H&S Magazine Issue 09 by Amed

The Region’s The Region’s First Hunting First Hunting & Safari&Magazine Safari Magazine - GULF

African Antelope The Big Five BHD 3 / QAR 25 / KD 2.5 / EGP 50

The New Zeiss Conquest HD Binoculars are the best in their class

Elaine Coetzee

An interview with a Passionate & Proffesional Lady Hunter

The Legend is Back

The New Browning A5

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editor's note

Dear Readers, This edition of Hunting & Safari brings you a veritable cornucopia of ar ticles, updates and new product evaluations on all things relating to hunting and the outdoors. As we have always prided ourselves on being an equal oppor tunities magazine we are pleased in this edition to welcome three lady contributors to H&S. It was good for tune that these three remarkable, and I must add glamorous, ladies came to us at virtually the same time, well since the last edition three months ago, but never to look a gift horse in the mouth, (no disrespect intended ladies), we jumped at the chance to take advantage of their unique and undeniably talented skills. We give a brief introduction to, Corrine, Elaine and Evalina on the Contributors Page, and I am sure you will agree the unique qualities they bring to the magazine are both refreshing and fascinating. A chef-cum-ar tist and nutritionist, along with not one but two professional lady hunters from different par ts of the world produce a great mix and makes for interesting reading. And take a look at Corinne’s car toon on page 36 .Told you she is talented. We take a look at off road transpor t in the form of the Kawasaki quad bike and the Ford 4x4’s and we also take a critical look at some useful components to enable you to obtain the best of up to date hunting and outdoor equipment from knives, scopes and binoculars, to the latest shotguns rifles and pistols and even water purifiers. Once again emphasizing our commitment to bring you a true variety of ar ticles to interest all readers we take a good look at air weapons, both pistols and rifles, which I am sure you will find fascinating even if you are not an air gun enthusiast. If wildlife photography is your bag you will be delighted with Sharmi Ghosh Dastidor’s ar ticle and you will be amazed at his photographs that we showcase. I know I was. As well as all the above we have so many true life adventures and stories of the hunt, and we offer advice for the novice as well. We take a look at the problems that wild boars are creating in Europe as well as a look at the big five of Africa. No, not dangerous game, but antelopes. We include the second par t of our bow hunting article, as well as Bernard Feliciano’s second par t of his interesting crossbow ar ticle, and I pass on a little bit of advice that I was fortunate enough to be given some good few years ago on how to take down incoming ducks. We also have a peek at some of the exhibitions that were available to us since the last edition and those still to come before the next print. Oh yes, and if you feel like a relaxing get away break we show you where you can get the best deals and the most luxurious locations. So there you are, again we feel that we have bought you a truly eclectic mix of outdoor and hunting reading that we hope you will enjoy delving in to. As ever, stay safe whilst enjoying our chosen pastime.

Richard Camm. Senior Editor.

h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

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: Kafi Stores

Editorial Lara Mansour Sawaya

The Region’s The Region’s First Hunting First Hunting & Safari&Magazine Safari Magazine - GULF

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

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

African Antelope

The New Zeiss Conquest HD Binoculars are the best in their class

Elaine Coetzee

An interview with a Passionate & Proffesional Lady Hunter

The Big Five

The Legend is Back

The New Browning A5

BHD 3 / QAR 25 / KD 2.5 / EGP 50

Cover: GULF Issue 9 The Region’sThe FirstRegion’s HuntingFirst & Safari Hunting Magazine & Safari - LEBANON Magazine

Jean Kassis Sales Director - Lebanon email jean@awraqpublishing.net tel 00961 4 523910 / 03 449344

Carla Mezher Senior Media Sales - Lebanon email carla@awraqpublishing.net tel 00961 4 523910 / 03 449344

The New Zeiss Conquest HD Binoculars are the best in their class

Elaine Coetzee

An interview with a Passionate & Proffesional Lady Hunter

Running Gun The Inimitable

H&S Travel Joe Balesh

Guinea Fowl BHD 3 / QAR 25 / KD 2.5 / EGP 50

Business Development Manager email jbalesh@mailme.ae hsmagazine.travel@gmail.com tel 00961 71 768211 mob 00971 50 551 5957

Design Luvin Santiago Louie Carmona Henry Pascual

Cover: LEBANON Issue 9

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h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

The brightness sets new standards, and gives you the perfect shot. This is the moment we work for.

Visit our new website: zeiss.com/sportsoptics

FP /// victory Zeiss. PioNeer siNce 1846.

The new VICTORY HT. The brightest riflescope from Carl Zeiss. Experience a revolution in riflescopes: the new VICTORY HT with up to 95% or more light transmission. Thanks to its unique optical concept with HT lenses from SCHOTT, it offers unrivalled light reserves even late into the evening and makes a significant difference to your aiming accuracy. The impressive VICTORY HT also has the finest and brightest illuminated dot on the market, as well as outstanding operating ergonomics and a particularly compact design.

Reticle 60 The extremely fine illuminated dot designed for daylight use, can be switched on and off at will and has an impressively high light intensity, which can also be finely dimmed, making it ideal for any hunting situation.

our contributors

Rober t Segel is the 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 primary focus on World War I machine guns, though the two magazines cover militar y and law enforcement weapons both historical and modern.

Rober t G. Segel

Cameron Hopkins is 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.

Cameron Hopkins

Bernard Feliciano is 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.

Bernard Miranda Feliciano Corinne Pruis-Har y is an accomplished chef and talented ar tist who moved to Dubai in 2005 from her home town of, Veenendaal, in central Netherlands, to work for one of the regions major airlines, and six month ago she decided to put her flying career on hold and return to university to study Nutrition thus enabling her to add an additional string to her culinary bow.

Corinne Pruis-Hary

Elaine Coetzee 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”.

Elaine Coetzee

Evelina Aslund is 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.

Evelina Aslund

h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

ADIHEX 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

this month

news hunt

hunting knives

Kawasaki

Brute Force 300 ®

Replacing the venerable Bayou® 250 in Kawasaki’s highly acclaimed ATV lineup, the Brute Force 300 offers wide-ranging utility and sporting capability in a surprisingly affordable package. Here’s an all-around ATV that’s not only loads of fun to ride, but also delivers a high degree of work ethic and everyday versatility, whether you’re fenceﬁxing on the farm, plowing snow or trailhopping with the family.

Black Fox

Super Black

Tactical Kinives

Key Features

Aztec Red

High-Strength CVT Belt

Feinwerkbau

Front and Rear Brake Balance

Digital Instrumentation

Front and Rear Brake Bbalance

Convenience Front Storage Compartment

h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

Air Rifle Model 800

The Company: Fox Coltellerie In 1977 Oreste Frati after a long experience, before in the production and then in the commercial area, has been established the FOX Coltellerie. The name of the company (that are the initial letters of the owner), appears immediately like the right one. The company has become immediately appreciate for the brilliant ideas that thanking also at the research of new materials and application of new thecnologies have been created these well-known quality products. The FOX grown very quickly however Mr. Oreste personally control and program the production of the company. His wife Valnea, his son Gabriele and specialized collaborators are helping the owner in these successful results. The professional tradition combined with the constant desire of thecnological innovations have build up the name of FOX Coltellerie like one of the leading company on the national and internationals markets.

• Liquid-cooled 271cc single-cylinder four stroke engine offers substantial power and torque, especially at lower rpm levels thanks to optimized engine tuning. • Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) with centrifugal clutch offers easy control and a high potential for sporty fun. • ‘Big-ATV’ styling reflects that of Kawasaki’s flagship ATV – the Brute Force 750 4x4i EPS • Carry racks in front and back hold 44 and 66 pounds, respectively. • Digital instrumentation is easy to read and offers a wide range of on-the-go info. • Heavy-duty steel-tube frame offers significant durability and competent handling characteristics. • Triple-disc brakes are easy to service and offer great power and feel at the levers • Sturdy off-road tires developed jointly by Maxxis and Kawasaki offer an ideal combination of grip and durability.

air guns

Feinwerkbau presented a new air rifle on stand 416, hall 1 during IWA 2012 at Nuremberg. The new model range 800 sets new standard insofar as quality, functionality, design and shooting performance of match air rifles is concerned. No compromise about the incorporated technology. High quality materials combined with the know-how of several generations bring optimum preconditions for the next generation of compressed air rifles. An innovative principle of the pressure reducer with an optimized control action cares for an even more stable outgoing of the shots. By using high-precision trigger components and an improved escapement, model 800 shows

an extremely short development time for the shots. Attention should be paid to the various adjustabilities of model 800. The rear stock can be put crosswise twice and is adjustable in height and dividable - and this without interference of the preset sight-line. Conversion of the stock from right to left possible without complexity. The cheek piece disposes of two edge radiuses (square or

round) and can be rotated by 180° enabling the shooter to determine his most favourable aiming position. Moreover the cheek piece is adjustable in height, shiftable and pivoted. Cocking lever of model 800 in basic position is free-adjustable by 360° and can be pivoted to the inside and to the outside. The shapely design of model 800 impresses visually with the typical-distinctive Feinwerkbau lines. The revolutionary front stock cares for an obviously innovative looking and cares in addition for an optimal damping characteristics of the system in the Aluminium stock. The vario sight has been face-lifted – so the various adjustment possibilities of the sight line have been shapely realized.

BF-92 Basic technical data: Total weight approx. Total length Sight line length Stock length inﬁ nitely Trigger weight

BF-130 GR

We have concentrated most of our production by our new facilities Euro Knives Italia s.r.l. this company was not only created for making FOX KNIVES but also to devolp and make projects and products for other important companies and well known international brands.

h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

24 news hunt

BF-112 h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

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h&s Issue 05 09 l May 2011 2012

60 air guns

• Kawasaki - Brute Force® 300

• Daystate’s MK4

• Ford, Lincoln Vehicles See GCC Q1

• A Few of the Best: CO2 Air Pistols

• NiteSite NS200

• Feinwerkbau Air Rifle Model 800

• G-Force™ 1300 ARC™ • The Ethics of Game Shooting

70 scopes

• Lady Guns Are They Really the Weaker Sex?

• Walther Point Sight PS22

• Ceska Zbrokovka - Celebrates 75 Years

• The Brightest Riflescopes from Carl Zeiss

42 hunting tips • Stay Hydrated & Healthy

• The New Conquest HD from Carl Zeiss

78 exclusive interview

• Double Gun Loaders

• Rudy M. Ojail - The Art Hunter

• Hunting Arrows

• Elaine Coetzee - Lady Hunter

• A Bolt from out of the Blue

• Evelina Aslund - Swedish Lady Hunter

58 hunting knives • Black Fox Tactical Kinives

90 hunting season • Running Gun The Inimitable Guinea Fowl • Shooting Incomming Ducks

h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

1065–1185 mm 610–1050 mm 30–90 g / 60–150 g

FOX Company is 9001:2008 certiﬁed company and registred by NATO as an ofﬁcial supplier N/CAGE CODE: AG180. In 2008 was founded Euro Knives Italia s.r.l., a company specialized for production of high quality knives and EOM projects for important international brands.

48 72

4,7 kg

760–800 mm

h&s Issue 05 09 l May 2011 2012

BRESCIA

this month

hunting season

Shooting Incomming

Ducks

gunmaker legacies

My friend had already told the shoot captain that I was not as experienced as some of the other guns and he very quietly took me to one side and politely told me that he would let one of his pickers up stand with me throughout the day, “Just to give you a bit of support, you know, nothing more”. Which, in all farness, I was not too upset about. Some advice from a pro would be welcome. I was not offered a peg number selector but was told that my ‘chum’ whose name as I recall was, Freddie, would escort me to the bottom of the ﬁeld where I was to be, end gun. Freddie told me that this peg would see either nothing or we would get some good shooting as the ducks would come off the pond when the shooting started and would either go east off the pond or west over us.

94 94

Merkel

As it was the end gun it was some distance from where we were situated so we were able to take the quad bike with me on the back. It took a few minutes to get into position and we established ourselves behind a five bared gate just inside a meadow with the woods in front of us to our left, and tall trees either side. Freddie said if the ducks flew our way they would make for this 20 meter wide opening and would fly right over us.

RX Helix

animal legacy

King of Beasts, Prince of Darkness

Helix in the cruiserweight class The intuitive riﬂe even more personal: semi weight interchangeable barrels in three lengths now available

RX Helix pistol grip caps

Africa’s big cats are quite literally the greatest hunting trophies in recorded history. Powerful, majestic, savage, dangerous: the lion and leopard stand supreme.

RX Helix Engravings

The Helix from Merkel presents itself at the IWA 2012 with new semi weight interchangeable barrels in three different lengths. It is now possible to tailor the riﬂe to the personal demands of the shooter with even more precision.

I had to admit I was not too optimistic as I thought I had just been put there to get me out of the way. Not so as it happened. We heard the whistle blow for the start of the drive and we heard the beaters rousing the ducks off of the ﬂight pond. As I mentioned I was not too excited as I really did not expect any action at this end of the line, but Freddie said, “Close the gun, cos if they going to come this way they will be over us very soon”. We heard the pop’s and the cracks of the other 12 gauges and there seemed to be quite a bit of action going on and I was standing with my gun just out of my shoulder left foot forward watching the space that was the end of the wood and the open ground in front of us when all of a sudden Freddie, called out; ”Over”, “Over, what”? This is not a cricket match I thought, then my brain suddenly snapped into gear as two drake mallards screamed out of the wood right over our heads at about 30yard up. I pointed the gun

and followed them till they were over us and it seemed as though they must have looked back laughing at the inept hunter who never ﬁred his gun. Not sure about the drakes but Freddie was chuckling to himself whilst he said, “Not to worry, but you are going to have to be a bit more urgent than that”. Yes urgent, that’s what I was lacking, urgency. And focus. “Hold the gun closer to your shoulder and point it a bit higher, look at the end of the wood and take a hold position between two trees about three quarters of the way from the base of the tree. Look for the gap where the ducks could come through”. And as he said that a male Teal shot through where I was looking and it was coming from low down below the lower branches of the oak trees to our front. This time I was ready. As it was low I had to take it a little way out, so I dropped the barrels whist slotting the stock into my shoulder and pulled the trigger at about 30 yards out aiming at its beak as it was heading directly at me. The

h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

The barrels with their increased diameter of 19 millimetres (standard: 17 millimetres) weigh, depending on the barrel length, 170 to 320 grams more than a standard barrel. The result is an optimised weight distribution, greater stability while shooting and ultimately, a higher shooting accuracy and performance results. The domain of the Helix is fast drive hunting - semi weight barrels facilitate freehand shooting at great distances and swinging through the moving target.

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Photo credit: clembone.wordpress.com

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For different sized barrels, the Merkel only requires a single fore-end. When travelling with an interchangeable barrel, you can save yourself carrying another fore-end. The semi weight barrels are cold forged in lengths of 510 mm and 560 mm for all standard calibres and 610 mm for magnum calibres. The barrel length 510 has a drive hunting sight, the 560 mm and 610 mm barrel lengths both make do without iron sights. With these barrels made in Suhl, the total weight of the bolt action riﬂe is 3.25 kg, 3.3 kg and 3.4 kg respectively.

The 560 mm semi weight barrel (without sight) is available in calibres .223 Rem., 6.5 x55, 7x64, .308 Win. and .30-06. The 610 mm semi weight barrel (without sight) is only

available in calibre .300 Win. Mag. and the 510 mm semi weight barrel (with driven hunt sight) is offered in calibres 7x64, .308 Win., 30-06, 8x57IS und 9.3x62.

h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

Africa’s big cats are opportunistic feeders. They’ll eat whatever comes along: small game like guinea fowl, a new-born foal, a maggotcrawling carcass and, yes, a nice, fresh kill of their own, preferably served with a sauce Béarnaise. Cats eat anything. Their other dominant behavioral trait (that watching any housecat bears out) is that the great cats are sneaky, sly, secretive, suspicious paranoiacs with a sixth sense of foreboding. That’s why the primary method of hunting cats is bait.

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140

Part II -By Cameron Hopkins Photos by Author & Green Hills Media, LLC

140

It requires endless hours of driving to ﬁnd suitable tracks (size XXL please) then you have to hang baits properly - the operative word- and then you repeat the procedure of searching for tracks and hanging baits until you have a sufﬁcient number out to induce a cat. Of course such inducements are predicated on a hope that he’ll return to the particular

• King of Beasts, Prince of Darkness

114 gunmaker legacies • Hatsan’s BT65 SB

Leopards demarcate a territory of roughly 10 to 12 square miles, “making the rounds” as they see ﬁ t and according to what they’ve found to eat. The range of a lion is

134 animal legacy

• African Antelope

• German Wild Boars

The art of the “drag” is interesting. In the back of your Land Cruiser is the vilest smelling bucket of rancid matter that can be organically concocted- intestines, blood, offal, stomachs, and maggot-blown meat, anything that stinks. Chunks of this foul mix are dragged (hence the term “drag”) for a mile in each direction along a road close to a bait. Cats are lazy. They’ll walk on a road if there’s one around. Hopefully that delectable odor of putreﬁed goo will catch his attention and he’ll follow the scent to your bait. There might be more unsavory things than driving around for endless hours with a “gut bucket” (the actual term) in an open-air vehicle, but I can’t think of any.

144 • Framing the Indian Wild

- The Big Five

h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

• Save it for a rainy day • Brown Bear Hunting

144 wild photography • Nakuru Lake Safari

148 outdoor adventure

• Mauser M 03 Target

• Desert Trails Hiking Routes in the UAE

• The New Browning A5

• Castiglion Del Bosco - The Estate

• Merkel RX Helix • Walther® P22 Pistol with Integrated Laser

126 cartridge legacies • GECO Rifle Cartridges • Winchester’s Hunting Success with the .308

Hunting Methods

Baiting sounds so very simple. Hang a few Swanson frozen zebra dinners in a tree, sit back and wait for your MGM lion to stop by for a snack. Wallop him, shake hands, slap backs, take photos and pop back to camp in time for a sundowner. Nothing to it. Right. And shooting a full-curl Stone sheep is just a matter of strolling up any old hill. Hunting cats over bait is so not-what-you-think. Baiting is unquestionably the most demanding, difﬁcult, dull and depressing method of any form of hunting in Africa. Fascinating, yes. A game of wits, absolutely. Compelling, of course. But fun? No way.

h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

98 big game hunting

In Part I of this two part article I started by giving an insight to the characteristics of the African Big Cats. Their temperament and their personalities. I told you how smart they are and how difﬁcult it can be to actually get one in your gun sights. Well in Part II I go on to explain some of the methods one can adopt to hunt them and eventually to take one down. As you will become aware in the following paragraphs, it is not easy. Patience is virtue, a steady nerve is obligatory and an accurate shot is mandatory.

h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

154 cook your hunt 160 hunter's lounge 166 things to know

considerably larger, as much as 40 square miles. Somehow you, your baits and his territorial wanderings all must coincide. Your big cat safari will likely last between 14 and 21 days, but what days? Will your safari overlap a full moon, a hunter’s moon, when a cat is most likely to make his own kill and least likely to ﬁnd your bait? Will he wander past your drag? Will he take a fancy to your bait? Will your blind be accepted as a natural part of the landscape in his highly critical eye? Will the wind be right? Will he feed in daylight? Will he be of sufﬁcient size, haircut or age to warrant shooting? These are just a few of the things that go into baiting for cats. On top of all that, leopard and lion are nocturnal predators. It’s simple behavioral science. Carnivores kill grass-eaters at night because it’s easier, the odds of success higher. Additionally, it’s illegal to shoot cats at night in most African countries, so now you must entice a highly paranoid, recalcitrant carnivore to a place of your choosing, to eat a meal he didn’t kill in a time he normally doesn’t eatdaylight, alebit the last remnants of dusk or dawn.

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H A C K E T T. C O M

E S S E N T I A L LY B R I T I S H

news hunt

IWA & Outdoor Classics & Enforce Tac 2012

IWA & OutdoorClassics 2012 held from 9–12 March was thoroughly convincing again with a record number of exhibitors that topped 1,200 for the first time and 36,000 trade visitors from more than 100 countries. So the 39th edition of the world-leading international exhibition for hunting and sporting guns, classic outdoor activities and security equipment in the Exhibition Centre Nuremberg welcomed more guests than ever before from all over the world. Enforce Tac, the new special exhibition for the needs of security experts from official agencies, also experienced a promising premiere on 8–9 March 2012. The result for 2012 in figures* is 1,204 exhibitors and 36,004 trade visitors from 109 countries. This corresponds to growth in all segments over the previous event in 2011, when 1,166 exhibitors and 35,220 visitors came to Nürnberg. Not just the number of exhibitors increased in 2012, but the display area also grew to more than 74,000 m². The extra exhibition hall over previous years meant the structure of the exhibition segments could be optimized again. The additional hall not only offered space for new exhibitors to present their products, but also enabled many regular exhibitors at IWA & OutdoorClassics to extend their space with extremely high-quality stands. International gathering in Nürnberg

“We are pleased to bring together guests from all continents here in the exhibition centre every year,” says Thomas Preutenborbeck, Exhibition Manager of IWA & OutdoorClassics at NürnbergMesse. “The passion for hunting and the enjoyment of shooting sports and outdoor activities are just as universal as the need for security,” Preutenborbeck adds. “It’s nice to see people with totally different cultural backgrounds meeting here to establish contact with each other. This not only leads to business relationships across all frontiers, but to friendships too.” 20

h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

IWA & OutdoorClassics is one of the most international exhibitions in Nürnberg. Every year, three-quarters of the exhibitors and almost two-thirds of the visitors come to Nürnberg for this event from countries other than Germany. Mayor Horst Förther representing the City of Nürnberg cordially welcomed the guests from all over the world at the official opening on the first day of the exhibition: “The Franconian metropolis Nürnberg is always pleased to welcome you to your industry’s summit meeting!” Joachim Herrmann, Bavarian State Minister of the Interior, stressed the importance of the international exhibition in his speech: “I am delighted to join you again here in the Nürnberg exhibition centre and fire the starting shot for four innovative and exciting days. All the world’s big names in hunting and sporting guns, outdoor gear and security equipment meet here.” The list of participating nations is long. The list of exhibitors is headed by Germany, the USA, Italy, Great Britain, France, Turkey, Spain and Austria. Besides Germany, the top countries for visitors were the Czech Republic, Austria, Italy, France and Russia.

news hunt

Pilla

High Performance Eyewear PILLA High Performance Eyewear has become the authority in performance eyewear for the competitive athlete. Designed for athletes by athletes, PILLA utilizes cutting-edge materials with superior clarity, sun protection capability and a proprietary contrast technology to enhance visual acuity and depth of field, both critical to maximizing focus and minimizing eye fatigue. With lenses available in a variety of prescription options and frames specifically and custom designed for shooting, hunting, golf, equestrian, rodeo, race car driving and aviation, PILLA High Performance Eyewear is the leading Technical Vision Provider for the Sports Enthusiast. The Outlaw is the most technologically advanced set of interchangeable sport glasses on the market. The carbon fiber tracer frame adds strength to system with minimum visual interruption. It weighs is less than 1 oz., making it one of the lightest available-you will feel like you are not even wearing eyewear. The rubber sweat bar with built in ventilation circulates air around the lens while keeping the backside of the lens off the forehead to reduce smudging. Its proprietary-design carbon fiber fork temples distribute weight evenly throughout the system and mold to the head, creating a cradle effect and reducing discomfort felt with traditional designs. The Outlaw utilizes a snap system which is one of the fastest lens changing systems available.

h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

Features: Hybrid Snap Tec/Lens Anchor technology: Quickly respond to changes in lighting conditions by swapping lenses in seconds. The system utilizes both Snap-Tec and Lens Anchor Technology for added security. Carbon Fiber Fork Temple Arm: Unique fork design provides even distribution of weight, and is comprised of soft-molded rubber tips for added comfort. Extremely Light Weight Tracer Frame: Weight

less than 1 oz, it provides strength to the overall product with minimal weight and visual interruption. Vented Rubber Sweat Bar: Designed to circulate air around the lens while keeping the backside of the lens off the forehead to reduce smudging. Frame: Carbon Fiber and Super-Thin Galvanized Metal Nose Piece: Crystal Saddle

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Kawasaki

Brute Force 300 速

Aztec Red

h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

Super Black

Key Features • Liquid-cooled 271cc single-cylinder four stroke engine offers substantial power and torque, especially at lower rpm levels thanks to optimized engine tuning. • Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) with centrifugal clutch offers easy control and a high potential for sporty fun. • ‘Big-ATV’ styling reflects that of Kawasaki’s flagship ATV – the Brute Force 750 4x4i EPS • Carry racks in front and back hold 44 and 66 pounds, respectively. • Digital instrumentation is easy to read and offers a wide range of on-the-go info. • Heavy-duty steel-tube frame offers significant durability and competent handling characteristics. • Triple-disc brakes are easy to service and offer great power and feel at the levers • Sturdy off-road tires developed jointly by Maxxis and Kawasaki offer an ideal combination of grip and durability.

High-Strength CVT Belt

Front and Rear Brake Balance

Digital Instrumentation

Convenience Front Storage Compartment

Towing Capacity

h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

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Ford, Lincoln Vehicles

See GCC Q1 Retail Sales Soar by Nearly 40%

DUBAI, UAE, April 21 2012 - Ford’s drive in the Middle East continued accelerating during the ﬁrst quarter of 2012, reporting a 37 per cent growth in GCC retail sales compared to the same period last year. Increasing retail sales across the Ford and Lincoln lineups in the region further conﬁrm continued increase

h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

in consumer preference for the latest models from both brands. The rise in retail sales was seen across passenger cars, which grew by more than 25 per cent, as well as the utility vehicles range, which registered a 50 per cent growth, with

the main performers being Ford Fusion, Taurus, as well as the Ford Edge, Escape, Explorer, Expedition and F-150. This upbeat Q1 growth follows the best ever year for Ford in the region, with full year sales for 2011 up by 50 per cent on 2010.

“This is a remarkable start to the year for Ford, with more and more customers looking to Ford and Lincoln products for more value and more car for their money,” said Hussein Murad, Ford Middle East’s director of Sales. “Our sales reflect the growing recognition and demand for our vehicles as customers see the great design and segment leading fuel-efficiencies together with industry-leading safety and convenience technologies brought to them in an affordable package with outstanding quality." Retail sales in Saudi Arabia shot up by 50 per cent while Kuwait remained vibrant during the first quarter, thanks to Expedition and Explorer. Total Q1 sales in the United Arab Emirates increased by 60 per cent over the same period last year, while Bahrain noted a 55 per cent boost in total sales, Qatar and Oman each posted a growth of about 40 per cent. “Our new models continue to deliver great results as clearly they touch upon what the GCC customer really wants: quality, great looks, outstanding interior space and comfort and unique technologies that are affordable. These results prove that Ford’s efforts in delivering these elements are truly appreciated by our growing customer base,” added Murad. With combined global success, Ford Motor Company posted its best March U.S. sales month since 2007 - with the Ford Fusion recording its best month ever, Ford Focus and Ford Edge achieving their best March ever and the F-Series showing the strongest March sales in five years. Total US company sales totaled 223,418 vehicles for March, a 5 per cent gain over year-ago levels. Retail sales increased 11 per cent for the month. For the first quarter, Ford Motor Company’s sales were up 9 per cent versus year-ago levels, totaling 539,247 vehicles sold. The increases were driven by the popularity of Ford’s most fuel-efficient models posting record sales months.

Ford leads in Brand Image Awards The successes for the Ford brand and its product are being recognised not just by consumers, but also across the industry. Earlier this month Ford took top honours, dominating the 2012 Kelly Blue Book Brand Image Awards, as Most Family-Friendly Brand; Best Exterior Design Brand, Non-Luxury; Best Interior Design Brand, Non-Luxury; and, for

the fourth year in a row, Most Rugged Truck Brand. Ford’s F-Series won the “Most Rugged Truck Brand” and “Best Exterior Design Brand, Non-Luxury” for 2012 for its durability and everyday versatility with its bold, and dynamic exterior design. “Ford has been working tirelessly to provide vehicles that respond to consumers’ lifestyle by bringing innovations that not only simplify their driving needs but provide them with technologies that are technologically-advanced and class-leading. To us, the awards only mean we are on the right track,” said Murad. The Kelley Blue Book Brand Image Awards recognise automakers’ outstanding achievements in creating and maintaining brand attributes that capture the attention and enthusiasm of the new-vehicle buying public. The key research vehicle for the Brand Image Awards is Kelley Blue Book Market Intelligence's Brand Watch study, which taps into more than 12,000 shoppers.

h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

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NiteSite

NS200 What is NiteSite?

h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

Move, is an innovative and unconventional way of shooting, in that you do not have your three points of contact to take a shot! You simply shoulder the rifle in a ‘heads up’ position viewing the cross-hairs of your day scope on the LCD screen mounted on the top of the scope! The NiteSite system has an infra-red camera that fits to a regular day scope using a flexible sleeve. Once the camera is put in place and connected to the LCD screen and illuminator module, the image of the cross-hairs is clearly visible on the LCD screen. It is that simple!

The LCD screen and illuminator module has an infra red beam that is switched in four increments from off to full by turning the switch on top of the illuminator unit. The infra red camera module can see the infra red light very clearly. This method of night vision can give a recognizable image up to a distance of 200 yards with the NS200 model. This will depend on the quality of the day scope optics that is in use at the time. Besides H&S’ favorite NS200 model, there is also an NS50 model. NiteSite is a very easy way to achieve night vision for your day scope riﬂe combo. There is no need to remove your day scope for this system, there is no need for re-sighting your day scope recalibrating any part of your set-up for this system, it is a very easy plug and play system that will convert your day set up into a night vision set up in just a couple of minutes.

The NiteSite NS200 Kit includes: • 2 x rubber sleeve • 2 x scope clamp (1 x 1 inch 1 x 30mm) • 1 x LCD screen & Infrared illuminator module • 1 x 3.3amp battery with bag and connecting cables • 1 x battery charger • 1 x carry case with foam inserts • 1 x instruction leaﬂet • 1 year warranty • 1 x color camera module

h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

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G-Force™ 1300 ARC™ Bushnell introduces the G-Force 1300 ARC Laser Rangefinder

h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

Bushnell, the undisputed leader in laser rangeﬁnder technology, introduces a rugged new compact lightweight unit for 2012.

The new G-Force 1300 ARC laser rangefinder has a host of features that will appeal to a wide range of hunters and shooters. The unit features ranging capabilities out to 1300/1200 yards/meters reflective, 900 yards to objects like trees and 500 yards to deer. It has a 6x magnification eyepiece with adjustable diopter setting. The unit is fully waterproof (IPX7) and has the patented Bushnell RainGuard HD permanent lens coating for a clear bright view in inclement weather. The G-Force 1300 ARC uses Bushnell Vivid Display Technology, which provides a bright clear display that is easy to read in both low light or bright conditions. It also has the Bushnell Angle Range Compensation (ARC) technology, which calculates the hold for rifle or archery shooters based on the angle to the target. In addition, it is enhanced with Variable Sight-in Distance (VSI™ ) for rifle shooters, allowing them to set the holdover/bullet drop information, available in either MOA or inches, and select between 100, 150, 200 and 300 yard sight-in distances for accurate information at the push of a button. VSI also provides users with shot angle information from -90 to +90 degrees.

Model

201965 Color

Camo

5-1300 / 1200

Size (in. / mm)

1.3x4x2.9 / 33x102x74

Weight (oz. /g)

8 / 227

3-volt CR2 (incl.)

Range (yds./m) Magniﬁcation

Battery Type SCAN

YES

Built-In

Bullseye

YES

Brush

YES

ARC (Bow)

YES

ARC (Riﬂe)

YES

E.S.P.™

YES

+/- 1/2m

RAIN

Accuracy (yds. / m) Ranging Perf.

The G-Force 1300 ARC uses the new E.S.P. (Extreme Speed Precision) turboprocessor for faster target acquisition. Accuracy is 1/10 yard/meter at 5-125 yards. The unit is built with a rugged metal housing and features a rubber armor coating. It also comes with a built in tripod mount.

201966

Black

Reﬂective

(yds./m)

1300 / 1200

Tree

900 / 820

Deer

600 / 550

Legend® Ultra-HD Monocular

Bushnell Introduces a New Compact Monocular to the Legend Ultra HD Line In 2012 Bushnell has introduced a new 10x42 compact model monocular to its Legend Ultra HD line. Now all of the great features that have made the Legend Ultra HD binoculars best-in-class are available in a compact, ergonomic monocular design. The new monocular features 100% waterproof and fog proof construction and uses Bushnell ED Prime Glass for amazing color contrast and resolution to bring out the most distinct details in low light conditions. The fully multi-coated optics and PC-3 phase coated prism offer outstanding optical clarity. The compact size makes it a great accessory for travel, recreation and sporting events as well as tactical and military operations. The unit comes with a picatinny rail and carry clip and has a twist up eye-cup for use with or without glasses.

h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

news hunt

The Ethics of Game Shooting

We are all aware that some people would like to see the hunting of animals banned completely, they have the right to their opinion, but have they really considered what a total hunting ban of wild game would mean, whether this is a pheasant or an elephant. There is no doubt that the world is getting smaller and the human population is getting larger and that means we humans need more space to live and to subsist by cultivating land that is, at times, populated by wild animals. If you live in the center, or even the suburbs, of a large city then it would take some time for you to feel the consequences of a total hunting ban and it is not surprising that the people who advocate hunting as a legal and environmentally acceptable pastime are those that are in the front line, so to speak. Those people that farm the land in the agricultural west, or whose village in Africa has to share the land with the elephant, and the American Midwest grain farmer who is fencing off cultivated land to keep out deer, the British farmer who tries to keep the wood pigeons out of his crops, or the European land owners who have to cull the wild boar as they root out his vegetables as well as the boars encroachment into urban areas. If the wild life population was left to its own devises it would, in a short space of time, become unsustainable. The animals would become a pest and thousands of jobs would be lost and thousands of tons of game meat would not ďŹ nd its way into the shops. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s consider the number of jobs that would be lost and the number of people that would ďŹ nd themselves out of work due to the total ban on hunting. This would not only effect the professional hunter but a ripple effect would be felt all the way down the line, even to the man who makes the smallest item of hunting equipment, let alone those that make the more expensive hunting accoutrements.

Photo credit: www.gunsonpegs.com

h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

Scottish estates would be overrun by deer herds, African villages would have their meager crops destroyed by elephant, and other wild game and the wild pigs will

hunting and the environment he is hunting in he will be doing a service to the animal population rather than destroying it. He will be part of the solution to ensure that the land and the animals on it are able to survive in a controlled environment whereby those that are endangered are protected and those that are over populated gets reduced to ensure that all species have sufﬁcient land and food sources to survive and procreate for generations to come. OK that said what about the ethics of our hunting safaris. What constitutes ethical and what constitutes unethical. The ﬁrst thing that all hunters should have is respect for is of course safety as well as the quarry and the environment they are hunting in. Shooting at live game should not be used as target practice. Keep that for the range and inanimate targets. To ethical hunters this may sound obvious but all hunters are not made the same.

Photography by John Alexander Photography

encroach even further into European suburbia destroying more gardens and parks than they are doing at the moment. The revenue derived from hunting activities amounts to billions of US dollars world wide, not to mention the fact that controlling the animal population enables the herds to survive and flourish without having to fight for the reducing amount of food available to them. Also the old and infirm animals would be left to die a slow painful death. Yes we do have the unethical hunters who give the pastime a bad name but these will remain even if a total ban is implemented. You will never stop the illegal hunting of game no matter where in the world you are. In fact the illegal hunting will be more prominent if a

total ban is implemented as people will take to culling animals that are encroaching onto human habitat. If a farmer in an African village is not allowed to protect his land by law he will protect it unlawfully. But on the other hand if he sees that he gets beneﬁ t from the hunters that come to his village or the surrounding area and he gets a wage from working for the professional hunter he is more likely to ensure the survival of the animals and will be obliged to take more care of endangered species as he will see that they are a source of his income and wealth as well as keeping marauding wild life from trampling through his cultivated plots. So long as the hunter hunts in accordance with the law and respects the game he is

You owe it to yourself, as well as your game target to be proficient with whatever weapon you are hunting with. Whether this is a firearm or bow and arrow. Practice with new equipment to make sure you become familiar with it and don’t take questionable shots, which includes if the animal is to far away or by trying for a kill when the animal is not in the bet position. A wounded animal may suffer a long painful death and this is not the intention of the exercise. Yes, at times things don’t go according to plan. The target may move at the last minute, a freak gust of wind might blow that perfect arrow shot slightly off target. These things happen but if this does happen then it is incumbent on us to ensure we track the wounded animal down as soon as possible and ensure it is dead or dispatch it as quickly and as humanely as possible. If you’re on the range and you are shooting at 500 yards or more you need to try to put groups of three or four in a four or five inch group before you can call yourself proficient. If you can’t do that the only thing hurting is your pride and the paper target. If you

h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

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are hunting Dall sheep in the mountains of Eastern Europe where longer range shooting is sometimes needed, not being able to group your shots into five inches at long distances is not an option. Long range to me means targets out to 200 yards plus, and so as well as yourself the weapon you use should be capable of delivering the bullet on target with sufficient energy to ensure the animal is dispatched as quickly as possible. Ensure the caliber of the rifle is adequate for the game you are hunting and if you are hunting small game and you come across a trophy buck elk out to 300yards and all you have is a .223, take a photo of it through your telephoto lens and come back another day with a .300 win mag or a .308. Make sure your scope is adequate for the range you are going to shoot at and make sure you have sighted it in before you go off into the wild. Also it does you well to recall

h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

the advice given to the lady settler by, John Wayne, when the Indians were raiding the circled wagons and she was ﬁghting them off with a borrowed Winchester 73, and he stood in full view with his .45 and said in his low slow drawl….“Remember.. Windage and Elevation, Mrs. Green.. Windage and Elevation…. Good advise when you’re out hunting. Another most important thing regarding hunting ethically, and there are plenty and all are important, but this must come near the top of the list, and that is bullet placement. Make sure you know the anatomy of the animal your hunting. A shot placed in the heart and lung area of most animals is the best and most assured to effect a quick kill. If that means waiting for ﬁfteen minutes for that Cape buffalo to turn broadside on or for the smallest Dik Dik to move out of cover, or even leaving the animal until a better opportunity presents itself; then that’s what you should do.

At the end of the day the animal that you are hunting cannot shoot back. Yes some big game, and some not so big game, if provoked and only wounded, will attack but by and large whatever we say we as humans armed with lethal weapons do have the advantage, so its is incumbent on us to ensure we make as clean a kill as possible, and also wherever possible the meat harvested from the game we shoot should be ﬁ t for, and used for consumption, be that a couple of brace of pheasants given to us after a driven day in Europe or a rouge elephant that had to be dispatched and whose whole carcass will be shared by and used by a whole village, or two. In the ﬁnal analysis the whole essence of ethical hunting comes down, to common sense, respect for the quarry, and decency. Practice these skills as much as you practice with your chosen weapon and you will not go far wrong.

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Lady Guns

Are They Really the Weaker Sex? It is true that when it comes to shooting you will always tend to find more male participants than female. I suppose this is something that is in our genes, as it would normally be the man that hunts and goes to war whilst the woman’s role is more, shall we say, domestic. Now ladies don’t get me wrong I am all for equality in this life and would support to the death, a woman’s right to do whatever she feels she wants to. Well perhaps not to the death but I would put up a very good fight for it. You see I have come across a number of Lady Guns in my time and maybe I have been lucky, but all the ones I have met have been extremely sociable and generally good sports. You may only get one or two on a game shoot with probably seven or eight male counterparts and I have yet to find any of the ladies asking for, or expecting to receive, special treatment. They take their place on the peg that they drew and they will wade through the mud and sludge of a river bank or tackle the intrusive needle like spikes of a blackthorn hedge without so much as whimper. Whereas some

h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

male guns will bitch and moan and grumble about the lay of the land or the peg they were drawn or the quality of the birds.

To a man, or should I say to a lady, I have found the fairer sex to be stoic in the face of adversity, complimentary when a Gun brings down an especially high bird and if they did not have much shooting on a particular drive the most disgruntlement you ﬁnd she will show is a fatalistic shrug of the shoulders, a charming smile and a comment that, ‘Oh well better luck next time, what’!

Neither are they afraid of some inclement weather. A drop of rain or even a torrential downpour doesn’t dampen their enthusiasm and if its a bit on the chilly side they will whip out their hip ﬂask take a short draft of some favorite libation to get the chill out of their bones and invariable offer it on to the next Gun in line for him to partake. And speaking of bones, some of these killer queens are put together quite prettily, admitted some are rather more, high, wide and homely, than tall, slender and lovely, but “by gum lad” can they shoot? I suppose it’s a case of a woman encroaching on a mans world having to feel that she has to make an extra special effort to be accepted but you know what, they really don’t have to because apart from the odd male chauvinist, most men welcome a little bit of glamour to the proceedings that a female gun can bring. Admittedly we have to mind our “Ps” and “Qs” and behave ourselves and keep the profanities down to a minimum, but when the odd imprecation is uttered due to an unfortunate set of circumstances such as missing a sitting duck, then a polite apology is

somewhat colorful. And I mean blue colorful. He was not loud but lets say when Mick spoke people listened and usually what they heard was some pretty strong language. In fact virtually every other word in normal conversation was literally a swear word, but when a female walked through the clubhouse door not one swear word would leave his mouth. As soon as she left and closed the door behind her he would start up again. This is the reaction the ladies have on most of us and that’s not a bad thing. So no matter whether it’s game or clay the ladies are well represented and it’s been that way ever since I can recall. As we have said earlier the ratio of men to women on any given days shooting will be highly in favor of the men, unless of course the shoot is speciﬁcally a ladies only shoot, which is happening more and more these days. Ladies like Rosie Nickerson, Clare Zambuni, Anthia Hillyer and Charlotte Kerwood, all bring a touch of glamour to the sport and all four of these ladies are super shots. Rosie Nickerson is the daughter of the late Sir Joseph Nickerson and as well as being one fantastic game shot she is an author and writer for top UK shooting magazines. Claire Zambuni is six feet tall and blond and shoots her Holland and Holland shotguns to devastating effect and runs a couple of shooting organizations promoting lady shooters.

offered and gracefully accepted by the lady in the knowledge that these things do happen, especially when under stress. In fact it is not uncommon for the lady to utter an oath or two in similar circumstances. I do ﬁnd it amusing though how the entrance of a person of the female gender upon entering a room can moderate the tone of the conversation, given the fact that the male

occupants are anything like gentlemen. I used to shoot clay pigeons with a man who was the salt of the earth. He would go out of his way to help you, he would give you shooting advice, and he would re-blue your barrels or reﬁnish your walnut stock and fore end for a shot of, Johnny Walker, next time you found him in the bar. His fault, if you could call it that was that being a blacksmith at the local coal mine tended to make his vocabulary

Althea Hillyer, a clay shooter, and game shooter par excellence. She has won the ladies FITASC clay shooting world championship no less that seven times and can hold her own on any game drive. Charlotte Kerwood, just 24 years old and has, up to now, won three gold medals for England in double trap in the Commonwealth Games and she will shoot for Great Britain in the 2012 Olympics and like Althea is a stunning game shot.›

h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

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All four of these ladies are tremendous shots and are extremely elegant and good looking, so if you are fortunate enough to ďŹ nd yourself next to any one of them on the next peg at a driven day, or on the next stand at a clay shoot, you had better look to your laurels,

h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

or make some excuse that your gun has malfunctioned because unless you can shoot like a demon you will be distracted by both their beauty and there ability to smoke clays and to drop high pheasants. The above are just four, Killer Queens, I picked at random,

there are many more equally as good and if you come across a lady gun whilst out shooting just watch how she shoots ďŹ rst before you start to try and give her some friendly advise, because she just might be able to show you a thing or two. RNC

Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Ruler’s Representative in the Western Region, and Chairman of the Emirates Falconers’ Club

WEDNESDAY 5TH - SATURDAY 8TH SEPTEMBER 2012

10th

Celebrating its Anniversary

5 - 8 SEPTEMBER, 2012 ABU DHABI NATIONAL EXHIBITION CENTRE

www.adihex.com Organised by

Supported by

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Ceska Zbrokovka Celebrates 75 Years The history and the CZ75

The history of Ceska zbrojovka Uhersky Brod dates back to 1936, when it was established as a branch plant of Ceska zbrojovka located in town of Strakonice, based on a political decision of the National Defence Council. On 2 January 1937 production of a combined range of military and civilian arms commenced. The ﬁrst products were aircraft machine guns, military pistols and smallbore riﬂes. During the Nazi occupation period the plant was forced to produce and repair military arms. From 1945 the plant returned to the combined range of military and civilian arms, with an equal share of time going into the production of each. In 1950 the Company became a separate state enterprise called "Presne strojirenstvi Uhersky Brod" (The Precision Machine Tooling Company) and was subsequently reorganised into a number of specialised directorates. In the 1970's and 1980's the Company was merged with the concern Agrozet Brno, where it engaged in its traditional production of arms while also taking over and launching the production of reduction gears and driveshaft casings for aircraft engines for Motorlet Praha and hydraulic powered and controlled attachments for tractors for Zetor Brno. In the second half of the 1980's a corporate modernisation and restructuring process began, with an emphasis on the product range of arms, and the process continued on into the 1990's. As of 1 July 1988 the Company was split off from Agrozet Brno and became a separate state enterprise, once again taking its original name of Ceská zbrojovka, s.p. In 1990 production for the last project for the Czechoslovak armed units ceased and the newly available capacity was put to full use in expanding production of arms for hunting and sporting purposes, as well as exports for armed police and military units. Similarly, in 1991 when the production of hydraulic powered and controlled attachments for tractors was discontinued, and in 1992 after the production volume of reduction gears

h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

and driveshaft casings for aircraft engines was curtailed, the newly available capacities were used primarily to expand the traditional production of recreational arms. On 1 May 1992, the National Property Fund of the Czech Republic established the joint stock company Ceska zbrojovka a.s., Uhersky Brod in accordance with a privatisation project. In 1997 Ceska zbrojovka obtained quality system certification pursuant to ISO 9001. The Company has been granted the requisite authorisation by the Office for Civil Aviation to manufacture and repair aircraft engine parts. The Company’s automotive industry manufacturing operation is has received quality system certification per CSN EN ISO 16949 standards, which forms a solid basis for further development in this area. Ceska zbrojovka celebrated their 75th anniversary in 2011. To recall the important jubilee, the company treated the market with the launch of the special edition CZ75 pistol, their absolute top best seller of all time and the legend from the 70's.

“The conjunction of 75th anniversary and the very CZ 75 pistol in its initial version were apparent from the very beginning. Therefore, we named the pistol in the spirit of this event - CZ 75th Anniversary“-Product Manager

of Ceská zbrojovka, Richard Velísek, one of the authors involved in realisation of the anniversary pistol model. By manufacturing this limited series, Ceská zbrojovka referred back to the break of 1960´s and 1970´s, when the trestle board of design engineer František Koucký saw the evolution of the first draft of the famous “seventyfive“. There have been numerous pieces of the first model of CZ 75 preserved all over the World, excluding the cock safety lug and shorter frame and slide grooves. These pistols now represent unique vintage pieces held in private collections. The shape of the CZ 75th Anniversary resembles pistols from 1970´s, yet its equipment and features would match it with contemporary pistols with sufficient safety elements. Ceská zbrojovka a.s. kept celebrating its 75th anniversary throughout 2011 and launched the CZ75 early this year to extend the celebration of the historic anniversary.

h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

hunting tips

Stay Hydrated & Healthy with Water Purification Systems

h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

Water is the essence of life; just as camping out in the wild and connecting with Nature is a necessity to some of us, water is even more necessary. Don’t we all agree? In this article, H&S talks about the importance of water, the gift of water puriﬁcation kits and the brands that give us the best of them.

What are they? Portable water puriﬁcation devices are able to synthesize unchlorinated water to potable, safe and savory drinking water with the elimination of chlorine, bad taste, odors and heavy metals like lead and mercury that are found in untreated sources. These units are commonly used by recreational enthusiasts, military personnel and survivalists.

Where to get them? Berkey Water Purifiers Berkey Systems are one of the world’s most powerful and cost effective personal water purification systems that provide reliable and user-friendly water purification in both normal and hostile filtration environments. The available systems are capable of purifying both treated water and untreated raw water from sources such as remote lakes, streams and stagnant ponds. From their wide range of outdoor and multiuse systems, one of H&S’ favorite has to be the Go Berkey Kit. The Go Berkey Kit Is designed for backpacking, hiking, camping, and a hundred other activities and even for your desk at work. The generic Sport Berkey portable water purifier bottle is perfect for when you are out on the trail and the Go Berkey system works great for passive purification back at the campsite, lodge, etc. The Generic Sport Berkey portable water purifier bottle can also be used to prime the Black Berkey Purification Element when water pressure is not available.

The Go Berkey Kit is a must during unexpected emergencies. It also removes viruses, pathogenic bacteria, cysts and parasite entirely and extracts harmful chemicals and unhealthy heavy metals. Constructed of highly polished AISI 304 stainless steel, the Go Berkey Kit comes complete with one Black Berkey Purification Element, one generic Sport Berkey portable water purifier bottle and vinyl carry case. This system has a storage capacity of about 1 quart (.95 liters) and when in use it stands 14” in height with a diameter of 4”. The upper chamber nests within the lower chamber for transport and stands only 10” in height. Weighing a mere 2.4 pounds, the Go Berkey Kit is lightweight, easily transportable and perfect for active people on the go! BW Technologies/Pure Hydration Pure Hydration (BW Technologies Limited) is an independent British firm that has its roots in a company launched in 1993 to provide hot and cold water machines. In 1995, BW Technologies was born to look into water purification products, and was later named Pure Hydration. Their star product is the Aquapure Traveller. Aquapure Traveller The new Aquapure Traveller incorporates a new technology known as M.A.D (Mechanically Advanced Disinfection). With the new technology, a chemical free system has been produced that does the job better than the original product and has a faster flow rate. It is designed to provide water that tastes good and is safe to drink anywhere. Its filter cap will purify an average of 350L during its lifetime. The Aquapure Traveller performs better than alternative water purification menthods such as water purification tablets (e.g. chlorine tablets), boiling, using iodine tincture, and

others. By using the new M.A.D Technology, it is completely chemical free. As with all portable water purification systems, the Aquapure Traveller eliminates viruses and bacteria, waterborne pathogens, bad taste and odor and heavy metals. The water filter can be replaced simply by taking off the old cap and screwing on a new one. SteriPEN SteriPEN harnesses the brilliant power of ultraviolet light to destroy waterborne microbes in drinking water. Whether your source is a woodland brook or a hotel tap, SteriPEN purifies water by destroying viruses, bacteria and protozoa in seconds. SteriPEN lets us know that carrying their products is our passports to safe drinking water anywhere and we absolutely agree. Our favorite product from SteriPen is the Adventurer Opti. Adventurer Opti The SteriPEN Adventurer Opti uses a revolutionary optical eye to sense the water. The patent-pending technology ensures safe use and provides purification in even the coldest of waters. The new optical sensor doubles as a convenient LED flashlight. Because of its reliability and lightweight, Adventurer Opti has earned great reviews and ratings. It’s a great backup light when camping or taking a night-time walk to refill your water bottle. The Flashlight mode is activated by pressing and holding the single button down for 3 seconds. The clear lamp over focuses the LED light. The Adventurer Opti retail package includes 2 non-rechargeable (disposable) CR123 batteries and a neoprene case with belt loop. The device works with containers with minimum 1.75 in. diameter opening.

h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

hunting tips

Double Gun Loaders

During my years of game shooting I have been on a number of shoots where loaders were provided. Not too many shoots but enough to be able to give you some clues if ever you get invited to a double gun day. Usually the shoot will be quite formal and will be a 300 plus bag day. If your fortunate enough to get invited to a grouse day on the Glorious 12th of August then a double gun and loader will probably be expected. Any grouse day at the start of the season will see plenty of fast driven grouse coming over the butts, left, right and center, and a loader in these circumstances in invaluable. One naturally assumes that you have two guns to bring to the party of course and some of the guns where I was a loader had matched pairs that must have cost twice my annual salary at the time. If it is less formal it is advisable to at least have two guns of the same make. And definitely of the same caliber. This may sound obvious but on one occasion a Gun turned up to shoot with a 12 gauge and a 20 gauge expecting his loader to have a pocket full of 12 gauge cartridges in his left pocket and 20 gauge in the right. The shoot captain soon resolved this by quietly explaining that this is just not done and gave him the loan of one of the shoots 12 gauges. Unless you are proficient at double gunning get some practice. Either with a fellow shooter at a shooting school, or better yet get the shooting instructor to give you a few tips and an hours practices at actually giving empty guns to, and receiving loaded guns from, a second party. Sounds easy but there is a knack to it if you want to look competent and smooth. I suppose smooth is the operative word. The most important aspect of double gunning is safety, naturally, especially when you are in a confined space like a grouse butt. If you are in the field there is more room to maneuver and if the butt is too small for two you will be handing loaded guns over the wall.

h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

So what’s the etiquette that surrounds double gunning? Well ﬁrst the invite should state clearly whether it is a double gun day or not and if it is you should determine whether or not you will be provided with a loader or if you are expected to bring your own. You could bring a friend but you should advise your host when accepting the shoot offer that you will be providing your own loader There is a procedure for passing guns from one to another and it is universally accepted practice that if the Gun is right handed then it is normal for the loader to position himself just behind and to the right of the Gun. You should hand the empty gun back to the loader with your right hand and hold out your left hand ready to accept the loaded gun into it. The loader should ensure that he is watching the Guns hands as the Gun will be watching for incoming birds. Always accept the empty gun ﬁrmly and place the loaded weapon in the shooters hand

equally ﬁrmly waiting until the Gun takes it from you rather than you giving it to him. There is a difference, if the Gun takes it you still have hold of the weapon whist he takes from your grip. Do not release a gun unless

you feel it being taken. Dropped guns have a habit of discharging if the butt stock hits the ground with any force and the least that may happen is that one of a matched pair of Purdey’s gets dented or scratched which the gun owner will not be too happy about. Some would prefer to be shot than that happens! If you are in a butt you cannot go far but if you are in open ground, as a Gun or a loader, stand in one place. Don’t go walking off even if it’s only a few meters, Gun and loader should be in synchronization at all times. In all cases hold the guns pointed upwards when passing or receiving a gun. The only time this should be ignored is if you are shooting in a downpour of rain. In this case hold the gun downwards until the actual hand over to prevent rain water running down the barrels and into the action. If you do hold the gun downwards make sure it is pointed safely at the ﬂoor just in front of you and not at other Guns or their dogs. Also, at the end of a drive or the shoot, ensure that there are no cartridges left in ›

h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

hunting tips

any of the gun barrels. In the excitement of a drive, and if a bird is downed with one barrel, it is sometimes easy to forget that there is still a cartridge in the gun. Open and Empty, should always be the golden rule. It is always a rule, no matter if you are double gunning on a formal day or if you are rough shooting with friends, to always ensure you have sufﬁcient cartridges for the days shooting you intend to do. People will give you cartridges but is embarrassing to have to ask. In some instances it is not a case of double gunning but just a case of having your one and only shot gun loaded for you as soon as you have emptied it. If this is the case then as soon as you have discharged both barrels eject the spent cartridges away from your loader and then turn to show him your empty barrels and

let him slip in another two cartridges. If you're loading then make sure you are holding sufﬁcient cartridges at all times. These can be held between your ﬁngers or even a couple in you mouth brass outwards. You should always shake the cartridge bag a few times as this will make sure that most of the cartridges have the brass uppermost and therefore easy to pick and they will be facing the right way to drop into the barrels. Always be polite and pleasant to your Gun or your loader. A loader should never criticize a poor shot but should always acknowledge a good shot. If your loader is family or friend then the relationship would be a little less formal but it always makes for a more pleasant day if you can build up a rapport with you partner.

It is tradition that at the end of the day the loader will clean the shooters guns. This may be done whilst the Gun is enjoying some refreshments with the rest of the Guns and the shoot organizer, so if you are a loader then you must ensure that the cleaned gun is stored properly especially if there has been some wet weather and never put a cleaned and dried gun in a wet slip and vise versa. Experienced loaders will bring their own cleaning equipment but experienced guns should also bring their own cleaning equipment along to. You must also establish if the loaders are being paid for their services by the shoot or if you are expected to pay the full price for their service. In any event a tip on top of what would usually be the norm, especially if the loader has given good service and has been a sociable companion throughout the day. Whether Gun or loader always ensure that spent cartridges are collected after a drive and either put in your pocket to take back to the waste bins at the lodge or pile them next to the peg for collection by the shoot staff later. The same rule does apply to an extent that any birds that may be within a few meters of you should be collected and taken back to the game cart by yourself or given to the pickers up as you pass them. It’s just a matter of good manners and courtesy all round that makes a good day and if you have a partner, in the guise of a loader or a Gun, then it beholds both parties to make the day as enjoyable as possible whilst always being aware of the etiquette required. RNC.

On days with bags of 300 birds or more it is advisable to use loaders a team of which can be assembled upon request. Your own loaders are, of course, welcome.

h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

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hunting tips

Hunting Arrows

Heads, Shafts & Fletching

h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

Following on from the previous editions article on Bow Hunting we now take a look at the business end of the hunt, the Arrow. An arrow is made up of a number of component parts, starting from the back we have the knock, then the ďŹ&#x201A;etching, then the shaft and sitting on top of all this is the arrow head. In the ďŹ nal analysis it is the head that does the business and the other components are purely the method of sending the point to its intended target. The delivery module if you like.

Like most things that you need to use today you have a huge variety of choice depending on a number of factors, not least is price of course but when it comes to components that have to have a lethal application your mantra should be simply to buy the best, and that which is most suitable for the job at hand, or don’t go hunting. Other considerations are what you intend to use the bow and arrows for. Target practice is one thing and dangerous game hunting is right at the other end of the scale. And whilst hunting elephants with a bow and arrow is not allowed in some parts of Africa, there are bows and the accompanying arrows that are capable of bringing this huge animal down. The shaft is what all the other components sit on and in its origins the arrow shaft was made from wood or bamboo or other suitable organic material. Nowadays shafts can still be bought in wood and are mainly used by the traditionalists, but the norm now tends to be for shaft materials to be aluminum, carbon ﬁber reinforced plastics, or other composite materials. Rigidity and strength coupled with light weight are what is required.

The wood shaft is relatively inexpensive but can break easily, an aluminum shaft is light and has the strength but it can easily become bent out of shape and whilst shaft straighteners are available the shaft has to be taken home and repaired in the shop. The most versatile

is the carbon shaft as this material tends to be stiffer and therefore one size of shaft can be used for a greater number of applications than definitely a wooden shaft and even the aluminum shaft. However getting back to the fact that you get what you pay for, a cheap carbon shaft can have a tendency to splinter or shred and if this occurs the arrow should be discarded immediately. The nock is a component that can easily be overlooked as it is just a small item but if it is not fixed to the shaft correctly it can seriously affect the flight of the arrow. If you are purchasing arrows from a reputable dealer then the nock will be fixed correctly but over time they can become misaligned with the result that the nock sits on the bow string at a slight angle which makes the arrow fly off target. The most reliable nock fixing is that which slots into the end of the shaft for about one third of the total nock length. This method will keep the alignment much better than the nock that is purely glued on to the end of the shaft. Periodically you should roll the arrow on a flat surface so just the shaft is lying horizontally and the head and fletchings ›

h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

hunting tips

are hanging over at either end. There should be no noticeable ﬂuctuation of the nock when the arrow is rolled or spun.

plastic. Feathers are more popular with the traditionalists as feather ﬂights have been used since the ﬁrst bow was made.

Next inline are the fletchings or flights. These are obviously there to stabilize the ﬂight of the arrow once it’s left the bow. Once again there are numerous types and each one will do its job perfectly well provided they are ﬁ t for purpose. The two main types in common use are the plastic and feather variety.

Another lesser known fletching is the flu-flu. This is used for aerial targets such as birds or recreational shooting where distance is not an issue as arrows fletched with flu-flu flights will slow down after about 30 or 40 yards and literally float back to earth. The flu-flu is made from feathers split down the spine and then wrapped and glued helically around the shaft.

The plastic by its nature tends to be more durable and is impervious to moisture and will give you a small increase in arrow speed but for every day use the speed difference is negligible.

The more traditional feather or plastic ﬂetching will utilize three vanes set at 120 degrees to each other.

A feather ﬂetching on the other hand will stabilize your arrow quicker but it does sacriﬁce a little speed as against the

h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

Finally we come to the arrow head. Here, as with the other components, we have a wide variety and choice depending on the application you are going to put it to. For hunting purposes the broadhead is the most

versatile, but having said that there are literally hundred of designs and styles on the market to choose from. If you are hunting rabbit or smaller birds then a blunt point can be used but if you are hunting medium sized game a three blade broadhead is the way to go and for heaver game with larger body and muscle mass and tough bones to break then perhaps a deep penetrating tanto pointed one piece double blade single bevel cutting edge with a cutting diameter of around 20mm. The other option for medium sized game would be the mechanical broadheads which deploys its cutting edges on impact. The fact the cutting edges are laying basically ﬂat to the surface of the point will give a slightly faster arrow but will lose some kinetic energy on impact due to the cutting edges opening. The rear opening heads give better penetration but the front opening blades will cut and open as they penetrate the body with less

resistance than those of the front opening. Another thing to consider is how the arrow head is fixed to the shaft. At first glance this might not seem to be too relevant but every bit of advantage helps penetration and penetration along with placement is what makes for an effective kill. So, the head should be fixed on the shaft so that any overlap between arrow head ferule and the arrow shaft is outside the shaft or to put it another way the shaft should be inserted into the base of the arrow head ferule. This ensures that the joint is as strong as possible and that there is no penetration resistance, no matter how small, on the arrow entering the body. In other words the arrow head will be either flush with the shaft or slightly larger in diameter allowing the shaft to follow the head with no friction against the body of the animal. Having said all of the above the most important thing to remember is that you should ensure that the arrow is placed in the animals vitals where it is going to be the most effective at putting it down in the most humane manner as possible. Placement is paramount. Along with that of course is the power of the bow and the weight of the arrow. If you are after small game such as birds, rabbits and the smaller variety of deer then a bow that produces kinetic energy of 35 to 50 ft/lb sending an arrow of 300 grains is what is required. For medium sized game like warthogs, Impala and springbok 50 to 60 ft/lb kinetic energy and 400 grains arrow is what is needed. Larger game of the kudu, zebra, and wildebeest variety would require 60 to 70 ft/ lb of kinetic energy and a 500 grains arrow. Finally for the real big and dangerous game, where these are allowed to be bow hunted, you need a lot of energy and an equivalently heavy arrow. One would be looking at 80 to 110 ft/lb of kinetic energy with an arrow weight of between 600 and 800 grains. At the lower end of this scale would be the

Cape buffalo and the upper end would be the Elephant. There is such a variety of arrows on the market nowadays that if you are considering bow hunting for the first time talk to an experienced bow hunter, your professional outfi tter, or your retailer as to the best set up for the game you intend to hunt. Bow hunting can be very exciting as you do need to get closer to your quarry than if you are using a firearm. So make sure you have the right tools for the job and that you have become proficient with the bow and arrow. Don’t scrimp on the equipment, especially the arrow head. This is the item that, if placed correctly at the right speed and with sufficient energy and with sufficient weight behind it, will

determine if the animal succumbs quickly or if it is only wounded and has to be stalked and dispatched after a long trek. Finally the price of a broadhead, either ﬁxed or mechanical, varies signiﬁcantly between type and manufacture. Any reputably made broadhead will be effective straight out of its package. Once it is used then its effectiveness decreases exponentially with use. The arrow head needs to be razor sharp at all times and if it has been through a carcass of tough hide, fat, muscle and bone the edge is bound to have come off it. If it can not be bought back to original penetrating sharpness then it should only be used for practice or discarded. RNC

h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

hunting tips

A Bolt from out of the Blue

The Amazing Renaissance of the Hunting Crossbow

h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

So, after our time-travel traipses with the crossbow in part one, a bit of trivia about terra ﬁrma’s most massive mammal. The African elephant is the largest thick-skinneddangerous-game in recent times and maybe superseded only by its own gargantuan bodyweight of 5000 to 14000 pounds. Presumably, every big-game hunter worthhis-salt knows that these critters do require, hammer-of-Thor, calibres. And, if Thor had several hammer weights, the lightest would be the .375 H&H (in 300-grain solid with1.70ton of energy-at-100yds.), which is in fact the legal minimum chambering for such quarry in Africa.

Bringing-Down A Colossus Meandering not from our title and ending up writing unrelated gobbledygook about the topic - though happens to me most of the time, thank goodness for the editor’s patience in reining-in things - except for a very extraordinary case where an experienced Zimbabwean game warden made a closerange well-placed-one-two .375 H&H headshot, on both sides of an African bull’s head, requiring a third broadside shot to ﬁnally bring it down, really made me wonder

Figure 1- Mr. Troubridge & his Exomax recurve. Bloodstains, encircled in red, indicate bolt-arrow’s shot placement coinciding with heart/lung vitals’ location shown in Figure 2. Image courtesy of Excalibur Crossbow

how a modern arrow-bolt loosed from a modern recurve crossbow took-out a 5-ton pachyderm (Figure 1). That would be three 1.70 tons-of-energy

impacting Jumbo sequentially, a combined 3.40-ton impact on its cranium alone, plus another 1.70-ton in the body. In all, Jumbo absorbed a 5.1-ton blow before throwing-in the towel. Therefore, if the crossbow is good enough for the elephant, is it even better on lessersized games? Well, no different from the other methods in the activity of bagging games, crossbow hunting is still basically about the intents and motives behind the hunt, the physical capability to undertake the hunt, the proper selection and thorough familiarization with the hunting equipment vis-à-vis the game to be hunted.

Figure 2 – w/ a much larger Kill Zone, despite the 3-inch wide ribs, in-no-uncertain-terms, familiarity with the game’s anatomy remains imperative to affect massive heart-lung trauma, thus, incapacitating Jumbo decisively. Image from a

Indubitably, Mr. Troubridge burned the midnight oil Figure 2 before embarking on an elephant hunt with a crossbow that he described later, as a truly life altering experience, because given the arrow-bolt’s unimpressive 0.0625 ton-of-energy (125 footpounds), he was still able to efﬁciently and humanely bag Jumbo. ›

h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

hunting tips

FLIGHT GROOVE/ ARROW TRACK

STRING

COCKING STIRRUP

SIGHTS

SAFETY STOCK

FOREGRIP

RECURVE LIMB

ARROW-BOLT RETENTION SPRING SIGHT BRIDGE

TIGGER

SERVING

Figure 3 – the recurve’s robust set-up coupled with ease-of-ﬁeld maintenance/repair is the hands-down favourite among the simplicity-equals-reliability crossbow crowd. Image courtesy of Excalibur Crossbow

Today’s Crossbows a symbiosis of the weapon’s original operating principle with innovative, radical, & futuristic technology The article agrees with William Hovey Smith, when he said that most, if not all, of the crossbow’s ground-breaking advances took place in the last twenty years than in the previous two millennia when it became a viable manportable missile-launcher. Although, the basic set-up remains the same, given the ultra-modern make-over of today’s crossbows’, whether recurve (Figure 3) or compound, the appearance alone unreservedly will be mind-blowing for the medieval crossbow hunters to behold. Indeed, the crossbow’s metamorphosis is simply incredible from the backbreaker cumbersome to operate feudal era’s hunting crossbow, it was just a matter of time before an over-imaginative chap would come out with a crossbow conﬁgured in an assault-riﬂe format (Figure 4).

h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

SCOPE AND LOWER RECEIVER NOT INCLUDED

Figure 4 – appears that PSE beat others to the punch with this one. And this would really inﬂame more the already roiling-boiling crossbow-cum-riﬂe mutant debate. Image from tac15.com

DIAL-A-RANGE® OPTICAL SIGHT COMPENSATOR MOUNTED ON A PREMIUM METAL SIGHT BRIDGE

AMBIDEXTROUS SAFETY

HIGH PERFORMANCE SYNTHETIC STRING

REELTREE® CAMO FINISH

FULLY ADJUSTABLE & COLLAPSABLE SOTCK TALON MIM ULTRA-LIGHT TRIGGER

ANODIZED ALUMINUM BARREL DURA-TIP INTEGRATED YOKE SYSTEM AUGMENTING THE...

.....GORDON MULTI-LAYER RECURVESTYLE LAMINATED LIMBS

CNC MACHINED AIRCRAFT GRADE ALUMINUM RISERS

Figure 5 - Horton’s Legacy CS 225. An example of a modern recurve, chock-full of hi-tech features. Image from natchezss.com/Text from hortonarchery.com

Yet, whereas the intricate spanning operation of the medieval crossbow is at its rear, that mechanical complexity is now found both at the front - the cam/wheel-pulley levering system and at the back of its modern compound descendant (either as an add-on or built-in to the crossbow) . Uncanny that some things never really change, they just keep getting reinvented - and in the crossbow’s case, seem for the better.

Remember on part one of the materials used to make the early crossbows? Well, the modern crossbow’s transformation can be regarded as an association of evolution and innovation, which is quite evident in the case of the modern recurve crossbow. A two-thousand-year-old design, the reversed-curvature of the recurve’s tips affords a longer draw length than an

equivalent straight-limbed bow, thus, imparts more impulse to the arrow-bolt with less jolting sensation. Now, by retaining that basic design attribute and combining it with spaceage materials and cutting-edge manufacturing technology Figure 5, portable operational simplicity is maintained without detracting from its very lethal capability. ›

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hunting tips

Debuting in the mid-1970's, the compound crossbow (and its ensuing inverted-cam/ reverse-draw Figure 6 variants) was the outcome of the redesign-thru-re-engineeringusing-hi-tech-materials approach. Pointed out by Mr. W. H. Smith, as the modern compound’s origins, was when the dualround-wheel/high-let-off-cams technology was ﬁnally considered applicable to crossbow design. Thus, the crossbow-maker’s dream to design an ideally short prod with less exerted stress on the trigger assembly plus the much desired gradual-transfer-of-force/impulse from the string to the arrow-bolt, as the former propels the latter off the crossbow’s rail, was eventually realized.

The Crossbow & Arrow-Bolt’s Deadly Synergy and budgeting for your crossbow purchase Still, a technology-laden crossbow does not make one an instant William Tell . . . or a William Troubridge for that matter. Correspondingly, the article clarifies that no comparison between the Kynoch .375 H&H bullet and Magnus-tipped / Goldtip-shafted arrow-bolt was intended to on page one different contexts and hunting equipments, consequently, different projectile trajectories and tissue-damage characteristics. Besides, with a wild animal, even a well-placed-shot will not always produce that dramatic oneshot-drop. So, how to go about hunting with a crossbow? Let’s consider first how the modern arrowbolt tip or broadhead wounds. Like any edged implement used to inflict injury or demise, the broadhead, often described as an enlargedscalpel-on-a-shaft Figure 7, does its damage by hacking, slashing and shredding every tissue in its path up until the extent of its penetration. As further explained in an article found at, rathcoombe.net – one reason why an arrow can kill as fast as a bullet is by slicing-up major blood-bearing organs. Thus, exsanguination (extreme haemorrhaging) results, which

h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

Figure 6 – the why-haven’t-I-thought-of-that very avant-garde & radical design. Obtaining a 20-inch power-stroke by afﬁxing the reversed-limbs in front of the trigger guard, besides signiﬁcantly reducing draw-weight, also imparts increased kinetic energy using longer arrows in a manoeuvrable package. Image from smokebroadheads.com

is one cause of rapid death. A broadhead severing the primary aorta/s of the heart is sometimes actually more lethal than penetrating the heart itself, as instant blood pressure drop-to-zero occurs, consequently, death will follow in seconds. However, our shaving-sharpened broadhead is not worth its razor-honed-edge if it is to be merely thrown, like a dart, at our hypertestosterone-crazed Jumbo. It has to be combined with the appropriate nock, ﬂetching and shaft to become the projectile Figure 8 in our crossbow and arrow-bolt system. Figure 7 - Zwickey’s No Mercy 165-grain unvented one-piece two-blade doublebevelled cut-on-contact broadhead. In highcarbon triple-laminate steel, heat-treated to full-strength temper. Image from kustomkingarchery.com

Secondly, though the spanning effort may differ between a recurve and compound crossbow, still the transfer-of-force/impulsefrom-string-to-arrow-bolt principle remains basically the same, since the arrow-bolt’s momentum is the function of the crossbow’s output kinetic energy and the arrow-bolt’s mass (or weight, for us non-techies).

SHAFT TYPES: EITHER WOOD, AIRCRAFT GRADE ALUMINUM OR CARBON FIBRE

FLETCHING TYPES: EITHER FEATHER OR PLASTIC

A VENTED ONE-PIECE THREEE-BLADE CUT-ON-CONTACT BRODHEAD NOCK TYPES: HALF MOON NOCK

FLAT NOCK

Figure 8 – to kill effectively, the arrow-bolt’s parts must be matched and its ballistic performance calibrated accordingly with the crossbow’s speciﬁcations. Image from crossbowmen.com

That being the case, Dr. Ed Ashby (of tradgang.com) remarks that – momentum, not kinetic energy, is what determines the available amount of force which an archery tackle-launched projectile has for it to penetrate. Consequently, increasing the mass of the arrow-bolt’s momentum results in better penetration than momentum obtained from increasing arrow-bolt’s velocity by making it light. And within its design limits to propel projectiles, the crossbow/arrow-bolt system becomes more efﬁcient as the mass of the arrow-bolt increases. Being able to absorb better the imparted force/impulse from the string, the heavier arrow-bolt, besides reducing hand-shock, makes the crossbow shoot quieter than with a lighter one. Thus, with this more efﬁcient outcome, arrow-bolt penetration is maximized vis-à-vis acceptable levels of velocity and trajectory for ethical hunting ranges. Thus, with nothing more to go on but his curdled brains, after that two Physicssaturated paragraphs, the author staggers

shopping. We will get a bare-bones crossbow with our budget falling into the economical price bracket (US$200– 400+). Anticipate limited accessories, unaided hand-spanning, numerous plastic components, and nominal warranty. In the intermediate price bracket (US$450– 900+), we should look for aided spanning feature, i.e., either pull-rope or windlass type, Teﬂon rails, quality optics and a set of arrowbolts, safety and anti–dry ﬁre mechanisms, no plastic components, a good target and a lifetime warranty. Expect, of course, all what technology has to offer when our budget is now within the deluxe price bracket of (US$1000-2000), since this is where the accessories should either really enhance or mitigate variables inherent in a crossbow like speed, noise level, recoil, weight, trigger-pull and the like.

then to the spouse and demands the green stuff to buy his crossbow. Since Dr. Ashby has told us that the archery hunting tackle should be understood as the sum of all its parts, fortunately, most manufacturers offer their crossbows in nifty packages of varying price ranges.

Then again, we may have the topmost-of-the line crossbow in the market but if it is not conﬁgured to our age, sex, size and physical condition since we did not compare and actually test-ﬁre several makes and models, frustration rather than enjoyment will be the net result of our crossbow purchase.

However, outmaneuvered again by the wife by demanding not only a justiﬁcation, but, the presentation of the actual cost per package specifying the coverage of accessories, forced to reveal our hand, we go back to the negotiating table.

So there we have it, after a bit regarding the crossbow’s checkered history, on this installment, the article hopes it had shed light on the quantum leap the crossbow has taken in terms of design and performance, as an efﬁcient and humane hunting tool.

Now since the article had already featured some well known crossbow marque, what we will do is a walkthrough, not prescriptive of brand, but what to look out for, i.e., the desired and the not-so-desirable features, usually found in crossbows within each price bracket, grounded on the assumption that the crossbow to be purchased is a serious longterm investment – again, that being said, we should have already done our research and have determined our needs and preferences before hitting the road to go crossbow

Continued in the next issue, we will try to separate the grain from the chaff concerning the miasma of myths, misconceptions and controversies pestering the crossbow as a game bagger, the variety of animals being harvested by the crossbow, crossbow safety and the policies governing its use . . . . .

Happy reading! By: Bernard Miranda Feliciano

h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

hunting knives

Black Fox

Tactical Kinives BF-130 GR

BF-131 GR

Fox Coltellerie Fox Coltellerie was established in 1977 by Oreste Frati who had a very long experience in production and commercialism. The name of the company which was formed by merging the initial letters of the owner immediately appeared to be the right one. The company specialized in the production of high quality knives and EOM projects for important international brands. As the company went on with its production, it was greatly appreciated for the brilliant ideas as well as the research of new materials and the application of new technologies that

h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

have attributed to the creation of their wellknown quality products. FOX grew very quickly; however, Mr. Oreste personally controlled and programmed the production of the company. His wife Valnea, his son Gabriele and specialized collaborators are currently assisting the owner thus creating further successful results for the company. The professional tradition combined with the constant desire of technological innovations has built up the name of FOX Coltellerie making it one of the leading companies both nationally and internationally.

BF-92

BF-112 h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

air guns

Daystate’s

MK4

The Daystate MK4 takes the revolutionary electronic system to the next level. Featuring a new version of the Harper Patent electronic ﬁring system called MCT (Mapped Compensated Technology) which uses pressure feedback from the air cylinder to “regulate” power. The MK4 also features the

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new Harper “sling-shot” valve. These new systems increase shot count and consistency greatly over previous versions. The increase in efﬁciency almost makes it quieter to shoot. The MK4 has a Sporter walnut stock with modern lines, while the ST has a Sporter-Thumbhole walnut stock with similar lines.

The CDT electronic ﬁring system comes complete with features such as shot counter, magazine counter, and single-shot mode. The Daystate MK4 comes with all of the fancy features disable, but they are as easily activated as needed. All in all, the MK4 is a superbly functional sporting airgun with real character.

Overall Length Barrel Length Air Cylinder Capacity... Weight Available Calibres Loading Magazine Fill Pressure... Shots oper charge Trigger

928 mm [36.5 ins] 430 mm [17 ins] 144cc MK4: [unscoped] 3.4 kg [7.5 lbs] Panther: [unscoped] 4.3 kg [9.5 lbs] .177 [4.5mm] .22 [5.5mm] via bolt [electronically cocked and ﬁred] 10-shot rotary, removable (from left or right). Magnetic single-shot loading tray also supplied 230 BAR [3,335 psi] .22 - 180 shots @ 12 ft/lbs; 50 @ 30 ft/lbs; .177 - 150 shots @ 12 ft/lbs; 80 @ 18 ft/lbs Electronic release. Adjustable for weight and length of stage

Safety

Manual, electronic rotary lever with keyswitch isolator

Stock

Sports ‘S’ Model - walnut sporter; Sports Thumbhole ‘ST’ Model - walnut thumbhole: Panther (ambidextrous) – “Soft Touch” rubber over wood

Options...

Daystate available at

Al Qannas Hunting Equipment L.L.C.

Upgrade to Grade 4 Walnut (where available), left-hand stock (S & ST versions), left-hand bolt, black bolt handle, sling swivels, Sill Air Muzzle compensator (standard on Panther), Airstream silencer.

Tel: +971 4 282 8084 +971 4 283 2134 Fax: +971 4 239 4948 P.O. Box: 251275 Dubai - UAE E: alqaanas@emirates.net.ae www.alqaanashunting.com

h&s Issue 05 09 l May 2011 2012

air guns

A Few of the Best:

CO2 Air Pistols First things first - It’s refresh time!

What are CO2 BB guns? CO2 BB guns are not toys! They are not meant to be lethal but in the wrong hands, they can inﬂict serious personal injury. However, having said that, these guns can sure be fun to use if handled responsibly.

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CO2 BB guns are powered by compressed gas that comes in the form of CO2 cartridges. Before you purchase your gun, you should be aware that the pressure in the CO2 cartridges drops after each shot, therefore you will need extra CO2 cartridges when the pressure drops too low.

CO2 BB guns have been personal favorites of many people for quite some time now and now, H&S is going to help you pick the perfect one. Now that that’s out of the way - let’s jump right into uncovering some of the very best 4.5mm BB pistols out on the market.

Daisy 617X The 617X features a truly unique 6-shot rotary clip capable of housing 4.5mm pellets or BBs. Six shots can be fired from this CO2 powered semiautomatic as fast as the trigger can be pulled. The rapid fire fun makes it the perfect target training gun for any application. The maximum shooting distance of the 617X is 280 yards with a maximum muzzle velocity of 485fps from a rifled steel barrel. Featuring a TRUGLO fiber optic front sight and rotary hammer block safety, this handsome pistol will keep you on target every time. ›

Speciﬁcations Weight:

1.30 lbs

Sights:

TRUGLO® ﬁber-optic front, ﬁxed open rear

Safety:

Rotary hammer block

MAX. Muzzle Velocity: Overall Length: CALIBER: Barrel: Shooting Distance: Capacity:

485 fps. BB / 425 fps. pellet 8.5 in. 4.55 Riﬂed steel MAX. 260 yds. 6-shot rotary clip

h&s Issue 05 09 l May 2011 2012

air guns

Aftermath Mayhem .45 Sport Tactical CO2 Pistol This Full Metal Body 4.5mm Caliber BB gun is constructed with durability in mind. A heavy duty weaver rail system and ﬁber optic sight are standard. Speciﬁcations Caliber: Velocity: Magazine Capacity:

4.5mm 430 FBS 19 Rds.

Crossman C11 This semi-automatic C02 powered pistol combines hand-held comfort with quality components, at a reasonable price. It features a velocity up to 480 feet per second and an accessory rail under the barrel. The C11 also features a removable magazine for BBs, as well as grips that slide back for easy replacement of CO2 Powerlets. Speciﬁcations Weight: 1.4 lbs Length:

8.50 in

Caliber:

4.55mm

BB Magazine:

18 Shot

Barrel:

Smooth

Front Sight:

Fixed Blade

Rear Sight:

Fixed notch

Material:

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Synthetic

Desert Eagle Blowback Desert Eagle is a name famous all over the world and among the gun connoisseurs; it is synonymous with performance, power and dynamics. This CO2 powered replica pistol is a new highlight in the premium class. The Desert Eagle model by Magnum research and distributed by Umarex USA is the ﬁrst CO2 pistol with a blow-back pellet system. This gun features real blow back action. Picatinny rails have been integrated in this design for the individual mounting of optical sights, lasers and lamps.

Speciﬁcations Caliber:

4.55mm

Velocity:

425 FPS

Magazine Capacity: Blow Back System CO2 cartridge loading Trigger: Overall Length: Barrel Length: Safety: Weight:

8 Shot screw system Single/Double Action 11 inches (280 mm) 5.66 inches (160 mm) Trigger and ﬁring pin safety 2.2lbs (1.1kg)

h&s Issue 05 09 l May 2011 2012

air guns

Feinwerkbau

Air Rifle Model 800

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Basic technical data: Total weight approx. Total length Sight line length Stock length inﬁ nitely Trigger weight

4,7 kg 1065–1185 mm 610–1050 mm 760–800 mm 30–90 g / 60–150 g

h&s Issue 05 09 l May 2011 2012

air guns

Air RiďŹ&#x201A;e Model 800 Determining air-riďŹ&#x201A;e technology for shooting competitions. Feinwerkbau sets new standards where quality, functionality, design and accuracy are concerned. Innovative principle for pressure reducer with optimized feedback control for a shooting performance smoother than ever New vario sight Cheek piece and butt plate smoothly adjustable by means of adjusting pinions/racks

Optimized anatomical grip, adjustable three-dimensionally

Butt plate adjustable in height and length, inclinable

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Hand rest adjustable in height, pivoted, adjustable longitudinally

New vario sight Revolutionary front stock with optimum damping behaviour

Hand rest adjustable in height, pivoted, adjustable longitudinally

Cheek piece rotatable by 180째 with various edge radiuses (square or round)

Conversion of the buttstock from right to left possible without complexity

Stock to put crosswise twice, adjustable in height, separable without interference of the preset sight-line

Cocking lever in basic position free-adjustable, pivoted and rotatable around its axis

h&s Issue 05 09 l May 2011 2012

scopes

Walther Point Sight PS22 Our Favorite Sight

h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

For over a century, Carl Walther has set new standards in the design and manufacture of firearms. Military, police, and other government security groups in every country of the world have relied on the high quality craftsmanship and rugged durability of Walther products. With the legendary PPK having been the long term choice of the most famous “agent” in the world, James Bond, the Walther brand is well known among firearms and shooting sports enthusiasts. Along with the PPK, Walther continues their firearm legacy with the revolutionary P99, P99 compact and the G22. Walther sporting firearms have also been the competitor’s choice since they first appeared in the Olympic Games. Today, Walther continues its long tradition of technical expertise in the design and production of firearms that meet the highest standards of quality with unsurpassed fi t, finish, reliability and durability. This also applies to their accessories and more importantly, their sights. In this article, H&S uncovers the features and specifications of the Walther PS22 which is one of our absolute favorite from the brand.

Walther Point Sight PS22 The Walther PS 22 Electronic Red Dot Point Sight projects a red aiming dot onto the lens in the target level. Iron sights such as rear- or front-sights are not required, thus allowing you to aim with both eyes open. The PS22 includes a mounting base which can be affixed to a Weaver rail (22mm), such as on the Walther G22 (Soft air or firearm) or Beretta CX4 Storm (air rifle or firearm). The on/off rotary switch is combined with 11 settings for brightness adjustment.

Features: • Red Dot • 30 mm tube size • 11 brightness settings • Raised Mount ﬁts Weaver or Picatinny • Dust Caps Flip Up • Use on airguns as well as centerﬁres

h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

scopes

The Brightest

Riflescopes from Carl Zeiss

The revolutionary optical concept of the new VICTORY HT riﬂescopes stands for maximum brightness even in the worst light The VICTORY HT riﬂescopes are setting new standards thanks to the new optical concept combined with the innovative High Transmission (HT) glass types from

h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

SCHOTT. The extremely transparent lens elements, the reticle technology that features no loss of transmission and the improved T* multi-coating from Carl Zeiss guarantee transmission values of up to 95 percent. With this revolutionary optical concept, Carl Zeiss impressively underscores its technology leadership in the ﬁeld of sports optics: no other premium riﬂescope offers more light reserves than the new VICTORY HT. The new binoculars were developed for hunting deep into the twilight.

Furthermore, the new VICTORY HT delivers the finest, brightest and therefore most accurate illuminated dot in the world. Based on an unique light guide and nanotechnology, a high-definition, extremely intensive and ultra-fine dimmable illuminated dot is generated that ensures minimal subtension and maximum visibility, and thus defines the new market standard. The illuminated reticle on the VICTORY HT models (reticle 54, 60, RAPID-Z 5) is located in the second image plane.

While developing the VICTORY HT riflescope, engineers focused on the intuitive operation of the illumination unit, maximum ergonomics and the optical concept. The result is purely intuitive operation perfected for key moments. The illuminated dot is controlled via the left wheel on the riflescope and is a prime example of the practical operation of the system. It is not only easy to use, but can also be operated quickly. After all, that one moment usually does not last long. The new design is modern and elegant and features a conspicuously sleek eyepiece. The overall very slim contour enables ultra-low assembly on the weapon. In other words, the most elegant and powerful riflescope goes hand in hand with the most precious of weapons. The VICTORY HT is optionally available with a new bullet drop compensator, the ASV+, which is seen as the most intuitive and thus most precise long-range shot concept in the world thanks to the directly readable shot distance. The ASV+ was further optimized during development of the HT riflescope. In addition to the high level of user-friendliness, it also features key improvements: in the future, it will be delivered with a complete set of easily exchangeable engraved rings for maximum flexibility. These rings precisely cover the fall of shot for practically all calibers available on the market. The accuracy of the data enables maximum hunting ranges of up to 600 meters. The ASV+ therefore offers maximum flexibility and a considerable plus in shot accuracy at long range.

the new Reticle 54 which permits a fast shot even when the illuminated dot is turned off thanks to the thin crosshairs. 1.5-6x42 The compact all-rounder for drive hunts and stalking game impresses with its fast target acquisition and also enables shots at longer distances thanks to its higher magniﬁcation. 2.5-10x50 The ultimate all-rounder for all hunting

applications. Shooting while moving, or from a perch, no hunting situation is too challenging for this riflescope. The optical concept of the VICTORY HT line really flexes its muscles in the twilight. 3-12x56 The brightest riflescope for maximum night hunting capability. In conjunction with the optional ASV+, in particular, this model featuring high magnification is ideal for reliable shots at long ranges. ›

1.1-4x24

1.5-6x42

2.5-10x50

The VICTORY HT line of riﬂescopes includes the following models: 1.1-4x24 The specialist for drive hunts with an even larger ﬁeld of view of 38 meters and maximum exit pupil for super-fast target acquisition and a reliable overview of the hunting situation. The model also comes with

3-12x56

h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

scopes

VICTORY HT riﬂescopes technical data: Magniﬁcation Effective lens diameter Exit pupil diameter Twilight factor Field of view at 100 m

1.1-4x24

1.5-6x42

2.5-10x50

3-12x56

1.1-4

1.5-6

2.5-10

3-12

16.3 to 24 mm

22.6 to 42 mm

37.7 to 50 mm

44 to 56 mm

14.8 - 6 mm

15 – 7 mm

15 – 5 mm

14.9 – 4.7 mm

3.1 – 9.8

4.2 – 15.9

7.1– 22.4

8.5 – 25.9

38 – 10.5 m

24.8 – 6.9 m

14.8 – 4.1 m

12.5 -3.5 m

Viewing angle

21.5º - 6º

14.1º - 1.4º

8.5º - 2.3º

7.2º - 2º

Diopter adjustment range

-4/+2 D

Eye relief

90 mm

Parallax free

100 m

Adjustment range 100 m

300 cm

230 cm

140 cm

120 cm

Adjustment per click at 100 m

1 cm

Center tube diameter

30 mm

Eyepiece diameter

42 mm

Objective diameter

30 mm

48 mm

56 mm

62 mm

Nitrogen ﬁlled

Yes

Waterproof

–25 to +50ºC

Operating temperature Length

289 mm

331 mm

321 mm

347 mm

Weight without rail

440 g

513 g

525 g

573 g

Weight with rail

465 g

538 g

550 g

598 g

10 years

2nd

54, 60

60, RAPID-Z 5

Warranty Image plane Reticle

Accessories:

All VICTORY HT riﬂescopes come with a lens cap, battery, warranty card, user manual and lens cloth. The VICTORY HT replaces the VICTORY Varipoint models except the VICTORY Varipoint with illumination control (iC). The VICTORY HT line also features completely new packaging made entirely of environmentally friendly materials.

h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

José Mourinho World Football Coach of the Year

Some are just more unique than others. Only Braun Series 7 has intelligent Sonic Technology that reads your face and adapts to the density of your beard – for Braun’s most thorough shave ever. Braun Series 7 with intelligent Sonic Technology. Designed to make a difference.

scopes

The New Conquest HD

Binoculars are the best in their class

Powerful HD lens system and many additional ďŹ rst-class features - with a still unbeatable value for the money Carl Zeiss presents the brand new CONQUEST HD 8x42 and 10x42 binoculars. The state-of-the-art HD lens system from Carl Zeiss stands for the extraordinary

h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

added value of these innovations: the colors are neutral and clear. Due to the very low color fringes, the image also features sharp contours. The proven T* multi-coating from Carl Zeiss and the dielectric mirrors deliver a bright, vibrant and razor-sharp image any time of day. Furthermore, the LotuTecÂŽ coating ensures clear vision in any weather and easy lens cleaning. Outstanding transmission values

of up to more than 90% are achieved thanks to this optical concept. The new entry-premium binoculars feature a compact and lightweight ergonomic design. Dr. Ralph Nebe, Vice President of Marketing & Sales at Carl Zeiss Sport Optics, emphasizes that "The CONQUEST HD products represent quality and design Made

in Germany. They are based on the latest technologies and stand for the excellent value for the money offered by the premium products from Carl Zeiss." The extra large field of view provided by the CONQUEST HD is impressive. The 10x42 offers the largest field of view (115 meters at 1000 meters) in its class, making this product a joy to use even over longer periods. The ergonomically designed binocular body and large focusing wheel ensure easy and precise use. The watertight metal casing ensures maximum service life even under tough conditions in the field. Their reliability, robust mechanical parts and outstanding close focusing range of two meters make the CONQUEST HD binoculars absolute allrounders: for hunting, birding and outdoor adventures, the CONQUEST HD binoculars deliver extraordinary images at an unbeatable price. The new CONQUEST HD binoculars are part of the Carl Zeiss premium entry-level series. All CONQUEST HD products are based on state-of-the-art technology and offer outstanding performance features at an unparalleled value for the money. They were developed for maximum robustness and a long service life. The VICTORY models in the premium class from Carl Zeiss offer innovative optics for maximum performance.

The CONQUEST HD line of binoculars includes the following models: 8x42: the robust companion for a wide range of day-time and twilight uses. The 8x magniﬁcation ensures a stable image in any situation, while the HD lens system delivers impressive images.

CONQUEST HD 8x42 and 10x42 Technical Data Model Magniﬁcation Objective lens diameter Exit pupil

10x42

42 mm

5.25 mm

4.2 mm

Twilight factor

18.3

20.5

Field of view

128 m @ 1000 m

115 m @ 1000 m

Apparent ﬁeld of view

59°

66°

Close focusing distance

Diopter adjustment range

+/-4 D

Eye relief

18 mm

17 mm

Prism system

Schmidt-Pechan

Coating

LotuTec® / T*

Yes

Objective lens type

Nitrogen ﬁlled Waterproof

-30 / +60°C

Height

155 mm

Width of one interpupillary distance of 65 mm

120 mm

750 g

Operating temperature

10x42: the binoculars with the largest ﬁeld of view in its class. The 10x magniﬁcation brings you very close to nature and enables you to see details even at long distances.

8x42

Weight

h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

All these items are available in my showroom «Rudy M. Ojail Selections» Selections Downtown Beirut . Saiﬁ Village . Charles Debbas street Tel/Fax : 00961 1 970 663 www..ojailselections.com

Lebanon : Beirut – Downtown (Solidère) Debbas 164 – 3rd ﬂoor . Tel & Fax : 00961/1/970485 P.O. Box : 157-037, Beirut . E-mail : rudy@ojail.com – www.ojail.com Saudi Arabia : Riyadh - Olaya Main St. Nahar Commercial Bldg. Architect Roger Ojail – Tel : 00966/50/4425177 E-mail : rojeil@hotmail.com – E-mail : roger@ojail.com Swiss : The Castle Design Sa – Street Drize # 2 – 1227 Carouge GE-Tel : + 41 22 3044499 France : Paris – M. Elie Ojail A.V. Des Champs Elysées – Tel : 0033/61/2921222

exclusive interview

Elaine Coetzee

An interview with a Passionate & Proffesional Lady Hunter As well as this interview Elaine will be providing us with regular real life hunting tails, the ﬁrst of which is featured in this issue Elaine Coetzee and her Husband, Cornie, are both Proffesional Hunters and own and operate, CEC Safaries, in the Omitara District which is situated 100 kilometers east of Windhoek, Namibia. The consession covers around 600,000 acres, or almost 243,000 hectairs, and caters for all types of hunting safaries from big and dangerous game to photographic safaris and everything in between. As well as their concession in the Omitara District they are able to arrange safaris for their clients all over Africa. Also, Elaine has the unique distinction of beeing the ﬁrst female to be awarded a coveted, Professional Hunter, license in Namibia. Elainne thank you for agreeing to to this interview and would you please tell us a little about your background and growing up. Were you born and raised in Namibia?

h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

I grew up in a very strict home with very little opportunities except bringing home good grades from school. I was born in Namibia, but my parents move to South Africa when I was at a very young age. Do you come from a hunting family and are your immediate family wildlife enthusiasts? My family did not hunt at all, my Daddy’s firearms were always locked up in the safe and almost never touched. We always had dogs as pets, but what I can remember, my patrents weren’t real animal lovers either. Not like me, where my dogs are part of the family, spoiled rotten and even have a medical aid. My youngest brother though followed in my footsteps and has his own hunting outfi t in South Africa. My Daddy never liked my profession, he did not think that my profession was something a women should do. How did you first get involved with hunting?

I married my husband in 1985. His life was all about rifles, hunting and the open spaces of Africa. He took me hunting the first week after we met and, believe it or not, he made me eat the point of the heart of the animal I shot that day. I laugh when I think about it, because I was so in love at that time that I think it even killed my tastebuds, because I ate it and it was not bad at all. He taught me from the beginning, that if you shoot something, you have to utilize the meat. I took that animal and for the first time in my life made sausages and all kinds of stuff for us to eat. To be honest, I did cry that day and a couple of times after that, but I fell in love with nature and I had the best mentor in the whole world. My husband taught me why we need to hunt, why we have to do game management and why we have to love animals. What are your hunting ethics? “WHAT IS THE SENSE OF KILLING IF YOU HAVEN’T EXPERIENCE THE HUNT? “ I think the above says it all. Fair chase, walking

and stalking, taking out the old mature animals, utilizing the meat. The killing of the animal is such a small part of the hunt. I believe in hunting on foot, outsmarting the animal in his natural habitat, making clean kills . There was a time in my life when I went out on a special hunt, and I remember this one huge kudu I stalked all day long, he was a beauty and by the time I could get a clear shot at him, I was exhausted. I looked through the binocs at him and could not pull the trigger. He was so majestic and beautiful standing tall on the top of the mountain, I just stared at him and realize once more what a awesome life I have. I went home empty handed that night, but with a kind of a joy in my heart. Please give our readers an overview of CEC SAFARIS. We offer basicly anything. We do trophy hunting, photo safaries, bird hunting, bow hunting, fishing tours, we can basicly tailormake any trip all over the continent of Africa. We have our own lodge with all modern conveniences where we also live. In Namibia we have more than 600 000 hektars that we hunt on and we also hunt in various other African countries. My husband, Cornie, and I are both qualified professional hunters and our jobs are our passion. What consists of a typical workday for you? Getting up at 4.00am, serving breakfast at 5.00am, leaving the camp at 6.00am. Hunt all morning and return to camp at 12.00pm. Have lunch at the lodge or at a waterhole and return to the hunting area at 3.00pm. Return to camp after dark. Campfire, good South African wine and cocktails, biltong, good company, good food until bedtime. WHAT MORE CAN I ASK FOR? It sounds ideal I must say. What do you most like about your job and what do you like the least? I love everything about my job. I love

nature, sunrises, sunsets, dust, rain, animals, my companions (clients) who are the most important aspect of my job. I love to be out there teaching people to love nature and to hunt ethically. WHAT DO I LIKE THE LEAST? Saying goodbay to clients that become friends and, of course, the ofﬁce job. I do all our own marketing and yes, that is sometimes something I do not like, but it is just a small part that I have to do to enjoy most of my day and life.

What first motivated you to become the first Proffesional Hunter in Mamibia? I qualified as a PH in South Africa in 1991 with Johan Calitz being one of my main Instructors. We moved to Namibia in 1993 and I had to re write all my exams and do the practical part again to become qualified in Namibia as a PH. I basicly just continued what I was busy doing already. ›

h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

exclusive interview

h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

Are there any game animals that you will not hunt? Unfortunately in my job, we have to do it all, but something I hunted once and will never guide it in my life again, is a White Rhino hunt. It is no challenge at all. It is like shooting a domestic cow. Are there speciﬁc species that you enjoy hunting more than others and why? Oh, yes, cats, I love hunting cats. They are smart animals and to outsmart a cat is not easy and once you do it, it is very rewarding. Are there any associations that you are associated with relating to your proffession? Yes, Napha, which is the, Namibia Professional Hunting Association; NTB, the Namibian Tourism Board; DSC, the Dallas Safari Club and NHA, the Namibian Houndsmen Association. Do you have any dreams or aspirations for yourself and the future of hunting in Namibia?

Did you get any resistance from your male counterparts when they knew you were determined to get your PH licence and how do your clients react to a female, Proffesional Hunter? Oh, yes, I always thought that it is only women that can be jelous of each other, but believe me men are worse. I was the only women on my ﬁrst course in South Africa and some of the men were mean. My husband was always the only one that was supportive in what I was doing. On the client part, It might take me two or three days to prove myself, but

once they hunted with me , they stick with me. I have many returning clients. When not hunting with clients, do you and Cornie hunt together? That is something we would love to do, but time does not allow that. Once we are done hunting, we both start culling animals and doing game management on our concessions areas. That basicly takes up all our spare time and the little bit extra I might sneek in, I spoil my granddaughter, Maylin Kaye, and spend every second I can with her.

I want to ﬁnally become a mentor and teach kids to love and appreciate and conserve nature so that my grandkids and there kids can understand and share in the joy I have today. Do you have time for other interests or hobbies? Very little as I said before , I spend every free minute with my family, my daughters, son in law and then of course my little grand daughter, Maylin, of almost 2 years of age. Elaine, thank you very much for taking the time to speak to us and we wish you and Cornie continued success with CEC Safaris. Richard Camm H&S Magazine.

h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

exclusive interview

Evelina Aslund

An interview with a Swedish Lady Professional Hunter and Yoga Enthusiast Our second Lady Professional Hunter interviewee and contributor, Evalina Åslund, hails from a small village in Sweden and comes from an active outdoors family. Her love for the outdoors is complimented by her passion for Yoga and physical well being, both of which help with the physical side of the hunt. Evelina will be providing H&S with articles as a regular contributor so look out for interesting stories from Sweden in future editions. First thank you, Evelina, for agreeing to this interview and lets start by you telling us about your upbringing. Are you from a hunting family and are your family members interested in animals? The interview is my pleasure and I'm 38 years old, and I was born and raised in a hunting and cross country skiing family in Åsarna, a small village in the middle of Sweden. My father and my two brothers hunt so hunting has always been a natural part of my upbringing. I've spent a lot of time with my dad out in the forest ever since I was a child - it was a good way for me to spend quality time with my dad who, as a professional cross country skier spent a lot of time travelling during my childhood. My huge interest in hunting took leaps forward when I took my hunting certificate as a 17 year old. In my home county Jämtland, hunting plays a large part in people's lives, especially moose hunting that has old traditions and is the most common way of hunting. Tell us a little about your career so far. How did you start working with, and arranging, hunts? After finishing high school in 1994, I lived in several places in Sweden and in London and Dubai. I still have good friends in Dubai and my job gave me plenty of good contacts within the fashion and music business. I still benefi t from this network of contacts and friends. After my time abroad I spent a couple of years in Stockholm, the

h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

capitol of Sweden, and this life offered me other things than what was available to me in my little home village in Jämtland. But no matter where I was, my interest in hunting and outdoor activities remained intact and every autumn I returned home to participate in the annual moose hunt. After two years in Stockholm, with lots of hard work and socialising, I wanted to go back to school. I chose a program focusing on hunting and tourism, spent a lot of time outdoors in nature, did some soul searching to maybe ﬁnd out what I wanted to do with the rest of my life... and sure enough I found it! This was when and where I decided to work with what I am best at: Being outdoors, using my service minded nature to take care of guests in the best way possible and at the same time being able to control my own time as a self employee. But it took some time getting there. I continued studying marketing and tourism a couple of years and that landed me a job at the County Council in Jämtland, working with marketing and events. I worked there for ﬁve years and during that time I met the father of my child Ronja who is now ten years old. The relationship didn't last and we separated seven years ago.

Have you encountered resistance from customers or other hunting guides because of your gender? No I haven't! Quite the opposite actually! There are many female hunters in Sweden and they are my main target group. Sweden has 260 000 licensed hunters today and 14000 of them are women. That's an increase of 75 % over the last ten years, 25% percent

of everybody who get licensed today are women. However, many of the licensed women never go hunting. That's why I also include a one day game-bird hunt in my licensing courses. What are your hunting ethics? In Sweden the hunting ethics and morals are high. I think that's good. It is important that the hunt is well planned and is executed in a sustainable way. Hunting should be performed in a way that means as little suffering to the animals as possible. For example I don't agree with hunting with bow and arrow. The animal will die if the shot is well executed but it will take longer than with a well aimed shot with an expanding bullet. What products do you sell? Products by JoyEvent: • Hunting and yoga • Hunting exame • Pointing dogs training • Grouse hunting • Shooting course • Hunting and spa-trips to Estonia • Game watching • Hiking and yoga in the mountain ›

h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

exclusive interview

Hunt and Yoga is my most cherished product and I've worked on developing it since autumn 2010. The product symbolizes my company idea of contrasting experiences. Hunting and spa-trips to Estonia is a product that we've trialed for two years, November 2010 and November 2011. This is also JoyEvent's leading product with hunting combined with activities focused on health. JoyEvent is the only company on the market with these kind of trips and therefore I hope to be successful with selling these trips. What does a normal working day include for you? A typical working day for me on one of my trips during hunting season starts early. I get the stove going and together with my guests I have breakfast and prepare lunch boxes for the day. I then make sure the dogs are fed and prepared. Before the hunt starts, we gather and I go through rules and safety, and explain the history of the grounds we're

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going to hunt on. All morning we hunt and at noon we stop for an hour's lunch. Whilst we eat our lunch and make coffee over an open ﬁre the dogs get their well earned rest. Reenergized we then hunt for the afternoon.

is the freedom it creates. To be in charge of my own time is quality of life for me. The downside and worst with running my own company is the ﬁnancial insecurity. The ﬂow of money is not always consistent.

On a grouse hunt a normal hunting day means a 15 km hike so once we're back at the cabin, the guests often enjoys a bit of rest. If they want we can run through a short yoga session - the stretch is nice for sore muscles and joints - or I start the sauna and the guests get to enjoy a sauna before dinner.

What made you add a ﬁtness/health aspect/activity in your hunting products?

A typical working day off hunting season usually contains lots of office work. My office is situated 10 km from home and once I'm there I update my website and facebook account, talk to customers and partners, plan new concepts and take care of finances. What is your favorite and least favorite part of your job? The best about running my own company

My own experiences of hunt adding/creating health. A very intense period of my life with lots of work and a separation resulted in me losing my health. I was diagnosed with exhaustion depression and was on sick leave for two years. With a lot of rehabilitation consisting of yoga and time in the mountains I was back in business after two and a half years. During this period I had time to think about what is important in life and revaluate many things. I also went to India to learn more about yoga and meditation, which also helped my recovery. The yoga worked wonders! It helped me refocus and ﬁnd a sense of direction.

Once I was well again I wanted to deepen my knowledge in the healing powers of nature and took a course in the subject at Mid Sweden University. My final paper resulted in me opening my own business - finally a dream would come true. After spending more than ten years thinking about running a business dealing with hunting and hunters, it happened. And of course, with my newly won experiences my original idea of arranging hunting trips was expanded and flavored with health activities. For me hunting is health and that's what I want my hunting products to reflect. Hunt and Health. In Swedish Joy in JoyEvent stands for Hunt and Yoga (Jakt och Yoga). I also believe that the combination of hunting and health attracts the female hunters which is a goal in itself. I want to see more women hunting. With my products I want to kill the myth of what a typical hunter is, namely male, beer drinking and with a huge belly.

But I am happy I have that unique product in my list of services. Is there any animal you won't hunt? I won't hunt elephants or zebras as I can think of spontanios. Are there any special ways of hunting that you prefer? Hunting grouse during wintertime is my favorite. It combines two of my greatest interests, cross country skiing on the mountains and hunting with shotgun. Are there any organizations that you are associated with relating to your profession?

Are there many hunters looking to include a health/ﬁtness activity in the hunting experience?

I am into many different organisations because I have so many different hobbies but associated to the hunting I'm into Jakt I Jämtland Ekonomisk Förening (organisation to develop hunting tourism in Jämtland), Svenska Jägareförbundet and NNFK.

No, unfortunately not. There aren't that many people who have the guts to try out the combination of for example yoga and hunting.

Do you have any dreams or visions for you, your company and for hunting in Sweden in the future?

My vision is to make JoyEvent into the leading company within hunting and health and to create concepts around this theme. In the future I would like hunters from abroad to have to use a Swedish guide when hunting in Sweden. That would create work for small regional companies and would be the good way to ensure that our hunting guests from abroad know about the Swedish hunting ethics and morals. It will also create that people in small regions will have jobs where we live. I also wish that we will start hunting wolfs in Sweden because the matter of fact the Wolf Population now is growing hysterically and the tradition of hunting successfully with loose, barking dogs is soon finished because of the rapid growing Wolf Population. I wish the government would have better understanding and respect of all the pepole and animals that are affected with wolves. Do you have other interests or hobbies? Yes. I like cross country skiing and I have competed in biathlon on a professional level. I spend a lot of time outdoors and besides hunting, I enjoy hiking, shooting, canoeing and dogs. I spend a lot of my spare time at my little country cottage where I can also go canoeing. Of course I also love spending time with my daughter, boyfriend, friends and travelling (my latest longer trip was to India in 2008). What advice do you have to other women who strive to become a professional Hunter? Be brave and go for what you are passionate about. It is great finding the right job and you have the greatest potential and energy when you do what you are good at doing. Benefi t from being a woman, we do have some assets that men don't have. Don't be afraid of being in a minority, there are many people who actually appreciate you just because of it. Richard Camm, H&S Magazine h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

hunting season

Running Gun

The Inimitable Guinea Fowl

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There are a number of situations in this life when you should not be running. For example, in school corridors, when carrying a sharp bladed tool or hot food and of course when carrying a loaded gun. But as with all rules there are exceptions, and when considering hunting Guinea Fowl you may have to reconsider this elementary and unquestionably sensible rule It is a known fact that the size of a Guinea Fowls brain is the size of a pea. The human brain is somewhat larger, even given the fact that the size ratio between the Guinea and man is far greater, it is all relative. Related to the size of a human brain, which ﬁ ts cozily into a human scull, with little room to get much else in, the Guineas brain is somewhat smaller in comparison. Just so you know the human brains cerebral cortex is estimated to contain between 15 and 33 billion neurons, each connected by synapses to several thousand other neurons. Also consider people like, Hippocrates, Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein, and Stephen Hawkins. Now by no stretch of the imagination can I put myself anywhere near the same category as these distinguished scientist, but given the facts above would you not suppose that I could out-think a mere bird. Think again!

I have hunted Guinea Fowl on a number of occasions and I have to say that on each occasion my respect for them increases. To look at them they are not the most pretty of birds by some margin and their shape on the ground does not appear to be too aerodynamic when compared to say a ring neck pheasant. So tell me then how come they are such elusive and challenging birds to hunt. You can start out in the early morning in convoy driving to the flight ponds to harvest some incoming duck or geese and drive by about thirty or so in the bottom meadow busily scratching about in the ground looking for grubs and worms or plants and you can mark their location very well and as you drive by they appear to take no notice of you. A couple of hours later hoping to bag a few of the seemingly docile birds, you venture out of the 4x4s and head on to the field, line abreast and walk the whole length of that field as well as the next one over and not even a glimpse of them. If you do happen to come across a flock of them and you have a few guns available you need to be quick. This is where the case for a running gun comes in. Once they know you’re

around and sense that you have evil intent they will, as a flock, depart the vicinity post haste. They will run in cover for preference to flying and if the grass is sufficiently long they will jig and jag left and right and it can be impossible to determine which way they are heading. If there is water near by they may head in that direction and at the last minute take flight and despite their clumsy appearance will scream over the river on beating wings to glide gently into the cover on the other side of the river. Usually in a location that makes human navigation impossible. If there is high ground, a hill, or a mound, they may take that route as they know that if they are on the high ground they have the advantage of sight. You see them running and skimming at grass top altitude towards the hill and they drop into the grass at its apex. Yes! Now you have them. So then it’s best foot forward once more running and stumbling over ridges and depressions in the meadow to get into firing range as soon as possible. Then at last you stop thirty or forty meters from were you last saw them and you know they have to be there because the line of guns is spread out about a hundred and fifty yards left to right and all eyes are on the hill. Your out of breath, your legs are shaking your ankles hurt from the new boots that you should have broken in beforehand but its all worth it to bag a few guinea for the pot tonight. You break your gun load in the 32gramme number 4s and walk purposefully forward looking left and right making sure the line is as straight as can be. The crest of the hill is closing and your senses are on full alert because you know that there are about 25 guinea fowl just ahead of you and they will flush any moment. Right? Wrong! You arrive at the crest along with your fellow guns and you walk down the other side right up the hedge a hundred meters in front of the hill and no birds. Where the dickenses have they gone. Well that’s the challenge of hunting guinea fowl trying to outsmart them. ›

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hunting season

The novice will not stand a chance and it takes a good keeper or land owner or outfi tter to take you on your first foray. Pea sized brain. Maybe; but it is not filled with the stuff that our brains are filled with, things like work, insurance, girlfriend or wife, or in some cases both, or what you will take your wife back as a gift, or your pension. No their pea sized brain is totally focused on survival and that’s the difference. Each bird’s brain is linked into the brain of the rest of the flock and if one feels a threat the whole flock will move off. And not always in panic either, so you probably won’t notice the exodus. But they can be shot. They can be outsmarted but it takes time and organization on the part of the shoot owner. He and his staff of beaters or keepers have to monitor the flocks regularly and get to know their habits they have to let the birds see them and get used to two or three people being around them not posing a threat. When the location is

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established the guns have to work it well, as the birds will know every hollow and hillock and every escape route in the hedge bottoms. But if the scouts have done their job well they will know how the birds will react if disturbed and in which direction they will take. They are somewhat predictable. But not always. This is their land not yours. So if a ﬂock is scouted the beaters should quietly go around the back of them and if you are using dogs, which is advisable, they should be well trained and kept close to heel until it’s time to ﬂush, and the guns should be quietly arranged in a semicircle, terrain permitting, in front of what should be the guineas escape route. The idea is to close them in with beaters in their front and the guns behind. The Guns need to be well briefed on what is expected of them and the line should be disciplined to ensure that no gaps are left. On the signal the beaters should move forward and drive the birds ahead of

them onto the guns. But guinea fowl are unpredictable. Some will flush and fly and these can be taken, marksmanship permitting, but some will try and run for cover until they come upon a gun, a beater, or a dog. Some will just hunker down until the guns or beaters have passed them. At times you can almost trip over them, so it’s worth having a back gun just in case; or a rearguard to alert the guns to the possibility of a rearward shot. The guinea fowl is a challenging adversary and its almost telepathic ability to predict what you are going to do is what makes hunting them so rewarding. Frustrating, yes. But who want to shoot fish in a barrel? It’s the unpredictability of the Guinea that makes it so much fun. But you do have to run to keep up with them at times, when you do take the cartridges out of your gun until you have got your breath back.

Good hunting. RNC.

hunting season

Shooting Incomming

Ducks

I had not been game shooting very long, and it was only my second or third shoot as I recall. It was a day that was organized by a colleague at work who was part of a syndicate on a decent sized shoot in Leicestershire, England, and he invited me as a guest. The day was perfect. Cold and crisp, hoar frost on the hedges and mist swirling about at knee level across the fields and through the woods. The Guns had arrived at the farm around 8am and pegs were drawn after the Shoot Captains usual talk directing us that ground game was not to be shot, unless it happened to be a fox, no shooting before the whistle and no shooting after the whistle; all the usual stuff that all the other guns had heard time and time again but myself, as the novice at the time, listened to it intently wondering if I was going to be able to remember all the things I should not do in the heat of the drive. My friend had already told the shoot captain that I was not as experienced as some of the other guns and he very quietly took me to one side and politely told me that he would let one of his pickers up stand with me throughout the day, “Just to give you a bit of support, you know, nothing more”. Which, in all farness, I was not too upset about. Some advice from a pro would be welcome. I was not offered a peg number selector but was told that my ‘chum’ whose name as I recall was, Freddie, would escort me to the bottom of the field where I was to be, end gun. Freddie told me that this peg would see either nothing or we would get some good shooting as the ducks would come off the pond when the shooting started and would either go east off the pond or west over us. As it was the end gun it was some distance from where we were situated so we were able to take the quad bike with me on the back. It took a few minutes to get into position and we established ourselves behind a five bared gate just inside a meadow with the woods in front of us to our left, and tall trees either side. Freddie said if the ducks flew our way they would make for this 20 meter wide opening and would fly right over us.

h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

Photo credit: clembone.wordpress.com

h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

hunting season

feathered throttles to get out of range. I had the bottom barrel loaded by then but the gun was not at the ready position it was pointed to the ground but Freddie just calmly said, “Take them”. These birds needed lead as they were now quartering, but I just put the gun to my shoulder and fired at the first bird and as the following Mallard reached my barrels I pulled a little in front and fired again and kept on swinging through as I have been told on so many occasions on the clay ground. I honestly did not see the first one drop but I did manage to see the second fold up and drop in the hedge bottom to our left. Other birds flew out over us, I don’t recall how many or how high or which direction. Freddie said that there were about four more that flew over us but I was too pleased with my first, left and right, that I just could not concentrate any more. Then we heard the whistle for the end of the drive and with my heart still pounding and the smile still on my face we went to retrieve my birds. We were the last to get back to the rendezvous point as we were the farthest away and as we drove up Freddie shouted, “A Left and Right”. And was I a proud boy just then. But good for Freddie he did not tell the other guns about the ones that I let get away.

The Duck folded its wings and dropped just to our front. I smiled and turned to Freddie who just said, “Reload the bottom barrel because this is where it looks like they will be come to”. I immediately broke the gun ejected the spent cartridge, not knowing whether to load another cartridge or pick up the spent case or

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what to do. But Freddie solved that seemingly oh so difﬁcult decision by saying, “Leave the case I will get it you load another because there will be…. Oh oh here is a left and a right for you”, as two mallards came out of the oaks just twenty feet or so apart and as they saw us jinked to our left and opened up their

What did I learn from this experience? Always have a Freddie with you when you go Duck hunting? Well yes, that would be great but impractical. I suppose the ﬁrst thing that I did wrong was to think that nothing was going to come my way being the end peg. The second is to focus on the job at hand, that being to shoot duck, or whatever you are hunting. By all means pick up spent shells it’s good manners but always be ready for the next bird coming through, even if 7 out of 10 don’t come the three that do you will get if you’re focused. The third thing that I learned that day was something Freddie told me at the after shoot dinner, he took me to one side and again congratulated me on the L&R but said that really I should have taken the back bird ﬁrst and followed through to the front bird. This way it’s a much smoother action than

swinging back and forth or waiting for the back bird to catch up with your gun. Over the years I have learned some valuable lessons and let me just pass some on to you. If you are aware of all of them, which no doubt some of you will be, bare with me because there just might be some folks out there who, like I was, are just staring out. The crucial thing is to go to a shooting ground before you go hunting live game and get some lessons on clays and make sure your gun is shooting point of aim. This means that where you aim at is where the middle of your shot pattern is. This also means making sure your gun ﬁ ts. Get it checked by a professional instructor. Try not to panic. I know that for the novice the excitement of the moment can get the better of you, but take your time without being lazy, and focus on the bird and not the end of you barrels.

If there is a flock of birds no matter what variety, select one, the one you think is the most likely target and mentally block all the others out. Concentrate on that one bird as if it was on its own. If the birds are flying directly towards you and level hold your gun just below them so that you can watch there approach. When at the right distance raise the barrels until you blot out the bird and fire. If the birds are dropping in onto a flight pond keep the gun below the body of the bird, you need to leave some daylight between muzzle and the bird so that when you shoot the bird will drop onto your shot string. Try not to be too exact when it comes to judging lead and this is where some out of season clay shooting time will pay dividends because you will start to judge lead by instinct not by calculations. If it’s a long crossing shot or a particularly high bird, in most cases you will have to lead it more that you initially

think. And once you have given it the lead and pulled the trigger don’t stop the gun and look to see if you have made a kill, because in just about every case you will not have. Keep swinging through the bird once you have ﬁred and it will drop. If you have patterned your gun correctly, which you should have done, when shooting incoming birds cover them with the barrels and shoot. Don’t wait till they are so close that you just destroy them and they disintegrate in a mass of blood and bone and feathers. This is not how the shoot owner expects the birds he has bred to be treated. If it’s too close leave it for another day. You will just spoil the meat anyway and that’s just sacrilege. So good shooting and don’t forget to get some practice and advise from your local clay shooting ground. It will pay dividends when you’re out in the ﬁeld, believe me.

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big game hunting

Save it for a rainy day New World Record Cheetah, registered with Sci Hunted with Cec Safaris

It was 5.00am in the morning and time to get up. After a good wholesome breakfast, we moved out towards one of our concession areas. My hunter, Johan’s main trophy was the elusive “cheetah”. They are beautiful animals and plentiful in Namibia. As I explained. “It is pure luck, you cannot bait a cheetah, they do not eat rotten meat, you can only sit at a play tree and hope for the best, or spot them and then ambush them on foot. It is pure luck to take a cheetah trophy home”. We had been driving the same area for 5 days now, and 3 days ago saw where two mature male cheetahs had entered this area, but then lost the tracks. We stayed positive and wanted to drive the area one more time. The elements were working against us - with much rain and very tall grass our chances of success were very slim… or so we thought!

Hunted with PH: Elaine Coetzee of CEC Safaris, Namibia 98

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We drove fence-line after fence-line looking for tracks, and eventually found where these two cheetahs went back into the neighboring concession, but had then turned around and came right back into the area we were in again. That meant that they might still be inside the area we were hunting today. We spent the entire morning looking out for them, but had no luck. The vegetation was so thick that it was very difﬁcult to see any animals. We returned home for lunch. I felt positive though, and started telling my client what he could expect, that he would only see their heads above the grass, and that we would then have to crawl in order to get close enough to make a good shot. He would have to ﬁgure out where the vitals on this animal were before taking his shot. The thunderstorms were booming in the far north as we headed out towards the same area again after lunch. We started driving the by now familiar bush tracks when my tracker, Martin, knocked on the roof for me to stop the hunting vehicle. There they were! Two huge male cheetahs sitting under a Camel

Thorn tree with their backs towards us, about 400 yards away! We got off the hunting truck and started moving, very low and very slow,

through the bush in their direction. Soon the grass seeds irritated our eyes and it felt as though our heads were about to explode from the allergies. We had to go at least another 100m to give Johan a good shot, I thought to myself. By now I could not see anymore as the tears were ﬂowing and I badly wanted to sneeze. I touched him on his shoulder and whispered to him that he would have to take the shot. We were about 300 yards away from our prey by now. Either you take the shot, or I will just have to sneeze and then they will be gone. He gave me a nervous look, but I smiled at him and assured him, “you can do it!” I set up the shooting sticks and let him get in position on his knees. The shot went off and the one male tumbled backwards, got up and disappeared in the tall grass. We walked to the place where they had been sitting and found some blood on the bush the cheetah had tumbled into. I sent Martin back to the hunting vehicle to get my tracker dog, Snippie. We were only about 50m on the blood trail when a really strong thunderstorm ›

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big game hunting

broke loose. The dog lost the blood track and we could hardly see a meter ahead. The rain was pouring down and the lightning and thunder were striking on both sides of us. The hunter got worried. My adrenaline was pumping out of my ears, and I could hear every one of my heartbeats. “We have to ﬁnd this animal”, I thought to myself. “If we give up now, he will die on his own and that would be unfair.” We were soaked to the bone, but we continued searching for the wounded cheetah. The only thing that was going through my mind was “Please God, let us ﬁnd this cat.” Snippie was running up and down, like he knew something. We went forward wiping the raindrops from our faces to see where we were going, when Snippie all of a sudden started barking. Our legs could not carry us

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fast enough through the mud and puddles of water to the bush where Snippie was standing. There an enormous cheetah was lying snarling at us. The client finished him off. I could not help but wipe a tear from my eyes in gratitude for finding this cat. “Thank you Lord,” I prayed loud and clear and everybody looked at each other with emotions you could only understand if you had been there. I grabbed Johan and hugged him tight to congratulate him on his beautiful cheetah. The first shot was just a little high, since he could not see through the grass, but it did enough damage to slow the magnificent cat down for us to finish him off and go home feeling that we had truly earned him.

The rain was still coming down in buckets and by now we were walking in water ankle deep. We needed to get to the car fast, because it is getting dark and the storm is getting worse. My faithful tracker put the cat on his shoulders and off we went. He started walking east when I told him that he was going the wrong way. We need to head west. We were looking at one another when I realized that we were completely lost..! I did not have a clue where we had left the hunting truck. The rainstorm had got us all totally confused. We started heading to where I thought was west, when Martin again differed from me, telling me that we were going the wrong way. This time he wanted to go north. “Great!” I thought to myself, here I am, a professional hunter with my highly skilled tracker and the assistant who had actually born in this area, with not one of us knowing where we were going! We decided to keep on heading west, “somebody must take the lead,” I mumbled. After 2 hours of struggling through the mud and the water, we ﬁnally reached the road.

I knew we had to start walking to the right along the fence line, as things started to make more sense now and after another half an hour we finally reached the hunting truck. We took one quick photo and started heading home. All quiet and happy thinking about this awesome hunt in the most beautiful place on earth, the beautiful Namibia, with the most amazing lightning and thunder - feeling so vulnerable and realizing how small we actually are. Everybody in camp had been worried and wondering what we were doing out in this rain - they probably thought we had been stuck in the mud. We took a hot shower, warmed up in front of the fireplace, and told the rest of the party our story. When we measured the skull two days later, we realized that this magnificent cat is the new world record Cheetah. An unforgettable hunt!

by: Elaine Coetzee

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African Antelope The Big Five

Africa is home to over 90 species of antelope ranging from the very large Eland right down to the small Common duiker but no matter how large or small there is no disputing these elegant animals are some of the most beautiful around. Whilst close relatives they do not belong to the domesticated species of Cattle, buffalo, sheep or goats but belong to the old world order of the family Bovidae which consists of 24 different genuses. Some antelope are breeding well and need to be controlled but some are on the endangered list and are hunted for all the wrong reasons. The Saiga antelope like the rhinoceros is hunted for its horn in the mistaken belief that the powdered horn contains aphrodisiac properties and these antelope are heavily poached as the rewards are relatively lucrative. A number of Antelope species are ďŹ ghting for survival due to poaching and the inďŹ&#x201A;ux of human population and many are actually featuring on the critically endangered species list and it is only a hop, skip and a jump, from being on the endangered list to the breed becoming extinct altogether. Being herbivores they are the most common form of pray for the carnivores of this world like the big cats; Lion, leopard, and Cheetah. However they do have some advantages such as highly developed senses of smell and hearing and with their eyes situate either side of their head which gives them a very wide peripheral vision. They are very fast when danger threatens and their initial reaction can give then an initial advantage and it tends to be the old and the young that are taken, and if they are caught in an ambush. However in this article we are going to concentrate on the larger variety of antelope which can be found in their natural African habitat.

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The Eland Undoubtedly the largest of the African Antelope can be found predominantly in the central, east, and south of Africa. The Elands habitat features mountainous regions, coastal planes and semi desert regions. The eland is unfortunately one of the antelope on the endangered species list. The Eland is a social animal and is usually found in quite large herds grazing together. Both sexes are horned with the male having the largest horns. Over six feet tall the Eland can weigh up to 1000kg with the females being slightly smaller at around 600kg. They are light brown in color which turns into a bluish grey, with the older animals looking almost black.

The Roan This is probably the second largest antelope and gets its name from its color which takes on a reddish brown color and has the appearance of a horse. It populates the

west, central, eastern, and southern Africa and at times can be confused with the Sable. However, its recognizable feature are its cloven hooves and its beard similar that of a goat. It has long tasseled ears and shorter

horns than some of it cousins. Male and female vary little in weight being around 270kg with the male standing a round 140cm and the female around 130cm. The Roan is a rare animal and inhabits the lightly wooded grassland in smaller herds of between 15 to 25 animals.

The Sable Undoubtedly a beautiful looking antelope and much sort after by trophy hunters. However hunting the Sable is closely monitored as it is critically endangered. Inhabiting the wooded savannah, like the Roan, in East and South Africa. The male can stand 140cm with the female standing 120cm and weighing 270kg and 200kg respectively. The male is distinctively black in color whilst the female tends to go lighter being chestnut brown to dark brow. A brave animal, if attacked by a predator, such as lions or cheaters, it will stand its ground and indeed ďŹ ght back using its impressive scimitar shaped horns. Its shaggy main extends from the top of its head to halfway down its back. White patches are prominent on both male and female on the front of the face and the chin, and they tend to be found in herds comprising females and a single dominant bull. â&#x20AC;ş

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big game hunting

The Kudu

The Gemsbok

This antelope is an especially impressive looking animal with its easily identiﬁable spiral horns that can grow up to 180cm with 2 ½ twists. There are two species of Kudu the lesser and the greater kudu. The lesser inhabits East Africa and weighs up to 90kg with a height at the shoulder of between 90 and 100cm. The greater species, as you would expect, is larger weighing in at around 190 to 270kg and having a height at shoulder of 120 to 140cm. Their territory is Eastern and Southern Africa. Living in small herds the male Kudu is only seen with the females in the mating season. Being browsers the Kudu prefers areas that are densely covered in low trees and bushes to enable them to browse in relative safety.

A stunning looking animal the Gemsbok is a member of the Oryx genus and has distinctive coloring of light brownish grey with lighter patches on the rump and long black tails. It also has a distinctive brown stripe which extends from the chin down to the bottom edge of their neck. Their appearance is enhanced by the black and white markings on the face and legs and black side stripes on the ﬂank. All this is topped off by long spear like horns which it carries majestically on top of its head. Living in herds of between 10 to 40 animals they are well suited to the hot climate of the Kalahari Desert and Namibia. Males weigh around 170 to 210kg with a height of around 120cm at the shoulder.

So there you have a description of just five out of the 90 species of antelope and these five are amongst the largest of the breed. The more well known antelope that are not included due to space are the Wildebeest in their two different species the black and the blue. The other is of course the South African national animal, the Springbok, with its easily identifiable and no less impressive leaps of up to 14 feet in the air. And the last one I mention here is the Impala; this must be an impressive beast for Chevrolet to name a top of the range saloon car after it. Its sleek and elegant and a very pretty creature. But one can not detail all the different species in one article but maybe we will come back to some of the others in the next issue. RNC

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big game hunting

Brown Bear Hunting

in the United States/Alaska

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are some Do’s and Don’ts that are generally accepted could save you from a bad mauling, or even save your life.

Whenever I go hunting, no matter what the game is, I always go with a sense of excitement and adventure. A lot of this is due to the fact that I will be getting away from the hustle and bustle of city life and will invariably be with like minded friends who share the same passion for the outdoors as I do myself. However, when you go out to stalk a brown bear or a grizzly the excitement is hitched up a notch or two. Around 95% of the brown bear population and sub species are to be found in Alaska with the remainder living in and around the Rocky Mountains and the Great Plains. Records show that the lower state bears are growing steadily in number due to controlled hunting and conservation methods but still have a long way to go to reach the Alaskan population which is estimated to be between 30,000 and 31,000. The brown bears of the Yukon are relatively small, averaging around 300lb, whilst the

bears residing in the coastal areas of Alaska can grow up to 1500lb, rivaling the polar bear as the largest of the bear species and the largest land based predator. So as you can imagine from the size and given its somewhat short temper if seriously upset it can rank as one of the US’s more dangerous game, rivaling the dangerous game of Africa. Because of their dangerous game category and if you are going into bear country not with the intention to hunt bear you should still be prepared for the eventuality that you may run into one. Or, that the bear might run into you. If it’s a sow with cubs they can be pretty nervous and temperamental and if she sees you as a threat to her brood she will attack. Under normal circumstances a bear will move away from humans and if hears humans approaching it will usually go in the opposite direction. However this is not always the case. As mentioned above bears are unpredictable and what a bear will do one day may not be what it will do the following day. But there

• Do stay calm. • Don’t panic. • Do take relevant precautions when venturing into bear country. • Don’t try to out run a brown bear. You won’t make it. It can run at up to 35 miles per hour. • Do try to get out of its reach by climbing a tree for instance, but remember a bear can climb as well, and probably better than you. • Don’t try to stare it out, this will signal that you are confronting the bear and it will react aggressively. • Do look away from direct contact whilst keeping the bear in your peripheral vision. • Don’t split up if there are a group of you. The larger the group the more intimidated the bear will be. • Do speak softly and back away from it slowly. • Don’t remove your back pack. This could save you from serious injury in the event that the bear does try to maul you. • Do lay down face ﬁrst with your hands covering your neck and your back pack protecting your back if a charge is unavoidable. • Don’t move or make a noise once you are on the ground. • Do take back up defensive measure with you when going into bear country. This applies whether you are hunting bear or just hiking in the outback.

Defensive measures You really have two options here and it is not a bad idea to take both. If you are a hiker then ﬁrstly take a can of Bear Spray or Pepper Spray with a minimum of 15 yard effectiveness. This would be used only as a last resort as the bear has to be pretty close for it to be affective. But it is known to stop a charging grizzly and send him running off in the opposite direction. Don’t pack it in the bottom of your back pack. You may not have ›

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time to unload all your gear to get at it. Slip it into one of the water bottle holders on the outside of your pack and in easy reach. The second option would be to carry a heavy caliber hand gun. As with the spray this should be readily accessible in case of emergencies. In terms of caliber, I don’t see the point of purchasing two hand guns for protection purposes for either Yukon bears or Alaskan bears. I would suggest a minimum of .357 magnum revolver or 10mm semi auto pistol, and to be sure carry a little more weight and pack a revolver in .454 Casull, the Ruger Super Redhawk or Taurus Raging Bull would ﬁ t the bill. Carried in a shoulder or hip holster it won’t be too much of a hindrance and it just might save your life. In terms of the bullet it should be a dangerous game 260 grains solid or hard cast lead to penetrate tough hide,

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muscle, and bone. You might say why not go for the biggest you can get? Well the Smith & Wesson .500 Magnums will get the job done if your man enough to place the ﬁrst bullet in the right place in an emergency. And even if you are, like as not you will need a second shot before the bruin drops down. You can take a Grizzly in the vitals and it will still run 50 yards and maul you before it expires. So the old adage, shot placement not shot size is paramount. If you are faced with an angry 1500lb Kodiak bear bearing down on you and the revolver or pistol is the last resort make sure it is a killing shot. Place it right through its nose, not its forehead. The forehead is protected with Bone, fat and muscle and likely as not the bullet will not penetrate the bears brain as this organ sits low down in the bears scull. A

shot through its nostrils with a .454 solid will destroy its brain and is the best shot to stop it in the least amount of time. However it may still keep on coming and a second shot may be needed, so you don’t want to be struggling to control the recoil of the big .500 as you could be as close as 20 to 30 feet when you ﬁrst come face to face and you recall above that a bear can travel at 35 miles per hour, that’s about 48 ft per second. Even a shot through the nose into the brain and the impetus will take it on to you unless you stop it.

Hunting a Brown Bear If you decide to go bear hunting with a hand gun then all of the above applies with the addition that you should take another hunter with you with a back up riﬂe of no less a caliber of .375 H&H at least with 270

to 300 grains controlled expansion bullets. If you are looking to stalk your bear and take a shot from 75 yards or so then a .30-06 with 180 to 220 grains bullet, or .380 Winchester Magnum with 250 to 300 grains bullet, would be a consideration. You will have the time for a back up shot at that distance but if it runs off into brush, which it is most likely to do, you will have to go after it and it will be pretty ticked off if your first shot didn’t finish it. In any case you need a backup partner with a larger rifle or hand gun in case of emergencies. So now you are tooled up gun wise and protection wise, where to go? Well there are any number of outfi tters that will guide you into the Alaskan Interior where you have the best opportunity to take a big brown or grizzly bear. The terrain will vary from forests to open grass land where the bears will be hidden in the long grasses and this is where an experienced guide will pay enormous dividends. A Big bear that is laying down in the grass may only show some of its head now and again or even just some back hair blowing in the wind.

Obviously the weather in Alaska is pretty unpredictable so you need to be kitted out for inclement weather. Camouﬂage or olive colored outer wear is a must as well as hats and gloves. Boots should be waterproof high top or even hip high waders with hiking boot

soles for crossing rivers and streams. In terms of hardware, a good pair of binoculars as well as a decent digital camera. Undergarments should be as normal hunting wear when hunting in the cooler climates with a variety of weights to cater for the alternating weather conditions. Rifles and scopes should be sighted in before travelling and again once you arrive at the camp site. You need to take sufficient ammunition for what you feel you will be shooting then double it. 50 rounds would be OK on a specific bear hunt especially if it is a combination hunt to include Dall sheep, Caribou, and the occasional wolf as well. Treat grizzly and brown bear with the utmost respect, at least three people are killed annually in the Yukon due to bear mauling. Keep your wits about you and don’t assume that you know what a bear will do. Cos you don’t….Mostly it will run away from you but in certain circumstances it will attack, and you have to be ready.

Good hunting. RNC.

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German

Wild Boars The Problem They Pose

Well it’s not quite that simple in Germany. You see the wild boar population in this major European country is on the rise and not by a small percentage. In one year hunters have killed well over 480,000 wild boars, that’s almost 70% more than the previous year. And this is just to keep the population at

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status quo. The wild boars are also becoming less timid and it’s not only rural populated areas being troubled by them as they are encroaching into urban city areas where they destroy cultivated gardens and public parks and amenities.

Unless you have a cultural aversion to eating pork products wild boar to those who of us who can consume it, and have the availability to hunt it, are a tasty meal and good fun to hunt. Off we go out into the forests with our trusty hound dogs and our boar riﬂe or shotgun loaded with slugs and we can spend some good times tracking down a pack of wild boar and come home with a boot full of pork chops and spare ribs for the barbeque.

In Berlin for instance there is estimated to be around 10,000 wild boars living within its urban limits and they are regularly encountered on freeways and highways causing some consternation as a minimum and even accidents. They frequently encroach onto jogging paths that border onto wooded

areas and if you are unfortunate enough to encounter one, especially a large boar, then give it right of way. An adult wild boar can run to 250 pounds with vicious upwards pointing tusks that can inﬂict serious damage and even death if you get gored in the wrong place. Normally the boars will not attack without provocation but the more they become urbanized the less afraid of humans they become and if spooked or if it’s a sow with young they can be very dangerous. And it’s no use trying to outrun a full grown adult wild pig as they can travel at speeds up to 55 kilometer per hour which is twice as fast as a ﬁ t human. And if you happen to confront one whist walking your dog make sure that your dog is a boar hound of some sort because there have been numerous instances where domestic dogs have been killed whilst trying to attack a wild boar. There was an instance where a pack, or sounder, as they are called, took over a playground in Berlin’s, Dahlem district and the dominant sow just lay out in the sun whilst her piglets played with the children. One wrong move by a child making the piglet squeal would have turned the momma sow into a frenzy and she would undoubtedly have attacked the children. In the end the police had to cordon off the area and bring in hunters to shoot the whole sounder, much to the consternation of the viewing public. But it was just too dangerous to let them go or try to capture them. The other problem of course is that the public do not realize the potential danger of semi domesticating them. They think that they are harmless and feed them sometimes on a regular basis whereby the sounder gets used to the food on offer and comes to the same spot every day and the human meals service thinks how nice to feed the piggy’s. Until one day an adult boar gets startled, or a child gets too near a piglet and attacks, then it is a case of, “Well who would have thought that could happen”. But it can.

In rural areas of course the damage that wild pigs can do to crops and even domesticated gardens can be considerable and the only way to prevent that is to shoot them. But a sounder can consist of up to 30 animals and usually not less that 8 or 10 so it’s not an easy job to keep them under control especially when a sow will give birth to an average of 5 or 6 piglets in every litter and litters of up to 14 is not unusual. A sow can have two litters per year and will be able to get pregnant from around 10 months to 2 years depending on its environment and diet. The physical aspect of the wild boar population in Germany is not the only problem. You see if it was a case of just shooting them and taking them to the butchers maybe the price of frankfurters would come down and the Germans would be eating less expensive pork cuts. But there is a problem. The problem arose from the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl in

1986 when the nuclear power station there had the disastrous melt down polluting the environment with nuclear fallout. This has contaminated the food source of the wild boars to such an extent as to be detected in the meat of the animals rendering a good portion of the wild boar shot unsuitable for human consumption, for anyone’s consumption come to that. Well over $500,000 was paid out in compensation by the German government to hunters who can not sell the boar meat they would have normally sent to market due to radioactive contamination. Other animals are of course susceptible to contamination but none as much as the wild boars as their diet consist of mushrooms and trufﬂes that are susceptible to absorbing the radioactivity more so than other plants and the radioactivity can remain in the soil for many years continuing to contaminate the wild boars diet.

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be on the safe side I would suggest you plump for a .30-06 sending a 160grains bullet out to 100 yards, or a .308 with 180 grains bullet out to 100 yards, as the big boars will have tough hide, thick skin and a good layer of fat before you get to the muscle and big bones. The shot placement is as ever vital. If you are close enough or a good enough shot to hit it in the neck breaking the vertebrae then this will undoubtedly drop it. But a more sure shot would be the usual game placement shot, which is in the shoulder. And if you consider a controlled expansions bullet like the, Swift A Frame, Nosler Partition, or Winchester Silvertip, or similar bullets that are on the market you just might break both shoulders which would stop it in its tracks and will stop it from charging you. But the bullet needs to be of such density that it does not fragment on impact because a full grown wild boar may not succumb to this type of bullets straight away and will probably be able to run for quite a distance. And the last thing you want is an irate wild boar coming at you head down ready to gore you with those deadly ivories as a last ditch effort to inﬂict serious damage on the person who has just put lead in its hide. No boar meat is put on the market without being check thoroughly by government inspectors so the likelihood of contaminated meat reaching the dinner tables of the good German public is minimal, and the boar hunters have also found that if they feed the wild boar population with a diet that includes, Giese Salt, this causes the boars to excrete radioactivity from the body once the salt is digested. In Bavaria the hunting federation has performed tests over a long period and they have concluded that it does reduce the radioactivity level down to government acceptable levels. So if you want to go on a wild boar hunt either in Germany or any other part of the world what would be a good all round riﬂe to take with you and what sort of ammunition would be most suitable. Hunting wild boar in the middle of Berlin is not recommended by

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the way. Leave that to those whose job it is to cull the urban boars. OK, well some will say that you can kill a wild boar with a .22 caliber rim ﬁre. Well I suppose anything is possible if you place the shot in the right place, but a 240lb adult wild boar will soak up quite a lot of .22 caliber lead before it succumbs. If you are going after smaller sized boar, say a yearling, then a .22 might be OK but as we have learned earlier a sounder, or pack, of boars can total up to 30 and it is not unusual to have twenty in a group. Some of them will undoubtedly be mature boars and sows and they will not necessarily stand around whilst you pick and choose your 50 pound yearling that you can drop with your .22. So my recommendation would be nothing less than a .270 with 120 grains bullet and to

Also make sure you watch your back, and sides, as other member of the immediate family might just take offence at you leveling one of its brothers or sisters, or kids if it comes to that. Always be ready with a back up. Either your own or a hunting partner. If it’s not radioactive enjoy a good slab of bacon with your eggs and share the spare ribs with your friends at your next barbeque.

Good hunting. RNC It's already been 24 years since the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, but experts are predicting the problem of radioactive wild boars will plague Germany "for at least the next 50 years."

Perfection Redefined...

Model “Imperial” • Self -opening action. • Locking screws fitted throughout internally. • Bone charcoal case hardening. • Hand detachable pin with locking stud. • Finest hand picked engraving. • Exhibition quality walnut. • Diamond Chequering. • Locked hinge pin.

www.aya-fineguns.com

AYA’s Imperial shotgun embodies the very highest level of quality you have come to expect from AYA. The Imperial boasts exquisite hand picked engraving, bone charcoal case hardening , and exhibition quality walnut, making it one of the most elegant shotguns available today. AYA has also taken great care to ensure the Imperial functions as beautifully as it looks. Crisper trigger pulls, smoother opening, and lively handling are to be expected from this masterpiece. The Imperial has not been made to a price, but to a level of fit, finish, and function unmatched in Spanish gunmaking. New England Custom Gun Service Ltd. Plainfield, NH 603.469.3450 www.newenglandcustomgun.com

H.G. Lomas Gunmakers Inc. Elkhart Lake, WI 920.876.3745 hughlomas@yahoo.com

Anglo American Sporting Agency Corona del Mar, CA 209.763.9040 or 949.644.9557 www.angloamericansport.com

Fieldsport Traverse City, MI 231.933.0767 www.fieldsportltd.com

John F. Rowe Enid, OK 580.233.5942 jrowe@att.net

gunmaker legacies

Hatsan’s BT65 SB

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HATSAN is one of the self sufﬁcient factories of the world in the ﬁrearms industry. Their end products are of high quality and are all durable. The company produces unique air guns and it is one of the best known shotgun manufacturers in Turkey since 1976. HATSAN has become very well known due to its high quality products and competitive prices. HATSAN is an export oriented factory and exports 95% of its products to more than 90 countries around the world.

BT65 SB (Side Bolt)

Energy (*)

Caliber

Max. Muzzle Velocity (*)

Joules

ft.lbs

Magazine Capacity

Air Tube Volume

Fill Pressure

Shots per ﬁll

4.5mm / .177cal

380m/s (1250fps)

255cc

200 BAR

5.5mm / .22cal

360m/s (1180fps)

255cc

200 BAR

255cc

200 BAR

Model

6.35mm / .25cal Stock

330m/s (1090fps) Overall Length

Stock Advanced polymer, montecarlo cheekpiece, adjustable butt pad & adjustable comb

• 10- shot, manual loading, side bolt action, pre-charged pneumatic (PCP) air rifle. • Precision rifled choked barrel for accuracy, threaded for ½” UNF sound moderator & fitted muzzle cap. • Available in .177 (4.5mm), .22 (5.5mm) and .25 (6.35mm) caliber.

Barrel Length

Weight

Overall Length Barrel Length 1080mm (42.5”)

585mm (23”)

Fiber Optic Sights Diameters

Weight 4.1kg (9lbs)

• Ambidextrous & ergonomic design synthetic stock. • Integrated picatinny rail beneath the forearm. • Soft rubber inlays on grip and forearm for better control and feel. • Elevation adjustable comb which can be easily adjusted by a coin. • Stock length of pull, elevation & ﬁt angle adjustable rubber butt pad. • Detachable 10-shot rotary magazine in .177

Fiber Optic Sights Diameters Rear Sight

Front Sight

0.9mm (.035”) green

1.5mm (.060”) red

(4.5mm) and .22 (5.5mm) calibers and 9-shot rotary magazine in 25 (6.35mm) caliber. • Includes one additional magazine. • Detachable aluminum air cylinder tube (255cc). Spare cylinders are available. • Built-in pressure gauge on the air cylinder to monitor the cylinder pressure. • Includes quick-fill nozzle & air cylinder discharging cap supplied in the box. • Dovetail groove receiver for both 11mm and 22mm scope mounts. • Overall blued finish, black anodized receiver. • Resettable Manual Safety • “Anti-double pellet feed” mechanism preventing more than one pellet loading into barrel. • Patented anti-knock system to prevent gas wastage when rifle is knocked or bounced. • Adjustable rear & front sight with Truglo fiber optics. • Quattro Trigger: 2-stage full adjustable match trigger for trigger travel and trigger load. • Gold plated metal trigger & metal trigger guard. • Fitted sling swivels. • Includes a sling & bipod.

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gunmaker legacies

Mauser

M 03 Target The winning combination for Precision Shooting

The concept of the M 03 target incorporates all the necessary factors that lead to successful, long-range shooting. Based on the M 03 Extreme Match, the M 03 Target features a bipod at the fore-end and a butt spike at the butt stock. Thus the shooter is able to quickly find a stable shooting position, both out in the field and at the shooting range. The Mauser combination trigger also supports controlled triggering for optimum results. Long-range shooting normally requires rifle scopes with a high magnification and a large objective lens demanding a high scope mount. This, in turn, can make an ideal comfortable rifle mount difficult to achieve. Mauser has solved this problem by adding a fully adjustable comb to the synthetic stock of the M 03 Extreme. This enables each marksman to adjust the stock to his individual requirements. The stock is available in natural sand or in grey color. The black color of all metal parts emphasizes the functional appearance of the Mauser Target rifle. The Match barrel with muzzle thread offers a great choice of Standard and Magnum calibers. Depending on the caliber group the barrel is 60 cm (23.6") or 65 cm (25.5") long. The muzzle brake Dual Brake type B, developed by Mauser, is mounted at the muzzle (M17x1 thread). This innovation significantly reduces muzzle flip and recoil and thus supports concentrated, fatigue-free shooting. In order to secure the magazine in the field, every M 03 Target system features the Mag-Safe magazine safety. The muzzle is protected by a special cover that comes with an integrated muzzle safe system and a box with 25 patches. The height adjustable bipod is mounted on the adapter at the fore-end. The butt spike allows for quick and precise adjustments in height and can be folded up, pointing towards the pistol grip. The "M 03 Target" package includes detachable sling swivels and offers several attachment options: at the monopod, the bipod, the adapter or at the fore-end tip. Further upgrades such as a fluted barrel can be chosen as optional extras at additional charge.

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SpeciďŹ cations Standard calibers:

6,5x55, .308 Win., .30-06, 8,5x63

Magnum calibers:

.300 Win. Mag., 8x68S und .338 Blaser Mag.

Weight Including bipod and butt spike:

4,9 kg (10 3/4 Ibs)

Weight Without bipod and butt spike:

3,9 kg (8 1/2 Ibs)

Overall length: Overall length with muzzle brake:

112 cm (44") - Standard / 117 cm (46") - Magnum 116 cm (45 1/2") / 121 cm (47 1/2")

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gunmaker legacies

The Legend is Back

The New Browning A5

Bringing a legend back is great – especially if a whole new one is created within. The newest incarnation of John Moses Browning’s Auto-5 is the Browning A5. It was unveiled at the SHOT Show in Las Vegas and became available for purchase in March. While it has the distinctive Auto-5 “humpback” appearance, inside it is all new. The A5’s new short recoil system, named the Kinematic Drive System, is almost identical to the Benelli Inertia recoil system.

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Along with the new recoil system, the A5 features Browning’s new Invector DS (Double Seal) choke system. The Invector DS chokes have a brass seal at the base to prevent gas and grit from entering the gap between the inside of the barrel and the outside of the choke.

the unload feature allows the magazine to be emptied without cycling and chambering every shell with the bolt handle.

Other features include the Vector Pro™ lengthened forcing cone, an Inﬂex II Technology recoil pad, and Speed Load Plus - the system sends the ﬁrst shell loaded in the magazine directly into the chamber, while

The new Browning A5 will be available in four stock conﬁgurations: wood (Hunter), synthetic (Stalker) and Mossy Oak Duck Blind and Inﬁnity with Dura-Touch Armor Coating, with 3” chambers and 26”, 28”, and 30” barrels.

The A5 is a light 3-inch 12 gauge gun, weighing just less than seven pounds with a 28-inch barrel.

HUMPBACK ACQUISITION ADVANTAGE 100,000 ROUND GUARANTEE OR FIVE YEARS

INFLEX II TECHNOLOGY RECOIL PAD The new Inﬂex II Technology recoil pad is the next generation of the most recoil absorbing pad available. A softer new outer material provides better lateral stability, even better recoil absorbing performance and is super slippery to prevent snagging on clothing when shouldering. Internal directional deﬂection construction guides the comb down and away from your cheek for greater shooting comfort and faster, more accurate follow-up shots.

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gunmaker legacies

Merkel

RX Helix

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Helix in the cruiserweight class The intuitive riďŹ&#x201A;e even more personal: semi weight interchangeable barrels in three lengths now available

RX Helix pistol grip caps

RX Helix Engravings

The Helix from Merkel presents itself at the IWA 2012 with new semi weight interchangeable barrels in three different lengths. It is now possible to tailor the riďŹ&#x201A;e to the personal demands of the shooter with even more precision. The barrels with their increased diameter of 19 millimetres (standard: 17 millimetres) weigh, depending on the barrel length, 170 to 320 grams more than a standard barrel. The result is an optimised weight distribution, greater stability while shooting and ultimately, a higher shooting accuracy and performance results. The domain of the Helix is fast drive hunting - semi weight barrels facilitate freehand shooting at great distances and swinging through the moving target. For different sized barrels, the Merkel only requires a single fore-end. When travelling with an interchangeable barrel, you can save yourself carrying another fore-end. The semi weight barrels are cold forged in lengths of 510 mm and 560 mm for all standard calibres and 610 mm for magnum calibres. The barrel length 510 has a drive hunting sight, the 560 mm and 610 mm barrel lengths both make do without iron sights. With these barrels made in Suhl, the total weight of the bolt action riďŹ&#x201A;e is 3.25 kg, 3.3 kg and 3.4 kg respectively.

The 560 mm semi weight barrel (without sight) is available in calibres .223 Rem., 6.5 x55, 7x64, .308 Win. and .30-06. The 610 mm semi weight barrel (without sight) is only

available in calibre .300 Win. Mag. and the 510 mm semi weight barrel (with driven hunt sight) is offered in calibres 7x64, .308 Win., 30-06, 8x57IS und 9.3x62. â&#x20AC;ş

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gunmaker legacies

Helix with Explorer synthetic stock Resilient and non-slip at all temperatures thanks to soft-grip Merkel view their Helix as a modern bolt action rifle for hunting excursions and driven hunts. Merkel now fulfil the understandable request of many customers to offer a synthetic stock combination for front and rear stock for demanding everyday hunting purposes. The novel dark anthracite stock material consists of a glass fibre reinforced composite material with a soft-grip surface.

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The soft and noiseless material is also easily gripped in extreme cold and is - not least thanks to a homogeneous surface - dirtresistant. In tests, the shaft proved to be significantly more break-resistant than wood and it compensates recoil markedly. Its surface has a matte finish and is scratch resistant. The defined pistol grip is not laminated but part of the surface and therefore cannot come loose. The Explorer synthetic stock has a symmetric pistol grip and lacks a cheek piece, making it suitable for right and left-handed shooters alike. During the development of this stock, Merkel have paid attention to system compatibility: Wooden and synthetic stocks

can be interchanged and the semi weight barrels of the Helix can be used with the Explorer fore-end without requiring an additional fore-end. The standard Take-down feature - fast tool-less disassembly - remains available with the synthetic stock, of course. Left-handed stock for the Helix The Helix is currently available only as a righthanded system - for left-handed shooters, Merkel now offer a new left-handed stock that allows for precise shooting with the Helix. The left-handed stock is made of Turkish walnut available in all wood classes and features a cheek piece. Even the palm swell of the pistol grip has been reworked to be left-handed.

Helix Magazine

Left-handed stock for the Helix

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gunmaker legacies

Walther

速

Introduces New P22 Pistol with Integrated Laser

Walther速 P22 with Integrated Laser

Popular Rimfire Pistol Offers Improved Ergonomics and an Integrated Laser Sighting Device 124

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SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (January 17, 2012) Smith & Wesson Corp. the exclusive United States distributor of Walther® products, today announced a new version of the popular P22 pistol with an integrated laser sight. Combining reliable performance with an advanced sighting device, the new P22 is designed especially for shooters seeking a versatile, well-rounded .22 LR pistol. Featuring a uniquely designed laser sight built into the pistol frame, the new Walther P22 allows for rapid target acquisition with the simple press of a button. Compact, durable and seamlessly integrated to ﬁ t in front of the trigger guard, the new laser design will beneﬁ t shooters of all experience levels. The integrated laser is fully adjustable for both windage and elevation and features a oneand-onehalf hour run time of continuous operation. Battery replacement is made easy by simply unscrewing the battery cover. The class 3A laser offers a sight-in range of up to 25 meters and provides shooters with a 7mm focal point at 10 meters and a 15mm focal point at its furthest distance. The integrated laser is designed to handle a wide range of temperature settings, allowing users to deploy the laser device regardless

of weather conditions. To activate the laser on the new P22, Walther has added a simple two-setting push button that enables the laser device to be easily turned on and off. The design of the new laser sight provides the accuracy that shooters require without adding excess weight or bulk to the balance of the pistol. “Since its introduction, the Walther P22 has been met with wide acclaim from recreational shooters around the globe,” said Shaun Phelan, Walther Product Manager for Smith & Wesson. “Now, with the availability of a new integrated laser, the P22 has been upgraded to incorporate the latest in laser technology, while still continuing to deliver those qualities that have made it a favorite of shooting enthusiasts for so many years.” Manufactured on a lightweight polymer frame, the P22 features a short, 3.42-inch barrel that contributes to a compact overall length of 6.3 inches. The traditional double-action pistol is engineered to accommodate both left and right-handed shooters with an ambidextrous safety and magazine release conveniently

located on the bottom of the trigger guard. For improved firearm control, the P22 features Walther’s new cross-directional tactical textured grip and two interchangeable backstraps, allowing for a customized fi t. Additional features of the new P22 include front and rear slide serrations, a loaded chamber indicator and a magazine disconnect which prevents the pistol from firing when the magazine is removed. On top of the barrel, the P22 is standard with adjustable front and rear sights for improved accuracy when the laser is not in use. The pistol is further supported with hammer and firing pin blocks for safe operation as well as the ability to interchange the barrel. The P22 is suitable for carry with its 1.1inch frame width and unloaded weight of 16.4 ounces. The pistol also features simple disassembly and reassembly without the need for tools and is shipped with one magazine. To accommodate consumers who reside in states that permit sound suppressors, the P22 is standard with a threaded barrel.

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The next level - Expansion of the

GECO Rifle Cartridges Product Range

The range of projectiles of GECO rifle cartridges has been expanded with two new types of projectiles in order to increase the opportunities of active hunters. GECO fulfils all of the important specifications that are required of ammunition today and deserves its slogan: GECO - ALL YOU NEED!

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GECO Plus is cutting edge ammunition technology. The bonding technology - that is, the extremely well soldered connection of the core with the jacket of the projectile - is particularly good for penetration and preservation of wild game, even with heavy wild game. GECO Plus is available in 7mm Rem. Mag., 7x64, 7x65R, .308 Win., .30-06, .300 Win. Mag., 8x57 IS, 8x57 IRS, 9,3x62 and 9,3x74R, and from the third quarter of 2012 in .270 Win calibres.

GECO Express is a new streamlined projectile shape with a plastic cone point that makes long distance and precise shots possible without a point-of-aim correction. The advantages of these projectiles are precision and effectiveness from a far distance. GECO Express is available in .270 Win., .270 WSM, 7mm Rem. Mag., 7x64, .308 Win., .30-06, .300 Win. Mag., and from the third quarter of 2012 in .223 Rem., 243 Win., as well as 9,3x62 calibres.

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Winchester’s Hunting Success with the .308 by Bernard Miranda Feliciano

Now that we know how the .308 Winchester came to be, just how good is it as a game getter? Any ideal factory loads with the oomph to bag a speciﬁed quarry? The .308 Winchester is a versatile cartridge and given all the different factory loadings, it is also a great ring performer since it has that punching power to knockout four-footed game-animals in the medium to large-size game category. But, before sending that .308 slug downrange, ease that index ﬁnger out of the trigger guard and ponder if we bear that character to hunt. It is after all a matter of life or death for the hunted animal.

To Shoot Or Not To Shoot - a bit of digression

The Sporting Ammo That Made A Killing By Cashing In On Its Sibling’s Adoption As NATO’s Official Military Cartridge 128

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Sounds dramatic, but here is my 2-cents worth of opinion regarding hunting - I have always believed that part of the rationale for our being is to be the stewards of our ecosystem and all its natural resources consequently, utilization of this naturally occurring wealth for our overall betterment must be holistic and sustainable. This context is where I anchor my acknowledgment of hunting as a perfectly legitimate human activity.

Thus, if and when I put on the hunter’s mantle, then I am instantly compelled to be utterly cognizant of and obey the moral, ethical and legal obligations I am now inescapably bound. After all, I will only become a worthy hunter if I have, among other equally indispensable responsibilities, become utterly proﬁcient with my hunting tools. For example, how much premium will I place in continuously practicing with my hunting weapon/s to ensure a higher probability of clean-quick-humane kills? Likewise, how conﬁdent am I in taking that long-distance shot versus immediacy of the carcass’ retrieval or tracking wounded game?

provide the hunter with a reckoning, especially invaluable when sighting-in the riﬂe. Touted as their closest thing to a perfect hunting bullet money can buy, the150-grain from Range

50 yards

Winchester’s XP3 line-up Figure1 is an expanding, polycarbonate-tipped, boat-tailed projectile that penetrates deeply with high retained bullet weight Figure 2. ›

100 yards

200 yards

300 yards

400 yards

500 yards

Muzzle velocity 2,825 feet/second

2,616 fps

2,417 fps

2,226 fps

2,044 fps

1,871 fps

Muzzle energy 2,658 foot pounds

2,279 ft. lbs.

1,945 ft. lbs.

1,650 ft. lbs.

1,392 ft. lbs.

1,166 ft. lbs.

-3.6”

-13.1”

-29.7”

Bullet trajectory zeroed@100yds -0.2” Bullet trajectory zeroed@200yds

-45.7” 1.8”

-7.8”

-22.6”

Obviously, situational judgment calls, but, to each their own cup of tea, yet, it is an imperative point blank imposition on the hunter to use the .308 Winchester ﬁ ttingly, being the cartridge of choice, to effect a higher probability of a well-placed-shot, ergo, a clean, quick and humane kill.

Top 3 Ring Performers Typically, .308 bullets weigh from 100 to 200 grains. And the most prevalent of the lot, whether factory loaded or among reloaders, are the 150, 165 and 180-grainers. The accompanying external ballistics tables

Figure 1 - advertised as effective on thin-skinned quarry as w/ elk, moose, bear, & African games, at short & long ranges. Image from midwayusa.com

Figure 2 – CXP3 bullet’s pre & post expanded form.Image from chuckhawks.com

From their Interlock bullet series, Hornady’s expanding 165-grain projectile is a boat-tailed softpoint conﬁguration Figure 3. The bullet design locks the jacket and core together for a tough bullet with optimal energy dump following deep penetration Figure 4.

Figure 3 – A lethal combination of accuracy & terminal ballistics. Images from hornady.com & luckygunner.com

Figure 4 – Interlock bullet’s pre and post expanded form. Image from hornady. com

Range

@muzzle

100 yards

200 yards

300 yards

400 yards

500 yards

Muzzle velocity

2,700 fps

2,496 fps

2,301 fps

2,115 fps

1,937 fps

1,770 fps

Muzzle energy

2,670 ft. lbs.

2,282 ft. lbs.

1,939 ft. lbs.

1,638 ft. lbs.

1,375 ft. lbs.

1,147 ft. lbs.

Bullet trajectory zeroed@200yds

-1.5”

2.0”

-8.6”

-25.1”

-50.8

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For hunters into heavier bullets, Nosler’s 180-grain AccuBond offers the bigger punch for the bang Figure 5. Also a controlled expansion, white polymer-tipped, boat-tailed projectile, its aerodynamic efﬁciency imparts outstanding weight retention at normal hunting velocities/ranges; additionally the bullet has higher retained energy at long range Figure 6. Range

50 yards

100 yards

200 yards

300 yards

400 yards

500 yards

muzzle velocity 2,600 fps

2,513 fps

2,429 fps

2,264 fps

2,105 fps

1,953 fps

1,808 fps

muzzle energy 2,702 ft. lbs.

2,525 ft. lbs.

2,357 ft. lbs.

2,048 ft. lbs.

1,771 ft. lbs.

1,525 ft. lbs.

1,307 ft. lbs.

Bullet trajectory zeroed@100yds

-0.1”

-4.4”

-15.6”

-34.6”

-62.8

Delivering a minimum of 1,200 ft. lbs. of energy on far-and-away quarry, a .308 Winchester pill in 180-grain, is an adequate medicine on CXP2 level wild games that can seriously bite back. Large Size Game (CXP3) - Also divided into 2 subgroups, namely, a) Non-dangerous category – averaging 301 to1,000 pounds live, the Alg (Scandinavian moose), elk, musk ox, moose, hartebeest, wildebeest, waterbuck, antelope, nilgai, zebra and kudu belong to this group. Controlled expansion .308 bullets in 180-grain, with about 1,200 ft. lbs. retained energy upon impact, can very well hold its own in the ring versus these big even-toed ungulates.

Figure 5 – Nosler’s heavy-hitter aside from its advertised minimal barrel fouling. Image from midwayusa.com

While other design attributes in the .308-calibre exist, sufﬁce to say that our three bullet weights are representative of the loadings potent enough for medium-sizebig game and large-size game enumerated in Winchester’s classiﬁcation system, as presented by Mr. C. Hawks (of www. chuckhawks.com) in his CXP Rating System for Hunting Cartridges. Small Game (CXP1) - These are the varmint-sized animals along with their nemesis, small predators, and weighing between 10 and 50 pounds respectively. Can do, but too much of a calibre for abovesized games, maybe? Medium Size Big Game (CXP2) Divided into 2 subgroups, namely,

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Figure 6 – Accubond bullet’s pre and post expanded form. Image from nosler.com

a) Non-dangerous category - Comprising goats, sheep, deer, pronghorn antelope (and its Indian/African cousins), caribou and boars/ feral pigs, where the males weigh from 51 to 300 pounds. Whether shot at short to medium range (approximately 25-200 yards) or long range (250 to about 300 yards) this is where the .308 Winchester, in 150, 165 or 180-grain, really starts to shine. b) Large thin-skinned dangerous game category - Weighing from 150 to 200+ pounds, the wolves, hyenas, the lesser big cats like the cougar, African/Asian leopard, South American jaguar, the sloth bear of India, except the Russian/North American/ European wild boar, fall under this large predator class.

b) Really large thin-skinned dangerous game category – these are speedy and hardy predators, and the tables being turned, the African lion, Asian tiger, the grizzly, brown and polar bears can make minced meat of the hunter. The .30-06 Springﬁeld and 7mm Magnums, delivering 2,000+ ft. lbs. of energy at 200 yards, are considered the practical minimum for this predator category. Thick-Skinned Dangerous Game (CXP4) - Are the supersized odd and eventoed ungulates, plus the largest of them all, the elephant that can, in a reversal of role, gore and trample a luckless hunter into a pulp. In superheavyweight poundage, from 1,600 to 13,000, these critters now require the hammer-of-Thor calibres.

You Can’t Hit Dead-On If You Can’t Sight So a–hunting we will go? Not quite yet. We may have settled on a particular riﬂe/ scope/.308 Winchester load, but if not

sighted-in properly, our ﬁrearm is still not worth a hootin’ of shootin’. Essentially, the 308 Winchester is a CXP2 (category A/B) and CXP3 (category A) cartridge. Accordingly, the hunter must be absolutely familiar with the game’s anatomy the heart/lung vitals’ location Figure 7 to aim that incapacitating (preferably an instant kill, otherwise crippling) shot. To illustrate, our average buck deer weighs 125-150 pounds. Superimpose an imaginary 6-inch circle covering the heart/ lung vitals – described by Mr. R. Wakeman (of randywakeman.com), as the Six-Inch Maximum Point Blank Range Kill Zone, being the reference to place that incapacitating shot Figure 8.

Figure 7 – the brisket or the game’s chest/rib cage area speciﬁc to where the vital organs are. image form sonicsundays.nl

Well, if our deer Bambi is always broadside and unmoving at 100-yards or less, and if all barrel-discharged projectiles, from the .177 airgun pellet to Yamato’s 18.1-inch/2998pound shell, does not travel in an arcing trajectory due to gravity-pull Figure 9, then sight-in according to the abovementioned ballistic tables.

Figure 8 – a 3-inch bullet deviation, above or below the center can still incapacitate Bambi, thus, the 6-Inch Maximum Point Blank Range Kill Zone. Image from randywakeman.com

Otherwise, the riﬂe/scope/load combo has to be sighted-in incrementally to exploit the .308’s full potential by a) conﬁrming pointblank-range b) validating mid-range-trajectory (preferably a 3-inch-maximum-bullet-rise from line-of-sight), c) establishing true-zero,

Figure 9 – of course, air-resistance aside from gravity-pull equals curved bullet path. Image from hornady.com

and d) determining maximum-point-blankrange (ascertaining the 3-inch-bullet-drop below the line-of-sight) – since Bambi is very cunning with keen survival instincts and oftentimes appear at distances in excess of 100 yards and at odd angles making a knockout shot extremely difﬁcult. The bullet then will not deviate 3-inch above or below the line-of-sight, upon exiting the muzzle until the attested maximum-pointblank-range Figure 10. Again, to illustrate – using Winchester’s 150-grain XP3 and citing Mr. C. Hawks’ Riﬂe Trajectory Table – sighting-in our weapon to impact 2.7 inches ›

Figure 10 – different terminology, application in the sighting-in process remains the same. Image from throwinglead.com

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precisely above the bull’s-eye at 100 yards (the point-blank-range), validating that the mid-range-trajectory is 3-inch at 135 yards, and establishing the true-zero is precisely 1.7 inches above the bull’s-eye at 200 yards, the 3-inch projectile descent below the line-ofsight is ﬁnally determined at 275 yards Figure 11.

Figure 11 – at 100yds. bullet hit is 2.7” above truezero, true-zero hit is 1.7” above Bambi’s bull’s-eye at 200yds. & at 275yds. the hit is 3” below true-zero. All hits w/n the Kill Zone results to major vital organ trauma positively incapacitating Bambi. Image from gunnersden.com

Taking-Up The Trigger Slack Rarin’ to go hunt Bambi now? Although, we did our sighting-in at the range, confident that our weapon is up to the task, we are now in a bean field somewhere in Iowa, in a middle of a harsh winter . . . . . previously laser-ranging Bambi at 350 yards, at a steady gait, he is now quartering towards us Figure 12 . . . . . the layered-thermal clothing seems unable to keep us warm. . . . . shouldering the rifle, our index finger numb to even feel the trigger, we take aim, despite the slight crosswind, the approaching dusk and the likelihood of a sizeable hold-over on Bambi’s back . . . . . to shoot or let Bambi walk away and hunt him again next season?

Figure 12 – one of Bambi’s many poses in the wild, necessitating an on-the-spot ethical judgment call.

The .308 Winchester’s appeal is that it offers much more punch for every bang with less kick, in a portable package. Too much?

hunting round, it behoves the hunter now to make that masterful coup de grace with a .308 Winchester shot that ends our fair chase with the quarry conclusively harvested.

Maybe chambered in an assault riﬂe, but knowing its capabilities and limitations, as a

Bambi would have applauded our marksmanship, better yet, as a hunter –

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acknowledged us as nature’s honourable steward. Clarifying the cartridge pressure/chamber headspace debate and some reloading tips will be the topic’s epilogue on the next issue . . . . . Happy reading!

Hunting Packages / September - February 2012

travel

Romania ‘Duck and Wild Goose Chase’

PACKAGE INCLUDES: • 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 2011 to January 2012. • 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

animal legacy

Framing the Indian Wild Co-ordination: Sharmi Ghosh Dastidar

Wildlife and advertising photographer Akash Das’ exhilarating efforts to capture India’s stunning wildlife have won him global laurels. Here’s a spectacular show of what his viewfinder has captured during those relentless pursuits of tiger trails, elephant herds and bird sightings at the Jim Corbett, Bandhavgarh and Rajaji national parks.

Taken at the Jim Corbett National Park, Akash relates how elephants condition themselves against the scorching sun. “They take a mud bath near the lake in the morning, when the sun is mellow. Then, they use their trunks to spray dry dust in their armpits. This is a way to deodorise. After this, they take a mud bath and let the clay dry on the skin.” The cakey layer is supposed to be the sun-block for the day! 134

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Spending days and nights in the jungles, Akash has learnt to study animal behaviour patterns, their lifestyle and food habits. An elephant herd is not just fascinating to watch from afar, it also lends information about how the animals live. ‘Elephants always move in herds and the baby is always taken care of by the aunt. She guards him with her life,’ observed Akash.

While shooting elephants, Akash has always had to be doubly cautious about not intruding into their space. “Elephants are much scarier than tigers, but are scintillating creatures, If irritated, they can smash the intruder in seconds.” Storks and birds have a charm of their own. While trailing elephants and tigers, there have been numerous occasions when the ace lensman has encountered the beauty of the birds. This picture, taken at the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, is one such example. ›

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Akash says that while everyone knows about the tiger’s extinction, the powers-that-be hardly do enough to curb it. Once, while he was at Jim Corbett, he had the chance of capturing a tiger from a distance too close for comfort. But his guide warned him that if anything happened to Akash, the tiger would have to pay with his life. “No one would even question the fact that it was I who tried to do silly gimmicks for a picture, and the tiger would be brutally killed. This lesson always stayed in my head and I never did my work by endangering the habitat of these breathtaking creatures.”

Asian animals are shy, unlike their African counterparts. It is also the topographical difference that does not allow one to see the animals from afar in Asian jungles. So here is an owl after his night soirée at Jim Corbett.

“Once, after waiting endlessly for the beast to appear, I suddenly saw a tiger near one of the ponds. I asked my driver to slowly move the vehicle so that when the tiger comes up after his drink, I can have him right before me. But, the tiger was cheekier than I thought. He made us go back and forth before I could at last capture him. This was after he pounced on us and missed me by a hair’s breadth. It was exhilarating.” 136

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The iconic picture that has become Akash Das’ signature.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime shot that can never be replicated, no matter how much I try. The sequence was perfect, the lighting was perfect and the surroundings were perfect. It actually looks like a painting and enhances the beauty of the beast.” This stunning photograph is also a part of the Incredible !ndia campaign and is currently being exhibited at the Flo Peters Gallery in Hamburg and Gallerie De L’Europe in Paris.

“You cannot talk loudly, ever. You have to make do with whispering. Or else, you can never capture a shot like this. If the deer ﬁgured out our presence, he would have scampered away in a jiffy.” ›

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Once, Akash was asked what thrill a celebrated fashion photographer like him got from capturing fat elephants. “I said to her that the models were pretty from the outside but they all had wild lives full of alcohol, drugs and excesses. These elephants may not be the most beautiful to look at but they are stunning creatures. Extremely intelligent and caring when required.”

Early mornings in the forests, says Akash, unfold with a serene yet mystifying beauty. Shrouded in mist, the whole ambience is unnervingly silent and fresh. “As my jeep closed in on this long row of stags near a watering hole in Jim Corbett, I captured the group silently and retreated back into the jungle.” This is one of the shots selected for the Incredible !ndia campaign and is now famous worldwide.

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At Jim Corbett, Akash has managed to capture some rare shots. Here, the big cat faces his largest contender. Akash has studied the living and behavioural patterns of elephants in detail by spending an enormous amount of time in the jungles of Corbett, Bandhavgarh and Rajaji. He says that elephants are short-sighted but have a tremendous memory. The elders guard the young ones from danger and if any harm befalls the baby, the seniors can ransack anything that comes before them.

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King of Beasts, Prince of Darkness Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s big cats are quite literally the greatest hunting trophies in recorded history. Powerful, majestic, savage, dangerous: the Lion and Leopard stand supreme.

Part II -By Cameron Hopkins Photos by Author & Green Hills Media, LLC 140

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Hunting Methods Africa’s big cats are opportunistic feeders. They’ll eat whatever comes along: small game like guinea fowl, a new-born foal, a maggotcrawling carcass and, yes, a nice, fresh kill of their own, preferably served with a sauce Béarnaise. Cats eat anything. Their other dominant behavioral trait (that watching any housecat bears out) is that the great cats are sneaky, sly, secretive, suspicious paranoiacs with a sixth sense of foreboding. That’s why the primary method of hunting cats is bait. Baiting sounds so very simple. Hang a few Swanson frozen zebra dinners in a tree, sit back and wait for your MGM lion to stop by for a snack. Wallop him, shake hands, slap backs, take photos and pop back to camp in time for a sundowner. Nothing to it. Right. And shooting a full-curl Stone sheep is just a matter of strolling up any old hill. Hunting cats over bait is so not-what-you-think. Baiting is unquestionably the most demanding, difficult, dull and depressing method of any form of hunting in Africa. Fascinating, yes. A game of wits, absolutely. Compelling, of course. But fun? No way. It requires endless hours of driving to find suitable tracks (size XXL please) then you have to hang baits properly - the operative word- and then you repeat the procedure of searching for tracks and hanging baits until you have a sufficient number out to induce a cat. Of course such inducements are predicated on a hope that he’ll return to the particular

areas of his territory that you’ve baited. All this while driving dusty roads with a noxious bucket in the back of the truck. Baiting is more than strewing the trees with meat. It’s dragging a scent trail of putrid guts day after day after day. The art of the “drag” is interesting. In the back of your Land Cruiser is the vilest smelling bucket of rancid matter that can be organically concocted- intestines, blood, offal, stomachs, and maggot-blown meat, anything that stinks. Chunks of this foul mix are dragged (hence the term “drag”) for a mile in each direction along a road close to a bait. Cats are lazy. They’ll walk on a road if there’s one around. Hopefully that delectable odor of putreﬁed goo will catch his attention and he’ll follow the scent to your bait. There might be more unsavory things than driving around for endless hours with a “gut bucket” (the actual term) in an open-air vehicle, but I can’t think of any. Leopards demarcate a territory of roughly 10 to 12 square miles, “making the rounds” as they see ﬁ t and according to what they’ve found to eat. The range of a lion is

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No wonder cat hunting has one of Africa’s lowest-percentage success rates. Author and TV host Craig Boddington writes of spending more than two months worth of hunting days in a blind before shooting his ﬁrst leopard in daylight. They don’t call the leopard “The Prince of Darkness” without a reason. Lion are just as ﬁckle as leopard and just as prone to feed at night, but you have the additional onus of shooting a male past breeding-age, a male no longer with a pride, which means a six-plus-year-old male. It was found that when a younger male is shot out of a pride, leaving his cubs as orphans, a new alpha male moves in to take over the pride - a natural occurrence- but the new pride male promptly kills the cubs of the previous male in a tragic act of fratricide. Without cubs, the pride’s lionesses come back into estrous so the new pride male can impregnate them in accordance with his instinctual imperative.

Cat Encounters Of course there’s a possibility of a chance encounter with a lion, far more so than with a leopard. Last year, I was changing camps in the Central African Republic, driving from a

savanna area where we’d successfully hunted Lord Derby eland to a forest area where we hunted (unsuccessfully) for bongo. We left the savanna camp at dawn with the truck loaded down with supplies like the Beverly Hillbillies. We weren’t hunting, just motoring

to a new area. I was dozing, half-asleep and half-listening to Steely Dan on an iPod when Mahamat, our lead tracker, frantically yelled, “Bamara! Bamara!” I snapped to as Christophe Morio, my Frenchborn PH, stomped on the brakes. The Land Cruiser slid to a stop in a cloud of dust and there to our left, about 60 yards away, stood a magniﬁcent male lion. Apparently the local word for lion is bamara. I bailed out of the truck - it being against my ethics to shoot from a vehicle - and snuck to a nearby clump of bush where I was well clear of the truck. Luckily, the lion hadn’t moved. He was alone, no pride, and from his scarred face and saggy jowls, droopy like a middleaged man’s double-chin, I knew he was sixplus in age. My .375 H&H bloomed orange ﬂame in the early morning light and the lion was down within 40 yards, heart-shot with a 300 gr. Swift A-Frame. A year before, in Tanzania’s Lunda safari area, which borders Ruaha National Park, I hunted a renowned cattle-killing lion using bait. However, since this wily old cat had eluded

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every conventional attempt to shoot him and because he was, Public Enemy Number One, to the local cattle-herding natives, my professional hunter, Michel Mantheakis, decided to buy a steer to use for bait instead of the usual zebra or buffalo. He also set to building a tree blind instead of the usual ground blind. This lion had been seen several times in futile attempts to bag him, but never shot. Never even missed. He was too cagey for conventional tactics. Michel had nicknamed him Blondie for his Marilyn Monroe colored mane. Blondie was one smart cat. To insure that we’d have every last ounce of daylight for legal shooting, Michel said we would sleep in our tree blind so we’d be in position at the first glimmer of dawn. He figured Blondie would never come before dark, but might, just maybe, linger until dawn around his favorite meal of fresh filet mignon. Sure enough, Blondie came to feed an hour after sunset when it was pitch black (barely any seeing, let alone shooting) and then spent the night roaring and eating, growling and snarling, all around our tree. It was a sleepless night I’ll never forget!

As the first sliver of yellow-pink sunlight peeked over the horizon, Blondie’s silhouette could barely be discerned at the foot of the bait tree. I could only see his head and neck, so I did the only thing I could, something not to be recommended on lion - I neck-shot him. This is dicey because the mane gives a misleading perspective of where the spine is, but I shot him “in the big middle,” as Jack O’Connor liked to say of shot placement. My .416 Rigby smashed his spine and Blondie died before his massive head hit the ground. He would stock-raid no more. Moving to chui, I finally managed to shoot a fantastic leopard using zebra for bait (not the usual impala or warthog) and again from a tree blind with PH Shaun Buffee last year. I’m starting to think tree blinds are the way to go for the big cats. This was technically my second leopard, but the first was a mercykilling of a small female who had been caught in a poacher’s snare, poor thing. This cat took 15 out of 18 days to finally bag. He was the “Musomberi Monster,” as Shaun called him, named for the riverine country he called home around the Musomberi River. He was Shaq-size. I should note that in addition to baiting, the use of hounds to tree leopard is another hunting method. Also, it’s possible to track

lion if the ground is sandy and the cover thin. To me, the ultimate cat hunt is to track lion on foot. I’ve booked just such a safari in 2014 with Mazunga Safaris in Zimbabwe, where I shot the Musomberi Monster, one of the last remaining areas to still track lion on foot. As repulsive as the practice is, I would be remiss as a reporter if I didn’t note that there is also a method known as “canned lion” hunting. It occurs only on high-fence ranches in South Africa. Lion are raised in pens until the age of three or four (just as soon as they develop a full mane) and then sold to a “sport” who pots the hapless cat that’s been released into a “hunting enclosure” a day before the nimrod arrives. Thankfully, the South African government has passed strict laws to curtail “canned lion” hunting, although the disgusting practice continues. Hunting Africa’s big cats is the greatest of challenges against the greatest of adversaries. As NRA board member and avid pro-hunting spokesman Ted Nugent sings in his 70's classic,

“Cat Scratch Fever:” “I don’t know where they come from, “But they sure do come “I hope they’re coming for me… “They give me cat scratch fever.”

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Nakuru Lake Safari Tips & Suggestion

A safari at Nakuru Lake is one trip that is sure to bring you exhilaration!

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Lake Nakuru is located in west-central Kenya and is one of the saline lakes of the lake system lying in the Great Rift Valley of eastern Africa. Primarily known for its many species of birds, including vast numbers of pink ﬂamingos, Lake Nakuru also has waterbucks, impalas, and hippopotamuses. The town of Nakuru lies on its north shore. Lake Nakuru National Park encloses the lake and adjacent lands. The park was gazetted in 1968, but since 1961 there was a bird sanctuary at the lake's south sector. With the support of the World Wildlife Fund, Kenyan government started a plan to purchase the adjacent grounds in order to widen the protected area. In 1964 the sanctuary yet included the whole lake, whose surface varies from 5 to 40 km², in addition to a shore strip. Since its gazetting as a national park, both authorities and conservation organizations have kept on winning the battle to private property and human settlings, further broadening the park limits in 1968 and 1974 to its current extension of 188 km². A Safari requires very meticulous preparation: you only have few hours in few days. Also animals and light can wait you… that means that you can’t miss a shot because you are not

Zebras on lake river

Nakuru Lake Trail ready or you selected a wrong equipment. A Safari in Nakuro Lake can offer you different opportunities : Rhinos near, ﬂamingo that are ﬂying, an asleep cheetah on a tree branch…… The best solution is to use two different Canon bodies to be ready to all possibility. Regarding the lenses you have to cover near distances, far distances and also (more problematic) low light situations. Yes, you read it welI, I know that in Africa there is

a lot of sun, but also know it the animals that prefer to sleep during the lighter and hotter hours. They like to hunting early morning. For my trip I choose a Canon EOS 5d mk II and a Canon EOS 7d .

Rhino is cropping the grass

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Also, my equipment was exchanged during the day: Early morning • Canon EOS 5D mk II + canon EF 70-200 f2.8 L IS mk II USM . This combination give me the opportunity to shoot quite far and hand held in low light conditions thanks to a fast f/2.8 maximum aperture, which stays constant throughout the zoom range. Such an aperture also gives a photographer control over depth of field. The full frame sensor of Canon EOS 5D mk II reduces the noise at high ISO giving me super shoot. • Canon EOS 7D + canon EF 24-70 f2.8 L IS USM , the standard professional zoom with high performance. This combination gave me the chance to shoot when the animals were too near. • Canon EF 400 f2.8 L IS USM . when I needed more millimeters I put the “king lens” on my Canon EOS 5D mk II. A large maximum aperture of f/2.8 provides outstanding speed for shooting in low light conditions, without the need for flash. The large aperture also provides fine control over depth of field.

Young Rhino Daily kit

Zebras on lake river

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• Canon EOD 7D + canon EF 100-400 f4.5-5.6 L IS USM. This combination allowed me to cover all distances and got pictures with a very good quality The EF 100-400mm f/4.55.6L IS USM provides superlative handling and consistantly high image quality. Its versatile zoom range makes it a popular choice with professional sports and nature photographers. • Canon EOS 5D mk II + canon EF 24-70 f2.8 L IS USM. This combination gave me the chance to shoot in case the animals were too near with also the plus of the control over depth of ﬁeld. • Canon EF 70-200 f2.8 L IS mk II USM. I used it when I needed to decontextualized the scene . • Canon EF 400 f2.8 L IS USM . when I need more millimeters I put the “king lens” on my Canon EOS 7D in order to maximized the crop factor of the APS-C sensor.

A Value Kit for this trip can be: • Canon EOS 60D: it is an advance very creative camera with also the feature of the Video in HD quality. • Canon EF 70-300 f4-5.6 IS USM with the advanced three-stop Image Stabilizer (IS) technology it is an ideal telephoto zoom for shooting in dim light and at slow shutter speeds without incurring camera shake. • Canon EF-S 17-55 f2.8 IS USM , this lens is my preferred one in APS-C camera. It provides outstanding performance: the autofocus is fast and picky, it is sharp in all situations , it is fast and with the IS can help you to get incredible pictures in low light situations.

Pelican take off

Flamingo dance

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Desert Trails

Hiking Routes in the UAE

Jebel Hafeet The UAE is known to many to be an empty space when it comes to nature and the outdoors. However, this is not the case and most outdoor enthusiasts in the country will tell you so as well. There are so many virgin sands, lovely trails and exotic wildlife to discover in the country’s deserts and mountains.

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If you are searching to explore these hidden and exhilarating paths of the country then you need to know where to start. The UAE is deﬁnitely not all city and luxury - there are many paths that will allow you to experience the ruggedness yet beautiful and wondrous parts of the country. What better way is there to experience this all other than hiking?

There are indeed many hiking trails in the country that will deﬁnitely meet all your needs and expectations. H&S helps you to plan your perfect hiking route with these three routes that are loved by all outdoor enthusiasts in the country.

Wadi Tayyibah Wadi Tayyibah forms part of the old East Coast Road that used to be the main route from Dubai to the east coast. After years of extensive ﬂooding and erosion, little can be seen of the old tarmac. The route is now mostly compacted gravel and generally good for walking along. The hike is started at the north eastern end of the wadi, at a small traditional Arabic village named Yalla. The wadi winds for 8 kilometers below the sharpened peaks of the Hajar Mountains. On the hike, you will come across date plantations, agricultural areas, new and ancient wells. In addition to seeing these wells a short diversion will lead you to the remains of an old falaj system - irrigation channels that divert water from natural streams and pools to below ﬁelds. The hike ends in the village of Tayyibah which was a natural oasis with a high water table.

Wadi Bashing

The hike is relatively short at 8km and has no steep sections and is all on good tracks and offers areas of shade. The hike is ideal for beginners and those that are searching for wilderness with no difﬁculty.

Jebel Hafeet

Stairway to Heaven

Your Hiking Kit:

Jebel Hafeet sits on the border of the UAE & Oman. The mountain rises to 1240m above sea level and the summit offers impressive views over the city of Al Ain and the open desert of the UAE. Jebel Hafeet has been a well known landmark through the region’s history. At the foot of Jebel Hafeet lye the Green Mubazarrah or hot springs and beneath Jebel Hafeet an extensive system of caves can be found. The route that is normally taken up Jebel Hafeet is a true mountain route, the ground is steep and many places require the use of your hands to climb short sections of steep rock, with exposed areas that require a good head for heights.

The infamous Stairway to Heaven is a serious mountain route. It should deﬁnitely never be underestimated and it is recommended only for experienced hikers with a very high level of ﬁ tness, and basic rock climbing skills. The trail takes an average of 10 to 12 hours to complete. The exposed cliffs, some of them hundreds of meters long make it much more treacherous than others in the mountain. It lies on the UAE/Oman border. The route follows an ancient tribal trail along Wadi Litibah before winding its way up a 400m cliff face on exposed steps and ledges. It is considered more of a climb than an actual hike.

Take these items along with you to ensure a safe and fun hiking experience. • A good pair of walking boots with ankle support • Thick socks • Shirts with collars as they help protect the neck from the sun • At least three liters of water for a six-hour hike Water • A hat is also essential to protect you from the UAE’s sun.

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Castiglion Del Bosco The Estate

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Castiglion del Bosco is one of the largest private estates in Tuscany, and one of the founding members of the prestigious Brunello di Montalcino wine producers’ consortium. Situated within the Park of the Val d’Orcia, an area recognised internationally for its natural, artistic and cultural significance, this magnificent estate is ennobled by eight centuries of history. Surrounded by rolling wooded hills, extensive vineyards and farmland dotted with ancient farmhouses, Castiglion del Bosco offers its guests and members the chance to immerse themselves in the beauty of this authentic corner of Tuscany, in a setting of unparalleled elegance and refinement. With breathtaking views across to the historic hilltown of Montalcino and a great swathe of southern Tuscany, Castiglion del Bosco is today a unique club and resort centred on the restored Borgo, or estate village, at its heart. The estate buildings and outlying farmhouses have been restored by local craftsmen to create sumptuous living environments, unified by a décor which channels the heritage and the rich colors of the surrounding Sienese landscape.

The Borgo Perched on the top of one of the highest hills of the estate, the Borgo is, as it has been for centuries, the main hub of activities at Castiglion del Bosco. Its historic stone buildings include the Medieval church of San Michele Arcangelo, with a spectacular 1345 altar fresco by Pietro Lorenzetti. ›

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The Suites Inspired by the colours, textures and majesty of the Val d’Orcia, Il Borgo suites are a haven for relaxation and quiet contemplation, a unique vantage point from which to revel in the myriad pleasures of the Tuscan lifestyle. The suites have been lovingly restored with the utmost respect for the original architecture and traditions of this historic Estate, blending the ﬁnest antiques with custom pieces created by local artisans. Ranging in size from 70 to 240 square metres (753 to 2583 square feet), the spacious suites offer lovely master bedrooms, airy bathrooms with sensual soaking tubs, inviting sitting rooms warmed by the Tuscan sun and private terraces with panoramic views of the countryside. State-of-the-art conveniences, including LCD TVs, Wi-Fi high-speed Internet access and iPod stations, add a touch of modernity that blends harmoniously with the sophistication of the rooms and furnishings.

The Villas After careful restoration, the Villas of Castiglion del Bosco are today elegant and stylishly furnished residences blending in perfectly with the estate’s green valleys, wooded hilltops and neatly tended vineyards. While each Villa is unique, they are unified by a décor which channels the heritage and the rich colors of the surrounding Sienese landscape. Each villa aims to envelop its guests in the warm embrace of Tuscan hospitality. Their elegant country-style interiors are the fruit of meticulous research, combining antiques and bespoke pieces made by local craftsmen with richly-hued fabrics and natural fibres. The harmonious fusion of ancient flavours, warm contemporary details and rooms equipped with the most modern comforts and advanced technology, makes each Castiglion del Bosco Villa a unique living experience.

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The Spa In the heart of the Borgo is the Care Suite Spa by Daniela Steiner, a haven of serenity encompassing our need to be pampered in all senses of the word, where expert hands will indulge each guest in a unique experience for body, mind and soul. Exuding comfort, luxury and timeless elegance, the spa takes a completely natural approach to well-being one where vitality, purity, care and relaxation are the essential components of a sublime experience. The treatment rooms of the Care Suite Spa are relaxing cocoons whose earthy hues reﬂect the values of the harmonious natural landscape around Castiglion del Bosco, and whose comforting ambience, in the words of Daniela Steiner, “create a reﬁned, understated feeling of being in one’s own living room”. Guests can make use of the chill-out areas either indoors or out in the garden, and enjoy the comfort of a private suite, sauna or Turkish bath. A range of personalized beauty and wellness treatments is available, some with a Tuscan theme, carried out by highly trained professional staff.

The Golf Club Tuscany’s ﬁrst world-class golf club has recently opened on the 4,500-acre Castiglion del Bosco estate. Laid out by world-renowned British Open champion, Tom Weiskopf, Castiglion del Bosco Golf Club is an exciting course that moulds itself to the painterly contours of the Val d’Orcia’s iconic landscape. It is designed to challenge the best of golfers and to thrill those new to the game.

The Tuscan Experience To ensure a memorable stay, Castiglion del Bosco offers a variety of activities and excursions highlighting different aspects of the region’s history, land and culture. For lovers of ﬁne food, our La Canonica Culinary Academy

explores the ﬂavors and fragrances of Tuscan cooking. Expert chefs introduce guests to the secrets of local cuisine, guiding them in the gathering of fresh seasonal herbs and vegetables from the garden of the estate. Castiglion del Bosco is one of the largest producers of Brunello di Montalcino. The entire wine production can be tasted at the Osteria La Canonica or in the estate’s private winery, which also houses the barricaia, an enological sanctuary where top quality wines age in French oak barriques. Other activities that help guests enter into the heart and soul of Tuscany include landscape painting classes, trufﬂe-hunting expeditions, gelato-making classes in Florence and visits

to local events such as Siena’s world-famous Palio horse race or the Sagra del Tordo Medieval pageant in Montalcino. The estate also offers a wide range of other sporting facilities, including a state-of-the-art fi tness center, a soccer field, tennis and bocce courts and miles of hiking, running and mountain bike trails. Tuscan Flavors The two restaurants and the cozy bar of the Borgo offer seasonal menus using the finest local ingredients complemented by an extensive list of Castiglion del Bosco and regional wines, together with celebrated international labels.

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Cook your Hunt with Corinne Prius-Hary

In this edition we are pleased and privileged to welcome Corinne Pruis-Hary to, Cook Your Hunt, Corinne will be providing us with delicious and varied recipes on a regular basis, and below you will find the first three recipes of her new series. For my first three course dinner menu for H&S I have chosen dishes that are relatively easy to prepare with ingredients that are readily accessible. Portobello Mushrooms for the starter are available year round, and the main course rabbit can be got from your butcher or local supermarket, if you do not have one in your meat locker or freezer that you yourself have shot earlier. For the desert I have chosen, Tarte Tatin, this is a simple dish to make but very impressive once served. Add a good scoop of ice cream or fresh cream to it, delicious. I also offer my recommendation of wines that I feel would admirably accompany each course.

• Starter Fresh herb and goat cheese stuffed Portobello mushroom caps served with reduced balsamic vinaigrette and a side dish of sautéed baby broccoli

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Ingredients: Serves 4 persons • 4 large Portobello mushrooms • ¼ cup of olive oil • 2 tablespoons butter • 3 small shallots, minced • 2 garlic cloves, minced • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves • 4 tablespoons fresh breadcrumbs, use a nice country bread with thick crust • 6 tablespoons plain fresh goats cheese • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives • 1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar • 1 small cube of Parmesan (Parmigiano Reggiano) cheese • 1 pinch salt and pepper • Baby broccoli for serving Balsamic vinaigrette • 1 cup balsamic vinegar • ¼ cup of brown sugar (add more or less to your liking)

Preparation: Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C. Remove the stems from the mushrooms, ﬁnely chop, and set aside. Set the caps, underside downwards, on a baking sheet, brush with a little olive oil, and bake the Portobello caps for 10 minutes to let them shrink slightly. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a sauté pan and gently fry the shallots until slightly soft for about 3 minutes. Add the chopped mushroom stems until they are soft, about 5 more minutes. Then add the garlic and thyme and stir in the mixture for one minute. Stir in the breadcrumbs, but leave one tablespoon separate. Finally add one teaspoon of balsamic vinaigrette and continue to cook until it evaporates. ] Taste the ﬁlling, and season it if necessary. Mix the parsley, chives and the remaining breadcrumbs together in a bowl. Pull the mushrooms from the oven and turn the

hollow side upwards and season them with salt and pepper. Divide the goat’s cheese evenly among the mushroom caps and spoon the warm filling on top. Spread the remaining breadcrumb and parsley mixture over the goats’ cheese and grate some fresh parmesan cheese on top and finish with a drizzle of olive oil. Bake the filled Portobello mushroom caps until the tops are golden and the filling is hot, which is about 20 minutes. While your mushrooms are baking in the oven; you can sauté the baby broccoli. Put a teaspoon of olive oil in a frying pan on medium to high heat and sauté the broccoli for 3 minutes; keep on moving the pan to prevent the broccoli from burning. The broccoli will have a wonderful bright green color if you keep the cooking time short and will still have a nice bite to it. While your

mushrooms are still in the oven and your broccoli is in the sauté pan, you can start with your ﬁnal step, which is preparing the balsamic reduction. This step should take less than 4 minutes. In a separate pan, bring the balsamic vinegar to a boil, turn down the heat and let it simmer. When it reduces halfway, add the brown sugar. Simmer some more until it becomes syrupy and sticks to the back of a wooden spoon. As it cools it will thicken up. Have four serving plates ready and use your cooks brush to dip in the reduced balsamic vinaigrette. Place your brush at one end of your plate and let it rest. After you have a thick start, you slowly drag your brush over the plate, to make it look like it fades. Next you place your mushroom on the plate with a bunch of your baby broccoli and a generous swirl of balsamic reduction and use a fresh thyme sprig for garnish. ›

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• Main Course

Stewed rabbit in red wine and prune sauce served with a side dish of cauliﬂower puree This is my mum in laws original “lapin aux pruneaux recipe” and one of my husband’s favorites. Rabbit is a very healthy source of high-quality protein and has very little saturated fat. Traditionally this dish would be served with mashed potatoes, but for a healthy change I suggest you to try cauliﬂower puree instead.

Ingredients: Serves 4 persons • 1 rabbit, cut in 6 Pieces • 1 tbsp of flour, to dust rabbit pieces • 3 tbsp olive oil • 4 chopped shallots • 3 cloves of garlic • 1 ½ cups of red wine • 4 sprigs of thyme for decoration • 25 pitted dried prunes • 1 tbsp sugar • 1 tbsp cornstarch • Pinch of dried thyme • Salt and pepper Cauliflower puree • 1 large head cauliflower (about 8 cups bite size cauliflower florets) • 1/4 cup Skimmed milk • Freshly ground nutmeg • Salt and pepper

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Preparation: Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C, then wash the rabbit pieces and pat them dry with paper towels. Add salt & pepper to taste and dust the rabbit pieces in the ﬂower. In a large, stove top and oven proof casserole dish, preferably cast iron if available, add 3 table spoons of olive oil and fry the rabbit pieces on both sides. You may have to do this in batches, to avoid overcrowding the casserole dish. When all sides of the meat have a nice golden brown color, remove the rabbit pieces from the casserole dish and set aside. In the same casserole dish add four chopped shallots and three cloves of garlic, halved, and cook over a low heat for 1 minute stirring the mixture all the time. Add 1 cup red wine and stir using a wooden spoon to scrape up the bits from the bottom of the casserole dish and add a pinch of thyme. Return the rabbit

• Dessert

Tarte Tatin Making a good tarte tatin, is all in the technique. The ingredients are simple, but the trick is to get a good dark caramel color and ﬂavor into the apples without overcooking them. You can use your favorite all butter pie crust recipe, or use all butter frozen puff pastry from the frozen section of the supermarket. Ingredients: Serves 4 persons • 6 to 8 Granny Smith apples • ½ lemon • ¾ cup sugar • 1 tablespoon water • 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter • 1 tsp of flour to dust pastry dough • Chilled pastry dough

pieces back to the casserole dish and then place the casserole dish, uncovered, into the pre heated oven and bake for 45 minutes. While your rabbit is baking, you can start to prepare the cauliflower mash: Wash and prepare your cauliflower head in small bite-size florets. Steam the florets for 15 minutes or alternatively you can boil them until the cauliflower becomes very tender. Place the cooked cauliflower in a food processor or blender and add the milk. Pulse several times, and then process until the texture is smooth and creamy. Add salt, pepper and a sprinkle of nutmeg to taste and transfer this puree to a saucepan until you are ready to reheat and serve with the rabbit. Remove the rabbit from the oven, take out the rabbit pieces and set aside. Thicken the

sauce by using wine or water in a separate cup to dissolve the corn starch. When totally dissolved pour the mixture slowly into the dish on a low heat and stir with a wooden spoon till the sauce thickens. Boil the sauce for a few seconds while stirring and then add the sugar, meat and the prunes. Place a cover on the dish and bake for another 30 minutes in the oven until the meat is soft and falls off the bone. When you are ready to serve your main course, you can warm up the cauliﬂower mash and place a spoonful together with the rabbit and prunes on warmed dinner plates, then decorate your creation with a sprig of fresh thyme and dinner is served. Please note that the cooking times may vary depending on the type of heat source and pot used.

Preparation: Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C. Cut off 250 gram of the frozen puff pastry and let it thaw out. In the meantime peel the apples, quarter them and cut the cores out. Squeeze half a lemon over the slices of apple if you are not using them right away. Pour sugar into a 25-cm (10-in) ovenproof frying pan and place the pan on medium heat. (If you do not have an ovenproof frying pan you will also need a 25-cm (10in) oven proof pie dish). Add water, just enough to be absorbed by the sugar. Keep swirling the pan to mix, but try to keep the rim of the pan free of sugar crystals. Cook the sugar over medium to high heat, gently swirling to keep it cooking evenly until it turns a medium-dark-amber color. This will happen very quickly. Be very careful not to touch, the sugar gets very hot.

add the cold butter in small pieces. Be careful not to splash, as the sugar is very hot. It will bubble up a bit. Off the heat, add the apples, round sides down, in concentric circles, starting on the outside edge of the pan. Try to keep the apples somewhat vertical and pack them as closely possible. Don`t let your ﬁngers touch the hot caramel. Slice any remaining apples into small wedges and scatter them Return the pan to the stove, cook the apple mixture, undisturbed, until the apples are softened and the caramel is starting to ›

The very moment it looks dark enough, remove the pan from the heat and gently

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thicken. This will take about 15 minutes. Then take the pan off the heat source and let the ingredients cool off a bit. NB. (If you do not have an oven proof frying pan now is the time to transfer the ingredients into your pie dish). In the mean time sprinkle some flour over your work surface and roll the chilled pastry out with your rolling pin into a nice big round, about 1 or 2 inches bigger than the size of the pan or dish you are using. Carefully place the puff pastry onto the apples. Gently tuck the pastry down around the edges of the apples. With a small knife, cut four 25mm (1-in) slits in the center of the dough to release steam during baking. Place the pan or dish in the lower part of your oven and let it bake for about 25 minutes or until the pastry is puffed and golden brown and the caramel is bubbling around the edges. After removing the tart from the oven, let the tart rest for 15 minutes. Place a large flat platter on top of the tart and hold the pan and platter firmly together while carefully flipping the pan over. Lift off the pan, releasing the tart on the platter. Cut into wedges and serve with crème fresh or a generous scoop of your favorite flavored ice cream. Enjoy!

Accompanying Wine Suggestions. The menus I have described above have a wonderful variety of ﬂavors, some subtle, some complex and to compliment these delightful tastes I have selected, what I feel, are appropriate wines to enhance these ﬂavors even more. These are, of course, just my suggestions so feel free to choose your own particular favorites as well.

blends of Sémillion and Sauvignon Blanc. From Sémillion comes richness, body and depth and from Sauvignon Blanc comes acidity and a fresh snap of ﬂavor. These characteristics are terriﬁc to match and handle the multiple tastes and textures in our appetizer. The creamy texture of the goat’s cheese and the meaty bite of the Portobello mushroom will be emphasized by the richness of wine. The slight acidity of the balsamic vinaigrette and the earthiness of the herbs and broccoli will be echoed in a wine with a herbal aroma. The best sub appellation of Graves on the wine label to look out for is Pessac-Léogan, which produces the best white Graves.

and Cabernet Franc. The wine`s herbal flavors, which is granted by a hint of the Cabernet-Franc`s herbal character, will flatter the thyme. The supple tannins of the Merlot will not overpower the delicate rabbit meat and the soft-textured fruit flavors in the wine will enhance the savory plums in the dish. Merlot is typically extremely accessible and is a great choice when to offer at a dinner party, especially when hosting a group of people with potentially different preferences.

The château to look out for: Château La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc, Pessac Léogan. (Formerly named château Laville Haut-Brion)

• Our Dessert

• Our Starter

• Our Main Course

A delicious match would be a rich white wine from the area Graves, which is an area South of Bordeaux. Classically, all white Graves are

A wonderful match would be a silky smooth red Merlot-based Bordeaux wine, made near the sub-region St.-Emillion. Grape varieties used in this region are mainly blends of Merlot

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The château to look out for: Château La Tour Figeac, St. Émilion Grand Cru.

An Apple-kissed French Sauternes or Barsac, from the Bordeaux region Graves and also made mostly with Sémillion, is a classic partner for this quintessential French dessert. The château to look out for:

Château d’Yquem, Sauternes, Premier Grand Cru.

Hunting Packages / September - February 2012

travel

Romania Thrush Hunt

PACKAGE INCLUDES:

• Board and lodging 4 night accomodation (3 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 2011 to February 2012. • Reservations must be done 1 month before, with our acknowledgment. • Additional hunting day 500 Euros

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

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

hunter's lounge

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Along the waters of Bordeauxâ&#x20AC;? Bordeaux classifications in the spotlight by Corinne Pruis-Hary

As I have matched the menus in, Cook Your Hunt, with French wines from the Bordeaux region, I thought it would be a good idea to have a closer look at this region in this edition of Hunters Lounge. 160

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Have you ever been in the situation where you are in a wine shop or restaurant, attempting to pick out a good French wine, but you are simply overwhelmed by the selection and you find yourself staring at French names with a blank look? If you have, you are definitely not the only one. Fact of the matter is, that French wines can be very complicated, figuratively and literally speaking. It would be a hard task for me to delve into all of the wine regions of France in one go, so we will start with Bordeaux and I will try to keep it as condensed as possible.

AOC Bordeaux’s wine definitely brings prestige to mind, because the wine region is very well established and has so much history and experience. Bordeaux is one big region, with an even bigger reputation and is sub divided into many smaller regions, where you can find a lot of different types and qualities of wine. As what happens in most of the classic wine regions in France, the government controls how wine should be made according to special laws, which involve strict rules and regulations. These rules are codified in the, Appellation d’Origine Contrôllée, system (the AOC), which is a French certification granted to certain French geographical indications for wines, cheeses, butters and other agricultural products. In a nutshell, the AOC determines which vineyard the grapes of the wine should be grown, which grape varieties should be used and what name the wine should carry. The French wine laws go very much into detail, but I will not go into that at this stage.

“Terroir” For most French wines it works a bit differently compared to what we have gotten used to over the years. Most of the wines made by the new world wine producing countries such as Australia, South-Africa, Argentina and so forth, mention the grape varieties used on the bottles label and it is up to you to decide whether you do or do not like that particular grape or blend. But instead

of doing this, most of the high end French wine makers generally label their bottles with the geographical location of their vineyard or the name of their château. The French have a beautiful word for this: “terroir” and this is the foundation of French wine. “Terroir “ means the complete natural environment in which a wine is produced including the topography, the soil and the weather conditions which all play a significant role in every specific location and vineyard, these influences show through the grapes and eventually enhances the personality of the wine produced.

Along the water’s edge With a little bit of background information in mind let’s consider Bordeaux`s terroir. The name Bordeaux is derived from “au bord de l’eau”, which means along the edge of the water. The wine region is located in the South-West of France, at the Atlantic coast. The Gironde estuary dominates the regions along with its tributaries, the Garonne and the Dordogne rivers, and together irrigate the land and provide the region with a maritime climate. The soil of Bordeaux is mainly gravel, sandy stone and clay, but the Bordeaux’s best vineyards are located along the well drained gravelly soils, which can be found near the Gironde River. In addition to this, the South

and West region of Bordeaux are edged by pine forests, which help to shield the region against extreme weather. These factors make Bordeaux`s terroir an excellent environment for growing vines and is therefore a major contributor to the success of Bordeaux`s wine making.

The 1855 Bordeaux Classifications The Bordeaux classifications started in 1855, after Napoleon the III asked Bordeaux`s top châteaux owners to rate their wines from best to worst for the Paris Exhibition. The château owners were horrified, because this could only turn neighbors into enemies. Eventually the Bordeaux chamber of Commerce ranked the wines according to a château's reputation and trading price, which at that time was directly related to quality. As a classification of châteaux, the actual vineyards owned by some wineries have expanded, shrunk and been divided without any reclassification, and considerable plots of valued terroir have changed ownership. Many wine critics have argued that the Classification became outdated and does not provide an accurate guide to the quality of the wines being made on each estate. Several proposals have been made for changes to the classification without ›

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hunter's lounge

The Bordeaux Regions As mentioned before, Bordeaux is divided in multiple smaller sub regions and I will highlight the most important ones for you. Generally speaking the more speciﬁed the geographical information on the wine label of which small appellation the wine comes from, the ﬁner the wine. On the other hand, a label which states only Bordeaux and nothing else usually is a more basic wine.

The Médoc

any success. Most château owners will have to live with the 1855 Classification as it stands, with only one exception. In 1973 Baron Philippe de Rothschild`s persistence paid off, he successfully changed the classification of his château and was elevated to first-growth status. The official 1855 Bordeaux classification includes the following first-growths – Premier Crus: • Château Haut-Brion, Pessac - Léogan (Graves) • Château Lafi te-Rothschild, Pauillac • Château Latour, Pauillac

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h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

• Château Margaux, Margaux • Château Mouton Rothschild, Pauillac The First Growth mentioned above originate from speciﬁc terroirs, which are considered the best in Bordeaux. No expense has been spared in the making of these wines, this is also true for the Second Growth, also called “the Super Seconds”. If you would like to see the complete list of rankings and learn more about wine, I recommend you to read one of the most informative books on wine I have ever come across and which I have used as a reference: “The Wine Bible” by Karen MacNeil.

This region is situated north of the city of Bordeaux and is made up of two smaller appellations; Médoc and Haut-Médoc. In Haut Médoc you will find the famous villages of Margaux, St-Julien, Pauillac and St.-Estèphe. All of these are located along the gravelly edge of the Gironde River, because they have the best terroir. Almost all Médoc`s wines are red, the most dominant grape in this region is Cabernet Sauvignon followed by Merlot. Médoc is the first region classified by the official Bordeaux classification and therefore the most famous. As I mentioned above, this region is structured according to the wine estate or château, not the region. Categorization is as follows; Premier Cru (First Growth), Deuxième Cru (Second Growth) up until Cinquième Cru (Fifth Growth). Thus the word Cru in French is to indicate a wine estate, so a wine with the classification of Premier Cru, means that is a wine estate of the top rank.

Graves Famous for its gravelly soil, hence the name, Graves is the only part of Bordeaux where both red and white wines are made by most châteaux. Graves includes the sub appellation Pessac-Léogan and many of the best wines, both red and white, come from this region. Red wines are generally considered to be more robust than those of Médoc, and are made using a majority of Cabernet Sauvignon, with smaller amounts of Merlot

and Cabernet Franc. The dry white wines are a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. The classifications of the Graves wines are a bit more straight forward, they do not have a hierarchical order established and so all the wines which are considered best in this area belong to the appellation of Pessac-Léogan. The most famous Château is; Château Haut – Brion, which we already have seen in the Bordeaux classification. Other good Graves have been classified in 1959; sixteen chateaus were classified as Crus Classés.

Sauternes and Barsac Located in the south-east corner of the Graves region, I highlighted it separately, because these are French sweet wine producing communes. Sauternes is made from Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadelle grapes that have been affected by Botrytis cinerea, also known as, noble rot. This causes the grapes to become partially raisiny, resulting in concentrated and distinctively flavored wines.The châteaux of Sauternes and Barsac were also part of the 1855 Bordeaux classification, but since there was only one best château (Château d`Yuem), another ranking above the Premier Cru was created. This ranking is called; Premier Cru Supérieur Classé (First Great Classified Growth), the rankings following this are the same as Médoc, but because of this extra ranking the second best estate is called Premier Cu and the 3rd best Deuxième Cru and so forth.

Saint-Emillion In 1955 the wines of Saint-Émilion were classified. Unlike the official 1855 Bordeaux Classification, which covers the Medoc and Graves regions, the St.-Émilion list is updated every 10 years or so. The primary grape varieties used in this region are the Merlot and Cabernet Franc, with relatively small amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon also being used by some chateaux. St.-Emillion uses three quality levels; • 1st ranking: Premier Grand Cru Classé

(First Great Classified Growth) • 2nd ranking: Grand Cru Classé (Great Classified Growth) • 3rd ranking: Grand Cru (Great Growth) The top level, Premier Grand Cru Classé, is further divided into group A and group B. Château Ausone and Château Cheval Blanc are the only two wines currently classified as Premiers Grands Crus classes A (First Great Growths category A). There are then 13 Premiers Grands Crus classés B and 53 grands

Crus classés. The St.-Emillions Premier Grand Cru Classé Cheval Blanc is considered among the most prestigious wines produced in Bordeaux. This superior wine uses the highest percentage of Cabernet Franc compared to any other wines produced by well known Bordeaux estates, almost 70 percent is Cabernet Franc and the remaining percentage is Merlot.

Pomerol There is no official classification applied to Pomerol. However some Pomerol wines, notably Château Pétrus and Château Le Pin, are often considered as being equivalent to the first growths of the 1855 classification, and often sell for even higher prices. The predominant grape variety in the Pomerol region is Merlot, often blended with Cabernet Franc and smaller quantities of Cabernet Sauvignon.

Bordeaux Cru Bourgeois The Cru Bourgeois classification lists over 200 high quality wines from the Left Bank Bordeaux wine regions that were not included in the 1855 Bordeaux Classification .The classification used to be divided into three tiers, but following several legal turns, the 2003 Cru Bourgeois classification was annulled by the French government in 2007, resulting in a ban of all use of the term. In 2010, a significantly modified version of the Cru Bourgeois was reintroduced, consisting only of a single tier; Cru Bourgeois. As you might have concluded already, many great Bordeaux wines were not part of any classification. To give you an example; Château Petrus, one of the most expensive Bordeaux, is never classified because it is a Pomerol. I couldn`t imagine anyone coming home and saying; “honey, I really crave a Grand Cru Classé with my rabbit and Prunes”. Rankings and classifications in wine can be a helpful guideline to quality, but at the end of the day a glass of wine should be enjoyable and depends on your personal taste. I hope you feel more confident in this region and will treat your taste buds to a glass of Bordeaux wine.

“À votre santé”, cheers! CPH

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classified

Welcome to

MUSHRIF EQUESTRIAN & POLO CLUB

Fishing in Dubai How amazing would it be to be in the midst of deep sea and spend relaxed time fishing with your family and/or friends? Deep sea fishing in Dubai is one of the most sought after activities, especially due to the contribution of some compelling reasons. The beauty and cleanliness of the waters in the country as also the distinction of being the biggest salfish destination in the world makes Dubai Fishing an activity which is relished by people from all parts of the world. With Xclusive Yachts, fishing in Dubai can become all the more pleasurable. Some of its world class yachts combined with the professional services blend together to make for one of the best fishing trips in Dubai that you would had in years. Have this fishing trip Dubai and experience fishing like never before with your kids, family, friends and everyone you care for.

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www.cabelas.com Get Your Walleye Gear Ear 164

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DESERT RIDING AT MEC

Come horse riding at Mushrif Equestrian Club! Great horses and a huge desert park to ride in – what more could you want? All levels and ages of rider are catered for, with three arenas for lessons, jumping and dressage, while the varied and scenic terrain of 1300 acres of natural parkland offers fantastic rides out. Feel free to write in with any comments, questions or feedback. We love to hear from you! Mushrif EC is situated in Mushrif Park, on the Al Khawaneej road, a few minutes’ drive from Mirdiff.

The Region’s First Hunting & Safari Magazine - GULF

The Region’s First Hunting & Safari Magazine

Romanian Rendezvous Wing Shooting Safari

The Region’s The Region’s First Hunting First Hunting & Safari&Magazine Safari Magazine - GULF

Interview with

Roland Baptiste

Master Engraver

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by Finland’s Finest 90 Years of Accuracy

Sako

Reg Bates

Nottingham Activity Centre

Browning

9 Pro Tips

X-Bolt

Stainless Stalker Review

for Planning a Hunting Trip

Bear Archery

Anarchy Bow Review Outdoor Adventure

African Antelope The Big Five

Intriguing Uganda

USD 6 / DHS 25 / RS 30 / JOD 5

The New Zeiss Conquest HD BHD 3 / QAR 25 / KD 2.5 / EGP 50 BHD 3 / QAR 25 / KD 2.5 / EGP 50

Binoculars are the best in their class

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USD 6 / DHS 25 / RS 30 / JOD 5

Elaine Coetzee

Outdoor Adventure

An interview with a Passionate & Proffesional Lady Hunter

Anarchy Bow Review

Bear Archery

The Legend is Back

The New Browning A5

Stainless Stalker Review

for Planning a Hunting Trip

9 Pro Tips

X-Bolt

Browning

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The Big Five

Nottingham Activity Centre

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Lady Hunter Passionate & Proffesional An interview with a

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in their class Binoculars are the best

Conquest HD The New Zeiss

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Company

Telephone

Address

Company

Telephone

Brescia s.a.r.l

04 - 541844 / 5

Dbayeh, near St. Rita School

SA&S

04 - 977559 / 03 - 138303

Adma,10 Street, Zone Verte

Address Bhaness

The Region’s The Region’s First Hunting First Hunting & Safari&Magazine Safari Magazine - GULF

Brescia s.a.r.l

09 - 636896 / 7

Jounieh, Highway

Safra Shooting Club

Alie 03 - 238673 03 - 321134

CAZADOR

06 - 667960

Zgharta, Kfarhatta,Highway

Samaha Trdg

03 - 433553

Jal El Dib

Chasse Proff

03 - 961129

Ashkout, Rond Point

Sawan Est. For General Trade

06 - 662023 / 03 - 675121

Zgharta Elhakaba, Anita Center

Decorland

09 - 643254

Jounieh, Highway

Sellier Bellier Spring Hills

01 - 695242 / 3

Mar Roukz Spring Hills

Discovery

09 - 910626

Jounieh, Fouad chehab

Sisa Est.

76 - 050516 / 03 - 298793

Aley, Bkhistei Road

Ets. Edward Debs

01 - 448509

Achraﬁeh, Mar Mikhayel

Sports Experts

09 - 223555

Jounieh, Autostrad

Ets. Ibrahim Daher

03 - 357799

Saida Riad el Solh

Sports Experts

09 - 951555

Kfarzebyen

Ets. Kashami

04 - 982832 / 03 - 322832

Bikfaya

Tech Sport

09 - 220198 / 03 - 307061

Zouk, Kaslik

Ets. Roger Salibi

03 - 427050

Beit Al Cheaar, ElMokhtar Street

Tiro Raymond Abi Nader

01 - 487825

Jisr El Bacha

Ets. Tordo

06 - 669456 / 03 - 302365

Zgharta, center youssef aziz, rondpoint elkaser

Tony Wazen Shooting Club

03 - 818338

Ghedress, Elhssein

Fadi Baaklini

03 - 217963

Dhour Choueir

Yassine Middle East Co.

06 - 442819

Tripolie, Fouad Chehab Street

Gass Trandy Cut

09 - 216671

Adonis,Center 11,10, 3rd ﬂoor

Hunter Store Breda

03 - 480485

Hady Nasrallah Street, Facing Station Rammal

Hunters Store

05 - 532333 / 71 - 355855

Hammana, after rond point

Dubai Polo & Equestrian Club

+971 4 361 8111

From Al Qudra Road, Near to Studio City

Istirahet el Sayad

03 - 310953 / 71 - 881835

Bikaa Mreijet Jebel Ali Shooting Club

+971 4 883 6555

Jebel Ali - Dubai

Kheirat El Tabiaa

03 - 807984

Aley Industrial Area Road

Lost & Found

04 - 960497

Broumana, Chahine Al Achckar Street

050 -172 3374

Mercantile

01 - 653082

Barbir

SR #4, Sheikh Omar Almajid Building, Marrakesh Street, Um Al Ramoul Industrial Area, Opposite Festival City, Dubai

MERLO

71 - 776626

Maghdoucheh

Mezher GRP

01 - 890190

Zalka, Saidet El Najat Street

Wild X

+971 4 285 2200

MIRA

08 - 540236

Chtoura Main Road

Momammed Elattar, GM, Wild X, SR #4, Sheikh Omar Almajid Building, Marrakesh Street, Um Al Ramoul Industrial Area, Opposite Festival City, Dubai

MIRA

09 - 222457

Kaslik near Espace 2000

Golf & Shooting Club Sharjah

+971 6 548 7777

Emirates Road - Sharjah

Mirage Ramia & Bros

03 - 738172

Chtoura Main Road

MP3 Ofﬁce

+971 2 667 9798

Al Buteen Area Beside the Central Bank The six towers C5 – Flat 301

Mounir Skaff & Sons

08 - 930791 / 03 - 222693

Zahle, Industrial Area

Hypermarket Abu Dhabi

Nazarian

01 - 269671

Dora

+971 2 633 1177 Mob. 050 641 2536

4/F, Same Building with Al Raha Hospital, Najda Street, Abu Dhabi

OMATRA

01 - 684990 EXT 249

Mkaless

Sheraton Jumeirah Beach Residence

+971 4 399 5533

Al Sufouh Road - Dubai

Rimaya

71 - 579122

Shoueifat, Center Mocharaﬁyye Near Tivoli

Picnico

+971 4 394 1653

Jumeirah Beach Road 3, Eppco Building

Oasis Tours

things to know

CIC Trophy Scoring Hunting Trophy Rating

Central Europe has a long history of trophy hunting, and the need to measure and compare trophies led to the creation of the CIC scoring system. With each animal having a unique measurement system to be marketed against the CIC scores. CIC stands for Conseil International de la Chasse et de la Conservation du Gibier. Trophies are markets on their speciďŹ c measurements, and appearance of beauty of blemishes, strength of colour, and antler symmetry. The best of these trophies are often displayed at national exhibitions and presented with medals, Gold, Silver and Bronze.

See full measurement guide below Game

Trophy

Bronze Medal

Silver Medal

Gold Medal

Red Deer

Antlers

170.00 - 189.99

190.00 - 209.99

210.00+

Sika Deer

Antlers

225.00 - 239.99

240.00 - 254.99

255.00+

Fellow Deer

Antlers

160.00 - 169.99

170.00 - 179.99

180.00+

Roe Deer

Antlers

105.00 - 114.99

115.00 - 129.99

130.00+

Chamois

Horns

100.00 - 104.99

105.00 - 109.99

110.00+

MouďŹ&#x201A;on

Horns

185.00 - 194.99

195.00 - 204.99

205.00+

Wild Boar

Tusks

110.00 - 114.99

115.00 - 119.99

120.00+

Bear

Skull

51.00 - 52.99

53.00 - 54.99

55.00+

Bear

Coat

250.00 - 274.99

275.00 - 299.99

300.00+

Wolf

Skull

37.00 - 38.99

39.00 - 40.99

41.00+

Wolf

Coat

100.00 - 109.99

110.00 - 119.99

120.00+

Fox

Skull

24.00 - 24.49

24.50 - 24.99

25.00+

www.africanhuntingshow.com 166

h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

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things to know

International Show Dates 05 - 08 January 2012

27 - 29 January 2012

02 - 04 March 2012

Dallas Safaris Club Convention Market Hall, Dallas, Texas, USA www.biggame.org

Great Rockies Sportshow - Hunting, Fishing Camping & Outdoors, Kalispel(Flathead Valley) www.greatrockiesshow.com

FICAAR, International Hunting & Weapons Fair Madrid, Spain www.ﬁcaar.com

05 - 08 January 2012

31 January - 5 February 2012

01 - 03 March 2012

International Sportsmen’s Exposition Colorado Convention Center, Denver, Colorado- USA www.sportsexpos.com

Jagd & Hund Dortmund, Germany www.jagdundhund.de

Venatoria, Convention Centre, Madrid, Spain www.venatoria.com.es

13 - 14 January 2012

01 - 04 February 2012

28 Feb - 03 March 2012

African Hunting Show Atlanta, Georgia, USA www.africanhuntingshow.com Contact: Tanya@thefuture.co.za

Safari Club International Mandalay Bay Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA www.safariclub.org

Rockies Mountain Elk Foundation, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA www.emef.org

13 - 15 January 2012

02 - 04 February 2012

09 - 12 March 2012

Houston Safari Club - Worldwide Hunting Expo, Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel www.houstonsafariclub.org

International Sportsmen’s Exposition (Phoenix) Las Vegas Conv Centre, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA www.sportexpos.com

IWA (International Trade Fair for Hunting & Sporting Arms), Fairground, Nuremberg, Germany, www.iwa.info/en/

13 - 15 January 2012

09 - 12 February 2012

15 - 18 March 2012

Great Rockies Sportshow - Hunting, Fishing Camping & Outdoors, Colorado Springs www.greatrockiesshow.com

Western Hunting & Conservation Expo (Mule Deer Foundation, Sportsmen for Fish & Wildlife). Salt Lake City, www.huntexpo.com

International Sportsmen’s Exposition (Salt Lake City), So. Towne Exhibit Center, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, www.sportsexpos.com

17 - 20 January 2012

3 - 5 February 2012

23 - 25 March 2012

SHOT Show Sands Expo & Convention Centre Las Vegas, USA www.shotshow.org

Great Rockies Sportshow - Hunting, Fishing Camping & Outdoors, Great Falls, Montana www.greatrockiesshow.com

Reiten-Jagen-Fischen Fairgrounds, Erfurt, Germany www.reiten-jagen-ﬁschen.de

19 - 21 January 2012

06 - 19 February 2012

30 March – 01 April 2012

Wild Sheep Foundation, Reno-Sparks Convention Centre, Reno, Nevada www.wildsheepfoundation.org

FeHoVa, Hunting and Fishing Exhibition, Hungexpo Budapest Fair Centre www.fehova.hu

Waffen-Sammlerbörse Luzern Exhibition Ground, Luzern, Switzerland www.fachmessen.ch

19 - 23 January 2012

04 - 12 February 2012

13 - 14 April 2012

International Sportsmen’s Exposition Cal-Expo, Sacramento, California, USA www.sportsexpos.com

Eastern Sports & Outdoor Show Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA www.easternsportshow.com

NRA, Annual meetings & Exhibits Pittsburgh, PA www.nraam.org

20 - 22 January 2012

22 - 25 February 2012

05 - 08 September 2012

Great Rockies Sportshow- Hunting, Fishing Camping & Outdoors, Billings, Montana www.greatrockiesshow.com

Grand Slam Club / Ovis: Annual Hunter & Outﬁ tter Convention, Las Vegas, NV www.wildsheep.org

Abu Dhabi International Hunting & Equestrian Exhibition, Abu Dhabi International Exhibition Centre, www.adihex.com/english

20 - 21 January 2012

23 - 26 February 2012

Dates to be Advised

African Hunting Show, Toronto, ON, Canada www.africanhuntingshow.com Contact: birgit@africanhuntinggazette.co.za

Hohe Jagd & Fischerei Messezentrum, Salzburg, Austria www.hohejagd.at/en

SAFARI EXPO. Crocus Expo International Expo Centre, Moscow. www.safariexpo.ru

26 - 28 January 2012

20 - 25 February 2012

06 - 09 December 2012

The African Sporting Exposition Charlotte, North Carolina, USA www.inyathiproductions.com/african-sports-expo

SAFARI EXPO: Crocus Expo International Expo Centre, Moscow, Russia www.safariexpo.ru

Pferd & Jagd Fairgrounds, Hannover, Germany www.heckmanngmbh.de

Dates to be advised

23 - 26 February 2012

America’s Outdoor Fishing & Hunting Show Donald E. Stephens Conv Centre, Rosemont, Illinois, USA, www.americasoutdoorshow.com

International Sportsmen’s Exposition, Arizona Cnty., Fairgrounds, Phoenix, Arizona, USA www.sportexpos.com

27 - 28 January 2012

24 - 26 January 2012

African Hunting Show, Galgary, AB, Canada www.africanhuntingshow.com Contact: birgit@africanhuntinggazette.co.za

Great Rockies Sportshow - Hunting, Fishing Camping & Outdoors Bozeman, Montana www.greatrockiesshow.com

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h&s Issue 09 l May 2012

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 Website: www.huntingandsafaris.com

IBC