Jul 6, 2018 | BackPage, News
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One for the Road
By Terry Wieland
REFLECTIONS OF AHAB
Who knows what strange elixir acts upon a hunter, to make one particular animal his personal grail, bête noir, or outright obsession.
It seems that every hunter who goes to Africa more than once or twice finds himself, on later safaris, concentrating on one beast and one only. It may be an animal he has never succeeded in taking, but more likely, it is one that he took the first time, and again the second. Eventually, somehow, some way, he finds himself connected to that animal by an invisible wire that keeps drawing him back.
In hunting literature, the most famous example of such a connection is Ernest Hemingway and his quest for a greater kudu in Green Hills of Africa. Some might call it an obsession, but I prefer to reserve that word for genuine psychological disorders. Melville’s Captain Ahab was obsessed, in his search for Moby Dick; Proust’s Charles Swann was obsessed, in his pursuit of Odette. Hemingway was not obsessed. In fact, the more I read Green Hills, the more I wonder if maybe the kudu wasn’t a literary device. Also, Hemingway did not return, over and over, to keep hunting them, although he may have done so in his mind.
By contrast, look at Robert Ruark. Through the 1950s, Africa became Ruark’s second home, and the animal he found most fascinating of all was the leopard. Although he hunted everything at one time or another—including all the Big Five, more than once—Ruark was drawn to leopard hunting like a man under the spell of Marlene Dietrich. In his later years, he would even argue with his professional hunter about how and where to put a leopard bait, and how to build the blind. He even stated, in print, that he now knew more about leopard hunting than most professionals. Years later, Harry Selby complained to me about that very thing.
At one point, hunting in India, Ruark was badly mauled by a wounded leopard, but that neither caused the fascination, nor ended it. He had no explanation, and neither do I.
Ruark’s contemporary, Jack O’Connor, hunted Africa a dozen times, and killed practically everything. He had a close call with a Cape buffalo, but buffalo never got a grip on him. Instead, his favorite was the lion. He even went so far as to say that he wanted his epitaph to read “He hunted the lion.” Whether it does, I can’t say, but I can think of worse epitaphs.
It doesn’t seem to matter if you have had a close call, a bad scare, or whatever. Guy Coheleach, the great wildlife artist, had the closest of close calls with a bull elephant while he was filming it, back in the 1970s. He was deliberately annoying the elephant, provoking false charges for the camera. The elephant finally grew tired of it and came for him — for real. Coheleach was on the ground with the elephant trying to get his tusks into him when his professional hunter, drawn by the noise, placed a shot just right to distract the beast. At the time, Guy was an experienced elephant hunter, having killed several. The experience did not turn him into an elephant fanatic, although it certainly made him more careful. Now in his 80s, Guy still goes to Africa regularly, but his particular animal is the Cape buffalo. He is, he told me last year, still “queer for buffalo.” They just do it for him, and have for 40 years.
Professional hunters do not seem to become quite so afflicted as amateurs, but some become particularly associated with one animal or another. J.A. Hunter, between the wars, was particularly noted for his lion expertise. In Botswana, Willy Engelbrecht developed almost a mystical bond with lions, and once told me that he simply loved them.
This did not stop Willy from hunting them, or originating the method of hunting that became most associated with the Kalahari. He liked to track a lion, pushing it relentlessly until it got fed up and came for him. He did the same thing with leopards, with the clients following in the safari car. Ideally, the cats would lie in wait and then go up over the hood (bonnet, to you Anglophiles) trying to get at the people up top. This was nothing if not thrilling.
In India, Jim Corbett came to feel the same way about tigers, but his was a completely different situation. Although he is best-known as a hunter of man-eaters, he did kill normal tigers and cattle-killers early in his hunting career. The last innocent tiger he killed was the Bachelor of Powalgarh, in 1911, a huge male that every tiger hunter in India had pursued for years. After that, he hunted only man-eaters. As he saw tiger habitat increasingly encroached upon, he refused to kill tigers for lifting cattle, too. He figured the farmers had it coming, since there was little else for a tiger to eat as the jungle was turned into plowed fields.
Casting further afield, I can remember reading of men who, having hunted elephant, became quite contemptuous of hunting anything else. “Lesser” animals became, to them, just meat on the hoof and not worthy of their attention. In this way, human hunters can connect with other predators. Quite often in Africa a big male lion, or pair of lions (usually brothers) will become Cape buffalo specialists, disdaining lesser game as unworthy of their attentions. These are the Doc Hollidays of the animal world.
One time, hunting Cape buffalo in the Okavango, we were creeping up on a herd and, before we could get into position, they would bolt. We kept on tracking, creeping through the sand and thorns. They kept bolting, for no reason we could figure. Finally, in the heat of the day, we gave up and turned back to the safari car, miles distant. Along the way, we walked out into a dry pan and there was a lion and lioness. The lion was stretched out in the sand, tired and frustrated. He lifted his head and gave us a look that would wither grass. Apparently, they’d been stalking the buffalo from the other side, and we had systematically ruined each other’s hunts. I hope they ate that day.
After Hemingway’s well-publicized book, the greater kudu became an icon of Africa, and its spiraling horns have appeared on logos, labels, and letterheads ever since. Today, however, I doubt if anyone would develop an obsession with greater kudu. They are now a commodity, raised on game ranches throughout southern Africa. The days of hunters making safari after safari in Tanzania, looking for a big pair of horns and shooting nothing, are a thing of the past. Pretty much the same can be said of leopards, where a hunter can visit a game ranch, pick which of the feeding leopards he wants (depending on the price) and be assured of a shot. We won’t even mention the canned-lion situation.
Casting my mind back over decades, I can’t recall anyone writing about similar fascinations with animals such as bongo, Lord Derby eland, sitatunga, or mountain nyala, even though those are rare and often extremely difficult to hunt. Jay Mellon, author of African Hunter, became almost possessed in his quest for a bongo on Mount Kenya. Finally he got one and decamped from the cold, dripping forest “never—I say, never—to return.” Anytime I find myself thinking that a bongo head would look nice on the wall, I pull African Hunter off the shelf and re-read that story. Usually does the trick.
A hunter is often asked about his favorite game animal, or his greatest experience, and I’ve always found that difficult to answer. There are three experiences I consider my most memorable, one of which involves a Cape buffalo. And if I had only one last hunting trip, where would I go? What would I hunt? The answer to that one is easy: The Great Rift Valley, for Cape buffalo. If there was one last time, that would be it. Not Moby Buff, perhaps, but close enough.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Jul 5, 2018 | Gear & Gadgets, News
Gear & Gadget Section
Ripcord Rescue Travel Insurance
The benefits of a comprehensive travel insurance policy with Ripcord Rescue Travel Insurance go far beyond rescue and evacuation from a remote safari environment. A canceled trip or medical expenses resulting from an accident can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Here are a few examples of recent Ripcord reimbursements for travelers to Africa:
- A Texas man canceled his planned trip to Africa after his mother’s death, and Ripcord reimbursed for his and his son’s insured trip cost. They were reimbursed for their full insured trip costs of $12,000.
- A North Carolina couple were preparing for a Uganda safari in six weeks when the wife became very sick. They had to cancel their trip. Ripcord reimbursed the couple for the full insured amount, approximately $8,000.
- A Texas man was thrown off an elephant in Zimbabwe and incurred medical expenses and an interrupted safari. Ripcord reimbursed him more than $25,000.
- A client thrown from his off-road vehicle in Namibia missed the rest of his hunt and incurred medical expenses. Ripcord reimbursed him for the full $2,000
- A Florida couple arrived in Mauritius for a beach vacation but their luggage did not. They had to buy new clothes and other supplies, and were reimbursed for their claim of $670.
www.ripcordrescuetravelinsurance.com
Tel. +1 415-481-0600
ripcord@redpointresolutions.com
Jun 21, 2018 | News
Greetings Richard and Esther.
I just finished reading the Summer 2018 issue finding the article titled “Africa – from Canada with love” authored by Thomas Schwanke most informative and well-timed. As I read, I found myself reflecting on the many years of learning about and understanding the importance of getting the African experience planned correctly on the first trip. There are so many considerations in planning a perfect safari and Mr. Schwanke presented these matters in an engaging and concise manner as possible.
The hunting/conservation world is up against political and regulatory pressures while facing a reduction in participation notably in the younger generations. Getting started on the path to Africa is an applied effort. I can’t tell you how many times I have met fellow hunters with a burning passion for an African safari who are worried that the costs and logistics are prohibitive. When I attempt to breakdown the safari planning details into simple, sequential steps, you can see their eyes go from excited to glazed as they seem to lack the confidence to execute. This paralysis need not be!
Those of us with safari experience must pass on the legacy of our great hunting heritage. The African Hunting Gazette is a leader in providing resources for us to do so. I’m going to keep the issue with Mr. Schwanke’s article handy and share it with those hunters seeking the guidance and encouragement for fulfilling what really is an attainable goal: African safari!
Thanks for another terrific issue of AHG.
Sincerely, Ray Cox
Jun 13, 2018 | News, On Shooting
THE DAMASCUS MISCONCEPTION
Johan van Wyk
Perhaps the greatest misconception in the world of shotgunning, and especially where vintage guns are concerned, is the strength (or apparent lack thereof) of Damascus-barrelled guns. For the uninitiated, Damascus (or twist-steel, as it is sometimes called) barrels were created by wrapping and hammering sheets of iron around a mandrel. After the mandrel was withdrawn, a barrel emerged which was then used on a double gun or rifle, as the case may be. Various different patterns of Damascus steel were created and a bit of research will uncover the existence of such exotics such as “three-iron stub”, “scelp”, “silver-steel”, and various others. For the moment we will stick with the collective term of “Damascus” to simplify matters.
Damascus was born in the black powder era. It was used on both guns and rifles just about from the beginning of modern gunmaking as we know it until the early 1890’s when it was largely supplanted by Sir Joseph Whitworth’s fluid steel, which was both easier to manufacture as well as cheaper.
The main talking point regarding Damascus barrels for the past few decades have been the question of how strong they are and whether they are up to the pressures generated by modern smokeless ammunition. Some authors (including a few well-known ones) have been so vitriolic in their rhetoric against Damascus barrels that one can almost pick up a faint burning smell just by turning the pages of their books. Almost to a man, these gentlemen claim adamantly that the quickest way for any shooter to blow not only his family heirloom but his own health to kingdom come is to use modern smokeless ammunition in an old Damascus-barrelled gun, irrespective of age, condition, or any other consideration worthy of any thought. My favourite quote in this regard is the American author who solemnly wrote that “Age robs Damascus steel barrels of what little structural integrity they may have had in the first place”. In light of the fact that this same worthy gentleman also claimed that the old Scottish firm of John Dickson & Son made their famous round-action guns in both sidelock and boxlock form, it is probably safe to say that he never handled or shot with a Damascus-barrelled gun before committing pen to paper, nor did he ever lay eyes on a Dickson round-action gun. Yet, wonder of wonders, he found a willing publisher and a throng of eager supporters. Ain’t life grand?
On the other side of the coin are those who neither care nor know any better and simply stuff whatever ammunition is at hand into their old shotguns (probably handed down from generations ago) without losing any sleep over the matter. After all, if it goes bang it worked, didn’t it?
My own opinion lies somewhere in-between the two extremes described above. I have owned, and still own, Damascus-barrelled shotguns and I use them regularly afield. I treasure them for the fine workmanship and superb handling qualities that they exhibit but I also respect the limits of their design, especially with modern ammunition. I am also most definitely of the opinion that the mere fact that a gun is fitted with Damascus tubes should not necessarily demote it to the status of wall-hanger or condemn it to the furnace, as has tragically happened in many instances in the past.
When confronted with a Damascus-barrelled gun, the first order of business is an appointment with a barrel wall thickness gauge as well as a bore gauge. Insufficient barrel wall thickness or any pitting of any kind immediately causes me to lose interest in the gun in question, as does poor overall condition such as barrels shot off the face or any other potentially fatal defect. The second consideration is proof marks, and here I’m specifically referring to vintage British guns. Proof marks are a very good indication of the potential life that a particular gun may have lead as well as whether it was subjected to serious alteration at some point such as lapped bores or lengthened chambers. Again, if the proof marks tell a sordid tale, rather steer clear of the gun in question.
What to do if everything does check out, though? Well, if the price is right and the gun fits, there is really nothing more to add except that you may have an opportunity to enjoy a gun hailing from the finest era of gunmaking that will last for a great many seasons more if properly looked after. Vintage Damascus-barrelled guns in good question regularly fly through modern nitro-proof with lengthened 70mm (2¾”) chambers and reproofing, is practical, is certainly an option as well and is a source of comfort for many first-time buyers as well. Ammunition-wise I stick to nitro loads of modest pressure in my old guns. This is as much out of respect for the guns themselves but also because I have found that they kill as well as anything for the shooting I do. Dead is dead, and no guinea fowl has ever noticed the difference between 1⅛ ounces of chilled lead shot and 1¼ ounces of copper-plated, buffered teeth rattlers in my opinion, although my shoulder most definitely notices the difference!
A quick glance at the catalogues of many of the better-known dealers in quality second-hand guns will show that whereas a Damascus-barrelled gun could hardly be given away a decade or so ago, quite the opposite is today the case. Prices of nicely preserved and well-restored vintage guns have steadily climbed over the last few years as more and more knowledgeable shooters have come to realise that the old guns still have plenty of life left in them and can provide endless hours of elegance and enjoyment in the field, even in the modern era. Of course, if you just happen to be the owner of a nice old Damascus-barrelled gun in good condition, the mere thought of shooting with leaves you in a cold sweat, please don’t hesitate to let me know. I’ll be sure to find a good home for it.
Jun 13, 2018 | News, On Ammo
Ammo Column 23.4
Wieland
February 28, 2018
MATCHING THE BULLET TO THE SITUATION
Every year, the SHOT Show produces a stream of new-product announcements — before, during, and after. Predictably, many have to do with bullets and ammunition, and this year was no exception. It would be impossible to cover them all at one time, so we shall pick and choose our topics.
One of my all-time favorite bullet makers is Sierra, originally of California but now located in Sedalia, Missouri. Sierra was one of the early specialist companies founded after 1945. Others were Speer, Nosler, and Hornady. Since then, each has carved out a specific niche, although in recent years all except Sierra have branched out into related parts of the industry.
While Nosler and Hornady have added brass, loaded ammunition, and even — in Nosler’s case — complete rifles to their lines, and Speer has become part of a major conglomerate (Vista, née ATK), Sierra has stuck to its original plan: Making the finest match and hunting bullets they possibly can.
As with others in the industry, the SHOT Show produced a new-product announcement from Sierra: Seven new bullets in their renowned “MatchKing” series. These range from a 95-grain .224 to a 230-grain .308. All are aimed at the semi-booming “long range” market. At first glance, this would seem to have little impact on hunters. After all, no one hunts with these bullets, or even with rifles that can accommodate them.
Over the years, Sierra’s unquestioned prowess in making match bullets has spilled over into a reputation for hunting bullets that are among the most accurate in the field. In turn, however, this has tended to relegate Sierra’s GameKing bullets to also-ran status in the headlong rush to adopt “premium” hunting bullets for all applications. This, I believe, is a mistake.
Since 1990 — and I plead guilty on all counts — hunting writers have promoted tougher bullets that hold together, retain their weight, and penetrate. This is unlike many factory bullets from large companies — Winchester and Remington particularly — which at times seemed to evaporate on impact. Names like Trophy Bonded (now owned by Federal), Swift A-Frames, and Woodleighs took over as the bullets for the cognoscenti, and Sierras and Hornadys fell from grace.
I am still all for a bullet that holds together and penetrates, but just as there is such a thing as a bullet that is too soft, there are also bullets that are too tough. On impact with smaller animals, they behave like a solid, don’t open up, and zip on through, causing little immediate damage and leaving no blood trail.
In Africa, there are all kinds of animals that can and should be hunted using bullets that will open up more readily. Thomson’s gazelles, Grant’s gazelles, duikers, impalas, reedbuck, bushbuck — all are small, lightly constructed animals that present little resistance, and without resistance, no bullet opens up.
John Taylor was among the African hunters who insisted that, on such animals, no bullet was superior to a pure lead projectile (in black-powder days) and later, one that showed “a lot of blue” in the nose. The latter is a bullet with a light jacket and a good deal of lead showing, promoting rapid expansion.
Generally speaking, the Sierra GameKings are “soft” softs, whereas a bullet like the Nosler Partition or Swift A-Frame could be called a “hard” soft. GameKings open up reliably at lower velocities. This lower velocity could be the result of starting out slower or striking the animal at longer range. Regardless, it’s all to the good, and combined with Sierra’s consistently dependable accuracy, provides all-around loads that perform a multitude of tasks reliably.
Although Sierra has never produced loaded ammunition, more and more ammunition companies are loading Sierras as a “premium” load. Usually, these are MatchKings, in match ammunition, but sometimes they do it to provide a hunting load like those described above. HSM in Montana is one such.
I doubt that anyone at Sierra is losing sleep because its bullets are more associated with match shooting and ultra-accuracy than with hunting. In this age of long-range tack drivers, that’s an excellent reputation to have. I just hope they never decide to abandon the hunting market, because several of their bullets are among my favorites.
One bullet that should be noted is the .375 300-grain GameKing spitzer boat-tail. That bullet was developed long, long ago, specifically for the .378 Weatherby, as a long-range projectile for soft-skinned game. Essentially, it was to provide the same service as a 250- or 270-grain bullet in the .375 H&H, and it was practically unique in that regard.
There may have been no new hunting bullets in this year’s offerings from Sierra but, to the best of my knowledge, they did not discontinue any of my favorite bullets, of which there are a couple of dozen. And as long as Sierra continues to refine its match bullets, we can expect their game bullets to be pulled along in the slipstream, getting better all the time.
Jun 10, 2018 | News, PH Q&A
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]PH Johnny Thomson – A man with his heart in the right place.
African Hunting Gazette: Tell our readers about yourself and your family.
Johnny Thomson: I was born in Pietersburg (Polokwane) on 11 Feb 1982. My grandparents had a farm on Maasstroom and this is where my brother Alex Thomson spent most of our time as kids on the farm. I met my soulmate, Janeske, in 2007 and got married in 2010. She loves being on the farm as much as I do. We have two beautiful kids, Mieke aged six, and AJ who is three.
AHG: How did you become a PH? How did it all begin?
JT: As a small boy I was always on the farm loving the outdoors and playing in the bush, hunting small birds and antelopes, so I was hooked. When I finally finished school it was off back to the farm – I was never a guy for the city life. This is where I decided that I would like to pursue something in the outdoors, and decided to get my PH qualification with Kobus Schoeman. My brother and I are co-owners of Eland Safaris.
AHG: Which countries have you hunted and where are you hunting these days?
JT: I have done most of my hunting in South Africa in Limpopo Province on our family ranch. I have also hunted in Zimbabwe.
At the moment most of our hunts are in South Africa in the Limpopo Province.
AHG: If you could return to any time or place in Africa, where would it be?
JT: I would like to return to any time and place in Africa where you can hunt without any political involvement; to do sport hunting as it used to be in the old days.
AHG: Which guns and ammo are you using to back-up on dangerous or wounded game?
JT: I started of using my .375H&H, a gun that I love, but at the moment I am using my .458 Win. Mag. or a .470 NE. My favourite ammo is Barnes bullet.
AHG: What are your recommendations on guns and ammo – for dangerous game and for plains game – to your hunting clients?
JT: I will recommend for dangerous game a .416. If the client can handle a bigger gun, bigger is always better in my eys. For plains game I would suggest .30-06, or .338 and .375 is very good caliber for the bushveld.
AHG: What is your favorite animal to hunt and why?
JT: I love hunting buffalo. They always get the heart racing. They keep you on your toes and you have to expect the unexpeced. Something that also makes me crazy is a big old warthog male, I don’t know why, but is gets my heart racing every time I see one.
AHG: Looking back, which was your greatest trophy and why?
JT: It was in 2013 a big male lion. I hunted with my client Devinder Singh. It was a great adventure walking in the hot sun, and we ended up with a 25 yard shot. The whole experience for me, with the ups and downs, was one that I will never forget, and in the end we were rewarded with a great trophy.
AHG: What was your closest brush with death? Looking back: Anything you should have done differently?
JT: Thankfully, I’m fortunate to have had no close calls in my career as a PH.
AHG: How has the hunting industry changed over the years? And the hunting clients themselves?
JT: These days there is a lot of competition in the industry, and every hunting outfitter is trying to make a living out of it. The lifestyle is much more demanding now, and clients prefer a much shorter hunt then in earlier years.
AHG: Which qualities go into making a successful PH and or a successful hunting company?
JT: Respect, honesty and loyalty – that’s very important to me. Communicating with your clients will put then at ease, and that will give them the ultimate experience.
AHG: And which qualities go into making a good safari client?
JT: Trust between a client and a PH makes the job of the PH much easier.
AHG: If you should suggest one thing to your hunting clients to improve their experience of their safari, what would it be?
JT: Take your time and don’t rush things. Practice. And knowing your rifle and shooting off sticks is very important.
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?
JT: I think brown hyena and leopard must be downgraded. We are seeing more sightings of them than ever before. Better research can be done on this species.
AHG: What can the hunting industry do to contribute to the long-term conservation of Africa’s wildlife?
JT: We need to get rid of the bad reputation around trophy hunting. We have to educate people that hunting is one of the best conservation methods.
AHG: Ask your wife, if she could do it all over again, would she still….? What is her advice to future wives of PHs? Are any of your children following in your footsteps?
Janeske: Yes I would. For Johnny it is a lifestyle and a passion, not a job. Working alongside him for the last seven years makes it easier. We are working towards the same goal. It’s fun, and I live for the experiences with him. A PH’s woman is one in the same boat – don’t rock it, go with it.
Mieke and AJ are still small, but I’m sure we won’t be able to keep AJ out of the bush for long.
AHG: Anyone you want to say thanks to? Or to GTH (Go to Hell)?
JT: Thanks to my family for all the support. My wife and kids especially, and to my brother thanks for being the cornerstone of the business. Thanks to the Lord for keeping us safe every day.
AHG: Any Last Words of Wisdom?
JT: Respect the animals and the bush, trust your equipment, and have fun. Enjoy.
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