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 WildebeestÂ
Written by Tom Murphy The Black wildebeest (Connochaetes gnou)Â 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...