UNIVERSAL MAGA ZINE
FIRST ASIAN HUNT
NOSLER Accubond Bullet MAY/JUNE 2014 VOL 3, ISSUE 3 $8.95
WYOMING PRONGHORNS
CHINESE WATER DEER AFRICAN CROCODILES WHO WAS DICK CABELA
Caza mayor Ciervo colorado
Big game hunting red deer
Ciervo Axis
axis deer
Ciervo Dama
fallow deer
Muflon Jabalí Chivo
mouflon wild boar goat
Uruguay Natural Hunting | Google coordinates: S 32º 58’ 51,71’’ W 54º 31’ 32,65’’ | Administration: Mantua 6706 - Montevideo-Uruguay Tel +598 26018944 / Mathieu: +598 99 379 433 / +33 650 38 76 73 | math. jetten@gmail.com | www.unhunting.com | www.picasaweb.com/unhunting
Contents Letter......................................................... 6 Who Was Dick Cabela?.............................. 9 The Broken Fang of a Water Deer.............10 My Quest for the Grey Ghost....................16 Double Bears........................................... 24 Bullet Talk............................................... 29 Two Million Bullets: Field Report ...........33 The Braille Watch Buck............................35 Speed Goats, Flat-Out............................. 42 Product Reviews..................................50-57 Sharing the Outdoors.............................. 59 A Gift of Scars.......................................... 60 First Asian Hunt...................................... 62 Crocs: Africa’s Overlooked Dangerous Game......................................70 Our Contributors: Who’s Who............ 80-81
Submit your photo, article or hunting story It is only with the contribution of Universal Hunter’s readers that we can make a success of this magazine. Please feel free to send in your trophy photos, hunting experiences, hunting tips, products and any article or contribution you might consider a benefit to fellow hunters or the hunting industry in general. To improve the chances of having your photo or article published, please keep the following in mind: make sure you submit high quality and high resolution digital pictures, preferably taken with a camera with a minimum of five megapixels. When possible or appropriate try not to take a picture with things like fences, vehicles, buildings or other man-made objects in the background. Never hold a small animal by the head or feet so that it hangs down. Rather put it on an anthill or a log. If you have to take a photo in the dark, let a vehicle shine its headlights (on dim) on you and the trophy. Position the animal so that the hunter looks into
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the sun. Wash off or hide all blood that is on the animal or on the ground that might show in the photo. Balance the head so that it shows the animal in a relaxed way. Try not to sit directly behind the focus point of the animal — the head. Rather sit by the back legs. The idea is for the hunter to show only his/her upper body from behind the animal. If the trophy is small, lie down behind it and put it up in front of you holding the head up with your hand under the chin. The camera must be as low as possible. Remove all grass, rocks etc. in front of the animal. Do not put your foot or yourself on an animal in a disrespectful way. Always check that the tongue of the animal is not protruding. Cut it off or put it back in the mouth. We prefer submissions by email, but you are welcome to send CDs or written articles if you do not have a computer available. In this situation, printed photos may also be submitted. Please send all submissions to chantelle@universalhunter.com.
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UNIVERSAL HUNTER UNIVERSAL HUNTER (UHM) is an independent bi-monthly publication for the hunter and nature lover. Copyright on all articles and material published in UHM resides with the publisher. No part of UHM may be copied or reproduced without permission of the publisher. Opinions expressed in articles or advertisements do not necessarily reflect those of the editor, editorial committee or publishers. Submission of articles for publication is welcome, but although care is taken, the publisher can accept no responsibility for loss of or damage to any material submitted. UNIVERSAL HUNTER MAGAZINE Tel: 307-679-9006; 971-373-3166 Email: info@universalhunter.com Website: www.universalhunter.com PUBLISHER AND EDITOR IN-CHIEF USA, CANADA AND SOUTH PACIFIC Emaneul Kapp PUBLISHER AND EDITOR IN-CHIEF AFRICA & EUROPE Hennie van der Walt EDITOR Chantelle Enslin Email: chantelle@universalhunter.com FIELD EDITORS James and Mary Clary Mauritz Coetzee Tim Herald Tony Martins Magnus Pelz Robert Zaiglin Chad Waligura MARKETING AND ADVERTISING Canada, North America and South Pacific Emaneul Kapp Email: emaneul@universalhunter.com +1-307-679-9006 Africa, Asia and Europe Hennie van der Walt Email: hennie@universalhunter.com +27-83-452-2145
Stop 'em
On the road, again!
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tarting off with the ATA Show and the Dallas Safari Club Convention in early January, then on to Las Vegas for the SHOT Show, then up to Canada and back to the SCI Show, then onward to Europe and Russia, and ending with the IWA show in Germany, we at Universal Hunter Magazine have the pleasure to meet our readers and advertisers at the various shows. Being on the road (airplanes and hotels) for more than 60 days across three continents is made up by reliving the hunting memories shared around the world with our readers and friends.
in their tracks
It is also remarkable to see the dedication of specifically the hunting outfitters from South America, Africa, Australia, New Zeeland, and Europe who take the long road to meet up with their existing clients and to market their services to the North American and European hunters.
Fall line available now!
In addition to the fact that UHM is printed and distributed from the USA, UHM is available worldwide on mobile devices via Apple and Android bookstores, so you can read your favourite hunting magazine anywhere in the hunting universe. From this time of year until October, the South American, African, Australian, and New Zeeland hunting outfitters are accompanying their hunting clients in the outdoors. In Africa, imagine yourself stalking the bush in pursuit of the Dark Continent’s most sought after trophy, the elusive Grey Ghost. In this issue, read more about hunting Kudu and Crocodile in Africa, Asian Ibex hunting in Kazakhstan by Tim Crites, and all our regular features from all over the universe. — Hennie van der Walt and the rest of Team UHM
DESIGN AND LAYOUT Eric Taylor LANGUAGE EDITING Kristin Jensen SUBSCRIPTIONS E-mail: info@universalhunter.com By phone: +1-971-373-3166 Website electronic subscriptions: www.universalhunter.com
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Also available at these fine retailers: March / April 2014
March / April 2014
Be ready for life’s adventure in style
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IN REMEMBRANCE
Come See The New
Nosler Rifles At DSC booth #266 SCI booth #2327
Who was Dick Cabela? By David Cabela
T E ST E D DA I LY
At Nosler, we test our bullets all day long. This means we shoot. A lot. Since we began our rifle program in 2005, our technicians have been using Nosler actions for testing bullets from every lot manufactured. The numbers are staggering. While the barrels shoot out eventually, the actions stay the same. Through countless rounds, these actions have run without a hitch, and still provide the same one-hole accuracy they did when they were fresh out of the machine shop. To say our action is “tough” may be a bit of an understatement, so we’ll let the results speak for themselves. While we know you probably won’t shoot yours as much as we shoot ours, it’s nice to know you could.
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To order a Nosler Rifle, please see your local firearms retailer, or contact us directly by calling 1-800-285-3701. For more information or to request a Rifle Catalog, visit www.nosler.com Proudly Made In The U.S.A. March / April 2014
Dick Cabela was a man who experienced the world. He experienced it as a son, as a brother, as a husband, a father, and a grandfather. He fought through the pain of polio as he explored the Nebraska prairie searching for jack rabbits and coyotes. He married his highschool sweetheart and they eventually had nine children together. He founded a tiny company in a tiny town when he began selling handtied flies through the mail. Then combining the work ethic passed on from his father and the promise of freedom, he and his brother grew that company into the World’s Foremost Outfitter. Throughout all that time, he cultivated a desire to explore which began the first time he stared across the plains as a boy. Dick Cabela led a life of adventure few men can claim. He glassed nyala in Ethiopia. He tracked bongo and Lord Derby eland in Cameroon. He stood firm when the elephant charged. He climbed the Altai Mountains in search of argali. He called elk in Colorado. He fished the world’s rivers and lakes and oceans. As
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an entrepreneur, he built a world renowned company that employs more than 17,000 people and provides gear to millions of outdoor enthusiasts. As a hunter and an angler, he saw the sun set and rise from the most remote and beautiful areas of earth. He defended its wildness and our right to participate in it. He was a man who truly experienced the world. But it was as a son, a brother, a husband, a father, and a grandfather that he will be most fondly remembered. The world knew Dick Cabela as a man with many accomplishments. I knew him as dad. When I was growing up I had no idea his company sold gear used by sportsmen all over the world. I just thought he owned the local
sporting goods store. Anyone who did not work in the company thought the same thing. For me, Dick Cabela was the man who came from work and still took the time to teach me how to shoot with a Crossman pump-action BB gun. The man who thumped me in the back whenever I slouched in church. The man who, dripping with sweat and his breath laced with the wheezing of asthma hefted me to his shoulders as we climbed to the top of a mountain trail because giving up had no meaning for him. He taught me how to focus by giving me a fishing pole. He was the man who took me goose hunting to help me understand the rewards of patience. Today, largely because of that man and his gentle guidance, all I have to do when the world gets too loud and busy, is spend an hour or two beside a creek or a pond to remind me there is a quiet voice inside my soul that wants to be heard. So who was this man? Who was Dick Cabela? He was my dad and I miss him.
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The Broken Fang of a Water Deer Written by Magnus Pelz | Translated by Frank Ochsmann
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It is however not the red stag, the roe buck nor the Sika deer I want to hunt, it is the Chinese water deer, one of the most exotic deer species in existence, that has become native to England. Not much is known nor can be found in literature about this type of genus that don’t grow antlers, but instead have fangs like a smilodon and ever since I observed these water deer in the Beijing Zoo, my desire to hunt these unusual deer has steadily increased. A hunting buddy of mine recommended a hunting agent in England whose reputation is well known in Europe. I contact them per eMail and receive a prompt answer, after a brief exchange of information I book their services. Since I have a few extra days of vacation, I decide to take my car, in Calais I drive onboard the Hovercraft and after a short yet choppy and very loud ride disembark in Dover. From there I head northeast past Canterbury and London until I reach Woburn, where I am to meet Alex Hinkins, my outfitter and guide, on the following morning. I arrive at the designated meeting point at 6:30 am on the dot, where Alex is already waiting for me. Alex is one of the best and most experienced hunting guides on the island; his success rate of 100 % in 2013 speaks for itself. In addition he is one of the very few Blaser and Zeiss professional stalkers and personally
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PHOTO: WILLIAM WARBY / CREATIVE COMMONS
REAT BRITAIN is world famous for its great hunting—be it the excitement of stalking the majestic red stag in Scotland, the challenge of imitating the call of the roe buck during the roe deer mating season in the Midlands, maybe hunting the secluded Sika deer in the region around Dorset or the enticement of shooting high flying pheasants or fast flying pigeons with a shotgun. Yes indeed, when it comes to hunting, the island has a lot to offer and as such, I for one, could not resist its charm.
knows the present Duke of Bedford. So as it turns out, today I am allowed to hunt on the grounds of the Duke, of course not in the park of the “Woburn Abbey Manor” itself, but on the adjoining estates. In other words, in the cradle of the English water deer population, there, where it all started and from where these small Asian deer spread across the south of England in record time. While it is still dark we are driving down paths through the fields into the heart of our hunting terrain, of course in a Landrover which was to be expected,
upon parking the vehicle we discuss the strategy for the day. The landscape is defined by large fields that are repeatedly interspersed with small creeks and hedges. The land is very flat here so that we have to be extremely careful where we aim and shoot, especially because the M1 Motorway, the main north — south transit artery of Great Britain, winds right through our hunting terrain. The weather promises us a beautiful day, only the wind causes us concern, because other than usual, today it is blowing from the east, forcing us to hunt in the direction of the Motorway. We must be ever mindful to exercise extreme caution should the opportunity to shoot arise. To start off we decide to work our way, crouching as it were, across an open field towards a power mast in order to get a better view from there. Even though water deer are very abundant here, the restrictive wild game management of Woburn specifies that only gold medal bucks may be hunted. Unique to the water deer is that they do not have antlers — the only trophy are the fangs and in order to get a good look at them, so as to determine a matured buck that may be hunted, you have to get up real close to the game. As the sun slowly rises we are lying comfortably in a prone position under the power mast, where against the green background we can distinguish dark points here and there. Alex scans the field UNIVERSAL HUNTER
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