One for the Road
Lunch with Leo, Okavango Delta, 2008. Yes, his tail is flicking. Yes, he was annoyed that we were disturbing his repast. And yes, we got out of there.By Terry Wieland RECOGNITION OF REALITY RETURNS TO BOTSWANA For good, one hopes There is one...
One for the Road
By Terry Wieland M’BOGO MAN It’s very difficult to write anything new about the Cape buffalo. It seems that everything that can be said, has been said, and more than once. From Robert Ruark (Horn of the Hunter) to South African novelist Stuart Cloete...
One for the Road
By Terry Wieland PACHYDERMIA When in elephant country, carry an elephant rifle Never having hunted elephant myself — at least, not intentionally — I’m hardly qualified to offer much more than some very circumspect opinions on what to do or...
South Africa Plans to Grow Biodiversity Economy
Wildlife has blossomed on privately-owned land in South Africa since legislation was passed in the 1970s, making the ownership of wild animals and their utilisation a viable alternative to conventional agriculture with crops and livestock. This has made South Africa...
One for the Road
By Terry Wieland The Travelling Library Blood, sweat, gun oil, dust and ashes When Theodore Roosevelt made his celebrated safari through East Africa, more than 110 years ago now, he took with him a veritable mountain of equipment. From rifles and...
One for the Road
By Terry Wieland The Fiercest Heart Stuart Cloete — soldier, novelist, elephant hunter In 1994, when I was holed up on a remote farm in the (then) Orange Free State, learning one last time that I am not a novelist, I found myself longing for something to...
One for the Road
A Masai homestead near the Great Rift Valley in Tanzania. The grass hut is perfect for the climate.By Terry Wieland Under Canvas The fine art of teamwork Many has been the paean to the joys of the old-time tented safari, wherein you set up camp for a few...
Wildlife Artist: Linda Lemon
Book Review: Rift Valley Fever
Rift Valley Fever - A British Vet in Africa After training as a vet in Edinburgh, Hugh Cran set off to Kenya and spent the next 50 years at the sharp end, treating the cattle of Maasai herdsmen, wild animals, the horses and pets of ex-pats and the military and the...
Ensure your tipple travels safely with Rigby’s new Whisky Travel Case
There’s now no need to be concerned about your finest malt travelling with you thanks to John Rigby & Co.’s new bespoke leather and walnut whisky travel case. Expertly designed to keep your whisky bottle from smashing in transit, this exceptionally practical...
One for the Road
A Masai homestead near the Great Rift Valley in Tanzania. The grass hut is perfect for the climate.By Terry Wieland A Tale of Three Buffalo The things that stick with you In Horn of the Hunter, Robert Ruark describes two Cape buffalo he took on his first...
One for the Road
A Masai homestead near the Great Rift Valley in Tanzania. The grass hut is perfect for the climate.By Terry Wieland A Good Night's Sleep Grass, mud, and (ugh!) corrugated iron Fifty years ago, I found myself in the southern Sudan, in a small camp of...
Rigby Art unveils new limited edition wildlife collection
London gunmaker, John Rigby & Co.’s art department, Rigby Art, unveils three new limited edition fine art prints of a caracal wildcat, dik-dik antelope, and klipspringer antelope. Crafted by Rigby artist and engraver, Geoffrey Lignon, each piece showcases the...
Justin Prigmore unveils Big Five at DSCC
Award-winning, Scottish-based artist Justin Prigmore unveiled new original works and paint live at the John Rigby & Co. booth #4125 at the 2024 Dallas Safari Club (DSC) Convention. The four new works are all original oil paintings on Belgian linen and have been...
Classic and Contemporary African Hunting Literature
Hunting On Safari in East and Southern Africa Aubrey Wynne-Jones (Macmillan South Africa Ltd., 1980, 180 pages) Reviewed by Ken Bailey Like many others, early on I read the books of Capstick, Ruark and Hunter, dreaming of the day I could live out my own African...
One for the Road
Corbett’s .275 Rigby, and mementoes of his life and career, courtesy John Rigby & Co.By Terry Wieland Top of the Tree Jim Corbett and the Queen By a strange coincidence, I was in the midst of re-reading all of Jim Corbett’s books about India,...
Gin-Trapped Buffalo Leads to the Fall of a Zimbabwean Icon
The letter below was copied to me by an Alaskan hunter. What made the letter particularly meaningful is that just this week something terrible happened. When you read the letter below, you will see a reference to gin traps and how terrible they are. And the...
One for the Road
Elephant in the Okavango. Botswana has one of the few remaining healthy elephant populations—healthy to the point of threatening their own well-being through habitat destruction. Proper elephant management is difficult because of international opinion, made all the...
Classic and Contemporary African Hunting Literature
Rhino War Major General (Ret.) Johan Jooste with Tony Park (Ingwe Publishing, 2022, 268 pages) Reviewed by Ken Bailey Rhino War is a fascinating read describing the staggering level and sheer brutality of rhino poaching in South Africa’s Kruger National Park, and...
Karamojo Bell and his Small Bores – Stubborn Resolve or Logical Choice?
This highly ornate Rising Bite double rifle was refitted in Rigby’s London shop for a second barrel set in 9.3x62mm to accompany the original .350 Rigby Magnum barrels. The extension seen at the breech end of the barrels fits very precisely into the action face where...
Classic and Contemporary African Hunting Literature
Wato Brian Watson ( 2019, 321 pages) Reviewed by Ken Bailey Brian Watson’s Wato is purely and simply an enjoyable read. I suspect that’s in part because he’s one of us. Like many of us he took a fancy to guns, shooting and hunting as a child, and he grew up in...
Campfire Thoughts & Reminiscences Part 23
Written by Neil Harmse Chapter 24. A Martini Henry – Resurrecting an ‘Oldie’ A number of guns were put up for sale by a retired hunter and among these was a very rusty, badly pitted sporting Martini Henry .577/450 made by Isaac Hollis &...
Rigby welcomes celebrated wildlife artist Zoltán Boros
Red Stag with HindsLondon gunmaker John Rigby & Co. is delighted to announce the latest addition to its esteemed art department, Zoltán Boros. Hailing from Subotica, Serbia, Zoltán is known for his passion for wildlife and his exceptional talent in capturing the...
Local Cookbook, “Everyday Venison,” Clinches Prestigious World Gourmand Award
Leslie van der Merwe's recipe book, "Everyday Venison," was crowned the Best Game Meat Cook Book in the World at the esteemed Gourmand Awards Ceremony. The Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, an institution founded in 1995 by Edouard Cointreau, recognizes...
Classic and Contemporary African Hunting Literature
Dangerous Game Quest Kim Stuart, (Fjermendal Press, 2021, 236 pages) Reviewed by Ken Bailey Kim Stuart’s Dangerous Game Quest – A Personal Journey is a compilation of stories describing his odyssey to become the first hunter to take each of the Magnificent Seven...
Campfire Thoughts & Reminiscences Part 22
Written by Neil Harmse Chapter 23. The Ultimate Big Bore For those big-bore shooters who always claim they are addicted to back pull, I have come across the ultimate rifle which should satisfy their every craving for brain rattling,...
Father of Them All
This Enfield-made Martini carbine in .303 British compares favorably with the much later Lee-Enfield No. 5 Mk. 1 – the famous Jungle Carbine.Even after the Martini-Henry rifle had been retired as the British service weapon, various manufacturers (including the royal...
Rigby’s Rising Bite Shotgun
Diggory Hadoke examines the re-emergence of Rigby’s classic shotgun in modern guise. When you buy a new British gun, you actually buy an old British gun, made recently. Every major maker still in business is selling products developed from patents dating back...
A View on Hunting by a Traditional Leader in Namibia
By Dr Margaret Jacobsohn Chief T J Mayuni, traditional leader of the Mafwe people in the Mashi district of Namibia and patron of Mayuni Conservancy, is an ardent conservationist and an animal lover. He can describe and recall the name of every dog he has owned since...
Campfire Thoughts & Reminiscences Part 21
Written by Neil Harmse Chapter 22. Useful Equipment for Shotgunners The long-awaited day has finally arrived. You have your licence for your new shotgun and have collected it from the gun shop – and the season is open! You cannot wait to get out...
Classic and Contemporary African Hunting Literature
Ask the Namibian Guides Diana Rupp, (Safari Press, 2013, 182 pages.) Reviewed by Ken Bailey Long-time Sports Afield editor Diana Rupp first hunted Africa in 2003, a plains game hunt in Namibia. Captured, as so many of us are, by Africa’s magic, she’s gone back...
Campfire Thoughts & Reminiscences Part 20
Written by Neil Harmse Chapter 21. Shotgun Cartridges and Their Development Over the Years Today most wing and clay target-shooters using modern shot cartridges show very little interest in the ammunition they use, apart from what they feel is...
Classic and Contemporary African Hunting Literature
A Game Ranger’s Note Book Arthur (A.) Blayney Percival, (Whitefriar’s Press, Ltd., 1924, 372 pages.) Reviewed by Ken Bailey Arthur (A.) Blayney Percival (1875 – 1941) arrived in British East Africa in 1900 from Arabia, where he had been in charge of a British...
Campfire Thoughts & Reminiscences Part 19
Written by Neil Harmse Chapter 20. Understanding The Shotgun New shooters being introduced to the shotgunning sport may find the many terms and techniques rather confusing, with words like ‘load’, ‘bore’, ‘gauge’, ‘choke’ and others bandied...
The Beauty of Beadwork: Turning Waste Into Art
For the past six years, Carmen Rudman has been creating intricate works of art on mostly, South African wildlife skulls. Living on their family ranch, Blaauwkrantz, in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, a well-known hunting destination, and with her background...
Formula: AHG + John Rigby = One Very Happy Hunter
Dear John Rigby Co. and Maria, I wanted to write and tell you how thankful I am to own a John Rigby 416 rifle. It arrived last Wednesday!!! Your company and willingness to participate in the African Hunting Gazette drawing with the prize of a 416 is just...
Classic and Contemporary African Hunting Literature
Death in the Dark Continent Peter Hathaway Capstick (St. Martin’s Press, 1983, 238 pages.) Reviewed by Ken Bailey There’s probably no modern author of African hunting adventures that has captured audience appeal like Peter Capstick has. After a short career as a...
Wato – The Book
By Brian Watson Wato - The Book is a beautiful 324 page hard cover compilation of some of Wato's hunting adventures in wild Africa and other wilderness places. The book can be purchased here: https://watosbook.square.site/ To give you a taste of what's in store...
Youth Hunting:A Smart Parent’s Guide to Safely Hunting with Kids
Sponsored by Ammo.com It's a pivotal time for the sport of hunting, especially among America's youth. Due to urbanization, endless activities for children, and the constant humming draw of electronics, kids are getting less exposure to the outdoors and showing...
Campfire Thoughts & Reminiscences Part 18
Written by Neil Harmse Chapter 18. The Slug Gun As I approached my mid-60s, I decided I would ‘retire’ from game hunting and concentrate on wingshooting. I have a passion for vintage and well-made side-by-side shotguns, and it gives me great...
Classic and Contemporary African Hunting Literature
The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber Ernest Hemingway (Cosmopolitan, 1936.) Reviewed by Ken Bailey The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber, a short story by Ernest Hemingway set in Africa, was originally published in the September 1936 issue...
African Response to UK’s Proposed Hunting Trophy Ban
On 17 March 2023 a Private Member’s Bill to ban the import of hunting trophies into the UK passed its third reading in Parliament. It was approved by MPs after this reading, but required further scrutiny in the House of Lords before being passed into law. A strong...
Wildlife Artist: Zoltan Boros
Zoltan Boros was born in Szabadka, Hungary in 1976. Nature and animals fascinated him since his early childhood. Zoltan began drawing at a young age, developing his talent by drawing the local wildlife. Later, he began to paint with oils and watercolors and continued...
Black Wildebeest
Written by Tom Murphy The Black wildebeest (Connochaetes gnou) is sometimes referred to as the white-tailed gnu. Its average weight runs between 250-425 pounds. Shoulder height is four feet. Overall length 65 inches to 90 inches. The black wildebeest has a dark...
African Parks 2022 Update
The addition of Kafue National Park in Zambia, and Boma and Badingilo National Parks in South Sudan added considerably to the African Parks portfolio of land now under formal management agreements. Positive discussions with the governments of Angola and Ethiopia also...
Campfire Thoughts & Reminiscences Part 17
Written by Neil Harmse Chapter 18. Silver Shooters To quote George Bernard Shaw: ‘Youth is a wonderful thing. What a crime it is to waste it on children.’ We never consider that we are getting older, and things change… As I myself get older, I...
Classic and Contemporary African Hunting Literature
Wanderings of an Elephant Hunter W.D.M. Bell (Country Life Ltd., 1923.) Reviewed by Ken Bailey Scottish-born Walter Dalrymple Maitland Bell, best known today as Karamojo Bell, was a true Renaissance man. Best known for his hunting exploits in East Africa, he...
First Global Human-Wildlife Conflict Summit
Hundreds of representatives from conservation organisations, academia, governments, businesses and indigenous and local communities from six continents and 70 countries met for the International Conference on Human-Wildlife Conflict and Coexistence, hosted by the IUCN...
Campfire Thoughts & Reminiscences Part 16
Written by Neil Harmse Chapter 17. Why Wingshooting I think there are as many reasons hunters pursue game as there are hunters – and those who hunt feathered game are no exception. When I decided to sell off my rifles and, instead, take up my sport of...
World’s Longest Buffalo Hunt!
By Jim Thorn I hunted with Monterra Safaris in May 2021. On that hunt I had an opportunity to take a Cape buffalo that was giving them some problems. Of course, my only bad shot of the entire hunt was on this buffalo. Not nervous, not in a bad position, the...
Classic and Contemporary African Hunting Literature
Cries of the Savanna Sue Tidwell (Circle T Publishing Company, 2021, 426 pages.) Reviewed by Ken Bailey Sue Tidwell knew little about hunting in Africa or the complexities of game management, hunting ethics and human-wildlife interactions when she accompanied...
An Artistic Vision: what exactly is that in the world of taxidermy?
By Richard Lendrum I spent a couple of days in late February with Aaron and his wife Samantha in Douglasville Pennsylvania. It gave me a chance to get, first-hand, an insight as to what this gent has done over the past 19 years – and it was fascinating. Aside...
Campfire Thoughts & Reminiscences Part 15
Written by Neil Harmse Chapter 16. A Storm to Remember Living in the bush has its memorable moments, as well as its problems and dangers, but the dangers are not always from wild animals. One of the most frightening moments during my time living in the...
Classic and Contemporary African Hunting Literature
From the Cape to Kasserine: Ten Years of African Hunting 2007 - 2016 Craig Boddington (Safari Press, 2018, 324 pages.) Reviewed by Ken Bailey This is the fourth book in Craig Boddington’s series describing his African hunting adventures; he writes one every...
Are Cape Buffalo Really That Dangerous?
By Ken Moody We’ve all heard the stories. The maniacal, charging buffalo bearing down on the quivering client as our hero, the professional hunter, brings his mighty double rifle to bear, ending the chaos with a well-placed shot, or worse – getting killed in the...
A Close Encounter With A Lion
This account of a close encounter with a lion near the Limpopo River in 1845, appears to have been written by William Oswell, a former big-game hunter, three years before his death. _________________________________________________________________________________...
Campfire Thoughts & Reminiscences Part 14
Written by Neil Harmse Chapter 15. Geoff’s Lion and Baboon A good friend of mine has always had a yearning to shoot a lion. When I was involved with problem animal control, Geoff kept asking me to call him if there was an opportunity to join me and...
Jason Stone: Inch By Inch, A Trophy Hunter of 25 Years
A 67-inch kudu bull from Limpopo, South Africa.Written by Richard Lendrum Since record books started and inches measured, some believe this has been a curse on the hunting industry. For many, it is their way of distinguishing themselves, to prove something, be...
Leopard Hunt – Podcast
Caption: Rudolph Stephan, Tim and Mary Sylvester.By Richard Lendrum I was talking with Tim and Mary Sylvester when they were out on their safari and somehow the conversation turned to recalling a previous hunt they had done - a leopard in Zimbabwe almost 7...
Classic and Contemporary African Hunting Literature
Africa's Most Dangerous Kevin Robertson (Safari Press, 2007, 244 pages.) Reviewed by Ken Bailey Much of African hunting literature is of the “Me and Joe” variety, books chock-full of tales describing the hunting adventures of the author. On occasion, however,...
The Baobab Buffalo
Written by Kevin Cunningham It is almost a cliché to say that hunting Cape Buffalo is special. For me it began, curiously enough, many years ago hunting whitewing dove in Mexico with Ralf. Ralf was a successful, greying guy who loved the hunting and fishing life,...
Hunting Lord Derby Eland in Cameroon with Mayo Oldiri
On the fourth day hunting LD eland we picked up the tracks of two bulls at around 7am and followed them for about 2 hours. The droppings were shiny and moist, and we knew we were close. As we moved over a slight hill, I spotted the two bulls moving in front of us,...
Campfire Thoughts & Reminiscences Part 13
Written by Neil Harmse Chapter 14. 'The Hat’ - A Dirty, Smelly Old Friend When it comes to ‘outdoors men’ (sorry, ladies, this is a man thing!), have you ever wondered what it is that sets us apart from one another? I am particularly referring to...
Hunting the Big Little Buck
Mountain reedbuck afford a challenge hunt in the wild.By Daryl Crimp “He’s an absolute monster,” said PH Pete matter-of-factly, “and he lives on this big plateau.” ‘Big’ was an understatement. Even ‘huge’ didn’t cut it. The landscape in Eastern Cape is steroid-...
United Nations Biodiversity Conference Reaches Landmark Agreement
The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was opened for signature in 1992 at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro and entered into force in December 1993. The CBD is an international treaty for the conservation of biodiversity, the sustainable use of the components...
Classic and Contemporary African Hunting Literature
Hunter J.A. Hunter (Harper & Brothers, Publishers, 1952, 264 pages.) Reviewed by Ken Bailey At times we have a tendency to ignore or belittle the common in favor of whatever shiny new penny comes along; judging by all the love given the new 6.5, .27 and .28...
Giant Sable Conservation in Angola
Written by Pedro Vaz Pinto This past year finally allowed us to move forward with routine activities and reach a quasi-normality state after two years of facing all sorts of constraints derived from Covid-19 related restrictions. And on the ground, the year of 2022...
Bongo Hunting
Written by Frank Zits After the Big Five (lion, leopard, rhino, elephant, and Cape buffalo), hunting forest bongo possibly rates next, or at least high, on the list of dream safaris for most African game hunters. There are two types of African bongos, the western or...
Campfire Thoughts & Reminiscences Part 11
ritten by Neil Harmse Chapter 12. Wilderness Trails My life in the bush had its moments of excitement when dealing with problem animals and I have mentioned incidents on hunts and while guiding clients on safaris. However, when I think back, one of the...
Black Death with a Crossbow
Written by Jon FossilThirty yards in front of me, two huge Cape buffalo were repeatedly goring each other in a battle to the death. We had been following these two Dagga Boys for several hours and were now only 30 yards from the two combatants with nothing but a...
Classic and Contemporary African Hunting Literature
Strange Tales from the African Bush Hannes Wessels (Safari Press, 2009, 234 pages.) Reviewed by Ken Bailey As is suggested by its title, Hannes Wessels’ Strange Tales from the African Bush is not your typical book that describing someone’s African hunting...
A Little Namibian Adventure
Written by Alan Tuck In September 2022, I hunted at Okarumuti Game Lodge, 70km outside Windhoek, Namibia. The Italian-owned and -run lodge, located almost exactly in the center of the country, has a working cattle ranch that sells hunts. On my trip, I...
Campfire Thoughts & Reminiscences Part 10
Written by Neil Harmse Chapter 11. An Expedition into Mozambique The 1980s were a busy time for conducting walking trails and I also got involved with game control operations. By way of something different, I was asked by my good friend Loot...
Elephants and Mega Wildlife
Written by Richard Lendrum It was just over 20 years since I last sat down and had dinner with Johan after his life-altering buffalo attack. Much has changed in Johan Calitz’s life since then; and what a treat to catch up and spend five whole days with this...
Hunting Mozambique with Mashambanzou
Written by Randy Pretzer I am not much of an author, but my wife and I hunted the Zambezi River area of Mozambique in 2022 and I wanted to share our story. This trip was purchased at an SCI auction as a crocodile hunt with Mashambanzou Safaris, although I was able...
Grey? It’s actually Black and White – Anti-Poaching in Cameroon
Written by Grey, head of anti-poaching at Mayo Oldiri Safaris I was hired to go to Cameroon to work for Mayo Oldiri Safaris to train people in anti-poaching. However, the biggest challenge for me was that I had basically no experience as an anti-poaching guy....
Sango Wildlife Lodge & Camp
As I write this - John Ledger is fighting for his life in an ICU at a leading hospital in Joburg. He is either about to – or has had some big heart operation to try unclogging his arteries. It will be a tough ask for any surgeon as John, by his own admission has done...
Classic and Contemporary African Hunting Literature
Facing Down Fear John Sharp (Ex Montibus Media, 2021, 336 pages.) Reviewed by Ken Bailey That bigger-than-life professional hunters are not relegated to a bygone era becomes quickly evident when reading John Sharp’s Facing Down Fear (Ex Montibus Media, 2021,...
Wato – The Book
By Brian Watson Wato - The Book is a beautiful 324 page hard cover compilation of some of Wato's hunting adventures in wild Africa and other wilderness places. The book can be purchased here: https://watosbook.square.site/ To give you a taste of what's in store...
African Conservation Awards 2022
Winners at the Game Rangers Association of Africa 2022 African Conservation Awards © GRAAAfrica’s conservation heroes were celebrated at the prestigious awards ceremony at the African Rangers Congress in Botswana on 17 September. The awards are an annual celebration...
My Hunting Journey
By Valerio Ventriglia My hunting life began in in Zambia, at a very young age. I used to go for my school holidays to Zambia, spending three months at a time. I used to pester my father to let me go with him when he went hunting, but as I was too small, I used...
Campfire Thoughts & Reminiscences Part 9
Written by Neil Harmse Chapter 10. Bad Luck Safari There are times when, no matter how carefully things are planned, nothing seems to work out as one hoped. I remember one safari to Botswana years ago which seemed to go wrong from the very...
Classic and Contemporary African Hunting Literature
Land of the Black Buffalo Paul Smiles (Faber and Faber Limited, 1961, 184 pages.) Reviewed by Ken Bailey On a comparative basis, there is very little in the way of classic hunting literature focussed on what is today’s Botswana; professional hunting wasn’t...
Ian Wilmot’s Monster Eastern Cape Kudu
By Ian Wilmot The biggest kudu we ever shot in the Eastern Cape was a 63-inch kudu, shot 3 or 4 years back. Still the biggest kudu to come out of the Eastern Cape. And it was an interesting hunt, an enjoyable hunt. The terrain is challenging. And this kudu had...
Young and Dumb, but Alive!
By Ryan Phelan of Hotfire Safaris In the early 2000s, I was running a private game reserve in the Tuli Block in Botswana. We had one particular elephant bull that was becoming a nuisance, as he was destroying our solar pumps and panels and threatening my fencing...
Nine Nights in the Selous – Authentic East Africa
By Richard Lendrum Named after the famous African hunter whose life ended here, the reserve in this East African wilderness is difficult to describe in a few hundred words, let alone do justice to. But I will try. In the heart of, and largely surrounded by the...
Silhouettes in the Mist at Lake Mburo
Abdullah in position next to the sitatunga and screaming in the mist.By Ricardo Leone I had met my friend Peter “Bwana” Chipman of Kwalata Safaris in Zambia at the Safari Show in early 2020 and made his booth my home for the three days that I explored the exhibition...
Dugga Boy! A Zambian Adventure
By Stuart Ward, February 2022 Hello and welcome to Africa. Jeannette and I are greeted warmly with smiles. Zambia is a very pleasant breezy cool in early June. The air is rich with earthy mopane smoke aromas. It’s that back woods campfire smell, only different...
Springbok Slam on a Short Timeline
By Michael W. Mills, Maricopa, AZ, USA Africa is a place that grows on you. The more I experience Africa, the more I want to return. Planning for my Africa 2022 trip started before I completed a hunt in 2021. Fast forward a year, I’m in South Africa with my...
Campfire Thoughts & Reminiscences Part 8
Written by Neil Harmse Chapter 9. Concerning Snakes One of the most frequent questions I am asked by people venturing into the bush on a trail or hunt is: ‘Do we have to worry about snakes?’ To be honest, there are snakes all over, even in suburban...
Hurry up and “Wag n Bietjie”
A Kalahari Leopard By Ryan Phelan of Hotfire Safaris Max was back! Back on his fourth adventure with Hotfire Safaris, this time in the vast Kalahari of Botswana. The quarry, a leopard. We had ten days booked to search over a million acres of Kalahari in...
African Parks to Manage Boma and Badingilo National Parks in South Sudan
Giraffes in Badingilo National Park, South Sudan © African ParksOn 25 August, 2022, the Government of the Republic of South Sudan and conservation organisation African Parks announced the signing of a ten-year renewable management agreement for Boma and Badingilo...
Classic and Contemporary African Hunting Literature
Bringing Back the Lions Mike Arnold (Mike Arnold Outdoors, 2022, 241 pages.) Reviewed by Ken Bailey Bringing Back the Lions: International Hunters, Local Tribespeople, and the Miraculous Rescue of a Doomed Ecosystem in Mozambique is a classic tale of...
Hunting buffalo in the Eastern Cape
By Ronald Blymire After having to cancel our 2020 trip we were finally headed back to South Africa. The flight from Washington DC to Johannesburg was uneventful and, as he always is, Mr X was waiting for us as we exited the baggage collection area. We collected our...
The Magical, Mystical Karoo
By Johan van Wyk I suppose we all have a favorite hunting ground, a place where the days are longer, the sun always shines, and the hills are not too steep. I grew up in what I known as Bushveld country, generally flat terrain with the odd kopje covered...
The Enduring Mauser
This take-down Rigby Mauser is bored for the .350 Rigby, once a popular cartridge, now upstagedThirty years after their first failure, Wilhelm was dead. Paul was 60 and might have quit the task. By Wayne van Zwoll Deeply pocked by the great hooves, the path narrowed...
Africa’s Forgotten Wilderness
Camp overlooking the Vovodo RiverHunting in the Central African Republic Today By Andrew Gooden “No, it’s not the Congo – it’s just a bit further north… no, rebel militia doesn’t jump out from behind every bush… yes, hunting is open there.” I find that the questions...
A Vintage Flight for Doves
By Simon K Barr Photography credit: Tweed Media South Africa is a sportsman’s dream: not only is it bursting with some of the most exciting hunting in the world, but when flying from Europe, there’s no jetlag. Less well-known are the fantastic opportunities for...
Campfire Thoughts & Reminiscences Part 7
Written by Neil Harmse Chapter 8. Concerning Rhino At one stage, when I was doing wilderness trails for the Wilderness Leadership School, I was asked to do a promotional walking trail with a group of journalists and dignitaries to help raise funds for...
Classic and Contemporary African Hunting Literature
In the Salt Lou Hallamore (Trophy Room Books, 1999, 218 pages) Reviewed by Ken Bailey It’s been said that Lou Hallamore, one of Zimbabwe’s most revered PHs, has spent more time in leopard blinds than most of us have spent in movie theaters. His knowledge about...