One for the Road

Apr 30, 2019 | News

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One for the Road

Maydon is not a name that is commonly grouped with Baker, Selous, Bell, and Taylor, although it should be. In 1935, Major H.C. Maydon published a book on African hunting that was completely outside the norm. It was not an account of one expedition into unknown territory, like some of Baker’s, or about a lifetime of hunting mainly one species, like Bell. Instead, it was the first, as far as I know, of what we might call a handbook on where to go, and how to get there.

Maydon’s Big Game of Africa was intended to be about the nuts and bolts of hunting in Africa for the man without connections or family money — the man who was “keen, mad keen” to hunt big game. In the course of it, Maydon’s own unquenchable enthusiasm shines through like a beacon.

Hubert Conway Maydon was not born into money, never became wealthy and, for that matter, did not enjoy what we might call a stellar career in the British Army. Although a professional soldier and Sandhurst graduate, who served through the Great War when sheer attrition often guaranteed promotion, Maydon only achieved the rank of major. I suspect, although I have no way of knowing for sure, that his devotion to big-game hunting and his penchant for taking long leaves to pursue rare animals in far-off climes, might have contributed to that.

Maydon was born in 1884 and raised in Natal, South Africa, where his father was a minister in the colonial government. He graduated from Sandhurst in 1904 and joined the 12th Lancers, a cavalry regiment. At various times he was stationed in India and parts of Africa, and retired in 1924 when he was just 40 years old. He married in 1930, had one daughter, and died in 1944.

Major Maydon’s literary career was brief. He was editor of Big Game Shooting in Africa, one of the volumes in the Lonsdale Library series, which came out in 1935. As well as editing that volume, he contributed two articles of his own — on hunting Barbary sheep and scimitar-horned (white) oryx in the Sahara. That same year, his own book, Big Game of Africa, was published by Charles Scribner’s Sons.

This book was quite unlike anything that had gone before. It was intended as a guide to hunting all over Africa, written specifically for young men who, like himself, were long on enthusiasm but short on cash. He included advice on what rifles to get, and how to get good ones for less money, but did not go on about it at length. He listed the camp equipment required, and how it should be obtained. From there, he dealt with individual species, countries (or territories, or colonies) and licences.

If this sounds like a tourist guide such as Europe on $5 a Day, it really was not. Although Maydon may not have intended it as such, it is almost the autobiography of a hunter who has outfitted himself almost exclusively, managed to get into remote and forbidding areas by hook or by crook, on camel-back or on foot, spending months at a time in the company of only a pal or two and his native guides.

Maydon’s advice is invariably both practical and pragmatic. For example, he emphasized the importance of having fresh-baked bread. This required yeast, which he advised the hunter to buy in England and take with him, as local yeast was unreliable. He also advised him to learn to make his own bread, ahead of time, otherwise he might find himself in a pinch trying to make bread by reading the instructions on the yeast tin.

By comparison to this advice on bread making, he gave scant attention to rifles themselves. He preferred a Mauser in 8×57 (7.9mm) and a .470 double of unidentified origin. He also admired the .303 British, but worried about the problem of importing ammunition into some jurisdictions. (The Sudan, for example, restricted the import of some calibers, which was partly the reason for the development of the .470 in the first place.) Like most experienced hunters and riflemen, he believed you were better off buying a best-quality rifle, second-hand, from a reputable dealer, than trying to save money with a cheap gun. Aside from these, the only rifle he mentions by name is a Mannlicher .355 (9×56).

While in India, Maydon hunted in the Central Provinces, on the plains, and in the jungles of the Terai. He hunted in Kashmir and the Himalayas, and developed a particular affinity for wild sheep.

Oddly enough, Maydon was not an enthusiastic elephant hunter, partly because even then licences were expensive. Black rhino he regarded as a nuisance to be avoided. As for lion and Cape buffalo, “you can’t hunt them forever.” Leopards were in a category by themselves — the “snakes of the big-game world.” He hunted them, but they held no fascination except in staying alive. And so much for the Big Five.

Major Maydon’s lifetime bag in Africa is something to be envied. He hunted Walia ibex in the Semien region of Abyssinia (Ethiopia) and mountan nyala farther south. In Kenya, he took a big bongo bull high in the Aberdares, and Lord Derby eland in Sudan. Other rarities included Nubian ibex, addax and scimitar-horned oryx, and a dozen others. The list of countries hunted includes Sudan, Somaliland, Abyssinia, Egypt, Libya, Kenya, Tanganyika, Moçambique, the Rhodesias, South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana.

Maydon was, in some ways, ahead of his time. Big bags were not his goal, and he scorned substandard heads. He always wanted he best one he could get, and would not shoot a lesser head just to tick it off the list. Nor did he believe in mowing down the game in order to feed a camp full of hungry followers. Ravenous for meat they might be, he wrote, but they wasted as much as they ate, and accommodating this was no reason to massacre animals.

As he wrote, he was a “still-hunter,” which suggests he may have read Theodore Van Dyke’s book, as that term was not in general use in Africa at that time. Still-hunting is very similar to stalking, but Maydon reserved that term for what happened after you had spotted an animal and were attempting to get close enough for a shot.

Interestingly, in his Mauser rifle, he used Great War military ammunition almost exclusively, but always made certain he was close enough for a sure, killing shot. Shot placement? “Just behind the shoulder, rather lower than higher.” He had his share of failures, of course, but took every possible measure to avoid them.

Local knowledge — familiarity with the game and the terrain that can only be acquired by living there — was of the utmost importance, and in every country he covers, he explains about local tribes, certain customs, and how to find genuinely knowledgeable men — shikaris, Wandrobo hunters, Bushmen, and the like — who knew how to hunt. Not one to limit his tales to his successes, he goes into some detail about his very first expedition to Africa. It was a three-month-long venture into Portuguese East in which he and his companions made every mistake possible, from hiring “townees” instead of real bush natives, to concentrating on the wrong game first, and, by neglecting map and compass, allowing themselves to be “guided” in a circle for the first month.

The account of hunting in the Semien massif of northern Abyssinia is a great story, combining danger, fear (of heights), larceny (by a local guide), and misfortune — a fine ibex that fell thousands of feet, destroying body and skull, and losing the broken horns. What parts of the ibex Maydon did manage to recover was through lowering skinners by ropes and sending up the bits, piecemeal. In the end, Maydon did shoot a 44-inch Abyssinian ibex (#1 in Rowland Ward, 1928, and #2 in the 1989 edition.) His companian, Gilbert Blaine, shot a 41-incher. On that expedition, simply coming back alive was an accomplishment.

Obviously, Major Maydon learned from his mistakes. He was nearing fifty when he wrote his book, long-since retired from the army and living in South Africa. If he had a favorite game animal, it seems to have been the Barbary sheep. He loved deserts and high country, and after hunting wild sheep in the Pamirs, Persia, and the Himalayas, he found the Barbary sheep the hardest to spot, the most elusive, and most cunning of them all. But, reading Maydon, one gets the impression he was as much in love with their country as he was with them.

As he wrote, in hunting big game, “you may be resorting to your natural state, the primitive; but if so, I say, give me the primitive. The game is merely an excuse to an end. You do not go to the wilds for the mere killing, but to win your freedom.”

It is an attitude of which we could use a great deal more.

Big Game of Africa is long out-of-print, but you can find it through the Internet. It is not cheap, and never has been, but if I could have only three or four books on African hunting, it would surely be one of them.

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Unique African Ceramic Art

Apr 30, 2019 | News

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Unique African Ceramic Art

For over 30 years Ardmore Ceramics has transformed the South African art scene by bringing together fundamental western ceramic techniques and the raw creative talent from Kwa-Zulu Natal. Working as the largest US distributor to bring these beautiful ceramics to the US for art collectors, wildlife enthusiasts, and others willing to help support the lives of these individual artists, Pascoe Gallery has continued to assist in Ardmore’s mission.

Here are a few of our most impressive pieces currently on exhibition.

King Cheetah Vase – – H. 13 in. x L. 9.5 in. x W. 9.5 in. – $6,500

Sculptor Senzo Duma | Painter: Thabiso Mohlakoana

Pascoe Gallery’s King Cheetah Vase is one of a kind, featuring a dazzling array of various cheetahs native to the Kwa-Zulu region. The vase pays homage to the very rare King Cheetah which has an unusual coat mutation of long black stripes along its back, instead of typical cheetah spots.

Leopard Sculpture Female – $4,500

Sculptor Molapo Mokoena. Painter Bongekile Ntombela

Molapo Mokoena sculpted a wonderful female leopard, and rising Ardmore painter Bongekile Ntombela who delights in painting genet cats, leopards, and giraffes because of their unique animal patterns, colors the sculpture in rufous tones and with distinct leopard spots.

H. 10 in. x L. 16 in. x W. 7 in. – Rhino Sculpture Family – Male – 3,950

Sculptor – Molapo Mokoena | Painter – Elvis Bonginkosi Mkhize

Four countries, including South Africa, are home to 98% of black rhinos, and Ardmore regularly portrays these iconic animals. Elvis Bonginkosi is one of Ardmore’s top artists, and prefers to paint in realistic styles such as in the sculpture shown above.

LEOPARD URNS PAIR – $19,500 – H. 22 in. x L. 11 in. x W. 8 in.

Sculptor: Sabelo Khoza | Painter: Mickey Chanco

Our Leopard urn pair is one of the most impressive pieces currently in our gallery. It features two dazzling urns adorned with playful leopards. Ardmore painter Mickey Chonco is known for his extraordinary sensitivity for color as is shown in the beautiful combination of hues on the urns.

ELEPHANT RIDER TUREEN – H. 23 in. x L. 16 in. x W. 16 in. – $21,000

SCULPTOR: Senzo Ntshalinstshali | PAINTER: Mama Ntombela

The elephant motif is an integral part of Zulu culture, symbolizing wisdom, strength and power. Senzo Ntshalintshali is the son of legendary Ardmore artist Bonnie Ntshalintshali. His keen ability to sculpt the human figure is evident in the numerous Zulu figures surrounding the tureen.

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Waterfowling Africa Style – Size Matters

Apr 29, 2019 | News

A flight of yellow-billed ducks on final approach.

By Ken Bailey

 

In the big-game hunting world there’s a loose conglomeration of species collectively referred to as “charismatic megafauna.” These are the animals with special appeal, typically because of their physical size, their glamorous appearance or, in some instances, because of their unpredictable disposition and a willingness to demonstrate their displeasure. This list includes all of the Big Five, of course, as well as crocodiles, giraffes and the hippopotamus. It also includes those game animals revered for their regal beauty, including the kudu and sable. For the sportsman, hunting any of the charismatic megafauna has a unique way of inducing a racing heart, shortness of breath and sweating palms; in short, an excitement that underscores the very reason we choose to hunt them. We thrive on that adrenaline rush.

 

Wingshooters, by and large, don’t have a list of similarly compelling species to pursue. But if there’s one bird that can stir the emotions, at least for me, it’s the spur-winged goose, the largest goose on the planet. As a self-professed hardcore waterfowler, the prospect of dropping one of these oversized geese, with the namesake unusual protuberance on each wing, is something I’d lusted for since I saw my first spurwing some 30 years ago. So when the invitation came to help out a farmer whose crops were being decimated by geese, including spurwings, my pulse immediately kicked up a notch or two.

 

We’d be hunting near Baynesfield in South Africa’s Kwazulu-Natal province. My partners were Mark Haldane, a larger-than-life PH renowned for his Mozambique safaris, particularly for Cape buffalo, and Dylan Holmes, a PH who guides for Mark. Both enjoy bird hunting when the opportunity presents itself, and have been hosting wingshooting safaris for many years.  While Dylan is quiet and measured, Mark is all personality and an eager and captivating story-teller.

Above: Egyptian geese were more plentiful on our hunt than were the larger spurwings.

Right: PH Dylan Holmes and the author with a spur-winged goose. The wingspan is enormous. 

We arrived at the farm after a seven-hour drive from the Eastern Cape where we’d enjoyed two days of hunting grey-winged spurfowl. Though the drive was tiresome, the anticipation of hunting spurwings had me alert and focused as we pulled in. After meeting the landowner, we surveyed the situation. His oat crop was just sprouting and being ravaged at its most sensitive stage by marauding geese staging on a large wetland less than a mile away. The waterfowl season wouldn’t officially open here for a couple weeks, but he’d received a damage control permit as a way of protecting his crop. If he waited until the opener to do something about the depredation, these geese would have his entire oat crop grazed to the nubs.

 

The geese’s route was a quick, direct path in from the lake. We could watch them as they lifted off the water, circle a couple of times, then fly arrow-straight to the field. Given the relatively short flight they weren’t gaining much altitude, so pass shooting them as they approached the field was the most obvious strategy.

 

Mark, Dylan, the landowner and I spread out along the fenceline bordering the oat field, 100 yards or so apart, each of us hiding behind a large straw bale. It was late afternoon and the geese were already flying as we scrambled into position. They were a mix of spurwings and smaller Egyptian geese that were easily identified by their brown and grey bodies and distinctive dark eye patches. As I watched flight after flight of geese rise from the wetland, it was obvious that Egyptian geese were the more numerous of the two species here.

The first birds that flew towards the field after we were in position were a pair of noisy Egyptian geese that glided 100 yards to my left, near where our farmer host was hiding. As the birds crossed the fenceline he rose and, with two practiced shots, folded both cleanly. Very impressive shooting, I recall thinking, though it put pressure on the rest of us to shoot as well. I didn’t have long to wait before it was my turn, as an incoming bird’s flight path would put it right in line with where I crouched behind the bale. From its dark colouration and massive proportions I knew immediately it was a spur-winged goose. It crossed the fenceline to my left, about 40 yards up, hell bent on the waiting oat seedlings. Mounting and swinging my gun in one smooth motion, I pushed my barrel in front of the crossing bird and hit the switch. The goose never so much as rustled a feather. A rapid follow-up shot had the same effect, or lack thereof – I’d missed cleanly! I shrugged it off, putting it down to getting the kinks out, and prepared for my next opportunity.

 

A few minutes later another spurwing flew over on a near-identical trajectory. Unfortunately, my results were identical, too. From down the way I heard the farmer yell, “Get out in front of them further,” or words to that effect in a not especially friendly manner. That was understandable as he was trying to save his crops while I was hunting

 

The author with a yellow-billed duck. It’s perfect when they arrive in twos and threes.

recreationally; he clearly had more at stake than I did. As I was to learn later, missing is not an uncommon experience when hunting spur-winged geese for the first time. Their enormous body size and deliberate wingbeats make them appear to be much closer and flying much more slowly than they really are. As a consequence, shooting behind them is a frequent mistake for newcomers to the game. I swallowed my pride after the reprimand and vowed I wouldn’t make the same mistake again.

 

A short while later a flock of six Egyptians winged towards my position and, remembering the admonition, I forced myself to significantly increase my lead before pulling the trigger. Two shots and two geese crumpled to the earth! I smiled with newfound confidence and watched contentedly as Mark’s lab raced into the field to retrieve them. I had the sight picture now.

 

Shortly after, a lone spurwing flew towards my position. I was fully prepared this time, and dumped it cleanly with one shot. It landed about 20 yards from where I stood, and I swear I could feel the earth tremble when it thudded to the ground. I ambled out to retrieve it, eager to hold the massive bird. It was even bigger in the hand than I had imagined, probably nearing 20 pounds, substantially heavier than even the largest Canada geese I hunt at home. I stood marvelling at its heft, its jet-black plumage, and the strange and dangerous-looking protrusion on its wings, before being jolted back to reality by Mark, who hollered down the line that another flight of birds was on final approach.

The spur-winged goose is the largest goose on earth, often almost 20 pounds.

Bales along the fenceline proved to be the perfect blind for ambushing approaching geese.

The yellow-billed duck is about the same size as the mallard so common in North America.

It always help to have a Labrador retriever as a hunting companion.

Over the next hour or so we enjoyed steady action. When we finished up we had two dozen geese on the ground, about a third of them spur-winged. After my initial misses I held my own in the shooting department, and the farmer appeared to sincerely appreciate what the three of us had done to help with his goose problem. As we packed up our gear, I took a moment to reflect on the hunt: you are too caught up in the moment to always fully appreciate it when the event is unfolding. I’d fulfilled a long-standing dream to shoot the world’s largest goose, and had done so with a great group of people in a glorious setting. All in all, it had been a helluva day.

 

My African waterfowling wasn’t confined to that one afternoon of goose hunting, however. Before we’d left the Eastern Cape the previous evening, I’d hunted ducks with local rancher and PH Robbie Stretton and a couple friends from Alberta, T.J. Schwanky and Vanessa Harrop. After a morning hunting grey-winged spurfowl, Robbie put the three of us in a series of one-person reed blinds spaced out evenly along a dammed section of a 10-mile long watercourse. A dozen and a half floating decoys rested in the shallow water along the shoreline. As we were getting our gear squared away and settled into our respective blinds, a pair of shelducks, a handful of red-billed teal and a dozen or so yellow-billed ducks sprang from the pond. They would be harbingers of what was to come, as over the course of the next couple hours we were treated to some wonderful duck hunting.

The spur that gives the spur-winged goose its name.

The teal and the shelducks never did return, but yellow-billed ducks spiralled into our decoys on a regular basis. Most often they came in twos, threes or fours, which is perfect. If they arrived in large groups there’s a risk of flock shooting rather than picking out a single bird; more often than not that results in a clean miss. T.J. and Vanessa took turns shooting and operating a video camera as they filmed a sequence for their popular Outdoor Quest television show, while I was free to shoot away. So I did. When we decided to call it a halt, we’d managed to drop about 18 birds.

 

Yellow-billed ducks are very similar in size and build to a mallard, the most popular duck in North America. In fact, they greatly resemble a hen mallard with a brilliant yellow bill.

In the days following our goose hunt we travelled north to Dundee, where we focused on hunting pigeons and doves. I did, however, spend one evening there in a duck blind. The season was not yet open in Kwazulu-Natal, so I carried a camera rather than a shotgun, and had a close-up look at several southern African duck species. These included white-faced ducks, southern pochards and Cape shovelers, along with the more common red-billed teal, shelducks and yellow-billed ducks. I would have loved to have been shooting that evening, but I know full well that a man should never have everything he craves, no matter how hard he wishes for it. It’s that unsatisfied itch, however, that ensures I’ll be back, and soon, to further explore southern South Africa’s underutilized waterfowl hunting opportunities.

The author examines a yellow-billed duck.

Choosing the Right Knife for Your South African Hunting Trip

Apr 29, 2019 | News

Krieghoff K-20 Victoria

Apr 29, 2019 | News

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Krieghoff K-20 Victoria

Ask any woman about the challenges of clays shooting, and most will land quickly on the paucity of shotguns designed specifically to meet their needs and expectations. Krieghoff has addressed that challenge with the introduction of the K-20 Victoria shotgun.

Unlike many manufacturers who simply build a scaled-down version of their standard smoothbore, Krieghoff began by gathering insights from a wide range of women shooters, from novices to pros, to determine exactly what they wanted in a shotgun. The K-20 Victoria over/under is the culmination of those recommendations. To begin, the K-20 has an adjustable comb, allowing shooters to fine-tune this shotgun to their stature and personal preferences. Shotgunning is all about fit. If your gun fits you poorly you’ll never shoot well. To know that your cheek will be planted firmly on the stock when you mount your shotgun is fundamental to ensuring the gun shoots precisely where you’re looking. That, in turn, translates directly to more broken targets.

Weighing in at a comfortable 7 lbs, the K-20 is available in 20-gauge and 28-gauge models with either 30- or 32-inch barrels. The chokes are fixed at modified and improved modified, making it versatile enough to accommodate a wide range of field sports and shooting scenarios.

Of course, a shotgun wouldn’t fully reflect a woman’s needs unless it was beautifully adorned, and the Victoria meets that demand in spades. It features exclusive softly-pointed checkering on the oil-finished forearm and buttstock, all nicely accented by elegant scrollwork. A selection of engraving patterns on the receiver and tang safety are available, allowing the owner to customize the shotgun’s overall appearance to meet their personal style. Further, it comes in a specially designed and beautifully crafted Negrini case.

Women are as discriminating as men when it comes to their shotguns. They want a gun that fits comfortably, is well-balanced and responsive, and that reflects their feminine style. The K-20 delivers all this and more, and is certain to be popular with women who demand the finest in their firearms.

Krieghoff: www.krieghoff.com; 610-847-5173[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_btn title=”View Advert in E-Zine” color=”chino” align=”center” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fafricanhuntinggazette.com%2Fapr-may-june-2019%2F%23africa-hunting-gazette%2F68-69||target:%20_blank|”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Cloete Hepburn – A true man of the bush

Apr 26, 2019 | News

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Cloete Hepburn – A true man of the bush

PH Question & Answer:

African Hunting Gazette: When and where were you born?

Cloete Hepburn: I was born Johannes Marthunes Cloete 1971 in Heidelberg, RSA in the Transvaal Province (now Gauteng).

AHG: And tell us about your family.

CH: I am married to Stienie. We have two children, a daughter Felicia of 26 years old and a son Henry who is 21.

AHG: How did you become a PH? Tell us the interesting bits.

CH: We had a farm in the Transvaal in the Limpopo Province where my two brothers and I grew up in the bush. There were many hunting stories around the fire when the family came to visit from Namibia, and those stories inspired me to follow in the old legends’ footsteps in hunting and guiding. One of my father’s friends was an astonishing hunter and tracker, and I spent lots of my time with him here. He taught me the ways of tracking game, and the knowledge of nature – trees, grass and wildlife.

My father taught us from a young age how to handle a rifle, and by giving us one .22 bullet each to go and hunt with, we learnt that if you did not make a kill shot and the bullet was wasted, then the hunt was over for you that day. This sounded so harsh, but it had us shooting straight in no time, and I was driven to pursue my passion for hunting.

I became a PH in 2001, but only after working at the Department of Correctional Service could I pursue my dreams to become a professional hunter.

AHG: Which countries have you hunted, and where are you hunting these days?

CH: I started in the Limpopo Province as a freelance PH, and I have hunted in Zambia and Mozambique. All of these places brought me great pleasure and experience, and I would yet like to hunt in the Selous National Park in Tanzania. I am currently based in the Kalahari, and I represent Afri-Sun Safaris. We offer three of the Big Five, and a variety of plains game including roan, sable and springbok (common and copper).

AHG: If you could return to any time or place in Africa, where would it be?

CH: I would return to Zambia any day, to hunt the banks of the Luangwa River which was one of my greatest achievements ever. The wildlife and hunting is something else – almost magical

AHG: Which guns and ammo are you using to back-up on dangerous or wounded game?

CH: My back-up rifle is a .458 Lott bolt action with a .500 /.550-grain bullet. For a back-up situation you need a proper solid to get penetration on game running away from you. There are plenty of good bullets these days, with a good Swift A-Frame soft and Hornady DGX soft for all big-game animals on the first shot. Not one scenario is the same. I always say stand your ground, aim small, and shoot straight.

AHG: What guns and ammo for dangerous game and for plains game would you recommend for your clients?

CH: I would recommend the rifle that you are comfortable with, from a .375 upwards. There is plenty of good ammo: Barns X, Swift A-Frame, Hornady DGX and DGS.

The .375 H&H can be used on all plains game. It is a good all-rounder. A .375 solid can be used on the Tiny Ten and your taxidermist will be so happy.

AHG: What is your favorite animal to hunt and why?

CH: Buffalo is my favorite. There is nothing that excites me more than the sight of an old, broken-horn bull with torn ears and a body covered in mud, and that stares at you with a look on his face that says you must not come any closer. There’s their sense of smell, exceptional eyesight and hearing. There is the tracking after the shot, and then Black Death needing to be followed up in thick bush, with the expectation of a charge that can come from anywhere. Just the thought that this animal will kill you when he is on top of you – and will not stop until you are dead – will stay with you for days. The rage that is in him after he has been wounded – or even not wounded – just shows you that this is not a domestic cow, and they do not like to be tampered with.

AHG: Looking back, which was your greatest trophy and why? Tell us a bit about the hunt.

CH: I would say that it was a buffalo bull in Luangwa Valley, Zambia back in 2007. The client’s shot went too far to the front of the body and the buffalo decided to pick up speed and head straight back into the Park. After a long follow-up and with the permission of the Parks board we were given special access to enter and were then accompanied by one of the Parks officers to go with after the wounded bull. The follow-up began on the banks of the river where the animal had come out of the water and into the nearest jesse bush. It was so dark inside the bush that you could not make out the spoor and blood in the thick cover. I went in step by step, slowly watching every corner, anticipating where he would charge us from. After a few steps more the thicket got to a point where I had no choice but to pursue this bull on my knees.

There I was moving merely an inch at a time. I could see him lying down, a massive black body, and very angry, waiting patiently to ambush us. When I had seen the bull, make no mistake he had already seen us. The buffalo stood up two meters in front of me, and with so much rage he was thrashing the brush between us to make way to get to me. It was on, I said to myself. I was still on my knees and had fired my rifle from the hip in the hope off hitting the vital area in his chest. After the shot went off, I had just enough time to dive out of harm’s way. The buffalo came flying past me and went into the next nearest thicket. After getting to my feet I got everyone back together and we could pursue this bull again.

There was now a better blood spoor to follow, and on the edge of the thicket we stopped. I got all the shooters in line next to each other, and within seconds the buffalo made his second charge. I shouted to wait until the buffalo was in sight and open for us to make the shot. I could hear only two shots that went off at that time. The first shot came from the officer and the other shot from me, then another. At the time we did not realize two more rounds came simultaneously, with the buffalo at four meters. The buffalo came to rest as he slid past our feet. At that very moment, without warning we were attacked by a swarm of honey bees. We did not realize that we had disturbed their nest and we had to run for cover to get away from them. It took a while before we could recover the buffalo. Nonetheless that was an exciting and dangerous day, both with Africa’s Black Death and with the smallest of critters.

AHG: What was your closest brush with death? Looking back: Anything you should have done differently?

CH: I stepped over a crocodile while I was dragging a hippo out of the water, and the crocodile hit me with his head on my right leg and knocked me so hard that my feet went straight up in the air and I went head first into the mud. That is the only time that I felt that this was it. I had no control and that scared me. I would not say that I would have done anything differently, but I was really lucky that the croc rather wanted to get away from me than make a meal out of me.

AHG: How has the hunting industry changed over the years? And the hunting clients themselves?

CH: Communication has had a great influence in the hunting industries: Wi-Fi, Internet, WhatsApp, Videos, Magazines. The clients can communicate faster, and information can be found on any hunting company in the world. It makes a difference if you as hunter can read, see and hear all about an area where you want to hunt and about your outfitter for that special hunt that you were saving for for so long. Therefore a client has all the information without a hidden agenda and gets what he pays for. Communication is the bond between hunter and outfitter.

AHG: Which qualities go into making a successful PH and or a successful hunting company?

CH: We as PHs and outfitters must always have the policy that the client is the most important person for us. Without clients we cannot go on. Provide the best service you can, with good ethics and communication skills, prior planning and performance. And always stay honest and humble.

AHG: Which qualities go into making a good safari client?

CH: Trust the judgment of your PH/Outfitter – some of us have had many years of experience and knowledge, particularly when we make a decision that can improve the outcome of the hunt, and judgement regarding safety. Practice with the rifle you are going to use on the hunt and bring the right ammunition for whatever game might be taken on the safari. Find out what kind of terrain you are going to hunt in for you to be prepared. And enjoy every moment, even if it just to see the beauty of the place or the animals.

AHG: If you should suggest one thing to your hunting clients to improve their experience of their safari, what would it be?

CH: They must make a safari out of their time here in Africa, and not a killing spree. Walk and stalk the game with your PH and learn about the smaller things in the African bush.

Learn about the animal you are going to hunt and practice the shot placement from offhand and shooting sticks. Do not bring a rifle with a scope that has too big a magnification.

AHG: Based on your recent experience in the field, do you think that any species should be upgraded to Appendix I or downgraded to Appendix II or closed all together?

CH: I believe that elephant being Appendix 1 is not entirely necessary, as we all know that in some areas their population needs to be controlled for the sake of the habitat and the animals co-existing in those areas. We are always at the mercy of Mother Nature, and the increased poaching and illegal hunting activities throughout Africa jeopardize our main goals. Through strict conservation practices governed by CITES, among other wildlife entities, as well as the support from our local governments, we can achieve our goals and continue to let Africa thrive. I can say one thing, and that is you as hunter and us as PH/Outfitters must try and focus more on the older, past-their-prime animals, and leave the massive-sized younger ones still in their prime to grow and produce good genes. Don’t chase the measuring tape.

AHG: What can the hunting industry do to contribute to the long-term conservation of Africa’s wildlife?

CH: The hunting industry can focus more on the ethical and sustainable hunting of CBL lions to give those still in the wild and controlled areas of Africa a chance to get a sustainable growth in population. In doing so, it will ensure swift funding to our operational anti-poaching units. We cannot do it without the support of the governments and spokespersons of our countries. Hunters’ fees pay for conservation, and so we ensure the survival of various species soon to be non-existent. It is an ongoing battle to convince the anti-hunter of the necessity for controlled hunting. Without ethical hunting there would be no wildlife left for them to make a fuss over. Hunters are the stronghold of conservation and we must work together to uphold our wildlife’s wellbeing.

AHG: Would your wife do it all over again? What is her advice to future wives of PHs, and are either of your children following in your footsteps?

Stienie: Yes, I would do it. In the beginning of my husband’s hunting career he spent a lot of time away from home and from us, and it had its ups and downs. I will and always have stood by Cloete’s side, pursuing his passion. I am very grateful that now I can do all of this with him and see all the places we have seen, and to do everything together as husband and wife. All I want to say to the young professional hunters is that the life you choose must also be the life your wife would want with you. Our children are grown up and living their own lives, both as hunters and conservationists. Hunting and photography of wildlife is a big part of their lives. Felicia is doing marketing for hunting companies, and Henry is working for an anti-poaching company based in Mozambique.

AHG: Anyone you want to thank who has played a major role in your life?

CH: Most important is GOD in my life, and the lives of all my family. A very special thanks to my wife Stienie for standing by my side no matter how hard or challenging it sometimes might have been, and for being there for our two children. Without the creation we live in, none of this would have been possible to fulfil the dreams of so many, and to have accomplished what we have today. I truly am blessed to call the bush my office and to wake up to it every day.

AHG: Any Last Words of Wisdom?

CH: To all hunters, safari operators, outfitters in the world – keep up the good work. Without us, our world would be hell on earth without wildlife. Work hard to ensure that we can still enjoy what we love to do, stay humble, and look out for each other.

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