African Expedition Magazine Volume 2 Issue 6

Reading Vultures

Understanding the icons of death

SHOT SHOW 2010 Media Day at the Range

DĂŠjĂ Vu in Zimbabwe Hunting problem elephant

IWA 2010 report Rookie Writers

Hunting with a San Bushman Terminal Medicine The Cure for the Secondhand Life

Make a Plan

Pump a tubeless tyre

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Published by Safari Media Africa Editors

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Editor: Alan Bunn editorusa@africanxmag.com Associate editor: Galen Geer ggeer@africanxmag.com

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Editor: Hans Jochen Wild editoreurope@africanxmag.com

Africa

Editor: Mitch Mitchell editorafrica@africanxmag.com

Financial Thea Mitchell Layout & Design Xtasis Media and Digital Wind Contributors & Photographers A. Bunn, C. Cheney, D. Edgcumbe, G. Geer, L. Grizzaffi (Reloading), Dr. K. Hugo (Medical) D. Hulme, C. Mitchell, Dr. G. Swart (Medical) Advertising and Marketing South Africa: T. Mitchell adssa@africanxmag.com Phone +27 13-7125246 Fax 0866104466 USA: Alan Bunn adsusa@africanxmag.com (706) 2762608 African Expedition Magazine is an independent bimonthly publication promoting fair, sustainable hunting, a protected environment and adventure sports in Africa.

The African Expedition Magazine is published

by Safari Media Africa

Disclaimer While all precautions have been taken to ensure the accuracy of advice and information provided, the Proprietor, Publisher, Editor, or Writers cannot accept responsibility for any damages, inconvenience or injury whatsoever that may result from incorrect information. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher or its agents. African Expedition Magazine assumes no responsibility to return graphics unsolicited editorial, or other material. All rights in unsolicited editorial, letters, emails, graphics and other material will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication and copyright purposes and material will be subject to African Expedition Magazine’s unrestricted right to edit and editorial comment. All material and/or editorial in African Expedition is the property of African Expedition and/or the various contributors. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the prior written consent of the Publisher.

contents 4 | AFRICAN EXPEDITION MAGAZINE MAY 2010

9 Reading Vultures

Understanding the icons of death

26 SHOT SHOW 2010

Media Day at the Range

48 Déjà Vu in Zimbabwe Hunting problem elephant

60 IWA 2010 report 66 Rookie Writers

Hunting with a San Bushman Terminal Medicine The Cure for the Secondhand Life

94 News, Reviews, and Press Releases

114 Make a Plan

Pump a tubeless tyre

119 True North

All Men Die; Few Men Ever Really LIVE

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Reading

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Vultures Understanding the icons of death

Cleve Cheney

V

ultures, by any stretch of the imagination, cannot be regarded as good looking creatures - but they do play a vital role in the greater scheme of things by removing carcasses from the veld.

They can be helpful to hunters, trackers, rangers, guides and other field staff by indicating the presence of dead animals. But vultures have much more to offer if we know something about them.

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Many people who have not been afforded enough the ground or surrounding vegetation if there are still practical exposure to the bush but have watched large predators feeding. If you see vultures circling movies and the square box believe that seeing on thermals the only thing it tells you is that they are vultures circling in the sky is a sure indication that looking for food – not that they have found somesomething thing. is dead or If they do Vultures are a very important part of the ecosystem dying. This spot a poand help to remove carcasses from the veld. is not always tential meal the case. We they waste can glean a no time side lot of inforslipping and mation from dropping vultures but as quickly to do so we from the sky must learn as they can something with legs about these extended huge birds and braced and their for a hard behaviour. landing.

Vultures are If, as a scavengers vulture you that feed snooze by on carrion. hanging They eat around in dead people the sky too and dead animals. Because they are large heavy birds they fly best when there are warm thermals to carry them aloft. Once at A lone vulture roosting in cruising altitude they can hang suspended on warm a tree just after sunrise air currents with a minimum of effort and cover vast waiting for warm therdistances in a day in search of food. mals to build up.

Because air is cool or even cold in the early morning or on overcast days vultures will be grounded or “treed” to use a better term and can be found in the uppermost dry branches of large trees patiently waiting for the sun to warm the air which will carry them aloft later on in the day. They can fly if they have to but they are reluctant to do so because of the effort required. Later in the day when thermals start rising they take effortlessly to the sky with a handful of powerful wing beats.

To understand vulture behaviour we must come to terms with the fact that vultures are opportunistic feeders that feed in a very competitive environment.

Observe vultures on a kill. The competition is fierce with pecks and wing slaps being freely dealt out to both species of the same kind as well as other competitors. The bottom line is this. When vultures spot a carcass from a height (they have exceptionally good eyesight) they waste no time getting down onto 10 | AFRICAN EXPEDITION MAGAZINE MAY 2010

As soon as food is spotted, vultures waste no time in descending to the ground..

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long when there is a meal to be had, you lose.

The next bit of useful information is to be aware of the fact that there is a feeding hierarchy at a carcass.

Some of the vulture species that compete at a carcass. Not shown is the Cape griffon which is very similar to Get the white backed and sometimes our RSSvulture feed difficult to tell apart.

A white backed CLICK HERE vulture (1), lappet faced vulture (2), white faced vulture (3) and hooded vulture (4) are shown.

the pile – perhaps on a par with the long legged Marabou storks.

The lappet faced vulture is aggressive and opens a carcass with its large beak. This vulture and the long legged Marabou stork are dominant around a carcass followed closely by white backed vultures and Cape griffon. A timid hooded vulture can be seen hanging around on the periphery behind the stork.

They are followed a close second by white backed vultures who are also usually the largest in number on a carcass and the less common Cape griffon. White faced vultures are third in line with hooded vultures, eagles and smaller raptors such as kites on the lower orders of rank.

As far as birds go there are about eight or nine species that compete for a potential meal.

Of the vultures the Cape griffon (earlier known as the Cape vulture), the white backed vulture, lappet faced vulture, white faced vulture and hooded vulture are the main contenders. Giving them some competiWhite backed vulture tion are Marabou storks, tawny and bataleur eagles.

Tawny and Bateleur eagles are often the first on the scene and will feed on the eyes and tongue of the dead animal.

The small hooded vultures will also try and get in a White faced vulture quick bite on soft parts before the large vultures such as the lappet face, white backed, white faced (quite rare in South Africa) and Cape griffon arrive on the scene to dominate the carcass. The eagles and hooded vultures have small beaks which cannot open a carcass and they are intimidated by the heavyweights when they arrive and fly off or hang around on the periphery to forage for scraps when the feeding frenzy commences. The large red faced lappet vultures with their powerful beaks are top of 14 | AFRICAN EXPEDITION MAGAZINE MAY 2010

Lappet faced vulture

The lappet faced and white backed vultures assisted by Cape griffon all possess powerful beaks with which they open up the carcass of even thick skinned species such as buffalo.

This is when the fun begins as all the main contenders Hooded vulture battle for the internal organs such as heart, liver, lungs, spleen, kidneys, stomach and intestines.

Once this has been devoured they will turn their attention to the fleshy muscles of the shoulders, rump and thighs. Occasionally some scraps or shreds of flesh may fly beyond the core feeding area and the hooded vultures will quickly dart in to eat the morsel before once again moving out of range of the larger species.

Predator feeding on carcass

The perching locations of hooded vultures will give a good indication of where the carcass is lying.

Small hooded vultures (orange arrows) perch low on vegetation whilst larger vultures (blue arrows) perch higher up and further away

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The lappet-faced vulture

Marabou stork 16 | AFRICAN EXPEDITION MAGAZINE MAY 2010

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CLICK HERE

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If, as a ranger, hunter or guide you see vultures peeling quickly out of the sky you can be pretty sure that there is a dead animal in the vicinity.

If you approach the area where the kill is located and see a lot of vultures sitting in trees the chances are pretty good that there are large predators still feeding on the carcass. Be forewarned. Lion, leopard, and hyaena are intolerant of vultures and will chase them off until they themselves have had their fill to eat.

Vultures and Marabou storks will then patiently wait perched on surrounding vegetation until the predators move off and will quickly descend when their turn arrives to feed.

Because the smaller hooded vultures have to nip in first to get at the tongue and eyes they will usually sit in lower branches close to the carcass. This can give an observer a good indication (especially in thick bush) as to where the carcass is lying. The larger vultures perch up higher and often quite a dis-

tance from the carcass. There is generally quite a lot of noise when vultures are feeding on a dead animal and the clucking, screeching, hissing and squawking of competing vultures can be heard a long way off under certain conditions.

The perching locations of hooded vultures will give a good indication of where the carcass is lying.

Small hooded vultures (orange arrows) perch low on vegetation whilst larger vultures (blue arrows) perch higher up and further away.

If vultures suddenly flush up from the ground or move away from the carcass it is generally an indication that a large predator has arrived on the scene and is chasing the vultures off the kill.

Vultures will feed on a carcass until just before sundown and will then roost in trees for the night.

Reading vulture behaviour can therefore be useful to hunters, guides and ranges.

Cleve Cheney holds a bachelor of science degree in zoology and a master’s degree in animal physiology.

He is a wilderness trail leader, rated field guide instructor and the author of many leading articles on the subjects of tracking, guiding, bowhunting and survival. Cleve has unrivalled experience in wildlife management, game capture and hunting, both with bow and rifle.

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CLICK HERE MAY 2010 AFRICAN EXPEDITION MAGAZINE | 23

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Photo: Kobus Hugo MAY 2010 AFRICAN EXPEDITION MAGAZINE | 25

SHOT SHOW

2010

Media Day at the Range 26 | AFRICAN EXPEDITION MAGAZINE MAY 2010

F

or every lover of the outdoors and aficionado of the shooting sports world, there is one event that is the high point for the year. Every year Americans and visitors from all over the world are treated to four days of handling, gawking over, and falling in love with one of the largest selection of sporting and shooting items ever assembled in one location. The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) holds its convention and exhibits, internationally known as the SHOT Show, early in the month of January. This event has for several years rotated between Orlando, Florida and Las Vegas, Nevada.

This year, the event was held in the magic city of Las Vegas. Along with the main show there is a somewhat lesser known event that takes place the day prior to the opening of the SHOT Show. This event is titled Media Day At the Range. Attendance at this event is by invitation only, and is only open to members of the press, and especially to shooting writers and members of the Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA).

This day is probably the best opportunity for writers to have hands-on experience and function tests of most of the new firearms and ammunition being offered to the shooters in the coming year. The event is so large that it was necessary to locate it at three different shooting ranges located around the Las Vegas area. All most everyone who is a leader in the manufacture of firearms and ammunition is represented on the shooting range this day, and is there for the sole purpose of showing off their products. No show room sales men are there to sell their products, the writers and media people would tear them apart in short order. The factory sends their first line of technical staff to answer questions, and to be there when their firearms and ammunition are put to real field tests by a group of demanding and unmerciful critics. Over 42 manufactures attended and participated in the event, and over 460 members of the media were there in an effort to overwhelm the factory boys with questions and suggestions.

Winchester Firearms and Ammunition, along with Smith and Wesson, had their invitational event at two separate gun clubs on the outskirts of Las Vegas.

Bass Pro Shop and POMA put the larger event together. This grand event was held at the Boulder City Gun Club, located a few miles outside of the City of Boulder and about 40 miles south of Las Vegas. The club range was closed for the day to the general pub-

lic, in order to facilitate the needs of exhibitors who supported this event by their attendance. The club facilities are large enough to offer 15 or more separate shooting bays for the exhibitors, who all wanted this chance to have their products handled and fired by members of the press.

Shooting sites ranged from 15 yards for general familiarization at police combat ranges, up to 800 yards for long-range shootings and sniper training, plus a large number of shotgun positions. All this was necessary to accommodate the attending writers looking forward to a day of shooting the latest in firearms, and trying out some of the new ammunition being offered by the manufactures. As a writer, you cannot afford to purchase every new shotgun that is being offered on the market, and current governmental transfer policies make it difficult, if not impossible, to even get your hands on the new models for testing and hands-on evaluation. Therefore, this is a great opportunity for most writers to see and handle the new firearms that are available, and collect first hand information which we can pass on to our readers.

Again, not only is this a great day for the industry to show off its products in the field, but also, what shooter in his right mind, considering today’s costs, would turn down the opportunity to test fire all these guns with the manufacturers supplying the ammunition?

This year the exhibitors and members of the press not only had the challenge of facing each other, but also had to put up with some pretty uncomfortable weather conditions. . The weather for the day’s event was what I considered to be “typical hunting weather” . It started out cold and wet and then was upgraded to cold, wet, and windy. This seems to be the conditions I always encounter when I go out into the field.

Nevada is an area, which you usually equate with clear skies and hot sun, so this was as the locals expressed it, “Unusual Weather”. However, the weather did not hold back the spirit of the day, and this writer used the opportunity to see and fire as many of the firearms as were available, and believe me there was a lot of shooting going on!

Those writers interested in the field of law enforcement were treated to displays of vehicles, pyrotechnic devises, and the latest of semiautomatic and full auto rifles, pistols, and shotguns. These demo bays were separated from the regular areas by quite some distance, but could be easily located by the clouds of smoke flowing from the bay sites during the demonstrations. Luckily for me, none of the smoke they were generating was in any way lethal. I have a very MAY 2010 AFRICAN EXPEDITION MAGAZINE | 27

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low tolerance, along with a very high respect, for the various forms of tear gas. This respect is keep alive by memories of my time in the military.

I had the opportunity to try out the new Barrett rifles in the “California sanitized” calibers of .416 Barrett and .338 Lapua calibers. Both the guns and the ammunition were a joy to handle and interact with. I was lucky that day, firing the .416 Barrett at 500 yards, and was fortunate in being given five resounding hits on the club’s steel silhouette with five rounds expended. About this time, I noticed that the wind and rain was starting to pick up, so I gave up my position on the range line while I was still able to act the part of a hero. This Barrett rifle is the same platform as their .50 caliber sniper rifle, and when matched with the smaller .416 caliber round, was a real pleasure to shoot. Based on a shortened .50 caliber BMG case, this cartridge in its own right is no wimp, and is right up there with the old .50 BMG in performance. The US military has proved its merits on many sniper missions.

Another interesting feature with this gun and ammunition combination was that you could recover from your shot in time to personally spot the bullet hit on the 500 yard steel target. Next, I shot the Barrett in the .338 Lapua caliber using the Hornady Custom 250-grain BTHP bullet. The gun is a downsized boltaction model of the popular .50 caliber Barrett sniper rifle, and in this configuration is a real pleasure to shoot. For this piece the range was extended to 800 yards. My first shot was a couple of inches off to the left of the steel plate. Even with the .338 Lapua round and a 250-grain highly efficient bullet, the wind is a factor that must be taken into account, especially when reaching out to almost half a mile. After moving the cross hair over to the right edge of the steel plate, I was able to put the next five shots right onto the target. You can easily get very badly hooked on this type of shooting using this level of equipment.

Steve Johnson, one of the really great guys on the staff at Hornady, was on hand at this event to answer the numerous questions on the mind of the writers, and to insure that everyone had a chance to try the new additions to the Hornady line of ammunition. My real love is double rifles, but Steve suggested that I try the 6.5 Creedmoor with the 129-grain SST bullet to see what I could do out to 400 yards. I have to admit that the pleasant recoil, and flat shooting qualities of this addition to the Hornady line, was a pleasant and educating experience. This cartridge and loading will really appeal to the target shooter as well as the trophy hunter. Steve also gave me MAY 2010 AFRICAN EXPEDITION MAGAZINE | 29

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the opportunity to try out the new 150-grain GMX loading in .300 Winchester Magnum.

This is a new non-lead bullet, legal in California and other non-lead hunting areas. This load had no problems spinning the 300 yard steel plates time after time, until it seemed that this was its undisputed territory. A great load and with their new bullet would be a real winner on that big elk across the valley.

Next on his program was to have me try their .30-06 loading with the 150-grain SST Interlock bullet. This was another real winner that was able to reach way out there with almost monotonous consistency. Steve has loaded me up with ideas and projects for the rest of the year, and there is a lot of field-testing yet to be done. I cannot wait to work out the shooting details on some of this new stuff, and head back to Africa to try it out on some of the local game.

Federal Cartridge Company brought out some of their new Premium ammunition in the 77-grain Sierra MatchKing BTHP loading in .223 caliber. This bullet in the factory loading really puts the .223 into an entirely new world of usage. I can hardly wait for the spring crop of ground squirrels to make their appearance here in California. These little critters present a difficult target, and test how far this bullet can reach out and touch something. Federal quality, matched with the history of Sierra’s match winning performance, should make this combination a real nightmare for the local varmints.

Winchester had their new Ballistic Silvertip lead-free ammunition on site for testing with the 35-grain Ballistic Silvertip bullet. Since a lot of my varmint shooting and testing is done in California, the availability of factory non-lead ammunition is a major factor for the varmint shooters in our area. This ammunition will be a MUST HAVE for the 2010 ground squirrel and prairie dog season that is coming up in a couple of months.

The boys at Winchester also had a good supply of their new .270 WSM ammunition in the 130-grain Ballistic Silvertip loading in their easily recognized black boxes. I am a real fan of the old .270 Winchester, but this new cartridge and loading leaves nothing to the old .270 and fits into the current ‘short throw’ actions. If you want a new fast handling, flat MAY 2010 AFRICAN EXPEDITION MAGAZINE | 31

MANUFACTURER LINKS

Action Targets Aimpoint Alpen Optics American Tactical Imports Federal Premium Ammunition Hornady Ammunition

Steyr Mannlicher

Barnes Bullets

Sturm Ruger

Barrett Firearms

Sako

Bass Pro Shops

Swarovski Optik

Beretta USA

Wilson Combat

Blackpowder Products Inc.

Viridian Green Laser Sights

Blaser USA

Zeiss

Champion Traps and Targets D.O.A. Tactical Shooting Benches EMA Tactical GALCO Gunleather Glock Ithaca Gun Company JP Enterprises, Inc. Kriss-TDI Laser Max Leupold National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association Nemesis Arms Otis Technology, Inc. Pyramyd Air Guns SIG Sauer Savage Arms Schmidt & Bender

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shooting, low recoiling rifle, and are a fan of the late Jack O’Connor, you would not be ashamed to find yourself in the field with this modern day firehouse.

My time on the shotgun range was spent trying out the new Winchester Steel Shot loads in 28 and 410 gauge. I love large bore rifle, especially if they have two barrels mounted side by side, but in shotguns I lean toward the sub-bores for most of my shooting.

This is especially true for pass shooting on dove and fast raising bobwhite quail. There may be limited interest in these lighter gauges compared to the popular 12 and 20 gauges, but when you see how the clay birds react, you develop a deep appreciation for the light recoil and easy handling of these two gauges. The politically motivated attitude towards the use of lead in hunting today means that we will be seeing more non-lead shooting loads being made available in the near future. I really welcome these loadings in the lighter gauges.

The day really went too fast to see and try everything that was available. The rain and wind somewhat slowed down the number of opportunities for test shooting. I wore my Australian Outback coat and hat. I was a little worried that I would standout like a stranger in the Nevada landscape, but as the rain picked up it was amazing how many of us “Outback cowboys” could be seen lined up in the shooting bays. Everyone admitted it was a great event, and educational for all us in the industry who were brave enough to put up with the weather.

It is impossible to report on all the products and events that I was privileged to encounter in this one day. This is especially true since I wanted this report to get out as soon after the closing of the SHOT Show as possible. Therefore, for those of you who are interested, here is a listing of some of the main exhibitors at the range that day. Looking up some of these people on their websites would be most rewarding.

Leo Grizzaffi is a lifelong hunter and veteran of many African safaris.

Author and reloading expert, his specialty is the care and feeding of big bore double rifles, however he also dabbles with the little calibers. Leo resides in California, where being a lawyer and judge in the City of Los Angeles sometimes interferes with his busy hunting and reloading schedule.

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Help us stop those poaching bastards.

Donate quickly and securely with PayPal

The BorderLine Walk is in support of antipoaching efforts for Black Rhino in the Savè Valley. Initiated by Hunters for Zimbabwe, the walk will be 3066 kilometers long: 813 kilometers along the Botswana border, 797 km. along Zambia, 225 km. along South Africa, and finally 1231 km. along the Mozambique border. The BorderLine Walk will be widely covered by the media and progress will be published on the African Expedition Magazine and tracked on Google Earth.

The BorderLine walk will support anti-poaching efforts to prevent this from happening again: a young black rhino caught in a poacher’s snare. This baby died a few days after this photograph was taken.

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David Hulme is a Zimbabwean writer and professional wanderer who spends most of his time searching for new stories and country, never staying too long in any one place.’

FOLLOW THEIR PROGRESS ON GOOGLE EARTH

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Support Hunters for Zimbabwe by buying David Hulme’s great new book, Shangaan Song. Proceeds from the sale of this book will be used to support the BorderLine Walk – a foot journey of approximately three thousand kilometers along Zimbabwe’s border. The BorderLine Walk is an initiative aimed at raising awareness for Hunters for Zimbabwe, an organization whose primary objective is the advancement of Zimbabwean people and wildlife.

Help us stop those poaching bastards.

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Jimmy and Whittall Jimmy onAnne the day I found him 36 | AFRICAN EXPEDITION MAGAZINE MAY 2010

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Déjà Vu in Zimbabwe

Hunting problem elephant

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Brian Newman

I

admit to having had at least one or two déjà vu moments in my life. You know, that creepy feeling when you think you have been in a certain situation before.

Believing in déjà vu, and not being a little freaked out when it happens, is entirely another thing. I experienced déjà vu in May of 2005 while on a safari in Zimbabwe, and it is important here to give you a little background on the situation.

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First, let me say that I dearly love hunting. It isn’t so much the kill, or making the shot, or really any one thing, so much as it is the entire experience. I love the feeling of being in the field, the thrill of the chase, the moment of truth right before the trigger breaks… when a slight amount of pressure is applied by the index finger, and regardless of the day’s quarry, every of moment testing myself in the field. Eight or nine years ago, I began taking an interest in Africa. I had read a few books on African safaris prior to that time, but it really started growing on me after my brother had made a trip to South Africa on a plains game safari. I started spending a good quantity of time reading up on African hunting, and on animals I thought I would never get the chance to see outside of a zoo.

The animal I pictured hunting in my mind most often was the African elephant (Loxodonta Africana).

I started going to the Dallas Safari Club convention, and through my brother who has had the pleasure of partaking in five African adventures, I met an African PH (professional hunter), Don Heath. Don came to Oklahoma to spend a week with my brother and his family in February of 2004. After an evening of sitting around the fireplace, I was so “hooked” on the idea of hunting Africa I started catching myself daydreaming about it. I had begun making plans for a plains game hunt in South Africa for the summer of 2005.

Low and behold in late November 2004, an email came in out of the blue from Don flashing on my computer screen at work and asking if I would have any interest in a PAC (problem animal control) hunt in early 2005 for an elephant in Zimbabwe. Literally, tears started welling up and I was sure I was going to lose it right there in my little law clerk’s office. I did not even own a rifle chambered large enough to legally hunt an elephant. But then that was just one little detail that was going to have to be remedied; I sure wasn’t going to let that stop me.

Over the next couple of months, an incalculable number of emails bounced between my brother (who had decided he should go and partake it this experience with me), Don Heath, and I. All the emails he was getting from me had to be driving Don crazy. I asked more stupid questions than any fifty people should be allowed to ask of any one man. However, he was patient and took it all in stride, answering all my inane questions, and dealing with my overly enthusiastic approach to the situation. Finally the plans were firmed, a PH was selected, the area was confirmed, and I was chomping at the bit around the end of January in 2005. My brother and I would be making tracks for Zimbabwe in mid–to–late May. There was a real elephant in my future. I could feel it.

It was an agonizing four and a half months waiting.

When we got within about a month of our departure date, I could not sleep through the night and I was seeing elephants everywhere. Anywhere I went, regardless of the situation, I would “drift off” and find myself surrounded. The elephants seemed to be everywhere. The giants were haunting my dreams at night, and seemingly stalking me during the day.

By then, I had convinced myself I was an expert on elephants, which of course I’m not and never will be.

I managed to acquire an old, used Winchester Model 70 in .375 H&H for the hunt. I must have shouldered that rifle 5,000 times in the months preceding our adventure. I wanted to spend every possible spare minute at the local gun range shooting and practicing for the upcoming safari. Somewhere along the line, I got it in my head that I had to brain shoot an elephant, a body shot just would not suffice. I read all the books of authority I could find on shot placement, and was confident I knew exactly what I was doing.

For the record, even the experts sometimes miss the mark, but then, that is a discussion for another day.

So, the months painfully passed and I was ready, at least I thought I was. Little did I know what would be awaiting me in the bush once I got my feet on African soil. I started my African exercise program (as I know jokingly refer to it) the first day in camp. We were informed that there were elephants close by, so we set out in search of them and began an uphill walk searching for this herd of about thirty some elephants that had been raiding crops just prior to our arrival.

When we finally caught up to them, one of the group winded us and they were gone. It was as if the entire herd disappeared like a bolt of lightning. It was a little intimidating, being within 50 – 60 yards of at least 30 African elephants. The way they disappeared into the bush also caused a little alarm inside of me to start ringing. For the first five seconds of their departure, it sounded like the world was shaking apart, then a silent calm fell upon everything. I knew they were still running, but there was no sound. I almost started hyperventilating. After my PH was sure I was not having a heart attack, we headed back to camp.

I still have not figured this one out, but we wound up walking uphill to get back to camp! My first day on safari was a memorable experience, to say the least.

It was topped off in the grand tradition of the African safari; we had a delicious dinner that night and some great conversation, aided considerably by a generous helping of libations and spirits.

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we walked a little more… it all seemed to be uphill!

Had we gone much further up on the third day, I am certain I would have had the opportunity to engage St. Peter in a discussion about the blisters that were beginning to form on both of my feet. I developed such horrendous blisters on my poor feet that I was sure they were going to fall off. I stopped our death march, as I had begun to affectionately refer to them, on the fourth full day of the hunt so I could wrap my feet in duct tape. I was not going to limp back to camp and call it a day, but something had to be done. The skin was beginning to peal off the bottom of my feet. Any of you who have ever had the pleasure of walking up and down rocky terrain with blistered feet, know exactly what I am saying.

After a good bit of tape had been applied to my feet, which caused them to look like I was wearing shiny, gray socks, we started back on the death march.

Literally within minutes after we had resumed our casual little stroll in the middle of nowhere, we walked around a bend and encountered a herd of elephants that had been causing mayhem and general dissatisfaction among a local village that very morning. My brother got the opportunity to shoot a nice bull out of this group. We had skipped breakfast that morning, and the previous morning, but we had an opportunity to sample a taste of his elephant and some canned ham later that afternoon.

The number of villagers that collected around the massive, fallen giant was astounding. Within less than three hours, there were well over two hundred and fifty locals gathered. Watching as they began to work on cutting up the bull was a spectacle in and of itself. My brother had quite the satisfied air about him, as did the locals. They would be receiving enough meat from his kill to feed their families for over a month.

The next morning we were back at it again. We started walking, empty belly again after a great stew the previous evening, and celebration centered around the previous days events. You know, it is not everyday one gets to let loose a little lead at a landroving battleship. We managed to walk almost the entire morning uphill (again) only to see no sign of elephants. We took an afternoon break atop a little hill (looked and felt like a mountain to me, but what do I know, the PH said it was a hill so...) that provided an absolutely breathtaking view of most of the area we had traipsed over in the first days of the safari. I swear my PH was trying to kill me. He had me walking all day on just a cup of coffee and a couple of rusks (small hard chunks of bread). Dinner time,

however, always lifted my spirits and enabled me to push ahead the next day.

We took a day off and I was driven over to see the Zambezi valley. What a sight! I thought I was looking at the spot where the earth meets heaven. It seemed as though the clouds stretched out of the sky and touched the valley floor. The little break revived me and I found a renewed sense of purpose. I was ready to face my destiny and believed I could conquer anything Africa could throw at me.

Pulling up stakes, we moved to a different location, and made a new camp. Very much to our surprise the local police came for a visit and to ask us to go and shoot an elephant off a nearby village’s water supply. A group of four elephant had apparently been terrorizing this particular village for almost a month.

We had to decline their generous offer, as we had no permission to be hunting in the concession where the elephants happened to be wreaking havoc.

Feeling rather dejected, the police left with heads down. I know how they were feeling, they wanted the elephant’s shot and I desperately wanted to oblige them. The next day, the Chief Game Scout for the area came and produced the necessary paperwork enabling us to amble over and fulfill my dream.

This is the part of the story that really gets me. Literally, it has taken me years to come to terms with what I am about to impart to you. When the Game Scout came into our camp we were all sitting around enjoying the early afternoon, not to eager to do much of anything except open a bottle and mix a drink; I clearly remember hearing my PH say to me, “Saddle Up”, and I began to stir. I put on my boots and began collecting my gear. My brother had stated he was not going and was content to remain in camp reading and generally enjoying the vacation. I went around to our latrine and, as I was relieving myself, a powerful feeling déjà vu hit me (not exactly the best time to be nodding in and out of coherency I know, but…). I could see the events of the next few minutes unraveling before me with great clarity. In my mind, I saw our trip over to where the elephants were, all the little details were clear and concise, and I saw myself shooting the elephant. I became rather calm; especially considering my camp looked like it was undergoing a Chinese fire drill when I returned from the latrine.

Not at all surprising, when I returned back into the main section of our camp, I saw my brother putting on his boots and it was exactly as I had seen it in my mind, not a minute before. Sometimes, you just know. I stood, hands on my hips watching him finish MAY 2010 AFRICAN EXPEDITION MAGAZINE | 53

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putting on his boots and watching the staff scurry around loading our gear. I was at peace with the world, and with the events I knew were about to start unfolding, and I was ready to face the future head on.

We had a short drive (about 5 miles) over to the village where the elephants had been asserting their dominance. I remember being very calm while the PH and my brother chattered back and forth, and at me during the drive over. I cannot for the life of me remember what they were saying; I do not even think I heard them as anything more than background noise.

When we arrived at the village, one of the locals became our guide and he began leading us down to the elephants. We began walking downhill (yes, downhill finally!) from the village. After about a mile, we came to a dry riverbed, covered and secluded by overgrown trees, with head-high scrub brush that was on one side, with bushes and small trees obscuring our view of the other side. I could hear an elephant munching on a tree not far away, and when I looked up, I could see the top of a tree on the other side of the riverbed swaying back and forth. Our group contained the villager in the front, followed by the PH, then me, our game scout, and finally my brother.

There was an opening in the brush as we walked along the riverbank, and when the PH and I stepped into the clearing from behind the brushes that had been camouflaging our presence, the bull picked up his head and looked at us. Time stopped and auditory exclusion kicked in. I had seen this elephant before. He had been in my “vision.” The PH was dutifully instructing me on where to place my first shot (in the shoulder/leg), when the elephant, from about 20 yards away, took a step toward us. He was not charging, but he was coming! I have seen the look he had in his eyes before, it was a “What are you doing here, well I guess I will just flatten you now” look.

I completely abandoned what the PH was telling me.

Truth be told, I couldn’t really hear him anyway. So, I did exactly what I had trained myself to do. I quickly shouldered my rifle and placed a 300-grain solid right between his eyes.

I have seen buildings being exploded on TV, but nothing compares to the sight of an elephants back legs dropping out from underneath him, while the rest piles to the ground. There was song and dance, congratulations all around. The game scout was pounding me on the back, almost causing me to loose my balance and go tumbling down into the sandy riverbed below. Then, up came the elephant’s

head like he had just woken from a bad dream!

Listening to my PH (I had regained one or two of my faculties anyway), I quickly put three shots into the animal’s heart. Those shots just did not seem to be having the desired effect, which did not really boost my spirits much, and he certainly did not seem to be slowing down on his way back to his feet. But he turned his head just enough, after I had executed a flawless four cartridge reload (I practiced quick reloads every time I picked up the rifle for three months prior to getting on the plane bound for Harare), to give me the perfect angle for a side brain shot. He was not going to get up from that one. The game scout and the local villager that had been with us disappeared when the elephant started picking his head up… and who could blame them! There was a large part of me that wished to beat a hasty retreat as well. However, as swiftly as the villagers and the camp staff had gone, they reappeared and festive (bordering on brutal) congratulations were once again the order of the day. Then came the infamous words from my PH, “Shoot him again!” I did exactly as I was told.

I jumped from the bank down into the sandy bottom below and began making tracks for the elephant.

I wanted to make for certain he would not be getting back up. I think my feet may have touched the ground two or three times while I traveled over to where the giant had fallen. I was going to do the obvious rookie move and walk right up and touch the beast, right until the PH grabbed me by the back of the shirt and hauled me in. I had, at some point broke into a hysterical bout of laughter. I put a few more strategically placed rounds into the elephant, per my PH’s instructions. When the shooting was all said and done, I had loosed off a grand total of 16 shots into the elephant.

I was the only person in the world when I was standing next to that giant beast. The smoke was clearing and I was beginning to regain a slight touch of control over myself, when I noticed there were nine male members of the village watching me walk around, and touch the elephant from the spot where the shooting had begun. Once I had made eye contact with them, they hurriedly crossed the riverbed and made their way to me for a round of congratulations. I do not know who was prouder, them or me.

I know they had bigger smiles than I did, but what I felt inside was utterly euphoric. There was such a great sense of peace settling through my body; I thought I was going to pass out. The massive quantities of adrenaline, which had been pumping through MAY 2010 AFRICAN EXPEDITION MAGAZINE | 55

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my body, began to rapidly decrease and I felt like I had just fought a thirty round boxing match with King Kong.

Of course, there was the cutting of the elephant’s tail, and the obligatory photo session that seemed to last at least two hours, still to push through. I took it all in stride, waiting all the time for someone to wake me up and ruin my perfect dream.

That did not happen.

It wasn’t just a fantastic dream… it was real. This hunt was one of those times in life when one begins to feel truly alive. I know I will carry with me and cherish the memories of this safari for the rest of my days.

Brian Newman is an American photojournalist from Oklahoma.

An experienced safari hunter, he is currently working as a camp manager in the remote bushveldt of Zimbabwe. Because he is an American working inside a safari camp, his perspective will be unique, providing our readers with new information on safari hunting.

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Hardwear for the bush

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IWA 2010 report The IWA at Nürnberg, Germany is the world-leading exhibition for hunting, target sports, reloading and nature activities, now in its 37th year. It took place in seven halls of the Nürnberg Exhibition Centre from March 12th to March 15th, 2010. 1129 exhibitors from 55 countries attended, around 250 from the United States. During the four days of the exhibition 32,000 visitors from 106 counties saw the exhibition.

This year the segment of optics and outdoor clothing had expanded as well as the traditional main segments of hunting and shooting sports. The IWA is also the worlds biggest knife exhibition. In view of the increased need for security of citizens in many countries, the segment of service guns and security equipment for government agencies, security experts and body guards was this year more extensive than ever. One of the key issues here in Germany is gun security. Suppliers from all over the world offered a broad spectrum of secure storage and handling of sport guns with various systems ranging from code protected safes to devices for protecting individual guns against unauthorized access.

Admission to IWA is restricted exclusively to trade visitors. End consumers are not allowed to attend.

Burris SHOTCam The SHOT cam is a camcorder that can be mounted under rifle barrels. It allows digital zoom up to 5x, and records on an internal 512 MB flash storage. It is switched on/off through a cable connected switch.

Multiple applications come to mind: it could be used for rifle training to demonstrate and improve rifle handling. And of course you could use it to video your 60 | AFRICAN EXPEDITION MAGAZINE MAY 2010

Report from Hans Jochen Wild

hunting adventures. Mounted under the rifle barrel it might change the barrel vibrations and thereby change the point of impact. Before using it against an angry elephant bull I suggest a test to find out if it can stand the hard recoil of an elephant rifle.

Price here in Germany is € 399 (US$501). It is a fascinating idea; I think that I’ll buy one. Have a look at http://www.burrisoptics. com/

Blaser R8 Blaser’s new R8 bolt action rifle, introduced march 2010, held the central stage at the Blaser exhibition. They had some beautifully engraved “deluxe” edition R8’s on exhibit. The R8 handles and looks like the old R93. But it has a detachable magazine. I spike to the guy who did the test shooting of the new R8 for DEVA (Deutsche Versuchsanstalt für Waffen).

This august body has been in existance since 1900 or so and does testing of loads, rifles, etc. This friend told me that receiver and lock of the R8 were considerably strengthened compared to the R93. It took a pressure of 14,600 bars (that is 211,758 psi!

Yes, two hundred, eleven thousand psi) Must be the strongest action presently on the market! (For around US$70,000 you can buy this deluxe R8) Due to the engineering changes the old R93 barrels and locks are not compatible with the new R8.

The R8 that were shown were in small and medium calibres only. Further Blaser rifles are to come over the course of the year 2010. R8 in .458 Lott and .500 Jeffery (!) are in the making.

The R8 stock has a very nice crisp checkering and points naturally. The reason for this is that it follows the old English stock design. The pistol grip has a

by hand to a high-gloss finish. Pistol grip cap and bolt handle ball are also made of steel and polished with care. Additionally, the bolt handle ball is knurled by hand. On request, the action is also available in steel. See http://www.blaser.de

Mauser M03 Africa PH Mauser had a new version of the well-known Mod M03 Africa on exhibit. It is the Mauser M03 Africa PH (Professional Hunter). It will be available in .375 H&H, .404 Jeffrey, .416 Rem. Mag., and .458 Lott. It has a sand coloured synthetic stock with ‘elastomer’ grip inlays.

The M03 Africa PH is fitted to the needs of hunting guides. Its synthetic stock with ‘kickstop’ is coloured in natural sand and features black anti-slip inlays.

Due to a compact overall length (barrel length of the PH version will be 23.6 or 22 inches) this “pro rifle” will stand the test in daily use. Chamber, trigger and bolt handle are coloured in black.

nice Wundhammer swell.

One of the main new features of the R8 is the detachable magazine. Of course the R8 can still be loaded filling in the cartridges from the top with the magazine attached.

The new program offers a wide range of different styles from plain elegance to precious engravings.

R8 rifles of the Custom Line feature a bolt housing made of steel. Bolt housing and barrel are polished

If you have ever used during a safari a rifle with a beautiful wooden stock, as I did, you will be familiar with the despair that I felt when the stock was battered and scratched by the hard use during the hunt.

A synthetic stock is a most useful item for an African hunt especially for a PH who has to lug around his rifle during the whole hunting season.

The M03 PH is available in a lightweight version that weighs about 1 pound less than the standard version (at about 10 pounds). This should well make sense for PH’s. One of my PH friends carries a .416 Rigby.

He had the weight reduced to about 7.7 pounds.

Now, this rifle kicks; he allowed me to try it out. But, he reasons that he only shoots it a dozen times each MAY 2010 AFRICAN EXPEDITION MAGAZINE | 61

year. Then he can stand the recoil–but he has to carry it all the time during the hunting season–and there one pound less makes quite a difference!

See http://www.mauserwaffen.de/

Smart Gun System from Armatix The days of purely mechanical systems are over.

The Armatix Smart System iP1 Pistol together with iW1 wristwatch provides access control and permission of use only for the person duly authorized. If a weapon is snatched away, stolen or lost, it is automatically deactivated and rendered unusable. The pistol is equipped with integrated locking electronics and actuators that make it possible to activate and deactivate the weapon safely and reliably.

The weapon is ready to fire as soon as it is connected to the activated iW1 wrist watch. If the weapon is put down, snatched away or moved out of range of the iW1 watch, it is deactivated and thereby automatically secure. Armatix licenses the globally patented system to selected manufacturers. The system is certified in the USA. It can be transferred to a large range of handguns and other weapon systems.

See http://www.armatix.com

3M Sound Protector Great hearing protection from 3m: ●● Slim cup design ●● Level dependent function in stereo ●● Last setting is stored when switched off ●● Totally independent dual earphone system for level dependent and external radios signal, for maximum security. ●● Automatically switches off after two hours if no function is used. ●● Two signals are emitted as a warning that the ComTac will switch off in one minute if no function is activated. ●● Battery life is about 250 hours. Three warning signals are emitted every 30 seconds for five minutes when power is low, then the headset switches off. from Peltor: http://www.peltor.info

1–8 x 24 Riflescope from Schmidt & Bender The Schmidt & Bender people told me that the design of this scope followed requirements of the security sector. If it is used at the lowest magnification it works like a parallax free Redpoint device for short 62 | AFRICAN EXPEDITION MAGAZINE MAY 2010

distance shots. With both eyes open due to its large field of vision (36 m at 100 m distance) it is ideally suited for short range shooting at attacking buffalos or other dangerous game or for quick shots at fast moving game. If you turn off the illumination the red dot disappears and the normal reticle remains.

aiming point.

If you want to do some precision shooting at long distances you have the 8 x magnification. That should be more than enough for any safari situation I can imagine.

in the palm of your hand. Even when you’re wearing gloves, it is easy to hold and carry.

The scope illumination unit offers five levels for daylight use. You have three more levels for low light situations and three additional levels which can be used with night vision devices.

See http://www.schmidtundbender.de/

Rangemaster CRF 1600 from Leica Leica is a pioneer in the field of rangefinders. The Rangemaster CRF 1600 is the newest addition to its product line. With a large 115-meter field of vision and 7x magnification, the Rangemaster takes just 0.3 seconds to display the precise distance to any target from 10-meter to approximately 1500-meter (1600 yards) away.

In addition the Rangemaster CRF 1600 offers an integrated ballistics computer with a choice of ballistic curves.

In making its calculation, the system automatically adjusts for barometric pressure and temperature.

You simply choose the appropriate ballistic curve and the Rangemaster CRF 1600 shows you the precise

Unique within the premium rangefinder segment, the Rangemaster CRF is held vertically. This means it is equally easy to use for both left-handers and righthanders. Weighing only 8 ounces, it is extremely light and, thanks to its compact design, it sits comfortably

The Rangemaster has the size of a pack of cigarettes and slips easily into any small shirt- or pants pocket.

The brightness and sharpness of its LED display have also been significantly improved. The figures remain clear and distinctly legible even if you measure against the dazzling brightness of a snow field.

Its red LED display is as bright as day and absolutely tack-sharp. Its display brightness adjusts automatically to ambient lighting conditions.

Depressing the button activates the opto-electronic system and a second press starts the measuring process. Constant pressure on the button activates the Rangemaster’s scanning mode. This means that the Rangemaster now measures continuously and can “track” game on the move.

retail price of €720 (US$904).

The LEICA RANGEMASTER CRF 1600 will be available from August 2010 at a recommended German market

See http://en.leica-camera.com/ MAY 2010 AFRICAN EXPEDITION MAGAZINE | 63

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Rookie Writers

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Get our RSS feed CLICK HERE Don’t you just hate it when large international magazines refuse to publish the work of budding new authors? “Give us a list of where your articles were published and we will consider you.” they write in their demoralising emails.

Everybody has to start somewhere. Talk about Catch 22.

Well, enough is enough. We feel rookie writers need to get a chance to strut their stuff, so we negotiated with The Ultimate Field Guide to sponsor a Rookie Writer article in our next couple of issues to help those authors who are not famous - yet.

So here it is - the first Rookie Writer article. Read them and vote for your favorite.

You may just help to launch the next Wilbur Smith on a writing career.

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We never knew there were so many budding authors out there. The overwhelming response from the rookies made it clear: they want to be read!

They may be new to the writing world, but they are gutsy and they can write.

And now your article can be read too. If you had an African experience, put it on paper and we will publish it free of charge if is is good.

Come on - you never know whether you can write until you try!

Your article will be judged by fellow African hunters and adventurers like yourself who have no motivation but to tell it like it is and you will get the truth about if you really can write.

Here are this issues’ rookie articles.

Be sure to vote for them !

MAY 2010 AFRICAN EXPEDITION MAGAZINE | 67

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Hunting

with a

Leon-David Viljoen

San Bushman I

n one of Sir Laurens van der Post’s famed desert stories he recalls the ritual that the first time San Bushmen hunter has to go through in order to get his name among his peers - and I mean literally get his name; most young men are referred to as just John, or Pete or whatever in the San language until they complete their first hunt.

To illustrate the linguistic constraints of the San language some youngsters are called !Xu or Regopstaan X!U. Try pronouncing that by pressing your tongue against the back of your palate and imagine you are about to bite into an unripe olive, once the mind is ready you just let the air pop out at any orifice that will let the sound pass. Now that is roughly how it should sound!.

The young hunter is tasked to venture into the semi-arid landscape and hunt the majestic Eland, for the Eland alone holds the capability of feeding the whole clan. Armed with bow and arrow he would creep along the tall clumps of elephant grass, get as close as possible and aim for the flank of the biggest cow. The cow holds more favour as she leads the herd. Once the poisoned arrow has hit the mark, and the cow has given her last bellow, the young man will walk up to the animal and praise her for the gift of life that she has given.

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He will then take out the eye so that her spirit will guide him from here onwards, and he would then swallow the eye making sure that it does not burst or that he bites the eye. Hence, you will find in the olden days a fair amount of hunters being called Eland, or the San generic thereof, as nearly every hunter wanted to shoot an eland. If you are in doubt of my description, just grab the Geographica Britannica and confirm my story by looking at the rock art sketches. I hope that I have sketched the picture or at least given the ritual some justice, as I am about to venture into my own rather uninspiring, at least from a San perspective, story of hunting in the Kalahari. I was invited to hunt on a game farm on the border of the Kgalagadi/Kalahari transfrontier national park. For starters the area is as big as the States of Maine and Vermont combined. The Western edge of the park is not fenced and animals migrate from the lower water basins of the Nossop River into the winter grazing areas of the Kalahari sand dunes. Large numbers of Eland, Springbuck, Red Hartebeest, Ostrich and Gemsbuck are to be found.

I have set my heart on a Gemsbuck and was quite keen to try my new 7x57 Africa Mauser. For those in the know, the 7x57 is one of the finest flat trajectory rifles around. At a distance of 200-300 meters it has no equal (at least in my opinion). By the way, I have no idea how to convert meters into yards, and a second aspect that needs clarification is that I am writing this article in my second language, Afrikaans being my mother tongue, so I have sufficient excuses lined up for any potential grammar and tense errors that could have crept into the article. But enough of that, on with the story.

I arrived all fresh and bushy tailed, despite the rather long journey by road. We South Africans enjoy the long road trips, but I noticed the small landing strip on the farm. The owner mentioned that the American hunters do prefer to fly in and with the strong dollar vs. rand exchange rate, hiring a plane is not so expensive. Dollar envy is a serious pastime in South Africa at the moment. Well, at least I arrived.

We sighted our rifles and I was given a guide to accompany me on the first day. Jonas was a man of the Kalahari and he was from the Regopstaan clan.

The word Regopstaan means to stand tall and is derived from Afrikaans. It is a bit of a derogatory term as the San Bushmen are by nature extremely small framed, but I believe it was given in good faith as the Regopstaan clan were viewed as the finest trackers in the area and they stood tall as hunters. Jonas greeted me and asked me what I was hoping to find.

I mentioned Gemsbuck and he said that we would

have success as he can see that I am a young man and that the Gemsbuck will not be able to run away from us. I believe that my 34-year-old body was in a fair shape, but I was wondering about Jonas. In response to a question about his age, Jonas indicated that he has spent 61 years in this area, but he was not really sure about his age, as they did not really keep track of birthdays. It could be more. Well, the young man and the not so young man decided to try a ridge about two miles from the farmstead and we started a brisk walk in the direction of the dunes. I was wearing my hunting jacket and a pair of shorts and my thick-soled hunting boots. It was winter, but the climate is moderate and apart from the early morning frisky weather the days were warm.

Jonas was a sight to behold. He wore a loincloth, was barefoot and only carried a small bag, which held an orange and a skinning knife. I felt with like Sir Ryder Haggard, pioneering the dunes with my trusty companion. It did not take long before we spotted the first herd. There were two bulls and five cows in the group. I hinted in hushed tone to Jonas that I am ready to take a shot, but instead of whispering back he mentioned in a clear voice that we would not get close enough. The herd has moved under the shade of camel-thorn tree and above the herd was two “kwêvoels”. These noisy birds are also sometimes referred to us go-away birds and they act as the eyes of the herds and were bound to see us long before we would get within shooting distance. Jonas saw what was happening and just had a hearty giggle about my innocence. We decided to leave the herd alone and turned into the wind trying to find another group. Jonas’s eyes were accustomed to the veld and he showed me the telltale signs of a herd that contained a large number of adults. The telltale signs of the lions following the herd, was not interesting! Now I don’t know about you, but I was not at ease. Only the foolish will try to confront a lion, and I do not try to point to myself as foolish.

Jonas was concerned that the herd could have picked-up the scent of the lion and moved off beyond our hunting area. He told me to wait under the trees while he searched the dunes. I saw him running over the dunes and waited for what seemed like an eternity. The thought of the lions would not disappear, no matter how hard I tried to think of my family and my wife etc. Jonas eventually returned and indicated that he has found the herd. We would have to take a short run. I was in favour of a short run, but there is my Western concept of a short run and then there was the Kalahari edition of a short MAY 2010 AFRICAN EXPEDITION MAGAZINE | 71

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run. I was knackered and out for the count after 10 minutes and what seemed like a mile. Jonas, bless his 61-year-old soul, was as fresh as a bloody daisy! I was cursing away, but he insisted that I am a young man and that I should have the stamina of the Eland; you see there is the reference to the Eland again. We did catch up to the herd and I had to sit down for at least 5 minutes just to steady my legs, arms, eyes, breathing etc. Jonas was still edging me on to get closer and that meant a crawl on hands and knees for at least 30 meters. Eventually a shot presented itself. The Gemsbuck has a large lung/heart area and a shot placement is easy. They rely on the scimitar shaped horns to defend themselves and their keen eyesight and hearing to keep predators at bay. Their cooling system is in their head and a large number of their veins run through the nasal passage to cool them off. A lung shot nearly always result in a pinkish broth forming at the mouth.

I landed my shot and the cow went down, only to jump up again. I was bitterly disappointed when I saw her heading over the dune. My disappointment even grew more profound when I turned around to find Jonas munching away at his orange. “What now?” I asked. His expression of enjoyment of his orange turned to bemusement at my ignorance of hunting among the dunes. His response was that he has to eat the orange since he will need all his energy to skin the cow. “But she has disappeared among the dunes”, I responded. He just nodded his head, and indicated that she went to the other side of the dune because that is where the sun is hotter and

she knew that she was dying and that she still wants to make it difficult for us to skin her.

He was right. We found her on the slope side of the dune. The shot was in the lung and the bullet placement was sufficient for a clean kill. I dreaded the work that was waiting for us to prepare the cape, but luckily in the hands of the San/Bushmen the trophy was prepared within the hour. Jonas asked if he could have the heart and the eyes and I gave him the liver as well. Later that afternoon, while we were relaxing with a cold beer, I heard from the owner of the farm of the high regard that he holds his guides in. He mentioned that Jonas was his senior guide and that he only works for a month or so per year on the farm. The rest of the year he disappears into the Botswana hinterland to be with his clan. He also mentioned that Jonas always picks his clients first and that it is normally the young guys because he can outrun them, no matter the age. I enjoyed the experience and it was a hunt with a difference, but any hunt is normally a hunt with a difference. I have not yet been back to the Kalahari, but I will go again.

I might meet up with Jonas again, but then I may not.

All I know is that we are blessed in this country and in this region to have not only wide species diversity, but also a rich cultural diversity. The San Bushmen are a dying breed, as young people no longer stay in their tribal areas. The bright lights of the city have drawn them and alcoholism has had a profound impact on their numbers. I only now realise what a privilege it was to hunt with the true masters of this noble and ethical pastime.

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Terminal Medicine

74 | AFRICAN EXPEDITION MAGAZINE MAY 2010

A

Dr. Stephen W. Templar

s a hunter you must determine the proper formula of bullet, cartridge and rifle to bring your game to as quick and humane an end as possible. In this you are much like a doctor prescribing the proper medicine and dosage to counteract a disease to cure your patient. The combination you choose is very much like a prescription. Terminal Medicine is a formula to help you, the hunter, prescribe the correct substance and dosage i.e. the proper bullet and cartridge that is appropriate for your intended game. The amount of Terminal Medicine you choose to prescribe is no less important than a medical prescription.

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Choosing a cartridge with too little Terminal Medicine could result in a severely wounded animal suffering unnecessarily for hours, weeks or years. No hunter wants to be responsible for such suffering.

nosaurus rex back to our world you will not underestimate it and go gallivanting off to save the world with an M-16 only to discover what the inside of a T. rex mouth looks, smells and feels like.

There have been many formulas to help hunters select a cartridge for specific game animals. Some have been accepted and others have been ignored.

No previous formula has ever been successful in aiding cartridge selection across the full gamut of game that the world offers to human hunters.

Adequate weapon selection is always important; the situation and the game dictate the necessary armament. An M-16 might not be appropriate for the stalking of a T. rex but one would be a good choice if stalking a platoon of armed rebel soldiers.

Usually the great failing of such formulas has been addressing the gigantic game animals. Hippopotamus and rhinoceros are huge, to be sure, but elephants are gigantic.

To be adequately armed for the sporting pursuit of a typical six ton bull elephant whose behaviour has turned predatory the Terminal Medicine formula (abbreviated: T.Rx) suggests cartridges with a T.Rx value of 81 or higher. Cartridges such as the 450 to 470 Nitro Express group (T.Rx range: 81-85) meet this criteria. Interestingly enough, so does the 8-bore rifle firing a brass cased 875gr. round ball at 1,650fps (T.Rx 83).

The Terminal Medicine formula was developed specifically to aid in the selection of bullets and cartridges to be used in the sporting pursuit of gigantic creatures. Not just giant game animals like elephants, but even giant predators.

After all, elephants can become quite predatory at times.

When this behaviour presents itself, the amount of Terminal Medicine required for a successful hunt increases.

A large bull elephant can be as imposing a threat as an average size Tyrannosaurs rex might have been. Most people would approach a hunt differently if they considered that a rogue or murderous bull elephant posses as great a threat as a T. rex.

Scale is everything. 303 British, 9.3x74R, and 470 Nitro Express cartridges

Images of various Bullet Impact Zone (BIZ) types. 303 British FMJ, 9.3x74R Jacketed Solid, 458 Lott Woodleigh Jacketed Solid - rounded BIZ, 458 Lott A-square monolithic solid – semi-spherical BIZ, 458 Lott Barnes monolithic solid – wide meplat BIZ, 470 Nitro Express Barnes monolithic solid, 470 Capstick Barnes monolithic solid – wide meplat BIZ, 470 Capstick A-square monolithic solid – semi-spherical BIZ, 470 Capstick Woodleigh Jacketed Solid – rounded BIZ

It is always better to overestimate ones foe than to face the disaster that can result from underestimating one.

If you treat every bull elephant as if it were a predator of equal size and weight, no elephant will ever catch you underestimating him.

And if some resourceful fellow ever does bring Tyran76 | AFRICAN EXPEDITION MAGAZINE MAY 2010

Never before have we had the means to be able to accurately compare the effectiveness of a classic bore-rifle firing a lead ball to the cartridge rifles firing jacketed bullets that replaced it. Yet hunters from the turn of the nineteenth to the twentieth centuries told us that these cartridges were comparable based on experience.

Most hunters of that era switched to the deeply penetrating 450 to 470 group of cartridges right out. That those cartridges were lighter weight and less voluminous than their bore-rifle counterparts certainly helped as this allowed for a greater number of cartridges without increasing the weight to be carried. More cartridges meant more game and that meant more profit. It was a simple decision really.

Ferlach Double Rifle: 470 Nitro Express

Still, some hunters did not make the switch. Some did not feel that the new hot-burning smokeless propellants required to push the little jacketed bullets fast enough to equal the effectiveness of a trusted black powder 8-bore rifle with which they had already had such great success was really worth it. Many hunters used such bore-rifles well into the smokeless era, with great success I might add.

Terminal Medicine was developed to aid in the selection of cartridges and bullets for the giant creatures, but surprisingly, the Terminal Medicine formula seems to work when selecting bullets and cartridges

for game of all sizes and scales; for predators and game alike.

Some examples of Terminal Medicine suggested values and cartridges are illustrated below: To be adequately armed for a 140 pound deer (T.Rx 29-37) the formula recommends cartridges such as .243 Winchester (T.Rx 29), 450 Black Powder Express deer load (T.Rx 33) or .303 British (T.Rx 36).

Turn that deer into a 140 pound predator, say a Leopard, (T.Rx 42-50) and the formula suggests for adequate armament such cartridges as .308 Win-

Ferlach Double Rifle: 470 Nitro Express disassembled in case

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chester (T.Rx 42), 12-bore Paradox lead ball load (T.Rx 46) or 9.3x62 Mauser (T.Rx 50).

The Terminal Medicine requirements for game are lower than for predators, thus the T.Rx range for the Leopard is also adequate for a much larger game animal, such as a 625 pound elk. This emphasizes the need to differentiate between game and predator when choosing a bullet/cartridge combination.

If that 625 pound beast is a tiger (T.Rx 55-63) then the bar is raised again. The Terminal Medicine formula suggests that adequate armament for such a tiger includes some legendary cartridges: 9.3x74R (T.Rx 56), 375 Holland & Holland Flanged Magnum (T.Rx 60) and 375 Holland & Holland Belted Magnum (T.Rx 63).

These few examples clearly demonstrate how the Terminal Medicine formula can be used to aid a hunter in the selection of an adequate rifle cartridge and bullet for the game to be pursued.

It offers clear and accurate guidance whether selecting a rifle to stalk that tasty white tail deer out on the back forty or when preparing to stalk a murderous lion or elephant that is terrorizing an otherwise peaceful village.

As a final thought, it is important to remember that the Terminal Medicine formula is calculated using solid or jacketed bullets because the terminal performance characteristics of expanding bullets is, from the moment of impact onward, a fluid, changing and unpredictable data set.

This does not indicate that the formula is of no use when the hunter intends to select an expanding 78 | AFRICAN EXPEDITION MAGAZINE MAY 2010

bullet for a hunt. Provided the expanding bullet has adequate penetration characteristics for the intended game it can simply be said that the expanding bullet will perform at least as well as a jacketed or solid bullet where all other measures are the same (calibre, bullet weight, bullet speed, etc.). It is quite likely that it Similarly constructed monolithic will perform better. solids, but note the Bullet Impact Zone (BIZ) is significantly different.

The A-square bullet on the left has a semi-spherical BIZ whereas the Barnes bullet on the right has a wide meplat BIZ. Changes in BIZ measurably impact effectiveness.

Hunters must beware unrealistic expectations and overestimation of bullet performance. The awesome power of Thor’s hammer, to strike an opponent instantly dead, has yet to be replicated. If the “magic” expanding bullet fails to perform as claimed then the resulting effect on the game animal will be quite similar to that of a jacketed or solid bullet. To know that the cartridge and bullet chosen are enough, even in such a circumstance, is critical to a successful hunt and the hunter’s peace of mind.

The Terminal Medicine formula is much too complicated and The author shooting his Ferlach Double Rifle 470 Nitro Express involved to explore in depth in such limited space. To learn more about the T.Rx formula and how to use it to select a Minimum, Adequate, Proper, Improved, Superior or Stopping rifle and cartridge please consult the book rexGun (by Dr. Stephen W. Templar; Ivory Lady Publishing 2008; ISBN: 978-0-615-22413-8).

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T.Rx Game Values Table by Weight. Recommended T.Rx cartridge values for Game and Predators based on weight. Green values are for game animals; black values are for predators of the same weight

T.Rx Cartridge Values Table. This table provides examples of various cartridges listed in the article and their associated T.Rx values

MAY 2010 AFRICAN EXPEDITION MAGAZINE | 79

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The Cure for the Secondhand Life

82 | AFRICAN EXPEDITION MAGAZINE MAY 2010

Jack Enter

W

hether we realize it or not, Americans are often engaged in a life that is characterized by “secondhand” experiences. In a culture dominated by the media, fewer individuals experience life first hand – most seem to gain their insights and beliefs systems through the media and/or lives of people in the media. In a nation where spouses spend very little time talking, we are fascinated by reality television programs about marriage and relationships. Popular magazines and related television fare keep us updated on the latest divorce in Hollywood. In a nation where the majority of Americans are overweight and out of shape, we fixate on watching our sports teams on television – but not playing sports ourselves. Basically, many if not most of us live our lives vicariously – we watch it as spectators instead of participating in life directly.

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What does this have to do with hunting? From a negative aspect, we will continue to maintain our right to hunt in a culture where most have not hunted, but have been fed unsubstantiated information about hunting through the media. All of us have met individuals who believe there are only three zebra left in all of Africa and that elk and deer are on the verge of extinction. Several years ago I was on the telephone with a South African Airways representative about an upcoming flight to South Africa. During the conversation, I mentioned that I was going on a hunting trip. The airline employee (an American based in the New York office) sarcastically stated that she thought hunters had already killed off all the animals in Africa.

When I responded that there were still large populations of game, she angrily retorted “But will there be any left for my children to enjoy?” I doubt if this lady has been to Africa but she was absolutely adamant in her beliefs, no doubt based on an article or television program that she had been exposed to.

What I would like to concentrate upon, however, is a much more positive approach to how a secondhand life pertains to hunting. I propose that hunting offers one of the few remaining experiences in today’s world that allows us, however briefly, to experience life and issues first hand. Hunting, when done ethically and in a fair chase environment, potentially gives us a chance to reconnect with the basic issues of real life. The hunting experience can help ground us, not only while we are hunting, but when we return to our professional and personal lives. Hunting can help remind us of what is real and what is fake - what is important and what is frivolous. Hunting has the potential to allow us to glimpse a time in the past where life was first hand and often difficult, but certainly not plastic.

The salesperson was talking to the potential customer about the new widescreen plasma television that stood before him. I could hear him elaborating about special features, color quality, and surround sound capabilities. I could see from the customer’s entranced look the he was close to pulling out his credit card and making a purchase that cost more than my first new car.

We were returning late from a long day of hunting in Mozambique. Shortly before dark, I had taken a nice old water buck bull and we were driving to camp in pitch dark blackness. As we rounded the bend near the camp, I was stunned by the sight of hundreds of thousands of fireflies in the swamp next to our dining area. The display of twinkling lights stretched for what seemed a mile and far exceeded anything

that a department store has ever put together for the Christmas season. I would sit by the fire until bedtime, facing nature’s “light show” and listening to the animal and insect sounds of an African night.

The young man on the other end of the telephone was telling me that the salary connected with the job offer he had just received was too low for his experience and skills. He was seemingly offended that the company did not appreciate his credentials or qualifications and was going to decline their offer. Though recently unemployed, and with two small children and “stay at home” wife, he felt he should wait until someone offered him what he was worth.

Isac, my professional hunter, and I were sitting around a mopane wood fire in the cold Tanzanian night when the man literally stepped out of the darkness. He was a young Masaai warrior or “morani”, wrapped in his traditional red blanket and carrying his long spear. He spoke in his language to the PH, who relayed that the young man wanted to know if I would like him to provide him with some Masaii “souvenirs”. After making a request for two blankets and one of their short swords or “simis”, the order came to less than twenty dollars. I then noticed the morani appeared embarrassed and he whispered something to the PH. Isac grinned and told me that the young man was asking if I would be willing to give him five dollars for “fetching” the articles. I quickly replied that I would be happy to and he smiled, nodded, and disappeared into the night.

Several days later we returned to the main camp after hunting buffalo from a fly camp on top of the mountain and were again relaxing around the campfire. As he had done before, our entrepreneur appeared from nowhere and handed me my merchandise. I paid him for the items and then handed him a five dollar bill and his smile showed his genuine appreciation for this small “service charge” he had received. On an impulse, I reached into my pack and retrieved a disposable light stick. When I activated the light for him, I thought his smile would crack open his face as he saw this wonderful magic.

As the Masaii walked back into the night towards his village, the PH shook his head and said that the young man had certainly earned his $5 and his light stick. When I asked him in what way, Isac informed me that the trading post where the morani had traveled to purchase the items was 35 miles away. He had basically traveled through the desert for 70 miles to earn five dollars.

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I had just finished providing a training program for law enforcement managers at a conference in a Texas city that was located on the Mexican border. As the hotel shuttle driver drove me back to the airport, we passed several large commercial buses traveling towards the Mexican checkpoint. Noticing my stare, the shuttle driver explained that the buses contained wealthy and elderly American women. He added that they were going into Mexico for their monthly injections of a solution derived from gold. These injections, illegal in the United States, each cost over $1,000 and were purported to make the recipients regain their youthful beauty.

I was riding in the back of the Land Cruiser in desert like conditions in Northern Tanzania, hunting for impala. The PH leaned over the cab of the Toyota and spoke to the driver, who stopped the vehicle and began to back up the dusty road. When we stopped I noticed an old Masaii warrior lying under the sparse shade of a small thorn bush next to the road. After the PH spoke to him, the old man with obvious weariness replied and pointed down the road. Isac looked at me and said, “I know we are trying to find an impala, but this old man has a bad case of malaria and is trying to make it to the village near the highway to get to a hospital in Arusha. Do you mind if we give him a ride? He has no strength left.” I heartily agreed with his suggestion and the trackers help load the gray haired and emaciated man into the back of the truck.

As our new passenger sat on the hard metal of the truck bed, I asked the PH if malaria was widespread among the Masaii. He replied that it killed many of them, as they could not afford the medicine that would prevent or minimize the effects of the disease.

As we drove many kilometers to the next village, I stared at the weary old man and thought of rich old ladies in the air conditioned buses paying $1000 a month to reduce wrinkles on their faces. I grabbed a bottled water from the ice chest and offered it to the sick man lying at my feet. He gave me a toothless grin and let one of the trackers open it and help him take a drink.

He was about twelve; my cousin’s youngest son and I watched him as played a “point and shoot” video game. The goal of the game was to rescue a captured astronaut held prisoner on an alien spaceship. After getting the astronaut out of his cell, I watched as he expertly shot attacking aliens as he moved through the ship. I asked him how often he was successful in winning the game. Without looking up or stopping playing, he replied that he never lost a game. I asked him how that was possible. He stated that if the game was not going well he would simply push the reset button and start over.

In the early morning light, we had spotted the herd of Cape buffalo feeding back into the forest, where it would be impossible to hunt them safely. We quickly moved towards the herd, using terrain and foliage to keep out of their sight. By the time we had closed the distance, the last few cows were entering the forest. The PH had spotted the bull at the back of the herd, but he was now hidden behind a small knoll directly in front of us. As he would be moving into view in just a few moments, I sat down and placed my rifle against the shooting sticks. I could not help but notice that there were no trees for us to climb in case I botched the shot and wounded one of the most dangerous animals in Africa.

As I was watching one of the cows stare at us, I heard the PH whisper “There is the bull, shoot him before he bolts!” There, 50 yards away, was the bull staring at us over the grassy hill, testing the air with his upraised nose and trying to get our scent. Since he was facing us and not completely on top of the knoll, the only shot I had was his neck. I placed the crosshairs of the scope at the center of his neck and pulled the trigger. At the shot, he dropped as if hit by lightning. I scrambled to my feet, chambered another round, and we skirted the hill to come up from behind him. We found him dead where he had fallen; the 375 H&H bullet had broken his neck. The trackers whooped and hollered and slapped me on the back.

I glanced at the PH and watched him visibly breathe a sigh of relief. As he shook his head, he looked at me and said, “You are a very lucky man.”

I could not agree more.

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A weapon which you don’t have in your hand won’t kill a snake.

If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for something.

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SCI Slips up The executive committee of the Tanzania Professional Hunters Association issue the following Statement regarding an article recently published in the March/April 2010 issue of SAFARI magazine, entitled “Father and Son Tanzanian adventure”.

1. According to Walkers Mammals of the World 1999 and Van Hooft et.al. 2002 there are 2-3 subspecies of African buffalo.

Syncerus caffer caffer (Cape buffalo), Syncerus caffer nana (forest buffalo) and possibly Syncerus caffer brachyceros (the so called West African buffalo).

To the TPHA executive committees knowledge the only African buffalo endemic to Tanzania is Syncerus caffer caffer (African cape buffalo), Currently, there in no such buffalo variety as “mountain buffalo” as stated in the article.

2. It is the TPHA executive committees opinion that the two animals depicted in the photographs are immature. TPHA and its members consider it unethical to harvest an immature animal of any species as a trophy.

3. TPHA executive committee found the statements regarding confrontation when encountering poachers while hunting to be unfounded. Any confrontation, with any persons while on an organized hunting safari with a recognized operator in Tanzania is extremely rare and improbable.

4. None on the persons mentioned in this article are or have been a member of TPHA. 5. TPHA have informed in writing the Editor-In-Chief of the SAFARI publication of our aversion and concerns’ regarding the printing of this article.

The Executive Committee, Tanzania professional Hunters Association www.tzpha.com 92 | AFRICAN EXPEDITION MAGAZINE MAY 2010

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News, Reviews, and Press Releases Rossi Introduces One Rifle That Does it All

of firearms history and a tradition of excellence. ۬

MIAMI - The new Rossi Wizard’s revolutionary stock design allows the user to shoot with every popular caliber imaginable, plus all shotgun gauges, two muzzleloaders, .22 rimfire and .22 rimfire magnum. This ingenious system allows the shooter to transfer any barrel quickly and easily without tools. It is like having 18 rifles and shotguns in one. The Wizard is the year round solution for every hunting and shooting application - truly a gun for all seasons.

In 2008, Rossi production was acquired by Forjas Taurus S.A. Rossi is the industry-leading manufacturer of single-shot, matched pairs, muzzleloaders, rifles and shotguns. The acquisition integrates perfectly with the quality of firearms currently produced

by Taurus International and will expand the ability to produce quality firearms at reasonable prices as well as dedication to creating new and exciting Rossi products. Today, a Rossi firearm still features the same dedication and innovation in every firearm.

Now, as part of Taurus International, Rossi looks forward to providing you with the next generation of great firearms.

To start a Wizard collection simply choose a Wizard rifle, offered in .22-250, .223, .243, .270, .30-06 or .308 and then add other popular caliber barrels to the collection as desired. Rifle barrel options include .17 HMR, .22LR, .22 Mag., .22-250 Rem, .270 Win., .3006 SPRG, .308 Win., .38-357 Mag., .44 Mag., .4570 Gov. and 7.62x39. Muzzleloader barrel options include .45 and .50. Shotgun barrel options include .410 bore, 20 gauge and 12 gauge. The Wizard’s barrel measures 23 inches with an overall length of 38.5 inches and weighs seven pounds.

The Wizard is also offered in a youth version with starter model available in .223, .243 or .308. The youth model barrel length measures 22 inches long, with an overall length of 36.5 inches and weighs 6.25 pounds.

Features for standard and youth models include cushioned recoil pad with spacer for reduced recoil, uniquely contoured Monte Carlo stock with curved cheek rest and fiber optic front sight for fast, easy target acquisition. Available in blued finish in either an attractive hardwood or camouflage stock with carbon steel barrel and receiver.

The Rossi revolution of firearm design and manufacture started with the founding of the company in 1889

by Amadeo Rossi. For the past 120 years, the tradition of innovation grew along with the company and the Rossi family. The Rossi name represents a piece 94 | AFRICAN EXPEDITION MAGAZINE MAY 2010

The complete line of Rossi firearms features the exclusive Taurus Security System, which utilizes a key to lock the firearm and offers additional safety for youth. All Rossi firearms also incorporate a transfer bar mechanism and a manual safety on a single shot, break-open design in which the breech cannot be closed or opened if the hammer is cocked.

Rossi is proud to offer a free One-year NRA Junior Membership with the purchase of any Rossi youth model. It is recommended that children always be accompanied by an adult when shooting.

For more information about Rossi Firearms, a Division of BrazTech International, visit www.rossiusa.com.

Nikon Spot On Thanks to Nikon, rifleshooters around the world now have a tool to help them match their preferred load to their style of shooting and to their style of riflescope and reticle. Nikon’s all new Spot On program allows users to select from the largest database of factory ammo and reloading components ever assembled to build the perfect plan for dialing in their rifle.

“Not all shooters have access to a 400-yard range

or the time to figure out with trial and error exactly what their bullet is doing at every range,” said Jon LaCorte, senior product marketing manager Nikon Sport Optics. “Spot On allows users to match their load of choice to any Nikon riflescope, with any reticle, and see what the possibilities are before they ever pull the trigger.”

An easy to use, intuitive layout makes using and understanding the program a breeze.

Available options include: ●● Detailed sight-in info to match the user’s goals ●● Ballistic reports for the bullet and load ●● Printable reports with trajectory, field references and ballistic graphs ●● Adjustable atmospheric conditions ●● Adjustable magnification for the ultimate dialing-in of BDC reticles ●● Determine point blank range for Nikoplex reticles with adjustable target/vital size ●● Easy to follow video tutorial While nothing can replace time spent shooting on an actual range, Nikon’s Spot On technology/program allows shooters to decide from thousands of load and sight -in options for specific hunts or shooting styles. Never before have so many variables been brought into one tool for rifleshooters.

Nikon’s Spot On program lives at www.nikonhunting. com/spoton and is a free tool for all shooters.

Diamond Introduces Ultra-Lite Series of Aftermarket Accessories Eugene, OR (April 28, 2010) - Today’s hunters are always looking for lightweight equipment for their bows without sacrificing functionality and durability. At the 2010 Archery Trade Show, dealers discovered a new accessory line that does just that with the release of the new Ultra-Lite Series of Diamond accessories. All of the new Ultra-Lite Series accessories are extremely lightweight, have a durable all weather finish and were designed with the hunter in mind.

“Dollar for dollar, the Ultra-Lite Series are the best accessories available, unsurpassed in features and performance by any others in their price point,” states Jerid Strasheim, national sales manager, “We are really looking forward to the new and different opportunities the Ultra-Lite Series can bring to our product offering.”

The Q5 and Q3 UltraLites are 3- and 5-arrow, quick detach, one-piece quivers that are designed to fit any compound bow.

The lightweight, close fitting design provides the best bow balance of any one-piece quiver on the market. Both have a built-in tree hanger hook for added convenience.

Cuts in the foam accept both mechanical and fixed-blade broadheads and the gripper is designed to hold aluminum or carbon arrow shafts.

The one-piece Ultra-Lite quivers come fully assembled, ready to install and can be found for as low as $39.99.

The Q5.2 Ultra-Lite is a 2-piece 5 arrow quiver designed to hug tight to the bow and keep your arrows ready when you are. Like the one-piece the Q5.2 has cuts in the foam to accept both mechanical and fixed-blade broadheads and the gripper is designed to hold aluminum or carbon arrow shafts.

For as low as $39.99, the Q5.2 comes with everything needed for quick installation and can be easily adjusted for right and left handed bows alike.

The S5 Ultra-Lite compact 5” stabilizer weighs in at 3.5 oz. and is half the weight of the leading competitors, but just as effective in removing vibration at the shot. The lightweight, durable design ensures good balance and promotes proper follow through, while the rubber over mold is quiet to the touch and eliminates unwanted noise and vibration.

For more info go to http://diamondarchery.com/ultralite.php

Thompson/Center Introduces Dream Season Omega Muzzleloader Rochester, N.H. - Thompson/Center Arms Company, Inc., a Smith & Wesson company, announced that it has partnered with Drury Outdoors to produce an exclusive firearm for black powder hunters - the T/ C® Dream Season® Omega™ Muzzleloader. Drury Outdoors co-owner and television personality Terry MAY 2010 AFRICAN EXPEDITION MAGAZINE | 95

Drury will be in attendance during the 2010 National Rifle Association (NRA) Annual Meeting and Exhibits in Charlotte, North Carolina, to help Thompson/ Center unveil the new muzzleloader to members of the outdoor and shooting sports community.

The Drury brothers, Mark and Terry, began producing and hosting outdoor television shows in the late 1980s, and their names have become synonymous with harvesting massive bucks across the United States from the cornfields of Illinois to Devil’s Tower in Wyoming.

The Drury brothers’ hunting exploits don’t end at whitetails; the duo also hosts shows that range from turkeys to all big game animals. Popular titles of their DVD series include: Longbeard Madness, Predator Madness and The Big Game. Built on a 100 percent fair chase belief, Mark and Terry bring the viewing public four television shows, along with numerous DVD titles that they produce year in and year out.

“We are careful about who we represent and even more careful about who we partner with as it pertains to the Dream Season® mark,” said Mark and Terry Drury. “We don’t just endorse these products; we help design them, we believe in them, and we use them everyday in the field. The Dream Season® Omega represents something that we have sought with Thompson/Center Arms for many years and we are ecstatic to finally have this Dream come to fruition!”

The Drury bothers’ love of chasing big whitetails has inspired hunters everywhere to pick up their muzzleloader and take to the woods. With this in mind, Thompson/Center Arms is introducing the T/C Dream Season Omega Muzzleloader built in collaboration with Mark and Terry. Built on the company’s venerable and trusted black powder platform, the Omega, the Dream Season muzzleloader incorporates several key features. From the rifle’s sleek profile to its drop breech action, the Dream Season Omega Muzzleloader is both simple to operate and extremely accurate. The .50 caliber muzzleloader is standard with a uniquely crafted 26-inch stainless steel, precision rifled barrel with a 1 in 28 inch twist.

At the heart of the muzzleloader is the rifle’s sealed pivoting breech, which is accessed via the trigger guard lever. The closed breech design not only seals the 209-primer ignition from inclement weather, but it also provides quick access to the removable breech plug and helps to simplify cleaning.

To help soften recoil, the muzzleloader features a 96 | AFRICAN EXPEDITION MAGAZINE MAY 2010

FlexTech® stock that is equipped with four Energy Burners™, allowing the stock to slightly compress during recoil. This design is easy on the shooter’s shoulder and reduces felt recoil by 43 percent. Other standard features include adjustable sights with fiber optics inserts, aluminum PowerRod® and the company’s patented Quick Load Accurizor® (QLA) muzzle system that incorporates a false muzzle design into the very end of the barrel. This unique system is designed to align the bullet squarely with the barrel, while enhancing accuracy and saving precious time when reloading. The Dream Season Omega Muzzleloader also features QD sling swivel studs and the Mossy Oak® Treestand pattern. The new muzzleloader is built entirely in the United States and backed by T/C’s lifetime warranty. The Dream Season Omega will have an MSRP of $499.

On May 15, 2010, during the second day of the NRA convention, Terry Drury will be in the Thompson/Center booth to unveil the new Dream Season Omega Muzzleloader. Those in attendance are encouraged to stop by the Thompson/Center booth to speak with Terry about the new rifle and about his passion for black powder hunting. The Thompson/Center booth (#1519) will be located in the main hall of the Charlotte Convention Center For more information regarding the new Dream Season Omega Muzzleloader or to view the complete line of Thompson/Center Arms firearms and accessories, visit www.tcarms.com.

LaCrosse Announces The New Extreme Tough Boot Series PORTLAND, Ore. - Ready to conquer any job, the new LaCrosse Extreme ToughTM series delivers traditional work boot styling with the tough durability that today’s jobs require. It is the latest offering in a complete line-up of leather work boots from LaCrosse that help users to dominate their ground.

The Extreme Tough series of work boots incorporate a full compliment of features addressing worker’s needs for extreme protection and durability. It starts with an armor of abrasion and chemical resistant leather. Shielding feet from various elements like gasoline, diesel fuel, and barnyard chemicals, the Extreme Tough boots will perform in a multitude of harsh environments. Ten times as resistant to

abrasion as full grain leather, the urethane infused leather adds the durability needed in a tough work boot. The fortress of a Hyper-Dri® liner provides 100% waterproof protection to keep feet dry and comfortable, even in the most miserable conditions. The fortitude of the oil and slip resistant rubber outsole provides a solid foundation to go all day and get the job done.

“Our customers work in some really extreme conditions and our goal was to build a tough work boot that they can count on for protection and durability in those environments,” said Chris Wojnar, Product Line Manager for the LaCrosse Work category.

Available in three styles, the Extreme Tough series is ready to conquer any job. The Wellington style is easy on/off and makes a great chore boot, perfect for jobs on the farm. The 6” lace-up version is ideal for rough jobs where extra protection is required. The Romeo is an all around slip-on boot that combines casual comfort with long life durability. All styles are available with an optional steel safety toe that is certified to ASTM standards. Additionally, the Extreme Tough is built with Goodyear welt construction, a method synonymous with tough durability.

The Extreme Tough series will be available Spring 2010 for delivery to retail in April. The boots and the commercial promoting them, which features professional MMA and former UFC fighter Matt Lindland, can be seen at lacrossefootwear.com. All styles are available in men’s sizes 7-14 M and 8-13 EE with half sizes available to size 12 ranging from $90 for the plain toe Romeo to $125 for the safety toe Wel-

lington.

For more information about LaCrosse Footwear products, please visit our Internet websites at www. lacrossefootwear.com and www.danner.com.

Fausti Class Over/under Sleek and fast pointing, the Caledon is offered in 12, 16, 20, 28 gauge and .410 bore. All receivers are scaled to the gauge except the .410 bore, which is on a scaled 28 gauge receiver. All guns feature a 14-1/2” length of pull, automatic ejectors, metallic bead and a single selectable trigger. The highest

quality Turkish walnut is meticulously shaped, oiled and hand polished to perfection. All models are offered in a 30”, 28” or 26” barrel. The 12 gauge model weighs 7.25 pounds, the 16 gauge model weighs 6.4 pounds, the 20 gauge weighs a modest 6.3 pounds, the 28 gauge weighs 5.8 pounds and the .410 bore weighs 5.9 pounds For more information about Fausti and the complete line of fine Italian shotguns, contact: Fausti USA, 3509 Shannon Park Drive, Fredericksburg, VA 22408, 540.371.3287, or visit www.faustiusa.com.

Two Firearm Enthusiasts Making a Big Bang Encouraging Responsibility of All Firearm Enthusiasts to Deprive Anti-gun Activists of Some ‘Ammunition’ ESCONDIDO, CA - Two California firearm enthusiasts, Steve Thomas and Shawn Stahl, today announced the launch of Centerfire Cleaning Solutions’ WeaponCLP, a high-performance and eco-friendly gun cleaner, lubricator, and preservative. Made entirely in the United States, Centerfire Cleaning Solutions provides an effective product for hunting and target shooting enthusiasts, while stressing the MAY 2010 AFRICAN EXPEDITION MAGAZINE | 97

importance of wildlife preservation and gun safety.

WeaponCLP was put through rigorous testing and has continuously impressed local law enforcement, firearm industry representatives, Marine infantrymen, Army snipers, as well as your everyday firearm enthusiast.

The company was founded by environmentally responsible firearm enthusiasts with a simple vision: to encourage responsibility of all firearm enthusiasts in order to preserve gun ownership rights and show others that we respect the environment. With a deep respect for the outdoors and a passion for hunting and shooting, Centerfire Cleaning Solutions developed WeaponCLP. “As gun owners and enthusiasts, we know first-hand how difficult it is to find a quality eco-friendly cleaning product that actually performs,” said Shawn Stahl, co-founder of Centerfire Cleaning Solutions. “We wanted to create products that inflict as little harm as possible on the environment, while continually outperforming other gun cleaning products on the market. We’ve had incredibly positive feedback from our customers and those in the firearm community.”

WeaponCLP exceeds the requirements for cleaning, lubricating, and preservation of weapons. WeaponCLP aids in the effective removal of residue and other impurities from weapon components while providing lubrication and preservation for consistent weapon operation. A complete gun care system in one bottle, WeaponCLP is eco-friendly, made from natural oils and is biodegradable, meaning it breaks down in the environment into harmless compounds. The product is packaged in an aluminum bottle that is both reusable and recyclable.

WeaponCLP is safe for all firearms and is put through a very strict and detailed chemical process to provide the following properties: ●● Cleans: The chemical composition of the WeaponCLP formula is a natural solvent, enabling the product to break down and remove 98 | AFRICAN EXPEDITION MAGAZINE MAY 2010

carbon and other deposits left behind from firing your weapon. WeaponCLP should be used to clean all parts of your firearm, including polymers, plastics and rubber o-rings. ●● Lubricates: Our formula is structured around a natural oil base, which inherently has a higher flash point then petroleum based distillates, giving WeaponCLP an extremely high flashpoint. Therefore, the higher the temperature of your firearm the less likely it is to burn off the lubricating properties of WeaponCLP. Extensive testing shows that WeaponCLP will actually lower operating temperatures of most semi-automatic weapons, which creates less maintenance for the gun owner. ●● Preserves: WeaponCLP continually protects your firearm against build-up that occurs from firing your weapon.

As the product settles into the barrel and bore of your firearm, it is actively protecting your firearm against carbon, copper, brass, and lead build-up.

WeaponCLP prevents rust and enables you to store your firearm without worry for years on end.

Centerfire Cleaning Solutions also offers Cleaning/Range Mats made from high-quality neoprene that is washable and reusable. Simple yet effective, the cleaning mats are made of 3mm rubber backed neoprene, protecting your firearm from harmful surfaces. These mats allow you to clean, lubricate, and protect your firearm without worry of damaging or contaminating the components of the firearm. The mats absorb spills and protect surfaces underneath the mat, and they are available in two sizes to accommodate pistols or long guns.

The team at Centerfire is very active in the firearm community. All employees are current members of the NRA and CRPA in which they participate in local and national events. They also all share a commitment to country by providing their customers with high-quality products that are cast on American soil, as well as donating products to the Friends of the

NRA, local Fish and Game Clubs and USA Shooting.

“Centerfire Cleaning Solutions is truly committed to the environment and education,” said co-founder Steve Thomas. “We are organizing our first range and wildlife clean-up this summer in Southern California, where participants will clean up spent shell casings and trash that has been left by past target shooters and hunters. Additionally, the Centerfire team is creating First Time Gun Owner Workshops where new gun owners can learn how to break down and clean their guns, learn the importance of gun safety and network with other firearm enthusiasts.”

To learn more about Centerfire Cleaning Solutions, please visit them on the web at www.centerfirecs.com or call (760) 743-8800.

Hunter’s Specialties New i-Kam Xtreme Eyewear Lets You Be Your Own Videographer Hunter’s Specialties® has acquired the exclusive rights to i-Kam Xtreme™ (Patent Pending) video eyewear. i-Kam Xtreme incorporates an advanced mobile video recorder into a lightweight pair of glasses. Whether it’s your children’s latest ball game, a downhill ski run, a fishing trip, or your last hunt, now outdoor enthusiasts of all kinds have a hands-

of built-in memory for up to 3 hours of recording.

The glasses will also accept a Micro SD card for an additional 8 GB of memory. The integral microphone captures all the sounds to go along with the video.

The glasses can be hooked directly to a PC with the supplied USB cable to view the video, or when using the Micro SD card, it can be inserted into a card reader to watch footage.

Each pair of i-Kam Xtreme glasses comes with four interchangeable lenses in smoke, brown, yellow and clear to use in all lighting conditions. Frames are available in both glossy and flat black, RealTree camouflage and white. A hard bodied carrying case, cleaning cloth, AC adapter and instruction manual are also included.

“At Hunter’s Specialties we’re always looking for exciting new products that feature cutting edge technology to add to our line,” said David Forbes, Hunter’s Specialties Co-CEO. “When we saw the quality of the video being shot by these glasses and the number of great applications for hunters and other outdoor enthusiasts, we knew this was a product worthy of our name.”

WaveSpin Reels Continue to Win Anglers & Awards PORT RICHEY, Fla., -- For a young, unique fishing reel manufacturer WaveSpin continues to mount a following from avid anglers not only of great praise and compliments, but sales.

In just three years the WaveSpin spinning reel invented by Doug Hannon, popularly known as “the Bass Professor,” has also won a long list of accolades, awards and contracts based on its “BIRD NEST FREE GUARANTEE” and patented no-tangle, trouble-free design which gives anglers more enjoyable fishing time without worrying about line twists and tangles.

After a long winter and pent up demand at the recent spring fishing and outdoor shows, stores are typically selling out of their stock of WaveSpin models based on its growing appeal.

free way to record what they see and play it back for future enjoyment. i-Kam Xtreme offers completely wireless operation, with no cords or battery packs required. It has a digital camera incorporated into the frame with 4GB

Distinctive reel with “wave” designed spool, drag, caught instant media attention After WaveSpin’s launch in 2007, the modestly priced value-packed reel (the DH 3000 is $87.95), received its first honor from Outdoor Life Magazine when its fishing editor Jerry Gibbs wrote that the reel represents “the first significant improvement in salt- and freshwater spinning-reel design in more than 50 years. What MAY 2010 AFRICAN EXPEDITION MAGAZINE | 99

sets the WaveSpin apart from its competitors is that it’s virtually impossible for the line to bird nest during a cast.”

Three months later WaveSpin won Field & Stream Magazine’s prestigious 2008 “BEST of the BEST” Award in the March issue in which the editors of the 112-year old publication said “Doug Hannon’s WaveSpin Reels are a radical design at a time when innovation in spinning is hard to find.”

Then TackleTour.com presented WaveSpin with its Innovation Award. A year later WaveSpin was named “Best of the Best in Value” by FLW Outdoors Magazine.

Word spread in the fishing community and Walt Disney World the world famous family attraction and resorts near Orlando, Fla., USA, wanting to give its guests a fun and memorable experience while fishing at the theme park’s lakes, approached WaveSpin.

Russ Riley, WaveSpin’s VP of operations said, “They contacted us after hearing how our reels give anglers - from beginners to professionals - a positive fishing experience without the aggravation of a multitude of line problems (knots, tangles, bird nests) so common with most other spinning reels. Their management and lake staff members tried our reels and agreed it would be perfect for their park visitors in spending more actual and enjoyable time fishing. An exclusive contract and partnership with Disney followed.”

“All I can tell you is these reels have held up better than any reels we have ever used,” said a pleased Greg Waldron, of Walt Disney World Fishing Excursions after a year of constant use by thousands of anglers young and old, novice and experienced.

WaveSpin shines in field test by 60 North American Fishing Club members During the fall months of 2009, WaveSpin Reels underwent intense field testing by 60 members of the world’s largest fishing club the North American Fishing Club.

The results were announced in the March issue of North American Fishing Magazine to NAFC’s 600,000 members and 100% of the field testers said they would recommend WaveSpin and the majority 100 | AFRICAN EXPEDITION MAGAZINE MAY 2010

rated it a value priced reel receiving the NAFC Field Tested Seal of Approval.

“What an honor for WaveSpin to receive such great praise from such a prestigious organization,” said Riley. “We received a 92% overall rating based on their 10 elements of criteria which NAFC says is exceptional.”

All four model sizes of WaveSpin come with an exclusive two-year unlimited warranty. The reel, with its uniquely designed spool lip of smoothly rounded teeth - “waves” that eliminate tangles - also features a patented notool quick-strip split spool allowing anglers to slip off the entire amount of old line in one clump without tedious stripping. WaveSpin not only cures a bulk of the problems with spinning reels (tangles, bird nests and ineffective drags) it’s also the affordable answer to very expensive fishing gear.

“WaveSpin’s patented technology has benefits and features like no other brand reel,” said Riley. “Not Shimano, not Daiwa, not Abu Garcia or any other brand. We now offer the patented no-tangle technology in four sizes at a price and promise of quality unmatched and unchallenged by any other reel brand.”

Always thinking of ways to make things work better, the cerebral Hannon holds 16 patents, most in the outdoor arena, including one for his weedless propeller an innovation that effectively revolutionized the trolling motor industry.

For information go to www.wavespinreel.com

Excalibur Axiom Kit This superbly crafted crossbow is capable of producing arrow speeds in excess of 300 feet per second and like all Excalibur crossbows, the Axiom’s accuracy is amazing and its reliability is bulletproof.

Generating plenty of horsepower, the Axiom has what it takes to efficiently handle any of North America’s largest game. It’s 175 pound draw weight and 14 ½ inch power stroke make it comfortable to cock and the Axiom’s light 6 pound mass weight make it a joy to carry on a long day afield. The Axiom is sold only as a kit including a matching multiplex crossbow

scope with mounting hardware, our 4 arrow quiver plus 4 Firebolt arrows complete with field points.

The Axiom kit is designed as a budget priced option to help new and seasoned crossbow hunters enjoy Excalibur quality at a low cost, but make no mistake, this is one serious hunting combination!

Quality of manufacture, reliability, and accuracy of this economical kit is comparable with our most expensive options For more info go to http://www.excaliburcrossbow. com/catalog/crossbow/axiom_crossbow_kit

EMA Tactical SAW Sling EMA Tactical introduced their new SAW (Squad Automatic Weapon) sling. Our SAW sling is designed to be used by the operator when carrying crew served weapons. The whole squad depends on the soldier with the SAW and carrying it is tiresome.

Designed with the comfort of the soldier in mind and understanding the need for a heavy duty sling in the marketplace today, our new SAW sling spreads the weight over a very large surface of the upper body.

With our new SAW sling the soldier arrives at his destination in a much less fatigued condition than

with an ordinary sling and is ready to complete the mission.

The 4” wide 1” thick padding is 33” long protected in a Cordura outer covering with a mesh lining for wicking moisture on the underside.

The edges are protected with nylon piping. A 2” wide nylon webbing is securely stitched along the length of the padding and with box X stitching at both ends for extra reinforcement. There are metal strap length adjustments slides at both ends of the nylon webbing.

Overall sling length can be adjusted between 57” and 75”. Heavy duty metal safety hooks are wrapped with vinyl backed nylon shrouds to eliminate noise from rattling and provide a secure attachment to the SAW. Manufactured in Israel by Marom Dolphin. EMA Tactical is the exclusive distributor of Marom Dolphin products in the USA.

KONUS Has Everything a Shooter Needs for Summer Fun Miami, Florida, April 1, 2010 – Whether its target shooting at the range, plinking, or hunting, Konus has everything any shooter needs for some good old-fashioned summer fun.

“Summer is an in-between season in terms of hunting, but shooters still want the opportunity to practice and keep their skills sharp,” said Mark Shore, VP of Sales & Marketing, Konus USA. “Konus offers a full range of high-quality optics including riflescopes, binoculars and spotting scopes, built for a range of activities, and all featuring the value and quality, for which Konus is best known.”

Hitting the range for some target practice? There are two pistol scopes in the KonusPro line that feature Konus’ famous etched reticle that will never break, spin or misalign, regardless of the caliber being used.

The 2x28 and 2-8x28 are the only pistol scopes on the market with an engraved 30/30 reticle. They also feature optimum eye relief needed for handgun shooting, multi-coated optics, and a one-piece tube.

Both are parallax correct at 50 yards.

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For short to medium range shooting or fast moving targets, the new KonusPro 2-7x32 and compact 4x32 are ideal. Available in both matte black and silver, all four scopes feature the distinctive engraved reticle, finger adjustable turrets, mounting rings and multi-coated optics.

Parallax correct at 75 yards, both scopes are shockproof and fogproof. Konus also makes a full size 4x32 as well as a 3-9x32, which are equally perfect for this type of shooter.

These two scopes both have an adjustable objective with the unique ability to focus down to an amazing 7 yards.

Birdwatchers and hunters alike will love the new Emperor line of binoculars, which are designed and built to achieve a supreme optical quality. Their unique BAK-4 prisms with phase correction provide the clearest, brightest and crispest view, particularly noticeable when viewing fine details. The Emperor line features two models – an 8x42 and 10x42, both available in hunter green or grey. Both models are waterproof, feature a lightweight body, fully multicoated optics, super wide angle, large eyepiece and long eye relief.

Summer is a great time to view nature, and Konus offers two new spotting scopes in the KonusSpot line that are perfect for hunters, birdwatchers, and nature enthusiasts who are looking for the most rewarding outdoor experience. The 20-60x70 features versatile zoom power, table tripod, camera adapter and carrying case. The 9-45x60 features a 45 degree eyepiece, impeccable optical quality and a zoom for maximum power and versatility. They come equipped with a new and improved tripod fully made of metal.

For more info go to http://www.konususa.com/

Must-have insurance to protect guns from being damaged while stored in safes and cabinets Humidity is the enemy and the new SafeKeeping PEET® Dryer is the solution in thwarting the rust and mildew damage humidity can cause.

The age-old problem of unwanted moisture damaging expensive guns while in storage in safes and cabinets has been resolved. Peet Dryer is introducing the SafeKeeping PEET Dryer for spring 2010 that 102 | AFRICAN EXPEDITION MAGAZINE MAY 2010

effectively controls the inside air keeping it “gunfriendly.”

The power behind Peet’s effectiveness is its use of the natural convection process. It slightly warms ambient air that then rises through the AirChamber to circulate throughout the confined area.

This circulating air keeps the contents free from rust and mildew damage. It’s the same technology used in the Original PEET Dryer that has been reliably drying footwear and gear for decades.

“We had been asked for years to develop a safe dryer because what was out there wasn’t very effective or a somewhat of a hassle to use,” said Andy Kennelly, Vice President Sales, Peet Dryer. “We developed a prototype and wanted an objective, highlyknowledgeable source to test its effectiveness. What we heard back was even better than we anticipated.”

Peet chose Liberty Safe – the #1 seller of full-size residential safes in the U.S. – to test SafeKeeping PEET. Liberty Safe had this to say: “We think that your dryer offers a new and better approach to the problem of keeping unwanted moisture from collecting on the valuables placed in our safes.” Other positive results Liberty mentioned included how quickly the recovery was after the door was opened, and how SafeKeeping PEET starts working immediately.

The patent-pending SafeKeeping PEET is completely safe (ETL approved), maintenance-free, and energy efficient drawing only 18 watts of power. MSRP is $39.99.

For more info go to www.peetdryer.com

Canon celebrates The Production of The 40 millionth EOS-series SLR camera LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., May 13, 2010 — Canon Inc. announced today the achievement of a new cameramanufacturing milestone as combined production of the company’s EOS-series film and digital single-lens

reflex (SLR) cameras passed the 40-million mark.

Production of the EOS SLR camera first began in 1987 at Canon Inc.’s Fukushima Plant (now Fukushima Canon Inc.), and then later moved to Canon Inc., Taiwan; Oita Canon Inc.; and most recently Nagasaki Canon Inc. from March of this year. In 1997, the 10th anniversary of the series, production reached 10 million units, and in 2003 passed the 20-million mark.

After the rapid spread of digital SLR cameras, Canon went on to reach the 30-million mark during the series’ 20-year anniversary in December 2007, followed by the current 40-millionunit production milestone, attained after a short two years and four months. Furthermore, the EOS Digital series also recorded a production milestone of 20 million units.

The EOS series, which stands for “Electro Optical System” and also carries the name of the Greek goddess of the dawn, was first introduced in March 1987 as a new generation of AF SLR cameras that incorporate the world’s first electronic mount system, achieving complete electronic control not only between the lens and body but throughout the entire camera system.

With the key concepts of high speed and ease-ofuse, the EOS-series cameras, including the top-ofthe-line EOS-1 professional model, which was first introduced in 1989, and the compact, lightweight EOS Rebel (EOS Kiss or EOS 1000 in other regions), which was released in 1990 and helped to expand Canon’s user base, actively incorporated innovative technologies and gained acceptance from a wide range of users.

Following the introduction of the EOS D30 in 2000, a time when the spread of digital SLR cameras was in full swing, Canon developed such advanced technologies as its proprietary CMOS sensors and the high-performance DIGIC digital image processor, as well as an extensive lineup of EF lenses in an effort to fulfill the company’s new key concepts of high speed, ease-of-use, and high image quality.

Canon further expanded its rich product lineup with the release of the entry-level EOS Rebel T2i (EOS

Kiss X4 or EOS 550D) digital SLR camera in February of this year, which features an approximately 18.0-million pixel CMOS sensor and supports an extended ISO range, bringing the total to seven cameras—two professional, three advanced-amateur, and two entry-level models—in the EOS series.

Canon is deeply grateful for all of the support from its customers to make possible this production milestone, and will continue striving to produce innovative and attractive products that deliver all-around customer satisfaction while further endeavoring to create an enjoyable digital photo culture.

For more info go to http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelInfoAct&fcategoryid=139& modelid=19356

Alpen Ranked Second in 2009 Binocular Sales Ranch Cucamonga, CA - According to the February 2010 NSSF Survey Tracker Report, Alpen Optics ranked 2nd in Binocular Sales in 2009 amongst at total of 14 optics manufacturers included in the survey. Alpen was 2nd only to Bushnell and finished ahead of 12 other companies including Nikon, Leupold, Swarovski, and Zeiss.

The information used to compile the report was sourced by HunterSurvey.com. HunterSurvey is a monthly industry monitoring service which uses an online panel of active hunters and target shooters. The information is provided

by Southwick Associates, Inc For more info go to http://www.alpenoutdoor.com/html/binoculars.html MAY 2010 AFRICAN EXPEDITION MAGAZINE | 103

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Make a Plan

Here in Africa, we Boers are pioneers and survivors - and we always make a plan. We got Wallace to share some of them with you.

He continues his new series.

Hints and advice are given in good faith to be of help in emergencies. The writer as well as the publisher, personnel and agents concerned does not accept any responsibility for any injury, accident or damages that might arise from the use of any of the hints.

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Pump a tubeless tyre There you are in the middle of nowhere with a flat tire and your finger in your ear.

You fixed the inner tubeless tyre but now it does not want to hold air because the hand pump or the airflow from the compressor is too slow to kick the tyre on the rim. All the air escapes along the sides. It is a good idea to always have inner tubes with you for an emergency like this, but now, unfortunately there is none available.

What now?

If you have a coupling pipe or contrive something, you can pump another tyre to at least 4 bar and use this then on the flat tyre to get air into it. If the inside of the tyre valve is first screwed out the air will move faster and then a pump nozzle is not necessary. A little bit of soap water, rubbed on the edge of the tyre, will also help it to slide up and seal.

It also works sometimes if you put the wheel flat on the ground with the inside of • the rim at the top. Two people then get on the wheel and stand firm on the tyre until the edge slip over on the bottom lip of the rim. Turn the wheel around then and put the rim on something so that the tyre does not touch the ground but will now hang against the lip that is underneath. Now the compressor might be able to inflate the tyre.

Another plan is to string a strong rope on the outside of the tyre, all along the middle of the tread and with a stick or some tool wind it up so that the tread of the tyre is drawn in and the ridges thus forced out against the rim.

A more daredevil plan is the following. Place the wheel flat on the ground. Now squirt lighter fluid or something similar that is volatile and flammable inside the tyre as well as a little bit over the outside ridge of the tyre and then also a stretch on the ground as a fuse.

Take a long stick with a burning rag in front and quickly light the fuse. The explosion will blow the tubeless tyre in its place. You might have to let out or add some air to get the right pressure.

Dr Wallace Vosloo is an Engineer and Scientist by profession. His family has lived in Africa since 1696 and he has a deep love for the continent. He is a practical outdoorsman and loves traditional hunting, axe and knife throwing, longbow shooting, black powder rifle- and cannon shooting, salt and fresh water fly fishing and tracking. The art of survival is Wallace’s main field of interest and his passion is to transfer these old forgotten skills to young hunters.

MAY 2010 AFRICAN EXPEDITION MAGAZINE | 115

Your African hunting safari is a unique experience.

Now you can document your hunt day by day and revisit those exciting times for years to come.

31 Full days of journaling space with vital information: ●● safari clothing ●● personal item checklists ●● health and first aid ●● mammal identification information with photographs, tracks, dung and SCI and Rowland Ward qualification minimums.

116 | AFRICAN EXPEDITION MAGAZINE MAY 2010

Know how to administer CPR. Deal with dangerous animals up close.

Identify and treat bites from snakes, spiders and scorpions. Know the right emergency numbers to dial in an emergency – it’s all there.

A must-have item for every serious hunter.

Sturdy PlastiCoil binding for durability and easy opening, 110 pages, 6.0 x 9.0 in.

Full color covers and cream interior printed in black and white.

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118 | AFRICAN EXPEDITION MAGAZINE MAY 2010

True North All Men Die; Few Men Ever Really LIVE

The most dangerous man on earth is the man who has reckoned with his own death. All men die; few men ever really live. Sure, you can create a safe life for yourself . . . and end your days in a rest home babbling on about some forgotten misfortune. I’d rather go down swinging.

Besides, the less we are trying to “save ourselves,” the more effective a warrior we will be.

Listen to G. K. Chesterton on courage: Courage is almost a contradiction in terms. It means a strong desire to live taking the form of a readiness to die.

“He that will lose his life, the same shall save it” is not a piece of mysticism for saints and heroes. It is a piece of everyday advice for sailors or mountaineers. It might be printed in an Alpine guide or a drill book. The paradox is the whole principle of courage; even of quite earthly or quite brutal courage. A man cut off by the sea may save his life if he will risk it on the precipice. He can only get away from death by continually stepping within an inch of it.

A soldier surrounded by enemies, if he is to cut his way out, needs to combine a strong desire for living with a strange carelessness about dying. He must not merely cling to life, for then he will be a coward, and will not escape. He must not merely wait for death, for then he will be a suicide, and will not escape. He must seek his life in a spirit of furious indifference to it; he must desire life like water and yet drink death like wine.

(Wild at Heart , 169)

John Eldredge

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