuts wanting to try and
we spotted a herd
of blesbok. We got
pretty badly as it was of them moving
out of the thick
hunt, knowing that I would need to walk
miles each day. But I was committed - or
out of the truck
and made our way late in the day cover. The other half
seemed unperturbed
maybe I should have been committed - but I towards them. in the brush, even
was not only going to hunt, I was determined Blesbok travel in herds, so there are lots of though we had gotten on our hands and
to hunt my way. So I was fitted with a big eyes watching, looking for danger, and they knees and had crawled to within 120 yards
brace, given a cane, and off I limped. spook easily. We used the terrain to close of them.
I soon learnt in my safari that I could not My young guide wanted
silently stalk into position while using a cane me to take the shot. He was
on the sun-hardened dried earth. It made a sitting in front of me, and
thumping noise as I walked, so I ditched it. the plan was for me to use his
But the safari was going extremely well and shoulder as a shooting rest. I
every chance I got I was icing my swollen argued that he would be deaf
knee and taking Tylenol. I meet some if he hunted this way, but the
wonderful people on that safari, one couple blesbok were beginning to stir
being Tom and Susan Linton. Susan, as it and I could tell he was getting
turned out, was a nurse who, thank god, pretty upset with me. I caved
took pity on me and helped me whenever I in. My guide shoved ear plugs
was in camp. My leg hurt, but when I found in his ears, and I took the
out that Tom (who was one heck of a hunter) awkward shot at a large female
was gravely ill, my leg didn’t seem like that that ran 20-30 yards and fell.
big a deal. I was able to keep hunting hard We congratulated each other,
everyday, thanks to Susan, lots of ice, a knee but I knew his ears had to be
brace, Tylenol, and a cane when I was in ringing from the loud crack
camp. I kept grinding away, though each of my .30-06. I know this is
day, and every mile it got tougher, but I had common practice for African
fantastic hunter’s luck as every animal I took guides, but I think it is unwise.
qualified for SCI’s record book. I marveled at the long,
The owner of Cruiser asked if I wouldn’t curved horns of this beautiful
mind taking a female blesbok instead of a female blesbok. The species
male. is tough to hunt as they are
He had way too many females and the skittish, and small compared
population needed to be evened out. I had with the other larger plains-
really wanted a big-horned, chocolate- A trophy book ram. game animals I had been
On the hunt
a few rounds in his hand. I had stood and

watched the blesbok as he moved further and
further away, so we weren’t done running yet.
We took off after him. Africa is full of thorns,
stickers, and everything out there seems to
bite you, and we got torn up running after
that ram. We finally stopped, and ranged him
at 275 yards away when I shot again. The
shot rang true, but still the blesbok did not
go down. Bewildered, I looked at my guide.
He didn’t miss a beat.
“Shoot again,” he said. “If there is lead in
the air, there’s hope.” My next shot finally
dropped this unbelievably resilient blesbok.
The excitement drained out of me once that
ram finally fell. My guide was all smiles, and
sweating like I was.
It took me longer to limp the final 275
yards to see my prize than it had taken me to
Another beautiful African sunset. cover the mile or so that we had traveled since
we had first left the truck, and my legs were
hunting. I asked if could pay for another getting out of range. We ran to close the bleeding from the thorn brushes. My guide left
blesbok if I could take a male. A male and gap. I ran surprising well as I was flushed to get the vehicle, so I had time to investigate
female mounted together in my trophy room with excitement, and as we got closer I and see where my shots had hit. The blesbok
would look spectacular. It was agreed, and chambered another round quickly, but fired had been hit with 165-grain Hornady bullets
my guide was told to make sure I got a really before I should have, and missed. I should shot out of a Ruger .30-06. The whole ordeal
good trophy ram. I was pleased to have the have slowed myself down. I rushed trying to from the first shot to the last didn’t take more
opportunity, so first we got the female in the get off the finishing shot, and missed again. than five minutes, but I felt bad that it wasn’t a
salt, and ice on my knee, then I rested up a My breathing was ragged, I was sweating swift one-shot kill this time.
while before going back out into the African profusely and now I was out of ammo. My knee swelled up horribly that evening,
sun. I felt blessed as we rode back out into Up till then, in the whole hunt I had only but I was a very happy man, and two weeks
the concession to look for my chocolate- needed one bullet per animal, regardless of after returning home I had successful knee
colored trophy. size. I had put in my trigger time at my home surgery. Thank you Cruiser Safaris, I will be
We drove around for quite some time. If range, so I was shooting great when I arrived, back some day - I’m so glad I went.
you’re not hunting a species it seems like you and had been deadly accurate throughout the I swear I can still feel the warmth on my face
see them all the time, but when you zero in, safari. But now? I was horrified . . . and out as I write this story.
they seem to disappear. We finally spotted a of bullets!
small group of mostly males with just a few My young guide patted me on the shoulder Darrell is a successful big-game hunter who
females that were working their way through and told me he was going to sprint back to loves Africa and has taken a variety of big game
the open veld, and glassed them. I really the truck for more bullets and would be animals on multiple continents. He is also a
wanted a high-scoring record-book ram. If right back. A few minutes later there he was, freelance writer who has been published many
we looked hard enough we were bound find smiling, sweating, out of breath, but with times by numerous outdoor magazines.
one on Cruiser Safaris land - and we did. An
excellent buck. The blesbok were working
away from us, so we had to hustle to get
closer. I was hobbling pretty badly as it was
late in the day, and I had already walked and
crawled around plenty. I was more skipping
than jogging, trying to get into position. The
blesbok were moving, so I had to take a very
quick shot. The round hit the big male, who
stumbled.
The rest of the herd bolted as the shot
echoed through the evening air. The others
running away must have spiked the adrenalin
in my wounded ram, because he tried
his best to stay with the herd, and though
he was moving mighty slow, he was still Wonderful accommodations. The lodge.
Finest Dangerous Game
and Plains Game Hunting in Mozambique
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Goodbye to a Hunter
Gérard Pasanisi (1926–2020)

By Brooke ChilversLubin
PH and outfitter Gérard Pasanisi, renowned for his presence in the Tanzania safari industry,
passed away on 13 August 2020, age 92, in hospital near his home in Nice, France.
F
or as long as I can remember, World War II. A former mountain climber, Robin Hurt described Gérard as an icon of
the one booth at the Safari Club Gérard considered Alpinism a much more the safari industry, who had “a great stabilizing
International Convention that could dangerous sport than facing elephants with effect for the Tanzania hunting industry with
not be overlooked was the large, always well- his favorite .460 Weatherby. An accomplished the Tanzanian government. Without Gérard,
placed stand of Tanganyika Wildlife Safaris. horseman, he recounted to me how he’d made the hunting industry in Tanzania would not
Manned by French PH and safari outfitter portions of the Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle be where it is today. He was also an important
Gérard Pasanisi and hunt booking agent Bert pilgrimage on horseback. friend to the African people of Tanzania who
Klineburger, along with their wives Jeannine In 1967, Pasanisi attended the first meeting held him in the highest regard.”
and Bridget, and later with the Pasanisis’ son of the future International Professional Although the Pasanisis pulled out of
Eric who became a well-known PH in his own Hunters’ Association (IPHA), and became the hunting industry in 2017, which sent
right, TWS started exhibiting at SCI in 1981. a founding member in 1969, along with shockwaves over convention floors and
The pair of opposites – Gérard, Baron Alexis von Goldschmidt-Rothschild, announced the general retracting of big-game
distinguished, continental, with the look Francois Edmond-Blanc, Bertrand des Clers hunting tourism in Tanzania, Gérard’s many
of a blue-eyed Gallic hawk and Bert, a trim and Game Coin’s Harry Tennison. Along initiatives live on in the photographic safari
figure topped with a 10-gallon cowboy hat – with Tony Sanchez-Ariño, Robin Hurt, Volker industry with the Mount Kilimanjaro Safari
were also familiar, early figures at Game Coin Grellmann, Tony Dyer and other PHs, in Company and Tanganyika Expeditions, which
(Game Conservation International), and later 1994, Gérard was also a founding member are overseen by Eric whom Hurt describes as “a
at Dallas Safari Club conventions. of African Professional Hunters’ Association chip off the old block.”
Pasanisi was known to everyone as the (APHA) and served as its first Vice-President. In addition to his wife and son, Gérard
earliest – and the longest – and undoubtedly Gérard was also a founding member of the Pasanisi is survived by his daughter Hélène,
the most important player in establishing safari outfitter association, Tanzania Hunting three grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Tanzania’s modern safari hunting industry, Operators Association (TAHOA), along “Mr. Pasanisi devoted his life to fight so
starting with the acquisition of his first with Robin Hurt, Luke Samaras, Michael many battles for Tanzania, a country where
hunting concession, covering nearly half of Mantheakis and George Angelides, among his soul will never leave,” wrote MKSC’s
the Selous Game Reserve, in 1967. Initially others, and served as its first President. And Director, Mr. George Ole Meing’arrai. And
invited to Tanzania by the Minister of Tourism, he was a founding member of the “modern” his spirit, along with Bert’s, and all the other
Tanganyika Wildlife Safaris would operate Tanzania Professional Hunters Association early visionary safari players, will hover over
for some 40 years, famously managing some (TPHA), an organization with roots the convention floor for as long as there are
25,000 square kilometers of the Selous Game dating back to the 1960s after Tanzanian safari conventions at all.
Reserve, with its generous populations of big independence, and served as President.
tuskers and good lions, and 17,000 square In addition to the safari industry’s creation of
kilometers in Masailand, with its long list of job opportunities for many poor communities
prestigious game species vital to the collections surrounding the hunting concessions, in the
of serious African safari hunters. 1980s TWS joined in the safari community’s
By 1974 Pasanisi was designated effort to protect the wildlife areas under their
representative of the Tanzania Tourist care from poaching. This became especially
Corporation to France, Italy and Benelux. In urgent in the Selous once roads for the
1976, he spearheaded the mission to restore petroleum industry began to penetrate the
diplomatic ties between France and Tanzania, game reserve in 1985. Pasanisi famously
and was named Honorary Consul of Tanzania gained the material support of the French
to France in 1993. His was always the first foot Ministry of Defense and French Minister for
in the door when any changes came about. the Environment.
Pasanisi’s business model of limited high- Pasanisi’s successful anti-poaching programs
priced safaris that resulted in relatively low culminated in his founding of the Wildlife
off-take of game numbers in the top hunting Conservation Foundation of Tanzania
concessions, which negated overshooting to (WCFT), and he served as its Executive Brooke ChilversLubin, sporting art columnist for
meet operational expenses, became the game Vice President. In 2015, WCFT donated an Gray’s Sporting Journal since 2004, is the wife
conservation prototype of many of Tanzania’s additional eight new Toyota Land Cruisers to of PH Rudy Lubin, who operated in the Central
top hunting companies. the Game Department, for a total of 25. Eric African Republic for more than 40 years. Brooke
Born in Paris France, Pasanisi and his brother Pasanisi continues in his path in raising funds thanks Paula McGehee for her recall of IPHA
were members of the French Résistance during for conservation. and Game Coin history.
• Archery Only since 1986
• One Hunt Per Month Exclusively During the Dark of the Moon
• Wildlife Only Habitat Since 1982
• Over 335 Top 25 Placings
• USA Office
Bushmen Safaris, PTY, Ltd.

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Bow and Arrow and a
Sharpe´s Grysbok
By Frank Berbuir
All hunters have bucket lists of hunts they want to do, and trophies they want to
collect, and usually the buckets are big and the lists are long, and at a certain
point, become even more special.
Highly strung
W
hen hunting with bow and
arrow it is always a challenge,
but going for pygmy antelopes
makes it even more exciting. After
successfully bowhunting a southern bush,
blue and red duiker, as well as a steenbok
and a klipspringer on several hunts over the
last years, I am on the next adventure this
year for another most sought-after specimen
of the tiny ten - a Sharpe´s Grysbok.
Together with my PH and friend Izak
Vos from Vos Safaris, we are on a nice farm
in the Limpopo Province. It is middle of
August, South African wintertime, but at
7 oćlock, it is already 20 degrees Celsius.
Probably this will be a hot day sitting in
the blind. Izak had set up a blind weeks
before close to a waterhole where several
grysbok trails were visible according the
landowner. Once we sit in the blind, Sharpe´s Grysbok.
it is always a great joy to observe the
surrounding nature and wildlife, especially came to the waterhole - also not on our
when you are in this comfortable, new list, followed after by a group of mountain
360-degree-view-blind where you can see reedbucks with two major bucks. But I had
everything outside but you cannot be seen. been lucky to get one in 2017. However, it
Guinea fowls is always a pleasure
and francolins are to observe these
the usual visitors
in the morning.
It was not what we animals and their
behavior in this
Then, what always
tends to happen is
were looking for beautiful
Then
setting.
things
that those animals became quieter as
appear that we have hunted before the day warmed up.
and are no longer on our list, like the All of a sudden, around lunchtime, we
huge stunning solitary sable bull that noticed some movement around a bush to
approached the waterhole. Three years our right. Cautiously we checked it with
before we successfully hunted a sable bull, our binoculars, and there he stood behind
so it was not what we were looking for. a thorny brush – a Sharpe´s grysbok, this
Half an hour later, a majestic kudu bull small, shy antelope. Izak indicated that I
The view to the waterhole.
Our 360-degree-view-blind.
Highly strung
Description:
Sharpe’s or northern grysbok
(Raphicerus sharpei) is a small, shy,
solitary antelope found from tropical
to southeastern Africa. They are in
Transvaal (South Africa), Caprivi Strip
(Namibia), Botswana, Mozambique,
Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi and
Tanzania to Lake Victoria. It is similar
in size to the gray duiker, but has a
stockier body and elongated fur over
the hindquarters. It stands about 45–
60 cm at the shoulders and weighs only
7–11.5 kg. Its coat is reddish-brown
streaked with white eye-rings around.
Mouth, throat and underside are off-
Phenomenal Sharpe´s Grysbok, a happy hunter and his PH. white. The males have stubby horns,
which are widely spaced. Sharpe’s
should not move at all now because the grysbok lay. I kneeled down and examined grysbok has a short, deep muzzle
buck was looking in our direction. For this gorgeous specimen of the tiny ten with large mouth and heavy molar
minutes we sat frozen. Then the bokkie left antelopes. I was more than happy. (grinding) teeth. The short neck and
his cover and sneaked, forward continually Once more, it was an awesome and face on a long-legged body result in
checking the path to the waterhole to challenging hunt and experience with a high-rump posture when browsing.
ensure all was safe. The distance between bow and arrow. I finally had this awesome Although its territorial range is large,
him and us was about 50 meters. He would Sharpe´s Grysbok. After some nice Sharpe’s grysbok is infrequently seen.
likely stop at 25 meters from us on his way pictures, we enjoyed our success with Males and females seem to form brief
to his drinking source. I slowly and quietly a cold beer from our cooler box. Again associations, but the species is usually
took my bow and set the sliding sight pin a tremendous hunt with unforgettable encountered singly. Territory is marked
at this distance. Holy moly! I felt my pulse impressions and memories together with with dung middens. Their habitat
and rising blood pressure with every move my friend and PH Izak Vos from Vos is rocky hill country, but preferring
the grysbok made. Safaris in South Africa. fertile zones on the lower slopes. They
Izak looked at me, raised his eyebrows Shoot straight, take care, keep well, are nocturnal browsers and spend the
and nodded his head. No words were said, always good hunting: “Waidmannsheil” day in the protective cover of tall grass
but I knew that I should get ready and stay and “Alles van die beste”. or shrubs. They are extremely timid
calm waiting for the right moment. The and will run away at the first sign of
little buck stopped several times on his German hunter Frank Berbuir is passionate anything unusual, although this flight
way to the water, cautiously checking his about the outdoors and hunting – especially is accompanied “short stamping hops”.
surroundings. Meanwhile I gradually stood bowhunting, which he has practised for more They move well away from where the
up to put the bow and myself in a correct than 20 years. Although he’s bowhunted in disturbance occurred before stopping
shooting position. The arrow was nocked several countries, he’s become addicted to hunting (unlike steenbok, which stop and
in and the release was put on the string. in Africa since his first safari in 2004. Frank is look back). Sharpe’s Grysbok likes to
The bokkie finally arrived at the edge of a mechanical engineer and risk manager in the take refuge in aardvark burrows, like
the waterhole and checked the scene once automotive industry. steenbok. They browse on leaves, buds,
more before he lowered his head to drink. herb and fruits in the dry season. Their
That was the decisive moment. Izak raised Equipment: food is typically tough (for which their
his index finger – it was time. Bow: Mathews Z7x @ 70 lbs
teeth and jaws are adapted). Grazed
I pulled the bow to full draw and set the Arrow: Carbon Express Maxima grass makes up about 30% of their
pin on the vital area of the antelope’s body. Hunter 350 diet. Like the Cape grysbok, which is
The arrow was released, and a second later Broadhead: German Kinetics slightly bigger and has a thickset body
it went through the animal’s body exactly Silverflame 125 grain and a rich rufous-colored coat, they use
where I had aimed. The grysbok jumped, Optics: Zeiss Victory Binocular & a communal latrine and mark sticks
ran off, and after 20 meters he dropped. Nikon Rangefinder in its vicinity with pre-orbital gland
What a moment again! I had to take a Release: Scott secretions. Only the rams have horns,
deep breath as Izak congratulated me. We Camo: Sniper Africa which are 60-100 mm in length.
left the blind and walked to where the
“We are passionate about what we do and guarantee every
hunter will leave with the experience of a lifetime”.
www.kwalatasafaris.com
Eastern Cape Bow-
hunting – Sable Lodge
By Strang Middleton
With our world and lives changing so much in recent times, I was truly fortunate to visit and
hunt from Sable Lodge at Eastern Cape Bowhunting before the whole Covid-19 pandemic
really set in. John and Liske picked me up in Port Elizabeth and drove me to the ranch,
although there is a fully operational airstrip on the property for those clients who might
want to fly in. John and Liske are the main hosts, with a great team in Ed and the staff to
help them. They all made my trip fun and memorable.
T
he Eastern Cape is always a you have harvested. maintenance room in which John is very
destination on many serious A board room is available should good. How many hunting lodges have a
hunters’ bucket list as it offers anyone feel the need to have a meeting or service like this? Exceptional!
several species unique to the Cape. That conference at any stage of their safari, but One can warm up on a state-of-the-art
was my reason for visiting Sable Lodge. the wine cellar was far more appealing to five-stand clay pigeon course and then
Not only is the property itself magnificent, me and seems to solve any problems that follow this with some excellent quail
but it boasts good numbers of about 30 may arise. hunting over dogs - a great way to have a
species of animals including buffalo, sable An equestrian program offers leisurely break day.
and roan. Set among the rolling hills of the rides, and the on-site spa is the perfect Hunting on the estate is done from
Eastern Cape, the hunting area and Sable place to sneak off, relax, and let your well-built, spacious, comfortable and
Lodge of ECBH is a superb destination worries fade away while having a blissful strategically set up blinds, or one can try
for any discerning bowhunter. I was truly massage! And if that is too relaxing for his luck at walk and stalk, or spot and
impressed by the Five Star lodge and its you, pop across to the fitness center and stalk. The professional hunters know the
amenities. With delectable cuisine paired work up a sweat, although I prefer to hike property well, and how to hunt it for you
with the best South African wines and up a mountain after a Cape kudu or to to get the trophy of a lifetime.
an array of activities other than hunting, approach a huge sable from above. Each I went with an open mind as to what
Sable Lodge really is a place to bring your hunter has his own archery locker to hang I might get lucky with and chose to do
wife or top-end corporate group. his bows and toys at the end of the day, and my hunting walk and stalk. In March the
The lodging is one of the finest I have should you have an archery breakdown, grass and leaf cover is at its best and makes
come across. There are two bars - one for there is a fully kitted archery repair and for some excellent stalking opportunities.
the rowdy fellas watching The property has hills, outcrops, ledges,
a ball game, and the rivers and gullies. The game numbers
second, my favorite, are excellent and you will have many
being the Buffalo Bar for opportunities. In fact, sometimes the game
sitting and enjoying a was too prolific and all the watchful eyes
cocktail while discussing made stalking difficult - a good problem
the day’s adventures. The to have!
dining hall is decorated On my visit I hunted a Cape kudu, red
traditionally and makes hartebeest, bontebok, copper springbok,
one feel like royalty. Meals white fallow deer and Cape bushbuck.
are served here daily by The black wildebeest and mountain
the professional team reedbuck avoided me and will be a good
of culinary experts. The reason to return! I did not hunt buff, sable
executive chef is one of or roan as I already have several of these.
the best in the trade and My shots varied from 8 yards to 72 yards
will serve delectable meals and this was all made doable by my trusty
prepared from the game Suresight range-finding sight - brilliant
Highly strung
started duck to turn and head for safety.

As a result, my arrow hit him forward of
the shoulder and penetrated his neck and
poleaxed him. There is no way a regular
400gr arrow with a poor expandable would
ever achieve that sort of penetration on a
hartebeest bull neck bone… Grizzly Stik
all the way!
John was my personal PH and did a
sterling job. He has two legend dogs -
Biggles and Fatz - for the shots that don’t
work out as planned! He went out of his
way to put me onto game and we had an
awesome time. We would often ride around
in one of the several, well equipped Land
Cruisers and scout for game. If we spotted
something worthy of hunting, he would
give me a radio and say, “Get after it,” and
watch as I scaled the mountains (all be it
slowly) to get into shooting range. The
hills are rocky and if you’re not used to it,
you may end up on your butt!
All my trophies were old animals
and special to me. But my Cape kudu
and worth every cent I paid for it. They and bontebok were two trophies that I
are proudly South African made, and I’m had dreamt of taking for many years…
super impressed with this product – a meaningful moments for me.
must-have if you’re a serious bowhunter. If you are looking for an excellent bow
I was shooting a Mathews Vertix 29” draw hunt with incredible game numbers and
set at 70lbs. My arrows are my favorite species with a lodge fit for royalty, just
Grizzly Stiks, tipped with 125gr Silver look up Eastern Cape Bowhunting and
Flame XLs and Alaskan 200gr, total arrow take your wife or partner there. I can
weights coming in at 630 grams. These assure you, if you wish to impress someone
super-strong, high FOC and tapered shafts on a trip – this is the place!
give me great confidence at long shots and Thank you to John and Liske Ayliff –
awkward angles. They greatly improve your hospitality and attention to detail
your chances when unforeseen things was amazing. I arrived as a client and left
happen- for example… as a friend…I will be back next year!
After crossing a flooded river to get The hartebeest bull was an ancient warrior
ourselves closer to an old hartebeest bull, with worndown tips and few teeth – the
To book, have a look at
we ended up crawling along a ditch at last perfect bull. He fed across to our left
light, trying to avoid the ever watchful eyes and came out at 72 yards. It was now or www.easterncapebowhunting.com
of a group of impala rams. Fortunately, the never as the light was fading fast. I came and contact John
later the time of day, the more their heads to full draw, and my Suresight laser beam [email protected]
are down, focusing on filling stomachs. showed nicely on the bull’s rump. The …I will also be happy to chat to you if
However it was a long and slow crawl, and sight immediately sets the pin for that you want any advice.
the devil thorns took their toll on hands range. Centre everything… squeeze… and Strang Middleton – Zambian Based PH
and knees! We finally got to a point where off the arrow flew. The old bull clearly [email protected]
we could go no further. and we watched. heard something whizzing his way and
A First-Timer
Reminisces
Ken Bailey
Few things reignite your enthusiasm for any activity quite like listening to a first-time
participant describing his experience. Having been through it all several times, it’s easy to
become a little nonchalant, even when it is something as exciting and invigorating as an
African wingshooting safari. So, as Doug Manzer related the tales of his 2019 trip to South
Africa, my passions became increasingly refueled.
Taken on the Wing
Karen Manzer
Grey-winged spurfowl hunt – Doug found hunting for greywings over pointing dogs reminded him of sharp-tailed grouse hunting.
D
oug’s first African hunting safari game. Over the course of six days, Doug on the higher plains near my home in
was somewhat different from had the opportunity to hunt five species southwest Alberta. They flew well, with an
the vast majority—he hunted of upland birds, five species of ducks and explosive flush, and were usually in coveys
no big game, focusing entirely on birds. two types of geese. At home Doug loves to of two to six birds. The German short-
I was curious about his choice, knowing hunt upland birds “walk-up” style, so he haired pointers that we walked behind
that at home in Alberta, Doug is an avid really appreciated the opportunity to hunt handled them well, with each honoring
big-game hunter. So, given the diversity behind pointing dogs. the others’ point as we moved from covey
and abundance of available large game, “We pursued grey-winged francolin to covey.”
it struck me as a little strange that he’d in the high grasslands. It was gorgeous Doug added, “In a week characterized
choose to hunt birds only. country, a vast area punctuated by tall, by one exciting new hunting experience
“Since we lived in Ethiopia in the mid- rimrock peaks. The greywings reminded after another, I think I most enjoyed
90s, I’ve dreamed many times of returning me of the sharp-tailed grouse we hunt hunting the natural high-plains grassland
to Africa, specifically to hunt for birds,”
he said. “While I enjoy hunting big game,
I more fully appreciate the day-to-day
journey of pursuing birds. It’s been a
romantic aspiration of sorts, my vision of
pursuing upland birds in an amazing big-
sky African landscape.”
When asked to expand on his thinking,
Doug went on to say, “I find the pace
of bird hunting to be more relaxed than
hunting big game, making the overall
experience easier to share with others. My
wife Karen, and friend, Roger, joined me
on this hunt. It seems when hunting birds
there’s less of a focus on achievement and
Karen Manzer
more on the day-to-day enjoyment.”

Species diversity is one of African
hunting’s calling cards, and is as applicable
to bird hunting as it is to pursuing big Early morning duck shoot – There no better time to be afield than just as dawn is breaking.
Taken on the Wing
Doug was quick to answer.

“Spend some time shooting clays
before you go; knock the rust off. You’ll
face challenging shooting when walk-up
hunting for spurfowl, francolin, quail
and guinea fowl, and every conceivable
angle and distance when pass-shooting
waterfowl. Consider bringing your own
gun if you normally shoot a smoothbore
with non-standard stock dimensions. I fall
into this category and am glad I brought
my own shotgun. This isn’t the place to
find out a borrowed gun doesn’t fit you
well.” Doug also suggested that novices
Karen Manzer
bring a toque and a neck-buff for those
cool mornings in the blind. “Lightweight
shooting gloves and a shooting jacket with
Duck retrieve – Doug Manzer heading back to the blind, duck in hand.
wind-blocking material are also nice to
systems where greywings are found.” As have on hand.”
he continued to describe his experiences, As I listened to him reminisce, I couldn’t
it became quickly apparent that Doug was help but be reminded of the saying, “The
reliving each day with the telling. only man I envy is the one going on his
“Swainson’s spurfowl were the most first African safari.” With each story he
common upland species we put up over told and every hunt he described, I was
the dogs, although we undoubtedly saw reminded of my own African bird-hunting
more guinea fowl than we did any other adventures. And as I recalled those past
bird. With that polka-dot plumage they experiences, my urge to return as soon as
possible intensified.
Karen Manzer
really stand out. We’d commonly see them
in groups of 10 to 20 birds, though we Once the world gets back to some form
encountered flocks as large as 60 or more. of normalcy, and we can travel safely to
They’re larger than francolin, perhaps the Africa once more, I will go back to hunt
size of a robust pheasant, and deceptively Guinea fowl – Every first-time bird hunter birds again under that immense blue
fast in flight.” discovers that guineas are much more African sky.
When I heard Doug’s closing comment challenging to hunt than you expect. And given his first experiences, I’d say
I smiled with the knowing grin of one there’s a better than even chance I’ll run
who has learned firsthand the challenges at full speed. It was exciting, fast-paced into Doug somewhere along the way!
of hunting guinea fowl. “Deceptively fast” shooting, much different than the feet-
translates to, “I missed quite a few shots,” down, landing-in-your-decoys ducks we
and is a pretty common refrain for virtually experience at home.”
all wingshooters when they chase guineas Doug described the teal hunting,
for the first time. A somewhat unattractive however, as being very similar to what
bird that appears as ungainly as it does North Americans have become accustomed
unsightly, few hunters escape a lesson in to when hunting the small ducks.
humility when they first hunt guinea fowl. “Typically they’d come in low, just above
“Guinea fowl,” Doug said, “are far from the deck, in small squadrons of from four Karen Manzer
naive, and would give Rommel a run for to six birds. They’re similar to our blue-
his money in a land battle.” and green-winged teal, although perhaps
Of course, you can’t hail from Alberta a little larger.” Recalling his African Lab and yellow-billed duck – yellow-billed
and not have an infatuation with hunting duck hunting experiences, he sounded ducks were the most common and similar
waterfowl. Doug and his companions somewhat wistful. in size to a mallard.
hunted both Egyptian and spur-winged “I enjoyed the sounds, the views and the
geese in fields, sitting in portable blinds pace of duck hunting while sharing the
surrounded by decoys, not at all unlike Doug hunted with Reinier Linde and
sunrise with my wife. There’s anticipation
a typical goose hunt at home. For ducks, Garth Lee of Legelela Safaris (http://
in a duck blind. Add to this the challenge
meanwhile, they most often pass-shot over legelelasafaris.co.za/) and couldn’t speak
of fast-paced ducks blasting through at top
and around waterbodies. more highly of the experience. While
speed, and it makes it difficult to choose
“Yellow-billed ducks were the most Legelela offers big-game hunts in South
between hunting ducks or greywings.
common duck species we saw; they’re very Africa, Zimbabwe and Mozambique, their
Fortunately, I didn’t have to, as we’d hunt
similar in size to the mallards at home. bird hunting safaris are becoming well-
ducks one day, then greywings the next.”
They flew in flocks ranging from twos up known, or at least they certainly are in
When asked what advice he’d offer other
to a dozen, generally coming in high and first-time wingshooters planning a safari, Alberta, where Doug and I live.
Capturing
Natural Beauty
Corner Melkrivier & Sterkstroom Roads, Vaalwater, South Africa
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When Tracks Lead
to Trouble
By Guy Venter
September was dry and the
temperature unforgiving. The
harsh beauty of the sandstone
outcrops rose from the Shashi
(Shashe) River whose banks
were shaded by huge sycamore
figs that provided welcome
relief from the blistering
heat for a variety of different
species.
T
he Tuli Circle was handed to
Rhodesia by Khama in the late
1800s. Originally the resting
place for hundreds of pioneers, hunters,
prospectors and traders, the Tuli Circle
served as the place they waited patiently for
Lobengula, King of the Matabele, to grant
them permission to cross the sandy Shashi
into the country now known as Zimbabwe.
The small makeshift town, lasting a few
years, had formed around a post office, a jail,
a hotel and a few trading stores in the late
1800s. The Circle, an unusual bubble shape
that was originally part of Bechuanaland
(now Botswana), was given to these brave
men and women as a place to rest and
regroup before proceeding north-east to the
rich gold fields and hunting grounds that lay
on the other side of the Shashi.
And as we searched along the riverbank
for sign of elephant activity, we constantly
stumbled onto artifacts that bore testimony
to those great days. Martini-Henry cartridge
cases, medicine bottles, ammunition tins
and fragments of Royal Doulton china lay
strewn about the riverbank.
I was accompanied on that particular
trip by an old friend, whose culinary skills
surpassed those of the finest of camp chefs
I have known. Monty, who was born and
raised on the island of Mauritius, wove
magic with any game meat he touched,
traveling always with a vast array of herbs
and spices, and always able to conjure up a
meal fit for a king, using the most unusual
cuts. As he prepared our eland marrowbone
Image@JofieLamprecht.com
starters and impala tongue main course, we

sat around the fire watching the leadwood
logs quietly burning.
Not far away a leopard rasped, unsettled
by the call of a hyena closing in on his
bushbuck kill.
I’VE BEEN FORTUNATE TO HAVE SPENT THE PAST 40 YEARS TRAVELING THE
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there is no way to really know who’s the best choice for your hunt if you
haven’t been there, and hunted that.
For years now, I’ve been asked by readers and friends for recommendations
on my favorite outfitters across the globe—and now I’m pleased to
identify those proven operations through the Craig Boddington Endorsed
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Tales from yesteryear
Apart from the usual plains game, we

were in possession of permits for both a
trophy elephant and a tuskless elephant. As
both permits were not obligatory we had
decided to look over a few elephant herds,
and if the opportunity presented itself we
would take it.
The elephant in this corner of the country
were of a different genetic pool to their
larger-bodied cousins in the north-west of
Zimbabwe. However, what they lacked in
size, they made up for in aggression. It was
not uncommon to be hunting plains game
and suddenly hear the desperate screams of
the trackers and game scout as an elephant
cow closed in on the tailgate at full charge.
We crisscrossed the network of overgrown
roads for several hours, only finding broken
mopane branches which were a few days The elephant that nearly killed Monty, pictured the following day.
old. Finally, we cut the fresh spoor of a
mixed herd which were heading southeast they crossed into Botswana. The tracks
toward the Shashi. The ground was rocky kept along the left side of the dry riverbed.
and hard and it was difficult to assess from The bush changed from thick to sparse
the spoor as to the composition of the herd. and back to thick. As we entered a small
We decided that although late in the clearing, the trackers seemed to become
morning we should follow them and see if confused. Splitting up, they circled back
they had held up in the shade, which would and forth trying to decipher the puzzle that
give us an ideal opportunity to take a look. lay before them. It seemed that most tracks
We had not gone far when I heard the led to the right, across the dry riverbed in
familiar sound of a branch snapping a short the direction of the border.
distance ahead in the dense mopane scrub. But something felt wrong.
As we stood frozen and listening intently, As we stood on the bank discussing our
we could hear the faint gurgle of an next move, I felt the wind swirl and change
elephant’s stomach. It was now close to 180 degrees. At first I was not concerned
midday and the thermals were causing the as this would have assisted us had the herd
wind to eddy unpredictably around us. crossed the river as the spoor suggested.
As I held my breath for the inevitable, I Then the unexpected happened.
felt a cool breeze on my sweaty neck. There was a loud trumpeting from our left
Not 40 meters ahead I saw one trunk, followed by trees crashing down, and an old
then another and then several, rise up from Monty recovering from his experience. cow with long and slender ivory burst into
the scrub like cobras under the spell of the view. There was no time for a debate. Our
snake charmer. It was all over, at least for further away all the time. The tracks led first instinct was to avoid a confrontation
now. down an old elephant path and down into and the unpleasant bureaucratic process
The sound of breaking branches and a small valley, keeping to the left of a dry that would follow. The only option to
rolling rocks soon changed to the high- riverbed. There was a pungent aroma of achieve this was to slide down the riverbank
pitched whine of the mopane flies as they fresh elephant dung that lay splattered on and hope that she lost sight of us and turn
gathered around the rims of our mouths the trail. It was clear from the diarrhoea around.
and eyes. We needed that they were stressed As we slipped down the steep bank and
to move fast - the herd to the hilt, a common hit the sandy bottom, the trackers, inspired
had taken off in the “How’s my rifle?” sign with elephant. by the game scout, decided that distance
direction of the nearby
border with Botswana,
he asked After about
kilometers the tracks
two was the easiest solution. As they scampered
up the opposite bank the cow gained speed,
and if they crossed it, indicated they were and sliding on all four feet she skidded to
that would mean the end of the hunt, at slowing down, probably because of the the edge of the bank in a cloud of dust.
least for today. calves that formed part of the herd. It was very obvious that she was going to
After a quick drink from Monty’s old The trackers perked up a little. They follow through. Monty and I stood in the
military canvas water bag, we on the move needed to be more alert, and with a bit of dry riverbed, our rifles readied. Monty
again, leaving the Land Cruiser further and luck we could catch the elephant before was in his element - he and his Holland &
Tales from yesteryear
“How’s my rifle?” he asked, hardly able to

lift his bloodied head from the ground. I
walked back past the fallen cow and dug the
double from the boiling hot sand. Despite
a few minor scratches the gun was in good
order.
Although weak, the relief in his eyes was
clear that his favorite hunting rifle was still
in one piece, but he was in considerable
pain in his abdomen and pelvic area. We
needed to find medical attention urgently.
I ran back to where we had left the Land
Cruiser a few hours ago, and drove back as
fast as possible through the rugged terrain
to the riverbed where Monty lay.
As we loaded him into the front of the
The tusks from the elephant cow after Monty purchased them from National Parks. vehicle he groaned from the excruciating
pain, and I feared there was some hidden
Holland .500/465 Royal were ready to do few hitting the cow and many striking the internal injury. Each bump along the way
battle. sand perilously close to Monty. produced another agonised groan.
It only took the cow a split second to This had little effect on the screaming Finally we reached the Shashi River that
decide what to do. As she slid down the cow, the dust flying from her skin when the marked the boundary of the hunting area.
bank three or four meters from us, Monty occasional bullet struck her. Then to make We were rather low on fuel and decided to
gave her both barrels. I managed two things more interesting, a bull, frantic stop at South Camp, where another hunting
quick shots to the chest area with my .375 from the sound of the desperate cow, came party was camped. They were still out in
before she got to the bottom. She seemed charging towards the chaos. A double tap the field but the cook obliged with a 20
indestructible. As she focused on Monty from the game scout’s rifle found their litre can, and we crossed the sandy riverbed.
and homed in on him, I stepped to the left mark on the bull’s forehead. The rounds I decided our closest medical help would
and looked for more ammo in my belt. did little damage to the bull as they entered be a remote Catholic mission about 50
Monty had fired both his barrels. He took the honeycombed bone matter, but caused kilometers away. After an hour or so of
a few steps back and found himself trapped it to turn and run away with no permanent bumping down the rough road we arrived
against the steep bank with nowhere to go. damage. at Manama Mission. We were greeted by
He looked towards me, his eyes wild, and Now for the first time in seconds I was a young German doctor and his assistant
made a snap decision. given the opportunity of a side brain shot, who were glad of a change from the rather
It wasn’t about protecting himself, but but chose not to as the cow’s head was mundane work they were used to.
rather the valuable rifle he held in his against Monty’s chest and I was worried my They took Monty in a wheelchair, and
hands. As he tossed it towards me, the cow solid could deflect to Monty. He was now an antiquated X-ray machine revealed a
hit him hard with her forehead, sending held firmly between her knees and head, fractured pelvis and a few broken ribs. He
him flying onto the sandy riverbed. She and my other fear was that a brain shot had been incredibly lucky that day – perhaps
was immediately on top of him and was would cause her to die on top of Monty the soft sand had saved him from worse
trying desperately to run her long ivory and crush him. injuries. After paying the $2 fee for their
through his body. I heard a loud crack as Then for the first time I saw the cow start services we arranged Monty’s ambulance
the cow’s right tusk shattered in the thick to weaken and lose energy. At this moment, ride to hospital in Bulawayo, where he
sand next to Monty’s chest. The cow as if he were Houdini, Monty slipped from spent the next ten days recuperating.
screamed loudly as she pushed him along between her knees and squeezed out from When he was released, Monty went home
the sandy bottom, occasionally standing on under her. As he extricated himself from to pack his Land Cruiser - he was leaving
him in the process. her grip I breathed a sigh of relief although the next morning to hunt an elephant bull
It was difficult to take a brain shot as not knowing what the full extent was of in the Zambezi Valley.
she had her backside toward me and the his injuries. He stumbled to his feet and
river was too narrow to go around her. staggered away from her, giving me the Guy was born and raised in Zimbabwe and
Things turned from bad to worse when chance to administer the coup de grâce. began hunting at an early age. After serving in
the game scout, seeing he was no longer in The matriarch lay motionless. the BSAP until the age of 22, he took up a life
immediate danger, returned to the top of I immediately rushed to Monty who lay in the engineering world. After several years
the bank above Monty and the cow. He in the shade of a mopane tree, his face and of purchasing hunts through the Zimbabwe
then proceeded to open up on the cow with shirt covered in blood. As I approached Hunters Association, he decided in 1992 to do
a succession of shots from his FN issue him I asked the rhetorical question, «Are it professionally. He now resides in RSA and
rifle, with Monty below. The 7.62 Nato you OK?» and was met with the answer still guiding. Guy is married to Lisa and they
rounds hailed down in the general area, a which sums up Monty›s character perfectly. have two daughters, Shari and Jordyn.
Classic
African Safaris
Without
Compromise
“Now therefore, please take
your weapons, your quiver and
your bow, and go out to the
field and hunt game for me.”
Genesis 27:3
S A F A R I S
+27 33 345 1034

safaris @ madubula . com
www . madubula . com
On Safari with Grant Taylor
seen it and I tried to get the attention of the
client who was on my left hand side, but he
wasn’t catching my hand signals. Fearing the
bushbuck would spook and we would lose the
opportunity I decided to shoot the animal,
only to find that my bullet was the only bullet
in the animal. Fortunately in both cases the
actual wounded animals were both recovered,
but that night on the radio when breaking the
news of my mistake to the boss, thinking that
I would be let off the hook, I was told that
I had to pay full trophy fee for my bushbuck
mistake. I still have the shoulder mount of that
bushbuck in my office to remind me not to be
too quick on the trigger.
AHG: Anything you learnt about what not to

do?
GT: I learnt very quickly that a visibly nervous
or excited PH’s energy rubs off on the client,
who then tends to get excited and make
mistakes. Even if the PH is excited/nervous
inside, he must portray a cool, calm demeanor
The lion that charged and was stopped a few feet from us on the outside which will in turn keep the
client calm and ensure that he makes a good
shot or, better still, hits the right animal.
AHG: When and where were you born? us. I put the client in position and we both
Grant Taylor: I was born in 1980 in Zimbabwe’s shot in quick succession only to find it was a AHG: Which countries/areas have you hunted?
capital city, Harare. dead tree stump that looked like a buffalo in GT: I have hunted in many areas throughout
the low light of the forest. Africa including Zimbabwe, South Africa,
AHG: How did you get into hunting – what Another was before I opened up my own Tanzania, Ethiopia, Cameroon and
was it that influenced you? business as a PH. Working for another Mozambique which is our home base and
GT: I was raised on a farm and started company I had a client that had wounded a country of primary operation. There are too
hunting at a very young age like most farm large bushbuck that we were following up many specific areas to name within these
kids. My father had always hunted and was with very little blood to follow on baked dry countries. Most of the areas have been great to
very influential in teaching us gun safety and ground. We were not making much progress so hunt but not all hunting areas are equal, that
how to hunt properly. I was never in any doubt we spread out 10 meters abreast and combed is for sure.
as to what I wanted to do in life after my first slowly through the bush in the direction the
few early experiences. wounded bushbuck had ran off. As we came AHG: What were some of the interesting
over a slight rise no more than 10-15m in front things that happened there?
AHG: With whom did you train, apprentice of me was a big bushbuck lying down facing GT: Hunting Lord Derby eland was always
and learn from? away from me. I was the only person that had
GT: I worked under Pete Fick of Mokore
Safaris at the time, and with Russ and Geoff
Broom before going on my own. They were all
hugely experienced and giants of the industry.
AHG: The early years of professional hunting –

any embarrassing and interesting experiences?
GT: Embarrassing stories are too many to
mention all in one article. One that does come
to mind was following a wounded old buffalo
bull in the thick coastal forests in central
Mozambique. After several hours on the tracks
and having jumped the wounded bull several
times we were a little mentally drained and
maybe lost a bit of our sharpness. I saw at very
close range in the thick forest what looked like
the wounded bull lying down facing away from Nice herd of buffalo on the floodplains of the Zambezi Delta.
On Safari
something that I had wanted to do, and

no doubt it is a truly fantastic animal, but I
will never forget walking up to the first bull
I ever took with a client and being somewhat
disappointed by the body size compared to a
big Livingstone eland bull. Like a sable, they
stand very proud, and with the size of their
horns and huge dewlap it makes people tend
to think they are a lot larger than they are.
One of the most gut-wrenching moments
as a PH was on my first safari in Ethiopia
having wanted to guide a mountain nyala
hunt all my life. Finally I had made it happen
and the client missed a huge nyala within the
first hour of the first morning. But Lady Luck
smiled on us and we got a second chance at an
even bigger bull two hours later at 80 m, and
unfortunately we wounded and lost the bull.
After several hours of follow up and jumping
the bull once, the rain came down and it was
impossible to follow afterwards, and we never My bushbuck that I mistakenly shot thinking it was the client’s wounded bushbuck.
managed to find that bull.
quickly, but this area was not renowned for don’t see. Anyway, I got into my underwear,
AHG: Where do you currently hunt and what many crocodiles. However, we had seen in put on a brave face, and with the rope around
makes your area and your hunts special? an oxbow lake that there was a croc in it that my waist paddled out to where the croc went
GT: I predominantly hunt in Mozambique would meet the client’s criteria, so we went to down. Everyone had strict instruction that if I
now as that has been the base of my operation take a look at it. The whole lagoon was covered got taken by a croc to shoot me not the croc as
for the past 16-plus years, but on special request in heavy weed and papyrus and we couldn’t I wasn’t overjoyed with the idea of being eaten
with repeat clients I do often still hunt in other see anywhere that the croc came out to sun alive by a croc. Anyway, I jumped in and it was
destinations. What makes Mozambique so himself where we would be able to get a shot. a lot deeper (and colder) than I thought, but
special to me is that the country is so diverse in He would sun himself on top of the papyrus in the murky water I finally felt the horny back
terms of the different habitats. One always has making it impossible to stalk him. We had 7-8 on the top of the croc’s spine with my feet,
variety in terms of species and terrain to hunt days left in the safari, and the lagoon was only and cold shivers ran down my spine while I
in, from the floodplains and palm forests of the about 50mx50m, so I suggested to the client to waited for a bite to follow. After a few seconds
Zambezi Delta to the miombo woodlands and take the shot at the croc in the water as there nothing happened and I was convinced it was
granite inselbergs of the Niassa Reserve, to the was no current for us to lose the croc in. dead, so dived down and tied a rope to the croc
mopane and jesse bush of the Cahora Bassa We discussed all the possible scenarios and and we got it out. But that was the last time I
region. Also, the hunting itself is challenging agreed that this was the best and only way will ever suggest shooting a croc in the water.
but the numbers of game are there, and if you forward. The client took the shot and the
put in the time you will be get the reward. croc rolled over and sank to the bottom of the AHG: What about any interesting trophies –
Often in some of the areas that I have hunted lagoon which was expected. What we weren’t where they took place, how the hunt went.
in like South Africa, you can shoot several too sure of was how many days it would take GT: In 2019 I had a good Russian client of
animals a day, and although it’s great fun every for it to float, as water temperature and other mine, who hunts with me every year, come
now and again, it would be something I would factors play a significant role in this. So we left for an 18-day safari for lion, leopard, buffalo
get bored with if it was always too easy. and came back every day for the next two days and everything else we could offer in our
looking to see if it had floated, but nothing. concession in Niassa, northern Mozambique.
AHG: Client hunts, experiences and memories We tried grappling hooks but with the reeds We have hunted together several times and
– Was there a most annoying, funny, etc., and papyrus it was impossible to try and snag I know him well enough to know that he
experience? it. Obviously we were all getting a little anxious never stays the full duration of any safari, so
GT: Funny stories, again too many to detail, about it, especially me as I had suggested to the I got started on prebaiting prior to his arrival.
in one article, but this was funny for everyone client to take the shot while it was in the water. Fortunately I did, as when he landed in the
else in the hunting party but not so funny for On the third day we went back with some rope charter plane he told me that he would be
me. We had a client who requested a crocodile and a tractor tube, and I was fairly confident I going home in seven days, which meant we had
trophy but didn’t want a huge trophy as he would be able to convince one of my trackers a monumental task ahead of us. He was also
didn’t have the space to mount it and would to retrieve the animal for me with a financial not his usual enthusiastic self, and for the first
be happy with something in the 10-12ft range, incentive, but we had absolutely no takers, and three days of the hunt he seemed very lethargic
which is not a request one typically gets. We I was left to go in and sort it out myself. and disinterested in the hunt, which meant we
started the safari in an area of ours for buffalo Now if there is one croc in there, then there missed several opportunities at species he was
and other species which we finished pretty can very easily be another or more that you after. That night we had a sit-down together
GT: Probably my most memorable hunt was
with a good Canadian friend of mine who
came for his third elephant hunt in 2016.
We had a pretty slow start to the hunt, and
midway through we got information from one
of my PHs who was doing a leopard hunt, of
three big bulls that had drunk in a riverbed in
an area of the concession where we had little
or no roads. We shot across there and checked
the tracks which by then were 24-36 hours
old, but they indeed were three very nice, so
we decided to start tracking them.
It was early season and the marulas were
still bearing fruit, so we hoped the bulls
wouldn’t head off cross-country and would
stick around the area for a few days, but we
knew we were in for a helluva walk regardless.
About three to four hours in on the first day
The elephant bull we followed for five days solid before getting him. of tracking we found where they had rested
up against a termite mound, and we saw
along with his cameraman and the next day but the adrenalin one feels when you check a the tusk marks against from one of the bulls
he was like a completely new man. We had bait and find that a big male has fed, and then where he had lain down – it showed at least
only shot one trophy the first three days and setting up and watching him come into the 4ft of thick, heavy ivory sticking out, which
the next four days we got a beautiful old male bait makes it all worth it. meant that at least one of the bulls in this
lion, lovely leopard, buffalo and all the possible group was definitely north of 60lbs and worth
plains game we had in the area. It was just one AHG: What is the best trophy animal one of pursuing. This gave us the energy we needed
of those hunts that everything came together. your clients ever took? to keep going.
GT: In 2012, with a good client friend of We walked 11 hours that first day without
AHG: Which is your favorite trophy animal to mine, I was fortunate enough to take a single- seeing or catching up to the bulls. Because of
hunt, and why? tusk elephant bull that tipped the scales at 102 the lack of roads in this particular part of the
GT: Got to be elephant, closely followed by lbs. We had heard from some local villagers of concession we had to mark the last tracks on
lion. Elephant hunting is like a love/ hate a large elephant with only one tusk, but like our GPS and come back the next morning
relationship. When you are midway through many of these reports of big elephants, one and pick up where we left off. This continued
an elephant hunt with long hikes every day, tends not to give them too much notice as they for the next three full days with 10-12 hour
sore feet, dehydration, dust and bugs, only to very rarely turn out to be truthful. A day later walks without ever catching up to the bulls.
find the elephant is too small or has broken we picked up tracks of 10 elephant bulls and We did find several times where the bulls had
ivory, you have to turn around and start again. caught up to them late evening. A brief scan played in mud and a tusk had accidently gone
You tend to ask yourself why you are doing of the herd, and we could see a very nice 50- into the mud, so we would stop and measure
this to yourself, until you find the right bull, 55lb bull with nice symmetrical ivory as well as the depth of the hole and the diameter of the
then all is forgotten and you can’t wait to do the big single-tusked bull which at the time I tusks, and it looked like all three bulls would
it all over again. Lion hunting is tough, with thought was in the 80-90lb range. The client was be shooters.
many long days and nights trying to formulate adamant that he didn’t want the single-tusked Late on the fifth day of following them, we
a winning plan, often with a lot of driving bull, so we had a bit of an arm wrestle back caught them in some thick shrubs moving
between bait checks and replenishing of baits, and forth over the matter until he decided that back to the marula groves to feed. I quickly
it was the right animal. got the client ready while I looked over the
Fortunately there wasn’t three as they were getting ready to move,
any ground shrinkage and the wind wouldn’t hold for very long.
when took the tusk I nearly blew the success of the hunt as all
out, and everyone was three bulls were spectacular, with the smallest
super happy when we being easily 60 lb a side, but the biggest-
got the official weight bodied bull was standing behind the other
of the tusk a few days two and was considerably bigger than the
later. This is something others. But I couldn’t see his ivory, so we
I doubt I will ever have quickly manoeuvered slightly and saw that
the chance of doing he was indeed the best of the three and I
again. motioned to the client to take him which he
did, and dropped him right there. He was a
AHG: Tell us about tremendous bull with just under 80 lb on the
a most memorable one side and a little over 55 lb on the other,
A large Livingstone eland bull. Quite a bit bigger than hunt, without naming but he was an ancient old bull and we were
the Lord Derby eland in terms of body size. names. thrilled to have him.
On Safari
AHG: Have you ever had a disaster of a client? again. As we approached the herd with the
GT: Fortunately these are very few and far wind on our backs hoping to push them out,
between but, sadly, they do happen from time they jumped and started to run again. As is
to time. One of the toughest I recall was a usual when a herd stampedes it takes several
group of three overseas clients who came in seconds to ascertain which direction the herd
by private charter from South Africa direct to is moving.
the camp, one for an 18-day full bag hunt, This time, strangely, we saw the oxpeckers
and the other two guys for leopard, buffalo, flying over our heads, which meant the
sable, and plains-game hunts. buffalo were not running away, but in our
The first alarm bells went off when the King direction. We couldn’t see anything other
Air landed and the three guys could hardly than a wall of papyrus, and the noise the
walk out of the plane carrying enough empty stampeding buffalo made in the water meant
whisky bottles to euthanize a horse. Second they couldn’t hear our shouting. We had
alarm bells were when we needed another nowhere to go, with no trees to get behind
whole Land Cruiser just to offload the extra or any cover. With four clients behind me I
alcohol that they had brought in for the hunt, tried as best to shield the family and waited
and then they informed me without any prior for the buffalo to break cover, and fired a shot
warning, that the plane must collect them in the air to turn them, which, thankfully,
in nine days as they would have to return they did at two paces. The clients had two
home early. We started well with two guys very high quality old Holland & Holland
getting great leopard the first night, and then double rifles that went for a bath in the mud
the partying started. The guy who hunted that day, but thankfully no one was hurt and
the hardest left camp with a total of 4½ full My Heym .500NE and all the necessary no damage to the weapons.
hunting days out of nine, and thankfully items for a PH to carry.
managed all his species. AHG: If you should suggest one thing to
The other two guys made it three days build up a small, unimpressive collection your hunting clients to improve their safari
out of nine and got pretty close to achieving of them. I have two double .500NE - one experience, with you, or with anyone else for
their goals. The rest of the time was spent is a Heym and the other a Ferlach, and I’m that matter - what would it be?
consuming industrial quantities of alcohol in equally fond of both and use them regularly. GT: Practice shooting from unconventional
the camp, day and night. At the end of the I use reloaded ammunition with Swift positions such as off the side of a tree,
hunt two of them were absolutely perplexed A-Frame softs and Woodleigh Solids and off shooting sticks, offhand or over your
as to why they hadn’t quite succeeded with both have proved perfect numerous times. backpack, as this is most likely what you
their goals for the safari. Anyway, thankfully will need to be able to do in the field. Also
99% of the guys are great and enjoy the thrill AHG: What was your closest brush with learn to shoot with both eyes open regardless
of the hunt. death? If more than one – go for it and of whether it’s open sights or not. Another
explain! is quick target acquisition, getting yourself
AHG: What are your recommendations on GT: Like with all PHs there have been many into position quickly while you wait for the
guns, ammo, or equipment for hunting in close shaves, but I am fortunate (touch wood) PH’s instructions. Rather have your rifle set
your current camp(s)? to have never been mauled or knocked over up, and try and locate the animal with your
GT: It’s hard to beat a good scoped .375 by anything other than a wounded warthog scope than using your binoculars, especially
H&H for a one-rifle battery with a 3-9 several years ago that ran me over in some if the game is close and moving through the
power scope with good, quick detachable thick brush while trying to get away. Probably brush, as you may only have a second or two
mounts. I haven’t used the .375 Ruger much, one of the most frightening experiences I’ve to make the shot. All too often clients try to
but there are not too many places in Africa had was facing a wounded lion’s charge that locate the animal with the binoculars then
that you won’t be able to find .375 H&H fortunately we stopped within a few feet put them down, take the gun out of the bag
ammo or a spare rifle if things go wrong with of us. Thankfully, I have only had to do it and then try and locate the animal again
a .375H&H. If you have a budget to spend once but that certainly cleared any blockages through their scope, by which time the game
on a rifle setup, rather spend the money on in the arteries. The closest I have come to is usually long gone.
decent optics than spending everything on a death was a client’s accidental discharge with
high-end rifle then end up scrimping on the a .458 Lott that missed me by inches while AHG: What would be your dream safari if
optics and ammunition. Also, I have yet to following up a wounded elephant after he you have one last safari to go on?
find an outfitter or PH who doesn’t like Swift had assured me his rifle was on safety. GT: I would dearly love to explore Southern
ammo, so if your gun shoots this ammo well, A lot of the time as a PH if you are alone Sudan or Southern Angola. It’s unlikely
then stick with it. on a follow-up or with a single client, it’s that hunting will ever reopen in these two
much easier to control a situation. Last countries, but they have fascinated me for
AHG: Which guns and ammo are you using year with a big family of clients we were on a very long time. Southern Sudan still, after
to back-up on dangerous or wounded game tracks of a small group of about 20 buffalo many years of war, has some of the largest
and tell us why? in some thick, swampy papyrus. We had migrations of animals on the planet, and I
GT: One of my many addictions in life is bumped them several times in the hopes have it on fairly good authority that there
double rifles. I have always been fascinated that we would push them out of the papyrus are still very big elephant found in the Sudd
with them and have been lucky enough to and then begin to hunt them conventionally swamps.
On Safari with Stephan Stamm
African Hunting Gazette: Tell us when and LTD. I also own a game reserve and outfitting AHG: Looking back, which was your greatest
where you were born, and something about operation in South Africa. trophy and why? Tell us a bit about the hunt.
your family. SS: I don’t consider the biggest as the greatest
Stephan Stamm: I was born September 3, AHG: What are your recommendations on and most successful. More importantly (not
1973 and raised in Switzerland. My family guns and ammo - for dangerous game and for just to me but for most of my clients) is
comes from an architectural and development plains game? that the trophy is an old, mature bull or cat.
background. However, my father was always SS: For hunting in Tanzania, I recommend for Besides that, the important thing is the entire
an avid and passionate hunter and always had my clients the most suitable all-round rifle, experience of the hunt, from the actual hunts,
his own hunting areas in Europe, as well as being, in my opinion, a .375 H&H with a to the charter into the camp, the lunches in
making regular trips to Africa for hunting. good quality scope. Specifically for dangerous the fields, the bonfires, the delicious meals, the
game, if the client can handle it well, I like stories, the laughter and, of course, the new
AHG: How did you become a PH? How did it the .416 Rigby. For plains game I recommend and lasting friendships made.
all begin? Tell us the interesting bits. the 7mm caliber, which probably has to do
SS: I grew up with hunting in my family and with my European background where these AHG: What was your closest brush with
since pre-school age I was in Africa every year calibers are very popular. death? Looking back: Anything you should
with my father for his hunting trips. In my have done differently?
early twenties I got involved in the hunting AHG: Which guns and ammo are you using SS: I’ve had several close encounters with
industry in Europe and got several of my own to back-up on dangerous or wounded game? buffalo, but luckily I’ve never ended up being
hunting areas in the Czech Republic, Austria SS: I use a .577 NE Watson Bros. with seriously hurt. I think that has to do with a bit
and Germany. I started hunting in Africa Kynoch 750-grain ammunition. Besides this of luck and a very good and experienced team
in 2007. Shortly after, I got involved with I also have a Heym .470 and a Sauer .375. of trackers.
Luke Samaras Safaris LTD in Tanzania and
from there became a PH and started my own AHG: What is your favorite animal to hunt AHG: How has the hunting industry changed
outfitting operation, Heritage Safaris. and why? over the years? And the hunting clients
SS: Personally, my favorite animal to hunt themselves?
AHG: Which countries have you hunted, what is buffalo, and leopard from a blind. Buffalo SS: In the yesteryears of hunting it was all
are your thoughts on them and where are you hunts are always challenging, dangerous about getting the real African experience, and
hunting these days? and always different, which makes for an time was not a factor. These days everyone
SS: I have hunted in many European countries unpredictable and exciting hunt as you seems to have very limited time and therefore
and Russia as well. In Africa I have hunted never know what to expect. Hunting a want to cut down the duration of their safaris.
in South Africa, Cameroon, Zimbabwe leopard from a blind takes a lot of work However they still want to bag numerous
and Tanzania. These days I mainly hunt in and calculated plans. One must really species in a very short time. This just makes it
Tanzania where I am a fully licensed PH and understand and know the behaviors of the a bit more challenging and the safari lifestyle
work in partnership with Luke Samaras Safaris cat to be successful. gets a bit lost.
On Safari
AHG: What qualities go into making a

successful PH?
SS: I think to be a good and successful PH
one must be very honest and straightforward
with clients. A good PH is also responsible
for showing clients an authentic bush/
safari lifestyle and not just making it about
harvesting the biggest trophy. Besides this,
he must be very familiar with the areas he is
hunting as well as with the behaviors of the
species. Lastly, a successful PH always needs a
dedicated and experienced team with him.
AHG: What qualities go into making a good

safari client?
SS: A good safari client must trust and listen to
the directions of the PH. It always helps to have
a calm and relaxed hunter and not someone who
puts too much pressure on themselves. He must
also be open to really getting the whole African
experience and not only be 100% focused on
getting the biggest trophy.
I think the different groups and associations PHs as it is for their families. Luckily my wife
AHG: If you could suggest one thing to must work together. It’s also important that is very understanding and supportive. Also,
your hunting clients to improve their safari we as PHs and hunters paint the correct not having children makes it a bit easier.
experience, what would it be? picture of what we do and what’s behind it
SS: I would suggest not to rush the duration and how it helps the conservation of wildlife. AHG: Any last Words of Wisdom?
of the hunt. This takes the pressure off and lets The industry should also enforce strict codes SS: Sustainable, controlled and ethical
the hunter enjoy all the other great things that of conduct for PHs and outfitters to eliminate hunting is a major part of the long-term
are a part of a hunting safari. the few that give this industry a bad name. conservation of African Wildlife. The only
way this huge part of conservation will
AHG: What can the hunting industry do to AHG: If you have a wife, or partner, what is keep going in the future is by getting the
contribute to the long-term conservation of her advice to future wives of PHs? And what upcoming generations involved in hunting
Africa's wildlife? about children? and educating them on how hunting
SS: I think the industry already does a lot SS: PHs are often away from their wives, conserves wildlife. Get your kids involved
for the long-term conservation of Africa’s children and family. This often puts strains on from a young age to instill this knowledge
wildlife. relationships. I think it’s just as hard for the within them.
On Safari
On Safari with Paddy Curtis
AHG: What made you interested AHG: If you had had the chance to choose
in hunting? any place to hunt, where would it have been?
PC: I did a lot of birdshooting PC: I think the Selous Game Reserve when
while still at school, then later rhino was on licence and there were plenty of
joined the Game Department after elephants.
doing National Service, but then
decided to go hunting after three AHG: Tell us what kind of hunting you enjoy
years with Parks. most.
PC: Elephant. I enjoy tracking and am always
AHG: Who did you start hunting hoping for a big one.
with?
PC: In 79-80, I started hunting AHG: What was your best trophy?
with Zambezi Hunters Ian Piercy. PC: It was a 50” buffalo in Masailand with
I first apprenticed under Bill Wixly Alban Scheiber.
(late) killed in action, then Bruce
African Hunting Gazette: When did your Austin. AHG: And a client’s best trophy?
parents come to Africa? PC: I was hunting Masailand with an American
Paddy Curtis: My parents came out to Africa AHG: What was one of the most useful things and another PH, with a New Zealand client.
after WW2, travelled down from Kenya, you learnt? The hunt was going well. One afternoon the
and settled in Rhodesia. My father became a PC: I think getting to know the behaviour of Kiwi client and PH came back very happy with
teacher and Head Master of Ruzawi School (a animals. a 47” buffalo, but I was luckier I brought a 48”
private boys’ school), and married Gayle. Their buffalo back to camp.
son Sean works in Brisbane, Australia. AHG: Where have you hunted and where are
you hunting now? AHG: Tell us about any disaster you might
AHG: When were you born. PC: I have hunted Zimbabwe, Zambia and have had when on safari.
PC: I was born on 9 July 1959 in Salisbury Tanzania. I am still hunting Tanzania and PC: Disaster? I had meat hanging in the
(now Harare). Zimbabwe. kitchen in the Zambezi Valley. A big pride of
lions ate it, and the Italian client left the next day
scared like hell.
AHG: Name your favorite weapons and ammo.

PC: I like the .300, .375 (Nosler) (Swift A-frame)
Trophy Bonded Bear Claw Solids.
AHG: What would you recommend for backup

on wounded animals?
PC: I would say .470 Federal Solids, Bear Claw
Solids. I like 12 gauge for wounded leopard.
AHG: Tell us about any brush with death that you

might have had.
PC: In Masailand, had a buffalo with a great shot
in middle of the gut. Being young and thinking I
was bullet proof I went in too fast.
It was already lying down but had gone into
thick korongo. Trackers heard it close by, but I
continued. It charged from 8 to 10 metres.
I had a .458 with solids. I shot for the brain but
bullet whistled through and it didn’t even flinch.
As I put the next bullet in I was flying, but luckily
it hit me dead on with the boss away from the
sharp tips. After I was hit the client put two more
to finish the buffalo. I stood up and blood started
running down my leg.
I started to feel the shock so sat down again.
The client’s wife was an anesthesiologist. I was
split between balls and anus, and she stitched me
up that night. Everything was black and blue. We
got another PH and I drove myself to Arusha to
see Doctor Ali who just gave me some antibiotics.
The PH got malaria so had to continue to hunt,
but the client had to drive as I couldn’t sit too
good, haha.
AHG: Any comment about the future of hunting?

PC: I think in Tanzania the hunting slowed down
a bit with all the trophy fees going up so much.
AHG: If you had your time again, anything you

would have changed?
PC: Looking back I wouldn’t have done anything
different. I have enjoyed the 40 years of a great
life.
AHG: What is your opinion on safaris today.

PC: In the old days everybody had time for long
21- to 28-days safaris. Now they all want shorter
hunts with the same number of trophies.
AHG: What advice would you give to ensure a

successful safari?
PC: I think being able to get on with all clients
and keep them happy. Do your best to get best
trophies and run a good camp, and supervise all
skinning and trophy preparation.
AHG: What is the best kind of safari client?

PC: Best safari clients come to hunt, but don’t
worry too much about inches.
[email protected] www.huntingsafaris.net
Rifles in Africa
Is Bigger Always Better?

Karl Stumpfe
When the conversation turns to buffalo hunting, one of the hottest discussion points involves
what caliber is best for nyati. This normally divides the camp into two groups, one promoting
the mantra that bigger is better, and the other stating that all you need is a .375. The
question is who is right and, more specifically, is bigger always better?
down, in other words, buffalo that were still

found alive after following up and had to be
shot again to bring them down. Remember
that we routinely wait a couple of minutes
after the first shot, before we start a follow-
up, so by the time a buffalo is found again,
he would normally have died if the first shot
were fatal.
Wounded and lost buffalo were those that
were shot and tracked, but not found. In one
case, a buffalo that was initially deemed lost
after it was shot and tracked for a day and a
half, was found dead three days later, but still
placed in the wounded and lost category. I
figured that since the vultures and lions found
it before us, after we had given up hope on it,
it should count as a wounded and lost animal.
Of the 66 buffalo in my sample, 28 were
hunted with a caliber in the 9.3 to .375 range
and the remaining 38 were hunted with
bigger calibers.
If we compare the two cartridge classes with
Buffalo hunted by Rion van Heerden, with about the perfect buffalo rifle, a scoped .416 regards to one-shot kills, we see that nearly the
Rigby. It still required multiple shots to kill it. Inserted, is one of the recovered perfectly same number (22 vs. 21) were one shot kills.
expanded bullets. But if you consider that only 28 were hunted
with the .375 class, and 38 with the bigger
A
rmchair experts continually throw hunted with expanding bullets, as I do not cartridges, the figures lean heavily in favor of
around terms like “energy transfer”, believe in solids for first shots on buffalo at all, the smaller cartridges. The .375 class achieved
“energy dump” and “energy release”. and advise my clients against the use of such. nearly 80% one-shot kills, compared with a
Or brag how they could visually see the more Most of these buffalo were hunted under free- mere 55% by the bigger calibers.
pronounced effect of their bigger caliber. range conditions in Namibia’s Caprivi. If we look at buffalo that required multiple
I am also a bit of an armchair ballistician, This left me with a sample of 66 buffalo, shots to kill, the .375 class only needed
so this prompted me to look at the data I which I sorted into two caliber groups, those multiple shots in five cases compared to the
have collected during the last few seasons of hunted with a 9.3 or a .375, and those that bigger calibers that needed multiple shots in
buffalo we hunted, to see if I could confirm were hunted with a bigger caliber. I then split 13 cases.
the perceived logic that bigger is better. I these two caliber groups into the following 3 In the case of wounded and lost buffalo, it
had always believed in Ruark’s “use enough categories: one-shot kills, multiple-shot kills, happened four times with the bigger calibers,
gun…” and wounded and lost. compared to only once with the .375 class of
To compare apples with apples, I figured To qualify as a one-shot kill, the buffalo had calibers.
that we should focus on the first shot on a to succumb after only one shot, and it had These numbers are also expressed in the
buffalo, as that remains the most important. to be found dead or dying within 300 yards accompanying graphs, where I also split the
I have excluded all buffalo where the client of being shot. Insurance shots on already bigger cartridge group up into three different
requested an automatic follow-up shot or fired down and dying buffalo were not counted as groups just for interest sake. The figures for
second shots before the buffalo disappeared. multiple shots, but for safety purposes only. .500-plus calibers approaches that of the .375
I did not exclude obvious bad first shots by I defined multiple shot kills as buffalo that class, but that may be due to the low number
hunters. I only included buffalo that were required more than one shot to be brought of buffalo hunted with this class of cartridge
(five) and/ or to the fact that most hunters even though they know the shot is off. I
carrying these calibers tend to be more think they subconsciously believe that the
experienced hunters. extra horsepower of their cartridge will make
These figures indicate that the hunters with up for their lack of careful aiming. In effect,
a plain old .375 did much better on one- they rely on the impressive muzzle energy
shot kills than the hunters using the bigger of the cartridge to do the killing for them.
calibers, and further also lost significantly I am not a firm believer in muzzle energy as
fewer wounded buffalo than the bigger a measure of a cartridge’s efficiency. Energy
caliber group. This does not make sense. cannot be created or destroyed, it can merely
Assuming all other factors being equal, the be converted from one form of energy to
bigger calibers should make bigger wounds another. The terms “dumping energy” and
and thus kill better. What factors could have “transferring all its energy” are the most
contributed to this? misleading statements I have ever heard, and
if people believe them, they will hang onto
Accuracy: These cartridges perfectly represent the four
the “more energy equals more killing power”
As all these buffalo were shot within 80 yards, groups mentioned in the article and graphs. myth. The kinetic energy of a projectile is
and as I believe that all the rifles used were From left to right a .375 H&H, .416 merely an indication of the amount of work
capable of at least half a minute of buffalo Rigby, .450 Rigby and a .505 Gibbs. that projectile can do.
lung at that range, accuracy per se was not the Energy basically refers to the kinetic energy
issue. Rather, the ability to make an accurate science, but every single one-shot kill was of the bullet. According to the first law of
shot under field conditions may have been because the heart, lungs, or neck was hit with thermodynamics, energy cannot be created or
the most important contributing factor. A that first shot. Placement counts. destroyed, only converted. It can be transferred
scoped rifle is generally much easier to shoot The heavier weight of the rifle in some of to an object, in the form of heat or work. It is
than an unscoped rifle. Most modern-day the bigger calibers could also be a factor. Very basically the ability of the moving object (the
hunters grow up using scopes, and hardly few buffalo are shot close to the truck, and bullet) to do its work on an object (the buffalo),
ever use open sights. A scope has two clear by the time a hunter has carried his rifle a and the result in the case of an expanding
advantages when it comes to buffalo hunting. couple of miles in the thick white sand of the bullet is the work that is done on the buffalo
Remember that buffalo are as black as the Caprivi under a blazing hot sun, coupled with and the bullet. This relationship is often
ace of spades, coupled with the fact that misunderstood,
they often stand or lie in the shade. A scope thus people believe
helps you see exactly what is buffalo and what that energy is the
may be a dead leadwood tree trunk. It also killer. This is not
makes it much easier to precisely place that true. It merely
all-important first shot. Although it is great indicates what
fun to get close enough to hunt a buffalo with work a specific
open sights, I would advise against it unless bullet can do, not
you are very proficient with these kinds of how well it kills.
sights, but rather install a red dot or reflex So, when the bullet
type of sight. hits a buffalo, the
Of the 66 buffalo hunts, all the .375 class energy measured
rifles were equipped with scopes, and only in Joules or Foot
76% of the rifles in the bigger class were pounds (ft.lbs),
scoped. This factor alone may be the biggest is then converted
contributing factor to explaining why the from kinetic
smaller class of cartridges performed better energy (as the
than the bigger class. If you see better, you This massive old bull was hunted with a Ruger No. 1 single shot in .375 bullet slows down)
shoot better… H&H caliber, and that one shot was enough to get it down and out. to thermal energy
(heat), mechanical
Shot placement: and elastic energy or
As previously stated, an obvious bad first shot the adrenaline of just being among animals work. This is what makes the bullet expand,
did not disqualify a buffalo from the group. It that can and will kill you, his shot placement forms the permanent wound channel, and
is obvious that the bigger calibers accounted may not be what it was at the shooting range. creates a temporary wound channel or stretch
for more marginal and bad shots than the .375 cavity. Of these possible conversions of the
class. A couple of factors may have influenced The Big Energy Myth… original kinetic energy, only one of them is
this, with the increase in recoil being my top Overconfidence in the impressive muzzle deadly to the target (buffalo), and that is the
pick. It is just a fact that the more recoil a rifle energy of the cartridge that the hunter was permanent wound channel. If that permanent
generates, the less likely it is that a hunter can using may have also contributed to shots wound channel is not made through a vital
shoot it accurately. This could be seen on the being taken that were marginal at best. Some organ, it is not effective, and it does not
shooting range already, where at least half of hunters believe all the hype they have read matter how much more energy that projectile
the hunters using the bigger calibers were not about “dumped’ or “transferred” energy of has “transferred” to the target or what
comfortable with their rifles. It is not rocket the bigger calibers, and thus pull the trigger percentage of the kinetic energy was used to
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Rifles in Africa
do the work of forming this Graphs and Tables
permanent wound channel. Graph 1:
The temporary wound channel
and the heat transferred, does
nothing to kill the buffalo.
In smaller animals, this
temporary cavity may have a
more pronounced effect, but
not on buffalo or even animals
the size of a kudu. Also,
projectiles that exit, do not
“waste” kinetic energy by not
“expending” its energy inside
the animal, as the maximum
amount of work has already
been done. That energy is
not wasted, the projectile has A collage of expanded bullets recovered
done the maximum amount
out of buffalo, Woodleigh, Barnes TSX,
of work possible, so how can
Peregrine, North Fork, Trophy Bonded
“dumping” or “transferring
of more energy” have made it Bear Claw. Graph 2 (alternative look with same data as graph 1):
more effective at this stage? If
a bullet does not make a permanent wound channel that destroys a vital organ,
that animal is likely wounded, no matter the energy figure.
To put energy further into perspective, let us take the Namibian minimum
for buffalo hunting. The regulations require a rifle to generate 5400 Joules of
energy at the muzzle (note no caliber restriction). This translates to enough
energy to heat roughly 1.3 liters of water by one degree Celsius - all the water
in an immature dik-dik. So, if you “dump” all that energy into a dik-dik (our
smallest antelope), in the form of heat (transferred energy), do you think it will
kill it? I do not think so. It is not the transferring or conversion of the energy
that kills, but some of the work done by that energy in the form of creating a
permanent wound channel. If you “dump” more energy into the equation, it
does not mean that this work is done more effectively at all, because the only
measure we have of the efficiency is the death of the animal.
The Namibian minimum of 5400 Joules of energy translates to roughly 3980
in ft.lbs. My loaner gun in camp has accounted for the majority of the one-shot
kills in the 9.3/.375 class. It is a .375 H&H loaded with 300gr Barnes TSX Graph 3:
bullets at 2 450 ft/ sec. This translates to 4000 ft/lbs, just barely making the
minimum, but it is an extremely reliable buffalo killer. In perspective, it killed
14 of the 16 buffalo that were hunted with this combination, with one shot.
Another example: Hornady’s .450/.400 NE factory ammo does NOT qualify
under the Namibian law, as the energy is only 3733 ft.lbs, but it also kills
buffalo easily. Therefore we need to stop believing ballistic tables and start
believing that the only way to kill anything is to hit a vital organ. Maybe more
so with the big stuff. No buffalo can survive a proper shot through its vitals,
no matter what the common belief is. I did not keep such accurate records for
all the buffalo I have hunted (enough to have a strong opinion), but out of
experience, every single buffalo that did not succumb to the first shot, received
a bad shot.
In conclusion, bigger is not always better if you cannot handle the added recoil
and rifle weight. Use a caliber with which you can shoot comfortably, preferably
with a scope. If that is a lowly .375, you will be fine. You can always have the
scope mounted in quick detachable mounts if
you are more proficient with open sights for a Table 1:
possible follow-up situation. And a .375 class
9.3 and .375 .416 to .423 .458 to .470 .500 and larger
rifle, with proper premium expanding bullets,
mounted with a low-powered scope is about One-shot kills 22 12 5 4
perfect for hunting buffalo if you stick to the
Multiple-shot kills 5 8 4 1
basics and shoot it well.
So - use enough gun, but not more than you Lost/wounded 1 2 2 0
can handle. Total 28 22 11 5
Rifles in Africa
Rigby locked-down and loaded

By Diggory Hadoke
Groundhog Day is how my other-half describes lockdown. Every morning she gets up to
make some effort to construct useful and positive ways of serving her industry while not
being allowed to go anywhere or see anyone. It’s hard to remain disciplined and motivated.
M
any British businesses were faced going got tough, as it surely
with little option but to mothball would.
everything during the current Nobody knew how long
virus pandemic, putting workers on 80% the lockdown would be kept
salaries paid for by Government under the in place. Some thought three
furlough scheme. Most did just that in March weeks. However, four months
of this year. later, businesses are only
The London gun trade closed down just beginning to explore
- factories that could not provide the ways of resuming some
government-mandated social distancing of version of normal service.
two meters between benches had no choice. Rigby has, remarkably, kept
Production ceased. Outworkers, or those production running for the
with a bench at home, carried on doing what entire lockdown period, not
they could, but supplies of consumables only keeping production on
became hard to order as the shelves of schedule, but finding the time
the wholesalers emptied, or because there March, managing director, Marc Newton and creative resources to embark on some
was simply nobody there to answer the asked his staff what they wanted to do. special projects.
telephone. As a team, they sat down as equals and Three weeks before the implementation
Bucking the trend, the team at Rigby discussed the options. Whatever strategy of the official lockdown policy, Rigby’s
decided on a very different strategy for they adopted, it would have to be one they management anticipated the scenario
facing down the challenge of COVID-19. decided upon themselves and one they were and started discussing how best to face it
Just before the lockdown was announced in happy to implement and adhere to when the down. Any workers with underlying health
Rifles in Africa
conditions were told to stay at home, as were world, the actual company as it is today was
those who had a bus or train journey to get only created seven years ago. It has been an
them to work. enormous challenge to build a team that can
The gunmakers decided on a radical course deliver the orders generated by the sales team
of action. Rather than endure enforced in a time scale acceptable to customers. To
isolation at home, with no work to do, they state it blandly, the major challenge facing
preferred the option of isolating as a group a bespoke gunmaker is to build production
in the factory for however long was necessary capacity that matches sales ability.
to wait out the worst of the chaos that was 2020 was the year Rigby comfortably
enveloping the outside world. That way, they achieved this balance for the first time. The
could maintain productivity for the company virus pandemic threatened to wipe out these
in which they all take great pride of being a advances, but clever management, an ‘all in
part. Customer orders would be fulfilled, cash this together’ team spirit, and a workforce
flow would be maintained, morale and a sense determined to face a crisis with a smile on
of achievement in adversity would be a bonus their collective face has turned adversity to
and, of course, they would get fully paid and advantage.
even take the opportunity to put in some Never a company to stand still, Rigby is busy
useful overtime. expanding the premises, as well as developing
Locking a dozen men in a relatively confined new special editions. The recent success of the
space for weeks on end is not a plan without Tsavo rifles in .375 H&H Magnum, and the
its flaws. Marc Newton’s job now was to make Mopane series in .450 Rigby, which all sold
sure it worked without becoming a twenty-first out very quickly, indicates there is demand
century gun trade version of Lord of the Flies. for these limited edition projects, and they
Marc’s vision was closer to Band of Brothers. A Spot, who is now so ruined he has had to will continue.
nice idea, but how did it work out? be returned to his trainer for some intensive Reflecting on the experience, Marc said;
Talking to everyone who works at Rigby, it remedial work. “It could have gone one of two ways: either
is clear that the ethos of teamwork and shared The team-building benefits of an exercise one or two people bash heads and morale
passion runs through everything they do. This like seven weeks in lockdown together falls apart, or the experience forms a bond
is not easy to develop in a factory setting. Yet, cannot be over played. Every member of staff that makes the group become more than
here there do not appear to be any barrack- got better acquainted with his peers both the individuals within it. Fortunately that is
room lawyers or friction between workforce professionally and personally, and the bond exactly what happened. I did not want the
and management. Rather, they understand created by shared experience is one that will team to burn out and I’m glad we got home
that for one of them to do well, they all have to strengthen Rigby as a company long into the while we were still enjoying the adventure.
do their best, and then the rewards will come. future. Now, should it become necessary to do the
Marc said: “The guys in the factory are Now, as the storm clouds dissipate and the whole thing again, I’m sure the whole team
more of a family than a team, it’s like a country makes its first tentative steps into the would be up for it.”
brotherhood. When you throw passion and emerging light, Rigby’s gunmakers are back And so draws to a conclusion a remarkable
dedication into something like this, the rest at home, delighted to be there, yet secretly episode in the long story of Rigby, a period
takes care of itself.” missing their old comrades-in-arms, telling about which, no doubt, the historians will
Still, structure is needed to make sure some tall tales around the braai. one day write. This particular tale is one of
kind of routine and some rules keep everyone These were productive times; with the triumph over adversity.
happy. Marc made sure that overtime was not luxury of time and the freedom to talk at
excessive. He did not want men working too length, the team conceived and developed For further information about John Rigby &
much and getting tired or stressed. So, hours some ideas for new product lines, special Co. visit: www.johnrigbyandco.com
were limited and exercise was timetabled edition rifles and shotguns.
in the makeshift gym. Rest periods and the They also made strides in
social benefits of a barbecue in the carpark maintaining production and
every evening were huge. Beer was procured keeping delivery times on
and a bar set up, and Rigby carried on as the schedule. It has not gone
world outside stopped working. unnoticed by customers.
As the only man without the bench skills Rigby went into the
to work on the product, Marc rolled up his lockdown hoping to stave
sleeves and cooked the meals every day. He off the worst effects of an
stocked the freezer with half a cow from the economic crisis. Somehow,
Highlands and the team munched their way they just posted their best
through it, while taking turns to choose a quarterly sales figures for two
movie for the evening and opening a beer or years.
two. One must remember that
Entertainment was provided by the despite the two centuries
apprentice who became the in-house joker, of existence that Rigby’s
with light relief by Marc’s spaniel puppy trade label announces to the
So, you want to get a Big
Bore? Part 2 …
Single shot, double or bolt action?
By Francois van Emmenes
A Sabatti .450NE with non-automatic safety, ejectors and double triggers. Sabatti received some bad press over early model
regulation issues, but the new rifles are good value for money. The .450NE is the icon of dangerous game calibers.
I
f here is one thing that I have learnt over buy is very much a personal matter – taste, Selous’ writings did much for the design,
the years it is that experience, personal the quality on offer, the intended use, future and for many years it was extremely popular.
preferences, and how we hunt will resale value – the list goes on… There are, Ruger, of course, made this a tremendous
determine what rifle we buy. Although I collect however, a few very important considerations commercial success with their No1, and it
rifles and ammunition, I consider myself a to take into account before you part with your remains an icon. It is an immensely strong
hunter before anything else, and the decision hard-earned cash. As AHG is primarily a design, and in its heyday reigned supreme
of whether or not I want to buy a specific rifle hunting magazine, I will look at this from the in shooting competitions. There are no
will depend very much on whether or not I can perspective of a hunter in pursuit of large and/ regulation issues like one could experience
hunt with it. I also know many fellow hunters or dangerous game. Books have been written – with a double, and generally it is lighter – as
who would collect or buy a rifle purely for the such is the scope of the subject matter, but let’s important a consideration today for (mostly
sheer joy of owning it and would not consider, try and condense that in one article. not as fit?) hunters as it was for the ivory
for a moment, firing their vintage double rifle I do not think there is a gun lover the does hunters of yesteryear who would beat the trail
or shotgun, for instance. To each his own. not appreciate the classic, beautiful lines of for sometimes hundreds of kilometers during
The choice of which rifle configuration to the English-made, falling block of yesteryear. a single week. All else being equal, it will
On Hunting and Shooting
potentially handle the same (if not sometimes

better) than a double. It has, of course, only
one shot between reloading, and yes, in the
hands of a competent shooter can be as fast as a
bolt action. In reality though, most occasional
safari clients will not gain adequate experience
with a single shot rifle to be on par with either a
double or bolt action in this regard. The latter
is an important consideration. Yes, the PH
is there to sort out problems when things go
pear-shaped, but it is your bacon on the line as
well… An accurate single shot rifle is fantastic
for non-dangerous game where a follow-up
shot is normally taken at a departing animal.
For dangerous game though, I consider it a
somewhat - if not a major - risk. For the first-
time dangerous-game rifle buyer, it is not an
The author’s custom-built .500 Jeffery on a Brno VZ24 action, 3-position Winchester
option unless he or she is prepared to spend
type safety and Walther barrel. His favorite load is a 535gr soft at about 2300 ft/s
considerable time and effort to become totally
proficient in its handling, and especially in and it is his favorite dangerous-game rifle. Built by Magnum Arms of Nelspruit,
lightning-quick reloading. South Africa.
The double rifle is the the rifle can shoot – yes, this is a great safety
embodiment of the classic big- feature, but if you are unfamiliar with it can
game safari, and will get most cost you your life. Equally so with automatic
hunters’ blood pumping. When safeties - a great feature, but a potential hazard
well built, with proper balance when you are not used to it.
and stock dimensions, it handles You shoot a buffalo bull in thick scrub
like a charm. It is generally and reload as he is crashing through the
more compact than a bolt action undergrowth away from you. In the
rifle, and in situations where excitement you forget to disengage the safety
maneuverability is a concern as you walk up on the prostrate “dead” bull
(think dense, forest-like terrain) minutes later. The PH is distracted or forgets
it has a distinct advantage in this to question your rifle’s status. The bull comes
regard. The major advantage, to life and charges at close quarters while
though, is that it offers an you are jerking away at a trigger that will not
instantaneous second shot, and move… The seconds it takes you to realize
it does so in silence… No need the safety is engaged can cost you your life.
to work a noisy bolt again to eject A simple example perhaps, but it illustrates
a spent case and chamber a fresh the point. Another consideration to ponder
round. How relevant this is for on is the possibility of an unnoticed (or even
the sport hunter visiting Africa is noticed!) double discharge – something I have
debatable. More often than not seen countless times. It can be as a result of a
you will have the opportunity slipping trigger finger on a double trigger rifle,
to reload (without the need for or just a sear that slips and it happens to even
total silence) while your quarry is high-end rifles. If this happens, pray you have
running away or has hit the ground enough time to reload.
Author's Sabatti .450NE featuring the RMR sight. Most current-day double rifle manufacturers
upon receipt of shot number one.
You will most certainly have a will include information on the rifle’s regulation
professional next to you that could back you cocking mechanisms, ejectors versus extractors, ammunition in the box. The current trend
up in case of an immediate charge. automatic safeties, and single or double trigger is to use well-known manufacturers’ bullets
To my mind, the benefit of a totally silent mechanisms. I am of the school that believes to produce acceptable groups at 50 or up to
second shot comes into play for professionals in muscle memory, and prefer a non-automatic 70 yards at traditional bullet speeds for that
doing problem animal control work at very tang-mounted safety, single trigger shotgun or caliber. Access to these bullets or an acceptable
close quarters – also subject matter that could rifle with ejectors. The reason is simple – I have substitute must also be considered, as getting
fill a book. I know a few professional hunters been shooting this configuration my whole life a double to regulate with a different bullet,
who advise clients to carry a soft in one barrel and have so gotten used to it that loading and case, primer and propellant combination
and a solid in the other – advice based on the shooting becomes second nature. Every year can be a cumbersome, but not impossible
premise that their rifle has a barrel selector and I certainly shoot shotguns a thousand times task. Added to this is the fact that a double
the client can therefore choose which bullet more than my double rifle, so the latter has may be regulated with softs and shoot to a
to send on their way first on a buffalo bull, to fit in with the former’s muscle memory. different point of impact with solids – a real
depending on the situation. The choice of rifle Compare this with certain designs that require conundrum in a scenario where both are called
is very important when considering different a cocking piece to be moved forward before for, such as hunting buffalo. To me, a scope
On Hunting and Shooting
on a double rifle just looks out of place, but The bolt of the author’s .500 Jeffery holding a cartridge
one has to consider that sometimes function in place with only the aid of the huge extractor claw.
takes preference over form. I cannot shoot Controlled and reliable feeding and extraction is crucial in a
accurately with open sights any more as my dangerous-game rifle.
middle-aged eyes will not allow it. Instead,
I have opted for RMR sights on both my
.450NE and .500 Jeffery – do what will make
you shoot the best.
The proponents of the bolt-action rifle have
many valid arguments. Firstly, they will claim
that it offers more firing power as the magazine
(in some instances) can hold up to five rounds.
A valid point in my opinion. Consider an
animal, not properly hit, running away and
offering the opportunity of a second, third or
even fourth shot – these shots may just make
the difference in anchoring or permanently
incapacitating it, and it getting away. They
will also say that, in trained hands, the second
shot from a bolt-action is only fractionally
slower than that of a double. A further point
is that a well-built bolt action rifle, on an
appropriate action, is far more reliable and
rugged than a double – and this I have to The recoil of the relatively “manageable” .458 Win Mag in the hands of Christiaan
agree with 100%. My personal belief (shared Swart at a local BASA (Big Bore Association of Southern Africa” shoot. Learning
by many) is that an intricate design with puny to manage recoil and knowing where your personal threshold is, is important when
extractors has no place in the pursuit of Africa’s choosing which calibre to buy.
dangerous game. Here, the controlled-feed,
dual-opposing front-locking lugs and huge cartridge at all times. Compare this with the used for a plains-game hunt is not the best
extractor claw extractor of the “M-98” design flimsy hook extractor claws of many push feed option for an elephant hunt a week later – do
reigns supreme. The difference can become designs - they may not snap over the case head your planning and ensure you are familiar with
apparent when temperatures soar to 110 properly upon closure of the bolt, or where a it. The same goes for your choice of rifle. For
Fahrenheit and your “normal” load, developed cartridge does not want to feed (for any reason me personally, the controlled feed, 3-possition
far away from Africa in cold conditions, now whatsoever). The result is normally a cartridge safety bolt action reigns supreme.
becomes a “tropical” load. A controlled feed stuck partially or fully in the chamber. You Fantastic books have been written on the
action with its huge, non-rotating extractor now withdraw the bolt and push it forward, subject:- African Dangerous Game Rifles by
claw offers far more insurance in getting a scooping up another round from the magazine Pierre van der Walt (still available in the USA
case stuck in the chamber out of there. Above and jamming that into the back of the stuck from www.outdoorvisions.com), Rifles for
all else, I appreciate the simplistic reliability one… Big problems when facing dangerous Africa by Gregor Woods, and of course AHG
of the way a cartridge chambers, gripping game! Similarly, dirt, sand and dust can, and contributor Craig Boddington’s Safari Rifles
the case rim and keeping control over the probably will, get into your action, and here is and Safari Rifles II – all excellent reference
where you want a design that had its origins in works by highly experienced riflemen.
trench warfare. In the next issue we look at caliber choices,
By comparison, the bolt face of a .270 Bolt actions are also capable of better ammo and practice. Until then, happy hunting
Win Musgrave Model 83, a push feed accuracy, not that it is that important when and shoot straight!
design. Notice the puny extractor pursuing dangerous game as “minute of clay
claw – not the one you need pigeon” is more often than not all that is Francois van Emmenes has been hunting since
when a case is stuck in the required. In addition, you can feed most childhood and has hunted most plains-game
chamber… bolt actions any fodder and do not have to species in his native South Africa. He has written
worry too much about point of impact – a numerous articles for local and international
simple adjustment of the sights are all that is magazines on a wide variety of hunting, shooting,
necessary… Which brings us to a last word on reloading and conservation matters. He has
telescopes: Whatever you choose to use, make an extensive hunting book library, and has a
sure it will afford you the best possible chance passion for “pre-64” model 70 Winchester rifles,
of putting in a clean killing first shot under the which he collects. He reloads for all his rifles,
circumstances you will be hunting in. Your shotguns and handguns. He can be contacted on
high magnification scope on your .375 Ruger, [email protected]
SIZE DOES COUNT
...especially in the hunting world. The number of different biomes you can experience on the 45 000 hectare
privately owned Nature Reserve in the far northern corner of the Limpopo Province, bordering Zimbabwe. The
range of birds you can watch, the trees you can rest under, the expanse of wilderness for hunting and photo
safaris, with families welcome all year round. The quality of trophies on offer, 4 of the Big 5, along with the
investment in your comfort in our luxury camps all add up to making the experience, quite literally, unique.
(References going back 15 years available).
+27 15 534 2403 | [email protected]

www.limpoposafaris.com
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Terry Wieland On Ammo
Percussion. Rhymes (almost)

with perdition
The world today is awash in ammunition. A rough count suggests that there are more bullet, brass,
and loaded ammunition companies selling their wares in the United States than ever before. Foreign
(Austrian, German, Swedish, British, Russian, Serbian) companies are either exporting to the U.S.,
or have built plants here to supply the American market.
T
here is good stuff, bad stuff, attention to the well-being of their firearms.
extraordinarily cheap stuff, hideously They needed them sleek and frisky, and took
expensive stuff, and everything — in pains to ensure they stayed that way.
quality and price — in between. Except for I have not used either of the two revolvers
brief glitches, like the temporary shortage mentioned above in any kind of life-threatening
brought on by plague-panic buying in the situation, or even in particular difficulty like
spring, ammunition of all kinds is readily heavy rains or sand storms. But still, there
available just about anywhere. It matters have been unexpected problems. Percussion
not where you live or what stores are nearby. caps come in two sizes, I found: Too big and
If you can persuade the friendly UPS man too small. They open up like banana skins,
to snowshoe to your door, you can order and can fall down into the mechanism and
ammunition anywhere in the country and jam it solid; black-powder fouling finds its
have it delivered. way into flash holes, and causes nipple threads
In such a “land of plenty” environment, it’s Black powder and just a few of its to rust. Lead shavings clog the cylinder axis,
easy to start taking it all for granted and forget many accoutrements, all of which had while black powder blows into crevasses to
that, in the past, there have been shortages, to be lugged on safari. Whatever its flare and sputter when you fire a shot.
and that once upon a time, finding a decent admirable qualities, black powder is Granted, the men who used these guns
game bullet that would do the job reliably was dirty, corrosive, clogs mechanisms, and knew them intimately and were well practiced
not easy. fouls bores. Daily cleaning was not a in their use. I am not, and it would take me
Having written this column for going luxury, it was an absolute necessity. By years of practice to get to their level. We read
on twenty years now, I’ve lived through a comparison today, we have it easy. of infantrymen at Waterloo who could load
lot of this and reported on most of it. As I and fire a musket three times in a minute, and
was pondering what to write for this issue, it I’ve no doubt they could do that. But how
occurred to me that it might be beneficial to was the problem of cleaning them on a daily many of us could?
take a look back — in fact, a look way, way basis to prevent the inevitable destructive When we read a line like “I could see his tail
back — to the days when powder was black, corrosion of black powder and the early lashing in the bushes, and hear the low growl
brass cases nonexistent, and ignition fire fulminates in percussion caps. as I struggled to load my rifle…” it means
provided by those quaint little gadgets called If you have not had the pleasure of something quite different when it’s a Manton
percussion caps. attempting to clean a black-powder gun like percussion gun he’s wrestling with, rather than
This came about through another assignment a revolver with its many nooks and crannies, stroking the bolt on a Rigby Mauser.
that found me playing with a couple of old you have not experienced the difficulties faced Like any other object lesson, this one
Colt cap-and-ball revolvers — an 1851 Navy by hunters like Harris and Oswell. And all may not stick with me long. While it lasts,
and a Walker. Both were made by Colt in the of this took place when they were a thousand however, I promise the Red Gods I will not
1970s, when they were taking a walk down miles and many months away from the nearest take my modern hunting ammunition for
memory lane and reproducing some of their gunsmith. Maintaining their guns required granted. Cross my heart. No, really.
greatest hits. many different tools, including turnscrews,
If nothing else, the experience of loading, nipple wrenches, cleaning rods, jags, and
shooting and (lest we forget) cleaning these brushes. They carried pig lead and molds to
beasts has reminded me of just how well off fashion their own bullets and ball, and needed
we all are today. Early African hunters like quantities of oil to keep all the moving parts
William Cornwallis Harris or William Cotton actually moving. All of this paraphernalia
Oswell, shot flintlocks or percussion rifles, needed to be hauled out, if not every day, then
chased Cape buffalo or elephant on horseback, at least every few days, just to keep everything
and had one shot, or two at best, before they functioning smoothly.
found themselves in a sticky situation. This And, smooth functioning was important
was more than just the difficulty of recharging when it made the difference between surviving
a muzzleloader on a galloping horse, pursued a lion attack and not. Like gunfighters of the
by lions, although that was bad enough. There Old West, early African hunters paid close
Elephant hunting
ups and downs
Not yet the end of the game!
By Craig Boddington
A group of elephants around a baobab tree. Before 1950, when Zimbabwe had far fewer elephants, they weren’t known to feed on
baobabs. Now every baobab tree bears elephant scars, almost certainly an indication of elephant overpopulation.
April 7, 2020 should have been Botswana’s first Opening Day in six years, just one of
countless events worldwide interrupted by a virus that is killing thousands of people and,
effectively, putting the world on hold. At this writing, it isn’t known when safaris will
resume across much of Africa. However, within the next few weeks there will be a new
beginning. The reopening of Botswana will be a part of this new, post-virus safari season,
bringing some of the best opportunity for big tuskers!
E
lephant hunting is a touchy subject. certainly do not today - the North African almost as barren as the surface of the moon.
Because of widespread commercial race has been extinct for two thousand years! When Botswana (then Bechuanaland)
poaching, Africa’s elephant population Many African countries have no elephants, or opened to safari hunting in 1964, elephants
has plummeted in the last fifty years. The small populations in protected enclaves; other were on license… but there were far fewer
worst carnage took place in the seventies and countries have too many elephants! than today. Botswana has never “culled”
eighties, when elephants were eradicated from Botswana is a classic example of this. A her elephants, and has never had a large
huge areas. Elephants are slow breeders with a low estimate of Botswana’s elephants suggests poaching problem. These factors, together
natural increase about three per cent. Even so, 130,000; higher estimates range from 270,000 with migrating elephants from neighboring
from about 1990 there were two decades of to 300,000 elephants. It is believed there are countries, contribute to today’s huge
steady regrowth. The worldwide recession of 350,000 to 450,000 African elephants on the population. In reaction to the large-scale
2009 brought on a new wave of commercial continent. Whether you prefer the high or poaching elsewhere, Botswana took elephant
poaching, which has not subsided. low numbers, there are two irrefutable facts: “off license” in 1982. With growing concern
Africa is a huge continent of fifty-four Botswana holds a high percentage of Africa’s about habitat damage, elephant hunting
nations. Elephant management and the remaining elephants, and they are grossly resumed in 1996 and continued until 2014.
question of legal elephant hunting can only overpopulated. Botswana is an arid country, In those years, and today, Botswana’s CITES
be properly addressed by the countries that and each elephant consumes over 200 kg of quota allows export of 350 sport-hunted
host them. Elephants may have once occurred plant material daily. Habitat damage is another elephants. Even if you take the low estimate,
almost everywhere over the continent, but fact, with much of the Chobe National Park this harvest had no impact on Botswana’s
A Hunter speaks out
growing elephant population, but it did reduce

human-elephant conflict, and it brought
revenue and employment to rural Batswana.
All safari hunting on government land was
curtailed in 2014. Last year, under President
Mokgweetsi Masisi, Botswana reinstated safari
hunting in accordance with existing game
laws, with Opening Day intended to be April
7… until the COVID-19 virus came along.
Botswana will reopen and good tuskers
will be taken, but she is just one example of
Southern Africa’s elephant situation, which
is far different from most of the continent.
Zimbabwe is estimated to hold 80,000
elephants, Africa’s second-largest herd. A
smaller country, “Zim” also suffers from
elephant overpopulation, with severe habitat
damage in key areas such as Hwange National
Park. With a larger human population, Outfitter Michel Mantheakis, Jim Crawford, Boddington, and PH Bernard Sehabiague
Zimbabwe has a long history of human- with tusks taken on the Ruvuma River in southern Tanzania in 2006. East African
elephant conflict. “Zim” has never curtailed ivory is typically long and thin; Crawford’s tusk, center, are heavier while Boddington’s
elephant hunting, endeavoring to harvest her are longer.
CITES quota of 500 sport-hunted elephants.
She also uses Problem Animal Control (PAC) In the 1970s things fell apart quickly,
permits, plus an aggressive quota for tuskless although few of us saw it coming. In 1973
elephants, viewed as an undesirable and Tanzania closed hunting, and Kenya closed
inherited trait. elephant hunting. Tanzania would reopen,
Both Namibia and South Africa are large but Kenya closed all hunting in 1977. This
countries, but with limited elephant habitat. cleared the field for the poaching gangs. In
Both countries have elephant herds that are just a decade, each country may have lost
near or above carrying capacity for available 100,000 elephants. At the same time, unrest
habitat, and both use hunting as an essential swept other areas. Mozambique’s long civil
management tool. Botswana, Namibia, war ended hunting for fifteen years. Central
South Africa, and Zimbabwe are four of African Republic became Central African
eight countries that allow elephant hunting; Empire, then became a republic once more,
Cameroon, Mozambique, Tanzania, and and while this was going on ivory poachers
Zambia also offer limited elephant hunting. were hard at work. In the eighties C.A.R.
would become a great destination for bongo
UPS AND DOWNS and Derby eland, but the big elephants were
In the old days, hunting elephant was gone.
considered Africa’s ultimate pursuit. Much of Some Kenyan hunters turned to Sudan and
the great literature of Africana is about elephant Boddington’s best-ever elephant was got in several good seasons. And then it was
hunting, and much of it came to us from taken in central Botswana in 2007 with almost over. Escalating civil war made Sudan
ivory hunters who focused on elephant, often outfitter and PH Johan Calitz. They untenable after 1983. Poachers were hard
to the exclusion of all other game. Elephants knew this grand old bull had broken at work there and down in Zambia, where
with extremely heavy ivory have always been its left tusk. Mismatched ivory is very elephant hunting also closed in 1983. In 1984
uncommon. A “hundred-pounder” became common; some hunters care and others a pocket of huge bulls emerged in southwest
the Holy Grail, but, historically, bigger don’t! Ethiopia. Between 1985 and 1989, eleven
elephants were taken. Realistically, the ivory hundred-pounders were taken. In 1989, when
hunters (who were often poachers) didn’t Tanzania, northeastern C.A.R. the CITES treaty was signed, Ethiopia closed
always seek the heaviest ivory because the big Not every African hunter sought a big elephant hunting.
tusks were awkward to carry. tusker, but through the fifties and into the It was widely believed that elephant
In days gone by, many big tuskers were seventies, in the right places, it was routine hunting was finished. It was not, but the time
taken legally by sport hunters, guided by to take elephants with tusk weight that had passed when one could search for a huge
competent PHs, both of whom put in the is rare today. In 1956 my uncle took an tusker with some chance of success. During
time looking for heavy ivory. And they hunted eighty-pounder in thenTanganyika. Also in the 1980s Zimbabwe came alive as a safari
in the right places. The precise conditions that Tanganyika, Weatherby winner Bob Speegle destination. She offered the best opportunity
allow the growth of exceptional ivory aren’t told me about taking a ninety-pounder at the to hunt elephant, but was never a country for
known - surely some blend of genetics, food, start of his first safari. Between 1954 and his heavy ivory. Mozambique opened elephant
and minerals - but the best places were known: death in 1965, author Robert Ruark took an hunting briefly. I took a fifty-pounder there
Northern Kenya, southern Sudan, northern astonishing three hundred-pounders! in 1989, not fully realizing this was the new
forever, the African elephant is near the top
of the pyramid.
My progression was normal, at least for
the 1970s. Back then the short, plains-game
safari hardly existed, so my first safari was a
standard, three-week hunt. Over the next few
years Africa changed quickly! I did a couple of
hunts in Rhodesia, Namibia (then South West
Africa), and South Africa. At the time, the
great cats were at the top of my step-pyramid;
I had little desire to hunt elephant. I hunted
Zambia twice, and then twice in Botswana’s
Okavango. I saw elephant, but they didn’t stir
my imagination much. I had the mid-eighties
mindset that elephant hunting was finished.
After an Okavango hunt, I went across to
Victoria Falls and did my first elephant hunt
with Peter Johnstone, a short hunt for a non-
trophy bull.
PH John Dugmore with a beautiful Kenyan hundred-pounder, taken in the early We took a monstrous old tuskless bull, the
sixties. Such elephants still exist, but were uncommon back then… and are exceedingly patriarch among a group of bulls. It was an
rare today. (Photo by John Dugmore) epiphany, especially with an experienced hand
like Johnstone. Understand, I’d read about
standard for “good ivory.” Tanzania kept Delayed by an invisible virus, Botswana elephant hunting! I’d seen a lot of elephants…
elephant on license, but poaching losses had will reopen. It will be good, and Botswana but generally avoided them. Johnstone took
been severe, and Tanzania would not again will be just one of eight range nations that me in so close that the chosen bull towered
be a hot spot for heavy ivory. South Africa believe elephant hunting is essential to proper above me as I took the side-on brain shot.
was also open and, as Kruger elephants management of their elephants. Among many lessons, two were key: Seeing
overpopulated, would offer more opportunity. elephants is exciting… but nothing like
After independence in 1990, Namibia’s THE AFRICAN HUNTING PYRAMID approaching to a dozen yards in thick stuff!
northern areas started to open up. A few In March 1977, I saw hundreds of elephants And, when you choose the proper elephant
big elephants were taken in Bushmanland, on open plains along the eastern boundary of and stalk in close, it doesn’t matter if it’s a big
and Caprivi became a standard and reliable Tsavo National Park. Never since have I seen tusker or a management animal - the hunt and
elephant destination. such a concentration of elephant, and never excitement are the same!
In 1996 Botswana reopened, and until 2014 again have I seen elephants in such open
was the premier destination for elephant. ground! At the time it didn’t mean as much SHOULD YOU HUNT ELEPHANT?
These years were a new age of elephant as it might today; elephant hunting was closed Until you’ve done it, properly and under good
hunting. We accepted that the old standards and, even if elephants were on license, I had tutelage, it is impossible to understand the
were out the window; we dropped our no desire to hunt them. excitement of taking an elephant. Nor the
expectations, and had several good choices. As This was my first safari, so this was a normal difficulty of the hunt, often with days and
hunting continued and Botswana’s elephants outlook. Almost nobody starts out hunting weeks of tracking, looking, and retreating!
kept increasing, the quality actually improved. elephant! Most African hunters progress like That said, the world at large is aware of the
At the end, some outfitters and areas were a “step-pyramid.” The long, wide base is the plight of the African elephant. At the end of
averaging sixty pounds. This would not have affordable, productive plains-game safari, WWII, elephants numbered in the millions.
been exciting in East Africa in 1960, but in today the starting point for most of us. We Today’s few hundred-thousand survivors are a
2010 it seemed fantastic! test the water, look around, and learn what small remnant, and overall numbers are still
Then the bottom dropped out. The interests us. Maybe we stay near the base dropping. It is understandable that many
American hunting market is the world’s and do another plains-game hunt for specific hunters have no desire to hunt elephant, and
largest. Subject to CITES quota, U.S. Fish antelopes, but in time many of us want to step are horrified by the idea.
and Wildlife was issuing import permits up the pyramid, perhaps to a buffalo safari, It’s important that to understand that, while
for sport-hunted elephants from Botswana, still affordable and very available. elephant numbers are falling across much of
Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, Africa continues to beckon, so in time we Africa, there are places where elephants are
and Zimbabwe. (Never from Cameroon or ascend to another level, perhaps embarking on seriously overpopulated. Today the technology
Mozambique). As the new wave of poaching a leopard safari. As we climb, the steps become exists to translocate elephants. This is being
swept Africa, import permits were curtailed narrower and higher: Less availability, less done, but the costs are astronomical, and in
for Tanzanian and Zimbabwean ivory. In affordable… the hunting becoming ever more areas already grossly overpopulated, there
the middle of this muddle came Botswana’s specialized. The upper levels vary, depending may not be suitable habitat to receive them.
suspension. Gloom and doom were rampant, on our interests, and how tightly Africa holds Hunting remains an essential management
and it was widely whispered—again—that us in her grasp. Today, some would place a tool, bringing funding, employment, much-
elephant hunting was finished. lion at the top of the pyramid, and certainly needed protein, and reducing conflict.
I believe the reopening of Botswana will the great antelope prizes are up there: Bongo, Elephants are highly destructive feeders.
create another new age of elephant hunting. Derby eland, mountain nyala. Always and Experts estimate that it could take decades for
A Hunter speaks out
the flora in ravaged areas such as the Chobe and

Hwange Parks to recover. And such recovery can
only start when the elephant overpopulation is
resolved.
Choosing to hunt an elephant today is
a personal decision, and not a bad thing,
because not every hunter can hunt an
elephant. Where elephants are overpopulated,
I submit that there is a greater management
necessity for regulated hunting than for any
species on Earth, except possibly for wild hogs
and American whitetails. All across Europe—
and wherever feral hogs roam—farmers
complain bitterly about a sounder of pigs
in their fields, and all across North America
farmers worry about a handful of deer in their
corn stalks. For just a moment, put yourself in A hut destroyed by crop-raiding elephants. Human-elephant conflict is a serious issue
the position of the African subsistence farmer, in rural Africa. Sport hunting rarely impacts overall numbers of elephants, but can
and wonder if you’d prefer a herd of elephants deter crop-raiding.
in your ripening grain?
the Gonarezhou Park, is known to produce be a couple of hundred-pounders in the mix.
THE SEARCH FOR A BIG TUSKER big ivory. It’s a Park boundary hunt so hit or I don’t predict that, but it’s possible. I do
I never acquired “elephant fever” to miss, but there are big elephants and they do predict a great season that will renew interest
the exclusion of all else, but in the new wander out. in elephant hunting.
millennium’s new wave of elephant hunting I Botswana is good, but with short, thick Do I intend to be there? No. I’ve probably
did a lot: Botswana, Namibia, Tanzania, and tusks, Botswana bulls generally top out in taken my last elephant. A decade ago,
Zimbabwe. I took “management” animals the sixties and seventies (amazing for today). Botswana produced my best elephants, and
and some pretty good tuskers. I never got a Since 2014, Botswana bulls have been I’m happy with them. I wanted the experience
giant… nor did I expect to. For the last two growing ivory. The old tale that an elephant of hunting elephant in Caprivi, so I took
decades, I’ve followed the rule of “drop twenty grows a pound of ivory per year is not true; my last elephant there in 2015. It was a
pounds.” Fifty is the new seventy, seventy is in their thirties, an elephant bull can put on a “community quota” meat bull, a fine elephant
the new ninety. This is not meant to inflate couple of pounds of ivory per year. So, a fifty- to finish with because it was an old bull with
expectations: There are many good areas pounder in 2014 should be a sixty-pounder one perfect tusk, the other broken at the tip,
where a fifty-pounder is unlikely… and in today. When Botswana reopens, great bulls and limping from a poacher’s AK47 bullets.
most elephant areas today, you’ve got rocks in will be taken, but don’t expect miracles. In Hunting an elephant is an amazing
your head if you pass such a bull! 2010, Manuel Gavito, hunting in central experience. I wouldn’t have missed it, but am
But there are giants! Namibia’s Caprivi is Botswana with PH Willy MacDonald, took equally happy to decide I’ve done enough.
a great elephant area, but the general range a bull with tusks weighing 104x99 pounds. Honestly, if I knew a place where I had a
of mature bulls is in the forties. And yet, in An awesome tusker, but let’s be realistic: That reasonable chance to find a substantially
2019, Namibian PH Koos Pienaar and my bull is the only hundred-pounder taken in bigger bull, I might be tempted… but I do
friend Michel Mantheakis took a client in Botswana between 1996 and 2014! In the not know of such a place! Great tuskers exist
on a hundred-pounder, almost unheard of in coming new season, there will be a lot of sixty- and some lucky hunters will find them, but
Caprivi. Northern Mozambique has produced pounders, a smattering of seventy-pounders, they are so rare that finding one is like being
some big ivory, and southeast Zimbabwe, near and a few that are bigger. Maybe there will struck by lightning. I’m happy to let others
be struck!
So, the search for a big tusker no longer
applies to me, but I believe that, even today,
elephants must be hunted. You may hold the
opinion that elephants should not be hunted.
Such opinion is your right, and certainly held
by many non-hunters and all anti-hunters. If
you’re a hunter, I wish you’d study the facts
and rethink that position. It’s fine if you have
no desire to hunt an elephant, and equally fine
for me to say that I’m done. But, as hunters,
we need to support the range nations that
believe hunting is an essential management
tool. Insofar as the act of hunting an elephant
goes, it’s not for everyone, but it’s necessary…
and perhaps you shouldn’t knock it if you have
Elephants are highly destructive feeders. Broken and uprooted trees are normal signs of haven’t tried it!
elephant activity, but too many elephants can quickly destroy a forest.
Getting the Best of Screws
Important outcomes often ride on things that escape our eye.
By Wayne van Zwoll
Threadlocker Blue makes sense on hard-kicking rifles, even for QD latches. It releases without heat.
I
t flew swiftly, and low. It might have been a this time, but in the field. Call me a slow bad call the evening before, and now all was
bird. But when it ricocheted off my noggin learner. right with the world. But the next day I muffed
into the bush, it didn’t feel like feathers. It Dusk was pulling the shades when the another easy poke. Time to check zero.
was my rifle-scope. eland bull ghosted into a small vlei a stone’s From a bench over bags, the rifle put my first
Once you put something together, you toss away. A few seconds later I’d gone from a shot to center. Puzzled, I stuffed the magazine
expect it to stay that way, right? Well, such crouch to prone, sling taut and sure of a kill. full again. It was then I saw one windage screw
naivety won’t cement your marriage. Nor will But the bullet struck with a sodden grunt, not on the Redfield mount no longer grasped the
it ensure your rifle will shoot where you look, what I expected from a hit tight behind the base of the rear ring. At my nudge, the scope
or even hang onto its sight. shoulder. I waited until the crashing faded, pivoted to that side half a centimeter.
The .416 Rigby had shrugged violently at then with nightfall nigh, took the track at Duh. If only I’d checked earlier! Recoil had
every blast. I’d endured the recoil without a speed. The dark splotches were small and shifted the scope off center toward the loose
thought to the violence visited on the screws intermittent, with no froth. A hundred yards screw, shifting impact for the following shot
holding its scope in place. Once that mayhem in, I knew the hit was poor, the animal lost more than a meter at 100 meters. That shot
had opened a whisker of slack, the result was to the night. A tracker and I got on the trail bounced it back against the opposing screw,
certain. Each subsequent shot slammed the early next morning. Sunlight and deep prints yet unmoved. The scope was now properly
screws’ threads – tiny inclined planes no longer pulled us along swiftly. The bull jumped 70 aligned and sent the next bullet to point of
bound by tension against their mating surfaces steps ahead but charitably trotted off through aim. But that shot bounced the scope again to
– hard enough to spin them incrementally low bush that gave me a clear shot to his neck. the loose screw…
outward. My bullet broke it. I should have trusted my calls instead of
It happened to me again. Not at the bench Assumption: I had made a bad shot and a shrugging off every other poke.
A Hunter speaks out
Not long ago a colleague told of bungling again for 34mm! Talley, whose steel rings are
a shot when her mount’s windage screw vertically split, advises 30 inch/pounds for the
worked loose. A faulty design? No. A windage- bottom screw gripping the base, 20 for the top
adjustable rear ring behind a dovetail front is a screw. For 10-32 screws in its QD mounts, the
fine arrangement! numbers are 35 for the bottom, 20 for the top.
But screws work loose. If you don’t lose Nuts on crossbolts cinching rings to Picatinny
one entirely, you’re one up on me. The scope rails, insists one guru, brook 65-inch/pounds.
that took wing from the .416 was in another The caps of horizontally split scope rings
type of mount. No screws holding your rifle needn’t be tighter than 20 inch/pounds. In
together are recoil-proof. fact, Vortex sends a note with its competition
Excepting congressional or parliamentary scopes, warning shooters not to exceed 18.
proceedings, there’s no discourse so dull as Leupold and Badger advise 15 to 18. Tighten
talk about screws. But without them the these alternately, as you would lug nuts on a
racier elements of rifles would lie separate and truck wheel, and diagonally on four-screw
useless. First, the basics – in English measure, rings.
because the screws of so many popular rifles No one wants screws to back out under
and scope mounts are so gauged. recoil. In the Dark Ages shooters were urged
Machine screws have three measurements: to use iodine to rust screws in place. A sequel
diameter (or gauge), threads per inch (tpi) and to burning witches. Loctite Threadlocker is
length. Gauge numbers run from #0 (small) to a more civilized option. But Henkel Corp,
#10 (diameter of the crossbolt in Weaver Tip- which makes this anaerobic adhesive, now has
Off rings). You’ll sometimes find #12 and #14 several kinds. You’ll want the right one.
screws, the #14 about 1/4 inch in diameter. In All Threadlocker bottles are red. It’s a
After a vertical bounce to settle the recoil signature color that dates back many years,
“Unified” measure, diameter in inches = .060 lug, Wayne torques front guard screws to
+ (.013 x the gauge #). So a #4 screw is .060 + when the only Threadlocker adhesive was a
45-inch/pounds. red liquid. That’s still the most powerful. If
.052 = .112 outside diameter.
Rifles have long been drilled and tapped you want the screws to stay put until you heat
for 6-48 screws, adopted to attach iron sights 6-48 screws to 25 inch/pounds – more than them with a torch, Red is your color. I think
and scope mount bases. Now, however, the advised by Leupold and Badger, but in line Blue a better choice. It’s a medium-strength
smart money is on 8-40s. They’re stouter, so with recommendations by Nightforce and Threadlocker that allows you to remove screws
better endure recoil. More and more bolt rifles Warne. Leupold suggests 8-40s be snugged to without heating. Loctite’s Green option,
(Kimber, for example) and custom sporters 28 inch/pounds, or about 20% tighter than medium-high on the strength spectrum, is
come drilled and tapped for 8-40 screws. Top- 6-48s. commonly used on pre-assembled electrical
tier makers of scope mounts, like Talley, offer Ring-to-base attachments vary, and so do components. Purple, or Loctite 222, has
rings and bases with 8-40 screws. torque recommendations – from 14 to 65 become popular with shooters, who evidently
There are hard screws and soft screws. Hard inch/pounds! view Purple as offering the best properties of
screws brook more torque; but if cinched into Ring diameter can make a difference. Weaver Red and Blue. It should not require heating
soft metal, they can strip the hole. Drilling specifies 30 inch/pounds for the crossbolt to disengage. All these Loctite products cure
out a screw can test your patience and ruin an attaching 1-inch rings, but according to one within 24 hours, and are temperature-resistant
expensive part. Old Winchester 70 receivers source hikes that number for 30mm rings and from -65 to +300 F (-54 to +150 C).
were very hard – a blessing if you must drill
out the remnant of a soft screw, but a challenge
if you must then open and re-thread a hole.
Many shooters over-tighten base screws.
I used to snug them until resistance on a
small-handled driver forced me to adjust my
grip. Then I added pressure in short, gradual
increments until … well, there’s no describing
feel.
A better way: Use a torque wrench.
Gunsmithing houses now list affordable
torque wrenches for firearms. They read in
inch/pounds and can be set to “break” at any
torque level you wish. They ensure screws are
tight but not too tight, and that you snug
screws uniformly.
How much torque? That depends mainly on
the screw and what is absorbing the pressure –
but also on whom you ask! Even the industry
doesn’t speak with one voice on proper torque. Low mass makes iron sights less susceptible than scopes to recoil shake. But check the
Cinching a mount base to the rifle, I bring screws often!
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A Hunter speaks out
I don’t use Threadlocker on scope mounts,

primarily because I often switch scopes on Goof-proof scope mounting
rifles for photography. (In fact, I keep screws Burris offers polymer inserts in its
oiled, to minimize wear on them and engaging concave Signature rings so the scope
surfaces). On hunting rifles that needn’t play can center itself without damage if the
the chameleon, Threadlocker Blue makes sense. receiver or mount base doesn’t align the
Warne does not recommend any adhesive on rings perfectly. To protect a scope from
screws for its scope mounts. It thoughtfully damage from other rings, lap them or
reminds shooters that fresh (uncured) Loctite stone lightly burred ring edges. While
of any color lubricates screw threads like oil. CNC machining can ensure that ring
The screws are then eager to spin; so if you dab halves interchange, I keep halves in
Threadlocker before cinching them, you may original pairs to guarantee a match.
apply more pressure than your torque wrench Redfield pioneered mounts with a
suggests. dovetail extension below the front ring
Many gun screws, but especially those that rotates into a base socket. After
in scope mounts, now have “Torx” heads. Use hard, magnetic hollow-ground bits applying a dab of grease on the dovetail,
Recessed like Allen heads, Torx sockets have on slotted screws to prevent slipping and turn that ring into position with a 1-inch
splines, matching those on Torx wrenches. damage to slot lips. dowel -- not the scope, lest you damage the
These splines prevent slippage that so easily tube. After it's aligned with the receiver,
wallows out the flats in Allen-head screws. couple of dozen bits, a long and a short handle. make fine lateral adjustment with the
Torx screws endure pressure that would distort RealAvid (realavid.com) also sells excellent windage screws clamping the rear ring.
slotted heads or prompt a flat screwdriver driver sets. All screwdriver work is easiest when These screws let you tweak alignment so
blade to hop out of the slot, causing damage. the rifle is secured in a cradle. It helps prevent the scope’s erector tube inside is centered,
Besides L-shaped Torx wrenches, you can now slippage and costly damage when you tackle giving you maximum adjustment range
get hard Torx bits for replaceable-bit drivers. stubborn screws. from the scope’s windage dial. Centered
No matter what type of screw head you have, Any help you can get securing screws will erector lenses also deliver the best sight
or how tight it must be, use a hard-steel bit seem cheap if you neglect it, and either lose an picture, as you’re looking through the
that fits. A slotted head begs a hollow-ground animal to a poor shot, or get thumped in the middle of the glass.
bit! Cheap one-piece screwdrivers have soft, noggin by an airborne scope. Weaver Tip-Off rings can scar a
wedge-shaped tips that bear only on the base scope as they’re snapped over it. Slips of
and top edges of the slot. Ragged lip edges and paper under ring lips protect the tube.
bright scrapes on screws result. A screwdriver Remove the paper before installing ring
that slips under pressure can also mar what’s screws. Tip-Off rings are pulled down by
around it. Damage from ill-fitting screwdrivers screws on one side after hooking the side
drains significant value from collectible guns, opposite. Tightening these screws rotates
especially if the screws are no longer available the scope slightly. To counter that spin,
or, as in the case of British double rifles, if first give the tube a slight twist in the
they’re engraved or match rounded breech opposite direction. Check that the reticle
contours. winds up plumb.
My go-to sources for tools that help with Before snugging ring screws, ensure
scope mounting and other gun projects are there’s at least 1/8 inch “clear tube”
Brownells (brownells.com) and Midway USA either side of the rings to keep them
(midwayUSA.com). My Brownells screwdriver RealAvid markets this handy, affordable from pinching lenses and adjustment
kit includes over 100 magnetic screwdriver field kit of drivers and hard, high-quality mechanisms.
bits. A field set in a hinged box comprises a magnetic bits.
Cinching up a stock out of the stock. Center guard screws are happiest when treated gently.
How you snug guard screws when assembling a bolt rifle can affect I hold torque to 15-inch/pounds. Muscling a center screw can bind
accuracy. With the rifle top-side down in a cradle, I insert front and a bolt, even bend an action. A rifle that’s glass- or pillar-bedded, or
rear screws and spin them in with my fingers. Then I turn the rifle has an alloy bedding block, can be cinched vigorously, front and rear.
vertical and bounce the butt on the floor lightly to seat the recoil lug. Some gunmakers, commercial and custom, recommend 65 inch/
I snug the front screw, then the rear screw. If there’s a center screw, I pounds.
insert it now, finger-tight. Rifle still vertical, I tighten the front screw After assembling a bolt rifle, check cycling. A bolt that won’t close
to 45-inch/pounds (recommended by Remington and H-S Precision). or resists rotation may mean the front screw is contacting the lower
I give the rear screw 30-inch/pounds. It must merely keep bottom locking lug. If so, remove the screw and file it shorter. Don’t take more
metal and tang snug in the stock. Experimenting with guard screw metal than you must. Do the same if the rear screw projects into the
tension, I’ve punched sub-minute groups with the rear guard screw bolt race.
Facing a Cape Buffalo
Charge - In Texas !
By Rob Schanen
I never dreamed that I would ever face a charging Cape buffalo, let alone in Texas, but it
happened! The bull burst out of the bush, leaves and branches falling away from his head as
he came at me from my front right. I turned to face him, and in a split second he was only
ten yards away. The double-barrelled Fausti .375 came up smoothly, I found the bead, and
I let him have it right in the “tennis ball” – the spot just below his bosses, between the eyes.
The buffalo stopped, but he did not fall. My hands were shaking, my heart hammering in
such a way that I knew it couldn’t be good for me. Even the old legs felt the adrenalin!
I
turned to African PH, Wayne Grant.
“Very nice,” he smiled. “Nailed him
right in the brain. You probably would
have had to step out of the way as he went
down.”
Wayne Grant and Tony English don’t
need much introduction in the safari world.
Wayne is a born and raised Zimbabwean,
now residing in South Africa, and Tony
is from the Natal Midlands in KwaZulu-
Natal. Both guys have been in the game
for a very long time, and I have enjoyed
several big-game safaris with them, both in
Zimbabwe, and South Africa. The realistic, full-sized leopard.
Wayne used to run leopard-hunting
courses in South Africa for professional
hunters needing leopard experience, and
from the experience he gained, he and Tony
developed what they call ‘a practical, safari-
shooting school’.
“A conversation or debate about
shooting is one of those wonderful fireside
discussions, like firearms, or ballistics, that
can go on forever,” Wayne said. “There are
so many different facets, so many diverse
situations, that there never seems to be any
hard-and-fast rules that everyone agrees on,
that would let you say ‘this is the way it has
to be done!’
“However,” he said, “there are a handful
of basics, that hunters must adhere to, to
be able to shoot well and consistently, and
if you neglect these basic rules you simply
cannot be a good, or even reasonable,
marksman.” And that’s why we were there, Wayne discusses running shots on
at the Big Easy Ranch, in Columbus, Texas, wounded buffalo (this buffalo is pulled at
to endeavor to master the basics of practical a good speed on a cable system) The buffalo, mounted on a sled.
A Hunter speaks out
rifle shooting, and to get rid of the bad

shooting habits we all had.
With sixty years of professional hunting
experience between them, Tony and Wayne
have seen a hell of a lot of bad (and some
good!) shooting, by their clients. They have
identified the crux of the matter when it
comes to faults made in the field, and it’s
those things the course focuses on. This is
not a long-range school, and no shooting
was done off the bench – it’s all realistic,
practical, bush-conditions shooting.
The Grant-English Safari Shooting
School partnered with The Big Easy Ranch,
and what a good combination it turned out
to be. The two-thousand acre Ranch lies
nine miles north of Columbus, Texas about
an hour and a half from Houston and the
same distance from Austin. It’s a beautiful
property, with bush reminiscent of many
parts of southern Africa. Some areas are
thickly wooded, while other areas are more
open, with thickets of post oak interspersed
with grassy meadows - buffalo country! The
Big Easy is top-notch all the way, and offers Course participants learn to shoot from various real-life positions.
sporting clays, a spectacular nine-hole, par-
three golf course, and a five-star lodge with rifle, any rifle, close at
first-class bar and catering. hand, in your house
On the hunting side, the Big Easy is when you are home.
home to huge Texas trophy white tail deer, The rifle should not
axis deer, blackbuck, aoudad, red stag, as have any bullets in it for
well as other exotics, and for those who like obvious reasons. If you
to fish there are both trophy bass and trout can get into the habit of
(during winter) available. constantly picking up
The course commenced with a serious, that rifle and aiming it
thorough, briefing on safety. Wayne at a spot on the wall, a
recounted how several fun outings, as well leaf outside on a tree,
as several safaris that they knew about, had a flower in the garden
ended in disaster, the result of accidental – your shooting will
discharge, or carelessness. This was one improve. Your hands
of the things that stood out for us on and eyes soon learn to
this course – the constant, unwavering work in unison. You
instruction and warnings about firearm soon stop the bad habit
safety, and happily, no course participant of looking down at the
had an accidental discharge. rifle, then trying to
Our instructors listed the most common find the target. It’s like
shooting faults they see on safari, such as anything that requires
unsuitable equipment, incorrect shooting hand-eye co-ordination
stance, incorrect grip on the rifle, and the – hitting a baseball,
pet hate of many PHs in Africa –hunters’ throwing darts - it
inability to retain the target in their vision requires practice. There
while bringing the rifle to bear. While Folk who grew up with an air rifle is no substitute.”
hosting hunters on my own property in in hand, or those who do a lot of shot- Then the dreaded ‘F’ word - flinching.
west Texas – I have seen this fault time gunning, don’t suffer from this problem. Tony has won several awards for shooting,
and again. Hunters see an animal, then Their firearm comes up into the shooting including the coveted Military Service
look down at their rifle, taking their eyes position without their eyes losing the target. Shooting Champion Award, which
off of the target. They then put their eye to It’s just practice, basically, and sadly, many encompassed all branches of the South
the scope, and proceed to “glass Africa”, as of us part-time sport hunters just don’t have African Defence Force, so he knows the F
Wayne calls it. They can’t find the animal, time, or don’t make time, for practice. word well. Or, more accurately, he knows
and precious seconds are squandered as “That’s no excuse,” Wayne said. “The how not to succumb to it.
they look for it through the scope. best thing any hunter can do is have a “Several things can cause flinching, and
A Hunter speaks out
positions including off sticks mounted on a steel sled. The sled is hooked
– using the .22s. Once we had up to a 4-wheeler, a hundred yards away,
all mastered the basics (and our by a thin, hidden cable. At a signal from
shooting scores had improved) Wayne – which the shooter doesn’t see -
we moved onto shooting with the buffalo bursts out of the bush, coming
our medium-caliber rifles. straight at you, bucking and bouncing at a
Wayne and Tony went all out disconcerting speed!
to make the course interesting, The point of this exercise was to drive
exciting, and realistic. I have home the fact that when a buffalo comes
seen many videos of, and also at you from close range, there is only time
participated in, an exercise for one shot. There is no time to reload, and
where you shoot at a “charging” even if you had a double, it would be touch
Cape buffalo. The buffalo is a and go as to whether you have time to get
full-sized poster of a buffalo the second shot off. So Wayne and Tony
pasted onto plywood, and schooled us on “waiting to the last possible
pulled toward the shooter on an moment” and to make sure of our shot. We
overhead cable or on a rail across were not allowed to fire until our instructor
open ground. It was fun, but not yelled out, and by that time the buffalo was
very realistic. On this course, we only about eight yards away. It was extremely
knew there was going to be a exciting – and certainly realistic enough that
buffalo charge, but we were not we would not forget the experience, or the
prepared for what these guys lesson learned.
had rigged up. There were many useful tips and exercises,
Wayne led each shooter into including sitting in a proper leopard blind
thick bush, then crouched down in the late evening, and shooting a full-sized,
looking into the bush, and told absolutely lifelike leopard that somehow,
them in a whisper what happens with the use of a hidden fishing line,
when a buffalo comes at you magically appeared on a tree limb, next to a
Myself and Tony English. through the thick stuff. It all bait, sixty yards away.
seemed very real. He explained When shooting at the leopard, the rifle is
we tend to bundle them all up under one what would happen next, and the shooter now bedded down into a solid rest - two sand bags
heading,” he explained. “People often look takes the lead, focused on a spot indicated by (socks filled with sand) which are mounted
up from the scope too quickly following a Wayne. But of course the buffalo comes at on two sets of tripod shooting sticks –
shot, hoping to see their trophy go down; you from a completely different spot! exactly as these guys do it in Africa. Even so,
some people are scared of recoil, and Camouflaged with greenery, the ‘target’ several of the attendees did not hit the cat’s
consequently shy away from the rifle as the is actually a real buffalo shoulder mount, vitals! The whole set-up is so realistic and
bullet detonates, and some shooters in their set at the correct, realistic height, and exciting that some folk succumbed to the
excitement forget everything they have been old F word. But as Wayne and Tony pointed
told about gentle, steady trigger pull – they out, it’s better to see and overcome those
just jerk the trigger, and that indiscipline hiccups on the course, than when you’re on
will move the barrel enough so that the safari in Africa, where the chances of getting
bullet misses the target. If all of those things hurt by a wounded leopard are very real.
that cause flinching can be rectified, you We really enjoyed this course. We learned
will be absolutely amazed at how quickly a a lot of practical useful information, and had
hunter’s shooting will improve.” a lot of fun too. Some of us stayed on for an
One of the pleasant surprises on this extra day to hunt a few of the exotic game
course was that most of the shooting takes animals, enjoy the ambience of the Big Easy
place with .22s supplied by the school. Ranch, and wind down and contemplate all
“Most hunters we get on safari do not we had learned.
practice shooting regularly,” Wayne said. I will most certainly be bringing some
“Just before their safari, they go out to the friends with me next year, so I can prove to
range and blast off a box or two of bullets them that it is possible to be charged by a
off a bench, and prolonged shooting of Cape buffalo in Texas!
medium - or worse – big-bore rifles, results
in the shooter anticipating, or shying away Course dates:
from recoil. In other words - flinching.” 16 to 18 January 2021
This rang true as I had, several times, found 23 to 25 January 2021
myself doing that exact thing.
So we went through all the training drills, E-MAIL: [email protected]
and all the different practical shooting Wayne and me.
Field & Stream Taxidermy
3 Industria Rd
PO Box 1256 LouisT richardt 0920 R.S.A.
Tel: (015) 516 1081/1952
International Tel: +27 15 516 1081
An African Palette: Cynthie Fisher
A Passion for Wildlife

Everything in Cynthie Fisher’s world revolves around animals. Although from the age of three
she grew up in downtown Denver, Colorado - a city girl’s habitat - Cynthie went to college
in northern California, getting a degree in zoology and hoping to pursue a career studying
animal behavior. She also enjoyed sketching animals, even doing some basic taxidermy in
her pursuit of knowledge to help her achieve her goals. She won the first duck stamp contest
she entered, and hasn’t looked back since.
Cynthie has just completed this, her largest painting to date (48 x 60”). “Pandemonium” took months to complete, and she used
over 175 images from two trips to Kenya to design the painting. Prints are available!
An African palette
C
ynthie has been a professional
wildlife artist for 32 years. Although
she did not study art in school,
she gained experience by sketching at zoos,
taking workshops, and getting advice from
top biologists who critiqued her early work.
Accuracy in anatomy and behavior is high on
her list, her continued interest in taxidermy
helping her to fine-tune her knowledge of
anatomy.
Cynthie didn’t begin hunting until
adulthood, but her passion for everything
animal was fully released after her first safari to
South Africa. Twenty-four years and 19 trips
to Africa later, she has amassed an enormous
collection, proudly displayed in her large
trophy room in Hamilton, Montana. She has
traveled the entire globe, hunting on every
continent except Antarctica, combining her
love of hunting, biological study, collecting, King's march 24 x 30 oil
photography, sketching and anatomical studies
to help her create strikingly accurate artworks.
She hopes to share her vision and experiences
with those who also treasure the many species
of wildlife - and often they are hunters. She has
a special passion for Africa and all its natural
wonders, and because she loves to paint zebras
so much, she calls herself the “Zebra Queen.”
Her artwork has been reproduced and
donated to more causes than she can count,
and sales have raised hundreds of thousands of
dollars for conservation-minded agencies like
Ducks Unlimited, the Rocky Mountain Elk
Foundation, the Wild Sheep Foundation, Safari
Club International, with some sales earmarked
for the African Wildlife Foundation. She is
happy to help raise funds for other African
conservation groups. She firmly believes that
hunters and the groups they support are the
lifeblood of wildlife conservation worldwide,
and is always happy to discuss this with art
enthusiasts, who often are puzzled by how
a wildlife artist can also hunt. “I study the
animal, photograph it, pursue it, eat it, mount
it, paint or sculpt it… and love it!” she says.
Although the majority of her work is
done in acrylic or oil paints, she works in
many different mediums, including bronze,
scratchboard, glass mosaics, mixed media
sculpture, and others. Her very first painting
took about six months; after so many years,
she’s gotten a bit faster! She normally comes up
with an idea after a trip abroad or an experience
in the field, and does several sketches while the
idea is fresh. She spends days digging through
her references, amassing hundreds of photos
to help her accurately portray the scene in her
head. She transfers the sketch to her board or
canvas, and starts the first of several layers of
paint, establishing values and lighting, and can
portray rare and exotic species, like Marco Polo A True Lord - Bronze - 16 x 10 x 10
An African palette
sheep and Lord Derby eland, animals that aren’t

easily photographed. It helps that she’s hunted
them and been to their habitat.
A difficult and delicate medium, her
scratchboards have been gaining in popularity.
A board is coated in a thin layer of white clay,
then painted with black ink. Anything sharp
can scratch through the black layer into the
white, and the fine lines that are produced are
permanent. This process can take a long time!
After all the scratching is complete, Cynthie uses
delicate washes of watercolor on the scratched
areas. The level of detail produced would be
hard to achieve any other way, and the black
background makes the image striking.
Cynthie has done over 20 different bronzes,
mostly of more unusual big-game species like
bongos and markhors. She pioneered the mixed
media sculpture technique, using plaster, clay,
wire and board, creating one-of-a-kind wall-
hanging vignettes of some of her favorite species.
Once formed, she paints them in a lifelike
manner, as a means to have a big-game head
in an art collection, without the actual animal
being involved!
And the adventure continues: she is booked
on another Marco Polo hunt in Tajikistan this
winter, and will return to Africa twice next year,
hoping to finally photograph and hunt a bongo
in Cameroon. Spiral horns are a definite passion
of hers, and she is also an avid birdwatcher.
Hunting in Africa is the cornerstone of
conservation there, providing jobs for local
people, food, and protection to the multitude
of creatures that live in the hunting areas. She
hopes to continue to educate people on the
Three grevys 24 x 28
positive role hunting plays in ensuring stable
wildlife populations, and if her artwork can help
her in that goal, so much the better!
Look for her booth at both the Dallas Safari Show

and the Safari Club International in Las Vegas. All
of her available originals and giclee prints can be
viewed on her website. She is also happy to accept
commissions featuring your favorite species.
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.CynthiesOriginals.com
Phone: # 406-375-1445
Rainbow parade 12 x 16
From the Desk of Hunter Proud Foundation
A Value
Beyond the
Aesthetics
By Zig Mackintosh
"The National Parks: America's Best Idea" Ken Burns' documentary series, is a masterpiece. The history
of the United States National Parks from 1851 to 1980 is documented in the typical Burns' style. John
Muir, naturalist/philosopher and first president of the Sierra Club was one of the earliest advocates of the
National Parks idea. His three-night camping trip with President Theodore Roosevelt (an avid hunter)
in the Yosemite Valley 1903 is considered to be the most significant camping trip in conservation history.
D
uring that trip, he convinced millionaire, Mather believed that if the adopted across the subregion. Namibia has
the president to return Yosemite national parks concept was packaged and shown the effectiveness of CBNRM.
Valley and the Mariposa Grove promoted correctly, not only could they be By adopting the conservancy model,
to federal protection as part of Yosemite conserved but also made profitable, a value Namibia has more wildlife than at any time
National Park. The trip would have a beyond the aesthetics. in the past 150 years; the national wildlife
lasting impact on the president. Roosevelt The railroad companies were the perfect herd stands at around 3 million animals.
went on to declare five national parks; allies. Promoting "See America First," they The country currently has over 50% of its
signed the landmark Antiquities Act and had been selling the National Parks concept land under formally recognized wildlife
used its special provisions to create 18 from the start; more train-riding tourists management, including its entire coastline.
national monuments, including the Grand equaled more dollars. They were not If Namibia had followed an animal-rights
Canyon unilaterally; set aside 51 federal afraid to use their political influence with based, protectionist approach to wildlife
bird sanctuaries, four national game Congress to achieve these goals. management, only 8% of the current
refuges, and more than 100 million acres' Mather's strategy proved to be correct; population would exist in a few isolated
worth of national forests. pragmatism trumped idealism, and today nature reserves.
John Muir's fear for the National Parks the American National Parks system is Wildlife policy in Kenya is controlled
system was that "nothing dollarable is undoubtedly the best in the world. by animal rights institutions that have
safe." He was primarily concerned with In Southern Africa today, conservation little regard for the wildlife they purport
the lumber companies' continual threat policy is centered around the sustainable to protect. It is unclear how they managed
to the virgin forests. Stephen Mather, the use of natural resources; "if it pays, it to do this. Still, the fact of the matter is
National Parks Service first director, took stays" or to use Muir's terminology, it's that the people of Kenya did not elect
an opposing view and believed that the only "dollarable." The centerpiece of this strategy these organizations into this position
way to make the parks safe was, in fact, is community-based natural resource of power, and they have no mandate to
to make them "dollarable." A self-made management (CBNRM), which has been dictate Kenyan wildlife policy. These
From the Desk of Hunter Proud Foundation
A typical waterhole scene in Namibia.

rangelands. The eland is another example.
Their numbers declined nationally by 78%
but had plummeted by between 85% and
100% in 10 of the 15 counties they inhabit.
Ogutu concludes that the leading cause
of the extreme wildlife losses is the failure
of official policy, institutions and markets
for wildlife and wildlife products in Kenya.
Protected wildlife areas cover only 8% of
Kenya. There are no official institutions
for conserving or protecting wildlife on
the rangelands and where land is privately
owned by individuals or communally.
The people that do own the land have no
access rights or user rights over the state-
owned wildlife on their private lands. This
means landowners get no compensation
for supporting state wildlife, nor are they
compensated for damage to property caused
by wildlife.
So how is it that the Southern African
model of sustainable use is more often
Without safari hunting wildlife vilified than held up as a shining
populations across a large part of Africa Professional hunters and operators, the achievement. The truth is that animal rights
will be doomed. unsung heroes of conservation. activists are PR marketing machines. Like
the railroad barons of Mather's day, they
are unafraid to use any means possible to
achieve their goals. They have hustled their
agenda into the court of public opinion by
implementing a variety of strategies.
These tactics include:

• social media cyberbullying,
• the hijacking of governmental policies in
international forums such as CITES,
• endless litigation against government
agencies like the US Fish and Wildlife
Service,
• promoting legislation such as the "Cecil
Bill" in the US congress,
The indigenous people of Namibia have benefited greatly from CBNRM. • influencing high-ranking politicians,
• celebrity publicity fundraising
organizations realize all of the benefits of almost all the common wildlife species campaigns,
of their unique status through the ability in Kenya have fallen to one third or less of • and the never-ending stream of
to raise awareness and money for their their previous levels. Concurrently, livestock preservationist wildlife documentaries
assorted campaigns with the added bonus numbers, most notably sheep and goats, that promote Africa as some kind of
of not being accountable for their actions. increased by 76.3%. idyllic Eden on mainstream media.
The people who live with wildlife are left to The number of the 18 most common
deal with the consequences resulting from wildlife species reduced from a total of It is not difficult to predict how the animal
their shenanigans. 1,809,605 in 1977-1980 to 607,233 in rights game plan will eventually play out.
Animal rights propaganda declares that 2011-2013. COVID-19 has given a glimpse into the
all is well with the direction that wildlife The average rate of wildlife loss of fate of vast swathes of African wilderness
conservation in Kenya is taking and that 68.1% also gives a false sense of comfort. It if sustainable use is eliminated. Large
it is the countries and organizations that conceals some severe declines in individual populations of wildlife across the continent
are pro-consumptive utilization that have counties such that, by 2016, populations of will disappear, and critical habitat lost forever.
got it all wrong. But the facts speak for many species had been virtually wiped out. Animal rights activists are playing a
themselves. For example, while the national rate of dangerous game of Russian roulette with
A recent study by Joseph Ogutu, Senior decline for hartebeest was 84%, hartebeest both Africa's people and wildlife. And the
Statistician, University of Hohenheim, noted numbers had fallen by 88%-100% in six of real tragedy? The world is not listening and
that over the past four decades, populations the 11 counties in which they occur in the no one will be held accountable.
An African Dawn has broken
Hunt Africa with an exclusive group of
outfitters across the continent
AXEL ENGMAN SAFARIS
A tailor-made experience with Swedish attention to detail. Raised

Adroda Safaris provides clients with the opportunity to hunt across in the Swedish countryside, hunting ethics are ingrained and part of
southern Africa in large, diverse habitats and free-range concessions the Axel Engman Safaris approach. Varieties of topography on my
offering true fair-chase hunting. Dangerous game, plains game and concessions countrywide, offering a full spectrum of species - plains
speciality species are hunted, often in exclusive areas, harvesting game, small predators, the Tiny 10 to the Big 5. Tailor-made hunting,
trophies of significant quality. Adroda Safaris also offers the exciting fishing, or photographic safaris await you. Whether your first or
option of hunting over hounds. Our pack of big-game hounds is tenth safari – Axel Engman Safaris offers many years of professional
renowned for its leopard-hunting ability. www.adroda.com hunting and outfitter experience. www.aesafaris.se
A family-owned lodge in the heart of Namibia, in 18 000 acres of

privately owned bushveld situated two hours’ drive, northeast of We offer only 20 exclusive safaris per year. Your exclusivity ensures
Windhoek. 25 species, including the majestic sable and roan antelopes we hunt sustainably, protecting and improving the trophy quality. 25
where hunts are challenging. The terrain is rocky, with high, table-top plains-game species available with no “put and take allowed.” 25,498
mountains and vast valleys. Plus, an exclusive concession on Etosha’s acres privately owned, plus a concession of 93 square miles. All species
south-western border of one million acres. No fences, this habitat listed on our website are available at Bergzicht Game Lodge. To
offers everything from antelope through to elephant, leopard, lion experience the adventure of hunting plains game and (occasionally!) a
and mountain zebra. Guests are guaranteed exclusivity when hunting true African thrill of seeing an angry black rhino bull, then Bergzicht
www.african-safari-trails.com Game Lodge is for you! www.bergzicht-hunting.com
The scenery is vast, diverse and postcard-perfect. The game is big, fast Bobby Hansen was born and raised in Zimbabwe, with 30 years’
and wild. And the bond you’ll form with nature is life-changing. This is experience, operating in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. A
the spirit of Aru Game Lodges—a family-run safari company with an reputation for quality hunts, a tremendous experience, value for
impressive commitment to sustainable, ethical hunting practices and money and exceptional quality animals. He personally guides the
attention to every detail. Guests are treated to luxury, elegance and safaris. Camps and equipment are all in immaculate condition.
privacy. Offering world-class wingshooting, photo safaris, horseback Professional hunter & tracker George Myemi has been with the
rides, quad biking, spa treatments and a relaxing sauna. Something for company for 21 years. “Book with me, Hunt with me!”
every taste, pace and passion. www.arugamelodges.com www.bobbyhansensafaris.com
Chris Troskie Safaris has
been the outfit of choice
for 17 years and our focus
is on YOU. Based in
the Waterberg region of
Limpopo Province, South
Africa, we hunt more than
40,000 acres of prime hunting land directly from our luxurious camp.
Boss Safaris and Outfitters was founded by professional hunter We don’t charge by the inch! Huge kudu, nyala, bushbuck and eland
and outfitter, Wayne Muller. It has always been our main goal to makes CT Safaris the ideal destination for the Spiral Horn Slam. In
be the most reputable outfit in South Africa. At the end of 2018, addition we offer buffalo, sable and numerous South African plains
Jacus Visagie, professional hunter, outfitter and dear friend, became game in exclusive expansive hunting preserves. Offering a proper,
a partner in the business. Boss Safaris makes choosing an outfitter in real, fair-chase hunting experience. There simply is no substitute for
Africa a simple, worry-free experience. We handle everything from great experience, and CT Safaris has it… in abundance!
your initial booking, to the day your trophies arrive back home. www.ct-safaris.com
www.bosssafaris.com
A family-owned operation, founded in 1970 by Frank and Jenny

Bowker. Hunting has been in the family since settling in the early Owned and operated by Dawid Muller, a well-known Namibian
1800s. Today Frank, Meyrick, Alexis and Lily Bowker carry on with Professional Hunter in the hunting business for more than 40 years.
these traditions in the original homestead that offers wonderful His hunting farm is 60km southwest of Windhoek in the mountainous
ambience and warm hospitality to hunting clients. Specializing in Khomas Hochland, an unfenced open area where along with neighbours
dangerous game and Eastern Cape plains-game safaris, many not farms which are his to hunt, offer 40 000ha. Plus, the exclu-sive unfenced
found elsewhere. Offering walk and stalk, bow, handgun, and rifle hunting area in the Eastern Caprivi (now Zambezi Region) between the
hunting opportunities, as well as world-class wingshooting in our Mdumu and Mamili (Nkasa Rupara) National Parks. Personal attention
exclusive concessions. Check the SCI record book dating back to the to every detail, and Dawid’s passion and experience explain hunters’ repeat
70s. www.bowkersafaris.co.za visits to Dagga-boy Hunting Safaris. www.daggaboy.com
Byseewah offers a total African experience for hunters, fishermen,

and photographers. Hunters stalk game on foot, following the tracks Never before has a destination of such unparalleled luxury been offered
of antelope, hyena, and the occasional leopard. Byseewah prides itself to bowhunters. Set against the vast rolling hills of the Karoo region, a
on being family-friendly, and offers photographic safaris and nature five-star oasis surrounded by private bowhunting land is now available
walks to those who don’t want to hunt. Ken, who loves to fish and take for small groups of passionately dedicated bowhunters and their travel
photographs as much as he enjoys hunting, organizes expeditions to companions. With a private chef, master sommelier, fulltime masseuse
the Namibian coast for sea fish and the Zambezi River for tiger fish. and photo safari excursions by horseback or overland vehicle, you’ll
Ken and Lynda treat their guests as family members, bringing clients leave with the trophies and memories of a lifetime.
back to Byseewah year after year. www.byseewah.com EasternCapeBowhunting.com (Password: hunting)
A family-owned and operated company,

offering custom safaris on concessions
that border the Greater Kruger National
Park in South Africa. This means we
can also take you for a visit to this
incredible place while here on safari.
Christo Joubert began professionally Eland Safaris is located on the scenic family Farm in the most northwestern
hunting in 1996 – not selling hunts but part of the Limpopo Province, South Africa, close to the Botswana border.
rather offering an African adventure. We Starting in 2006 by Alex and Johnny Thomson, Eland Safaris’ six clients
never combine groups – You’re our only priority. Camps are like and six full-time workers have grown to average 50 clients annually with
an oasis in the African bush, where you relax around a campfire, an extra full-time PH and 15 full-time workers. Combined, 30 years’
listening to the lions, leopards, and hyenas telling their own stories. experience, endorsed by Craig Boddington in 2017, as one of his endorsed
outfitters in South Africa, we are PHASA, and NRA Life members. Eland
[email protected]
Safaris is a bushveld paradise offering over 25 plains-game species and the
Big Five. Something for everyone. www.elandsafaris.co.za
Epic Hunting Safaris team of outfitters has Founded in 1974, this
the expertise and infrastructure to make your family-run operation
African hunting safari an unforgettable one! If
in South Africa that
you are interested in game hunting, it promises
to be a thrilling experience. has become world-
Your hunt will be exclusive, unhurried and renowned for delivering
customised to your personal requirements. high-quality big-
Epic Hunting Safari is a family-owned property game and plains-game
which spans a massive area in excess of 42 000 hunting to rifle and bow hunters. 55,000 acres of private game reserve
acres and is situated in the majestic Limpopo in the Great Limpopo Valley, arguably the finest hunting ground in
province -South Africa. No request is too small
or too large for the Epic Hunting Safaris team- from the moment you
the country, with over 30 different wild game species. All roam freely
arrive, throughout your stay, we seek to provide exceptional customer including four of the Big Five, offering world class, fair-chase hunting.
experience. www.greaterkudulandsafaris.com
www.epichuntingsafari.com
25 000 acre, privately The ultimate hunting destination. The

owned, this hunting Selous offers staggering numbers of animals,
ranch has some truly outstanding trophy quality, and a truly
unique features not authentic East African hunting safari as
easily found elsewhere. experienced by the great hunters of yesteryear.
Unspoiled bushveld area Operating in partnership with Luke Samaras
bordering the world- Safaris in the glorious Selous Game Reserve
famous Etosha National Park means lion, elephant, hyena, cheetah in Tanzania, in one of the last great wilderness
and leopard are frequently visiting. Etosha View is home to a healthy areas remaining. 4,000 square kilometers of pristine African
population of black rhino. That accounts for having four of the Big wilderness, set aside for world-class hunting. Our base camp is
Five. We are proud of the fact that the trophies taken on Etosha situated directly on the banks of the mighty Rufiji River, carefully
View are up above 80% Gold and Silver NAPHA status. Come and structured to provide all the comforts of home with an old-world
experience true Africa! colonial charm and grace. Experience the holy grail of hunting with
www.etoshaviewhunting.com Heritage Safaris in Tanzania. www.heritage-safaris.com
I invite you to hunt with us on our three Graham Hingeston runs HHK Safaris, one
private hunting ranches that are over of Africa’s most recognised safari operators.
200,000 acres. Home to over 50,000 With exclusive control over some of Africa's
game animals and over 50 different best hunting and fishing concessions, it allows
huntable species. Our huge game
us to tailor safaris to our clients' individual
numbers allow us to offer an outstanding
price giving you the best value for your demands. All operators are registered and
money. Our Burchell Game Reserve licensed supplying the necessary services such
(East Cape of South Africa), Burchell as camp accommodation, catering, trackers, skinners, vehicles, and a
Hunting Ranch (southern Namibia) Zimbabwean qualified Professional Hunter. In doing so, we ensure
and Ishota Hunting Ranch(northern that your trip is a stress free, and enjoyable experience. Hunting in
Namibia) offering a diversity of species, value for money, staff Zimbabwe is on a sustainable use basis with quotas issued for each
friendliness, professionalism, client dedication, and commitment concession.
to conservation, will lure you, your family and friends back to hunt Come Chase Your Dreams with Us.
with us many times. www.hhksafaris.com
www. frontiersafaris.com
A Namibian-based
company, offering
Tanzania, Cameroon
and South Africa.
Starting in 1999, under
the guidance of Professional Hunter & Outfitter Jaco Oosthuizen,
Game Trackers Africa commenced hunting in the world-famous 6000 plus acres of distinct Eastern Cape vegetation. Accessible, yet
Selous Game Reserve of Tanzania. Expanding with other excellent extremely remote. Spectacular, varied topography, miles and miles
areas in western Tanzania and Masailand. Now offering in excess of river frontage - Africa’s nature is on display. The home of tough
authentic hunting in South Africa’s most popular province. Our logo
of 120 game species across Africa, Jaco and Magdel Oosthuizen, describes what we’re about. Easy to recognize, yet a challenge from the
along with their team of professional hunters, will ensure that you outset; - The endemic eastern cape greater kudu. Smaller, more beautiful
enjoy the most memorable time of your life in Africa, as they pride that its larger cousin, but offering a classic experience for the discerning
themselves in original free-range hunting safaris. international hunter. African wilderness is what we offer, time and your
www.gametrackersafrica.com commitment is what you need. www.hotfiresafaris.co.za
A premium big game safari operator Situated in the Kalahari Region
in Namibia for over 30 years. of South Africa, we believe in a
Hunting inside the Bwabwata modern world where time and
National Park (Buffalo Area) in silence are the most luxurious
Kavango East region. (old Caprivi commodities, we offer our
Strip). Plains-game hunting takes guests an abundance of both.
place on the western edge of the Kalahari Desert, eastern Namibia. One of the most luxurious lodges you will ever experience, where
(Gobabis area). The 700 000 acre concession on the Okavango River - contemporary 5-star comforts meet world luxury accommodation
is a paradise for buffalo, elephant, leopard, crocodile and hippo, lion, and gastronomic delights. An award-winning wine cellar and
sable roan and more antelope, and has consistently delivered excellent cigar lounge are added luxuries. Guests can engage in many other
trophies for over 20 years. Koos Pienaar - big-game PH for more
adventure activities or indulge in our luxury Wellness Spa. Our
than 32 years and his son Kobus – are well-known and respected for
skilled staff have mastered the art of service and the lodge and its
their modest, but absolute brilliance in big-game hunting. Partners,
facilities have been designed to offer our clients an unparalleled
Christine and James Chapman run the hunting camps personally and
manage the business. www.huntafricanamibia.com hunting safari experience. www.thekalaharisands.com
Formed in 1993, John Oosthuizen and Gavin Welcome to Khomas

Hume and have been there since inception. Highland Hunting
Both, highly experienced professional
Safaris. With about
hunters, each having received the prestigious
thirty years of experience
'Professional Hunter Of The Year' award and
in operating hunting
still fully active professional hunters, they have
gained vast experience of hunting conditions safaris, we would like to
in all the following countries: South Africa, invite you along for an
Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania, Mozambique And overview of our unique operation. We are looking forward to taking
Uganda. Few can match this. Based in Johannesburg, as the hub for you on a journey to our various hunting concessions, with exclusive
arriving clients who transit to neighbouring areas and countries, Hunters accommodation and service to guarantee your ultimate safari
and Guides Africa continues, through the Bhejane Trust (established to experience. Please feel free to have a look at our website and our
help monitor and protect the only wild population of black rhino left in YouTube channel to get a feeling for your next African safari hunt.
Zimbabwe), to promote Conservation through Hunting. Contact PH Philip Hennings for further information.
www.huntersandguides.co.za Mail: [email protected]
Jamy Traut is a well-respected Lowlands Hunting Safaris operates one

outfitter in Namibia. A family- of the largest areas in South Africa’s
run operation dedicated to KwaZulu-Natal Midlands -14 000
providing a small number of hectares. Catering for bow, crossbow,
clients with an unequalled black powder, rifle and handgun hunting.
opportunity to hunt Africa’s 30 species available range from dense,
great game. A variety of areas bush-loving bushbuck and nyala, to true
available in Namibia means mountain game such as Cape eland,
a great diversity of hunting and tourism across Namibia. With its grey rhebuck, endemic black wildebeest, and mountain reedbuck
ethical and sustainable hunting practices, Namibia has become one of
in the rolling grasslands all the way to slopes of the Drakensberg.
the top hunting destinations in Africa, known for its large diversity in
Experienced to guide your dangerous-game Big 5 adventure, we offer
game, open landscapes as well as cultural diversity and habitats. Jamy
Traut Hunting Safaris is proud to uphold the traditions of ethical and walk and stalk, ensuring memories that will last a lifetime. At the end
fair-chase hunting, of the hunt – it’s the adventure that we are all about!
www.jamyhunts.com www.lowlandshuntingsafaris.com
John Sharp is one of the most experienced Madubula Safaris was founded
big-game hunters operating in Southern by John Abraham in 1990.
A
Africa today. While adhering to the strict As one of Africa’s premier
A
ethics of fair chase, John epitomises the operations, safaris are conducted
authentic ‘Great White Hunter’ of legend. to the highest ethical standards
A pilot, a crack shot and an excellent only. No compromise. Providing
superior big game, plains game,
host, John puts the client at the centre
bird shooting and photographic
of everything he does. His clients often safaris, our accommodation is in
come back – not because this man will traditional tented camps or luxurious lodges on the finest reserves,
ever guarantee a trophy (“the bush is unpredictable’), but because providing superb fair chase hunting. Professional hunters are all
he lives up to all the legends of the African big-game hunter. As his experienced men, the trackers, skinners, camp and field staff are
long-standing friend, author Wilbur Smith writes: “ I have hunted all skilled and experts in their field - all are complimented by
with some of the very best professional hunters presently operating polite waiters and world-class chefs. All camps and equipment are
in Africa, but John Sharp is my preferred companion and guide in the of the highest standard, well maintained and stocked to ensure a
hunting field.” www.john-sharp-safaris.com comfortable, relaxed stay. www.madubula.com
Diethelm grew up on the Mokore Safaris, established in 1979, with
farm Otjisauona, in central over 40 years’ experience, is one of the
Namibia and has been leading safari companies in Africa. Run
hunting all his life. Katja by the Duckworth family, situated in the
studied nature conservation world-famous Savé Valley Conservancy
at the Technikon of Pretoria, in the south-east Lowveld of Zimbabwe.
where they met. They have been running Makadi Safaris since Home to the Big Five as well as other
1996 have three children, and the youngest, Nikolai, has just wildlife in a great variety of terrain. Mokore
recently joined the family farming business. With two different, Safaris also has the privilege of hunting
exclusive hunting areas covering 225 000 acres, of which 95 000 rights in Sengwa Research Area in north-
acres is personally owned the offer is unique. And due to our western Zimbabwe and Coutada 9 in
effective wildlife management programme, which has been in place central Mozambique. Sole hunting rights
for the last 50 years, the area is never over-hunted, allowing for in three of the world’s top-quality game areas, with access to others,
extraordinary adventure and exceptional trophies. Diethelm & means Mokore Safaris can tailor-make almost any requested safari
Katja Metzger www.makadi-safaris.com within Zimbabwe and Mozambique. www.mokore.com
At Mashambanzou Safaris you benefit Monterra Safaris is privately owned, 14

from a collective 50 years’ experience 000 acre game ranch in the Limpopo River
and 15 years operational experience Valley of South Africa. Established in the
in Mozambique alone. Specializing in 1980s as the exclusive hunting ground of
offering safaris from middle income “once an American business owner, his passion
in a lifetime” hunters to the experienced for hunting and conservation lives on as
annual safari goer. We own our own
we offer you the exclusive opportunity
Concessions in many of the areas we
hunt or partner with the most reputable to make Africa your own. You will be
operators from the Zambezi Delta to the guided by our professional management
lake shores of Cahora Bassa. Our mission team through the entire process of journeying to Africa to hunt its
statement is to provide our customers illustrious game. Our ethical hunting and conservation practices have
with access to the best hunting areas with preserved the natural environment here for over thirty years.
the complete range of species at competitive prices with the www.monterrasafaris.com
finest service available. www.mashambanzousafaris.com
In the heart of one of Africa’s Motsomi Safaris is a family-run safari

last great wildernesses, outfit by Pieter & Ria Potgieter. Both
McCallum Safaris with Mike nature lovers and Pieter being an avid
Angelides offers a wildlife hunter, they decided to share their love
experience that reflects the
for the African bush, with people equal in
original spirit of the true
African safari. Tanzania, their passion for nature. The sole purpose
with its large wilderness areas of Motsomi is to have our clients back as
and abundant game, offers friends by giving them an unbelievable
visitors the spirit of adventure, excitement, solitude and companionship. African experience. Motsomi as a team
McCallum Safaris has a reputation for excellence, tailoring safaris to meet takes pride in bringing you up close to
individual needs and high expectations by hosting clients in the most the greatest animals to be hunted or photographed, and will take
comfortable camps and the best concessions. Exclusively in Tanzania our care of all your individual needs, whether as an observer or hunter, to
hunting camps offer the visitor a luxurious and timeless experience into a ensure that Africa will be a part of you forever!
true hunting safari, ensuring that luxury and comfort meet tradition and
www.motsomi.com
authenticity. www.mccallumsafaris.com
Michel Mantheakis Ndumo Safaris is a Namibian

Safaris is a family- company, based in the Zambezi
owned company, region (formerly known as the
established in 2010 Caprivi Strip) of Namibia, where
and operated by my we operate one of few companies
wife Nicole and myself. Having learnt from previous mistakes and specializing in hunting dangerous
successes in our first companies, we focused on creating another game. Owning and operating
top-quality trophy hunting company with a strong conservation three camps in the Zambezi
area, with one doubling as a fishing camp, puts us in the unique
conscience, offering services on an even higher level. By promoting
position to offer the discerning hunter totally free-range areas for
ethical hunting together with conservation, we aim at marketing
dangerous-game hunting (& fishing). For additional demand outside
our safaris to the discerning hunter. Anybody can offer you a trophy these areas, other Caprivi and Kavango conservancies, Damaraland
hunt, but only a few will offer you a great trophy hunt. The choice and Kaokoland conservancies, as well as private ranch land in both
is yours… Namibia and South Africa is available. Come hunt with us to make
www.mm-safaris.com your dreams a reality! www.huntingsafaris.net
If your lifelong dream is to take part Welcome to our home! We live on the
in the perfect African hunting safari, ranch, all year around. We do our supply
runs to the nearest town of Bulawayo,
you’ve come to the right place.
which is where you fly into from
Corne Kruger’s Omujeve Hunting
Johannesburg. Your hunting here is over
Safaris has three unique lodges and 32000acres of free-roaming, natural-
free-range concessions spanning the living wild animals. The selection of
length and breadth of Namibia. ROSSLYN SAFARIS quality plains game is wide and plentiful,
We cover territories ranging from · CAWSTON BLOCK · and we also hunt leopard. For 30 years
the wide-open plains of southern we have kept close tabs on our populations maintain trophy quality
Namibia, the bushveld of central Namibia, and the waterways of the for the years ahead. Primarily developed as a bowhunting ranch (rifle
Zambezi in the far north of the country, all teeming with trophy- hunters are also welcome) we have a dozen waterholes each with a
quality species. If you’re looking for an authentic and exhilarating purpose-built blind / hide. As a working ranch, we have an organic
safari, look no further than Omujeve Hunting Safaris, your trusted dairy, chickens, vegetable garden and, of course, the mild--tasting
ally out in the Namibian wilderness. www.omujeve.com meat from the game that you hunt. www.rosslynsafaris.com
Experience the opulent elegance of

rail travel on the most luxurious train
in the world. Combining magnificent
scenery with the glamor and excitement
of the golden age of rail travel, Rovos
Rail offers eight distinct scenic safaris
through the heart of Africa. During
the height of wingshooting season, we
operate a unique eight-day sojourn with
a variety of shoots ranging from driven
The African hunting experience is a combination of adventure and guinea fowl to challenging waterfowl and hot-barreled, flighted rock
beauty for thrill-seekers and naturalists alike. The rolling savanna pigeon and dove. Each day of shooting is paired with a leisure itinerary
with scattered acacias under the summer sun, will welcome you to for those who prefer to further explore the local history, culture and
this exotic and untamed safari land. The call of the African wild photographic wildlife. Day’s end is celebrated with dramatic sunsets
allures with its vivid sunsets and the open plains that teem with viewed from the open-air balcony as the train trundles further across
wildlife. www.Africahuntingoutfitters.com the wild African landscapes. www.rovos.com
The Boutique Victorian-

style lodge - with its stand-
alone luxurious cottages - is
ROYAL KAROO SAFARIS designed to meet the needs of
REFINED ADVENTURE a modern-day African hunt.
F A I R C H A S E H U N T I N G
Quagga Safaris is based in the Limpopo Valley, privately owned 25 000 acres in one block, of
and adjacent to Botswana. Hunting is not a job, rather a lifestyle privately owned land, plus 100 000 acres of exclusive concessions –
we all enjoy, and can’t wait to share it with you. A combined 100 within an hour’s drive. Mountains, densely-wooded valley bushveld,
years’ experience, personal attention, plus our trophy quality is Karoo veld through to grass topped plateaux, ensure some of the
your security of a dream safari. It’s reflected in the record books our most varied hunting in South Africa. Our exclusive preserve offers
80% return clientele. For more than 40 species, let us guide you to exciting hunting that is fair chase and done on an environmentally
your dream trophy. We consider the field preparation and handling sustainable basis. A challenging and exciting experience awaits you
of your trophies just as important as the hunt. Highly trained and at Royal Karoo, bringing you back to Africa time and again.
experienced skinners will take care of your trophies until we get it
www.royalkaroo.com
safely back to you. www.quagga.co.za
Rob Lurie Safaris is a family-owned Rungwa Game

and run business. Rob Lurie, Safaris offers you
born and raised in Zimbabwe, is the finest big-game
a fifth-generation Zimbabwean hunting grounds in
and current Vice-Chairman the world, where nature feels unexplored and unvisited. See Africa
of the Zimbabwe Professional as few people do. Having worked for various hunting operators as
Hunter’s and Guides Association. a PH, I gained the experience and vision for what I considered to
He has been in the safari industry be the most important principles in operating a successful hunting
for 25 years. With extensive experience of hunting and guiding in company. By practicing minimum off-take, maximum anti-poaching
Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Zambia, Namibia and South Africa, Rob and protection of our hunting concessions, the result of this vision
Lurie Safaris also plans safaris in Uganda, Benin, Cameroon, Tanzania is apparent in the annually improving wildlife population and in the
and Mauritius. With us you’re on an adventure of a lifetime, creating quality of hunting in our concessions. Rungwa Game Safaris is able
memories along the way, experiencing all that Africa has to give. We to provide hunters with opportunities for exceptional quality trophies
offer bespoke safaris, and we discuss exactly what each individual and I would like to invite you to join us for your safari of a lifetime!
wants. Come Live your Dreams with us! www.robluriesafaris.com www.rungwasafaris.com
Safari Trails International operates Owned and operated by Ernest and Marita
in the beautiful malaria-free Eastern Dyason since 1995, Spear Safaris offers world-
Cape - by far one of the most popular class big-game trophy hunting Tanzania,
hunting destinations in South Africa. Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Zambia and
With us you will be treated to days Cameroon, under the auspices of well-
of hard hunting, friendly people and established outfitters in those countries.
beautiful scenery. We our hunting Excellent and affordable buffalo and plains-
rights to many thousands of acres we game hunting safaris on our 70 000 acre
offer over 40 species to both the first- concession in the north of Limpopo Province,
time hunter as well as the seasoned safari hunters. We use a number of
as well as a huge variety of plains-game species on our other two hunting
different lodges around the Eastern Cape, with our main camp being
situated just over an hour northeast of Port Elizabeth. You will be concessions (25 000 acres to 30 000 acres). We also offer world-class
guaranteed quality accommodations, food and trophies and we have photographic safaris, from our private camp in the Greater Kruger
always encouraged family hunts and welcome young and first-time conservation area and not being a high-client turnover safari company
hunters. [email protected] – we both offer highly personalized service. www.spearsafaris.com
The company is owner-run, Established in 1998 by two

is a member of Mozambique brothers, Jason and Clinton.
Safari Operators Association Both with extensive experience in
(AMOS) and has two hunting dangerous and plains game
Professional Hunters that will throughout Africa, Stone Hunting
guide your hunt and ensure Safaris operates in South Africa,
you get the most from the time Namibia, Ethiopia, Zambia and
you are with us. Safari Landia Tanzania. Offering top quality hunting safaris in the best areas
hunt under those guidelines, which are internationally accepted and Africa has to offer. Since 1998 Jason has spent over 250 days a year,
adhered to by all ethical hunting outfits. Experience the thrill of the Clinton – 200, hunting all over Africa in pursuit of top-quality
hunt in the traditional way - stay in the camp enjoying nourishing trophies for their clients. They will go out of their way to ensure
food, refreshments and sound rest, good old-fashioned service and that all clients will have a great hunt and get the best possible
attention to detail. trophies available.
www.safaria-africa.com www.stonehuntingsafaris.com
Strang is a seasoned bowhunter

with 20 years of experience in the
field as a PH. Clients are welcome
to hunt dangerous game and
antelope with bow or rifle under
his guidance. Strang’s main focus:
hunting some of the best areas in
It must be said that whether it is your first time hunting ever, or Zambia for lion, leopard, elephant,
you’re a seasoned hunter, we want to make memories for you. SB hippo, crocodile and buffalo, with
Hunting Safaris aims for you, the hunter, to have an unforgettable unique Zambian plains-game hunts on private land available.
experience. It is our passion to keep hunting alive. For us it is not Camps, equipment and staff are top-notch, ensuring a safe,
about quantity but about quality. We have more than 30 huntable comfortable and memorable dangerous -game safari of a lifetime.
species roaming over thousands of unspoiled acres that can be part www.strangmiddletonsafaris.com
of your next deluxe African hunting safari. SB Hunting Safaris is a
family-oriented company. www.sbhuntingsafaris.com
Zambia ‘The Real Africa’ - Shamwari When Tom Snr (who had been
Safaris is primarily situated operating as a hunting outfitter and
alongside the Zambezi River and professional hunter for 22 years) and
escarpment, at the confluence of Tom Jr (who had been operating as
the Luangwa and Zambezi Valley. a professional hunter for 12 years)
The area is mountainous and the decided to join forces, Tom Dreyer
hunting is challenging and VERY Safaris was established and it was
exciting. We also have access to 2016. We operate in three countries:
other prime areas including South South Africa we hunt on our own
Luangwa, Bangweulu Swamps and land of 13,000 acres in Limpopo,
Kafue GMA’s Our hunting safaris are led by Steven Rufus, a native on an exclusive concession of 6200
Zimbabwean now resident in Zambia. Steven has both a wealth of bordering the Kruger National Park where, with the exception
experience and passion for the African Bush, is committed to both of rhino, all of the dangerous seven roams freely. Mozambique we
ethical hunting and ensuring that the client’s needs are exceeded on primarily hunt in the Niassa Game Reserve and in Namibia, in the
each and every safari. unspoilt Bushman land.
www.shamwarihuntingsafaris.com www.tomdreyersafaris.com
Watts Trophy Hunting Safaris has After being a commissioned
more than two decades of experience officer in The Rhodesian Light
in the hunting and safari industry. Infantry – a crack airborne
Our main camps and hunting areas unit which became renowned
consist of open savanna, acacia brush for its fire force operations,
and camel thorn trees; there you will Wayne started professional
find some of the Big Five species and hunting in 1980. Awards for
numerous plains game animals. To hunting excellence, including the coveted Professional Hunter of the
make every hunter’s dream come true, Year award, Wayne is licensed for big game in Tanzania, Mozambique,
we expanded our hunting expeditions Zimbabwe and South Africa. Wayne and his wife Margie have been
to Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, running safaris since their first season in 1981. Although small, their
Mozambique, Uganda, and all over South Africa. The extensive operation has always remained with loyal, satisfied clientele over the
variety of animal species and countries give us access to top-quality
years and many of those hunters from the early eighties remain close
trophies and allows us to custom-make your safari, varying from the
friends to this day.
Big Five to conventional game hunts.
www. waynegrantsafaris.co.za
www.wattstrophyhunting.com
Since 1996, Wow Africa Safari

strives to create the African
dream for international visitors.
Specialized in individually
customized expeditions, you will Hunt Africa with
experience the majesty of Africa – in
absolute awe! Izak, Linky and the
rest of their family run a truly 5star experience within the borders
an exclusive group of
of South Africa. Whether you are on your way to complete the hunt
of a lifetime, or traveling alongside your hunting companion and
want to experience what makes South Africa unique, The Kirsten
outfitters across the
Family will show you and your party all that the Southern part
African has to offer.
continent
www.wowafrica.com
SUBSCRIBE to receive Africa’s Finest
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Vol 24 • Issue 3 promoting Hunting in Africa Jan/Feb/Mar 2019 Vol 23 • Issue 3 Winter 2018
Terry Wieland’s One for the Road
related to where I’m going, and what I’ll be One of my recurring nightmares is of A Moveable Feast, and I still have the little
doing. In 1988, heading for Alaska to hunt being marooned somewhere with no books. Bantam paperback I bought in 1966. Not
brown bear from a boat in Prince William In 1990, my old pal Michael McIntosh quite pigskin, but in those days they made
Sound, I took an anthology of Jack London’s was on his way east from Missouri when paperbacks to last. It literally fits into a
stories about the Klondike. On that trip, it he blew an engine in Terre Haute, Indiana, pocket of a safari jacket, and has been places
rained for 21 days out of 23, including 19 and found himself holed up in a motel for even Hemingway never thought of going.
days straight. I clearly remember being in the three days with nothing to read. It was a “no It’s gotten me through sleepless nights in
cabin of the boat, with rain pounding on the pets” establishment, and he had his dog with cheap motels from Sault Ste. Marie to the
deck and bouncing off the grey surface of the him. He was able to smuggle her into the New Garden in Nairobi; it’s been read by
sea, with a cup of steaming coffee, warm and room, but she would start to bark if he left candlelight in the Okavango, and on the
dry and leading the life I’d always dreamt of. her alone, so there he sat — for three long night train to Inverness.
Two years later, when I went As I write this, I’m preparing
back to hunt Dall sheep in the for a quick visit to the surgeon’s
Chugach Mountains, I took knife to replace a hip that
Jack O’Connor’s Sheep and Sheep backpacked up too many
Hunting. We had a base camp mountains and ran too many
that consisted of a tent, two cots, marathons. I mentioned this
a Coleman stove, and a buried to a friend, and told him I was
cache of moose meat. We flew trying to decide what books to
in, one passenger at a time, on take, in case I was in there longer
a Piper Cub that bounced in to than expected. “Oh, you won’t
land on a gravel bar, brushing need books,” he said, “All those
the alders with its wingtips. rooms have TV sets.” He might
Weight was at a premium and as well have told me it would
we counted every ounce, but be equipped with a team of
O’Connor in hardcover repaid inquisitors and a rack.
the effort. Because of my penchant for
Roosevelt obviously read working up enthusiasm through
for enlightenment as much as reading, for the last couple of
enjoyment, while Ruark read for years I’ve had to avoid Jack
escapism; as for Hemingway, a O’Connor and Robert Ruark. I
day without words was simply did not want to start shedding
unimaginable. My approach is a tears for being (temporarily)
little different. I read ahead of unable to climb mountains
time to get myself into the right or chase kudu through the
frame of mind — a fever pitch thornbush. Since I am now
of enthusiasm is the actual goal assured that hip replacements
— and I read while I’m there to and backpacking up mountains
remind myself that I’m leading go together like gin, tonic, and
the life I always wanted and now, a slice of lime, I’m thinking that
in some ways at least, I have. Horn of the Hunter would be a
For years, my inseparable good one to take, along with an
companion on trips to Africa O’Connor anthology.
was the Complete Short Stories But, I also have a couple
of Ernest Hemingway. That’s one of new ones to try: two
book I’ve read cover to cover to cover, and book-starved days. Figuring he’d been given autobiographical anthologies by John Hewitt,
some favorites like The Undefeated or Snows a foretaste of Purgatory, if not actual Hell, he my old acquaintance from my early days
of Kilimanjaro I’ve read fifty times or more. thought the experience might lead him back at Gray’s Sporting Journal, as well as Steve
Yet, those two stories particularly I can always to religion. Instead, it led him to assemble Bodio’s A Sportsman’s Library. The danger
read again and always, it seems, get something an emergency survival kit of two bottles of with reading Hewitt is that laughing will be
new out of them. That, I think, is the secret Scotch and several volumes of Faulkner, and too painful, while Bodio will simply make me
of any travelling library: It should contain this became his constant companion on all feel inadequate, as usual. Neither is exactly
books you can read and re-read, and never tire future trips. Thucydides, but the great Greek contributed
of, and always learn something. Sometimes, Regardless of how short any outing is this gem of wisdom already: “The strong do
what you learn is that from the vantage point planned to be, untoward things can occur (as what they have to do; the weak accept what
of more advanced years, you now see things witness Michael in Terre Haute). One book they have to accept.” No wonder he was in
differently. I am able to reread endlessly is Hemingway’s the Pigskin Library.
africanhuntinggazette.com 127
Terry Wieland’s One for the Road
The travelling library

Blood, sweat, gun oil, dust and ashes
When Theodore Roosevelt made his celebrated safari through East Africa, more than 110 years
ago now, he took with him a veritable mountain of equipment. From rifles and ammunition to
his tailor-made safari outfits and jars of pickles and horseradish, everything that accompanied
TR has been meticulously listed and analyzed — and, it must be said, ridiculed — but those
were different times.
W
hen one set out from home by his saddlebags or cartridge box, and would sit field, in the shade of an acacia, he could delve
steamship, expecting to be away reading wherever he found himself with a few into anything from The Song of Roland to
a year or more, with no limit on minutes to spare, throughout the day. Bret Harte’s Luck of Roaring Camp. Theodore
baggage, travelling into the unknown — in The Pigskin Library was carried in a large Roosevelt was a man of varied and voracious
Roosevelt’s case, at least — one tended to box of aluminum and oilskin, and it took two tastes. He led what he called “the strenuous
err on the side of caution and take not just men and a boy to lift and carry it. Among the life,” and serious reading was a major part of
one of everything, but back-ups as well. titles were the King James Bible, Shakespeare, it.
Roosevelt was a prodigious reader, a man Marlowe, and the Niebelungenlied. He Later, he wrote that the pigskin bindings
who studied anything and everything. The had Thucydides on The Peloponnesian War, became stained with “blood, sweat, gun oil,
prospect of finding himself bookless in a Captain Mahan on Sea Power, Carlyle on dust, and ashes,” but instead of becoming
savage and illiterate land was horrifying, so Frederick the Great, Francis Bacon’s Essays, “loathsome” as would a conventional binding,
it’s not surprising that one entire trunk was and The Federalist. Homer was present with or distintegrating altogether, they “merely
given over to what became known to history the Iliad and the Odyssey. There were three grew to look as a well-used saddle looks.” To
as the “Pigskin Library.” volumes of Macaulay on history, Milton’s those who love leather — and which of us
This collection contained 59 volumes, all Paradise Lost and Dante’s Inferno. Novelists? doesn’t? — that says everything.
bound in pigskin for durability. “They’re Twain (2), Thackeray (2), Dickens (2), and Other African travellers followed
meant for reading,” Roosevelt growled, and Sir Walter Scott (5). Poets? Longfellow, Roosevelt’s example, although they probably
read they were. In African Game Trails, he Spenser, Tennyson, Shelley, Emerson, Poe, would have taken books with them anyway.
noted that he always had a book with him, in Keats, and Browning. After lunch in the Ernest Hemingway and Robert Ruark both
mentioned their reading material in their
own, later books about their own, later
safaris. Hemingway’s reading was less exalted,
tending to recent novels, while Ruark’s was
downright plebeian: His favorite reading
material during a warm afternoon, waiting
for a kudu to peek out from the bushes, was
Dashiel Hammett and similar purveyors of
sex, crime, and gore.
It has long been my practice, when I’m
getting ready for a trip somewhere to hunt
something, to get myself in the mood by
reading about it ahead of time. If I’m going
to Tanzania to hunt Cape buffalo, it will be
Ruark or John Taylor; if it’s bobwhite quail
in Georgia, I might read Havilah Babcock,
and for brown bear in Alaska, Frank Hibben’s
stories about Allen Hasselborg on Admiralty
Island.
When the time comes to board the plane,
or point the car west, I’ll be carrying books
Continued on page 127
128 africanhuntinggazette.com
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