Hunting and Safari Magazine

The Region’s First Hunting & Safari Magazine

5 Best Shotguns for Goose Hunting

Hunting the waters of untamed Africa

Hippo’s & Croc’s Part II - by Elaine Coetzee

See PDF Cover Copy An Interview with

Mr. Marwan S.Kheireddine An Exceptional Hunter

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editor's note

Dear Readers, We have another really diverse array of interesting ar ticles for you in this edition, even a section for the fashion conscious, but still with a hunting theme. Owing to time constraints and publishing deadlines that were imposed at the last minute you will have to wait for Brian Ralphs, Cook Your Hunt, ar ticle which features the roasting of a suckling boar, or one could roast a lamb if pork was not to your liking, along with some mouth watering star ters and deser ts.

My apology to Brian as this omission was in no way down to him, and to you our readers as well, but at least it is something to look forward to in the next issue.

So what did we have time to bring to you? Well we have a couple of new contributors which we are very happy to welcome to our family. Tom Caceci, a medical and veterinary school anatomy professor and a life long hunter and firearms instructor. One of Tom’s passions is for muzzle loading black powder firearms and he has written a very interesting article for us which covers this par ticular area of hunting.

Another new face to add to our distinguished panel of exper ts is, Keith Coyle. Keith is a qualified shooting instructor and a CPSA Academy coach. Keith’s exper tise covers both clay shooting and game shooting and his forthcoming advise and articles will be both interesting and instructive, not to mention his association with Purdey and Holland & Holland.

As well as the new boys our current contributors, both boys and girls, have done us proud, as ever, with their own articles written in their own unique styles, from the heat of Africa to the snow of Sweden and Colorado USA, to a personal look at one families heirloom engraved shotguns. Then we have an ar ticle that dispels a few myths of African hunting, so you might be surprised that what you thought was gospel is nothing more than one mans opinion.

All good interesting stuff that grace the pages herein.

There are also a couple of articles about father and son out on safari together, which just reinforces another positive aspect of the hunting pastimes. It can bring families together as there is nothing more bonding than being out in the wild and taking on Mother Nature in her own environment and passing on to the son the knowledge that the father has gained, in the hope that in time the son will do likewise to his offspring. A lot can be learned by the younger generation whilst out hunting in terms of building character, how to discipline oneself and learning about the environment and how to conduct yourself amongst others. Lessons for life that will stand a person in good stead.

We preview the latest 4x4 from Mercedes and take a look at the Maldives as a holiday destination. As I say a lot of diverse interesting ar ticles and it is true that you can not please all the people all the time but you can please some of the people some of the time and we hope that we at least please most of you.

Finally on a serious note, yet again due to a terrible incident in the US the debate on gun control is raging in that country which could have an impact fur ther afield. We are not a political magazine and would therefore not wish to make categorical statements on the subject, but just to remind all of us, if we need any reminding, that it is incumbent on all that cherish the right to own weapons and hunt legally to conduct ourselves in an exemplary manner so that we put a positive face on owning firearms. Our hear tfelt condolences go out to those that suffered loss or injury.

Good hunting.

Richard Camm.

Senior Editor.

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contact us

Editorial Lara Mansour Sawaya

The Region’s First Hunting & Safari Magazine

5 Best Shotguns for Goose Hunting

Managing Editor - English Titles email lara.m@amedadver tising.com

Hunting the waters of untamed Africa

Hippo’s & Croc’s Part II - by Elaine Coetzee

Richard Camm Senior Editor email rcamm@mailme.ae

Ylova Hamdan Assistant Editor email ylova.h@amedadver tising.com

For Advertising Inquiries Hisham Sawaya CEO - Dubai email hisham.s@amedadver tising.com mob +971 50 661 6677

An Interview with

Mr. Marwan S.Kheireddine An Exceptional Hunter

USD 6 / DHS 25 / RS 30 / JOD 5

BHD 3 / QAR 25 / KD 2.5 / EGP 50

Cover: Issue 12

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H&S Travel Joe Balesh Business Development Manager email jbalesh@mailme.ae hsmagazine.travel@gmail.com tel 00961 71 768211 mob 00971 50 551 5957

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our contributors

Rober t G. Segel

Elaine Coetzee

Senior Editor for Small Arms Review and Small Arms Defense Journal magazines. His area of exper tise is in automatic weapons from the 1894 to 1945 period with a primar y focus on World War I machine guns, though the two magazines cover militar y and law enforcement weapons both historical and modern.

Runs CEC Safaris in Namibia West Africa with her husband, Cornie, and was the first woman in Namibia to qualify as a Professional Hunter. Offering clients a variety of hunting packages in various locations, Elaine, is passionate about her profession and her maxim is, “What’s the sense of killing if you have not experienced the hunt”.

Bernard Miranda Feliciano

Evelina Aslund

An industrial relations professional who, over the last 30 years, has become somewhat of an exper t in the field of firearms specifically related to militar y small arms and hunting and target weapons of all calibers.

A professional hunter and guide and lives in Ljungdalen, Sweden, and is the founder of, Joy Event Hunt and Health. Evelina uniquely combines hunting and outdoor activities with yoga exercise classes, both indoor and in the mountains. Her 520 hectares of private hunting grounds boarders on to the picturesque, Lake Ojon.

Cameron Hopkins

Jacquelyn Gross

An outdoor writer and firearms journalist.

He received a Master of International Journalism degree from Baylor University (Texas) in 1984 and has been a full-time editor and repor ter specializing in the shooting spor ts ever since. English-born, he has resided in the U.S. since age eight and currently lives in Las Vegas, Nevada with his wife Darlene.

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A passionate hunter, born and raised in Southern Louisiana, USA, but now residing in the town of Silt, Colorado. A skillful and proficient hunter with rifle, shotgun, and bow and a dedicated advocate in promoting the outdoors to the ladies and the younger generation. Jackie is never happier than when she is involved in the great outdoors and is considered amongst the US’s most extreme huntresses.

Stuar t Pringle

Tom Caceci

Grew up on a farm in the, Eastern Cape of South Africa, acquiring his hunting and outfitting skills from his father who was an avid wing shooter and hunter. He travels extensively in Africa and surrounding countries where he gained extensive knowledge of the safari industr y. He is the sole owner of, Pringle's Legendar y Safaris, and a proud member of PHASA (Professional Hunters Association of South Africa).

Professionally, Tom is a medical and veterinar y school anatomy professor, and a former Fulbright Scholar in India. He is also a lifelong hunter, a cer tified firearms instructor, outdoors writer and gun collector with a special interest in muzzleloading firearms. He is a Contributing Editor for Gun Digest, the Standard Catalog of Firearms; and runs the website The New River Valley Outdoorsman. He is a frequent contributor to Magnum, African Outfitter, and other hunting publications. He has hunted in Nor th and South America, Africa, and Europe.

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The Best of U SHOT Show 2013 Shooting Hunting and Outdoor Trades

Ford Atlas Concept

Nikon EDG Fieldscope 85 VR

niform Market will be exhibiting in the premiere emblem booth in the 2013 shot show. The Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade Show (SHOT Show) and Conference is the largest and most comprehensive trade show for all professionals involved with the shooting sports, hunting and law enforcement industries. It is the world's premier exposition of combined firearms, ammunition, law enforcement, cutlery, outdoor apparel, optics and related products and services. The SHOT Show attracts buyers from all 50 states and more than 100 countries.

This This isis Nikon's Nikon's fifirst rst image image stabilizing stabilizing spotting spotting scope. scope. The The company company claims claims that that itit reduces reduces vibration vibration by by 88 88 percent percent utilizing utilizing aa battery-powered battery-powered system. system. It's It's designed designed specifi specifically cally for for digiscoping digiscoping (taking (taking photos photos through through aa spotting spotting scope). scope). At At 96.3 96.3 ounces ounces and and 17.7 17.7 inches, inches, it's it's unlikely unlikely you'll you'll be be hauling hauling this this up up the the mountain mountain but but itit isis perfect perfect for for viewing viewing wildlife wildlife from from close close to to the the truck. truck.

Specs Specs Finish: Finish: Black Black Magnifi Magnification: cation: 20x-60X 20x-60X Objective Objective Diameter: Diameter: 85mmv 85mmv

Hauls Away Autoweek Magazine’s Most Significant Vehicle Award • Ford Atlas Concept is named Most Significant vehicle of the 2013 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) by the writers of Autoweek Magazine and autoweek.com.

Badlands Birder's Vest Sitka Fanatic Vest Sitka Sitka introduced introduced the the Fanatic Fanatic jacket jacket last last year year and and now now they've they've slimmed slimmed itit down down to to aa vest vest specifi specifically cally made made for for whitetail whitetail bowhunters. bowhunters. Features Features include include aa grunt grunt tube tube pocket, pocket, rangefi rangefinder nder pocket, pocket, removable removable hood hood and and super super quiet quiet tricot tricot material. material. ItIt also also includes includes aa diagonal diagonal zipper zipper that that won't won't interfere interfere when when you you are are at at full full draw. draw. MSRP: MSRP: $189 $189

• Ford Atlas Concept showcases the design, capability, fuel efficiency and smart technologies that will define future pickup trucks.

• For the sixth year in a row, Ford vehicles on display at NAIAS have garnered Autoweek award recognition.

It's It's called called aa vest, vest, but but it's it's really really more more of of aa backpack. backpack. The The vest vest has has aa spacey spacey game game bag bag and and aa waist waist belt belt fifitt with with shell shell loops. loops.

ItIt also also has has really really thin thin shoulder shoulder straps straps that that have have no no buckles, buckles, high high on on the the shoulder shoulder or or chest. chest. This This allows allows for for an an uninhibited uninhibited shoulder shoulder mount. mount.

hunting tips

Stalking & Culling

“The Atlas Concept is clearly Most Significant winner for the things you don’t see, like hidden aerodynamic improvements and weight savings from high-strength steel and interior parts, like thinner seats,” said Bob Gritzinger, Autoweek executive editor.

“Those things add up to significant fuel savings for pickup trucks down the road. A nextgeneration EcoBoost® with Auto Start-Stop technology also signals why Atlas is a real game changer.”

A

n essential part of managing a herd of deer is the culling of the weakest to ensure the herd remains in top condition as a whole. If the herd is on a large estate it will undoubtedly have its own staff to look after the deer, as some estates can run up to a thousand head or more and out of this number there are bound to be a few that are going back or are ill or wounded in some way and the kindest thing in cases such as these is to cull it cleanly rather than let it die a slow death out in the open.

If we are speaking of wild estate deer here then the cull is necessary as most of the big estates in Europe and indeed in the US will export the deer to other parks, zoos, or wild life preserves and it is necessary to produce the best quality animals available. In fact the trade in deer is very similar to producing

The Ford Atlas Concept made its worldwide debut at NAIAS on Tuesday, January 15. A design and engineering study inspired by decades of listening to customers in the places where they work and play, the concept has tomorrow’s pickup buyers in mind.

Breakthrough features include active aerodynamic elements in the grille, front air dam and wheels that reduce wind resistance to save gas. Truck-specific features that improve capability, durability and productivity include a Dual-Purpose Tailgate Step that integrates with a roof cradle to become a rack for long objects like ladders, Hidden Cargo Ramps to load ATVs and motorcycles, Trailer Backup Assist to enable accurate reversing with a trailer via the simple twist of a knob, and more.

This This isis Steyr's Steyr's most most powerful powerful sniper sniper rifl rifle. e. ItIt has has aa fifive-round ve-round magazine, magazine, adjustable adjustable cheek cheek piece piece and and buttplate, buttplate, fifixable xable bipod bipod and and aa picatinny picatinny rail. rail. Odds Odds are are that that you'll you'll never never own own aa gun gun like like this, this, but but they they are are fun fun to to look look at. at. ››

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“We are thrilled by the enthusiastic response to the Ford Atlas Concept,” said Raj Nair, Ford group vice president for Global Product Development. “This award from Autoweek - plus overwhelming positive reaction from news media and across social channels alike -

confirms Ford is the recognized thought leader in trucks, in addition to our position as truck sales leader for 36 years.”

It is almost impossible to accurately count the head of deer on a given estate as they do not have individual identification and they have a tendency to move about a bit. If you could get them to stand still for a couple of hours and you had access to a helicopter then you may have a chance. The size of the herd has to depend on the size of the park. 1000 acres will support around 400 head of deer provided that the park consisted of the right sort of terrain and vegetation. And this of course is one reason that the cull has to take place.

This is the sixth year in a row Autoweek has honored Ford with one of its North American International Auto Show Editors’ Choice Awards: • 2012: 2013 Ford Fusion named Best in Show • 2011: Ford Vertrek Concept named Best Concept • 2010: Next-generation Ford Focus named Most Significant • 2009: 2010 Ford Taurus named Most Significant and 2010 Ford Shelby GT500 named Most Fun • 2008: 2009 Ford F-150 named Most Significant

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Deer at Bradgate Park

It is considered that culling in the rutting season is to be discouraged and there will undoubtedly be open and closed deer season wherever you live. A deer that is too old to survive on its own or a wounded or sick deer has to be taken care of as soon as it is identified but to keep the population down in size enabling the herd to exist on the land available for it should be undertaken during the open seasons.

If you have never shot a deer then contacting a deer management company could be a great way of getting into deer hunting. Most management companies will give you advice and even give lessons on deer stalking, as well training to get you to the, DSC level 2 grade.

That’s the, Deer Stalking Certificate grade2. It is probably the least expensive way of doing it as well.

In the UK for instance a management company will instruct you on how, what and when to shoot your deer. The estate gun will be loaned to you free of charge and

Photo credit: http://www.stay-arran.co.uk

ammunition is about $3.00 per round. You will be asked to pay about $15.00 for you to “shoot-in” the rifle to your eye, and you could even get to shoot a deer for free if you chose to shoot a Pricket, which is a male fallow deer which is in its second year and has straight horns without any branches. If the heard needs to cull Bucks, doe’s and Hinds, for instance you may be able to shoot these free of charge, but of course this is just the shot that is free, you will still have to pay the stalking fee of around $145.00 per one 4 hour outing mid week, or $240.00 for a one 8 hour outing mid week. If it’s just the stalk and the kill that you’re looking for, either as a first timer or to hone your existing skills and you are not looking for a trophy to take home, then a managed cull is definitely worth while as you will get the services and advise of a professional stalker/deer manager at a competitive price.

If, on the other hand, you do want to take home a trophy then a managed deer cull does offer this service as well. However, a suitable ›

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70 18 news hunt

48 hunting tips

• Ray Bassil - The Olympic clay winner

• A Cartridge for all Seasons

• The Biggest Elephant Ever Killed By Man

• The Black Powder Warthog

• Lebanese Hunting Club

• Why Do We Hunt?

• The Best of SHOT Show

• Hunting Etiquette

• Hunting in Botswana

• Deer Management Stalking & Culling

• India-bound birds in Pakistan

• To Shoot or not to Shoot

• The Art of Hunting over Hounds

• The Best Way to Take Incoming Waterfowl

• 5 Best Shotguns for Goose Hunting

• What Calibre to Bring on a One-Gun Safari?

• Croots Country England

• Falconry Hunting on the Wing

• Ford Atlas Concept • Paul Smith Jeans S/S13 • Polo Men’s Spring 2013 • Paul Smith Jeans S/S13

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a good race horse. These parks are studs of high repute and Estates such as the 850 acre Bradgate Park and Woburn Abbey with its 3000 acre of parkland export thoroughbred deer all over the world.

There are professional companies all over the world that offer deer management services, from advising on how best to cope with a single nuisance deer that has wandered onto a smallholding and is going about destroying the crops planted, to advising on the cull of a 3000 acre estate to best use the environment available for the population of deer on the ground.

It's It's also also compatible compatible with with aa Camelback-type Camelback-type water water pack. pack.

Steyr HS.50 M1

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Deer Management

The Ford Atlas Concept, a bold vision for the future of pickups, has been named Autoweek Magazine’s Most Significant vehicle of the 2013 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS).

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80 air guns • The Air Gun Small Vermin Solutions With an Eye on Bigger Things

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this month

exclusive interview

big game hunting

Dunira 3 Guns end of first drive

An Interview with

Mr. Keith Coyle Proffesional Shooting Instructor

Perhaps though, the greatest influence on my shooting career has been the past 18 years I have worked with my great mentor and true friend, Sam Grice of Long Acres Shooting School, Newmarket and Cambridge. It has been Sam who has made me the coach that I am today. He was the one that helped me mould and transpose all the technical skills Roger had given me and taught me how to use that knowledge to Instruct. I am so grateful to both these outstanding gentlemen for passing on their knowledge and expertise to me.

Father and Son

Zambian Safari with Stuart Pringle

Are you involved in any formal organizations relating to shooting or hunting and conservation?

Thanks for giving me the time to talk to you Keith and maybe we should start by you giving us a brief career path so far, including the early years and how you first started to get into shooting?

After leaving the UK Armed Forces in 1980 I was fortunate enough to be able to go straight into business for myself. Firstly in Real Estate then as a Business Consultant which was then followed by owning a themed restaurant for 3 years. It was during this time that, a friend of mine invited me to a corporate clay shoot. I gladly accepted, went along and perhaps, more by luck that judgment, I won the high gun prize on the day. Needless to say from that point on I was hooked with a passion.

working with him at the Shooting School I completely changed the way I shot to Rogers “Method” system. It was from this point on, after much practice, that I began to generate success at competitive sporting clays, winning regional and national competition at class level. However, it was Roger’s prophetic words that had a major impact on my future shooting career when he said I would eventually have to make the decision between being a competitive shooter, or a professional instructor.

I am a member of the CPSA, the clay Pigeon Shooting Association, and BASC, the British Association for Shooting and Conservation.

In 1993 I joined the Institute of Clay Shooting Instructors. I am now a Senior CPSA Coach and a CPSA Academy Coach.

What then constitutes a typical working day for a coach?

Always an early start! Once on the shooting ground, at least 2 hours prior to opening, my first job would be to open all the ranges, ›

And who would you say has had the most influence on your shooting?

I have been very fortunate that I have had two of the very best mentors in modern shotgun sports. The first was, Mr. Roger Silcox, who was the Senior CPSA (Clay Pigeon Shooting Association) Staff Tutor and the Proprietor of, The Roses Wood Shooting School, in Bath, Somerset. It was Roger who gave me all my technical skills and during my time

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Keith shooting at Longacres

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Dunira 4 Top dog first drive

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gunmaker legacies

Day 3 Started with a really nice common Duiker and a great shot from Bolton. This lad was cleaning up. He was full of energy as he was using one of our rifles and making great shots. Later that day doc was rewarded with a very heavy Puku with good length. Everyday we were fed 5 times a day and they were killing us with great food. We could not stop eating as it was so good. Truly Africa at its best. The country and terrain was exotic and in fine form.

110 I

had again the pleasure and honor to hunt with my good friend, Dr. Jack Gayden, and his son, Bolton, from Memphis, Tennessee. Our hunt took place near the copper belt in Zambia, an hour’s drive south of Ndola on a ranch called Ntsobe (means Sitatunga in the local langue). We opened our trophies with a Beautiful Black Lechwe and a Chobe Bushbuck on the first day.

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Day 2 Started bright and early, at 4:30 am, we were after Sitatunga. Doc and I were in an elevated stand on the edge of a huge swamp as this is the home of the Sitatunga. As we had settled in I heard the noises of what sounded like a Kudu, affectionately called the Grey Ghost in Africa, running away after he had seen someone. I thought we had been detected, but I was wrong. Two bulls were fighting in the swamp. They bark like all spiral horned antelope. The bird life soon came to life as the day was starting to get lighter. Doc grabbed me and asked me what that was coming out of the forest. I could see the outline of a Sitatunga, but could not make out any horns.

He disappeared and then come out again heading for the swamp. He walked all along the reeds and the whole time I could not see his horns. Finally I got a good look at him and we were ready to take him. The muzzle flashed and he vanished. Where did he go?

Mike our Zambian PH soon appeared and walked towards were the bull had stood. We saw him stand around, but did not indicate that we had him or shot another one. Did we get the bull? We soon got out of the blind and made our way to the bull on a floating weed bank. It felt crazy as we were walking

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Day 4 Was a quiet day as we were after the grey ghost for Bolton, we covered plenty ground but, with no luck. We got an opportunity on an Impala. They are about 25% small in body and horns compared to the one’s in S.A. Later that afternoon Bolton got a huge Tsessebe.

This was to be the biggest I had ever taken with anyone to date. We shot him out of a bachelor heard of 6 bulls. on water. We were ecstatic! What a bull.

And it was only 6:15. WOW! Doc was soon rewarded with a beautiful old Bushbuck later that morning. Later that afternoon Bolton was in luck and got a great Puku. Great shooting lad.

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The Perpetuation Of A Legend June 15, 1934, the inscription “Parker Bros” moved from the side of the frame to the bottom - and was now only “Parker.” The reason? It was the year Remington took over control Parker Gun Works operations. Now in 2005, one of the most revered names in firearms history has engineered the newest addition to the prestigious Parker family, as Remington continues to keep Parker on the forefront of the American landscape.

What It Means To Own A Parker For nearly a century and a half the Parker Gun has been a fixture in the landscape of American firearms. And for those rare individuals who understand what it means to own a Parker, it is a privilege unlike any other. Because being a Parker owner is more than simply possessing one of the finest guns ever made, it’s a right of passage into an elite world.

Day 5 We were still looking for the Grey Ghost. We looked over a few bulls but too young. They also seem quite a bit smaller than the ones in S.A. We found four Blue Duikers together ›

Craftsmanship It’s a word that’s used too lightly when describing the finer things. More than just engravers, or checkerers, or metallurgists those who will build the Parker AAHE 28 are artists. The finest in the world. With abilities to combine the latest in gunmaking technology with the unsurpassed beauty and old-world styling of history’s most remarkable guns.

Perfection

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For those who have witnessed the thousands of hours of handwork invested in each gun, its value is immeasurable.

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120 84 exclusive interview • Mr. Marwan S. Kheireddine - An Exceptional Hunter • Mr. Keith Coyle - Proffesional Shooting Instructor

98 hunting season

• A Few Hunting Anecdotes by Jackie Gross • Hunting the Waters of Untamed Africa Hippo’s & Croc’s

138 gunmaker legacies

• Ptarmigan Winterhunting

• Engraved Family Heirloom Shotguns

• A Little Turkey Story by Jackie Gross

• Griffin & Howe • The Parker Gun

92 big game hunting • An Extreme Huntress African Adventure • Father and Son Zambian Safari with Stuart Pringle • An African Journal Lion & Wildebeest but no Zebra!

• African Whoppers by Cameron Hopkins • Hunting the Sable Antelope in Africa Today

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150 outdoor adventure • Maldives - A piece of Paradise

154 automotive • Mercedes-Benz Ener-G-Force

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Ray Bassil

The Olympic clay winner Receives Perazzi Shotgun from Omatra Group & ARME Italia Companies

Mr. Pierre Jalkh, Miss Ray Bassil and Mr. Nicolas J. Tueny

Mr. Wissam Khalil

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Miss Ray Bassil

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ast week, OMATRA GROUP and ARME ITALIA Companies invited shooters, friends and colleagues (about 100 person) for its annual honouree gala dinner in Diwan-AlSultan restaurant in Ashrafieh-Beirut where the company celebrate the sponsorship of the shooter from Lebanon, Miss Ray Bassil, and offered her a special gift, a PERAZZI Shotgun, for her recent excellent accomplishments in the shooting field in many regional and local competitions.

The event was attended by OMATRA GROUP CEO and ARME ITALIA owner CAV. Nicolas J. Tueny, also by the President of the Lebanese Shooting and Hunting Federation Mr. Pierre Jalkh, with the presence of the sponsored shooter Miss Ray Bassil and a hundred invited guests consisting of Friends, Colleagues and VIP Clients of both OMATRA and ARME ITALIA companies. The ceremony started with the Lebanese National Anthem, then with a briefing held by Mr. Wissam Khalil talking about the history of ARME ITALIA Lebanon and Arme PERAZZI Italy explaining these guns professional advantages over other brands available in the local market.

Mr. Pierre Jalkh congratulated in his speech ARME ITALIA’s management and team and PERAZZI’s professional efforts to lift the shooting competition status in the country and the region by sponsoring such promising and professional shooters like Miss Ray Bassil, “the company of ARME ITALIA has been involved in such a sponsoring events since 2009 with a non-stop support to such remarkable professional local shooters Like Miss Bassil”, he explained.

In the end of the ceremony, Mr. Nicolas J. Tueny officially honoured Miss Bassil with the specially offered PERAZZI Shotgun From Perazzi Factory, in return, Miss Bassil thanked Mr. Tueny and ARME ITALIA team for their sponsorship gesture and for supporting the shooting teams in Lebanon, she also sent her special thanks and greetings to Mr. Mawro Perazzi, owner of ARME PERAZZI Company in Italy.

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The ATX/STX series takes functionality to a new level. For the first time, the telescope’s performance can be adjusted through the size of the objective lens. As an example, you can choose the 95 mm objective lens to watch birds on mud flats or at the coast, and with a magnification of up to 70x enjoy every detail in crystal clear resolution. For long days in the field or extensive travelling, you can simply opt for the more compact 65 mm objective lens. Whatever your activity, wherever you are, you will be perfectly equipped, guaranteeing that you won’t miss any special moments.

FP Pending ATX 25-60x65

SEE THE UNSEEN

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ATX 30-70x95

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The Biggest Elephant Ever Killed By Man

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arch 6, 1959 A male rogue African bush elephant, a gift from Jose J. Fenykovi, Hungarian-born engineer and big game hunter, and prepared by the museum’s taxidermy staff, is unveiled in the place of honor in the center rotunda of the National Museum of Natural History. At the time of its unveiling, it is the largest land mammal on display in a museum. Fenykovi tracked down and shot the elephant in the Cuando River region of southeastern Angola on November 13, 1955.

Images credit: www.africahunting.com

On view in the Smithsonian, the largest elephant on record was an adult male African elephant hunted by Jose Fenykovi in Angola in 1955. World-record-setting elephant, taken from Records of Big Game (Rowland Ward, London, 10th Edition, 1935).

• Height From ground to withers, 13 feet 2 inches. (Thaw's elephant: 12 feet 2 inches.)

• Length From trunk tip to tail tip in straight line, 27 feet 6 inches; whole skin from trunk tip to tail tip, 33 feet 2 inches.

• Length of feet Front, 2 feet; rear, 2 feet 1 inches. (Thaw's elephant: one foot 9 inches, which foot not specified.)

• Circumference of feet Front, 5 feet 7 inches; rear 5 feet 2 inches.

• Circumference of body At widest point, 19 feet 8 inches.

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FP Dupont

KSA: Al Rasha International, S.T. Dupont Boutique (Jeddah, Kingdom Centre & Al Khobar), Tanagra UAE: S.T. Dupont Boutique (Dubai festival City), Tanagra, Al Jamal (Abu Dhabi), Paris Gallery & Watch Gallery (Dubai Mall) Kuwait: S.T. Dupont Boutique (Avenues Mall), Tanagra Oman: Capital Stores Bahrain: S.T Dupont Boutique (City Centre & Seef Mall), Yaquby Stores, Tanagra Qatar: Ali Bin Ali, ST Dupont Boutique (Royal Plaza), Tanagra Egypt: S.T. Dupont Boutique (City Stars & Mohandeseen), Beymen Jordan: Abu Shakra Trading Yemen: Mam International Iran: KaďŹ Stores

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Lebanese

Hunting Club Hosts Charity Christmas Dinner

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he Lebanese Hunting Club hosted a special charity Christmas Dinner that also involved gift distributions in order to spread joy on the annual celebratory holiday.

The evening consisted of fun-filled activities and a great feast for those that are less fortunate. The special event was true to the spirit of Christmas – ‘a time of awe and a time of giving’.

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The Best of SHOT Show 2013 Shooting Hunting and Outdoor Trades Sitka Fanatic Vest Sitka introduced the Fanatic jacket last year and now they've slimmed it down to a vest specifically made for whitetail bowhunters. Features include a grunt tube pocket, rangefinder pocket, removable hood and super quiet tricot material. It also includes a diagonal zipper that won't interfere when you are at full draw. MSRP: $189

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niform Market will be exhibiting in the premiere emblem booth in the 2013 shot show. The Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade Show (SHOT Show) and Conference is the largest and most comprehensive trade show for all professionals involved with the shooting sports, hunting and law enforcement industries. It is the world's premier exposition of combined firearms, ammunition, law enforcement, cutlery, outdoor apparel, optics and related products and services. The SHOT Show attracts buyers from all 50 states and more than 100 countries.

Nikon EDG Fieldscope 85 VR This is Nikon's first image stabilizing spotting scope. The company claims that it reduces vibration by 88 percent utilizing a battery-powered system. It's designed specifically for digiscoping (taking photos through a spotting scope). At 96.3 ounces and 17.7 inches, it's unlikely you'll be hauling this up the mountain but it is perfect for viewing wildlife from close to the truck.

Specs Finish: Black Magnification: 20x-60X Objective Diameter: 85mmv

Badlands Birder's Vest It's called a vest, but it's really more of a backpack. The vest has a spacey game bag and a waist belt fi t with shell loops.

It also has really thin shoulder straps that have no buckles, high on the shoulder or chest. This allows for an uninhibited shoulder mount.

It's also compatible with a Camelback-type water pack.

Steyr HS.50 M1 This is Steyr's most powerful sniper rifle. It has a five-round magazine, adjustable cheek piece and buttplate, fixable bipod and a picatinny rail. Odds are that you'll never own a gun like this, but they are fun to look at. ›

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Nikon EDG Fieldscope 85 VR Waterfowl and upland hunters looking for a functional bird knife have a new option from Buck in the 490 Ergohunter Waterfowler.

Featuring a 2 ½ inch hollow-ground Wharncliffe blade of 420HC steel and an ergonomic (ergo the name…) Alcryn rubber handle, the Ergohunter is, according to Buck, designed to excel at birddressing chores with much efficiency and little waste.

Cutline 3310 recycled pet: Huh? No, it’s not a product that allows good ‘ol Spot to keep on giving long after he’s gone. PET is actually a mildly disconcerting acronym for what is basically recycled pop bottles, according to Gary Popiels of RecTec manufacturing.

Muela Knives This gorgeous assortment of blades comes from Mueal, a Spanish company that makes hunting knives utilizing tough moly-vanadium stainless steel and handles of red stag angler, exotic stabilized hardwoods and pakawood.

This little sampling shows they do classically styled hunting knives just as well as more tactical-looking blades. If you dig knives and don’t know about Muela, consider yourself notified. Commence drooling. (It’s OK, they’re actually pretty affordable for custom knives, with most models ranging from $100 to $300).

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FP Pending HERITAGE COLLECTION AVIATION BR 03-92 42 mm VINTAGE BR 126 41 mm www.bellross.com

UAE: Bell & Ross Boutique - Dubai: BurJuman, Al Sayegh Jewellery - Abu Dhabi: Al Nasr St · KSA: Barakat Jewellery - Jeddah: Al Madina Road, Ali Reza Tower - Riyadh: Al Sayed Center · QATAR: Al Majed Jewellery - Suheim Bin Hamad, Villaggio · KUWAIT: Tanagra - Salhiya Centre, Arraya Mall · BAHRAIN: Bahrain Jewellery Center - Moda Mall · LEBANON: Wadih Mrad - Beirut: Ashrafieh, Quantam Tower - Dbayeh: Antelias · SYRIA: Al Zaman - Damascus: Abu Ramman, City Mall & Kafarsuseh St, Aleppo: Shahbaa St · JORDAN: Rama Swiss World - Amman: Zain Abdoul Complex · OMAN: Khimji Ramdas - Shate’ Al Qurum · TUNISIA: Ben Jannet, Tunis · IRAN: Daya Zaman Sanj - Prestige Zaman Zevar -Gollestan, Mahmoudieh · MOROCCO: AZUELOS, 8 rue du 16 Novembre, Rabat Agdal - AZUELOS: 16 bd Moulay Youssef Casablanca

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Hunting in Botswana

will soon be no more...

Botswana's ban on sport and trophy hunting belies the country's past wildlife management success, but the move comes as no surprise to long-time Africa observers with knowledge of the country's unique circumstance among African states.

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fter more than six decades of successful sustainable-use wildlife management, Botswana is in the final stages of implementing a country-wide ban on sport hunting to take effect in 2014 - this despite scientific and historical evidence that the prohibition will be highly detrimental to wildlife. When fully employed, the ban may well be the catalyst for decimation of the country's wildlife and habitat, a loss from which it may never recover.

A thriving democracy with four decades of uninterrupted civilian leadership, Botswana has invested in significant internal capital improvements with revenues from a stable economy based on mineral extraction, primarily diamonds. Put another way, though

still poor by international standards, Botswana is less dependent on foreign exchange than most African countries. But like many govenments of the region, Botswana is not immune to the influence of agenda-driven non-governmental agencies, or NGO's,

just a few of the elements that hunting dollars fund to deter poaching.

News of the Botswana hunting ban was praised by the usual-suspects of animal rights groups, many of which twisted the findings of the research that was the ultimate justification for the ban.

Dr. Mike Chase of Elephants Without Boarders conducted an aerial count in 2010 of wildlife in the Okavango Delta. He concluded the populations of some wildlife species had been decimated by hunting, poaching, human encroachment, habitat fragmentation, drought, and veldt fires over the last decade.

These research findings found that 11 species had declined by an average of 61 percent since a 1996 survey. which may explain its inconsistent wildlife management policies over the past decade or so.

This "yo-yo" wildlife policy saw lion hunting banned in 2002, reopened again in 2005, then closed once more in 2007. 2009 saw the closure or "repurposing" of some concessions in the game-rich Okavango Delta, while some were left open to hunting. The hunting community suspected this paradoxical wildlife policy was a harbinger of a larger hunting prohibition, and when a full hunting ban was finally announced in late 2012, the only real surprise was the irrational rationale on which the official public explanation was based.

Justification for the ban came from Minister of Environment, Wildlife, and Tourism Edmont Moabi, who explained, "This comes

as a realisation that... shooting of wild game purely for sport and trophies is no longer seen to be compatible with either our national commitment to conserve and preserve local fauna or the long term growth of the local tourism industry."

Seriously? Questioning legal hunting's contribution to conservation and growth of local tourism by the responsible department's head is a head-scratcher. Big-game hunting has

long been a significant portion of Botswana's tourism industry and the foundation of its rural wildlife-based economy. The money contributed by hunters for wildlife and habitat conservation has been instrumental in the growth of Botswana's wildlife populations.

And though Minister Moabi's reasoning for the hunting ban contradicts the facts and historical record, his disingenuous rationale paled in comparison to that of Botswana's chief executive.

President Ian Khama said the decision not to issue hunting licenses was taken to protect Botswana's fauna, because "hunting licenses encourage poaching."

Issuing hunting licenses "encourage(s) poaching?" Think about that for a minute.

Have you ever heard of a circumstance, ever, where having licensed hunters in the field was an encouragement to criminals to poach game? The president may have well said the world is flat, or 1+1 = 4; the statement is simply not true. Revenue from hunting licenses, i.e. legal hunting, is the best and most important deterrent to poaching in the hunting countries of Africa. Antipoaching patrols, indigenous employment and meat/feeding programs, and protection of concession-holders' economic interests are

Dr. Chase reported population declines in ostrich, down 95 percent; wildebeest declined 90 percent, tsessebe down 84 percent; warthogs and kudu off 81 percent; and giraffes fell 66 percent.

For the sake of argument, let us assume the game counts are accurate. Now, look at the species cited. Ostrich? Giraffe? These are not the game species hunters spend $1,500 per day to pursue in the Okavango. Elephant, buffalo, sitatunga, leopard, and lechwe have been the historic stars of the Delta and the focal species of virtually every hunting safari therein. With the exception of tsessebe, the species listed in Dr. Chase's count are found in abundance in many other areas of southern and east Africa and the historic offtake by tourist hunters in the Delta has been minimal; they are clearly secondary species on Okavango hunts.

Citing trophy hunting in the same category as poaching, game fences, and drought to justify the hunting ban is like blaming the tissue for your runny nose; it is factual gerrymandering that the media and public have accepted without investigation or question. Yet, independent scientists agree that a decadeslong drought, subsequent wildfires, and ›

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The hunting ban will hurt more than wildlife.

The Botswana Wildlife Management Association estimates the ban will leave 4,800 native Africans unemployed and unlikely to find work in photographic tourism.

As things stand now, the anti-hunting NGO's and influence peddlers have won. Botswana will be permanently closed to hunting in 2014.

But like another major safari country that shut its doors to hunters, Botswana's wildlife is destined to suffer the same catastrophic consequences.

poaching have been the primary cause of the decline in antelope species in the Okavango.

In fact, numbers of game animals like the elephant and hippo were found to be bucking the trend and were actually increasing in the Delta survey.

Some scientists see the ban for what it is. Dr. Steve Boyes, a National Geographic grantee and a self-avowed anti-hunter stated his views about hunting on the NatGeo website: "The basic fact of the matter is that an animal in the bush has no monetary value. A hunting license instantly gives that same animal a monetary value. In Botswana, the photographic safari industry has been able to add more monetary value for the last 10-15 years. I hope this trend continues and we decide one day to put our guns down and pay the same money to take awesome photographs. Until then we need to be practical and use hunting as a conservation tool where applicable."

Dr. Boyes is right. When hunting stops, so does the resulting revenue for conservation.

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At its peak, hunting in Botswana generated more than $20 million annually, more than $6 million of which was hunting license revenue that went directly to the Wildlife Ministry.

And in a country where an OVER-population of 50,000-80,000 elephants exists, animal/ human conflicts are sure to increase, with massively-reduced budgets left to deal with the consequences.

Elephants could emerge as the real story of the hunting ban, as their severe overpopulation and the destruction they will bring to the habitat will likely change the ecosystem forever. Botswana only issues about 500 sport hunting licenses per year for a population estimated at 130,000, so hunting's effect on the overall population is minimal. However, the revenue generated by elephant hunting puts people and systems in the bush to help maintain some semblance of order. Without hunting, the population will likely spike and crash, and the anti-hunters will run pleas on television for people to donate $19 a month to "save" the elephants.

Kenya banned hunting in 1977. Between 1977 and1996, Kenya experienced a 40 percent drop in its wildlife populations, both within and outside of its national parks, according to a study reported in Science Daily. And due primarily to poaching, Kenya's wildlife numbers have continued to fall. Today, wildlife numbers are less than half of that which existed before the ban, with feature species such as lion and elephant being hit especially hard. The benefi ts from tourist hunting can reverse the trend, but anti-hunting zealots and irresponsible leaders continue to carry the day.

Trophy hunting is a low-impact, high-income activity that is often carried out in areas too difficult and remote for typical photo safaris, which require large volumes of customers to offset the relatively small fees per client.

Hunting creates jobs, food, and an incentive for indigenous peoples to protect species from poachers. Simply stated, sustainableuse hunting is critical to the preservation of both rural economies and Africa's wildlife.

Both people and wildlife suffer when hunting is banned. The Botswana government may sincerely believe it is doing the right thing, but the emotion-driven, non-scientific based course of action upon which they embark signals the beginning of the end of abundant wildlife in the country. It is likely that in 20 years we will look back with regret to realize that 2013 was the "good old days" for wildlife in Botswana.

FP 21

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Alarm bells ring over hunting of rare

India-bound birds in Pakistan

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leading environmental group working for conservation of ora and fauna has sought intervention of the External Affairs Ministry to put pressure on Pakistan to ban hunting of rare birds, Houbara bustards, which has drastically reduced India's share of their annual winter migration and affected the desert eco-system.

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The hunting of Houbara bustards, taxonomically classiďŹ ed as Clamydotis undulata, through falconry in Pakistan has led to an alarming decline in their numbers. The poaching mainly in Sindh province along the international border is not only a cause of serious concern for India but also in violation of wildlife protection laws and international

conventions. The Tourism & Wildlife Society of India has pointed out in a letter to External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid that the desert regions of Rajasthan and Gujarat are not beneďŹ ting from the rare birds as a result of their hunting in Pakistan. The species has been declared vulnerable due to a more than 60 per cent decline in its global population

even as India's share in the Houbara's migration is “bagged” in the neighboring country.

TWSI honorary general secretary Harsh Vardhan has requested Mr. Khurshid to intervene and ensure that Pakistan imposes a complete ban on “wanton falconry” as such acts amount to a “brazen mockery” of the conservation legislation.

India invited similar falconry during 1970s when the Arab royals used to camp in western Rajasthan districts and hunt the great Indian bustards, Houbara bustards and other endangered birds. This practice was brought to a halt forever in 1978-79 through public protests in Jaipur, New Delhi and Mumbai and finally through a stay order granted by the Rajasthan High Court.

After the hunting of protected birds was banned in India, the Arab falconers initiated Houbara captive breeding programs in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia and reintroduced thousands of these birds back into the wild.

“Why don't they better falcon-sport self-bred birds within [their] own regions rather than poach the flocks naturally meant to reach India?” asked Mr. Vardhan.

The Arab royals also used to visit Iran and Afghanistan for falconry till late 1970s. Since the fall of the Shah of Iran and the prolonged war in Afghanistan, Pakistan became a favorite destination for the bird hunters. Though Pakistan banned hunting of birds in 1972, it is not enforced against the royal guests from the West Asian countries who believe that the Houbara meat has mythical aphrodisiac qualities.

Significantly, the issue of Houbara hunting across the borders has been taken up with the Rajasthan State Wildlife Advisory Board in the past. At one of the Board's meetings

in 2007, Mr. Vardhan had suggested that the then Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje write to the Prime Minister to ask Pakistan to immediately check hunting through falconry.

Ms. Raje had observed that the endangered bird species need urgent attention.

permits during the “hunting season” in Sindh province every year, with each permit allowing 100 birds to be hunted by the holder. Most of the permits go to royalty, rulers and influential people from countries such as Qatar, Bahrain, the U.A.E. and Saudi Arabia.

Mr. Vardhan has conveyed to Mr. Khurshid the willingness of ornithologist Asad R. Rahmani of the Bombay Natural History Society and Ravi Singh of the World Wildlife Fund-India to help the Union Government work out this issue of “immense international significance”.

Named “Taloor” in Sindhi language, the Houbara bustards migrate from the cold northern regions of Siberia to the warmer regions of the world, including the Indian subcontinent. Bird-lovers describe it as a beautiful bird with a black stripe down the sides of its neck. It is usually 60 cm long with a 140 cm wingspan and is brown above and white below.

“Knowing your positive inclination towards wildlife conservation, we are appealing to you to ensure a better life for this species, denied in Pakistan,” he said.

Even as Houbara bustard is regarded as the provincial bird of Balochistan, the Federal authorities in Pakistan reportedly issue

The Houbara bustard is listed in the Convention on Migratory Species of Wild Animals, also known as the Bonn Convention.

Because of its increased hunting especially in its winter habitats, the Convention of the International Trade in Endangered Species has classified it as an endangered migratory bird.

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The Art of Hunting over Hounds

by Gavin Lipjes

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ver the course of time hunting Man has fabricated, and further mastered the utilization of, many tools and aids to improve the regularity of his triumph over a chosen quarry. From stone arrow tips to core bonded projectiles, fragile wooden bows to carbon ďŹ bre compounds even elaborate trap falls to the Oneida Victor soft catch traps.

The hunting canine has accompanied man along this course for almost the entire journey, and likewise, has undergone signiďŹ cant change.

From the wolf emerged the hunting dog and thereafter followed the broad diversity of modern hunting hounds and dogs.

Photo credit: www.catchasers.com

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that the individual might store the same good scenting abilities as previous descendants.

Compounding these genes through processes of line-breeding and in-breeding resulted in a general uniformity and the start of hound breeds. Late 10th Century and a Belgian monk, later to be named the patron Saint of hunting, documented for the first time a breed standard, that of the Saint Huberts Hound or now commonly known as the Bloodhound. The St Hubert, and similar hounds, not only assisted the hunter to target a specific quarry by being unleashed onto a selected spoor, but also enabled him to pursue, on foot or horseback, by following the broadcast from the hounds bawling bark, and the sport of hunting entered some of its finest years in recorded history.

Photo credit: www.salon.com

But what is the difference between a hound and a dog you enquire?

Well it's best to start with the image of a Jackal, Coyote or physically similarly constructed canines. Ears positioned high on the head to function like a radar dish, eyes clear and acute and a sensitive nasal organ in constant employ. This trio of senses is complimented by a powerful bite force capable of tearing flesh from a very much alive animal. The dog moves efficiently through the veld and investigates any promising sound, scent or movement. The pursuit is silent and often stalking techniques are engaged. Of the many species of predator the canines rank high on the list of success rate and their widespread dispersal and abundance are proof of this efficiency. Mastering these canines has benefi tted hunting man significantly as this weapon regularly delivered a source of protein.

History records a change in Mans hunting motivation toward a practise more aptly described as sport and the consequence for the canine was a program of selective breeding for specific physical and temperamental traits. Dogs were no longer

required to acquire the meat but rather to function as a hunting aid and perform a pleasing task. Enter the Hounds, both sight and scent, the possession of which bestowed great esteem on owner's right across the globe from Arabia to Western Europe. The persisting theme of this paper will however only deal with scent hounds.

Great bawling voice, long drooping ears fastened to the head well below eye-line, elongated slender body, deep chest, obsolete bite force, sociable and responsive character and a passion for, actually an addiction to, the pursuit of scent, forms a basic but accurate description of what became the true scent hound. Lymers (leashed hounds) were the preliminary with numerous breeds now found prevalent on every continent of the modern world.

Hound hunting has now found its home in the pursuit of more elusive animals like pigs and cats but not limited to such. Diverse cultures and traditional practises are not as rich in the SA or USA hounding context as can be found in Europe but pioneer communities have always discarded a lot of the lace and embroidery for more practical measures.

Traditions are often quite local in our fair land but the appreciation for the hounds ability › Photo credit: www.africahunting.com

Photo credit: www.africahunting.com

But How? And Why? As hunting man placed more emphasis on the scent tracking ability of his canine tool so physical traits became more synonymous with individuals proficient in this task. Genetic flags, like your nose is the same as Granddads' or big feet like your Uncle, were indicators

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and character can be experienced countrywide. So too is the general method of indentifying the spoor of the target game and then orderly unleashing the pack onto the alluring scent track. Not every decoupling is successful but for the most part the joy of hearing the hounds hunt is prominent on the hunters' agendas.

The hunter performs the killing as has always been practised in this discipline, initially with spear, sword or knife and nowadays the modern high powered ďŹ rearm, since the start when the hound was fabricated to bay and not physically engage the stationary quarry.

Although the hounds might be rewarded with parts of the carcass their enthusiasm for the hunt is to please their master and employ their ďŹ nely selected genetic drives. Man has selectively moulded the canine, in the form of the hound, so dramatically that it bears only a slight resemblance to its ancient ancestors - what predator advertises his pursuit so vocally to the quarry? This act is a complete demolition of the predator advantage.

Currently, around the world there are too many scent hound breeds to mention each individually but in France alone 23 Chiens Courants are recorded and standardised. On every continent One can ďŹ nd scent hounds and in the USA alone there are more active

Photo credit: www.africahunting.com

hound hunters than the total amount of South African sport hunters. The elaborate large packs of the decadent eras are much less familiar now being replaced by economical, smaller packs, even to the extent that consideration in International hound hunting competitions for the categories of Solo and single Couple is most common.

Photo credit: www.africahunting.com

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Hunting is engrained in SA culture for many and the sport is still well practised and on a positive graph with the industry weathering the current economic storm comparatively well. This indicates a sturdy future and the popularity of hound hunting is growing respectively, especially amongst the hunters seeking a really interactive experience.

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FP Pending

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news hunt

5 Best Shotguns for Goose Hunting

Big birds require big shotguns. OL's John Taylor picks his five favorite goose guns.

Browning Gold 10 My all-time favorite goose gun is the Browning Gold 10 semi-auto. Although the 12 is the standard, and 3½-inch shells that once seemed to doom the 10 to oblivion are readily available, the big 10 remains my go-to goose gun. Never mind that I shoot mine well-it just drops geese like a bag of rocks. I was once on a hunt with 3½-inch 12-gauge ammo, and someone sardonically boasted, “The 10-gauge is dead.” Au con traire, mon ami.

So why is the 10 so good? Because of its wide bore (.775 inch), it patterns large BB and BBB shot well. And then there is the matter of recoil.

Ten-gauge shotguns-the Browning Gold 10 and Remington SP-10 and Browning BPS pump-are 10-pound guns, and that weight soaks up the punishment that heavy waterfowl loads deliver. Compared to a lighter 12-gauge shotgun running 3½-inch shells, which deliver extra recoil to the shooter for questionable ballistic gain (a topic for another day), the 10-gauge can’t be beat.

Benelli Super Black Eagle II In my travels, perhaps the most popular shotgun I’ve seen in the hands of die-hard goose hunters and guides is the Benelli Super Black Eagle II. Its inertia operating system is simple and highly reliable, with little to break down in the field. The Black Eagle II comes with the Comfortech stock, which uses a system of collapsible chevrons made of high-tech shock-absorbing material that greatly reduces recoil.

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Beretta Xtrema 2 The Xtrema 2 uses Beretta’s tried-and-true gas-operating system, which can handle most 12-gauge loads. To soften recoil, the shotgun employs Beretta’s KickOff3 system—a hydraulic recoil pad and an oil-dampened recoil buffer that take the recoil of the bolt as the action cycles. Beretta’s gently tapering Optima-Bore smoothes the shot’s passage from breech to muzzle, helping the Xtrema 2 pattern well with large shot.

Winchester Super X3 Browning and Winchester Repeating Arms, as part of the same company, share many design features. The Browning Maxus, and its cousin, the Winchester Super X3, both have back-bored barrels with an internal diameter of .742 inch, providing excellent patterns with large shot. Also, the recoil management of both the Maxus and Super X3 is excellent, making them a good choice for taming hard-hitting goose loads.

Remington Versa Max Browning and Winchester Repeating Arms, as part of the same company, share many design features. The Browning Maxus, and its cousin, the Winchester Super X3, both have back-bored barrels with an internal diameter of .742 inch, providing excellent patterns with large shot. Also, the recoil management of both the Maxus and Super X3 is excellent, making them a good choice for taming hard-hitting goose loads.

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Croots Country England

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eather gun slips, Cartridge bags and classic sporting luggage, handmade in England using the ďŹ nest materials. Croots stand for the very best in classic design and uncompromising craftsmanship. Our name is your guarantee of satisfaction.

WHO WE ARE Our history as makers of traditionallymade, hand-crafted sporting accessories goes back to the 1970s. It was then that our founder John Smith, a representative for the renowned Hull Cartridge Company, and his wife, Margaret, decided to turn their hands to the creation of quality sporting luggage.

Their unique designs, beautifully made from the best materials, were extremely well received and, as the decade turned, had created a keen following.

Such was the demand that John and Margaret followed the path of English artisans over the centuries and began their own business.

Working initially from home, honing the skills and perfecting designs, they built a very successful company, still rapidly expanding when their daughter Jackie and husband Allistair Croot took over the helm in 2004.

The Croots of today celebrate the values of the founders. From our workshops in Malton, North Yorkshire, we still pride ourselves on combining the best of English workmanship with the ďŹ nest of traditionally-made materials to produce objects of timeless beauty.

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WHAT WE DO When we make our shotgun slips, cartridge belts and bags, we’ve learnt that the choice of materials is crucial. Time and experience have taught us, for example, that insisting on handpicking our own hides is a vital step in the process. And that only natural, vegetable-dyed leather will give us our required combination of suppleness and performance. We’ve learnt too that our preferred grade of stout and sturdy cotton canvas cannot be bettered. And that pure, natural rubber is the best waterproofing agent by far.

But all of this would mean nothing without the skills to transform these first-class beginnings into the finest of finished articles. And those skills are held in abundance by the dedicated craftsmen in our Yorkshire workshops. By hand, by eye, by the experience gained over long years of apprenticeship and hard work, they produce perfectly-made, perfectly proportioned pieces, time and time again.

And because they’re handmade here in England, all Croots’ pieces are unique. Which, in a world of mass production, is something we’re extremely proud of. ›

The Malton range The Malton range is a selection of traditionally made Leather Cartridge bags, Gunslips & Cartridge cases. All are made from natural vegetable-tanned leather with a semi-aniline and greased grain to give a superb finish. All our bridle leathers are traditionally tanned using techniques passed down through the generations.

Each carefully-selected skin is hand-cured and stained by extremely skilled craftsmen, producing the smooth aniline finish.

Finally, the wax finish is applied. This age-old blend of fats, oils and waxes feeds the leather adding a deep layer of protection and giving a very distinctive look. ›

Malton Bridle Leather Cartridge Belt Waxed Bridle Leather cartridge belt with open loops and a wide stopper band. The belt has 25 loops and a solid 2" wide brass buckle. Available in 12 and 20 gauge.

Medium: 36"- 42" Large: 42"- 48" X-Large: 48"– 54"

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Malton Bridle Leather Cartridge Bag Waxed Bridle Leather cartridge bag with a capacity of 100 cartridges and has a hinged speed load design allowing for easy access. It has a 2" wide cotton webbing shoulder sling for comfort and there is a full suede lining.

Size: 100 Capacity

Malton Bridle Leather Cartridge Magazine Waxed Bridle Leather Cartridge Carrier has a capacity of 300 cartridges, either loose or boxed. It has a 2" wide cotton webbing shoulder sling for comfort and there is a leather handle.

Size: 14" x 6 ½" x 9"

Malton Bridle Leather Double Shotgun Slip Waxed Bridle Leather double Gun slip with traditional flap and buckle opening plus the additional feature of full-length zips, allowing for easy drying. Bridle Leather shoulder sling, hand-sewn blocked muzzle end and a padded fleece lining are standard features. The two slips are fully detachable and can be used independently.

Sizes: 30" and 32" barrels

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Byland Leather This collection of Leather Cartridge bags, Gunslips & cartridge cases is made from the finest selection of leather hides. Each is fully-dyed through using natural drum dyeing and finishing processes to give that special look and feel. This grade of leather has been used for over a century, having been developed in the English saddlery and bespoke shoe trades, ensuring it performs beautifully as well as being aesthetically pleasing.

The Byland Leather collection has vegetable-tanned bridle leather straps and trims along with solid brass buckles and carries hand-stitched detail throughout. Byland Leather is available in Dark Havana, Oxblood or London Tan.

Byland Leather Loaders Bag Our leather loaders bag is designed to enable quick loading and has a capacity of 150 cartridges plus 15 pairs mounted on the front.

The hinged speed load opening allows for easy access. It has a 2" wide cotton webbing shoulder sling for comfort and there is a full suede lining.

Colours: Dark Havana Size: 150 capacity

Byland Leather Bipod Rifle Slip with flap and zip Leather Rifle slip with a flap and buckle opening plus a full length zip, allowing for easy drying. A wide cobra-shaped shoulder sling, hand-sewn blocked muzzle end and a padded fleece lining are standard features. The slip is 10" wide and is designed to take a scoped rifle with a bipod fi tted.

Sizes: 45" and 48" Colours: Dark Havana

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news hunt

Ford Atlas Concept

Hauls Away Autoweek Magazine’s Most Significant Vehicle Award • Ford Atlas Concept is named Most Significant vehicle of the 2013 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) by the writers of Autoweek Magazine and autoweek.com.

• Ford Atlas Concept showcases the design, capability, fuel efficiency and smart technologies that will define future pickup trucks.

• For the sixth year in a row, Ford vehicles on display at NAIAS have garnered Autoweek award recognition.

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T

he Ford Atlas Concept, a bold vision for the future of pickups, has been named Autoweek Magazine’s Most Significant vehicle of the 2013 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS).

“The Atlas Concept is clearly Most Significant winner for the things you don’t see, like hidden aerodynamic improvements and weight savings from high-strength steel and interior parts, like thinner seats,” said Bob Gritzinger, Autoweek executive editor.

“Those things add up to significant fuel savings for pickup trucks down the road. A nextgeneration EcoBoost® with Auto Start-Stop technology also signals why Atlas is a real game changer.”

The Ford Atlas Concept made its worldwide debut at NAIAS on Tuesday, January 15. A design and engineering study inspired by decades of listening to customers in the places where they work and play, the concept has tomorrow’s pickup buyers in mind.

Breakthrough features include active aerodynamic elements in the grille, front air dam and wheels that reduce wind resistance to save gas. Truck-specific features that improve capability, durability and productivity include a Dual-Purpose Tailgate Step that integrates with a roof cradle to become a rack for long objects like ladders, Hidden Cargo Ramps to load ATVs and motorcycles, Trailer Backup Assist to enable accurate reversing with a trailer via the simple twist of a knob, and more.

“We are thrilled by the enthusiastic response to the Ford Atlas Concept,” said Raj Nair, Ford group vice president for Global Product Development. “This award from Autoweek - plus overwhelming positive reaction from news media and across social channels alike -

confirms Ford is the recognized thought leader in trucks, in addition to our position as truck sales leader for 36 years.”

This is the sixth year in a row Autoweek has honored Ford with one of its North American International Auto Show Editors’ Choice Awards: • 2012: 2013 Ford Fusion named Best in Show • 2011: Ford Vertrek Concept named Best Concept • 2010: Next-generation Ford Focus named Most Significant • 2009: 2010 Ford Taurus named Most Significant and 2010 Ford Shelby GT500 named Most Fun • 2008: 2009 Ford F-150 named Most Significant

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news hunt

Paul Smith

Jeans S/S13

F

or spring/summer 13, Paul Smith Jeans continues to take inspiration from the west coast of America and the Gossamer Condor, a pioneering human-powered aircraft created by Paul MacCready in the Seventies. MacCready tested the Gossamer Condor, which won the Kramer prize for human-powered aircraft in 1977, in the heat of the Nevada desert. The mix of desert landscapes is echoed in the collection: the dry heat, tropical plants and colours. The simple yet technical design of the aircraft and the sportswear worn by MacCready and his team whilst testing the plane are also referenced in the collection. The colour palette contrasts indigo blues, desert whites and khakis with the vivid pinks, purples and oranges of desert sunset on fresh white and grey bases.

Prints for the collection include an illustrated chambray, which mixes the story of aircrafts and tropical plants, and a small paisley for poplin shirting. Variations of tropical desert camouflage are used across printed twill outerwear, shirting and jersey. A parrot print is repeated across poplin shirts, as is a palm jacquard on Oxford shirts and jersey T-shirts.

Fabrics vary in texture and weight to echo the desert and sportswear story. The vintage feel of old denim brands is referenced with broken twill denims and an orange peel canvas.

Woven cottons are contrasted with washed ripstops and lighter weight technical fabrics. In some cases these fabrics are semi-transparent or have water-repellent properties, selected with the structure of the aeroplane in mind.

Chinos, dyed denim and cords come in a wide range of colours. Shirts are a mixture of small checks and stripes that get bigger and brighter.

Highlights of the collection include sporty airtex fabrics and new microstructures both in twisted yarns and indigo.Jersey has some sportswear influences with oversized sweats, a wider all-over printed stripe and a slub jersey rugby top.In knitwear, waffle weaves and airtex techniques have been introduced, as well as new dry feeling bamboo cotton and more textured yarns.

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Polo Men’s Spring 2013 F

or Spring 2013, Polo Ralph Lauren presents a world of menswear inspired by classic Americana, from yacht club cocktail hours to the tennis courts of Ivy League campuses to rustic hiking trails of northern New England.

Tailored clothing offers warm-weather seersucker and linen in a natural palette of creams, olives and light browns for a classic Southern feel. Subtly patterned ties and three-piece suits in understated glen plaids bring sophisticated flair to the collection.

Colorful madras, seersucker, patchwork tartans and fairisles embody the preppy side of Polo, conjuring weekends on Nantucket or Martha’s Vineyard. Bold pattern-on-pattern motifs are anchored by shawlcollar sweaters, casual chino jackets, cashmere crewnecks and plaid and striped shirts, establishing relaxed style for the archetypal gentleman.

A handsome assortment of accessories, including crest- and shield-patterned ties and bags capture Polo’s quintessential spring vibe.

in vibrant primary colors. Beacon-printed henleys, distressed denim and anoraks bring a rustic element to the collection, while more technical elements can be seen in the activewear, including moisture-wicking fabrics and state-of-the-art construction techniques. Lightweight insulated vests in bright green, blue and orange bring touches of texture to weathered canvas pants, cargos, swimwear and faded polos.

Rugged nylon bags are among the wide offering of utilitarian accessories perfect for a river rafting adventure, creating a unique harmony between Polo’s natural rusticity and performance-driven, modern RLX style.

Inspired by the sporting collegiate aesthetic of the 1940s, vintage varsity style is updated in a refined palette of navy, dark green and cream. Timeless tennis sweaters boast crests and signature details that pay homage to the age-old sporting tradition. Chalkstriped pants and unstructured navy blazers bring a formal sophistication, while more casual outerwear celebrates the athletic spirit of the Ivy League lifestyle.

For the first time, Polo and RLX are paired together, taking us from campus to campground with a diverse line of sportswear

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47

hunting tips

A Cartridge for all Seasons Matching the Cartridge to the Game

I

n this article I will concentrate on 12g gauge cartridges only as these are by far and away the most popular shotgun caliber used to day. Because of the amount of 12gauge cartridges used the law of economy of scale applies when it comes down to price, hence they are relatively inexpensive compared to the other popular but less used calibers such as .410, 28g and 20g. Even so the price difference between makes and types of 12g cartridges can be substantial and just like the original manufacturing costs it all depends on

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the amount you buy at the time. Therefore if you know what you are going to be shooting at, and how often, will help in deciding how many boxes you should buy to cover you for the season and if you can use one size for a few different types of game then you can save yourself a few coppers by buying in bulk.

If you are mainly a clay shooter then your cartridge is determined by the discipline your are shooting and you will have to carry a few different sizes to comply. In terms of game

shooting there are no set down rules and regulations that determines the cartridge you put through your gun at speciďŹ c game birds.

But to make a clean kill without damaging the bird too much demands that you know just what size is required to achieve this goal.

Without doing any speciďŹ c scientiďŹ c studies or commissioning a professional survey I would venture to say, from my own experience, that the 30grams number 6, and the 32gram number 5, are the two most used game

cartridges nowadays. I have deduced this by considering that these cartridges will cover the most variety of game birds to be hunted and the bird that will take the prize for being the most hunted would be the pheasant in all its variations. The two cartridges mentioned above are by and large identically similar in terms of ballistics. OK it’s probably a contradiction in terms to say something is identically similar, but you know what I mean.

I hope.

OK let me give you some statistics which may make things a bit clearer, or not as the case maybe.

The striking velocity at 25 meters.

1) No6. Shot, 239m/sec 2) No5. Shot, 244m/sec The striking energy at 25 meters.

1) No6. Shot, 0.306m/kg 2) No5. Shot, 0.391m/kg The number of pellets in the shot load.

1) No6. Shot, 30g. 287 2) No5. Shot, 32g. 248 The percentage of total pellets in a 75 cm diameter circle at 25 meters with ½ choke barrels is 86%.

1) No6. Shot, 30g. 287 x 86% = 246 2) No5. Shot, 32g. 248 x 86% = 213

The above figures are nominal as they may differ from manufacturer to manufacturer but you can see that at 25meters either will have adequate energy to make a clean kill on a pheasant or a bird of equivalent size.

Where the heavier No5. Shot will give you an advantage is if you are shooting high pheasants at say 40 meters, when the striking energy for the No5. would be 0.232, against the striking energy of the No6. of 0.173.

Under normal circumstance it would take on average five pellets to kill a bird, if you happen to get one pellet in the head then this will generally kill just as dead, but ideally the pattern will remove any margin of error.

It may seem that there are a lot of pellets in the air at the time of impact but one has to remember that the bird may not be hit in the center of the pattern and also there will be a good few gaps where the pellets will miss the bird.

And of course the farther out the bird the wider the pattern will get and this is why you need to be aware of the characteristics of the cartridges you are using compared to the type of game and the distance you intend to be shooting at.

Also I have assumed that the gun in question is, half choked, or as the US designates it, Modified, but of course the more open the choke the wider the pattern and the more

chances of there being gaps that the bird can fly through. On the other hand the tighter the choke the denser the pattern which, at longer ranges, is what is needed as it will spread out as it gets farther away from the muzzle, but at closer ranges could result in a destroyed bird.

This does not make for good eating.

Whilst I have said that the most common cartridges are, 30g No.6 and the 32g No.5, and this is my deduction based on the fact that pheasants are the most widely shot game birds, there are numerous species of birds that require a different cartridge.

But rather than go into a lot of detail I will just refer you to the table below which will give you an overall recommendation of shot and choke sizes for different birds to ensure that sufficient striking energy is produced for a clean kill.

This table will not automatically give you a clean kill unless you, as the shooter, put the pattern in the center of the bird, or vice versa, you put the bird in the center of the pattern.

As with the tables above the one below is for guidance only and depending on your ability or experience the figures may differ, but all things being equal if the stated quarry is shot in line with the following statistics then a clean kill should be the result. ›

Quarry

Shot size

Distance

Choke

Shot Weight grm

Geese

No.1 or No.3

30 to 40 mtr

3/4 to Full

36 to 46

Duck

No.4 or No.5

20 to 35 mtr

1/2 to 3/4

32 to 46

Pheasant

No.5 or No.6

20 to 35 mtr

1/4 to 3/4

30 to 32

Partridge

No.6 or No.7

20 to 30 mtr

1/4 to 1/2

28 to 32

Grouse

No.6 or No.7

20 to 30 mtr

1/4 to 1/2

28 to 32

Snipe

No.7 or No.8

20 to 30 mtr

Cyl to 1/4

28 to 32

Pigeon

No.6 or No.7

20 to 30 mtr

1/4 to 3/4

28 to 32

Woodcock

No.6 or No.7

20 to 30 mtr

1/4 to 1/3

28 to 32

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hunting tips

Now days one also has to consider the type of cartridge that you are required to use, in fact in some countries, especially in Europe, the law requires that you use a certain type of cartridge depending on the type of environment you’re shooting over. For most wetland shooting and even some ight ponds nontoxic shot is required and this can be steel, bismuth, tungsten or other proprietary nontoxic loads. Most of the well known manufactures now produce nontoxic shot cartridges but because they are not made in the same quantities as lead shot they will be more expensive to buy. The cost will depend on the actual shot material and the quantity purchased.

Another thing to remember when using

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steel shot in particular is that whilst new shotguns will undoubtedly be suitable for the worst case, steel shot, some older guns can be seriously damaged by it and professional advice should be sought before putting both together. You will also have to use less choke than you would normally use with lead shot and you may also experience a little more felt recoil.

Another thing that is becoming a more common request on game shoots, and on clay shooting grounds as well for that matter, is the use of ďŹ ber wad or degradable plastic wads. All this is in the interest of saving the environment so one can not complain too much even if the cost to the shooter goes up and it would be a great shame if it prevents

new comers entering the sport or means that some old hands cannot afford to continue.

However, as time goes by and more and more of these environmentally friendly cartridges are used then hopefully the manufacturing cost will reduce and the savings past on to the consumer.

Finally just to mention that it is in all our interests to do what ever we can for the environment whenever we can so it is incumbent on us to at least pick up as many of our empty cartridge cases as we can and dispose of them in an appropriate manner.

We all have to do out bit. Good shooting, Gentlemen, and Gentle Ladies.

RNC.

FP Pending

hunting tips

The Black Powder Warthog

by Tom Caceci A

fter a year of planning and anticipation (and a 40-hour one-way transit via Germany!) I arrived in Namibia for a plains game hunt with CEC Safaris, a small but very fine hunting company located in the Omitara district about 120 kilometers east of Windhoek. My principal quarry was an eland (and boy, did I get one...watch this space!) but another of my goals for this trip was to hunt in Africa with a muzzle-loading rifle. After 20+ years’ experience as a muzzle-loader hunter in North America, it was time to try it abroad.

With the passage of its new Firearms Control Act a few years ago, South Africa very sensibly eliminated the requirement to obtain a license for “traditional” style (i.e., sidelock) muzzleloading rifles (in-lines and muzzle-loading handguns remained regulated). As a result, traditional style rifles are now even more popular and are seeing more widespread use in hunting and target shooting in Africa, as they have here in the USA.

In the past 40 years shooting and hunting with black powder rifles in the US has evolved from the curious hobby of a small coterie of devotees in funny clothes to a sizable industry.

Muzzleloaders are today used on every type of game in North America, the number of hunters choosing them increasing every season.

And just as in North America, muzzle-loading rifles were essential to the exploration and settlement of Africa. The intrepid people who landed at the Cape and their descendants who pushed into the interior regions carried first flintlock and later percussion-ignition muzzleloading rifles to protect themselves against hostiles and predators, and to feed their families. When efficient breech loading rifles became common in the late

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19th Century, use of the older technology diminished but it never quite died out on either continent. The celebration of the American Civil War Centennial (1960-65) saw a resurgence of interest in muzzleloading guns, which has since spread worldwide. The demand has fueled the growth of a sizable industry making replica guns in Europe (chiefly in Italy and Spain); it’s probable that more such rifles are being made today than in their heyday in the mid 19th Century!

Similarly, the manufacture of black powder never really ended. It is still made in the USA, in Europe, and in South America. In the USA "replica" powders offering similar performance but easier clean-up and safer shipping came into common use about 20 years ago. Thanks to the de-licensing of muzzle-loaders, a company in South Africa is now manufacturing a home-grown "replica" powder called "Sannadex," to serve the needs of the growing numbers of BP hunters. In time this will no doubt be available in other countries of the region. Using a muzzleloader safely and effectively requires paying a lot of attention to detail, much more so than is true with breech-loading guns. Most importantly, you must have the right mindset.

Shooting a muzzle-loader is a slow and deliberate process: you have to think about what you're doing until it becomes habit.

Anyone who hunts with one has to become thoroughly familiar with its idiosyncrasies, to know what it will (and won’t) do under every circumstance; and to accept a misfire or hangfire philosophically when it happens (as it inevitably will). But once the drawbacks of these rifles are understood and accepted, using one makes you a better hunter. Knowing that you have only one shot (or at most two) compels you to acquire patience, good fire discipline, and a willingness to try to get closer to your game.

Muzzle-loading rifles don’t give up anything in terms of effectiveness on game. The hunter who understands and respects their limitations will find he's not seriously handicapped. They may be technologically obsolete, but they’re "real guns” by any definition, far better killers than someone who's never used one might think. The principal factor limiting their performance is practically-attainable muzzle velocity. A muzzle-loader is doing very well to manage 1800 fps because black powder and the replica powders simply can't generate the pressures smokeless powder can. The key to effectiveness is the bullet, and the formula is very simple: the heavier the bullet, the more effective the rifle will be.

wound channel will be slightly larger than bullet diameter, quite big enough to be quickly fatal when using a bullet 12mm or more in diameter. Increasing projectile weight and diameter increases effectiveness, and for larger animals the practice is to move up to a larger caliber. In North America where the usual quarry is the whitetailed deer, .50 caliber rifles rule the roost, but for the larger and tougher game of Africa something bigger is indicated: a .54 or .58, or even a .72. The late Val Forgett, founder of Navy Arms and one of the founders of the replica muzzle-loading rifle industry, used a .58- caliber Hawken to take Cape Buffalo and other dangerous game.

Needless to say, effectiveness is enhanced by proper placement.

Despite modest "paper" ballistics, most muzzleloading rifles use bullets that are quite a bit heavier than those used in common centerfire hunting guns. The weight translates to high proejctile momentum, a measure at least as important as nominal energy level.

Furthermore, muzzle-loader bullets rarely if ever break up on impact. Momentum coupled with the molecular cohesiveness of lead give them astonishing penetration.

It’s rare to recover a bullet when used on an appropriately sized animal: normally they go straight through and exit (as a bullet should) intersecting vital structures along the way.

For my hunt, along with a centerfire rifle I opted for my tried-and-true Thompson/ Center .54, a rifle that’s served me well. A .54 is regarded as pretty heavy metal in North America, suitable for game up to and including elk. In Africa I’d trust it on any antelope smaller than an eland. If I could stalk close enough I’d have no hesitation using it on a wildebeest or a zebra.

For the visiting hunter, bringing a muzzleloader does present some logistical problems.

You can’t bring gunpowder or percussion caps on airplanes, so I brought the rifle and the bullets, and asked CEC to buy me some caps and powder in Windhoek. The selection was limited to what the dealer could get-no special orders-and turned out not to include the brand of powder I normally use. A visitor can expect to play around with the load he uses a bit at the range before setting out into the field: not all black powder generates the same power, and 90 grains of Powder X may well give you a different impact point than the same charge of Powder Y. ›

Nor do these these large projectiles produce masses of blood-shot meat: the old saying that “you can eat right up to the edge of hole" is pretty much the case. The typical permanent

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hunting tips

Luckily the shop in Windhoek carried WANO, a good quality powder made in Germany, and American-made CCI caps with which I was familiar. Although the price was four times what it would have cost in the USA-$85 for a pound of powder-set in the context of the total cost of the hunt this wasn’t all that much. My rifle also produced some amusing moments at the Firearms Check Counter in the airport in Windhoek.

Entry into Namibia with guns is a routine matter, and the Namibian Police (unlike the South African Police) make it as painless as possible. I was met by a very polite and cheerful officer who examined the rifle and asked about the “cartridges” for it. He hadn’t a clue what a “muzzle-loader” was and couldn’t comprehend the idea that there weren’t any “cartridges.” All he knew was that he was supposed to get a count of the number I was bringing in. In the end I simply told him how many “bullets” I had, and that satisfied him. Upon leaving, a different officerequally polite and helpful and equally ignorant of the nature of the rifle-also asked about how many “cartridges” I had used: I told her how many “bullets” I’d used, and that was that.

The Luggage Gorillas employed by one of the airlines managed to damage the rear sight on my rifle. They must have worked pretty hard at that: my rifle case is made with welded and riveted corners and is supposed to protect the guns come what may. But when Cornie Coetzee, my PH, picked up the rifle to inspect it, and tried to look through the peep sight, he discovered that it had been bent to the point where you couldn’t see through it.

Luckily he’s a gunsmith as well as a PH. He removed the sight and took it into his shop, where he re-bent it to the correct angle; we sighted the gun in, and all went well afterwards. His skill saved this portion of my safari.

Black powder produces a very impressive fireball when the gun is shot. Cornie was concerned that it might start a grass fire,

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and from the image at left you can perhaps understand why! But I assured him that our Autumn woods are every bit as dry as the winter veldt and I had yet to start a fire there, nor had I ever heard of such a happening in modern times. I use properlylubricated cotton patches and wool overpowder wads that won’t ignite, so there was no danger.

I chose to use my .54 on a warthog. I’d seen warthogs many times but never hunted them.

As everyone knows, they’re every bit as ugly as…well, warthogs; and although they’re very nearsighted, they have sharp ears and a terrific sense of smell. They also have a reputation for ferocity, but the one I shot never got a chance to display it. As we were driving out into the veldt, France, the tracker (shown below right) spotted a warthog sleeping in the knee-high grass. Cornie wanted me to try stalking it, so we dismounted, I capped my gun, and off we went upwind. By that time I’d been on a few stalks with Cornie-who is a real pro-and I was definitely getting better at the business, though I have to admit I didn’t actually see the pig until he started to move.

He got up from his bed and started to trot from my left to my right, about 35 yards

away. Once I had him in full view, I fired. The bullet took him on his right side behind the shoulder, angling down, and came out his left shoulder. He kept moving briefly and disappeared in the grass, leaving a massive blood trail, spraying the waist high grass as he ran, then keeling over dead within a few yards of the spot where he’d lain. This kill was a classic example of how you don’t need high velocity. I was using T/C's 435-grain cylindrical "Maxi-Hunter" bullet, with 90 grains of powder under it. It was moving at a very leisurely pace, perhaps 1200 feet per second.

To a person used to a high-velocity rifle, this doesn’t sound very impressive, but that big bullet more or less punched a core out of that warthog that was at least 14mm in diameter.

I never recovered it, needless to say, nor did I expect to do so. Those big bullets always pass all the way through any animal that size.

He was a very old boar, perhaps 11 to 12 years old, and even though his tusks were worn and one was broken off from fighting, they were very nice. Cornie was of the opinion that he’d not have made it through another year, so in addition to being a very good trophy, as an animal well past his prime he

was a good choice. I asked why the pig let us get so close. “Well,” Cornie replied, “this guy was very old, and he probably had lost some or all of his hearing; and he was likely almost blind.” I wasn’t sure what to think about that answer! It would appear that the only warthog I could stalk was a decrepit Senior Citizen who was both blind and deaf! But he was a fine trophy, any way I looked at it-using the SCI standard he measured a total of 62 cm-and I was satisfied. The Old Piggie went to market on the back of Cornie’s hunting vehicle, and his tusks will eventually decorate my office wall.

All hunts provide excitement. But a hunter who’s beginning to think it’s “too easy” using a modern weapon ought to think about trying it “the hard way,” if only as part of a bigger hunting trip. It’s an easy way to add another dimension of challenge, and to reconnect with the pioneers and hunters of old. h&s l Februar y 2013

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hunting tips

Why Do We Hunt?

by Jacques Strauss

W

henever a topic like this comes up, what leaps to my mind is a quote from Peter Hathaway Capstick; "My father once advised me, wisely, I think, not to waste time trying to change folks opinion about religion, politics, baseball, or redheaded women." Thats good advice for this article. If you are an ardent hunter hater, you're likely to stay that way. If, however you don't have much of an opinion one way or another, let me try to explain my way of thinking...

Lets take a practical example. How about springbuck hunting? The none hunter, if asked the purpose of hunting springbuck, would usually reply that it was to kill springbuck.

Actually, its not. If the objective was dead springbuck for the table, logically the cheapest, easiest, most practical method of achieving this end would be to buy fresh springbuck meat from your local butcher. They are pan ready, perfect for cooking after purchase. This saves one the bother of keeping ries (and cleaning them), risking snakebite, and paying for the hundred fringe items that probably cost the hunter an amortized average of at least $1,200 for one springbuck hunt. Yet, he chooses to spend the money, walk the kilometres, take care of his ries, and pay the hunting fees in the hope to get a springbuck.

So it is with elephants. Or lions. Or brown trout on dry y. In word, it is a challenge in its most elemental form. Take rock climbing as another example. Whats the objective?

To reach the pinnacle of the rock, right? Only indirectly. What matters is how he achieves his aim. If the only point was to reach the summit, why wouldn't he just get a helicopter to take him? What matters is that he places a risk on his life, the degree of which he alone determines, to achieve his aim the hard way putting his strength, skill and endurance against the element of gravity.

Getting the golf ball into the hole is the conclusion of the challenge. How one gets there and how many strokes it takes is the challenge itself. "The putt is to golf what shot is to hunting" - Peter Hathaway Capstick.

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The very fact that the anti-hunting crowd often makes their claims public, with little or no rebuttal from us hunters, will sway many of the neutral folks. However, one can't deny the fact that we are the ultimate predator. The hunting instinct is one of the most basic instincts of mankind. Take a look at "prey" animals. Their eyes are usually on the sides of their heads, affording a wider field of view. They lose some depth perception with this arrangement, but it helps them survive. Predators, on the other hand, characteristically have their eyes set close together, very useful for estimating the distance between he and his target. Beyond this, the urge to kill lies within us all, especially as children. Without proper channelling of these instincts, children often grow into physically abusive and/or murderous adults.

Can any of us honestly say that, as kids, we didn't shoot birds with our slingshots and bb guns, or set homemade traps for other critters? I say that if you can say that, then you either never had an opportunity as a child, or you're an exception to the rule of human nature.

The hunting seed began to grow in me from a young age when my dad let us shoot with a .22 long rifle. It was tons of fun! The challenge was to shoot camelthorn (acacia aereloba) seed pods stuck into the ground.

First we learned all about rifle safety before we could even touch the rifle... But, yet again, the word challenge comes up. It's amazing how challenging things draw our attention as humans; well it drew my attention from day one. Since my first shooting lesson, the next step was hunting. Well, again, we could start of by hunting birds, only doves I might add and ground squirrels. Then there were rules, no shooting close or around the house and the rifles was only to be loaded if you wanted to shoot. In my life, I learned that those rules were very important. It taught you safety, but most of all... You had to walk quit a way to actually start hunting your feathery friends.

Through that walking you actually realised what was out there.......

My eyes opened to the world. A world full of beauty. Once you start walking out in nature you see thing that most people don't even know of. I have never felt closer to God than walking in the bush. There's this inner peace that you just can't describe. You appreciate nature in the true sense of the word. That one of the reasons I hunt. Just because hunters are nature lovers. You spend so much time with the animals that you become one with them after some time. Let me give you an example. Hunting a big Kudu bull is not the same as hunting a rabbit in your backyard. You have to know every little detail about them in the battle to outsmart them eventually. This is not easy. They are cunning animals with a hearing that will blow your mind and eyes that will shock you. They aren't called the grey ghost of Africa for nothing...

Then there is the battle... Hunters that shoot things cannot be nature lovers is a dispute from the none-hunting community.

Well, honestly, what do they do for nature?

Hunters on the other hand provide through conservation. I might just add, there is a difference between conservation and preservation. Preservation preserves things which then decreases in value. Conservation on the other hand increases the value while using its resources effectively.

Hunters are conservationists by nature.

Another example might do the job. Before hunters can hunt, permits or hunting licences are required which has a monetary value connected to it. Then there are also fees which the hunting ranch or outfi tter has to pay to be part of the conservancy. That money is used to introduce new game into an area, improve watering places in the area or simply feed in the dry periods. Then, of course, you can look at the technical part of hunting. Hunters most of the time will remove the older members of a herd when something is bagged. Conserving the herd by giving opportunity to younger herd members to take lead.

Okay, I get that... But why dangerous game

hunting then? Come on, the poor little elephants grassing so gracefully in the park.

And the buffs going about, well, whatever buffs do. The answer is simple. Firstly, there is a huge difference between dangerous game in National Parks suck as The Kruger National Park and concessions used for hunting dangerous game. Okay, let me explain... The object of hunting dangerous game is only indirectly to get yourself stomped, gored, or bitten to death. In fact, it's to court the real responsibility of death rather than to actually die. It only just seems fair if I devote a second or two to big calibres that is used in this situations. A humane hunter will use enough gun to kill quickly- hopefully instantly- for two reasons: first, so that the game does not have the opportunity, having been fairly stalked on its own territory, to escape wounded and be wasted or lost; and second, to keep the hunter alive. Just as a rock climber doesn't use rotten rope- although it would increase the element of danger - a hunter should use enough gun not to be guilty of suicide. After all, a bull elephant weighs about ninety times as much as a big man. Well then yet again, there is hunting dangerous game and then there is killing dangerous game... Lets leave that for another time.

Being out hunting is the easiest way to get out in the bush and just enjoy the sights and the sounds of nature. Life is about the experience.

Just as hunting isn't just about killing. I tried to explain it, but some hunters will simply just say, "You can't explain it, but nothing will keep you from it?

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Hunting Etiquette

How to behave and ensure you are asked back

A

sk anyone who is serious about his or her shooting what they consider the most important aspect of the pastime and they will undoubtedly say safety. However, some will undoubtedly put this aspect somewhere down the list below that of, the number of living, breathing animals they transform into the directly opposite state of being. Or that they are able to imbibe copious amounts of liquid refreshments at the days end, or how good the soup and sausages were at the lunch break.

Well my friends I would not call these hunters or sportsmen in the true sense of the word. Yes they hunt and yes they may call it sport, but every sport that I know has a set of rules that one should abide by, and that applies equally to our chosen pastime of hunting. If you hunt on your own then these rules should be applied equally just as though you are under the watchful gaze of your hunting colleagues, or that sergeant major of all hunts the, Shoot Captain, or the, Professional Hunter. These two gentlemen will undoubtedly inform you in various degrees of severity depending on your relationship with them or, sadly, how much you have paid for your days hunt, but this is a fact of commercial life. Notwithstanding payment a professional guide will keep you in line if he has any degree of self respect and respect for the quarry and your fellow guns.

So what then are the rules? Well it’s is not like football or Basketball where the rules are set out in a formal book and each contender is taught them prior to playing the game. Yes there are many books on the subject and all the professional associations will have published a leaflet or book explaining codes of practice that should be followed by shooters in the field.

But in game shooting there is no red cards or sin bins that a person is subject to, but the penalties can be just as embarrassingly scathing for those who choose to ignore proper etiquette. Especially if you get pulled up in front of the rest of the shooting party, including those who have turned out to help. Be these trackers or beaters or drivers.

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So how should one behave when out on the hunt? By and large it’s a matter of common sense and good manners, but we all know someone who is challenged in both these attributes, don’t we? Not meaning to imply that you, dear reader, falls within this category but this little missive is meant to refresh our memories and to bring to the front of our minds that which we do as a matter of course and instinct, so that should we come across a deviant during our shooting life we can gently and politely draw their attention as to how one should behave in a given set of circumstances.

To my mind if you are going to play the game then you have to play it right, behaving ones self when out and about with a loaded gun is paramount, and you do really have to play it right. Let’s face it, by definition the act of carrying a loaded weapon with the sole intent of killing something needs to be undertaken with some seriousness and some rules need to be applied. The act of shooting at living breathing animals with the intent to end its life is an aggressive act, no doubt, and because of this our manners in so doing have to be impeccable.

So what are these rules that we need to be reminded of so that we can better inform our wayward collogues? Well first and foremost it has to be that good manners starts with safety and we all know how to be safe don’t we? Yes you do, because I have told you often enough in these pages. But as a brief refresher here are three of the most important safety rules as I see them.

1. Always treat any weapon as though it’s loaded. Even if its not.

2. Never point your weapon, whether loaded or not, at anything you do not wish to kill.

3. Never shoot at anything that you cannot clearly see.

Yes, there are numerous other safety rules but if you abide by just those three you reduce the risk of injury and even death considerably.

However what we are talking about here is not safety but good manners and if you don’t know how to shoot safely what the heck are you doing with a loaded gun anyway? This is about how to behave in the field and how to be asked back time and again to shoots because you are an example to your fellow guns. Now wouldn’t we all like to be in that position? Talk about moral high ground. But seriously good manners are golden and whilst good ones can make a great day bad ones can equally spoil the day for all concerned.

I will focus mainly in this article on wing shooting where there is a formal type shooting party involved and where there are a number of pair’s eyes on you. I detail the following suggestions in no particular order of importance as they are all just as important in terms of how we conduct ourselves.

1. Be sociable and courteous; in short be pleasant to be around. Everyone is on the shoot to enjoy them selves and if you can spread a little joy it will be well received.

This does not mean that you have to

turn up in a clown costume and go round slapping every other Gun on their backs and making silly jokes all the time.

2. Abide by the rules of the day. These will differ slightly from shoot to shoot depending on the shoot location, the game being shot and what other wildlife you are likely to come across during the day. The shoot captain will set out these rules at the beginning of the day and any contravention, if noticed, will elicit a stern reprimand at least and a request that you vacate the shoot at worst.

3. Don’t poach. No, I don’t mean slipping out the night before and raiding the rearing pens. I mean don’t shoot other Guns birds.

You have a designated peg and you know if a bird is yours or your neighbors. If it’s contentious and you shoot a neighbors bird you acknowledge this to the other Gun by a polite, “Sorry, you can have one of mine next time”. If the birds are crossing let a few slip by your stand so that your neighbor can have go at them. ›

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4. Similarly if you are a crack shot, and let’s face it there are some very good shots out there, don’t be greedy. No one will be impressed if you take all and every bird in the vicinity to prove how good you are. Be generous in your shooting. The exception to this rule is if you are pegged next to a friend, but a very good friend of course, and there ensues a bit of friendly rivalry.

In this instance you will both be trying to shoot each others birds and as long as you both accept this and you don’t shoot across the line then it could add to the enjoyment of the day. But don’t ever try it with a person you are not familiar with, especially on the opening drive as he just might be that very good shot we were speaking of earlier and he will undoubtedly get his own back on subsequent drives.

5.Always give the birds a sporting chance.

You know your capability and there is no sport in shooting birds too close. This is not what the estate reared the birds for. If you want to see your targets disintegrate shoot clays. The birds should be suitable for putting on the table after all is said and done and it is not sportsmanlike to disassemble a bird into a pile of feathers and flesh that even the dogs refuse to pick up. On the other hand don’t attempt to take birds that are way out of range as this will just result in pricked birds which are likely not to be found. Know what your capable of and what the range of you gun is. By all means try a few testing birds as this will improve your shooting, but be realistic in your assessment of when you can make a clean kill.

6. Don’t shoot your neighbors missed birds too often and if you do, ensure he has discharged both barrels. Doing this occasionally is OK but if your neighbor is having a particularly bad day, or if he is a novice, you shooting all of his missed birds is just drawing attention to this fact and will not do his confidence much good.

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7. Similarly if you are drawn as back gun to pick off any birds that may have managed to get over the line, remember that you are, “back gun”. This means that you do not shoot at birds until the gun in front has discharged both his barrels and that the bird in question has flown over the line.

On the other hand if you know there is a back gun behind you it is good manners to let a few birds through for them to have a crack at. And this doesn’t include the ones that are just impossible to shoot. Giving up a couple of decent shootable birds with a cheery, “Have this one on me Sir”, will again be much appreciated.

8. In general always try to mark your downed birds so that you can guide the pickersup to them. This is not always possible in the heat of the drive especially if it is a particularly busy one, but the picker-up will appreciate your help. On the other hand if you have had a poor stand don’t fabricate downed birds to make yourself look like a great shot. Be honest. Don’t tell him that there is a bird in the thicket when there is none, as this will just waste his time and he will eventually realize that there was never any birds there anyway and your trickery will be found out. Best just to admit that you had a poor stand and let the man get on with picking up properly dropped bird.

9. If you happen to be aware of a Gun who is having a bad day, don’t mock! We all have bad days and the last thing that I, or anyone else for that matter, want is to have it reinforced on us by our fellow Guns drawing attention to the fact. On the other hand if a Gun is shooting particularly well, acknowledge this by all means. A cheerful, “Well shot, Sir”, or “You had a good drive there”, will ensure you have a friendly companion for the day or even a friend for life, if you’re not carful!

10. If you are having a good day yourself don’t brag about it. Leave that to others to compliment you and be modest in

your acceptance of praise. No one likes a braggart.

11. If you are an experienced Gun and there are novices on the shoot a bit of friendly advice will be appreciated, especially if you don’t make it too obvious to the rest of the party. A quiet word whilst walking back from the drive or over a coffee break out of earshot of the others is the thing to do. And if there are elderly Guns or those who are not as fi t as you, offer to swap pegs if it means that they don’t have to walk over rough ground or up hills. Again make the offer without drawing attention to all and sundry that you think the person is a geriatric, obese, invalid. Discretion is the name of the game. Even if the game is shooting at birds!

12. Finally, and it’s not final really as there are many other little things that you can do to make the day a pleasant memory for all concerned. But likewise there are many things you can do over and above those mentioned that could mark you out as a person not to be invited again. But always remember to thank everyone involved at the end of the Shoot, don’t dash off, unless of course your wife has just given birth or a close relative has passed away.

In those cases what are you doing out shooting anyway? Oh yes, it’s all a matter of priorities and we know where ours lay!

Seriously now, spend a bit of time after the shoot to thank, first your host and then all the other good people who have made your day a good one. The keepers, the beaters and the pickers-up and all other staff who were involved. If tipping is a requirement ensure you establish what is expected and contribute accordingly.

If you do all of this, I can assure you that it will be noticed, as will any adverse behavior, and depending on how you conduct yourself will establish you as a, “Good Egg”, always welcome on any shoot, or will mark you down as a, Bad Egg”, who should be avoided like the plague.

RNC.

Hunting Packages / May - August 2013

travel

South Africa South Africa Experience

4 HUNTING DAYS 5 NIGHTS IN SINGLE ROOM PACKAGE INCLUDES: • Lodging in single room with bathroom (4*/5*).

Including breakfast and lunch.

• Beers/Wines included, any other spirits will be extras.

• BBQ dinner before departure.

• Shooting license during the whole hunting time with official invitation card.

• Professional hunters(PH).

• Transfer airport-hunting farms.

• Hunting set-up.

• PACKAGE WITHOUT KILL LIMITS. • Head game preservation in cold storage room.

PROGRAM PRICE $ 2,850/-

At your disposal: • Semi-Automatic ( Beretta, 300 , 301 ) • Rifles for game shooting • Guns bullets 12 caliber, lead 7.5 / 28 grms.

6 / 36 grms.

- $14 per box ( 25shots ) • Taxidermist available on request with extra charge • Photographer on request with extra charge - $200/hunter/day

The package does not include: • Out and home airplane/bus ticket/visas/travel insurance • International veterinary certificate • Tips for professional Hunter and pickers.

• Pickers $12 / day.

IMPORTANT! • Counseled fowling time from 01/05/12 to 31/08/12 Game shooting available, pricelist on demand.

Reservations must be done 45 days prior departure, with our acknowledgment • 50% Advance upon reservation • 50% 45 days prior to departure • Minimum purchase of 500 Bullets upon booking • Additional hunting day $500/-

* Full payments should be done on booking and any cancellation will result in 30% deduction if cancellation is done less than a month prior departure.

For more information about Hunting Packages please contact:

Mr. Joe Balesh, at Hunting & Safari

Tel: 00961 71 768211 • Mob: 00971 50 551 5957 Email: jbalesh@mailme.ae / hsmagazine.travel@gmail.com

www.huntingandsafaris.com

hunting tips

Deer Management

Stalking & Culling

A

n essential part of managing a herd of deer is the culling of the weakest to ensure the herd remains in top condition as a whole. If the herd is on a large estate it will undoubtedly have its own staff to look after the deer, as some estates can run up to a thousand head or more and out of this number there are bound to be a few that are going back or are ill or wounded in some way and the kindest thing in cases such as these is to cull it cleanly rather than let it die a slow death out in the open.

If we are speaking of wild estate deer here then the cull is necessary as most of the big estates in Europe and indeed in the US will export the deer to other parks, zoos, or wild life preserves and it is necessary to produce the best quality animals available. In fact the trade in deer is very similar to producing

Photo credit: http://www.stay-arran.co.uk

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a good race horse. These parks are studs of high repute and Estates such as the 850 acre Bradgate Park and Woburn Abbey with its 3000 acre of parkland export thoroughbred deer all over the world.

It is almost impossible to accurately count the head of deer on a given estate as they do not have individual identification and they have a tendency to move about a bit. If you could get them to stand still for a couple of hours and you had access to a helicopter then you may have a chance. The size of the herd has to depend on the size of the park. 1000 acres will support around 400 head of deer provided that the park consisted of the right sort of terrain and vegetation. And this of course is one reason that the cull has to take place.

There are professional companies all over the world that offer deer management services, from advising on how best to cope with a single nuisance deer that has wandered onto a smallholding and is going about destroying the crops planted, to advising on the cull of a 3000 acre estate to best use the environment available for the population of deer on the ground.

Deer at Bradgate Park

It is considered that culling in the rutting season is to be discouraged and there will undoubtedly be open and closed deer season wherever you live. A deer that is too old to survive on its own or a wounded or sick deer has to be taken care of as soon as it is identified but to keep the population down in size enabling the herd to exist on the land available for it should be undertaken during the open seasons.

If you have never shot a deer then contacting a deer management company could be a great way of getting into deer hunting. Most management companies will give you advice and even give lessons on deer stalking, as well training to get you to the, DSC level 2 grade.

That’s the, Deer Stalking Certificate grade2. It is probably the least expensive way of doing it as well.

In the UK for instance a management company will instruct you on how, what and when to shoot your deer. The estate gun will be loaned to you free of charge and

ammunition is about $3.00 per round. You will be asked to pay about $15.00 for you to “shoot-in” the rifle to your eye, and you could even get to shoot a deer for free if you chose to shoot a Pricket, which is a male fallow deer which is in its second year and has straight horns without any branches. If the heard needs to cull Bucks, doe’s and Hinds, for instance you may be able to shoot these free of charge, but of course this is just the shot that is free, you will still have to pay the stalking fee of around $145.00 per one 4 hour outing mid week, or $240.00 for a one 8 hour outing mid week. If it’s just the stalk and the kill that you’re looking for, either as a first timer or to hone your existing skills and you are not looking for a trophy to take home, then a managed cull is definitely worth while as you will get the services and advise of a professional stalker/deer manager at a competitive price.

If, on the other hand, you do want to take home a trophy then a managed deer cull does offer this service as well. However, a suitable ›

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trophy deer needs to be available for culling as the prime objective is the preservation of the best animals in the herd, and the ones that are to be culled are not necessarily trophy material.

Undoubtedly there are times when you will be able to take bronze, silver, or gold medal bucks and stags, and the company will be equipped to dress the beast and prepare the trophy as well as arranging transportation. I detail below an average price list as a guide as to what you might ďŹ nd you have to pay for a culling stalk. This will vary of course between company and company and country and country for that matter.

Two Outings Weekend

1 Day Weekend

$265

Introduction to Deer Stalking

2 Days

$450

Refresher Day

1 Day

$280

Intermediate Deer Stalking

2 Days

$450

DSC Level 2 Training

2 Days

$450

Roe Deer Cull Buck

NO FEE

5 Pointer

$120

Roe Buck - 6 Points Non Medal

$280

Roe Buck - Bronze Medal

$850

Roe Buck - Silver Medal

$1350

Roe Buck - Gold Medal

$2000

Cull Roe Doe

NO FEE

Fallow Deer Cull Buck (Prickets)

NO FEE

Cull Buck (Sorrels)

$40

Fallow Buck - Non Medal

$150

Fallow Buck - Bronze Medal

$725

Fallow Buck - Silver Medal

$1375

Fallow Buck - Gold Medal

$2000

Cull Fallow Doe

NO FEE

Red Deer Red Spiker

$120

Red Stag 4-6 points

$280

Red Stag 7-9 points

$375

Red Stag 10-11 points

$330

Red Stag 12 points and above Cull Red Hinds

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Per point

$65 $120

The word cull always implies that the beast should be shot and killed, but this is not necessarily so. If the animal is to be taken out of the herd to keep the quality of the herd in top shape then most likely the more usual translation of the word applies and the beast is killed and venison steaks are on the menu, However deer management culls are more about the management aspect of the herd as apposed to purely killing the weaker deer.

As previously mentioned most management companies will advise on breading at stud and good stud stock will be sold or transferred to another estate to replenish that locations herd.

Deer Stalking with Keiron Cunningham Photo credit: http://deermanagementcouk.blogspot.com

As the deer are mostly wild and whilst they are familiar with humans being in the vicinity every day it will hardly allow one to lead it into a trailer to be transported to a new home, so as with African game animals, or any other wild animal for that matter, it may be a case of darting the beat so as to enable it to be more easily taken off to its new abode.

This live capture service is useful to vets, parks and zoos and the like where the least stress for the animal is the object of the exercise.

If you want to experience a full on stalking holiday then most management companies can arrange this for you as well. These will be on a picturesque estate known to the company and you will be guaranteed some of the ďŹ nest stalking around accompanied by professionals of the highest caliber. Depending on your requirements you will be able to live in stately home luxury for a week once you get back from your days stalking, or if you prefer a more modest environment you can be accommodated in one of the many

traditional, friendly hostelries that you are undoubtedly likely to ďŹ nd in the vicinity of the deer parks and estates located in and around the stunning scenery provided by the mountains and woodlands that is undeniably deer country. And there can be no more stirring sound than that of dozens of stags in the rut as they challenge all comers to dispute their rights to the hinds and their designated territories.

RNC

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To Shoot or not to Shoot

by Bernard Miranda Feliciano

The North American Whitetail and Mule Deer, their different body orientation in the wilds and the ethical judgment call before taking the shot

M

r. Stag has got to hand it to Hunting and Safari Magazine that with its combination of ĂŠlan and substance, indeed, it is a habit forming must-read publication.

Well, of course, aside from all that mouth

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watering galore of featured hunting equipment goodies, gastronomic and artistic tour de forces, and the adrenaline rush inducing after action reports of hunting exploits, among others . . . . .

Mr. Stag, as the object of the hunter’s deadly intentions, is appreciative that he is given the representation in this periodical to articulate his side on how he and his ilk should be ethically harvested . . . . . because, as far as Mr. Stag is concerned, however you put it,

whether fair chase or fair play, the operative word for the hunter is endeavoring to be fair during the hunt.

Thus, before our friend, the author waxes existential again, (that sometimes drive our long-suffering editor up the wall) let us go on with our hunt for I, the game, is afoot. And, if you thought that the judgment call challenges in the previous issue were tricky, those were cakewalk compared with what you will encounter in this installment, which will surely bemuse (and as always enlighten) you.

Judgment Call Challenge # 5

Figure - A: Quartering Away Stance - if you play pool or billiards, you should know all about angle shots. Imagine my brisket, where my kill zone is located, as the initial side of an angle, the trajectory of your projectile would now be the terminal side, thus, the angle’s vertex is where your shot should impact. So whether cue stick and cue ball or gun and bullet or bow and arrow, geometrically speaking, same banana. In hunting jargon then, this projectile placement is known as aiming for the exit hole.

1) For the bow hunter to have a significantly increased margin of error, a quartering away shot of up to about 45 degree angle usually revokes my birth certificate quickly and humanely.

Shot accordingly, your projectile does so much damage to my vitals, I am efficiently harvested.

Over 45 degrees, the space between my rear hip and front shoulder narrows considerably obligating the bow hunter to be more precise with his arrow/bolt placement.

The no quarter asked / the yes quarter given standpoint

2) Place your shot behind the front shoulder so that your bullet penetrates both lungs and possibly the heart. Either way, I will be deader than a doornail.

So you think that the exclamatory shoot/ don’t shoot order is a dead (pun unintended) giveaway for what your judgment call should be whenever I stand quartering away from you (Figure - A) or quartering towards you (Figure - B)?

Figure - A: Quartering Away Stance - if you play pool or billiards, you should know all about angle shots. Imagine my brisket, where my kill zone is located, as the initial side of an angle, the trajectory of your projectile would now be the terminal side, thus, the angle’s vertex is where your shot should impact. So whether cue stick and cue ball or gun and bullet or bow and arrow, geometrically speaking, same banana. In hunting jargon then, this projectile placement is known as aiming for the exit hole.

Well, there is a lot more to it than meets the eye and if you thought that the commands were already the freebie answers, those were just baits to ensnare you to the real perplexing questions. Put on then your thinking cap and ruminate why take the shot when I am quartering away from you and conversely, give me my due quarter when I am quartering towards you.

1) For the bow hunter to have a significantly increased margin of error, a quartering away shot of up to about 45 degree angle usually revokes my birth certificate quickly and humanely.

Shot accordingly, your projectile does so much damage to my vitals, I am efficiently harvested.

Over 45 degrees, the space between my rear hip and front shoulder narrows considerably obligating the bow hunter to be more precise with his arrow/bolt placement.

2) place your shot behind the front shoulder so that your bullet penetrates both lungs and possibly the heart. Either way, I will be deader than a doornail.

Figure - A: Quartering Away Stance - when I am standing this way what kind of shooting skill should you be proficient with, thus, in hunting parlance what is this is referred to?

1) If hunting with archery tackle, what is the ideal degree angle that your arrow/bolt should penetrate my kill zone? What happens if your shot goes beyond that degree angle?

2) Less vexing for the hunter with a firearm, where should you place your bullet in my kill zone for it to be more lethal? ›

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Figure - B: Quartering To Stance - I will be blunt about it . . . . . this is the stance that you have to give me my due quarter, besides, the don’t shoot directive is emphatic enough not to misconstrue it. Even the experts agree that this stance aside from presenting one of the poorest bowshots is also an extremely low percentage lethal shot, thus, should be avoided.

Give me reasons then . . . . .

1) Why is it verboten to harvest me with archery tackle; and 2) Why is it an iffy proposition even with a rifle.

Figue - B Figure - B: Quartering To Stance 1) To all the bow hunters out there, read my lips – do not let loose an arrow/bolt whenever I am in my quartering to stance for reasons that are . . . . a) Anatomical & practical – since my vitals are shielded by my heavy shoulder and front leg bones, arrow/bolt placement in front of the shoulder at this angle odds-on may just wound me with the slim likelihood of a single-lung hit. On the other hand, arrow/bolt placement behind my shoulder could result to a single-lung hit that may also strike the liver. The very real downside with this shot is your arrow/bolt missing my vitals by a micron yet angling back into my tummy resulting to a bleeding but non-lethal gut wound.

You know only too well that I can still put miles upon miles behind me with a non-lethal but very painful wound before I expire. So, whether my carcass recovery will be moderately strenuous to lengthy and difficult, are you so delirious with buck fever to go to all that trouble chasing after me? b) Commonsensical - even without seeing you, sometimes I can make the jump when you release your bowstring, dodging your arrow/bolt in the process and leaving you scratching your head dumbfounded, how much faster do you think my reflexes will be if we are face-to-face.

Tip: Now, if from a quartering to stance I turn broadside or do a quartering away move, you did not come all the way to the woods loaded for bear, I mean deer, just to watch me tip toe to the tulips, did you now?

2) To my mortification, the terminal ballistics of bullets from deer cartridges, after pulverizing my front leg and shoulder bones, still has enough energy to continue pulverizing my vitals affecting a clean kill.

Nonetheless, your bullet may impact at an angle that only smashes my bones without damaging my vitals and what if I am at the other side of the canyon with still enough survival instinct to run some distance away? Better to wait for a broadside or quartering away stance, you have a much larger target and an unobstructed view of my kill zone.

Judgment Call Challenge # 6 The alive when bedded down turned eternal repose position

girlfriend, Ms. Doe-A-Deer, stood-in for me to illustrate what a bedded game animal looks like. This may come to as a surprise but we can be harvested even during our moments of somnolent bliss.

Engaged I was with my other modelling commitments during this photo-op, my

Nevertheless, whether using firearms or archery tackle, it will be an ethical and killing

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shot only if . . . . . well, the answers are right on the same page if you only know the antonym of right- side-up.

One – knowledgeable hunter that you are, I would still remind you that it is an elementary thing for you to make sure I am unalert, relaxed, and unaware. Remember my jumping

deflection, but the clincher is just what will it take to deflect your bullet or arrow/bolt that will result to a miss or a lot worse a non-lethal wound?

Round and round it goes, how you stop the magazine is where the answers are showed.

If it is not enough that a branch smaller than your pinkie finger or twig the size of a pencil’s lead has the resilience to deflect a projectile whether from a gun or archery tackle, spongy wetlands plants, such as cattails and reed grass, can do the same on bullets and arrow/ bolts.

the bowstring trick? Yes, I know you do, since after all these years, you still shake your head with incredulity.

Two - now, if I am all of the above, the next thing you have to ascertain is if I am positioned in such a manner that will be conducive to a killing shot. The foregoing is the case since the orientation of my body that dictates your shot and its placement when I am on four legs apply when I am bedded down.

Three - likewise, you have to take into account that when in my bedded position, my body leans in the direction coincidental on which side is lying down.

To demonstrate, if I am bedded facing your right and leaning on my left side (away from you), the exit of your bullet or arrow/bolt will be slightly higher in relation to its entry since my brisket sits slightly lower on the exit side and is turned down towards the ground. Adjust your projectile placement accordingly to attain a perfect broadside shot on me “curled up” in this position, as this lying position compacts the kill zone between my rump and shoulder compared to being “spread out” while I am standing upright.

But, if you are unnerved shooting me during my beauty sleep, just try to get me to rise slowly once you are in a steady, solid shooting

position with your sights fixed on my kill zone. Create a subtle disturbance in my surroundings by whistling or tossing a small rock in some nearby brush so that when I investigate the commotion, you are taking steady aim and discharging a comfortable, deliberate shot.

Tip : Now, since such scenario, where the flora acts not only as a barrier to your shot, as well, degrades clear visibility of my kill zone . . . . . if you have a treestand or hunting blind, cut the shrubbery to obtain clear shooting lanes for better shot opportunities.

If you have been observant, you had noted by now that most of our scenarios are positional, i.e., the poses I strike in the wildlife catwalk.

Alternatively, there are scenarios that I may be shootable but the situation requires you to assess further whether to take the shot or not. Below is one such situational instance.

Judgment Call Challenge # 7 The beating around the bush scenario Tempting is it not? If only deer cartridges have built-in brush cutters in their bullets, you could shoot me to your heart’s content through all the shrubs, undergrowth, thickets and copses that may come between you and me. Well, until such cartridge comes out in the market, you will just have to content yourself beating around the bush . . . . . this is a no shoot situation, whether with a firearm or a bow.

Yes, I know that you know it is an issue of

Trim your shooting lanes during the spring and summer months to give your hunting area ample opportunity to reacquire its earthy ambiance before hunting season.

Your foresight and preparation will be rewarded with unhindered shooting vista when I make the mistake of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

On the next issue – the remainder of Stag’s shoot or no shoot scenarios that will tickle your funny bone yet deepen your appreciation of hunting in his usual deadpan style of articulation.

Happy Reading.

Bernard Miranda Feliciano

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Shooting Techniques

The Best Way to Take Incoming Waterfowl

Photo credit: www.fowledreality.com

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ne of the shoots that I most enjoy is a mixed bird day where we are shooting pheasant and duck and geese. The pheasants will normally be shot in the morning and first drive after lunch and then we would move on to the flight ponds, or on one particular shoot we would make our way to shoot close to wetland marshes. The ponds were the home of the duck, Mallard, Teal and Tuffted, and

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the wetland the home of the geese, Canada, Greylag and Pinkfoot, as I recall.

The reason that I enjoyed these shoots so much was the variety that it presented. The pheasants were generally good birds, fast and high, but not too fast or too high making them impossible to hit, but as we moved on to the waterfowl then one had to alter

ones shooting techniques and probably the incoming birds were the most awkward for me to get in touch with, especially in the first flight.

The reason for this was that I had been shooting fast birds all morning and into the afternoon then I had to remember that the duck and geese tend to be slower, especially

the incoming birds. You have more time than you think and your shots should not be rushed. Take your time and hurry slowly, as my old Dad used to say. You will no doubt be either in a blind or in the reeds or in some other concealment and it is vital that you watch as the birds come towards you and not to rise up to early or to quickly. As mentioned above you have more time than you might imagine. Pick up on a couple of birds that you feel will give you the best chance of a kill and watch the way they are coming in. As they get closer decide on which one you will go for and as it comes in range, smoothly stand up and plant your feet firmly in the correct shooting position, bring your gun to your shoulder and cheek and shoot. And if you are like me on that first flight you will, miss in front and over the top.

So what was all that about? Well I will tell you.

You have been shooting pheasant that in all probability the beaters have flushed and they will be scared and coming over you pretty fast and will be rising to avoid the guns. So you give it a good lead and you shoot just above it and, bam! The pheasant and shot pattern converge and down goes the bird and you have a satisfactory smile on your face. Do the same with the incoming duck or goose and the smile is a disgruntled frown.

So how do you shoot to ensure you have roast duck on the table for Sunday dinner?

Well do everything as mentioned above in terms of getting set up. Pick your bird but don’t necessarily pick the easiest, as your partner is likely to do that, so go for the one that is eminently shootable but maybe just a wee bit more challenging. Then you will not both shoot the same bird. Also if you take the trailing bird in a flight not only will there only be you shooting it, it will mean as soon as the other birds start to veer away you will be in correct alignment to focus on those birds as well.

When to shoot is also very important. Always shoot with sky behind the bird, not water, or foliage. Don’t let the bird get so low as to be

basically taking it off the lake. There maybe Guns on the other side of the lake and the shot could either hit them directly or ricochet off the water. In either event a situation to be avoided. Let the bird come in range before you stand up and if it diverts don’t worry as you will, in all probability, have time to take your shot and with the right cartridge and choke tube you will make a clean kill out to 35 meters or so.

The next thing is gun position. If the bird is dropping on to the lake and is crossing you then remember that it will be slowing down to land on the water so don’t give it too much lead or you will miss in front. As it’s dropping on to the water you will need to shoot under it to compensate for it losing altitude. Then again if it has seen you and it starts to veer away it will increase its speed and will be pulling for height so you need to give it a little more lead and shoot more over the top. It can be difficult to be too precise when telling folk exactly how much lead is needed in any given situation as we all see lead differently and it is mainly a matter of instinct and practice but remember these rules and apply them to your own perception.

With geese it is slightly different to duck as they do tend to fly more quickly than you think. This perception is due to its size. A duck and pheasant are not too dissimilar is size but a goose is much bigger and appears to be slower but this is not the case. And always determine lead from a gooses head not its body. A goose’s body is pretty well covered with feathers and meat and getting to its vitals through its body is more difficult than taking a head shot. The kill will be cleaner and you will not be picking out so much lead shot at the dinner table either.

It may be a fact that I am stating the obvious here but as with any other type of shooting once you have determined lead and sent your shot string down range keep the barrels moving. Remember to swing through, if you do not you will undoubtedly miss behind. The bird will not stop in mid flight and wait for the

shot string to catch up with it. In all probability it will just be starting to accelerate to get away from the other guns that have already opened up.

The above suggestions are based on crossing type birds. In the case where you are standing at the head of the pond and the birds are coming directly towards you then again remember that they will be dropping onto the water so you need to do everything to get prepared as mentioned above, get a good stance, pick your bird, don’t necessarily chose the easiest or closest, but which ever bird you go for, provided it has not been scared by the other Guns and is veering away, it will be dropping. So pick it up and if it is coming level with you, blot it out and shoot. If it is higher than your position when coming in to land see a bit of daylight underneath it and shoot.

Pheasant, duck, or geese, all have their own distinct characteristics that need to be taken into consideration when hunting them. It’s not like a cheap pair of socks that state one size fi ts all. In shooting birds you have to know your quarry and take his particular characteristics into account. If you do and if you practice you will do OK, after all who wants to be shooting the same targets day after day, OK maybe skeet and trap shooters do, but we wildfowlers enjoy a bit of variety in our pastime, don’t we?

RNC.

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What Calibre to Bring on a One-Gun Safari?

With a heavy personal bias towards the .375 H&H by Kevin Thomas

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When Holland & Holland gave the hunting world the .375 Magnum in 1912, they gave us something very special indeed. At time of launch, the only other calibres that could compete with it and with slight limitations, were the .404 Jeffery and .350 Rigby Magnum as magazine rifles, and the 450/400 doubles. The .375 H&H might be classified as a “Medium Bore Calibre” but it offers extremely flat trajectory, adequate bullet weight and performance in the field that is hard to beat.

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ith heightened security being the order of the day across the globe, and not likely to disappear anytime in the future - in fact with the passage of time, airline security will probably become more stringent - visiting clientele often end up in a bit of a quandary as to what rifle(s) to bring to Africa. My own feeling as a PH is that now more than at any time in the past, it is wiser and far less hassle for an inbound sport hunter to just travel with one calibre, suitable for use on all of the trophy species you’ll want to shoot.

Most safari companies have rifles that can be hired by a visiting sport hunter, however, and I’m sure most will agree, a true dedicated hunter likes to use his own rifle(s) for whatever reason, and there are many.

With that in mind and in order to avoid a lot of unnecessary stress, whilst trying to fly internationally with a bunch of guns and ammunition, what is the ideal calibre for a one rifle safari? It must be understood that the one-gun scenario I am writing about is for an inbound sport hunter to Africa, not a working PH. Important is that one absolute essential for an all round rifle is that the calibre has a wide

variety of bullet types. Using the .375 H&H, solid bullets don’t only work on the biggest game; they do a good job on the small stuff too. A 300gr solid will punch a neat hole through a duiker without doing much damage to the skin, and whilst it will do the same on an impala, with them being herd animals, after exiting the bullet may travel on to wound or kill others, thus when used in a herd or bachelor groupings, caution should prevail.

Other bullet weights for the .375 H&H like 235gr and 270gr soft-points allow the calibre to kill everything up to eland, whilst the 300gr premium softs and solids do the job adequately on buffalo and elephant.

Since the .375 H&H was first used in Africa it has proven itself a great success story and continues to retain its excellent reputation as the most popular, if not the best all-round African calibre. Ivory hunter of yore, John ‘Pondoro’ Taylor in his book African Rifles and Cartridges rated it as the best of the medium bores for African hunting (in fact he was so impressed by it he did exaggerate somewhat its penetration & killing abilities), and chose it ›

Obviously though the first question a visiting hunter should ask themselves is what is on their “Want List” trophy wise? Does it involve a mix of non-dangerous plains game trophies up to the size of eland only, or is there dangerous game species included? If dangerous game is included with plains game up to eland, my calibre recommendation would automatically be the .375 H&H. I have used a .375 H&H for decades now for sport hunting, problem animal control, and culling, and am a firm disciple of this all time great bullet.

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as the most effective all-round cartridge – he wrote the book way back in 1948 – now in 2009 I don’t think much has changed, aside from us having a far wider range of quality bullet types to choose from. Frank Barnes in his Cartridges of the World says of the .375 H&H, “This cartridge was the basis for H&H’s later .300 H&H Magnum and is therefore the great-grandfather of almost all modern belted magnum chamberings. It can certainly be said that it inspired the entire genre” – a truism if ever.

Respected PH Tony Henley once wrote an enlightening article on his preferred calibres for hunting African big game, it was titled Some Notes on Big Rifles Suitable for Hunting in Africa. He starts off by quite correctly saying that with the introduction of the ultra high velocity rifle, many sport hunters got carried away by the publicity put out about these firearms by the manufacturers. His field observations in Botswana of the outcome of hunter(s) using rifles delivering velocities of 3,000 foot and more per second were that the hunt usually ended in many hours of following a wounded and suffering animal.

The tendency of some ultra high velocity bullets is to disintegrate on impact, leaving a large surface wound, or worse still if the bullet

strikes a twig or other vegetation before reaching the intended target, it disintegrates or deflects.

During the mid-nineties a now deceased PH colleague and I experienced some of the aforementioned when we had two clients with us on safari in Zimbabwe’s Matetsi. For their buffalo, both were using .450 Watt’s and each shot a buffalo early in the safari. We then changed areas for the plains game segment of the safari and it was here that both clients produced their plains game rifles; they were identical .340 Weatherby Magnums. To cut a long story short, we ended up with both of our clients having problems whilst trying to kill trophy animals. At times, and after an easy shot the trophy just loped off unscathed – it happened at least three times with good quality sable – unwounded they just showed us their heels after the shot.

Initially we were totally baffled until we looked very carefully at what the clients were shooting “through” – a veil of waist high dry grass & scrawny scrub that is hardly noticeable – unless you look closely. It wasn’t really discernable through the scope of a rifle and more particularly so if total concentration was on the target animal. That grass and scrub however, was obviously causing the .340

bullets of the type they were using to deflect.

I have nothing against the .340 Weatherby, it is a popular proven calibre, but with its high velocity bullets it wasn’t suited to the vegetation and terrain we were hunting in. My suggestion to the clients that they revert to using their .450 Watt’s changed the equation and animals started going into the salt – although the .450 Watt’s certainly isn’t your ideal all round plains game calibre!

Getting back to the .375 H&H, if we look at some of the bullet weights and velocities, they also help reinforce the argument for it being the finest all-round calibre for Africa for a visiting sport hunter.

235grs @ 2,800fps 270grs @ 2,650fps 300grs @ 2,500fps The above range allows a hunter to safely shoot an elephant and anything else in between, down to a common duiker and the bullet variations available to the hand loader and factory loads in this day and age are awesome, the Barnes-X line, Swift A-Frame, Nosler line, to name but a few. Tony Henley finished his written observations on the .375 H&H by stating “I always recommend any sportsman coming on safari to Africa to include a .375 in his battery, or better still, just to bring the one rifle”.

For elephant, one obviously only uses solid bullets and nothing else, and as Mike LaGrange an ex Rhodesian National Parks warden and highly experienced elephant hunter, wrote in his superb treatise Ballistics in Perspective (Professional Hunter Supplies Publishing Division 1990), when using the 300gr Hornady solid, the .375 H&H produces sufficient penetration to kill even the largest elephant instantly through the brain. He also points out that the 270gr bullet is sufficiently fast enough to obviate sight adjustment out to 300yds.

LaGrange goes on to point out that throughout the history of the .375 H&H

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buffalo and when correctly hit by a 300gr H&H solid they have invariably gone down incredibly hard, eliciting shouts of delight and handclapping from the trackers!

Moving away from the .375 H&H, I’d like to touch on a calibre of old, now enjoying a huge resurge of interest, the .404 Jeffery which undoubtedly became the most popular “general purpose” choice rifle for hunting dangerous and non-dangerous game in Africa after it was first introduced to the hunting fraternity by W.J. Jeffery in 1909. It was only when the .375 H&H came off the production line in 1912, a mere three years after the .404 that this latter calibre was somewhat eclipsed as the ideal “all-round rifle”, by the .375 H&H.

opinions have continued to promote its cause.

Back in 1979 the respected South African outdoor and hunting magazine Magnum ran an article titled “Sporting Rifle Cartridge” and put the .375 H&H as the worlds (my italics) all round weapon. Again in Magnum 1980/81 a similar article puts the .375 H&H as the world all round peer. In the 1982 March edition of the S.A. Man magazine well-known gun writer the late Tudor Howard Davies, wrote a lengthy article on the .375 where he puts forward arguments for the all round title.

Rhino Bullets in East London, South Africa, produce an extremely efficient .375 H&H bullet in 380gr; it has been well tested in the field and is now a popular bullet choice for buffalo and all of our larger soft skinned game.

The production of this bullet in fact elevates the .375 H&H even more as the ideal allround calibre for an African safari.

In many African countries, the .375 H&H is by law the minimum calibre that can be used on dangerous game, with the exception of leopard. Thus, I would recommend that if a visiting hunter is stuck for choice but only wants to bring one rifle to Africa, he think very seriously about making it the .375 H&H. I do not believe that it would be the wrong

choice because it has too much of a respected and proven pedigree since 1912 for that to be the case, and dressing it with a good quality detachable variable scope, mounted over British Express type iron sites, or a ghost ring, so that the scope can be removed when hunting in the very thick stuff, would also be a wise choice.

As a PH I obviously concur fully with the logic of bullets of not less than 400 grains being used in thick bush for the hunting of elephant and buffalo, but if a visitor to Africa brings his .375 H&H on safari as his only rifle, and he only intends ever shooting one elephant or buffalo in his life, the 400 grain limitation need not worry him too much because his PH will ensure that he is in the correct position to make a killing shot, and if things do inadvertently go ‘pear-shaped’ the PH will be carrying a heavier calibre than the .375 H&H, and it is part of his job to rectify the situation.

Thus, my recommendation of the .375 H&H as the ideal and most suitable calibre is hinged around a suitable single rifle for a “mixed bag” safari which includes dangerous game, and with the bulk of the trophies comprising non-dangerous plains game. Over the years and when using a .375 H&H, I have shot many

The .404 has however developed a remarkable and enviable reputation as a sound calibre for dangerous game and large non-dangerous game hunting. Some of the great game wardens of East and Central Africa used it regularly as their weapon of choice for elephant, buffalo, rhino, and lion control, plus for general ration shooting.

Again, in East & Central Africa the standard 400gr solid bullet in the .404 was a popular choice for issue to the highly efficient black African game scouts and government employed African hunters doing elephant control and crop protection. Without doubt had the British colonial government of the day thought that game department staff lives may have been in danger by using the .404 as exhaustively as they did, they would have issued them with a heavier calibre.

Like the .416 Rigby, the .404 Jeffery’s popularity has endured over the decades and quite rightly so, for it is well deserved, although we must remember they are classified “large-medium bores”. In this day and age, the dedicated handloader can find all of the flatness they could wish for, thus negating the question about it possibly lacking trajectory and long range potential.

During the early 1970's when I was a young government game ranger in the Rhodesia of ›

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using a Ciskei govt issue .270, although I’ve never owned one. Even with 160gr and 180gr bullets, I still don’t feel the .270 is up to being an ‘ideal’ for killing our bigger African soft-skinned species, and I’d put the animal weight limitation for a .270 bullet before it becomes a bit iffy at a max of about 180kg.

In other words it is a great calibre for small and medium sized African antelope. I’ve also had a client drop a leopard in its tracks using a .270, it was totally pole axed from about 95yds, although I cannot recall the bullet used, although I think it was a Nosler.

old (now Zimbabwe), I served for a number of years in the Zambezi Valley, managing various Controlled Hunting Areas (now referred to as Safari Areas). Many of the old school Rhodesian’s who booked an annual hunt to shoot for meat, trophies and sport, continued to use the .416 Rigby and the .404 Jeffery and this was the correct role for both of those calibres; they were being used by hunters who annually shot elephant and buffalo (including buffalo cows) plus a selection of larger plains game like kudu and zebra. Few international clients hunt elephant and buffalo annually, and tend to mostly hunt non-dangerous game and only occasionally hunt large dangerous game. Thus for the visiting client intent on an occasional large dangerous animal, I’d still go with the .375 H&H. Other calibres that I like for plains game only, and also make for the ideal one-gun safari if no dangerous game is to be hunted, are the .338 Winchester Magnum, an excellent choice, although I haven’t seen it being used in Africa as a plains game rifle as often as would be expected, then there’s the .300 H&H, a superb flat shooting rifle rated way up the scale by dedicated users and non-users alike, also the .300 Winchester Magnum, a very popular plains game rifle amongst International clients and South African PHs alike, the 30-06 too is an extremely popular

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calibre seen and used in Africa, and it works well. A regular hunting buddy and client from Denver, Brian Spradling once quipped during safari, “The ‘odd six’ is tried and tested through two World Wars, plus the Korean conflict and on hunting fields scattered across the entire globe”. This year the 3006 is having its 103rd birthday, and with its reputation for reliability, a well deserved one at that. Another popular plains game choice is the proven .308 Winchester, and whilst not the ideal, this bullet in the military ball type 7,62mm NATO killed a lot of game in Zimbabwe – both legally and illegally – during the conflict years. The range of factory and hand loaded .308 soft points are great shooting bullets and give extreme accuracy.

The .270 Winchester is another popular choice seen here in Southern Africa, but I’d hesitate to recommend it for a one gun safari if larger species like eland, kudu, zebra, blue wildebeest and gemsbok etc are on the want list. It is a little too marginal, although not incapable with say 150gr Barnes-X bullets and in the hands of a competent shooter.

It is a devastating calibre on the likes of springbok, blesbok, impala, warthog etc if using 130gr Nosler Partitions, and during the years I ran Ciskei Safaris, I also put a bunch of culled game including black wildebeest and hartebeest into the meat shed, when

Around the campfire I’ve often heard hunters here in South Africa argue comparisons between the .30-06 and the .270. Realistically it is a bit of a silly debate because the two calibres actually slot into two different hunting categories. A .270 comes into its own with lighter 130gr and 150gr bullets at long range on our open plains like are found in the Karoo and other parts of South Africa, including our grassed mountainous areas (think springbok, blesbok, mountain reedbuck, impala, lechwe, black wildebeest, hartebeest, fallow deer etc).

The .30-06 shooting 180gr to 220gr bullets is an ideal bushveld calibre, for the kind of close range shooting that goes with that kind of terrain and vegetation (think eland, kudu, zebra, blue wildebeest etc) and although both calibres can be called upon to do each others work, they are not ideally suited to it.

Another proven bushveld calibre here in Southern Africa, that has also seen a few wars and still endures with a dedicated fan club, since it was first developed as a military cartridge in 1892, is the 7x57mm Mauser. I’ve been around this calibre since boyhood, and it is still a firm favourite of mine for much of my own recreational hunting. It has excellent killing powers and very moderate recoil, but again, and although over the previous three decades I’ve shot a lot of kudu, gemsbok and wildebeest with the 7x57mm, I wouldn’t recommend that it be the one-gun choice on safari for these bigger plains game species weighing 250 to 300kg.

Ethically the intention of every sport hunter should be to take absolutely no chances that could lead to his trophy suffering a wound. As an example, the 7x57mm works beautifully for side-on lung shots on kudu etc, but if as you are beyond the point of no return on trigger pressure, the animal suddenly turns obliquely away and the bullet entering too far back has to now penetrate intestines or a full paunch, it may not reach and do needed damage to the vital organs. Your .338 and .30-06 would have a better chance of driving through that mass and into the vitals; the .375 H&H on the other hand will get there. There is nothing wrong with “using enough gun” – in fact ethical sport hunters should automatically aspire to that, and if we all did so, there would be far less wounding, and when it does happen the follow-up wouldn’t be so lengthy.

As a game ranger in my younger days, and when still a young wildlife manager/PH I also shot quite a number of eland using my 7x57mm, but I wouldn’t recommend it and although they were all clean kills, I firmly believe the minimum calibre for eland, and giraffe for that matter is the .375 H&H or a 9.3x62.

In this brief overview I’ve stayed away from wildcat cartridges and only covered the traditional popular calibres that I see being brought along regularly on safari. Even if dangerous game is not being hunted, first time visiting clientele often arrive with three

varying calibres – sure, its all great fun, but they aren’t all needed. As a PH if I’m not guiding on dangerous game I take my .375 H&H and my 7mm Mauser on plains game safaris, but there is a reason for my taking the two rifles. One is always available as a replacement in case of something going wrong with the client’s rifle (or one of my own) .

In wrapping up, I’m going to talk about one wildcat cartridge that does impress me here in Africa as an ideal plains game calibre, provided the correct bullets and loads are used. That is the .330 Dakota, with the design idea having been to offer a factory alternative to the .338 Winchester Magnum but provide .340 Weatherby Magnum performance, and the .330 Dakota functions properly through a 30-06 length action (3.35”). It has about a 15% case capacity over the .338 Winchester Magnum, which is fairly significant and allows it to come close to duplicating the performance of the .340 Weatherby Magnum. Frank C. Barnes in his book mentioned earlier, points out that the .330 Dakota if using the right bullets, can deliver more energy to targets a quarter-mile away than factory .270 ammunition produces at muzzle!

Brian Spradling has brought his .330 Dakota over on all of his African safaris and we’ve hunted South Africa and Zimbabwe a number of times. This is a bullet that impresses me immensely on all of our soft-skin game. Brian’s .330 is custom built on a Ruger 77mk11 action with a 25-inch medium weight, fluted barrel, and a brown/tan laminated stock. He dressed it with a Weaver V-10, 2-10 x 38mm scope.

His only load on his first hunt with me was with 275gr Swift A-Frame bullets, loaded to 2680fps with H4831SC powder and carrying 4387ft lbs of energy. This bullet and load put down kudu, zebra, and a host of other stuff with no fuss and awesome terminal ballistics. On his next safari which would include gemsbok in the Karoo and the tough Cape bushbuck in the Eastern Cape forests, he again used H4831SC powder behind a 225gr Swift A-Frame and loaded to 2998fps carrying 4492ft lbs of energy. Despite the

.330 Dakota’s devastating terminal velocity on our plains game, Brian stays away from using lightweight bullets due to excessive velocity, coupled to poor sectional density.

On that first safari in Zimbabwe, he brought out a .416 Rigby for his buffalo, and the .330 Dakota for the plains game. He used one round for each of the calibres on the zeroing range in camp, killed his buffalo with a single chest shot using the .416 Rigby, and his 8 plains game animals with one shot each from the .330 Dakota, including his zebra, dropped at 300 paces without moving an inch. As a single rifle on safari for plains game and with the correct load/bullet combination, the .330 Dakota will step up to the plate admirably.

With our gun ownership laws getting more and more stringent here in Africa, for convenience sake and as a working PH, my personal battery has been whittled down over the years, to a .458 Lott, .375 H&H, 7x57mm Mauser and a pump-action 12ga 3” Magnum with a game barrel. This choice of firearms is more than adequate for anything I may be called upon to do, hunting or guiding wise on this continent.

However, to get back to the ideal all-round calibre for an African safari for those who will probably only hunt Africa once or twice, and not necessarily specialize on say elephant only, in summing up I will stay with the .375 H&H as at this stage of cartridge evolution and development, it has to be the choice.

Here in Africa it has been well-written up and recommended by internationally recognized hunter/writer names like Gregor Woods, Don Heath, Koos Barnard to mention a few, and in the US John Barsness and many others.

Gregor Woods once wrote that although he has owned the gamut of rifles from .22 to .458 he has through hard learned experience in the field, settled on the .375 H&H, and when he arrives at a kudu or gemsbok hunt carrying his .375 if other hunters scoff at him and ask why he is bringing a rifle more suited to buffalo and elephant on an antelope hunt.

His stock reply is, “Because everything I shoot with it falls down” – I fully concur.

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Falconry Hunting on the Wing

By Barr Soltis

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bout 300 yards from my property line there is an overpass that I cross twice a day during my morning and evening trek to and from work. During the spring and summer months the view of my house from this vantage point is obstructed by the leaves of the many trees, but during early fall the leaves turn into a collage of beautiful colors and eventually drop to the earth, leaving an unobstructed view. About two years ago, as I crossed the overpass on my way home from the rifle range, I saw a man standing there.

He was just looking out over a nearby field.

Beyond this, nothing about him appeared to out of the ordinary or cause for concern, but his presence sparked my curiosity.

As soon as I arrived home, I located my binoculars and walked out onto my deck to get a better look. What then caught my eye was not the man, but a hawk circling the field.

Moments later, I looked up again and both the man and bird were gone. To this day, I do not know if he was training the hawk or just admiring its flight in search for food, as I have done many times. If there was a relationship between them I will never know, but I hope that there was.

Since that day, I have kept an eye out for the hawks and marveled at their grace as they glide and circle over the same field, occasionally being lifted by a thermal updraft to greater heights with barely a flutter of their wings. Knowing that, it should come as no surprise that I was interested when I found a falconry section in my states annual hunting regulations handbook. A quick online search provided a wealth of information about falconry, including its history, state and federal rules and regulations and the falconers' commitment to the sport.

I called it a sport. If the truth were known, it is much more than that. Words like commitment, dedication, conservation and art come to mind and even these may not adequately describe it. Hunting small game with trained birds of prey dates back to at least 2200 B.C. Today, it is rare to meet a

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falconer and most hunters have no idea what is required to become a licensed falconer.

Falconry is highly regulated and requires significant dedication. This is not really a hobby; it is more like a lifestyle and that is probably why there are so few falconers.

Before anyone even begins to consider becoming a falconer there are a series of questions that must be answered: • Can you commit a minimum of one hour during daylight per day, every day, to falconry?

• Do you have the necessary space and does your local zoning ordinance allow for the construction of facilities to house a bird?

• Can you procure and afford the expense of food, equipment and house required to care for a raptor?

• Do you have legal access to a large enough parcel of land to allow you to train and hunt a raptor?

• Is there an adequate amount of game for a raptor on your available hunting grounds?

If you have answered an unequivocal “yes” to each of these questions then falconry may be for you, but you need to do some serious research to make an informed decision. For instance, the minimum cost for the first year will be more than $3,000 for the basics and another grand more for a transmitter and receiver.

There are three permit levels, Apprentice, General and Master. To become a falconer, the student must first find a sponsor; the apprentice period lasts about two years.

Because of the extensive time involved in the apprenticeship, the apprentice and his or her sponsor should live in close proximity to each other.

After finding a sponsor and before an apprenticeship permit is granted, the student must pass an examination that includes questions about the care and handling of falconry raptors and applicable federal and state laws. Until there is a permit in hand, raptors used in falconry may not be taken from the wild and the species that may be taken is dictated by the permit that is held.

For the apprentice in Pennsylvania, only red-tailed hawks, red-shouldered hawks and American kestrels may be taken. The holder of a general permit may take any raptor except for the golden eagle and a master may take a golden eagle with the proper permit.

The most common raptor in North America is the red-tailed hawk, which is commonly referred to as the “chicken hawk.” They are commonly seen soaring in the sky or perched in treetops or on telephone wires, scoping out a nearby field for a quick meal. They are ideal for the apprentice, since they are plentiful and easily trained to hunt.

A mature male red-tailed hawk weighs about two pounds on average and females average a little more than three pounds. Wingspans range from 45 to 52 inches and their color varies.

The red-tailed hawk is not a fickle hunter. It is powerful and fully capable of killing small mammals. Rats, field mice, squirrels, rabbits, prairie dogs, waterfowl and even snakes may end up on the menu. They have keen eyesight and can spot their quarry from 1000 feet in the air and dive at speeds of 120 miles per hour.

Hunting with a red-tailed hawk usually involves the falconer releasing the bird where

it can find a convenient place to perch and wait for prey to appear. Meanwhile, it is the responsibility of the falconer, either alone or with the aid of a dog, to flush game for the hawk to swoop down upon and grasp in its powerful talons. Once a capture is made, the falconer must find the hawk and trade the fresh kill for a piece of cooked meat.

There are approximately 5,000 falconers in the United States, many more than I had supposed. I have learned while researching this article that most falconers are very private about what they do and prefer to remain under the radar.

There are muzzleloading purists among us who only use traditional flintlock rifles to harvest game and I admire them. However, I applaud those who hunt with birds of prey and I consider them the consummate hunting traditionalists.

If you ever meet a falconer who is willing to tell you about the art of falconry, it would be well worth your time to listen. If you ever get a chance to see one of these birds in action, make sure you have a good camera along to memorialize the experience, as such an opportunity may come only once in your lifetime.

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air guns

The Air Gun

Small Vermin Solutions With an Eye on Bigger Things

B

ack in the days when I was just a youth but old enough to have a little bit of common sense and responsibility my father allowed me to own an air pistol. It was made

by Daisy and you loaded a .177 lead pellet in

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the back of the barrel and pushed it in with a threaded rod that was about 15mm long by 3mm diameter which you then screwed down to make an airtight seal. To charge the pistol you then had to push the front end

of the barrel backwards like a piston which would charge the cylinder with air. On pulling the trigger the compressed section of the barrel would spring forward releasing the air and ďŹ ring the pellet. Range was limited

sockets, but on occasions a wayward pellet or paper projectile would inflict slight damage resulting in a rather colorful bruise, or a wooden saber, too enthusiastically wielded, would crack a knuckle or two or cause a weal to be raised on the hip of a charging “Sioux Warrior” who, if did not receive said blow would undoubtedly have inflicted a moderate “spear” wound into a defending “Cavalry Man”.

However that was a long-ish time ago. Now days modern air guns, be they hand guns and most certainly rifles, would most definitely put ones eye out. It has been the case that an air rifle, quite legally owned, has caused the death of a person who was hit in the temple. The variety of air weapon design is limitless and most major firearm manufactures make air pistols and rifles to the exact style and appearance as that of their more lethal firearms. and accuracy was definitely not guaranteed, but it sent a small projectile down range and we would set up targets of tin cans or paper targets and, to my shame, old bottles or plates and even the odd cup and saucer. In fairness the bottles rarely broke such was the lack of power of the pistol but the plate, if hit head on, would general split in two rather than shatter into fragments.

Whilst Dad was a little more lenient with me Mum was always giving me the time honored

phrase, “You are going to put someone’s eye out with that thing one of these days”. Which she always tended to authoritatively state whenever we boys were about to embark on one of our school holiday adventures, whether it was about the air pistol, or an elastic band shooting folded paper ammunition, or a cavalry saber made from the spar of an old orange box as we reenacted Custer’s Last Stand at the Battle of Little Big Horn. To my credit all eyes in the vicinity of our domain remained securely in their

For instance in the US you can purchase just about any style of air rifle from a basic, single stroke charge, single shot rifle to a replica, P90, MP5, AK 47, M16, FN 2000, pump action and even a Barrett sniper rifle look a like.

In terms of air pistols Beretta, Browning, Walther, Colt, Smith & Wesson, Sig Sauer and Heckler & Koch, amongst others, produce a wide variety of pistols that look at first glance exactly like the real thing. ›

The Walther Talon Magum is one of the most powerful single shot spring piston break barrel air rifles on the market. Pellet Guns.

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At the lower end of the scale some of these air guns will give you around 250 fps whilst the bigger models will typically produce speeds of 612fps for 5.5mm or .22 pellets; or 826fps for 4.5mm or .177 pellets. On the other hand a, Walther Talon Magnum break barrel air rifle is capable of velocities of 1200fps.

Pistols will obviously produce lower velocities and will produce velocities in the range of around, 433fps for a 5.5 mm or .22pellet; and 584fps for a 4.5mm or .177 pellet.

The ranges of fps given above are the maximum permissible legal allowed in the UK without having to have a Fire Arms Certificate, and weapons within this category are considered none lethal. A lethal weapon requiring a FAC is described as, “A weapon capable of firing a projectile with sufficient force to inflict more than a trivial injury, i.e. with sufficient force to puncture skin”.

So depending on where you are living then you will obviously have to abide by the laws of the land, but if what you are looking for

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is a weapon to kill small vermin at the least expense and bother with the law then an air gun would just nicely fi t the bill. Most modern air rifles will cleanly dispatch small vermin up to the size of rabbits with a head shot.

Fitted with a rifle scope and kept within the recommended distances an air rifle can be a useful tool to have around.

If you fancy some vermin control and you do not have a vermin problem yourself then you could always do what I used to do, that is to knock on the doors of your local farmer, or neighbor, who has a storehouse or outhouse that attracts rats. These are probably the most despised vermin on the planet and any one who knows they have a problem with them will gladly allow you to help out. For you to become a better hunter you can hone your stalking skills by doing a bit of vermin control as you need to be relatively close to your vermin to make a clean shot, even with a rifle scope. Anything over 40 meters is a difficult shot with an 820 fps air rifle, so getting close to your target is essential.

Let’s focus on the rat for now as to my mind he is the vermin we would most like to kill.

Rats are not that large for starters and when they are feeding, say in a grain store or an outhouse, they do not tend to stand still for long. You will see then bob about looking for food and they tend to be constantly on the move, so you need to get fairly close. Also they have pretty good sense of smell and hearing, so this will mean you have to develop your stalking skills probably even more acutely than if you are hunting deer or other large game animals.

When you are stealthily walking up on your target, if possible, approach downwind just as you would do for any other large game, vermin are just as sensitive to humans as any other animal. If you are not a hunter of experience vermin shooting with an air gun is a great way to learn the tricks of the trade and the experience you will gain shooting rabbits and rats will stand you in good stead when you progress to bigger and better things.

You can kit yourself out as you would for larger game animals or bird shooting, as rats and rabbits and squirrels are just as cautious when catching sight of a pink faced human and will immediately associate this with a threat to its wellbeing. So getting close to your target, no matter how big or small or how impressive, needs the same amount of caution every time. If you know that there is an area that is particularly prone to vermin infestation get yourself set up prior to the feeding time

and wait for them to come to you. Otherwise if you are stalking a target, walk slowly and deliberately, no quick movements or loud noises. If you are with a companion stop talking when you get near where you know the quarry is. Cover your white bits. That’s your face and hands. Gloves for your hands and a spot of grease paint on your face to stop any reflection. If you have camo gear wear it as well as you need to blend into your environment.

Do not decry vermin hunting as a poor mans sport or a shadow of the real thing. It is definitely a lot less expensive than hunting in Africa or hunting whitetail in the US, that’s for sure, or even going on a formal shoot in the UK, but it is fun none the less, probably more so than some of the big safari’s because the result of failure is significantly less depressing and the cost is a whole lot less. I also used to get quite a bit of satisfaction of knowing that I had reduced that rat population by a few. My contribution would not be notices by, “king rat”, but one evening I was asked by the farmer who’s land was also the location of a clay shooting school I used to frequent, if I would see if I could reduce the rat population that were infesting his grain sheds and spoiling his harvested wheat. I readily agreed and the next evening my friend and I memorably accounted for 39 rats over a period of four hours. Not bad going. But this was a serious case of infestation and the professional pest control had to be bought in as we could not stay there 24/7 popping away. If was fun whilst we did it, though, and the farmer was happy and after that we were welcome to do a bit of vermin control around the farm any time we wanted. So a rabbit or two for the pot and a rat or two for the incinerator.

Vermin shooting is all good fun and you are doing a service as well as honing you hunting skills. So go and add an air rifle to your collection of more serious weapons and get out and do a bit of vermin control in the closed season. You will be surprised how much you might enjoy it.

RNC

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exclusive interview

An Interview with, His Excellency

Mr. Marwan S. AnKheireddine Exceptional Hunter

Brown Male Lion taken in South Africa.

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I

n December I was fortunate to be able to spend my Christmas holiday in Lebanon with my wife’s family, and during my visit I was doubly fortunate to have interviewed one of Lebanon’s premier hunters, His Excellency Mr. Marwan Kheireddine, who kindly agreed to this interview during our initial meeting at a regular breakfast get together of some of Lebanon’s foremost hunters.

Hunting is Mr. Kheireddine’s passion and he indulges it whenever he can fit it into his regular busy professional schedule as, Minister of State, Chairman and General Manager of Al-Mawarid Bank, as well as being the franchisee of, Virgin Megastores, in both Lebanon and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. On top of this he is the founding member of both the, Young Presidents Organization, and the, Young Arab Leaders, as well as lecturing in finance at the American University of Beirut.

Bezoar Ibex taken in Turkey.

Your Excellency, thank you for taking the time to speak to us today and perhaps you could start by telling us how you were first introduced to hunting?

I especially love the African hunts. Africa is synonymous with big game hunting.

Like most young Lebanese men I was introduced to hunting through my family, it was my uncle in fact who took me bird hunting when I was just 7 years of age, but it was in 1999 than I went on my first big game hunt to the Ivory Coast, and interestingly it was a bow hunt. We hunted a number of antelope species and it was this hunt that got me hooked on big game.

It is without doubt a favorite of mine, but I have had so many enjoyable hunting experiences throughout the world that it is difficult to identify just one, but in terms of types of hunting I have to say that I enjoy the challenge of a mountain hunt the best. I see no point in hunting from vehicles for instance.

Walk and stalk is what I enjoy most. If there is no challenge then there is no satisfaction as far as I am concerned. For instance one particular challenging hunt was when I was hunting Marco Polo sheep in Tajikistan. The whole hunt is one big challenge as you have so many problems to contend with. First there is the environment; snow covered sheer mountain terrain at high altitudes, with long stretches of open ground. The sheep themselves are very wary as they see few humans but are preyed

You obviously have a busy schedule so how many time a year are you able to fit a hunt into it and where would you typically go to?

I endeavor to go three times a year, usually one long hunt and two shorter hunts, but I do enjoy going to the more exotic countries, and

So would you say that Africa is your favorite destination?

on by snow leopards and wolves and are therefore easily spooked, so getting up close is not an option. 200 meters would the closest, and the longest kill shot I made was ranged at 802 meters. This would not be a shot I would normally take if time was not of the essence, but it was getting late in the day and I was feeling a little effected by the altitude so I decided to take the shot. As it happened it was good. The sheep walked a few meters and dropped.

That was a pretty exception shot by any standards and hunting in the mountains of Tajikistan must be completely different to say hunting on the plains of Africa.

Yes of course. In Tajikistan I was specifically hunting for a Marco Polo, but in Africa the selection of game animals is extensive. You are also shooting at distances generally out to 50 or 100 meters range. In Africa patience is a definite requirement, whereas in the ›

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exclusive interview

Do you find that getting away on hunts helps you to mentally wind down from your normal day to day commitments and challenges?

Oh yes, of course. When I am hunting I give it my total concentration and completely break with routine. In many of the places that I hunt you are not able to get normal mobile phone connections.

We do have satellite phones for emergencies, but it means that I can completely wind down even on the shorter, three or four day hunts, and come back to the office completely refreshed and ready for the challenges that inevitably occur.

Do any of your family accompany on your hunts?

A nice Dall Sheep ram taken in the North West Territories, Canada.

Yes they do. In fact I have a trip booked at the end of December (2012) and I will be taking my 10 year old son to Africa for a few days hunting.

My wife will accompany me on the trips at times but does not hunt. ›

mountains patience is needed but more than that both physical and mental fi tness is essential. At one point when I was stalking the Marco Polo we had reached an altitude of 4400 meters, and we were climbing almost vertically, and it was at that point I had to take the shot as it would have been difficult for me to go much further.

That was a pretty grueling climb.

Did you have companions with you at the time?

Not hunting companions. Just the Tajik guides. It would be impossible to hunt in those conditions without experienced guides.

But on the less demanding hunts it is always pleasant to go with friends as companionship is a big part of the hunting experience for me. If you ask me in percentage terms what I get most out of any hunting experience I would say; 1% the actual kill. 19% the hunt itself, and 80% being with good friends and acquaintances and sharing the experience with them, both on the hunt and after, around the campfire, reliving the events of the day.

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A really good Moose trophy also taken in the North West Territories, Canada.

A good old Dagga Boy shot in Tanzania.

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I also shot this trophy Sable in Tanzania.

You have hunted many countries and many game animals but do you have a rifle that you consider your favorite and do you always try to take it with you on your hunts or would you use a weapon provided for you by the outfitter?

With regards to your question as to my favorite rifle I would probably say that the one I use most would be my, Blaser R93 in .300 Winchester Magnum, fi tted with a, Zeiss 6-24x56 rifle scope. The .300 Win Mag shoots a flat trajectory and is good out to 600 or 700 meters with the right ammunition. Also the .300 Win Mag is a good all round caliber for most game, short of African dangerous big game. For these animals I would use the .375 H&H magnum, which as you know is mandatory in most African countries.

It all depends on the country and the restrictions applicable. At times it is much easier to use the outfi tters rifles as even in countries where you are able to import your own weapons the procedure for getting them into the country, and back out again, can be a bit time consuming.

I have a few, Best Guns, by Holland and Holland and Purdey, but these I tend to keep in the gun cabinet at home as they are pretty much works of art and I find the Blaser, with its professional synthetic stock, is much more durable and resilient to the harsh environment I find myself hunting in at times.

But even so it does mean that we get to spend some quality time as a family which, with today’s busy schedules, I feel is very important.

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It would be a shame to damage the high grade stocks and fore end wood on the Holland and Holland’s or the Purdey’s!

I totally understand your comment.

It is all about the right tool for the job. Now moving closer to home, how do you see the prospects for hunting in Lebanon?

As we are all aware there is a hunting law in Lebanon which is, by and large, not fully implemented. The law was written back in 2004 and is intended to formalize the hunting in Lebanon and bring some formality to the whole hunting scene. However, today it is still not fully applied and the requirements are not always met. We have little to hunt in reality other than migratory birds and some wild bore. In the past we had more game animals

The snow was falling thick and fast when I shot this Marco Polo sheep in Tajikistan.

This Leopard I took in Tanzania.

Another trophy from Tanzania, this time a huge Crocodile.

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but they have been hunted to extinction in this country. The last Ibex in Lebanon was shot seventy years ago. For myself I have no desire to hunt in Lebanon as there is no challenge, and as I have stated previously you have to have a challenge or there is no point in hunting.

I would fully agree with your sentiments. Can you segregate one hunting experience that you have had which is particularly memorable for you?

I try my best to make every hunt a memorable one but yes, there are a couple that stand out for me. The Marco Polo sheep that I shot in Tajikistan, which I mentioned earlier, is one due to its extremely challenging environment and the long shot I was obliged to make. However I will say that the shot was a calculated one as I would never shoot without making sure that I have done everything to ensure a clean kill. Another A Gredos Ibex which I took in Spain.

I took this big Brown Bear in Kamchatka, Russia.

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Some great antlers on the Red Stag I shot in Hungary. memorable shot was whilst I was hunting Markhor in Pakistan. This was before the days when you could have all the necessary information downloaded onto your phone in terms of windage and elevation, calculations relating to distance, the caliber of the rifle, and the make and type of bullet being used. Which I do have now on my phone.

Technology is wonderful! At the time I was hunting the Markhor it was all down to sheets of paper take from catalogues etc, and when shooting at extended distances I would make sure that the rifle sight and the rifle was set up perfectly for the environment I was shooting in.

The instance with the Markhor took me 15 minutes to calculate and confirm the statistics to enable me to make a clean shot. I even confirmed my calculations with a friend in Lebanon, by sat phone, to be sure. I was on a mountain top in Pakistan running my

calculations by him at home in Lebanon before I took the shot. Fortunately the sheep was grazing and waited for us. The calculations were correct and the shot was good.

That sounds interesting I will have to get H&S a membership. Now, apart from hunting, do you have time for other activities outside your professional environment?

That’s amazing, and admirable.

Are you a member of any hunting organization which you find particularly useful to you?

Well yes I do. I do have my pilot’s license and I am qualified to fly business jets, which I enjoy tremendously, and I am also a qualified deep sea scuba diver and enjoy spear fishing when I get the time. I have to make time for flying, of course, to enable me to keep my license.

Yes, amongst others, I am a member of SCI, Safari Club International, out of Tucson Arizona, and I subscribe to their monthly newsletter which is full of useful and interesting information, not only about hunting in America but internationally. It keeps me informed of the latest events and happenings in the hunting world and I have found it invaluable.

Mr. Marwan, many thanks for taking the time to give this interview, it was a pleasure and a privilege for me. And thank you for enabling us to print just a few photographs from your extensive album on the accompanying pages.

MSK/RNC

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exclusive interview

An Interview with

Mr. Keith Coyle Proffesional Shooting Instructor

Keith shooting at Longacres

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Dunira 3 Guns end of first drive

Perhaps though, the greatest influence on my shooting career has been the past 18 years I have worked with my great mentor and true friend, Sam Grice of Long Acres Shooting School, Newmarket and Cambridge. It has been Sam who has made me the coach that I am today. He was the one that helped me mould and transpose all the technical skills Roger had given me and taught me how to use that knowledge to Instruct. I am so grateful to both these outstanding gentlemen for passing on their knowledge and expertise to me.

Are you involved in any formal organizations relating to shooting or hunting and conservation?

Thanks for giving me the time to talk to you Keith and maybe we should start by you giving us a brief career path so far, including the early years and how you first started to get into shooting?

After leaving the UK Armed Forces in 1980 I was fortunate enough to be able to go straight into business for myself. Firstly in Real Estate then as a Business Consultant which was then followed by owning a themed restaurant for 3 years. It was during this time that, a friend of mine invited me to a corporate clay shoot. I gladly accepted, went along and perhaps, more by luck that judgment, I won the high gun prize on the day. Needless to say from that point on I was hooked with a passion.

working with him at the Shooting School I completely changed the way I shot to Rogers “Method” system. It was from this point on, after much practice, that I began to generate success at competitive sporting clays, winning regional and national competition at class level. However, it was Roger’s prophetic words that had a major impact on my future shooting career when he said I would eventually have to make the decision between being a competitive shooter, or a professional instructor.

I am a member of the CPSA, the clay Pigeon Shooting Association, and BASC, the British Association for Shooting and Conservation.

In 1993 I joined the Institute of Clay Shooting Instructors. I am now a Senior CPSA Coach and a CPSA Academy Coach.

What then constitutes a typical working day for a coach?

Always an early start! Once on the shooting ground, at least 2 hours prior to opening, my first job would be to open all the ranges, ›

And who would you say has had the most influence on your shooting?

I have been very fortunate that I have had two of the very best mentors in modern shotgun sports. The first was, Mr. Roger Silcox, who was the Senior CPSA (Clay Pigeon Shooting Association) Staff Tutor and the Proprietor of, The Roses Wood Shooting School, in Bath, Somerset. It was Roger who gave me all my technical skills and during my time

Dunira 4 Top dog first drive

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pheasant in various locations in the UK. The great thing about all the days I have shot is that they always provide truly exciting sport but also supported the Estates’ commercial operations, as all birds shot are sold for the pot.

How often do you hunt now? Trips back to UK etc.

Regrettably I have not had the opportunity to return to the UK in the last few seasons, but still stay in touch with not only the head keeper at Dunira but other Estates for whom I used to Shoot Captain.

What gives you the most satisfaction, your coaching, a straight round of clays or a great wing shoot? And do you have a preference of either?

Keith with Chris Hunter Purdeys - London

ensure traps are loaded and fully operational.

Next I would sit down and go through the lesson list to see what Clients were coming in and plan the lesson requirements. Next I would meet and greet starting normally at 0830 with a lesson booked on the hour until a half hour break around 12.30 for a sandwich, then carry on to close of the day normally around 1700 hours during the summer session (in UK). Then it was help the trapper clear up, clean the school guns and then over a final “Brew”, sit down with Sam and review the day’s lessons updating the client records.

Where did you used to shot? Any favorite clay grounds or sporting estates?

When I lived in the County of Essex I was fortunate to have a good selection of local clubs within driving distance which I would attend at most weekends and midweek. On the competitive circuit my two most favorite shooting grounds were, 1) the Southdown Gun Club in Sussex and, 2) The Roundwood Shooting Ground in Hampshire. These were the grounds where I achieved my first major successes and always felt comfortable

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shooting there, They were also in very beautiful parts of the English countryside and a pleasure to drive off and spend the day at.

Although this may sound biased, because it was the last shooting Estate I managed, my favorite Game Shoot without doubt was, The Dunira Estate, in Perthshire Scotland, the outstanding terrain provided the most spectacular drives for partridge and pheasant shooting I have ever experienced. There were woodland coverts, high plateaus over gullies and woodland faced pastures with mountain fed streams. The estates hills led up to the mountain which was 2,500 ft of the most stunning pine forests leading up to heather and gorse covered moorlands, where the under keeper and I on one expedition found the original grouse butts that had been put in over 150 years before. This is where the Deer stalking was at its very best and was the home to some of the most magnificent stags I had ever seen.

As exciting as being Shoot Captain on a great game shoot, or shooting a winning round of sporting clays, without doubt the one thing that gives me the greatest satisfaction is a coaching lesson.

Yes I can understand that as you are passing on your skills to others.

Now, are there any game animals that you would not hunt or kill?

What game did you shoot and why?

Purely sport or for the ‘pot’?

I have been fortunate to shoot partridge and

Lynnes first lesson

Of all licensed game there is one animal I would not be prepared to shoot and that is the Elephant, a most magnificent creature who, in my opinion, is truly the King of the jungle.

Do any of the family hunt with you?

Both my wife Brenda, and my Son Joshua, have worked with me on the Dunira Estate.

Joshua was responsible for driving the Gun bus and was part of the team of Beaters on occasions. Brenda was the Event hostess and ran the administration of the shoot office, ensuring guns and guests were truly well fed and watered both on the mountain and at the shoot lodge dining room. It is Brenda’s ambition to eventually join me when we hope to get the time and shoot on a game day. Just to mention she is also an accomplished clay shot.

Do you have a regular hunting companion, if so do you have any anecdotes about one of your trips together?

If I had a true game shooting companion, it would be my young friend and pupil Will Thwaites. I began teaching Will when he was 11 years old and up until his 16th birthday I accompanied him as his coach/loader on every shoot. He was truly a gifted young shot and his bag to shots fired ratio was exceptional.

There was one day, though, that the birds got their own back on Will, when on the last drive of a day; Will took a high incoming pheasant with a perfect shot. It was like the bird hit as we say “the glass wall” and went into a nose dive but aimed at Will.

The bird squarely hit Will right between the eyes and placed him down onto the wet grass. At the end of the shoot I reassured him that was a good sign and placed him in great company alongside, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, who had also experienced the same fate only a week before. This went some way to restoring his damaged pride and reduced the embarrassment factor during the good natured teasing from the other guns.

Keith and Becky Gibbs Pierson - Arkansas

Out of all the guns you have owned which is your favorite one and why and if money was no object which gun would you most like to own.

Again I am lucky to have two favorite guns.

The first is my, Beretta Black Onyx, which was one of the original versions produced.

It was my first competition gun. It has never let me down and subject to the occasional ‘pilot error’ never fails to hit at what I point at. My second gun is an, E.Rizzini, 32” barrel trap gun which was brought for me by my wife Brenda, as a surprise Christmas gift and it was with this gun that I hit my first 100 straight at Down The Line. It’s a classic piece of gun making with a beautiful Monte Carlo stock. Despite having handled in my coaching capacity, many exquisite classic shotguns from Holland & Holland, James Purdey & Son, E J Churchill, Krieghoff and Kemen – I would still love to own a custom-made Perazi over/ under 30” barrel sporter.

What do you most enjoy about shooting as a pastime? What do you get from it?

The great thing about shooting any of the shotgun sports is that it takes you into the

countryside and the great outdoors. It’s totally absorbing and every target shot tests you and when its hit rewards one’s personal skill.

It is a great sport for self-discipline, whilst, at the same time being shot in a social and camaraderie environment.

What do you least enjoy about shooting?

This one’s hard, there’s nothing that I don’t enjoy when out shooting, and it doesn’t matter about the weather, as long as you wear the correct clothing. Perhaps though, if you asked me this question when I was a competitive clay shot through the 80s and 90s, I would immediately have answered, ‘referees’ and ‘no birds’. But as my shooting matured even these became part and parcel of a good shoot. However, there is one thing I do not like on any shooting day and will not tolerate on the ground that is a gun with an ‘unsafe’ attitude.

Excellent point, safety must be first and foremost. Do you ever get nervous when you are stalking a bird or waiting on a clay stand to shoot? ›

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exclusive interview

Being Shoot Captain and ultimately responsible for the success of a day, is always slightly nerve wracking. As much as you can make perfect preparations, you are still reliant on the birds doing what they are supposed to do, and fly in the right direction. During my clay competition days, there were always some slight nerves, just prior to walking onto the first stand, but once the cartridges were loaded and mind was focused, the nerves would disappear and the enjoyment began.

Do you have a lucky mascot or do you do something specific every time you shoot? (E.G. when I was clay shooting I would drop two cartridges in the breach and turn them so that the writing was level on them both. The makers name on top “12g” at the bottom).

I have never had what one would call superstitious procedures; however, my lucky mascot is my lovely wife Brenda. We made a great team at competitions. In fact she almost became my manager, helping me to plan the program of shoots we would attend in the season. She would then take over the day from the moment we arrived at the shoot. She did everything, from registration to carrying my score card, handing it to the referees and checking that the score was

correct. I was the lucky one, all I had to do was to stand there, call “pull” and squeeze the trigger!

What makes a good shoot day for you be it clays or live birds?

On a sporting clays shoot, it’s the quality of the targets that makes the day. There are some course designers that have the knack of making a shoot testing but entertaining, it challenges your skills and rewards good technique. However, regrettably there are certain course designers that think the sole objective is to defeat the shooter by putting on targets that are extreme in distance, speed, or angle. We always used to complain with our feet at these shooting grounds, and never return. On a game shoot the first thing that makes the day are the Guns themselves, then well-presented drives and birds with plenty of air under their wings, all followed by a good shoot dinner with a glass or two of Claret and great stories from the day.

How has the hunting scene changed since you were a “lad”?

Since I first entered the world of game shooting, there have been many changes that have affected legislation and commercialization of the sport. Although some legislation has been, somewhat, impractical in its implementation, in my opinion, the standards of shooting presentation and professionalism in the UK has increased. Despite opposition from some anti-groups, the revitalization of eating game meat as part of a more natural and healthy diet has proved to be the biggest benefi t in a greater acceptance of hunting sports.

Do you have any dream or aspirations for the future of hunting both locally in the UAE and elsewhere?

"Brenda and I - Arkansas"

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My aspiration and long-term goal is still to establish in the UAE a Centre of Excellence for instruction, promotion and development

of Clay target and field hunting shotgun sports and for this centre to have a world recognized reputation. I would want the School to promote the pursuance of the classic traditional skills associated with wild game and wing shooting that would also educate others in the vital role it plays in the conservation of birds and game species and their natural habitat. For me personally, the shooting school would be the opportunity to pass on to others the knowledge and skills so generously given to me by Classic Shooting Instructors, who are acclaimed worldwide to be the very best in their field.

Do you have any other interests or hobbies?

For fifteen years I was a student of the Japanese martial art of Kendo, which has led me onto a deep interest in far eastern philosophy. I am a keen military historian and enjoying partnering with Brenda in dinner party entertaining.

Any other comments that you would like to make that I have omitted to ask you about.

Gunfi tting – I have also been very fortunate to have been mentored by the late legendary Chris Craddock in the art of Gunfi tting for sporting shotguns. I will be eternally grateful to Chris for the skills he imparted to me and the way he encouraged me to develop my own approach to this art. After 22years of professional coaching I am fortunate to be an approved gunfi tter accepted by the UKs finest Gunmakers.

Keith many thanks for talking to me and we all look forward to future issues as you have graciously accepted to become a contributor of H&S magazine and I am sure your instructions and guidance in the future will be of interest and benefit to many of our readers.

KC/RNC

FP Pending

hunting season

Ptarmigan

Winterhunting with Rie and Good Friends

by Evelina Aslund

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S

o here we go again. Finally! It was almost two months ago that I was out with the dogs for hunting. Here in Jämtland where I live, it is hard to hunt grouse right between early autumn and the winter season. The period between the fall and winter Ptarmigan change color from dark brown to pure white, and during that time, they are often very shy and hard to get close to. But now has come the winter, the lakes are frozen, the mountains are completely covered with snow and ptarmigans are pure white. Then it's time for hunting winter grouse, which is another name for the Ptarmigan!

was quite strong. It took us almost an hour to get the 3 km to the chalet. Once in the house, we made a fire so we could get some heat, preparing some soup for lunch before we set off on a short hunting trip. The days are short this time of year. In mid-December it will be bright at, 9:30 in the morning and dusk comes at 15:00, in the afternoon.

We skied out in the mountains after a good and warm lunch. First out of the drop was my Irish setter, Zero. He is a muscular male who is pretty heavy. With his 25 kg he is to heavy to run on the top of the snow and not as good as the two dainty setter femails I have. He fell sharply through the snow today. I know from experience that it is usually easiest for the dogs to run on the ice (frozen lakes), so we skied down to the lake chasing each other out on islets and islands where there is usually also ptarmigan sitting.

The wind subsided during the afternoon and it was really comfortable weather for hunting.

After about 20 minutes with Zero out on release, I look at my GPS to establish our location and see Zero pointing for a bird. All of us skiied up to him. › For me, who loves to go cross-country skiing, this is a great hunting style! When we hunt ptarmigan in winter we go skiing in the mountains and look for the grouse. My dogs are my best tool for they always find grouse before me. It is otherwise very difficult to detect the grouse with just the eye when they are so white against snow. Good dogs with a good sense of smell and very good binoculars and rifle scope on the gun is necessary for this type of hunting.

This weekend, I'm on the hunt with three girlfriends. I've been lucky that I have girlfriends who hunt AND likes to ski! They are hunters all three but only two of them, Anna and Liselotte, carry guns this weekend.

Ingela has brought her youngster, Reco, which is an 8-month old Vorster and she want to concentrate on him and taking some nice photos of us.

When we reached the parking lot in Ljungdalen on Saturday morning, it took us almost an hour to make ourselves ready for the hunt and the ski tour up to the chalet.

After binding on our skis, we slung our guns and backpacks, which were full with food and warm clothes, and began our 3 km march up to the chalet where we would sleep overnight.

This early in the season, in December, you often ride on untracked terrain. Later on in the winter when the days get longer and the sun begins to warm, more people dare to go out on the mountain on skis and snowmobiles. Then you can use tracks and snowmobile trails to ride in, but now it was just pulsing on the 40cm deep snow which had just fallen.

When we got up above the tree line the wind

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One single grouse went up about 15 meters in front of us. Liselott stood ready with her gun and BANG, BANG! Two shots and the grouse falls and Wilma happily retrieves her second grouse of the day. I'm so happy! And happy for Liselotte! Well done! Liselotte smiles happily and tells me it's her second grouse she ever shot, but the first dressed in winter white.

It starts to get dark quickly and we decide to qickely ski back to the chalet. It's a beautiful evening. The last light at dusk is called the blue hour. And it's true. Everything seems blue just before darkens. The air is cold and clear, and we're all alone on a large scale. Not one person, exept ourselves, have we seen all day.

It's easy to feel small when you are in this kind of great open landscape.

Ingela with her camera at the ready and we other three with our guns. Today we are prepared with both rifles and shotguns, depending on the situation, for short distance we use the shotgun and long distance we use the rifle. As we approach Zero, we see four or five grouse running on the snow about 20 meters in front of us on top of a snowdrift.

Within seconds, they disappeared behind the crest. Zero sneaks behind and we are trying with great effort to prepare ourselves for the drive with skis on ... and guns ready. When we get up on the ridge, we see the flapping wings of the birds about 20 meters in front of us. Damn! I call Zero to heel and release Wilma, the English Setter. She takes a position after five minutes, about 250 meters in front of us. We see her clearly against the white background of the snow as she stands in a good position on the ice, pointing to another island.

Anna, me and Liselotte, ski cautiously toward her. I’m ready with my rifle and the others each with a shootguns. On line we ski up behind her. I go down on my knees and take support and am looking to see if I can see anything through the telescopic sight .... yes, there, I see one single grouse about 30 meters ahead. I aim carefully with support from my one knee and shoot the grouse with a shot

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from my cal .22, and Wilma retrieves happily!

Great! Ripa = Grouse number one in the bag.

We continue to ski for an hour and then we turned across the ice and skied up on land on the south side of the lake. Ingela and Anna decide to go back to the chalet to heat the stove up and and prepare the dinner.

Liselotte and I wanted to hunt a little longer, as long as the light allows. Wilma is out on the search again and take a position about 200 metres from us in a small birch grove. Me and Liselotte ski up behind her. We could not see the grouse and so I told Wilma to advance.

As we progress we see in the distance a glimmer of light from the chalet. It is also the only light visible, everything else we see is just a white landscape and a dark sky, with millions of stars. It looks welcoming and cozy like. As we approach, we also can smell the smoke of firewood from the fire in the stove.

Now I´m looking forward to an evening with some of my very best friends and when I arrive the first thing I will do is serve my dear friends a hot punch. Then they will be served grouse as a starter and some good red wine to accompany the moose stew that Ingela cooked.

All in all a great day in the white wilderness with good friends and good dogs. Fresh, clean, cold air outside, a warm ďŹ re and good hot food inside. What more can you ask for? Not much!

EA.

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A Little Turkey Story

by Jackie Gross Here is my little turkey story that I wanted to share with y’all.

Smiling Big! J.

B

ow Hunting Turkey is one of my favorite HUNTS! I just love hunting in any format but when you are hunting with a bow it takes a little bit more skill as you gotta get that much closer to the target than you have to with a rifle or shotgun. And if you’re out to catch a turkey with a bow, spring time is a good time as the toms are strutting their stuff looking for unmated hens.

It was opening weekend and it was a cold, sleety, spring storm that rolled on through New Castle that day, and it was one of those lazy winds, the sort that went right on through you rather than going around! TJ, my fiancé, and me had been out most of the day and had not see a feather in all that time and

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as we were just about to call it off for the day and we stood up; “BUSTED!”. There they were, two turkeys less than 15 yards away!

But they were gone in an instant as soon as they caught sight of us. We got turked by some turks!

We continued to hunt throughout the weekends and after a 20 yard miss on Saturday I just thought I was doomed! I had to revert back to the basics, PATIENCE and REMAIN CALM, is what some people say. I say adrenalin and uncontrollable excitement!

Sunday; and I talked Turkey to a Gobbler at 87 yards, but he just wouldn’t leave his hens and come in bow range. So back at it again

on Wednesday, another hail storm is rolling in and that lazy old wind picks up again, but then I see my two hens that were with my Gobbler two days before. I begin to breathe slowly knowing my adrenalin, shaky hands, and chattering teeth are about to take over my body. I look out of my blind and see him, just 31 yards away. In BOW RANGE! I draw, hold my breath and release, and then breathe again. This time my aim was true resulting in a successful hunt, even with a broken arrow!

I was so proud to have my first Gobbler of this season while Bow Hunting. All that time waiting earlier was all worth it as I had bagged a 20 lb bird with an 8” Beard. Now I’m a HAPPY BOW HUNTER! JG

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An Extreme Huntress’s

African Adventure

By Jacqueline Gross

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I

t all started when I wanted something more out of the Hunting Industry, so I submitted a 500 word Essay into Tahoe Films on why I felt I should be named the, Extreme Huntress, of the World. I shared my true passion about hunting and won the contest. That led me to winning the trip of a lifetime to Zimbabwe, Africa to hunt one of the Big Five; the Cape Buffalo, with Martin Pieters Safaris. But before we go there here are a few paragraphs of my essay.

I’m a lil’ southern country girl from Louisiana.

My introduction to hunting came at a young age, when my Brother (Chris) and Dad (George) would stick me in a blind while duck hunting.

Once I learned how to shoot a shotgun I became hooked. My brother and I would hunt before school and in the evenings. I soon learned that this was just the beginning and it was the best freedom I could ever experience.

I can only try to create for you the heart thumping feeling that generates deep down inside of me when the start of hunting season arises. At first glance I don’t appear to be the average female hunter; my physique is pretty tiny but I have underlying strength that comes from my love of hunting.

I am overcome with sensations that I could never have imagined when I begin hunting season and especially when I pick up a bow. I started to have a burning desire during hunting season.

It is a feeling of the raw outdoors that can sometimes be overwhelming. My teeth chatter with adrenalin, my hands shake with anxiety and my smile overlays my face while hunting any game. I have to remind myself to breathe and remain calm so I don’t pass out or hyperventilate.

It has become such an obsession that my whole life revolves around hunting. My favorite colors consist of camouflage and even what you should expect from me for Christmas.

I live for the thrill. When I see wild game fly or run by, all I can think is “Mmmmm that would make good gravy.”

because our wedding dates conflicted with the scheduled hunt. Conflict or not, TJ and I chose, rifle shells over wedding bells.

I can’t stop smiling when I describe my year long journey to prepare for Africa. The Extreme Huntress title comes with more than just an Extreme Hunting trip. TJ (my fiancé) and I had to postpone our wedding. That’s

Learning to use my new Blaser 375 H&H, which was part of this great prize by the way, with Barnes VOR-TX bullets and Aimpoint Red Dot site was a big challenge. Can I say “O-U-C-H!?” I just did-many times! The rifle kick rocks my petite body after every shot (I am only a mere 110lbs). Really, it is quite comical to watch, me with my big earto-ear grin, even if it is going to HURT. An even-bigger challenge has been using sticks.

Executing this task has been more difficult than I originally anticipated. Yet another joke is: “Jackie is going to go to shoot her Cape and you’re going to see her disappear off camera!

BANG. GONE! WHERE’S JACKIE?!”

From home in Colorado to Zimbabwe was the longest trip I have taken in my life so far, 24 plus hours, but before I knew it, the time had come when we were exiting customs at Victoria Falls to be greeted by some tribesmen and the Tahoe Films Team. We were introduced to our PH Chap Esterhuizen and with brig grins and much excitement I was ready for our adventure to hunt Dangerous Game! ›

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In immediate culture shock I was amazed at the lifestyle of the indigenous people of Africa. The C.A.M.P Fire Region (Communal Area Management Program for Indigenous Resources) is some of the largest untouched wild areas of Zimbabwe. Our hunting concession alone consisted of 1.9 million acres of unformed wild African Bush.

We only had 4 hours of sleep before we headed out into the bush. The good news was I didn’t feel too tired but that was soon to come later. We hiked and I saw my first elephant track that was as big as a pizza pan and then the evidence of where he pooped.

The poop looked like soccer balls. We kept on hiking and I have to tell ya, walking in the bush is one thing, but following the trackers is another, they walk as fast as we American’s would jog. The sun had been beating on us and by this point I was feeling a little fatigue.

We hadn’t eaten lunch yet and I was starting to feel the exhaustion. But I kept pushing.

With the amazing trackers on fresh sign we were immediately pinned down by the buffalo.

The herd was only 40 yards in front of us bedded down. We stayed pinned for a good one and a half hours all the while watching the buffalo milling around in the trees around us.

In a quick glance a water buck came running up towards us winding us and spooked the herd. They took off running and it sounded like a rain storm on a tin roof, just the loud crashing in the bush. No luck. We headed out to the truck and with a promising day we found some baboons; so I took one!

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The Della Death March, the day that we will remember for the rest of our lives. The morning was HOT! How about VERY hot, temperature’s over 100 degrees F. This was yet the steepest and thickest terrain so far while hunting. My legs were bleeding at this point and I had thorns stuck in my trigger finger. The sweat flies were in my eyes and I had no idea that if you smashed one it makes them worse. By this point we were suffering from mild heat exhaustion and the point of fatigue had set in. The wind was circling and we didn’t have any luck. We had to make the ultimate decision and head back. It was around 5-ish and the little bit of coolness from the sun setting felt amazing! In the split of a second, zebras were standing alongside a hillside. Tubbs, our tracker grabbed the sticks and we took off after them. My nausea faded and I knew I had to focus. The zebras started to run. Chap grabbed me and looked me in the eyes and said, “Can you do this?” I nodded my head. At one glance we were chasing them up the hillside. Swallowing sweat flies and blowing them out of my eyes, suddenly I had a broadside shot and quickly took it.

The Zebra dropped and all I could do was smile. I wasn’t planning on shooting a zebra, but in Africa it isn’t always about what you’re planning to shoot, it is when an opportunity presents itself you take it. I am very proud of the choice I made.

The next morning we had an early 3:30 am

wakeup call and I was excited and ready to hunt hard core for a buffalo. (Not like I hadn’t been doing that every day, ya know)! As we drove a little further, Chap stopped the truck and we saw a trophy waterbuck. I looked through the scope and had a straight on shot.

I noticed as the animals get bigger in size they look at you as if they are going to charge you or run and this waterbuck was definitely not

running. I took a shot at him, a bit low. At first no sign, no blood! I started to feel upset, sick to my stomach thinking that I wounded an animal, a trophy animal at that. Then within steps the blood trail started. I begin to smile so big because I knew he couldn’t be far. The trackers were on his trail and as we saw him lying down I knew I was successful. I started to tear up but it was a very proud moment.

Hunting Lake Karibia was a great delight. We were able to glass more wildlife than I could ever dream of. I even had the pleasure to witness fresh tilapia fish being cleaned. We hunted hard all day, with no luck. We were exhausted and it was break time. I only had enough energy to jump out the truck and lay in the sand; within seconds I was sleeping and then I felt a moment of coolness? So I opened my eyes and looked in my palm to see a pile of pure white bird poop. Yep, a bird pooped in my hand. I then grinned and stood up feeling a little dizzy. We were so exhausted, Chap called into headquarters for them to bring the boat to pick us up. ›

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Then, driving along the shoreline we couldn’t believe it, BUFFALO, right in front of us! We grabbed the guns and the sticks, off we went.

As we were glassing over the shoreline the buffalo spotted us. Immediately they took off running so we took off running after them.

Here we go! The buffalo would stop and then we would stop, the buffalo would run then we would run. You could literally hear the ground moving as they were running and tromping up dust. The buffalo then went to a point where we couldn’t see them off into the Jest. We were now running. (The Jest is thick thorns and brush that rips through your body, tearing your clothes and leaving you with scars for life). Sweat was pouring off of our faces from adrenalin, determination, and execution.

We then came around the shoreline and we cornered the buffalo from the opposite side of the shore. Chap and I moved out from

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behind a small bush and we are now facing the herd of buffalo. NOTHING was inbetween them and me except shooting sticks and my 375 H&H Blaser. Chap whispered into my ear, “Shoot the one with the snot in his nose, shoot!” Less than 40 yards away I could see the Dagga Boy staring me in my eyes, he is facing me with his nose facing up trying to figure out what I was. I squeezed the trigger hitting him in his shoulder watching him stumble. I shot another bullet into him while he was trailing behind the herd only 15 yards away.

We could hear him take a breath of air knowing that it was a lung-shot. The trackers are on the blood trail quick. At this point everything looks like a buffalo, every black dot, every movement, and every sound was crisp. We are now not the Hunter but the Hunted. We spot the horns laying down in the jest and we are in shock…. it is a cow!

Evidently when I shot the Bull at such close range the bullet must have ricochet off a bone and exited the bull, hitting the cow off angled. Chap immediately tells me to reload. At this moment, you can literally hear everyone’s heart beating. The intensity that you can feel on everyone’s face, the sweat beating off all of us, the blood dripping from our legs, the true EXTREME OF HUNTING is being tested at this very moment tracking a wounded DAGGA BOY IN THE JEST. We backed track to where I had shot the bull the second time and before we knew it we were on his blood trail. TJ hears the brush breaking and we can see the bull lying down, Chap grabs me, “Shoot him, shoot, shoot!” I shoot him quickly and as I stood up I knew that I had finally succeeded. I accomplished the ultimate challenge and my task as the Extreme Huntress was complete.

We relaxed on the boat ride back to camp and after a great day we had a relaxing experience and worked up an appetite. The Chef was cooking BBQ and his marinade was Gut Soup. Yep, it is true. I will tell you it was the Best BBQ that I had ever eaten.

The moments, the memories and the feeling of being in Africa will be remembered forever. Only we can make the difference in the Outdoors for the next generation of hunters, so we have to start now. Maybe in the next issue I will tell you how you can help be a part of it and how you can ensure there will be these sorts of adventures for the next generation.

J.G.

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Father and Son

Zambian Safari with

I

Stuart Pringle

had again the pleasure and honor to hunt with my good friend, Dr. Jack Gayden, and his son, Bolton, from Memphis, Tennessee. Our hunt took place near the copper belt in Zambia, an hour’s drive south of Ndola on a ranch called Ntsobe (means Sitatunga in the local langue). We opened our trophies with a Beautiful Black Lechwe and a Chobe Bushbuck on the ďŹ rst day.

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Day 3 Started with a really nice common Duiker and a great shot from Bolton. This lad was cleaning up. He was full of energy as he was using one of our rifles and making great shots. Later that day doc was rewarded with a very heavy Puku with good length. Everyday we were fed 5 times a day and they were killing us with great food. We could not stop eating as it was so good. Truly Africa at its best. The country and terrain was exotic and in fine form.

Day 2 Started bright and early, at 4:30 am, we were after Sitatunga. Doc and I were in an elevated stand on the edge of a huge swamp as this is the home of the Sitatunga. As we had settled in I heard the noises of what sounded like a Kudu, affectionately called the Grey Ghost in Africa, running away after he had seen someone. I thought we had been detected, but I was wrong. Two bulls were fighting in the swamp. They bark like all spiral horned antelope. The bird life soon came to life as the day was starting to get lighter. Doc grabbed me and asked me what that was coming out of the forest. I could see the outline of a Sitatunga, but could not make out any horns.

He disappeared and then come out again heading for the swamp. He walked all along the reeds and the whole time I could not see his horns. Finally I got a good look at him and we were ready to take him. The muzzle flashed and he vanished. Where did he go?

Mike our Zambian PH soon appeared and walked towards were the bull had stood. We saw him stand around, but did not indicate that we had him or shot another one. Did we get the bull? We soon got out of the blind and made our way to the bull on a floating weed bank. It felt crazy as we were walking

Day 4 Was a quiet day as we were after the grey ghost for Bolton, we covered plenty ground but, with no luck. We got an opportunity on an Impala. They are about 25% small in body and horns compared to the one’s in S.A. Later that afternoon Bolton got a huge Tsessebe.

This was to be the biggest I had ever taken with anyone to date. We shot him out of a bachelor heard of 6 bulls. on water. We were ecstatic! What a bull.

And it was only 6:15. WOW! Doc was soon rewarded with a beautiful old Bushbuck later that morning. Later that afternoon Bolton was in luck and got a great Puku. Great shooting lad.

Day 5 We were still looking for the Grey Ghost. We looked over a few bulls but too young. They also seem quite a bit smaller than the ones in S.A. We found four Blue Duikers together ›

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and tried to stalk them with no luck. Later that day Doc was rewarded with a huge Blue Duiker (if you can call them that). You never ďŹ nd them standing still and guess what doc shot him standing still!

Day 6 Found us pursuing, from one of the smallest antelope to the largest antelope in Africa, the Livingston Eland. We found a great bull and followed his tracks and could not get a shot on him ďŹ nally he gave us a quartering on shot and Doc wasted no time placing the bullet into the front part of his shoulder.

What an animal we had to get in the troops.

We soon had him in the skinning shed. Mike, skinners and I got into bed after midnight.

This trip seemed to be ďŹ lled with many special moments for all of us.

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Day 7 This was our final day in paradise. We were after Sable as we had given up on the Grey Ghost. We had seen a huge Sable bull and started out searching for him. We were up at first light and were off after a cup of coffee and a light breakfast. We bumped a bachelor heard of Zebra stallions with some good looking animals in it. Doc had never taken a Zebra, so off we were. They were jumpy so early in the morning. We were able to close the gap and get a 180 yard shot on them.

Perfect, down he went. Good start on our last day. We had him in the bed of the land cruiser and were heading to the skinning shed when we saw a Blue Duiker cross the road.

We jumped off and follow it. As luck would have it was standing still and Bolton had her with one shot of the 12 gauge with no 4’s.

Pictures were taken and off again. Duks, our skinner, had some work to do. The animals were soon off loaded and the skinning started.

Bolton had no idea we were specifically looking for the huge Sable bull for him. We soon found one and Doc told Bolton to grab the 7mm. He was in seventh heaven as we started our stalk. He was not that big for been stupid. After much stalking and making plans Bolton got his shot. At the shot the bull took off but was soon heaped up in a cloud of dust.

We gave him a few minutes and made our approach. It was over. What an experience for the young lad. He could not stop smiling.

What a day, what a safari for my good friend and son. Doc, thank you that was a true African experience. Treasure those fantastic trophies and I look forward to your return with the rest of your family.

Take care all and remember to live your legendary experiences.

S.P.

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An African Journal

Lion & Wildebeest but no Zebra!

The Rory Minjares Story - Part 2 with Elaine Coetzee

I

n the last issue we left our story just when Elaine comes in to dinner grinning ear to ear and asks me if I would be interested in hunting a white lioness as one of her trackers has come across a pride which included just such an animal. I, of course, responded in the afďŹ rmative in no uncertain terms.

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In case you missed the last couple of stories I’m a 43 year old American and am on a safari with, Elaine Coetzee, of CEC Safaris, in Namibia and have brought along my son, Mazeric, with me so that we can spend some quality time together and for him to experience the excitement of an African safari.

Trying to get some sleep that night was a real challenge as my mind was full of the thoughts of what the following day would bring. A white lioness would be a fantastic trophy to take back to my home city of, Missoula, Montana. Eventually night fades and the light of dawn brings me fully awake still full of the anticipation of the coming day. After a

they told me that a lioness can go three to four times further than the males.

Suddenly the PH is gripping my shoulder to the point where it hurts. I look at him and his eyes are as big as saucers and so are John’s.

Immediately I know we’re in danger and the lioness must be close by. From the force of being gripped by my PH and my excitement of being so close to our quarry I’m finding it really difficult to get my arrow nocked and ready to shoot. No one has spoke a word until we are seventeen feet away and I see her, finally, and by now we were just about ten feet from where she is, she’s crouching down her white fur hides her perfectly in the tall grass it is still shocking to me to realize that an animal so big can hide that close. The Ph gives short, curt, directions to take the shot as the lioness is getting ready to charge, I let loose my first arrow nocking my second arrow quicker than I ever thought possible. sustaining breakfast we prepare for the hunt but I have to give the news to Maz that he’s got to go with Elaine as the lioness’s are too aggressive and there’s no way I am willing to risk his life. Mazeric shows his disappointment and lets me know that he could be back up for me if something went wrong! Great pride is swelling up inside me that my son is willing to support his dear “old” Dad, but I tell him I will be back as soon as it’s done so he can share in the hunt as well. Anyway this time will give him a chance to hunt with Elaine and more opportunities to get the Impala that he is so keen to do. This cheers him up and we say our farewells and go our separate ways for the time being.

off the road. The PH stops the rig and we all start in to where we last spotted her, in the back of my mind I’m preparing myself for what could be a 40 mile push as I remember what

The lioness jumped as my first arrow took her just in front of her left shoulder, across her chest, exiting behind her right shoulder. In an instant she is gone but John gets on the ›

We arrive an hour or so later to the last spot the pride was seen and again, John our tracker, is on the front looking for signs. John lets the PH know were on the trail of the pride and the lioness’s are breaking off as they must be hunting. As luck would have it and I will take luck any day, or as Elaine says she’s always been lucky with cats. That becomes more apparent on this entire trip, but as we’re driving we spot the white lioness 300 yards

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blood trail immediately and we are now tracking her! All the while I can’t get over how close we all were to the lioness and the look on the PH’s and Johns face, we were all very blessed this day as this story could have had a much different ending. Three miles later I’m shocked with how much blood loss there is and the hit that the lioness took and the fact that she is still going. We finally spot her and she’s looking in rough shape; we keep pace with her just watching hoping she expires.

The lioness makes it into a thicket of blackthorn bushes where I’m hoping she will give up the ghost. When we get there, however, we soon realize that she is still alive, so I nock my second arrow and with only a square foot of clearing to shoot through my arrow finds its mark at the back of her rib cage going up into her chest. The PH

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whispers for me to shoot again. I already have my arrow nocked and let it fly. My arrow hits perfectly, right into her chest and what looks like a heart and lung shot, but this lioness isn’t giving up easily, she explodes from the far side of this blackthorn bush covering twenty feet in her first leap and launching again so that the PH has no choice but to let her have it with his .416 Rigby, rocking the lioness back into the blackthorn bush.

The adrenaline is at an all time high and I’m still in shock as to how well this all worked out, it could have gone terribly wrong from the very beginning, even here at the end God was truly watching over us. As I write this I recalled what Elaine had told me as to why Mazeric couldn’t come with us because the females are much more aggressive, but not only that, Mazeric’s five foot three inches, not

small but the smallest out of us, and he would have been her first target. As close as we were when we walked by her, his size might even have been all the reason she needed to attack.

The PH runs back to get the Landcruiser as me and John are prepping the lioness for pictures.

John asks me if I would tell the story of the hunt so he can record it on his cell phone and play it for his wife when he gets home. I’m more than happy to oblige him. To watch the trackers here is a pure pleasure and gives me new respect for them, back home tracking elk, deer, or Mountain lion, it’s different, the ground and terrain is all sand here and it’s just an amazing treat to watch how they pick up an individual animals tracks or how they know each animals patterns and are able to put you in front of them when stalking.

My PH pulls up in the 4x4 and due to the heat we decide it would be best to get the Lioness back to camp and get her washed down to cool her off. That and because I had promised Mazeric he wouldn’t miss anything. On arrival Mazeric of course races up to see the lioness and to hear the stories and to tell me about his day of hunting with Elaine. Unfortunately no shots for my little man but plenty of encounters, that at least took his mind off of what he was missing.

After all this excitement It was back through Botswana from the South African border to CEC Safaris for the remaining plains game & leopard hunt. The trip turns out to be a little adventure all of its own as the GPS in Elaine’s vehicle succeeds in getting us off course, putting us on a 4 hour detour, but as I always say, if this is the worse thing that happens today that’s pretty dam good. I’ll take it all day.

That and it gave us all more time to talk and share the events of the day.

The next morning we’re heading out to start

our bait lines for the leopard so we pull up to, Harvey’s Co-Op, in Omitara, to fuel up and as luck would have it he’s out of fuel! I can

see the frustration on Elaine’s face when she gets back in the rig, all she can say is, “This is Africa”. Harvey had put in his order for fuel over two weeks ago and still no fuel truck but thankfully Elaine has back up fuel to get us through the day and hopefully the fuel truck will soon arrive. We head down to, Yurgens, farm to get the donkey we will be using for bait, Martin, Elaine’s tracker, makes short work of the donkey and gets it loaded into the back of the truck and we start to lay our bait line across three different farms in the hope that they will start hitting on them soon. I have heard of a lot of hunters come to Africa to get their leopards, some are still trying and others have taken up to four or five trips, I just hope Elaine’s luck with cats keeps up.

A few miles down the road Martin spots a large herd consisting of many animals primarily Eland, Zebra and Black Wildebeest. I know Maz really wants his zebra more than any one animal, it’s the one at the top of his list and after hearing how tough they are I find a new respect for them as well. We try to get closer to them but a black wildebeest busts our attempted stalk and all but for the large bull that ruined our stalk, scatter to the four ›

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winds, which ends up being great luck for me but bad luck for the clowns of Africa, (Black Wildebeest) and after watching their antics fleeing across the plains I have to agree they are absolute clowns. However, this large bull stands his ground even after being the one to scatter the mixed herd. Deciding that this animal would be a good trophy Elaine reminds me to aim at the far leg and follow up two thirds of the body. I pull the trigger on my .375 H&H, sending my 300 grain Barnes bullet 200 yards, and it’s a solid shot. Foxy, Elaine’s Fox terrier, sprints off after him and it didn’t go more than 70 yards before it piles up with Foxy hot on his trail.

When we approach, Foxy’s busy getting her reward for following the blood track on this

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animal. Foxy wasn’t needed on this one but later Foxy’s talents come in extremely handy.

Martin grabs Foxy off her backside feast and we get the pictures taken and load up in hot pursuit hoping to get on the, Burchell’s zebra, we had spotted earlier. However, a few stalks and some tired hunters with the sun quickly setting makes us realize today will not be the day Mazeric gets his Zebra. I reassure him we still have plenty of time and not to worry; we won’t leave Africa without him getting his Zebra. We take my Black wildebeest up to, Yurgens, so we can skin and prep him and we retain the guts for a leopard bait concoction that would make most humans heave even on an empty stomach but which is gourmet dinning to the leopard.

After seeing to the leopard bate and storing it safely ready for laying it out on the morrow, we all head back to camp, to wash up, change out of our dusty safari clothes and to settle down to some ‘bate’ ourselves. This time it really is gourmet fair prepared by the camp chef and a more contented group of hunters you would not find in all of Africa as we say our goodnights and get some well needed rest to ready ourselves for another exciting day to morrow. A day that we hope will produce Mazeric’s much wanted zebra. Join me next issue for more adventures and to see if we manage to get Mazeric his zebra and me my leopard.

Rory Minjares.

Hunting Packages / September - February 2013

travel

Romania ‘Duck and Wild Goose Chase’

PACKAGE INCLUDES:

FP Pending

• Board and lodging 5 night accomodation (4 days hunt)) starting with the arrival evening until in the breakfast morning of departure.

• Lodging in single room with bathroom.

• Romanian shooting license during the whole hunting time with official invitation card.

• Customs assistance for arrival and departure.

• Transfer airport - hunting box.

• All transfers inside Romanian borders include driver and escort.

• Hunting set-up.

• PACKAGE WITHOUT KILL LIMITS. • Head game preservation in cold storage room.

AT YOUR DISPOSAL: • Guns Beretta cal 12, - 35 Euro / day.

• Guns bullets/cartridges 16 euro per box.

• 6 Volt e 12 Volt rechargeable battery and corresponding cells boost 10.00 Euro per day.

THE PACKAGE DOES NOT INCLUDE:

• Out and home airplane / bus ticket.

• Alcoholic drinks.

• International veterinary certificate.

IMPORTANT!

• Counseled fowling time from September 2012 to January 2013.

• Reservations must be done 1 month before, with our acknowledgment.

• Additional hunting day 500 Euros

NET PRICE: 2,450/- Euro for 4 days hunt NET PRICE: 1,950/- Euro for 3 days hunt (minimum of 3 hunters per group for that package)

* Full payments should be done on booking and any cancellation will result in 30% deduction if cancellation is done less than a month prior departure.

For more information about Hunting Packages please contact:

Mr. Joe Balesh, at Hunting & Safari

Tel: 00961 71 768211 • Mob: 00971 50 551 5957 Email: jbalesh@mailme.ae / hsmagazine.travel@gmail.com

www.huntingandsafaris.com

big game hunting

African

Whoppers

by Cameron Hopkins

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A

frican safari hunting has generated more books, stories, articles and movies than any other form of big game hunting, but some of the lore is pure ďŹ ction. Here are the ďŹ ve biggest myths, falsehoods, mistruths, and outright lies about African hunting.

African safari hunting is steeped in legend and lore. From a faded dust jacket around Green Hills of Africa to a dog-eared copy of African Game Trails, no other genre of big game hunting has been chronicled as comprehensively and brilliantly as that of the Dark Continent. Given the sheer volume of written and cinema-graphic content, it’s little wonder that out of this mountain of material comes some utter nonsense.

We who venerate the written word- you’re reading a magazine, aren’t you? - might find it shocking that respected authors occasionally get things so wrong. But it happens. In fact, a great deal of what you read on African hunting is either woefully anachronistic or just factually incorrect. Robert Ruark wrote that hyenas are hermaphroditic, which is not only untrue but preposterous. Others are just as guilty, although perhaps not so brazenly.

Some of the errors are simply a consequence of change; Africa is not static. For instance, I read a highly respected authority state in a book published in the early 2000s that the Bangeweleu Swamp in Zambia is home to some of the biggest oribi in Africa. When I went there in 2012, there wasn’t a single oribi to be seen. I asked my PH about this and he laughed, “That’s 10 years out of date!

That was before the snares and the poachers wiped out the oribi. There’s none left now.”

African Game Is Bulletproof

This prompted me to think about all the mistaken ideas and outright falsehoods that have crept into our rich treasure of African hunting lore. Since we have tradition at stake here, I’ll follow suit and refer to the five biggest whoppers as, The Big Five Lies.

Some are specific, some generic.

The tallest tale of them all is the notion that a 600 lb. antelope, like, say, a kudu, is immeasurably stronger and tougher than a 600 lb. browser found anywhere else in the world. Kudu hide is impregnated with Kevlar, rendering the gray ghost all but bulletproof.

Innumerable writers have contributed to this

myth with arguably the genre’s single most famous work, Ruark’s Use Enough Gun, even titled as such. But it’s nonsense.

The theory put forth is that African animals are under such tremendous predator pressure that a life of constantly dodging cheetahs and avoiding lions has rendered them Super Strong. Horsefeathers. If that was true, baby harp seals would be the meanest animals on Earth. Look out Mr. Eskimo, their skulls are made of armor plate and their teeth from titanium!

This whole Antelope-As-Godzilla legend stems from a lot of sources. Guys like Roy Weatherby popularized high-velocity cartridges with absurd claims about terminal ballistics which found their way into print through writers of the day who parroted his notion that only a Weatherby caliber is capable of killing these insanely bestial beasts.

The truth is this: if you put a well-made bullet into the right spot, Africa’s game is going to collapse. And it will do so just as quickly and easily as any Rocky Mountain elk. ›

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on the trail camera. On the other hand, if you have a leopard who will not return, you will find that out too with the camera. No need to sit the first night either way.”

In fact, younger and more savvy PHs like Richard Bell-Cross from Zambia are in no hurry to get into a blind. “Take your time.

There’s no hurry. As long as you have fresh bait to keep the cat coming back, the longer you wait the better. Because the cat feels more and more comfortable in that tree with every feeding,” says Bell-Cross.

If your PH knows his area, scouts it with a GPS and checks his baits with a trail camera, then you’re not playing chess, you’re flying drones. You’re using technology to monitor the behavior of an animal with vastly inferior intelligence, yet supremely superior senses.

Leopard Hunting Is a Chess Game Pointing a finger at whoever first used the metaphor of comparing leopard hunting to a chess game is impossible without combining Safari Press with Google and initiating a massive word search, but whoever first coined the phrase has neither played much chess nor sat in many leopard blinds.

Leopard hunting has changed so drastically in the past decade that if you haven’t kept pace, you can steal a line from Monty Python: “everything you know is wrong”. Technology has totally changed the… pun intended… game.

The GPS and the trail camera have replaced whatever mental shenanigans were going on previously in that fanciful board game. (Wait!

That’s it! The origin of the metaphor is a spelling error. They meant “bored game” not “board game.” But I digress.)

Today’s leopard hunter does not sit motionless for days on end in a blind, coughsuppressing his endless hours of waiting while

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itch-restraining his mosquito bites. It is no longer a test of patience and endurance in the inner sanctum of a darkened leopard blind.

Today, your PH marks likely leopard haunts with his GPS which he then monitors during his normal hunting and returns to when he has a leopard client. Baits are hit much more regularly when you know where big male leopards are frequenting.

The trail camera obviates any need to sit in a blind to see who’s coming for dinner. You now download an SD card from the camera, plug it into an iPad and look at what came calling the previous day or night.

“There are two kinds of leopard,” says PH Sean Buffee from Zimbabwe who has guided clients like me to some monster toms. “There are leopards that will return to a bait and those that won’t. If you have a cat feeding that is one who will return, then there’s no point in sitting in a blind because we can look at him

Leopards operate on instinct, not wit. A leopard is neither smart nor stupid, he simply is a leopard. He does not move bishop to king’s pawn four in a brilliant counter. To put him in a tree in daylight is all about booking with a good PH who scouts properly and uses high-tech equipment. It’s not a chess game, it’s a video game.

[Blank] Is Africa’s Top Trophy I’ll say it aloud, brothers and sisters, I am a sinner. I’m as guilty of this particular falsehood as anyone- having the hubris to declare one animal as the most-sought-after trophy in all of Africa. This notion that there can be one African animal that deserves to be the “top trophy” is so widespread that it’s affected every writer of the genre, starting with Papa who declaimed that the kudu is Africa’s greatest trophy.

Curiously, you never hear such a statement with regard to North American game, nor that of anywhere else. Never have I seen a pundit assert that, for example, the grizzly bear is America’s “top trophy.”

True, I’ve seen references to the Marco Polo sheep as being the “top trophy” of Asia, but I’ve never seen a debate rage on the subject

quite like it does in African hunting lore.

Boddington says it’s the Derby eland. I’ve agreed with Craig, in print. Another writer states emphatically that the mountain nyala is the “top trophy.” Other frequently cited contenders are the lion, elephant, bongo and buffalo. Just the other day I read that the sitatunga is Africa’s “top trophy.” › This is like saying the Rolling Stones is the greatest rock band of all time. It’s pure hyperbole, an exaggerated statement not meant to be taken literally. And so it is with an assertion that the northern gerenuk is Africa’s “top trophy.” The truth is that every hunter has his or her own “top trophy.” It’s entirely subjective- there is no such thing as “the” top trophy. ›

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It didn’t happen like that. Owaine was simply hit once, but the buffalo got incredibly lucky and broke his neck. It does happen. And to good, seasoned, veteran PHs. But that doesn’t validate all the anthropomorphizing that’s been done over the buffalo. The African buffalo is no more “evil” than a puff adder. Step on one and it will bite you; antagonize the other and it will charge you. Intent is never in question.

A herd animal, a bovine, the buffalo is easily tracked because of its size, the amount of dung it generates and its need to water at least once a day. When you find a nice bull, stick your well-constructed soft-point into the right place and it’s over. Buffalo die just as easily as impala. Wait for the death bellow and then go take photos. Nothing to it.

The real culprit in this whole drama is not the buffalo, it’s you. Muff your shot and, yes, you have a big problem. But the buffalo is not “evil” if he charges you- he’s just doing what buffalo do. Play your role correctly; shoot a caliber with which you can place your bullets accurately (without flinching) and your “bad” buffalo is as good as yours.

He Looks At You Like You Owe Him Money No African animal has generated more literary nonsense than the Cape buffalo. A book title by John Burger refers to him as Horned Death. He’s variously described as everything from the devil incarnate to a hulking monster of supernatural fighting strength- Mike Tyson meets Charles Atlas.

The buffalo has “evil” eyes and a “bad” temper. He is “vindictive” and “ambushes” the hunter who wounded him. When he charges, he is “unstoppable.” It’s this last aspect that has perpetuated the myth of the buffalo.

His physiology is, according to the myth makers, diabolical. He can go without oxygen for several minutes, so blow his heart into smithereens and it won’t matter. He can soak

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Bongo Are Unicorns up more lead than a battery factory...Really?

That a Cape buffalo is dangerous is beyond dispute. Several of them hammer hunters every year in Africa. In 2008 I hunted buffalo with PH Owaine Lewis in Zimbabwe. I am here today writing these words, but Owaine is never going to read them. He was killed by a buffalo in 2012 that a client had wounded.

However, Owaine wasn’t trampled and gored and savaged, mauled like hamburger into a bloody pulp, and, even when he climbed a tree to save himself, the buffalo licked the skin from his leg, right down to the bone, with a tongue made from a wood rasp. When he fell out of the tree, the buffalo rolled on him to crush him into the dirt.

Entire safaris are devoted to hunting the burnt-orange ghost of the rain forest, the bongo. Because the bongo is credited with being so exceptionally difficult to hunt, this member of the spiral-horns is a double winner in the African Nonsense Wars: the bongo often is named as Africa’s “top trophy.”

That was then, this is now. Today, bongo hunting is easy. All the top outfi tters advertise “100 percent success.” Men so fat they literally can’t bend over to crawl under the vines and creepers are still shooting bongo. It’s a slam dunk today. What happened? Why did the bongo gain such a mythical reputation, as scarce as unicorns, yet in reality he is a pushover? Two reasons: roads and dogs.

First, bongo habitat is unreachable except by road and there are no roads except those cut by the big logging companies that hew massive mahogany trees and transport them to the ports via 18-wheeler. But thanks to sound reforestation programs that have resulted in more harvesting, there are now many more miles of roads reaching into the Central African rain forest. More roads, more bongo.

Second, bongo hunting has been traditionally conducted in one of two ways, either by tracking or by sitting in a machan over a promising spot, like a salt lick. The tracking is done by local Pygmies (which, I hasten to add, is not a derisive term to them) and these hardy forest-dwellers are more than capable of tracking unaided, but give a Pygmy a dog and look out… that bongo is done.

It’s this method of using Pygmies and dogs together that has turned the tables on bongo.

The Pygmies track the bongo themselves until they sense the animal is close by, not more than 100 yards, more like 50. It’s only then that they release anywhere from six to 10 mongrels that are trained not to bark, only to chase and corner. The dogs take the scent instantly and are able to run under the vines

and thick stuff that otherwise prevents a man from running fast enough to catch a glimpse of a nearby bongo.

The dogs bay the bongo, but not for long.

Maybe two minutes. You still have to run to the cacophony of barking and yapping but then your PH has something never before seen in bongo hunting- time to look at the animal. Back in the day, a hunter only had a fleeting glimpse of orange hide- and shot.

More than one female bongo was shot accidentally because of the necessity to shoot without seeing the whole animal. Baying the bongo prevents immature males or any females (which have horns) from being shot.

Roads and dogs have turned bongo from maybe a 30 percent success rate to the 100 percent it is today. Bongo are no longer unicorns. These are the five biggest whoppers that have come to light as the times have changed over Africa and our knowledge of wildlife has improved. Africa is still a magical place… but just don’t go looking for any evil, hermaphroditic hyena. It’s not Africa’s top trophy, you know.

CH

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So Bright a Jewel

Hunting the Sable Antelope in Africa Today

by Cameron Hopkins

S

himmering like polished obsidian in the harsh midday sun, the sable stands regally in a miombo woodland, surveying his harem of cows. He exudes an air of arrogance, a prince of the realm, a blue blood. His aspect is haughty, majestic, and proud.

Africa’s sable antelope- whose Latin name translates uncharitably as “horse-goat- is among the most beautiful of the Dark Continent’s rich collection of game. The sable is blessed with a black coat of lustrous shine, which dazzles in the bright sun. In fact, when hunting the sable, one often spots his shiny coat as he stands in a dambo. His ebony attire is accented by a brilliant white underbelly and distinctive facial stripes. He sports a thick, dense mane all down his neck and halfway down his back.

This group of young bulls from Zambia's Kafue Plateau were among a group of over 40 bulls that the author photographed, an unusually large number for a bachelor herd. Zambia produces the best genetics for sable in Africa today.

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oldest son who accompanied the former president on his epic 1909 safari.)

Some sources bifurcate the common sable into a fourth variety, the Zambian sable (Hippotragus niger kirkii). At one point there was also a Kenyan coastal sable, sometimes called the Shimba sable, but recent DNA tests have conclusively proven that the Kenyan variety is in fact a Roosevelt sable, which have shorter horns and a slightly reddish hue to their coats. If that’s not enough, some want to designate the sable of northern and coastal Mozambique as a separate race.

The bull on the right is fully mature as can be seen from his jet black coat (compared to the reddish brown of the immature male on his left). His horns flatten out on top and don't make the classic C-shape. This is a bull to pass.

But it’s his horns that cause soft inhalations of appreciation and awe from hunters. A sable’s horns curve over his back like twin Arabian scimitars, thick as a lumberjack’s wrist at their bases. They arch into a perfect C-shape, similar but much more massive than those of his closest relative, the roan antelope.

roosevelti) and the most magnificent of them all, the giant sable, also called the royal sable (Hippotragus niger variani).

As an aside, the Roosevelt sable is named for Kermit, not Teddy. (Kermit was Roosevelt’s

Taxonomic issues aside, the sable is a magnificent trophy. A really good sable todayand by “really good” I mean a free-range animal with something over 45-inches in horn length- is one of Africa’s hardest trophies to secure.

Top Hunting Areas The best sables in Africa come from Zambia, specifically the Kafue Plateau and, in general, the western side of the country. Sables have always been fantastic in Zambia and anyone with his heart set solely on sable is foolish to go anywhere but here. Zambia has always ›

When threatened, a sable goes to his knees. He fights by cocking his head, looking sideways and then, just as a threat closes in, viciously sweeps his horns sideways across his back. A sable can easily skewer and lift a hyena off his feet and flick the dead carcass aside as easily as swatting a tsetse with his tail. A mature bull sable, in his prime and at his fighting weight, can tip the scales at 500 pounds.

Depending on what source you choose, there are three, four or even five subspecies (or races) of sable. The three most widely accepted, are the common sable, sometimes called the southern sable (Hippotragus niger niger), the Roosevelt sable, also referred to as the eastern sable (Hippotragus niger

Sable are found in open woodland, often preferring hills to flatland, but sometimes you have to traverse hill and dale - or in the this case, a stream -- to get to sable country.

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been the best destination for sable; some allege that there’s some genetic overlap with the giant sable from Angola, but I tend to cast a skeptical eye on such claims for the simple reason that there’s no DNA evidence to back such an assertion, at least not that anyone has submitted for peer review in the usual “scientific method.” Go to Zambia and hunt a big sable, but don’t come away thinking you’ve sneaked a giant sable into your trophy room.

Bottomline: if you want a really good sable, Zambia is the place. Any good outfi tter in the Kafue Plateau can give you a reasonably good chance at something in the low 40s, but a mid-40's sable is very possible and a few hunters walk away with 46-47-48 every year.

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The sable is just superb in Zambia.

Back in the day, Zimbabwe’s Matetsi safari area in the northwest of the country was renowned for its big sable, but the area has been decimated by poaching and overshooting of quota, so no one gives Matetsi much attention anymore, although some operators continue to take sable there. The Doma area is considered better today as it was never the “hot spot” that Matetsi was, so it was not poached as heavily. The Doma area lies in the eastern part of Zimbabwe.

Bottomline: Zimbabwe’s sable are a shadow of their former glory, but something breaking 40 is possible and a few lucky hunters come away

with 41-42-43, but in general expect a sable in the 37-38-39 range in Zimbabwe today.

Mozambique’s hunting situation has gone from horrendous (during the civil war) to fantastic thanks to what has to be one of the best, if not the best, wildlife management programs in Africa today. The Zambezi flood plain is home to thousands of “Mozambique sable” which I place in quotation marks for a reasonthey’re not the same as other sable, at least in horn shape and size. No, I have no DNA evidence and, no, I’m not arguing for this to be established as a separate subspecies, but I am saying that Mozambique sable do not have the classic C-shape horns- they’re straighter, less curvaceous- and they’re short. It is what it is.

Bottomline: Mozambique offers the cheapest free-range sable in Africa today- the good news. However, the horns are short (figure something in the 34-35-36 inch class) and lack the lovely curved shape.

(expect something in the high 30's and be happy for anything over 40). Given the necessity of a 21 day license, sable here is an afterthought on most safaris. (Where cats and elephant usually take priority).

Tanzania offers both Roosevelt and common sable, the former found only in the Selous Game Reserve. By default, Tanzania has both the best and the worst Roosevelt sable in Africa- it’s the only place to shoot one! The common sable are generally better the farther west you go (closer to Zambia, home of the Go Big sable) but given that the sable is only available on a 21-day license and bigger sable can be had in neighboring Zambia, not too many hunters venture to Tanzania with the main objective of a nice sable.

South Africa and Namibia both offer sable hunting on high-fence ranches. The trophy quality is as good as the genetics the farmer has available, no better, no worse. You can shoot a whopper of a sable on a game ranch, just as you can whack a monster buffalo or blast an MGM lion, but in case you can’t tell, I’m not entirely enamored with “special pen” hunting. On most game ranches I’ve ever seen, “premium” game like sable and roan and (obviously) lion are kept in separate enclosures, or paddocks. I’ve never hunted sable behind a fence, so I suppose I can’t comment.

Bottomline: Tanzania has you as a captive audience if you want a Roosevelt variety; go to the Selous for one. Otherwise, the sable here are on par with those in Zimbabwe

RECOMMENDS

Bottomline: South Africa and Namibia offer sable hunting on game ranches; there are no

free-range sable outside of national parks.

The price is steep and getting steeper, but still more affordable than a free-range safari if you just compare the trophy fee of the game ranch to the full price of a 14 day safari (the usual minimum) in one of the other countries where sable occur indigenously.

“Clad in their black attire like the chief mourner at a funeral with all the pomposity and self-importance of village billy goats… so brilliant an addition to the catalogue [sic] of game quadrupeds, so bright a jewel amid the riches of zoology,” enthused Sir William Cornwallis Harris, explorer and trophy hunter, who first described the species in 1838. While the sable distribution and hunting has changed in the ensuing centuries, their regal splendor remains.

CH.

Winchester Model 70

Calibre Capacity Action

.300 H&H Magnum 4 + 1 Mauser magazine system Dual locking lugs, three-position safety, controlled round feed

Stock

American Classic style in black walnut with handcut multi-point checkering

Barrel

24 inch Douglas Premium air gauged match barrel, chrome-moly steel

Sights

Schmidt & Bender 2.5-10x

Overall Length Weight

42 inches 9 lbs.

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A Few Hunting

Anecdotes

by Jackie Gross

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H

unting is an uncontrollable feeling that I have deep down inside that excites me more than anything else in life. It is a freedom, a happiness that no one can take from me while being in the wild. Not always so comfortable; but always exhilarating? Yes sir, very much so!

Just the thought of being in the Outdoors ya know: You hike for hours to get to the perfect spot in the mountains and you pass up so much wildlife, you can hear the leaves the grass, no electronics, just you and, Mother Nature. This year the excitement was so overwhelming for bow season. After a two hour hike to get to our spot we soon realized we were being stalked by a lion. The hair on your neck stands up as you watch each other, then you look down and a porcupine is on our trail. So much wild life!

So you get to your spot and start calling in the elk and a bull comes running by me, bugling, then another one almost runs me over. We both jump back and he was like, “that tree moved”, he was screaming in my face and never knew I was there. I could have touched him on his nose as he walked by me and he is as big as a horse, that is excitement! The adrenalin that takes over, the teeth chattering of excitement is unbelievable. Your heart thumps and you have no control. I have to remind myself to breathe and remain calm so I don’t pass out or hyperventilate. It is so amazing.

Then you pack up to head back down the trail thinking of the lion that was stalking you and the porcupine that was on the trail, then you see a badger that is 40 yards from you watching you and that was the scariest as by then it is dark and the Coyotes are howling.

Those are moments that no one can take from me, memories that I will never ever forget and I will do it again, and again, every year. Not knowing what to expect or what may happen, if you will succeed and have a successful hunt or shoot nothing but see all that Mother Nature has to offer.

Well that’s telling you a little bit how I feel about hunting and getting out into the wilderness, but now I would like to share with you a couple of true story of mine where we did get a results but one was a pretty tricky result as it happened. The first location was, Meeker, Colorado, in 2010, a mountain lion had been on the prowl for a while and it needed to be attended to. So,…WOW! Umm... So let me start at the beginning.

Always the best place, don’t ya know?

So here I am at work and I get the call! “Jacq we cut a cat track get up here!”, so I tell

my boss, “Umm, I have to leave and take a personal day off, is that OK”. Having an understanding boss helps and so I trucker out of the office.

I jump on the snow mobile and ride up the ridge as far as it can go. Then the hike was on with my Rifle cuz there was no way I was going to be able to stick that lion with my bow at the angle the guys said it was at. I make it to the top of the ridge and all I can do is look down and think, “wow how did I get up here so high!”. ›

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He moved away from us and bedded further down in the canyon. More waiting took place; oh, did I mentioned that it was so cold? My feet got numb and my fingers, I just don't know if it was the cold, the wind, the snowmelt, or the Adrenalin, but my teeth were chattering and my nose was running.

Anyhow, this time when he got up I was able to take the shot. He stumbled and took about 10 steps into an opening and I took him again with another shot. He never got back up. I didn't want to take my eyes off of him just in case. (The Adrenalin definitely took over at this time). I kept looking down in the canyon thinking, what was I thinking to take this shot.

But despite all the discomfort, it was worth it.

This is what hunting is all about!

Now you gotta understand this Cat was not in a tree, it was on the edge of a cliff and my 110 lbs frame had to figure out how to lean over the cliff while my fiancé was holding me by my bibs so I could take a shot before the cat jumped. DID I MENTION THEY ARE HOLDING ME BY MY BIBS SO I WOULDN'T SLIP OFF THE CLIFF?? LOL! So here we are on the edge of a cliff and they are like, “Jacq take my pistol and look in the hole and shoot,” and I am like, “what!!?”.

Then the cat jumps out on the edge of the cliff and start's GROWLING and they are like, “shoot, shoot, shoot, grab your rifle”. (Note that all of this happened in about 7 seconds, AND THE BOYS THAT WERE WITH US WERE SCREAMING AT THE TOP OF THEIR LUNGS, “SHOOT”!) See, I didn't have the pistol in hand yet, I only had my rifle on my shoulder and immediately my instincts took over, I unslung the rifle and BOOM; I shoot and the lion falls about 80 feet and everyone is breathing hard in shock and my knees are trembling as my heart is thumping so loud it can be heard!

I get hauled back onto the top of the cliff, take a few breathers and then start the hike down

in the snow to retrieve my cat. I slip and slide and hike and slide some more but I made it down below and grabbed my cat by its tail then started to walk down the mountain and guess what? I tripped, and slid about 30 yards holding the Lion by her tail. But it was ok it beat walking! LOL… My adrenalin ran for about 6 hours and it is still running when I talk about the experience. It was so intense.

I have to say the cat meat is the best meat I have ever eaten out of all the wild game I have hunted.

OK, now I will tell you about my first successful Muley Buck hunt, then a little story about my first, Bull Elk hunt..

I hunted my first Muley buck outside the town of Silt, Colorado, back in, November 2011. It was so amazing! Once more I paid the price for my passion with the weather. LOL. The storm came in with a vengeance and it was cold and windy. We glassed over a canyon and finally found a buck that was bedding down.

It was sooo cold, and we had to wait for an hour before the buck decided to stand up, but as soon as he stood I found myself without a shot.

The Elk Hunt Story is a short one.

I got my first Bull Elk on the opening morning for third season 11-06-10, again just outside Slit, Colorado! It was absolutely amazing!

Haha! I thought I was going to hyperventilate.

It was awesome! I loved every minute of it! I think I am still in shock!

We saw a herd come up over a ridge and as we watched and waited they headed down the opposite side. I was like, “darn it...”. So we continued to glass them as we started to move in and then we saw they were coming back in our direction. So I had to crab walk backwards to get back to my ideal spot. The cows came approximately 120 yards from us and the wind swirled (I was up on a hill) as I was fixing to shoot my bull.

The herd moved back up towards the ridge and after about 45 minutes they slowly started to come back down. I ranged my bull at 285 yards and new that it was going to be the closest shot that I was going to get before the herd moved out of range. So I took him!

He fell about 60 yards after I shot and it was absolutely amazing! I really don't know what else to say!

JG

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Hunting the waters I of untamed Africa

Hippo’s & Croc’s Part II - by Elaine Coetzee

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f you read the last edition of H&S you will know that I was on safari with my youngest brother on the Okavango river in the Caprivi, Namibia. My brother has his own safai outfitter company in South Africa but in this instance he has brought along four of his clients from Germany to hunt hippopotimus and crocodile with me. In my last article I told you how we took hippos but in this one I will tell you about more hippo hunting as well as how we managed to bag a few big crocs as well.

After the excitement and exersion of yesterdays hippo hunt everyone had a quiet evening last night and after a good dinner and reliving the events of the day we all took to our bed pretty early as we knew we had another intense day full of excitement and action.

So, early the next morning we started off by taking pictures of the sunrise, the elephants on the Botswana side, the birdlife , each other, the game scout, the river and then everybody was ready to see what today is going to bring.

We had not travelled far when we spotted five big bull crocodiles on the side of the river.

You could hardly see the sandbank they were lying on because they filled it up completely and it was close to the water. One mistake and they are gone.

We switched off the motor of the boat and allowed the current to take us closer. I was nervous as the boat is constantly moving, no handbrake to pull up, which made it VERY difficult to get in a perfect brain shot. I decided to go for the spine, just incase. The next client got ready, trying to take a dead rest over shooting sticks from the front of the boat. Me and Larno are taking in our position between the seats, where ever we could find the best spot to get stable with our rifles.

The shot went off, Larno fired immediately after the client and then I shot for the spine.

Everybody cheered, we got him, he did not move. Going closer and the boat was shaking from all the excitement and back slapping

going on. The other crocs dissapeared into the water and gave us the chance to take pictures right there and then. I jumped off and open the crocs mouth to put a stick in so we can see the teeth, when he slapped his mouth closed. I jumped back and one of the guys offered to help , grab the upper jaw, put his foot on the lower jaw and open the mouth

for me to put the stick in. I was not even ready, and then this croc closed his mouth and had this guys foot inside his mouth. He was screaming like a women, “he is going to the water with me, he is going to the water, help.”

We were crawling on the sand laughing and I could not lift an arm to even try and help this guy.

This crocodile’s spine was shot off, there is no way he could move his body, but the picture of this guy snapped by his foot and screaming , I still up to today wish I could have caught that on camera. After a big laugh and we got the guy “saved” from this monsters mouth, we loaded Mr. Croc onto the boat and took off to another local village to skin him out. The same thing, there were people everywhere. This time the clients brought out candy and pops and all kinds of stuff and handed it out to the local kids. AGAIN, THE HERO’S OF THEIR DAY. Another successful day feeling that we have done something good. That night in camp was a little more exciting. Everybody was laughing about what happened that day and we stayed up late reliving the experiences before we finally went off to bed to wait for another sunrise in the one of the most beautiful countries in the world. ›

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We started off early again the next day and were successfull with another hippo hunt,we actually found a small piece of dry land where we could walk and stalk this one and shot him just as he entered the water. Fantastic video footage. One more hippo left to take.

We found some bulls and cows and babies sunbathing on a small island in the middle of the river. We knew that the boat will make them all dissapear into the water, so we decided to sneak around, stop at a local village, get off the boat and swim through the water to try and get closer for a good shot.

This was tricky, but every day, we believed, has it own’s adventure. We try to stick to

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the parts where our feet could actually touch the ground, but Byron, our cameraman was a short little scotsman and we were laughing watching him with the camera equipment above his head trying to keep up with us through the water that was reaching his neck by now. We got close, really close, scary close and everybody was speechless. This is great, I thought, the adrennalin was pumping through everybodies veins and the excitement just got more and more. Watching the clients face was so rewarding for us as PH’s to see.

Your client comes first, he is the most important person in this whole hunt , his

safety was vital, so we could not get too risky.

I finally tapped my brother on the shoulder to tell him this is far enough, we are entering the danger zones now and have to back up a little bit. The hippos did not know about us at all, but we were also not in a prime spot yet to be able to take a good shot. We had to move a little closer. “Golly, I thought, hope these guys can walk on water”. Well, as always having faith in the upper hand, we just pushed it a little further and got the client into a perfect spot where we could only line him up through a small hole in the reeds. “Shoot him in the brian, in the V between his eyes”, I whispered. He shot, Larno backed him up

and the hippo tumbled sideways. The other hippos dissapeared in all directions, even in the direction we were standing. We turned around and was heading back to the boat, amazing how fast everybody walked to get back to the boat. We then took the boat, went closer to the island, got off and “WOW” the client and my brother’s shot went into the same hole. GREAT, this is awesome, I hugged his neck and told him how proud I am of him.

To think I was changing his nappies a couple of years ago and now he is fully qualified and one of the best PH’s in South Africa.

feeling like we want to stay right here and do this for ever.

AGAIN, an awesome feeling feeding another village full of people. We finished up early that day and decided to continue hunting, got one more crocodile , killed him on the spot and went back to camp once again with the most amazing feeling of succeeding one more time. Saying prayers every night before dinner thanking God for the food we have to eat and for the wonderful day, made us all relaxed and

There were lot of teary eyes and appreciation and thanks for unforgettable expereinces on the day we had to say goodbye. Another three people that can go back to their own country praising their Saviour for their lives and taking back lifetime of memories of untamed Africa, the people and the lessons they learned.

We finished off the hunt with a last two crocodiles on the day before we had to return back to civilization. Everybody was thinking their own thoughts on the way back and there was not alot of talking; we spend the last night at a bed and breakfast that belonged to the owner of the boats sister and we had a real “African barbeque” before we returned back to the international airport to drop the clients off.

Elaine Coetzee

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Engraved Family Heirloom Shotguns:

Or Growing Up With Griebel

By Robert G. Segel

T

here is something about an engraved firearm that compels a second look and an appreciation of the art form at a visceral level. Gun owners already understand the efficient functionality of the implement but when embellished by painstakingly hand carving into metal, a new form appears that lifts a mundane tool to an unparalleled art form.

We won’t discuss here the implements

of modern technology with machine and computer assisted engraving with super resolution microscopes and automated tool selection. Or the work of company engravers that have the advantage of working on guns that have not yet been hardened. Their work is precise and exact. Acid etching? Laser cutting? But all this is not, in this author’s opinion, art. Beautiful? Absolutely! (Well, sometimes…) But metal engraving by the human hand is an individual thing, always

unique, and, like art, is a reflection of the engraver’s soul complete with compassion, love, angst, woe and humanness.

There are engravers of all sorts, many aspiring to greatness but ultimately limited in their skill or ability even though they have devoted untold years of their life and livelihood to their craft. Then there are engravers whose names are universally known and are truly Master Gun Engravers. But what is it that separates

Right side detail of the author’s Winchester Model 12 Pigeon Grade engraved by Arnold Griebel with fine English Scroll work and high-relief gold inlay animals.

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they have a certificate of completion they are now masters. The fact of the matter is that whether a butcher, middle skilled, excellent craftsman or Master Engraver is ultimately determined by the customer as they bestow the Master Engraver title on the artist and not by some certificate of achievement that says they are.

Arnold Griebel, Master Gun Engraver (1890-1970)

the very skilled engraver, whose work is accomplished and detailed, from those who achieve the rank of Master Gun Engraver and whose work is in great demand all over the world. What is it that separates the artwork of Jackson Pollock or Alexander Calder from the refrigerator artwork of my five year old grandson? To some there is no difference. To others, it is an absurd comparison.

Engraving, like other art form, is subject to personal preferences, with many different styles depicting inlays, high relief, semirelief, type of scroll, leaf and flower, animal rendering, English, Germanic, etc. But the heart of engraving is the soul of the artisan.

There is much to be said for the timehonored apprenticeship system as practiced in Europe for there is no question that it has produced a much higher percentage of finished, competent craftsmen who can command the small English scroll and the heavier, more elaborate German variety and high relief game scenes with skill that only comes from years and years of painstaking work. Today we see vocational schools turning out students who think that since

This article is going to look at the art of Master Gun Engraver Arnold Griebel. Not necessarily as a critique of his work but his effect on a shooting family. Born in Suhl, Germany on December 2, 1890, Suhl was the center of fine arms engraving in Germany, if not the world, at that time. Griebel apprenticed there, learning all the phases of engraving, gun making and die making. He was established as a fine engraver long before he immigrated to America in 1928. He settled in Chicago, Illinois and worked as a die engraver. From 1939 until 1951, he worked making engraved stamps and embossing dies but did gun engraving at home. He was mentioned a lot in firearms publications in the 1950's and 60's as one of the finest artists in metal in the United States. His reputation grew and he had a long career creating art in the form of firearm engraving for clients the world over. Arnold Griebel was one of the most famous and prolific engravers of the mid-twentieth century and his work is most desirable and is highly sought after by knowledgeable collectors. He had a special

talent with his superb relief sculpturing of animals and game birds. He was one of the world’s great artists in metal, and was completely committed to his demanding and difficult craft. Arnold Griebel died September 13, 1970 at the age of 79.

People collect works of art for many different reasons: some strictly for hoped for financial gain, in effect gambling on the success of up and coming artists, or buying established artists in the hope of continued appreciation of their work. Others collect for the mere ability to “acquire” without truly appreciating the beauty but do so because “others” say so and they have the financial means to do so.

They are easy to spot as they will be quick to tell you what they own, but will not be able to tell you why - the difference between a collector and an accumulator. Yet still others are afraid of their art acquisitions and hide them in vaults and never touch them, let along use them or display them. Then there are those that appreciate the beauty, the skill and the efforts imparted to a tool, and use the tool for its intended purpose imparting an additional level of personal pleasure and satisfaction. People who collect classic cars often put them in garages to become garage queens, never to turn a wheel on the open road again. Others have guns they put in their safes never to see the light of day again and never fire a round except for the one test round at the factory at its creation. I’m not ›

Three Arnold Griebel engraved shotguns. (Top) My father’s Winchester Model 12, (middle) my mother’s Remington Model 870 and (bottom) the author’s Winchester Model 12. Note the shortened stock, shorter barrel and thus shorter overall length of the Remington. It fit my mother perfectly and this young shooter until puberty and growth-spurts set in.

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go to the Milwaukee Gun Club Lake Park Traps to go trap shooting. My mother, being from Texas, was no stranger to firearms, and held her own on the firing line. My brother and I watched and listened to the old-timers and waited for the day that we, too, could shoot. I had the shooting bug more so than my brother and I would ask, “When can I learn to shoot a shotgun?” The answer was, “When you weigh 75 pounds.” Being an old guy now, I can’t remember exactly when I hit 75 pounds, but I suspect it was in 1964 when I was about 12 years old.

"The Winchester Model 12 served as well in the field as it did on the trap line. My brother Justin (foreground) and I goose hunting in Hungerford, Texas circa 1970. The author's engraved Model 12 is clearly seen to the rear".

denigrating this train of thought. Some things need to be saved and conserved for future generations and the only way to guarantee that is to treat it with kid gloves and protect it at all costs from any detrimental environment.

Nevertheless, while some would consider using a beautifully engraved gun on the range or in the field as sacrilegious, others see it as the ultimate pleasure that can be derived from a shooting experience. That doesn’t mean you have to use and abuse it. But you treat it with the respect that it deserves.

My father, Floyd, was from Milwaukee, Wisconsin and in 1943 enlisted in the Army Air Corps during World War II to be a pilot.

My father Floyd on the trap line circa 1961 with his Griebel engraved Model 12.

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My father owned a Winchester Model 12 with a Monte Carlo stock that he used for his trap shooting, pheasant hunting and goose hunting. In 1960, he had heard of a fantastic gun engraver by the name of Arnold Griebel that was located only 90 miles away from Milwaukee in Chicago. My father did

The Army had more pilots than they needed so they sent him to a backwater base in Texas. No heroics here, he was stationed in Texas, promoted to corporal, and was made company clerk because he could do something very few men could do - type. It was in Texas that he met and married my mother Josephine. After the war, he and my mother returned to Wisconsin to begin their adult life together and he went to work with his father in the meat business. The business prospered, my brother Justin was born in 1948 and I was born in 1952.

My father got a college degree with the help of the GI Bill and as the business improved, he educated himself in art and the finer things in life and became a collector of many things during his life span. He taught me long ago to, “buy the very best you can afford” and know what you are buying. Sage advice. He was also a bird hunter and a gun collector of early U.S. Martial arms. Thus, throughout my youth, I was raised around guns, went to gun shows, learned how to collect guns, taught how to respect and use them, and appreciate them for what they are. On Sundays, as a family outing, my father and mother would

The young author at the ripe old age of 14 with his trusty Griebel engraved Model 12 awaiting his turn on the line.

using my mother’s Remington 870 because the stock was so cut down for her and I could use it. On successive Sundays, my father would stand behind me and tell me where to point, how to stand, how to call for the bird, and all of the finer points of trap shooting. I also had the benefi t that there were several old-timers at the club that took an interest in me and provided shooting tips that only long experience could provide. These oldtimers were already in their late 60’s and 70’s and had been shooting all their life. One of them, Vic Reinders, was at one time a national champion trap shooter. They were delighted to help a young boy who seemed to have a natural ability and a love of the sport.

his research, contacted Mr. Griebel, and contracted him to engrave his Model 12 with fine English scrollwork and gold bas-relief animals - three ducks in flight on the right side of the receiver and two dogs and two pheasants in flight on the left side of the receiver. This was my father’s gun for trap shooting and hunting.

clay target, pheasant or duck that escaped her.

My father had Mr. Griebel engrave her gun also with fine English scroll and gold bas-relief animals, with a dog and two hares on the right side of the receiver and a dog and two quail in flight on the left side of the receiver. This was my mother’s gun for trap shooting and hunting.

So pleased was my father with the work Mr. Griebel did on his Winchester Model 12, that he soon contracted with Mr. Griebel again to engrave my mother’s gun. My mother, whom I have already mentioned was an excellent shot, didn’t play second fiddle to firearms.

She didn’t “borrow” my father’s gun when needed: she had her own gun - a cut-down Remington Model 870. She could pump that gun with the best of them and doubles in trap or two or three pheasants in a flush were no problem for her despite two physical features that affected her shooting. One is she was very short - five foot tall if an inch - that resulted in a much shortened stock and a slightly shorter barrel so the gun fi t her and was proportional. The other physical feature was that she was large busted and it took her an extra little “oomph” to get the stock out, up and over the “obstruction” and shoulder the weapon. Never a problem; there was no

One glorious Sunday in 1964 it was determined that I was old and large enough (I was of slight build as a child) to handle a 12 ga. shotgun. I started my shotgun career

My mother, Josephine, with her beloved Griebel engraved Remington 870 circa 1963. Pheasants were no match for this Texas girl.

I really took to it, loved it and I was good at it.

I loved smokin’ those clay birds. At 14 I shot my first 25 straight. Then puberty started to set in and I started a growth spurt that left me with a bloody nose because my mother’s Remington had such a short stock on it, I finally started to out grow it. When the base of my right thumb began to get tucked under my nose when the gun was shouldered, the recoil, on more than one occasion, would cause a bloody nose. My father then bought me my own gun - a Winchester Model 12 Pigeon Grade and contracted once again with Mr. Griebel to engrave my shotgun. Staying with the fine English scroll work and gold bas-relief animals, my Model 12 had a dog and two quail on the right side of the receiver and a dog and two pheasants in flight on the left side of the receiver. With that gun, I joined the Amateur Trapshooting Association (ATA) and started shooting registered targets and competing in both junior events and adult events for 16 yard, handicap and doubles.

I did very well winning a large number of events, particularly in the junior category - and I was well on my way to holding my own competing against adults. This was my shotgun for trap shooting and hunting.

At 16 I could drive and wasn’t dependent on my parents to chauffeur me around and I joined other local gun clubs so as to be able to shoot their club tournaments. ›

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beauty as a part of function. Not only did I win tournaments, I won them with an absolutely beautiful gun that people would admire and comment on. Did it make me shoot any better? The answer has to be yes because it made me shoot to the best of my potential - I had to be as good as my gun was.

Would I have shot as well if my gun was not adorned? Yes, I would like to think I would have, as I had great confidence in my apparent natural abilities regardless of being on the trap field or hunting down pheasant, quail, duck or goose. But having an Arnold Griebel engraved shotgun as my shotgun during my competitive years made me feel special and allowed me a sense of pride of ownership far beyond it being a simple tool.

Gun club membership back patches and some awards earned by the author. The Milwaukee Gun Club Lake Park Traps and Waukesha Gun Club were the two primary clubs the author shot at.

Now besides the Milwaukee Gun Club Lake Park Traps and the Waukesha Gun Club, Cudahy Gun Club, Muskego Gun Club, South Shore Gun Club and the Ozaukee County Fish & Game Club were all within my realm in southeastern Wisconsin. I won a lot of trophies, silver bowls, pewter pitchers, etc., at all these clubs and was Junior runner-up at the Wisconsin State Shoot. I replaced my original stock with an Anton stock with a high comb that was easier on my cheek when shooting events and added an Edwards Recoil Reducer inside the stock - a state-ofthe-art thing in those days. An event, with singles, handicap and doubles would usually involve a shoot-off due to tie scores. This could easily result in a day of 200+ rounds of 12 gauge - a black and blue shoulder was the norm on many a weekend but which I considered a badge of honor. Often times, instead of trophies and the like, I would win a frozen turkey, or a chicken, or a set of

drink coasters or a coffee maker. It didn’t matter to me. I was shooting almost every weekend and advancing my classification. I was shooting 25-straights with a satisfying degree of regularity and broke 100 straight on two occasions. When I left for college in 1971 to attend the University of Denver, I gave up competitive trap shooting. At the end of my competitive trap shooting career from 1966 to 1971, I had a Class A 98.3% average for 16 yard events, Handicapped back to 27 yards and a 96.4% average for doubles. Not bad for a scrawny little kid. Though I stopped shooting competitively, I continued to deprive all manner of fowl of their rights as an adult and enjoyed many a fine meal of pheasant, goose, quail, dove and duck throughout my adult life.

My father had some other guns engraved

by Arnold Griebel that includes a gorgeous Winchester Model 21 12 gauge, a Winchester Model 21 20 gauge and the floorplate of a Weatherby .300 Magnum. I have those guns in my collection as well. Perhaps I’ll do a little photo essay on them for a future issue of H&S. As an aside, my father also, on a trip to England, had a Purdy built for him as a 12 gauge single barrel trap gun highly engraved.

Another beautiful gun - but it never replaced his fondness for his Griebel engraved Winchester and was not the gun of choice for trap outings.

I knew that my father’s gun, my mother’s gun and my shotgun were special. I learned at a very early age to recognize and appreciate Arnold Griebel always signed his work.

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Right overall views of the Griebel engraved Winchester Model 12 shotgun belonging to my father.

Left overall views of the Griebel engraved Winchester Model 12 shotgun belonging to my father.

Left and right side detail of the author’s Winchester Model 12 Pigeon Grade engraved by Arnold Griebel with fine English Scroll work and high-relief gold inlay animals.

My mother passed almost 30 years ago and my father passed 3 years ago. But the memories of our family outings centered around one of the shooting arts, and learning about upland game shooting and conservation and owning firearms that were truly beautiful to behold, leaves me truly blessed. I have two daughters who grew up with guns and I hope I’ve passed on like memories to my children.

My youngest, not so little anymore, is built like my mother - short and busty - and has taken my mother’s Remington 870 to heart. My oldest does just fine with my Winchester. I have a young grandson who I look forward to teaching all that I have learned. These guns are truly family heirlooms. The fact that they are engraved by one of the finest Master Gun Engravers of the last century is definitely a special plus that adds unsurpassed beauty to personal family heirlooms to be handed down for generations to come.

Left and right side detail of my mother’s Remington Model 870 engraved by Arnold Griebel with fine English scroll work and high-relief gold inlay animals. h&s l Februar y 2013

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gunmaker legacies

GrifďŹ n & Howe The Fine Firearms

Find of the Century Guy Bignell President 2012

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n the words of the immortal Michael McIntosh, "call this a tangled web with a happy ending, a story that unfolds like the plot of a Russian novel toward a conclusion in which one of the most venerable Belgian gunmakers and the most venerable American gunmaker undergo a renaissance and in the process bring back to life one of the more visionary guns of the twentieth century invented by a Belgian maker whose relative obscurity belies his genius".

More recent history has been brutally hard on the Belgian trade. The country has been twice overrun in the twentieth century, it's gun making resources converted perforce to military arms, and its once-ourishing trade in sporting guns all but subsumed by competition from England, Italy, and Spain. Until these ravages of the 20th Century, the Belgian city of Liège was one of the most important gun making centres of Europe. Even the most chauvinistic London makers are willing to admit that a

best gun built during, "Liège's Golden Age", represents quality beyond reproach. The royal families of Europe certainly patronized the British trade, but more often their gunmakers of choice were Belgian, most notably Lebeau Courally. Of the makers who built reputations for the highest quality, only Lebeau Courally has so far ultimately survived but few young people have chosen to enter the gun trade.

1896: Such fertile ground naturally attracted craftsmen, including two brothers named Britte. Théophile and Lambert set up in business together in Liège on the 2nd February 1896 as Britte Fréres, Gunmakers to the Trade. Théophile Britte was about 22 when he created the company. He was the undisputed kingpin of this small workshop.

The proof in our possession is a picture, dated April 1897, of a group, where we find the two Britte brothers in the center with 10 employees. Among those, Jean Lhoest, Théophile Britte's brother in law; this employee was hired by Britte Fréres on February, 2nd 1896. The workshop was exclusively creating and manufacturing gun parts and hunting guns.

Many shotgun actions were built, side by side boxlock Anson systems, sidelock Holland & Holland systems and the classic over and unders. Unlike their colleagues, who relied almost entirely upon the hand-craftsmanship of outworkers, the Brittes installed the most highly sophisticated machinery then available and at the height of the company's fortunes, employed as many as 300 workers, each with his own specialty. The tubes for the barrels were purchased from various suppliers in the area; some of whom were enjoying worldwide recognition.

Germany and France were large customers.

In order to facilitate deliveries in France, they created a factory, Court-Fauriel in St Etienne, between the "Manufacture d'Armes de St Etienne" and Verney-Carron, close to the St Etienne train station. Britte specialized exclusively making high quality gun parts and luxury guns of outstanding quality. That their customers included Lebeau Courally, Francotte, Dumoulin, Westley Richards, Dixon and other "Best London & Birmingham", makers of high repute, speaks well for the quality they were able to achieve.

1923: Etablissements Britte, as the company was by now known, still marketed barreled actions. In 1923, (coincidently the same year Seymour Griffin founded Griffin & Howe), "Jules Bury" and "Masquelier" (Fine firearms manufacture and dealer in Liège) formed a partnership with Théophile Britte, (Master Gunsmith & founder of the "Etablissements Britte"). Together the 3 gunsmiths created a company, "Etablissements Britte Atelier de Mecanique de Precision, Armes en Blanc" which basically means, "Manufacturer of Firearms in the White", the company was incorporated on the 17th September. Jules Bury and Masquelier needed parts and gunsmiths to manufacture hunting firearms and as we know Théophile Britte was a genius in machining and tooling.

1931: Théophile Britte himself had a keen appreciation for unconventional engineering.

Britte earned a patent for a side opening over and under design in 1931, and announced it to the world the following year as the, 'SuperBritte'. The "Super" part of the name derives from the French word 'superpose' (over & under) but the word fi ts Britte's gun in more ways than one. It is an over/under, but instead of a conventional drop-down, the SuperBritte opens to the side.

He wasn't the first to think of this. W.W. Greener patented a side-opening over/under in 1873 - but his Wedge-Fast was a sideby-side action turned ninety degrees. John Dickson later did essentially the same thing

with his famous round action - rotated it a quarter-turn to make a side-hinge over/under.

Dickson's built fewer than ten examples altogether.

The key difference between these guns and the SuperBritte is that while Greener and Dickson adapted existing side-by-side actions, Théophile Britte designed his from scratch and in doing so, perfected the side-opening action. The completed guns engraved with stocks mounted were entirely built in the Britte workshops and delivered, ready to shoot, after proofing in Liege and testing at the shooting grounds. ›

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were marked Masquelier or Jules Bury so if you should run across a reference to a "Britte gun built by Masquelier or Jules Bury," be aware that it's actually the other way around.

Abercrombie & Fitch imported quite a few SuperBrittes to America when Griffin & Howe was their gun department. "Quite a few," however, can be misleading, because total production only amounted to about 250 guns.

1936: The SuperBritte came along at a bad time, just as the effects of the depression were starting to be felt in Europe and as the inexorable progress toward war gained momentum. Seeing what was coming, Etablissements Britte ceased gun parts and sporting firearms production in June 1936 turning to other areas of manufacturing. The unit in St Etienne was closed and they gave up gunsmithing. This desire to diversify was also motivated with the availability on the market of low priced sporting shotguns.

Because it does not require a frame in the conventional sense, this side-opener is inherently the shallowest over/under action possible. Because the action bar is on the side, there's no need for the deep, U-shaped frame that a drop-down action requires. So, the height of the action is exactly the same as the height of the barrels - and you just can't make an over/under any slimmer in profile than that.

Britte's action is also about as narrow as an over/under can be. The cocking system works directly from the side-lever; push it down with your thumb to open the action, and you cock the locks at the same time. The degree of mechanical leverage is such that you don't notice any unusual resistance or stiffness.

The fastener is a double-bite bolt on the left and a rib extension on the right. The lump, moreover, extends completely through the action bar, lending additional support resulting in incredible action strength.

Most of the Britte Company guns produced

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All completed firearms, barreled actions and parts were immersed in cosmolene, wrapped in wax paper, packed in wooden cases and stored in the Dessart's family cellar.

Louis Dessart's children were to inherit all firearms and remaining spare parts from Louis Dessart's sister. Britte remains in business to this day. After the war, Théophile Britte's grandson, Louis Dessart, at 26, took over the management of Britte. He was not a gunsmith and decided not to restart the manufacture of gun parts and sporting firearms but to concentrate on high-tech mechanical manufacturing. Dessart has owned the company since 1949. Their business evolved to high tolerance manufacturing, supplying companies such as Philips, FZ, Ford, Belgo, Fabrique Nationale and Caterpillar.

Since 1995: Britte has evolved even further into aéronautiques, aero-space, défense and other high-tech industrial manufacturing.

September 1999: Griffin & Howe, had been waiting for a newly finished SuperBritte to arrive in the USA, a barreled action in the

white had been found and finished exclusively for Griffin & Howe; We took it immediately and tested it. It was the first SuperBritte we'd had in our hands and to put it simply, we all enjoyed the hell out of it.

Mr. McIntosh had this to say about it. "The side-opener initially feels fumblesome to one accustomed to simply thumbing a top-lever and letting the barrels drop. But after a few shots, you fall into the habit of rotating the gun anti-clockwise as you push the lever, and then it feels as natural as any. Because the action doesn't have the wide gape of a dropdown over/under, the gun is as quick to eject (the ejector mechanism is in the left-hand side of the forend) and reload as any side-by-side.

As for handling quality, it's as dynamic as any over/under we ever shot. An over/under not built on the traditional frame is unique.

It is also inherently lightweight and thus highly dynamic, but much more controllable.

Handling qualities are truly appealing. For sheer pointability you will find this to be a delightful shotgun.

For shooting that puts a premium on the ability to make haste and still maintain control - in a woodcock covert for instance - it would be deadly. At just over six and half pounds its light without being jumpy, responsive without jitters".

Breaking 23 out of twenty five targets, out of the box with the choke constriction at full and extra full indicates that this is truly a most versatile sporting shotgun to own.

It is interesting to note that in Ned Schwing's book, 'The Browning Superposed John M. Browning's Legacy', it is reported that in early 1930 Val Browning, Walter Warren and Ben Galliger won the Team International Pigeon Shooting Championship held that year in Spain. A picture of the winning team shows Val Browning, Walter Warren and Ben Galliger with the trophy and their shotguns, the caption reads, "Val and Walter shot Superposed guns. Galliger is holding an unidentified over and under, (Picture, courtesy of the Browning Firearms Museum, Union Station, Ogden, UT). The unidentified over and under was of course a SuperBritte.

This account of, "Griffin & Howe's Fine Firearms Find of the Century" does not end here........................ remember, "Etablissements Britte Atelier de Mecanique de Precision, Armes en Blanc". Alongside the manufacturing

of the Super Britte, Britte had been manufacturing barreled actions in the white, particularly the Holland & Holland style, side lock ejector action and supplying them, not only to the finest European gun makers, but to Best London & Birmingham makers.

2001: Griffin & Howe, with the aid of European Major Domo Luc Vander Borght, uncover the origin of the whereabouts of the remaining barreled actions in the white of the O/U SuperBrittes and the remaining original finished guns which during WWII were put in cosmolene, wrapped in waxed paper and crated in original wooden crates and placed in hiding in the cellars of Dessart's family's house

in Liège, Belgium. There were seventeen, completed SuperBritte shotguns and ten SuperBritte barreled actions in the white. But now for an even more interesting historical biography. In addition to the seventeen SuperBrittes, seventeen, Holland & Holland style side lock ejector side by side completed shotguns, proofed in Liège in the early 50's were discovered, together with one hundred and five Holland & Holland style side lock ejector side by side barreled actions in the white complete with thousands, (5 pallets), of spare parts all stored in impeccable condition since the start of WWII. All originally built "during Liège's Golden Age" of gunmaking between WWI and WWII.

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gunmaker legacies

The Remington Arms Co. is proud to continue the legacy of

The Parker Gun

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The Perpetuation Of A Legend June 15, 1934, the inscription “Parker Bros” moved from the side of the frame to the bottom - and was now only “Parker.” The reason? It was the year Remington took over control Parker Gun Works operations. Now in 2005, one of the most revered names in firearms history has engineered the newest addition to the prestigious Parker family, as Remington continues to keep Parker on the forefront of the American landscape.

What It Means To Own A Parker For nearly a century and a half the Parker Gun has been a fixture in the landscape of American firearms. And for those rare individuals who understand what it means to own a Parker, it is a privilege unlike any other. Because being a Parker owner is more than simply possessing one of the finest guns ever made, it’s a right of passage into an elite world.

Craftsmanship It’s a word that’s used too lightly when describing the finer things. More than just engravers, or checkerers, or metallurgists those who will build the Parker AAHE 28 are artists. The finest in the world. With abilities to combine the latest in gunmaking technology with the unsurpassed beauty and old-world styling of history’s most remarkable guns.

Perfection For those who have witnessed the thousands of hours of handwork invested in each gun, its value is immeasurable.

Today’s Parker harnesses the resources of the most sophisticated equipment utilizing machinery capable of shaping raw stock to tolerances so precise, they cannot be achieved by hand. It is a process so demanding, you may never find another gun that comes this close to perfection.

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outdoor adventure

Maldives

A piece of Paradise

“A piece of heaven fell from the skies, which formed the Maldive Islands.�

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he Republic of Maldives is located in the Indian Ocean and is a giant necklace consisting of more than 1,192 small coral islands, naturally grouped into 26 atolls.

Only 200 of these are inhabited by locals, while the rest have been developed into luxury resorts. Outstanding beauty is the country’s trademark with its endless azure seas, turquoise lagoons, soft white sands, untouched coral reefs, sunkissed days and warm nights. Maximum privacy and peace along with breathtaking beauty makes Maldives one of the top destinations in the world.

If you are looking for strict romance, then you will enjoy your stay at one of the many luxurious resorts that offer beautiful views of the islands’ charming details or you could just simply walk down the white powdery sands while your fingers are interlocked with your loved one.

How about a combination of romance and action? Well, I am glad you asked, because not only is Maldives the perfect romantic getaway, but the exhilarating adventure it boasts is just out of this world. Who says you are not allowed room for adventure on a romantic getaway? How about you don’t answer that because it is a must in Maldives! You can grab

a surf board and play with the waves or dive in to the seductive mysterious waters and experience the gorgeous sight of the exotic marine life. It rains throughout the year in Maldives and so the best time to travel to the country is from December to March when the golden orb comes out to play very often.

Where to stay: The resorts of the Maldives offer the epitome of luxury wrapped with ribbons of serenity and romance. For singles and couples who want to escape the world and the hectic city life, the resort you pick, no matter which one will no doubt be your utopia.

Cocoa Island is one of the most gorgeous hotels in the Maldives. It is a small, private island resort for those seeking an easy going, romantic, and foot-in-the-sand experience.

Imagine waking up to an empty, clear horizon from your over water bungalow while your fingers play with the warm waters of the beaches and the your eyes flirt with the bountiful corals. Just the simplicity is romantic enough.

There are many activities that are offered

by Cocoa Island and these include indulgent therapies, yoga, diving, gourmet cuisines and exciting excursions. It is a calm and serene island resort of peace and harmony that ›

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soothes your body and mind and nestles you in a paradise of perfect calmness.

The rooms are classified into two bedroom villas, one bedroom villas, Dhoni Loft Suites and Dhoni Standard Suites. They are all equipped with a private sun-deck, bathtub, dining and lounge area, separate shower cubicle, mini bar, etc.

The decorations of the rooms are all elegant yet very simple and they are all influenced by colonial themes.

This charming resort is ideal for couples and families can enjoy their services as well.

The sound of the waves and the view of the gentle-hued fishes beneath the heavenly

blue of the cool waters will immortalize the romance, passion and the peace of your trip which is what every one looks forward to.

What could be better than basking in the hot sun while you are being fanned by the shade of the swaying tropical palms? Yes, that was a rhetorical question, because there is absolutely nothing better.

So now, finally, I would like for someone to explain to me how in the world did John Milton come to the conclusion that Paradise was lost?

That doesn’t matter anymore now, does it? Because we’ve just found the sweetest paradise in the Maldives and you will too!

By: Ylova Hamdan

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automotive

Mercedes-Benz Ener-G-Force Off-road for tomorrow

The G-Class has endured as an unequalled off-road icon for over 30 years. As at home on the highest jebels and dunes as on the driveways of palaces, nowhere is this more true than in the Middle East, where the luxurious yet unstoppable G Wagen and its variants, including the recently launched G 63 AMG and G 65 AMG, hold a special place in the hearts of those of even the highest standing. So is it possible that the Mercedes-Benz G-Class will still be around in 2025?

A cool design study from Mercedes-Benz demonstrates how the genes of the classic off-roader from 1979 may still assert themselves in the far future. It is based on the concept of a future police car developed for the Los Angeles Design Challenge.

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he Los Angeles Design Challenge 2012 looks far ahead with a quest for the “Highway Patrol Vehicle 2025”. Law enforcement will have to prepare for even more crowded roads with electronically monitored and guided traffic, a much larger population and changes in human behaviour.

People will feel young and active until even later in life. Outdoor activities will dominate leisure, the desire for freedom and adventure.

The new times will also call for new police vehicles. They must be able to reach any place conceivable quickly and reliably – even far away from any pavement. And they must do so in an exceptionally environmentally friendly way using alternative energy sources.

Enhanced green-car characteristics and off-road capabilities will be among the fundamental virtues of a police car in 2025.

As an environmentally friendly SUV, the EnerG-Force, which Mercedes-Benz is presenting in Los Angeles as a design study, meets these requirements and would be fully capable of supporting police and emergency services in every corner of the world.

Gorden Wagener, Director of Design at Mercedes-Benz Cars: “The Ener-G-Force is the vision of an off-roader that, while reflecting tomorrow’s adventures, also invokes the genes of the Mercedes-Benz offroad icon, the G model. Modern and cool, it could also be a clue about a new beginning for the offroad design idiom of Mercedes-Benz”.

The small glass areas make the police vehicle a safe cocoon for law enforcement officers who are faced with many dangers. Emergency

lights integrated into the roof ensure attention that is impossible to ignore; the striking front leaves no doubt as to the commanding presence of the police, and the gigantic wheels guarantee the right of way even where no way exists.

Back from the future - clean concept for beyond tomorrow Of course the concept of the Ener-G-Force for the Los Angeles Design Challenge is pure, rendered science fiction. However, the notion of designing tomorrow’s off-roader fascinated the designers at the MercedesBenz Advanced Design Studio in Carlsbad, California to such an extent that they evolved the vision of a police version into a civilian version and even built a 1:1-scale model.

Like the “Highway Patrol Vehicle 2025”, the shape of the civilian Ener-G-Force is modelled after the G-Class, the off-road icon whose continuous history goes all the way back to the 1970s and that to this very day still tackles the future as a stylistically and technologically advanced SUV.

Like the police version, the model of the civilian Ener-G-Force is unmistakably inspired by the G-Class, which has long been considered an automotive icon.

However, it presents a radical reinterpretation of this classic that looks far into the future.

Important genes such as proportions and design elements were adopted conceptually and completely redesigned and updated in a clean concept for beyond tomorrow. EnerGForce Designer Hubert Lee: “Of course we wanted to take a clear step forward, but we also wanted the G’s characteristic features”. The Ener-G-Force has a similar profile, however with a high shoulder line and scaleddown glass areas.

While the clear design idiom of the G-Class has remained, all surfaces are designed to express intensity and tension. The meticulously executed details also are a clear indication that the Ener-G-Force is the product of modern times. Like the G-Class, the Ener-G-Force sports a front with an expressive radiator grille that incorporates the headlamps. LEDs in the headlamps form ›

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lamp units in the shape of a G. This gives the Ener-G-Force a strong, iconic appearance and demonstrates dominance. The front indicators and position lights are mounted on top of the wings as a significant G-Class element.

of equipment items that consequently are quickly in reach without having to open the whole liftgate.

The mounted roof distinctive to the G-Class and the tripartite glass area also cite the fundamental genes of the classic off-roader from Mercedes-Benz, but represent a clear step forward. This is also evident in the large wheels, whose 20-inch rims give the EnerGForce a powerful, towering stance.

The Ener-G-Force stores recycled water in tanks on the roof, and transfers it to the “hydro-tech converter,” where natural and renewable resources are converted into hydrogen for operating the fuel cells. The storage units for the electricity generated in this process are housed easily accessible in the striking side skirts. The Ener-G-Force emits nothing but water, has an operating range of about 800 kilometres and as a result truly is a green car.

The Ener-G-Force also plays on the utility factor in an entirely new way. For instance, the distinctive feature in the rear is a slightly off-centre pull-out compartment whose cover takes up the characteristic look of the spare wheel carrier of the classic G-Class.

This pull-out tool box can hold a wide variety

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Bursting with energy

Four wheel-hub motors, whose output for each individual wheel is adapted precisely to the respective terrain by high-performance

electronics, provide the pulling power.

A “Terra-Scan” 360-degree topography scanner on the roof permanently scans the surroundings and uses the results to adjust the spring and damping rates as well as other suspension parameters for maximum traction on the respective surface, regardless of whether it is in terrain or on the road.

The strikingly styled side skirts house either the energy storage units or hot-swappable battery packs. Changes in the colour of the illumination of the side skirts indicate the operating and charge status of the energy packs. A roof carrier and additional lamps are integrated into the roof. The ensemble appears to have been carved from a single piece. The overall package of this design model is a clean thing - stylistically and functionally.

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