hunting africa

EditorialUp a Creek Without a ... Satellite Phone By Brooke ChilversLubin ..............................................................3

News & Letters ..................................................................................................................................4Regarding Hunting Bongo with Dogs - PH Rudy LubinWhy Do I Hunt? - J. Alain SmithBotswana News from Today for Tomorrow - PH Chris DandridgeNamibian Dirk de Bod Wins Hunting AwardThe Discussion on Ethics Continues - Stephen CuffDallas Honours Young Women Hunters - Britney StarrWhat South Africas TOPS Regulations Mean for the Hunter PH Peter de V ButlandAn Exchange About Exchange - Fred WebbAfrica, Guns, Boats & Safety - PH Simon BurgessRhino Rescue in Zimbabwe - PH Barry Style

Gear & Gadgets.......................................................................................................................................14 The Wildlife GameMountain Nyala Beyond the Trophy By Paul Evangelista ........................................................................16

Hunting StoriesTanzania 2003: Buffalo Surprise By Lance Stapleton ...................................................................................20Botswana 2007: Last Minute Elephant Hunt By Peter Y. Waller ..................................................................25Zimbabwe 2006: A Rough Start By Peter Hunt .........................................................................................28Tunisia 2007: Barbary Wild Boar with a Baron By Abigail Day ..................................................................34Namibia 2007: The Nimrods of Namibia By Michael V. Meadows ..............................................................38

Huntress DianaHunting Buffalo in Mozambique - the Land of My Dreams By Jessica Brooks .............................................42 Hunters of YesteryearTanganyika 1952: Blonde Beauty Versus Black Horns! By PH Robert von Reitnauer........................................49

Brookes Leopard Blind ReadingKhwaheri! On the Spoor of Big Game in East Africa By Robert von Reitnauer Reviewed by Brooke ChilversLubin .............................................................................................................54

Tom Turpin On TaxidermyThe 2008 Academy Awards of Taxidermy .................................................................................................58

Terry Wieland On ShootingReigning Supreme - FNs great action in increasing demand ........................................................................60

Terry Wieland On AmmoNorma - Its worth it for the brass .................................................................................................................... 64

Rifl es in AfricaKombarumi The Slayer of Males By Eric Pragnell ....................................................................................... 66

Country Feature - EthiopiaA Carefully Aimed Shot in the Foot By PH Fred Duckworth ......................................................................72In the Jaws of a Lion Told by PH Bruce Watson..........................................................................................78After Elephant on Gura Farda Mountain By Brooke ChilversLubin ..............................................................82A Lesser Kudu of a Lifetime By PH Jason Roussos ......................................................................................86

BowhuntingA Single-Tusker from Mozambique By Rassie Erasmus ...............................................................................88

WingshootingKenya Wingshooters Horn of Plenty By Douglas Tate ................................................................................. 90

The Bush Beyond HuntingA Lesson About Wealth By Anthony P. Mauro, Sr. .......................................................................................... 94

PH Q&ACliff Walker - Son of a Butch ......................................................................................................................... 96

Joe Coogans Sundowner TalesWinds of Change Keep Sweeping Across Africa.............................................................................................136

Additional Hunting Stories from ASG on: www.africansportinggazette.comSonny Mowbrays Hunting the (Politically Incorrect) BaboonPH Craig Dorias Lions of the Jaramono

Contents38

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Volume 14 Issue 1 1

Section title

2 Volume 14 Issue 1

PublisherRichard Lendrum

+27 (11) [email protected]

EditorBrooke ChilversLubin

[email protected]

ColumnistsOn Shooting & On Ammo Terry Wieland

Sundowner Tales Joe CooganOn Taxidermy Tom Turpin

Wildlife Game Ron ThomsonBrookes Leopard Blind Reading Brooke ChilversLubin

Managing EditorBirgit Johnstone

[email protected]

Advertising Enquiries USA, Canada & EuropeBirgit Johnstone

Mobile: (705) 783 5332 Tel: (705) 646 9529 [email protected]

Advertising Enquiries Africa Craig Smith +27 (11) 803-2040

Mobile: +27 84 911 5162 [email protected]

Cathy Ball Mobile: +264 81 351 [email protected]

Advertising Enquiries USA Kim Rieman 406-925-2466 [email protected]

Northeast / Mid-Atlantic:Scott Buchmayr 978-462-6335 [email protected]

Midwest/Southeast: Amos Crowley888-299-5255 [email protected]

Design and Layout Simone Anderson

ProductionTanya Lane

Subscriptions - Africa & EuropeMabel Ramafoko [email protected]

Subscriptions - USA & Canada Birgit Johnstone [email protected]

Administration & FinancePria Bharatha

Published byAfrican Sporting Gazette is published quarterly by Future

Publishing ( Pty) Ltd PO Box 3355, Rivonia, 2128,

South Africa

320 Rivonia Boulevardcnr 4th Avenue, Rivonia, South Africa

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Global Group Inc USA

Copyright

All copyright for material appearing in this magazine belongs to Future Publishing. No

part of this magazine may be reproduced without written consent of the publisher. The

views and opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers.

Published quarterly, a quality journal presenting all aspects of hunting

available in Africa.

The traditions and tales, the professional hunters of today, and the

legends of yesteryear.

Reporting on the places to go, the sport available and all the

equipment to use.

Examining the challenges of managing wildlife as a sustainable resource

and the relationship between Africas game and its people.

The CLASSIC Big Five double rifle by Krieghoff.Ultra reliable and fast handling for the comfort and confidence

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H. Krieghoff GmbH Jagd- und Sportwaffen P.O.Box 2610 D-89016 Ulm, Germany Ph. +49-731-40182-0 Fax +49-731-40182-70 www.krieghoff.deKrieghoff International Inc. P.O.Box 549 Ottsville PA 18942 USA Ph. +1-610-847-5173 Fax +1-610-847-8691 www.krieghoff.com

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Volume 14 Issue 1 www.africansportinggazette.com July/Aug/Sept 2008

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July/Aug/Sept 2008

Ethiopia Feature

The northern Grants gazelle is found in Kenya, north of the equator and in Ethiopia where they are most often hunted in the Omo River Valley.

James Warwick Up a Creek Without a ... Satellite Phone

Brookes editorial

Volume 14 Issue 1 3

I called hunter Jim Harrison, the man

I trusted most to tell us where to find

the real Florida for a stateside vacation with my husband, PH Rudy Lubin. He sent

us to Astor on the St. Johns River in the

heart of the Ocala National Forest where we

swam and paddled canoes in crystal spring

waters; to Cedar Key where we watched

shorebirds and indulged in local seafood;

and to Steinhatchee where we went kayaking

for the first time in a fibreglass craft built

for two.

The Steinhatchee River, with its swallow-

tailed kites and turkey buzzards flying

overhead, was magic. But then, while

paddling past deep thickets of saw palmettos

and Spanish moss-covered live oaks, Rudy

suddenly ordered me to make for shore. I

grabbed for a handful of vines on the steep

banks while he jumped into the murky

waters, dragging the boat onto a spit of

sludge. We worked hard flipping over our

sodden vessel and saw water pouring out of

a three-inch crack.

We were some 10 miles from town,

where my cell phone didnt work in any

case (which explained the parade of out-of-

town cars crawling over the bridge trying

to pick up a signal). There was no hiking

trail running alongside the river, and I

was wearing only a bathing suit and beach

sandals for the long trek through entangled

vegetation back to where wed put in. At

least there were no hippos.

Lucky for us, the couple who happened to

pull into the State Park saw me jumping up

and down, waving my arms, and blowing my

Dads navy whistle on the far shore (Rudy

had gone ahead to look for a crossing above

the Falls). During the drive back to town,

they confirmed my fears that the riverine

forest was infested with water moccasins;

my feet were already itching from chiggers.

Id been shriek-singing Way Down Upon the Suwannee River (which actually ran parallel to our river) during our rough hike out

to cover up my dread about how one small

event, like in John Irvings novels, leads to

catastrophe. And I swore out loud that Id

never leave home again without my satellite

phone even if we were only a four-hour

drive from Disney World. That phone had

helped out stranded strangers in Mongolia,

carried words of love across oceans and

continents, and would have spared us from

disaster had God been looking for a laugh at

our expense that day.

So whether your next safari is to Africa,

the Arctic, or down the Suwannee River

take along your satellite phone (and your

GPS). Untwist fate and tell the Great Holy:

Better luck next time, Buddy!

Since were on the subject of

communication, Ive been trying to track

down several authors who have sent

material to ASG, but are somehow off our radar screen. Your e-mail addresses have

changed, or Ive lost them, and hardly

anybody includes a real address with their

submissions anymore. Would the following

folks please contact me at BrookeCL@

verizon.net:

Sonny Mowbray: Where are you? I posted your black lechwe story on the ASG website, but have other stories from you and

need photos.

Naas Ferreira: Ive been trying to e-mail you to run your stories, but my e-mails keep

bouncing back.

Daniel Mulholland: Ive been trying to track you down for a year about your

wingshooting story, but have lost the trail.

Finally, I cannot close without sincere

apologies for communication mix-ups on

our side to Tony Marsh the real author of the excellent bowhunting story in ASG 13.4, Bush Justice with a Bow and not author, columnist and editor Brian Marsh (whom,

I assume, also likes ferns and orchids). For

the record, Brian has lived all his life until

recently, in Rhodesia-Zimbabwe, while Tony

was born in England, trained as a botanist,

and became a game ranger in East Africa.

Birgit and I promise to get it straight the

next time one of these fine gentlemen sends

us a story.

Yours in good hunting,

BrookeEditor, ASG

Regarding Hunting Bongo with Dogs

News & Letters

4 Volume 14 Issue 1

The African Professional Hunters Association (APHA) has asked me to discuss my thinking on hunting bongo with dogs.

Nearly all of my bongo hunting since 1986 in the Central African Republic has been without dogs. In fact, I have a sort of a reputation for it and for a success rate between 50% - 75%, sometimes 100%. My clients have skill, good physical condition and luck, or my fair-chase hunting success rate on bongo would be even less.

Lucky for me, there are some hunting clients (but few booking agents) who accept the risk of failure in order to hunt bongo with me without dogs.

The safaris I did in south-west C.A.R. were with dogs and were very successful. The single season I did in Cameroon was also with dogs and also successful.

I do not object to hunting bongo with dogs. For centuries, hunters in the Americas and Europe have used dogs to hunt gamebirds and waterfowl, wild boar, bears, and deer. Nobody found it unethical, and dogs have always been the hunters best friend.

In my limited experienced of bongo hunting with dogs, the dogs served only to put the animal at bay, which allowed the PH to identify whether the animal was a male or female, was a worthy trophy, and whether his client could shoot it correctly. The animal is not run down, and one does not shoot an exhausted animal that has been pushed to its limits. The bongo does not know until the last moment that it is being pursued.

Before the final stage of this hunt, the hunter must first find a likely track of an adult male bongo, track it for hours in the damp forest, walking through mud and water, hassled by insects, in order to conclude the hunt by putting the bongo at bay with dogs, which is a real act of the hunt.

Is it more sporting to shoot an antelope from the vehicle a practice which few confess to and yet is often the reality of the industry? Is hunting lion over bait really sporting?

Before the practice of hunting bongo with dogs became widespread, I heard of many hunters, especially in Cameroon, who had their clients shoot

at a red patch through the bush. They identified the sex of the animal and the quality of the trophy only after the animal was dead. It is well known that sometimes hunters took three, four, and even five bongos until a good male was killed; the rest were buried. We used to kid that some PHs had a success rate of 150%.

If we do not use dogs, what other methods are available to the hunter? There are the fleeting moments of luck from the machan over a saltlick or waterhole at dawn and dusk; but the temptation is great to use night vision binocs and artificial light more suitable to military operations in order to ensure success for their paying client.

Realistically, hunting with dogs is a method that should be available to those who wish to use it. Otherwise, be prepared for my fate for, without dogs, the hunting that I practise attracts only a few followers, especially as numerous booths at hunting conventions profess 100% success on bongo.

We must be lucid and honest. Most of us need to earn a living from our killing of animals; it is not a hobby. As in every profession, we need results in order to run our businesses. Without them, we are finished.

To conclude: Although I do not hunt with dogs at present, I cannot say that I would not. Quite simply, dogs do not thrive in our hunting areas in north-central C.A.R. due to our tsetse flies, and we have no local populations with a reputation for hunting with dogs.

Hunting bongo with dogs is equally if not more sporting than many other hunting methods used in Africa that do not seem to upset anyone. I have had clients tell me without flinching about hunting lion from a blind in a tree over a waterhole at night with a light.

Is it really more ethical to shoot a sitatunga from a boat, or any animal because we have walked 300 metres from the vehicle?

PH Rudy LubinCentral African Republic

By J. Alain Smith

I am a predator. I am like the wolf, killing a moose to

satiate my hunger pangs and feed my young.

I was born a carnivore. Like the cougar, meat is the major protein in my diet.

As a male of my species, evolution has dictated that I am the provider for my family.

I am the king of the jungle. I am the top of the food chain.I can, at times outwit and kill any

creature on earth. They may also do the same to me, if I make a mistake.

Lions fear meI fear them.The thrill of the chase and the

adrenalin surging through my veins pushes me beyond my citified physical limits bringing new life to desk-stiffened muscles.

I dont suppress my birthright to hunt, I revel in it.

I dont make excuses for why I hunt. I dont have to and neither do you.

From Smiths new book of stories

from around the world, Hunting New Horizons, available in a limited signed and numbered, or trade, edition. Smiths first book was Close Calls and Hunting Adventures. To order, call: 800-426-9940 or go to www.jalainsmith.com.

Why Do I Hunt?

News & Letters

Volume 14 Issue 1 5

Dear Brooke, Here is quick overview as of May 2008

of Botswanas hunting industry. Each year, the hunting season opens on

the first Tuesday of April, and 2008 was no exception. As I write this, PHs countrywide are getting their vehicles and equipment sorted, and concession holders are getting staff, camps and airstrips ready and roads cleared.

Botswana received record-levels of rainfall during the 2007/8 rainy season, which for some will be a blessing and for others a curse. It will always be too wet, too dry, too hot, too cold, and yes, you should have been here last month.

In 2007, many hunters left Botswana looking forward to returning, and judging by some of the trophies collected, I can see why! Botswana, of course, remains a top destination for elephant hunters.

A few outstanding trophies worth mention include a fantastic Cape eland with a total SCI score of 117-1/8, making it the new Number One. The eland was collected by Adolfo Caminero and guided by PH Alan Schmidt.

The top five elephants hunted in 2007 had a total tusk weight of: #1 and #2 = 180 lbs #3 = 170 lbs.#4 = 153 lbs #5 = 151 lbs.

The largest individual tusk weighed 95.87 lbs.

When elephant hunting reopened in

1996, the industry was given a quota of 80 elephant; only 33 were shot. In 2006, 270 licences were issued; 252 were shot. The best combined tusk weight recorded was in 1996 with an average of 116.86 lbs. Since then the average has not deviated much, even though the quota has increased.

In 2006, the combined average tusk weight including broken tusks, of which there are many in Botswana was 107 lbs, making the average elephant over 50 lbs per tusk.

(My first safari in 2007 was for six elephants, and we maintained an average of 61.5 lbs per tusk.)

We were privileged to have lion back on quota in 2007, with some great results. PH Mike Murray, with his client Dr. Byron Christie, shot a lion with a total SCI score of 27-2/16, placing it at SCI Number 4. Unfortunately, lion hunting has not been extended to the 2008 season, and the Botswana Wildlife Management Association (BWMA) is presently lobbying government with a Strategic Review, targeting three points:

Land use. Hunting activities generally take place in marginal Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) where photographic tourism is not an option. Some of these areas do have limited access to prime areas.

Economics. Economic models, based on land use and carrying capacity, can be built to determine value in order to make comparisons between hunting, cattle

ranching, forestry, etc.Conservation and Management.

Hunting of certain species in specific areas contributes to its continued conservation status. There are a number of ongoing wildlife research programmes in Botswana, and all hunting concessions have adopted an environmental monitoring system using a Geographic Information System (GIS).

It needs to be noted that 18% of Botswanas land is protected under either Game Reserves or National Parks. A further 10.5% is set aside in the form of WMAs (Wildlife Management Areas). And yet another 18.2% has been set aside for wildlife, but has not been gazetted. That makes a total of 47% of the country being set aside for wildlife. I dont think that there are many countries, if any, that can match this.

I hope that the 2008 hunting season goes well for all. I am sure that Botswana will once again prove to be a top hunting destination with many great trophies being collected by hunters from around the world.

Good hunting to the readers of ASG. PH Chris Dandridge PH Representative for Botswana Wildlife

Management Association (BWMA) Thanks to Debbie Peake of Mochaba

Industries of Maun for collecting and providing hunting result statistics.

Botswana News from Today for Tomorrow

The Safari Club International Outstanding International Professional Hunter of the Year Award honours PHs considered to be among the best in the safari hunting industry by their peers and clients, based on the track record of their career.

The recipients live close to the earth, know the animals and the areas they hunt, and take pleasure in helping their clients take prized trophies. The award-winner is selected from nominations submitted by members of the SCI Board of Directors and SCI chapter presidents.

At the 2008 SCI convention in Reno, PH Dirk de Bod of Namibia was honoured with this prestigious award (he was a runner-up in 2007). De Bod is a Life Member of SCI and Dallas Safari Club; member of Namibia Professional Hunters Association (NPHA), African Professional Hunters Association (APHA), and Rowland Wards Guild of Field Sportsman. He was awarded 2002 PH of the year by Jack Atcheson & Sons

Hunting Group International. He is also a Master Measurer for both SCI and Rowland Ward, and several of his clients trophies rank in the SCI, Rowland Ward and NAPHA trophy record books Top 10.

De Bod was raised on a cattle farm in northern Namibia where his dad encouraged and helped him with his passion for nature, hunting and conservation. After graduating from school in 1982, he was drafted and served in a special force unit until 1989.

After buying a gun store in Windhoek in 1990, then one in Klein Windhoek, he bought land in 1998 and began reintroducing indigenous game to his ranch. He sold his gun store and concentrated his efforts on professional hunting, game ranching, and being active in conservation and other related projects.

Dirk has been married to Rina for 17 years. Their two young children share their passion for nature. In addition to my friends, clients, SCI, and NAPHA, I would

especially like to thank the Ministry of Environment and Tourism and the Namibia Tourism Board for making the hunting industry a viable profession for us all.

Namibian Dirk de Bod Wins Hunting Award

PH Dirk de Bod receiving his award from SCI Vice-President, Sven Lindquist, at the

2008 SCI convention.

News & Letters

6 Volume 14 Issue 1

Dear Brooke,

Thank you for a really great magazine.

I read Collin Welenskys letter in ASG 13.4 and agree with him totally about

hunters chasing an animal with a pack

of dogs until it cant run anymore, then

shooting it. It might be legal, but is it

ethical? I dont think so.

I read on and found the article, Tricks for Mr. Spots, and am really shocked with LED lights, sensors and spotlights.

Those are tricks? If you cant shoot a

trophy animal during daylight hours,

then dont shoot it with a spotlight!

THEN, Saturday morning, I turned on

the TV to watch a hunting and fishing

channel. And there they are, chasing a polar bear with a pack of dogs until it is

so tired that its lying on the ice, eating

snow. The well-known hunter walks up to within 20 yards and shoots it. The

bear never had a chance. Even though I

hunt as much as I can, I ask: It might be

lawful, but is it ethical?

Where have ethics in hunting gone?

Little wonder the Greenies are all over

us. In fact, I do not think that animals

hunted with dogs should be allowed into

the trophy record books.

Sincerely,

Stephen CuffUSA

The Discussion on Ethics Continues ...

w w w .hunterssupport.com

fo r t h e d isc e rn in g sp o rt sm an

H unters S upport S ervi ces provi des a comprehensive range of servi ces: obtaining the

pre- issued firearm permits and generally assisting w ith arrangements for a trouble free safari

News & Letters

Volume 14 Issue 1 7

Dallas Honours Young Women HuntersBy Britney Starr

I was excited to learn that at the 2008 Dallas Safari Club Convention a female hunter would receive the Colin Caruthers Young Hunter Award, established in 1991 to honour young members for significant hunting accomplishments, academic excellence and civic involvement. Alyse Roan, a senior at Royse City High School near Dallas, received the award. For the first time I had the opportunity to meet another girl who loves hunting like I do.

I sat with Alyse among the dazzle of tuxedos and evening gowns during the Saturday night banquet. The first thing I noticed about Alyse was her energy. She exudes confidence and has a sparkle in her eye whenever she talks about her hunting adventures. I could relate to her enthusiasm when she described her trip to Namibia where she harvested kudu, warthog, oryx, steenbok, springbok, black and blue wildebeest, red hartebeest and duiker.

I have been to South Africa multiple times and was very excited to trade hunting stories. But hunting was not the only thing she was passionate about during her trip to Africa; she carried along 45 pounds of gifts in her suitcase for those working in the hunting camp. I brought pocket knives, safari hats, shirts, jewelry, lotion, sunglasses, footballs, soccer balls, all sorts of things. I had a lot of fun handing out the gifts, and doing it was very important to me. I also had so much fun teaching the kids how to play American football, Alyse said, They had no idea what I was trying to tell them at first, but after a while they caught on.

Her mothers boss, Corey Knowlton of Global Hunting Resources, turned Alyse on to hunting. Corey saw something in me and introduced me to the world of hunting. I am so thankful for his help and kindness, said Alyse, who is the only person in her family who hunts.

Alyse, a very girly girl, was 17 when she went to Africa and said that all of her friends thought that she was crazy. She is captain of her varsity cheer team, serves as the National Honor Society Secretary, is a member of the Fellowship of

Christian Athletes, has been on the Student Council since middle school, and ranks 41 out of 220 students. She also participates in basketball, volleyball and track, and is a member of the National Rifle Association, Safari Club International, National Wild Turkey Federation, and Ducks Unlimited.

Along with sharing hunting tales, Alyse and I talked about what its like to be young women hunters and the way we have to prove ourselves in order to be taken seriously. Its almost like some people dont believe what you have to say about hunting because youre a girl, she said, Hopefully, some day that will change.

Alyse says she learned a lot from outfitters about the wonderful people who worked for them. Im excited about where my hunting adventures will take me in the future.

Congratulations on winning this great award, Alyse.

Girls Get out there and hunt!

Britney Starr of Hessel, Michigan is a 2008 graduate of Western Michigan University with a Bachelors degree in journalism. I am an avid huntress and love hunting in Africa.

Alyse pictured here with a blue wildebeest she took on the sixth

day of her hunt in Namibia.

Alyse Roan and the author Britney Starr pictured here at the 2008 Dallas Safari Club Convention.

w w w .hunterssupport.com

fo r t h e d isc e rn in g sp o rt sm an

H unters S upport S ervi ces provi des a comprehensive range of servi ces: obtaining the

pre- issued firearm permits and generally assisting w ith arrangements for a trouble free safari

News & Letters

Volume 14 Issue 1 9

When the value of the US$ began its decline several years ago, Arctic outfitter Fred Webb responded to an article in the hunting press in which the author accused outfitters of having previously quietly pocketed the windfall profit gained in the exchange of currency.

With the dollar down to rock-bottom levels, resulting in an increase in the cost of hunting, it seems timely to reprint Webbs letter first published in the International Professional Hunters Association (IPHA) newsletter.

I was dismayed to read an article in which the author casts slurs upon the honesty and honour of outtters and professional hunters around the world. His perception that, until the U.S. dollar began badly shrinking, outtters quietly pocketed the windfall prot gained in the exchange of currency is untrue.

More than 50 years ago, I was issued my rst Guides Licence. By 1967, I was the owner of one of the biggest outtting operations in eastern Canada, and outtted clients in Newfoundland-Labrador, New Brunswick, Quebec and Nunavut.

About 1970, a hunter from Texas asked me the cost of a bear hunt with our outt. Until then Id dealt in Canadian dollars when the exchange rate made the latter about 12 cents more valuable than the U.S. dollar. As I tried, with pencil and paper, to show the gentleman how good I was to him by accepting his devalued dollars at par, he gave me some good advice: Look here, sonny. I dont need no lesson in arithmetic. Just tell me what the

goddamn price is in good ol Greenbacks!Because 100% of my clients came from the

U.S.A., it was obvious that wed save a lot of trouble if we just priced our hunts in U.S. currency.

Moving ahead 30-plus years: There has been a great deal of ination in the cost of everything we buy. This has affected the outtting industry, and for those of us in remote places the problem is compounded.

For example: $100 worth of gas down south will cost double on the Arctic coast. By the time I haul it 150 miles up the coast in a Twin Otter, its now $1000.

For many years, both outtter and client beneted from the rising value of the US dollar, and any perceived prot to the outtter lies well within this spread. True, there were increases in our prices over the years, but nowhere near what they would have been without the ever-rising exchange rate taking care of most of the ination.

Unfortunately, this has all changed. At one point the US dollar bought up to $1.54 Canadian. On 15 April 2008, 1US$ = $1.02 Canadian. Simultaneously, costs in the Arctic have risen dramatically.

It doesnt take any genius to gure out that the outtter has two choices: either raise prices or go broke. Its that simple.

I am a hunting guide, not an international banker or nancier. I dont know what is responsible for the US dollar falling against every currency in the world.

But for damn sure, its not the fault of the outtter in the Arctic or the PH in South Africa. And the last thing the industry needs is unfounded accusations from the sidelines. Experienced international hunters know that currencies go up and down, and that theres little the outtter can do about it.

Today, the outtter who kept ination at bay due to the strong US dollar, and the client who enjoyed hunts around the world at a rate that could not have been offered without this strong US dollar, have to adjust to a new reality.

Just to add some perspective: Back in 1966 we sold a polar bear hunt for $5500. That same year I bought a brand-new GMC heavy-duty 4x4 truck, with a custom paint job, for $3995. I recently bought a GMC truck, not half as good, for 10 times that. The present cost of polar bear hunts does not look too bad in comparison.

There is no room and no need for any recriminations among friends about a situation that is deadly serious to the health of our sport and our already fragile industry. Instead, let us work together through this difcult adjustment, keeping in mind that exchange rates may very well go the other way again, and make all of us happier.

Fred WebbFred A. Webb & Sons

An Exchange About Exchange

The Threatened or Protected Species (TOPS) Regulations of the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act of 2004 are part of a complex and growing set of laws governing the breeding, keeping and utilization (including hunting) of listed species of wild mammals, reptiles, birds, etc., in South Africa.

The TOPS listed mammals of interest to the hunter, whether or not they may be hunted, include: leopard, cheetah, wild dog, hyena, bontebok, black and white rhino, elephant, mountain zebra, oribi, black wildebeest, and reedbuck as well as roan, tsessebe, blue duiker and Sharpes grysbok.

The listing of lion, whilst included and in fact a prime original focus of the Regulations, has been suspended pending the outcome of a court case between the lion breeders and the responsible Government Minister.

The impact of TOPS is most onerous for game ranchers who have had to comply with an extensive new system of controls and permits. DEAT (Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism) ofcials conducted a series of road shows around the country last year introducing the new regulations. Unfortunately, there is no short cut to summarizing the provisions of the Regulations. The hunter needs to be aware of and to ensure that the required permits are in

place for his hunt to be legal, and for meat and trophies to be transported within and exported from South Africa.

The Regulations, which came into effect on 1 February 2008, prohibit certain activities involving listed large predators and black and white rhino. For example, Regulation 24 involves hunting a put and take animal, a drugged animal, with a gin trap, and hunting in a controlled (e.g., small) environment, plus various other restrictions.

Numerous hunting methods are prohibited in Regulation 26, including: hunting with dogs; with .22 rimre or smaller weapons, automatic weapons, shotguns, airguns; luring by bait, sound, smell; hunting from boats, motorized vehicles or aircraft; with the use of ood or spotlights.

There are exceptions to the above, for example tracking wounded animals and hunting birds with dogs, using dead bait and articial lights for hunting leopards or hyena, and others. The darting of a listed animal (e.g., rhino) under the supervision of a vet is permissible, for a person issued with the necessary permit. Culling listed animals and controlling damage-causing animals may also be excepted activities.

Importantly, the bowhunting of listed large predators, white or black rhino, crocodile, and elephant is no longer permitted, under Regulation 26(8).

Hunters must bear in mind that the TOPS Regulations apply only to the listed species. However, further legislation in the pipeline, which includes the Alien and Invasive Species Regulations and Norms and Standards on the hunting of non-TOPS species, means that hunting of all game could soon be similarly regulated.

As a result of the governments stated intention to regulate against practices that were detrimental to the image of hunting in South Africa, hunting has become one of the most rigidly controlled business and recreational activities in the country.

Whilst hunting and game ranching organizations are working hard to facilitate the introduction of these laws, local hunters will have to ensure that they are familiar with their implications.

For visiting, non-resident hunting clients the message is clear: Hunt only with reputable outfitters and professional hunters, who are licensed in the province in which you will be hunting. Sign the written hunting contract required by law, and ask your hunting outtter and PH to conrm that all the necessary permits are in place for your hunt.

PH Peter de V ButlandPresident, Professional Hunters Association of

South Africa (PHASA)

What South Africas TOPS Regulations Mean for the Hunter

News & Letters

10 Volume 14 Issue 1

Dear ASG Readers,

What recently happened to me has focused my attention very sharply on weapon safety. I still have the holes in my jacket and shirt, and the scar on my arm to improve my focus.

In August 2007 I was conducting safari with two Lebanese clients on a privately owned area in Zambia. I was assured that both were experienced shots who had hunted for over 40 years. I asked Mr. C. to check his .30-06 as it had a newly tted scope. He shot well and downed a puku with one well-placed shot.

The next morning we went out to shoot bait for a leopard. We came across two impala rams, and I asked Mr. C. to get out of the vehicle and shoot either one. Although the ram dropped, it got up again almost immediately, so we followed it in the hope of another clear shot. We followed it for about an hour, coming close twice. When we came to some thick brush, I put the three trackers in front of me and Mr. C. behind me.

Suddenly I felt a blow on my left arm and simultaneously heard an ominous bang. I clutched my left arm, held it high, checked if there was still feeling, and counted my ngers to see if I still had ve. I also looked for pumping blood, in case the artery in my wrist had been damaged.

My tracker, Godfrey, helped me take off my heavy jacket so we could see the damage. Mr. C. was concerned about what he had done, so I resisted the temptation to oor him. He admitted that he had left the safety off and that a twig had caught the trigger. God knows why he had a bullet in the chamber, safety off, and was waving a ri e around my back. Had I looked behind me occasionally, instead of concentrating totally on the spoor, I might have spotted trouble.

Luckily he had been carrying the .30-06 and not the .375 hed originally intended to use. The bullet went through two jackets, a shirt and a vest, scratching my side and missing my ribs by a fraction, and then continued through the muscle of my forearm, missing the elbow and wrist by a narrow margin.

The hole in my arm was about 2.5 x 2 inches, and about of an inch deep. Fortunately no tendon or major nerve had been severed. (The surgeon had to chop out all the mess from the shock wave, so the hole

was eventually bigger than the original bullet wound.)

As my Land Rover with my rst-aid kit was probably four or ve kilometres away, we decided to walk to the ranch workshop that was much nearer. The trackers called for assistance on the radio. We walked. I was able to keep calm and reassure my client that I was alive and kicking. A tractor soon came bundling down the road. However, I was more comfortable walking, hand in the air and holding my elbow tightly with my right hand to prevent any further blood loss.

In the workshop, J grabbed a rst-aid kit and rushed me into a room where hed arranged boiled water, disinfectant and dressings. Mr. C.s friend plied me with cigars and Js good lady gave me sweet tea.

As I was not in any immediate danger of keeling over, we decided to drive to the hospital in Lusaka, stopping at Mumbwa to give a report to the Zambian police, which took the best part of an hour. If Id arrived at the hospital with a gunshot wound and no police report, there could have been problems.

All the way my driver, T, kept me going with stories. The pain wasnt too bad until the surgeon cut away the jelli ed esh.

Ive been unable to guide safaris since the accident; a chunk of muscle is missing and the arm is weak and stiff despite exercise. I cannot carry a heavy ri e, driving is painful, as is lifting up my two young children.

I expect to be healed in due time, but probably not before the end of the safari season, and have received no compensation from the client. In 10 years of soldiering, Id managed to avoid being shot. Now, a non-combatant has wounded me!

Re ecting on what went wrong, this is what Ive learned:

1. Never assume the information youve been given is correct. Based on the say-so of someone I trust, I believed the client was competent with weapons.

2. Always give a brie ng on weapon safety at the start of a hunt, no matter how experienced or competent the client appears to be.

3. Never let anyone walk behind you with a ri e without checking that theyve made safe (unloaded).

4. Never allow anyone to point a ri e at you, even if it is unloaded.

5. Attend rst-aid courses. Although most countries insist that PHs have passed a rst-aid course in order to be licensed, one should update ones knowledge as often as possible.

6. Remain calm in the face of adversity. I wouldnt have died from this wound although a fraction difference in direction and I would have been dead; but it wouldnt have helped matters if Id lost my temper with the client, or fainted.

This was my second escape from death in the same week.

Just prior, after some of cial business Id been on a sunset cruise on Lake Itezhitezhi with 13 other people. There was no booze just sodas and water. Turning back toward the lodge, we were heading into wind, and waves were breaking on the prows and dampening several passengers.

I noticed that the starboard hull of the little pontoon was sitting low in the water and commented to one passenger sitting at the stern. He lifted the rear inspection hatch and found two fuel tanks oating in the sump. The starboard hull settled further, to

Africa, Guns, Boats & Safety

PH Simon Burgess of Lusaka, Zambia still has the holes in his

jacket and shirt, as well as this scar from the 2.5 x 2 inch big and 3/4-inch deep hole in his arm, from his

clients .30-06.

Exclusive BowhuntingAdventures

Hunt Africa the way it used to be

Nico and Willie PelserTelephone Facsimile E-mail

+27 (82) 876 7246 +27 (14) 763-4841 [email protected]+27 (82) 614 5731 [email protected]

Postal Addres: PO BOX 1241,Lephalale 0555, RSAUSA ContactsJack Baltz Marc Desruisseaux Larry Johns [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

News & Letters

Volume 14 Issue 1 11

everyones consternation. In fact, there was little chance of us sinking as the major part of the hull had been buoyancy tted.

The passengers moved to port to balance the boat. At this juncture the engine cut; two wooden paddles were found. As we drifted I untied the rope at the front of the boat; if we came near any of the dead trees in the lake I could swim and tie us to one of these.

The coxswain then managed to coax the engine into life and went as fast as possible for the nearest bit of land, a small rocky island. Several of us shouted at him to slow down, as we could see disaster looming.

The starboard hull then dug into the water and the boat capsized. Most of the passengers were under the awning and fell in a heap on top of each other in the water.

At this juncture we were about 50 yards from the island. There were two life jackets and 14 of us. I managed to help four people and then tied the boat, which was oating upside down, to a rock close to the

island. Two local shermen had seen our predicament and came to help with their canoe. They were a blessing.

When we had gathered ourselves and wits about us, someone asked where Davey was. It was now dark and poor Davey, like most of the passengers, could not swim. I asked Jacob, a young intern at the Royal Danish Embassy, to swim over to where I could see something in the water. It turned out to be a rock. This was brave of Jacob as there are crocodiles and hippos in the lake.

I asked the shermen to call for help. They refused because there were hippos around. Miraculously, one of them had a cell phone that was charged. We found a working SIM card, and soon help was on its way. The rst rescue party arrived at 8.00 p.m.; the rest of us were taken off at 8:30 p.m. We spent the night in shock, most of us unable to sleep.

The next morning, poor Davey was found dead in the water by the boat, with his hands still clenched. I think hed been holding on

and never let go.

Lessons learned: 1. Learn to swim with your clothes on.

As wed been on ofcial business, we were all dressed in long trousers and most of us were wearing heavy, warm clothing.

2. Keep calm at all times. One of the people I saved nearly drowned me. He climbed on top of me twice before I thumped him and made him let go. Only then could I grab the rope and go under water to pull him to the surface. Im not saying Im a hero merely that if I hadnt kept calm, I would surely have drowned with him.

3.Always ask about safety drills when on a boat. We had none, and only two life jackets for 14 people.

Let these be my lessons. PH Simon BurgessLusaka, Zambia

Exclusive BowhuntingAdventures

Hunt Africa the way it used to be

Nico and Willie PelserTelephone Facsimile E-mail

+27 (82) 876 7246 +27 (14) 763-4841 [email protected]+27 (82) 614 5731 [email protected]

Postal Addres: PO BOX 1241,Lephalale 0555, RSAUSA ContactsJack Baltz Marc Desruisseaux Larry Johns [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Nothing compares to the thrill of scoring a huge account like dropping a magnificent trophy on the plains of the African savanna. Your PH will tell you, When youre on the trail of one of the big five, you have to put it down clean. Or it could put you down. This is why Federal Premium CapeShok has the load you need to take that once-in-a-lifetime shot with confidence. The heralded Trophy Bonded Bear Claw soft points and Sledgehammer solids are complemented by top-notch Barnes, Nosler and Woodleigh bullet options to give you stopping power and precision at your fingertips. Now you can be all business even when youre pursuing your pleasures.

FP289 IO50131.indd 1 5/27/08 1:05:53 PM

News & Letters


Nothing compares to the thrill of scoring a huge account like dropping a magnificent trophy on the plains of the African savanna. Your PH will tell you, When youre on the trail of one of the big five, you have to put it down clean. Or it could put you down. This is why Federal Premium CapeShok has the load you need to take that once-in-a-lifetime shot with confidence. The heralded Trophy Bonded Bear Claw soft points and Sledgehammer solids are complemented by top-notch Barnes, Nosler and Woodleigh bullet options to give you stopping power and precision at your fingertips. Now you can be all business even when youre pursuing your pleasures.

FP289 IO50131.indd 1 5/27/08 1:05:53 PM

Rhino Rescue in ZimbabweIn September 2007 Nick and Carla

Ohanesian of California were scheduled to arrive for a safari in the Chiredzi River Conservancy accompanied by Bill Bannister, a veterinarian from Reno, Nevada. I was preparing to depart for Harare to pick them up when I received a report from our game scouts that the carcass of a rhino had been discovered on the Chiredzi River.

Accompanied by ve scouts I attended the scene and was met with one of the most pitiful sights I have ever witnessed. Standing alongside the rotting corpse of her mother was a small calf. She emitted a pathetic whimper as she desperately tried to suckle from the putre ed udders of the cow, softly nudging the bloated stomach in vain. She had a maggot-infested wound along her face and septic bullet entry and exit holes above her shoulders. From what we could later determine, the mother had been shot and killed by poachers three days prior to the discovery of the carcass. Upon approaching the corpse to remove the horns, the poachers had been confronted by the little calf desperately trying to protect her slain mother, and an axe had been driven into the calf s face in an attempt to remove its small three-inch horn. The little animal had managed to escape, but not before being shot and wounded.

Even the hardened scouts had tears in their eyes as we attempted to capture the calf. We managed to put a rope around her neck but she ran off, frightened and confused. We tracked her for the rest of the day, but our efforts to locate her were in vain. It was truly a sickening feeling to think of the calf somewhere out there alone, confused, starving, and in extreme agony.

Early the following morning Bill, Nick, Carla and I had just set out on Day One of our safari

when I received a radio call from my head scout, Tsotse. The calf had returned to its dead mother during the night and was now lying alongside the carcass. Not wanting a repeat performance of the previous day, I contacted Colin Wenham, the wildlife manager on the neighbouring Malilangwe Conservancy. Colin wasted no time in getting across to us at Buffalo Range with a dart gun.

Once Bill was satis ed that the calf s condition was stable, we loaded her on to my Land Cruiser and drove to our headquarters where my mother, Jane, was anxiously awaiting our arrival. Although she had never raised a baby rhino, she has a wealth of experience in rearing orphaned animals. During the 1983 and 1992 droughts, she bottle-fed several sable calves, an eland, and a very boisterous wildebeest!

It was tting to name the baby rhino Carla. My special thanks go to the Ohanesians and, of course, to Bill for the roles they each played in rescuing the calf. Carla is a miracle story, and when you see her today you cannot imagine the suffering that she endured less than three months ago!

PH Barry Style Buffalo Range SafarisHarare, Zimabwe

P.S. As a result of this story, an anti-poaching effort has been started in the USA to aid the Chiredzi River Conservancy area. At the 2008 SCI convention, veterinary supplies, dart guns and money were presented to the Style family.

PH Barry Style was met with the pitiful sight of the orphaned rhino trying to feed from its poached mothers

rotting udders.

The calf itself, named Carla

after the hunting clients wife Carla

Ohanesian, had a maggot-infested wound on its face and septic bullet

entry and exit holes above its

shoulders.

(C)

Joe

Wit

tenk

elle

r

&Gear & Gadgets


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The Fastest, Most Powerful Crossbow on the PlanetTalisman handmade and customised crossbows are for the elite shooters and collectors of today. They offer not only a unique and beautiful precision shooting machine, but also an accurate and reliable engineered piece of craftsmanship. The new Mantis crossbow by Talisman is the fastest, most powerful crossbow on the planet over 500 fps with a 600-grain arrow. The Mantis crossbow is of a pivoted design, and if you look at where the bow joins the stock you will see two connecting rods that are pivoted to each limb. These rods, upon drawing the bowstring, compress a specially designed set of incredibly powerful springs that can store over 4,000 lbs per square inch. As you squeeze the trigger, the energy stored in the springs is transferred to the bow and the string, shooting the bolt at incredibly high velocity with arrows of 600 grains and more. The Mantis is the ultimate big-game crossbow. To learn more, go to: www.talismancrossbows.com.

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Gadgets

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Mountain Nyala Beyond the TrophyWe trekked under a clear blue December sky, surrounded by scorched heather and orange soil exposed by erosion. We still had another six hours and several thousand feet of climbing before reaching the top of the Galama Mountains in Ethiopias southern highlands.

Beyond the TrophyBy Paul Evangelista


As my knees began to ache and the perspiration glued my backpack to my torso, I noticed that our Ethiopian guides were cheerful, whistling as if on a backyard stroll. We were headed to a camp at about 14,000 feet maintained by Ethiopian Rift Valley Safaris (ERVS) where we would meet up with the half-dozen game scouts wed dispatched 10 weeks earlier to survey wildlife and observe land-use activities. Already on our trek we had passed hundreds of cattle, large tracts of burned vegetation, and desperate attempts to cultivate barley. By all accounts, the people that live in the surrounding foothills are poor. Their survival relies heavily on the dwindling resources of the Galama Mountains.

Throughout the day, our eyes scanned the rugged slopes in hope of sighting mountain nyala. Our teams task was to conduct an

assessment of their populations and the condition of the ecosystem as a whole, which would eventually lead to a report for management and restoration strategies. We were all optimistic, a necessary trait for ecologists these days, but our hopes began to fade that night as we reviewed the data collected by the game scouts, who had little to report. Over the next few days, we collected plant specimens, talked to local people, and conducted wildlife surveys from horseback. On the fth day, we nally spotted our rst mountain nyala: a female and calf. The following day, we saw a lone Ethiopian wolf and later a Meneliks bushbuck. There was relief that at least three of Ethiopias endemic species persisted in these highlands despite all the signs of an ecosystem in peril.

The Galama Mountains were once the premier spot to hunt mountain nyala. Not far

from where we were, Major Buxton shot the rst documented specimens in 1908 and PH Nassos Roussos took the world-record trophy in the 1980s. When Ethiopia became a democratic republic in 1991, they were classi ed as a Forest Priority Area, although there wasnt a tree in sight, and hunting was temporarily suspended as the new government began to restructure itself. During the transition, the Galama Mountains became an ugly example of Hardins tragedy of the commons. Trees at the base of the massif were cleared, wildlife was poached, and the landscape was burned to make room for livestock and agriculture. By the time trophy hunting re-opened in 1995, the mountains had been extensively looted.

Under the new regulations, trophy hunting was managed through individual concession holders. ERVS held the concession in the

The Wildlife Game

The Wildlife Game brought to you by

Mountain Nyala Beyond the Trophy


Galama Mountains, although there was little hunting potential. Still, they held it in an effort to provide some protection to the resources and give the system time to recover. They paid annual concession fees and maintained a permanent camp for several years.

We arrived in 2001. After two weeks, it was evident that the conditions were too degraded to invest further time and resources into developing a conservation plan an especially dif cult decision as this was the rst large project given to The Murulle Foundation a non-pro t organization started by PH Jason Roussos, Paul Swartzinski, and myself after a visit to the Omo Valley in 1999. Wed met a few years earlier in school at Colorado State University, where each of us was studying a different specialty that complemented our vision for TMF. Jasons degree was in wildlife biology,

Pauls in rangeland restoration, and mine in forest ecology. Although we were disappointed, the experience created a determination to move forward with our mission to conserve the balance between cultural and natural resources in sub-Saharan Africa.

The following year, with added members to TMF, we directed our attention to the Bale Mountains speci cally in a new Controlled Hunting Area called Odu Bulu where mountain nyala had only recently been discovered by the Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Department. The moist tropical forests of Odu Bulu were pristine and unlike anything Id ever seen in Ethiopia. Giant Hagenia abyssinica trees with red-orange orets hanging like grapes blocked out the sun, while smaller Scheffl era volkensii trees were draped with moss forming a thick web within the canopys mid-story. In the local Oromian language, Odu Bulu means sleeps alone, which refers to the ease with which one could live comfortably in the forest. The sound of trickling, spring-fed streams, songs of exotic birds, and honey-producing bees in the upper reaches of the canopy were obvious signs of a balanced and healthy ecosystem with thriving populations of mountain nyala, Meneliks bushbuck, giant forest hog, leopard, African hunting dog, and the occasional lion.

As with most ecological research, we began an intensive survey of the vegetation, which ultimately relates to everything else in a terrestrial system. Initially, our efforts had a strict scienti c approach, watching mountain nyala, collecting plants, measuring trees, and making maps. Later, we met with local people to learn about their rural lifestyles and daily needs. TMF believes that any meaningful conservation

strategy must have the participation of the people and make careful consideration of their need for resources.

Within the next year, we complemented our vegetative research with several local community outreach projects in collaboration with ERVS including the distribution of 35,000 trees to individual households, the construction of a water supply system, and delivery of books and educational materials to the local school.

For logistical ease, we often shared the camp with ERVS hunting clients. After long days of eld sampling and surveying, wed join the hunters for dinner, hunting stories, and discussions of local ecology and native traditions.

Some of the hunters contacted us in Colorado, asking if they could help support our work. TMF has never had much time for fundraising or promotion. We each had day jobs and graduate studies that kept us busy. Our work in Ethiopia was conducted on a volunteer basis during holidays and leave. However, support from the hunting community continued to grow and allowed us to expand our work beyond the Odu Bulu forest, to include the Ethiopian wolf, greater and lesser kudu, and leopard; and a reafforestation programme in Bale Mountains National Park that has so far planted over 75,000 native trees. Our educational programme expanded beyond the rural villages to the classrooms of Addis Ababa University. We implemented a successful micro- nance programme for women in rural communities. And we secured funding from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the development of an anti-poaching unit to protect elephants in Mago National Park. All

The Murulle Foundation staff and foresters from Bale Mountains National Park inspect native tree seedlings before transplanting them in the park.


of this, and more, is the result of a group of volunteers and a few hunters deciding that they can collectively make a difference.

If TMF had a agship species, it would undoubtedly be the mountain nyala. Today, we conduct mountain nyala research in Odu Bulu, the Chercher and Arussi Mountains, and remote areas of the Bale Mountains.

Besides funding support, our partnership with the hunting community has yielded other critical opportunities. The Ethiopian government has very strict regulations on invasive research of wildlife they generally prohibit any hands-on activities, which include tranquilizing animals. As a result, there is very little physical data on the mountain nyala. Working directly with hunters has allowed us to collect data from harvested animals, including measurements such as weight, height and horn length, as well as blood and tissue samples. We also check animals for parasites that may serve as vectors for disease and examine their stomach content to see what theyve been eating.

Over the years, our research has also become more technologically advanced. We now use satellite imagery and statistical models to identify potential mountain nyala habitat, increasing the probability of nding undocumented populations. In fact, weve discovered several new areas with healthy mountain nyala populations, and some are under review for designation as new hunting concessions. These results and others are now being published in scienti c journals and used by the Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Department for developing management plans.

Even the IUCN Antelope Specialist Group has requested data from us.

Despite the important contributions our work has made, theres a larger message to consider. Our society creates wedges between scientists, conservationists, and hunters. Over time, Ive come to accept my various roles as a scientist by day, conservationist by night, and hunter on the weekends; my appreciation for nature always remains strong, no matter what role Im playing.

The achievements made by TMF in Ethiopia are a direct result of collaborative efforts by different organizations and individuals with a

common goal of conserving the integrity of our environment. Many groups throughout Africa continue to struggle against each other rather than collectively addressing issues created by a deteriorating environment. Unfortunately, this is still the normal way of doing business for most groups working in Ethiopia, and in some cases the approach creates more chaos than solutions.

At TMF we try to adhere to several important principles:

*Stakeholders must be involved in any collaborative project. This includes all levels of government and society, from local people to international policy makers.

*Access to natural resources must be incorporated into all management and conservation plans, especially for countries where the survival of the people is at stake.

*Sustainable use of natural resources should be practised and regulated in a responsible manner that insures the longevity of an ecosystem while maximizing bene ts and distribution among all stakeholders.

Although these principles are not widely practised in Africa, they have proved to be effective for TMF. They have guided all of our work and, with any luck, will one day guide our return to the Galama Mountains.

Paul Evangelista is an ecologist at the Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory with Colorado State University and serves on the Board of Directors for The Murulle Foundation. For more information on The Murulle Foundation go to www.murulle.org

The lost hair and a scabbed wound at the back of the neck of this mature mountain nyala bull suggests a close call with a leopard.

PH Jason Roussos collects blood and tissue samples from a lesser kudu, taken

by a hunting client, for DNA analysis comparisons with mountain nyala, and

testing for bovine tuberculosis.

Empire Rifl esTel: 603.469.3152Website: www.empirerifl es.com

The Wildlife Game

By Hans H. Ziller

Tanzania Buffalo


The young Cape buffalo cow was staring us down at less than a half-dozen steps. Her calf was a few paces behind. But because of the erratic, swirling wind, my attention was riveted on the cow.

Buff alo Surprise

P H Ridge Taylors words echoed in my mind: Cows with their first calf can be very dangerous. They are just so damn unpredictable.

The cow and calf had magically appeared out of the thick scrub, catching us crossing a small opening. Thankfully, she still couldnt identify the danger; certainly, shed never seen a walking bush! You see, earlier Ridge had talked me into one of his wild experiments, and now our problem was that it had worked better than either of us could ever have imagined.

It all started when he talked me into hauling two ghillie suits halfway around the world; there is good reason that it is the choice of sniper units worldwide. Covering the suit mesh, long, thin strips of cloth - in our case camo wool - effectively eliminated shape and form, so much so that the cow couldnt figure out what was

blocking her way.I was sweating bullets - partially because

of the wool, but mostly because we were in a world of trouble since neither of us had been able to raise his rifle as she advanced. Now, if she made the wrong decision, there was going to be hell to pay! I was well aware of the entry requirements for the Buffalo Club, and didnt want to join its ranks. Luckily, the cow lost interest, grabbed a bite, and slowly turned to follow the rest of the herd.

As the calf disappeared into the wait-a-bit brush, my knees were shaking and my heart was pounding like a drum. Glancing back over my shoulder, I could tell that even Ridge was relieved. My reprieve, however, was short lived, as he was already moving to circle ahead of the herd. But it didnt go unnoticed that he was now carrying his Krieghoff .500

double unslung in his right hand. Three times over the next two hours, we worked our way into range of mature bulls only to back out again. It was a pattern that we would repeat time and time again over the long days ahead.

Perhaps he knew me too well. Earlier, Id told Ridge that I wanted only one good, mature Cape. Im just not into whacking and stacking and would have been just as satisfied returning home without filling my three tags, as killing small bulls. I knew that we were hunting in one of the best places on earth for an outstanding buff. Besides, Ridge assured me that with a little luck and patience we had a good chance of finding an old Dagga Boy - one that would remind me of the safari stories written by the legendary writers that were my early bibles.

Growing up in Colorado, my best

Buff alo SurpriseBy Lance Stapleton

Tanzania: 2003


Buff alo Surprise

friends older brother was Mike Carroll, a PH in Kenya, and during his trips home had often kindled the imagination of two young wannabe hunters with his stories. We both promised to join him after graduation to try our hand at professional hunting, and had passed many a night dreaming about our upcoming adventures. However, I was married at 17 and life got in the way! Over four decades later, I was determined to not only experience Africa myself, but also share it with my best friend of all those years, my wife, Sally. Mike had long ago passed away, but I knew that Ridge was an experienced PH, just the guy to show us the best of Africa - the magic of a safari in Tanzania.

This was my first hunt with Ridge, even though Id met him nearly 40 years earlier when he was outfitting in Wyoming and Idaho, and almost two decades before he first trekked to Africa. Over the years, we became close friends because of our mutual love for mule deer hunting, but in later years we frequently talked about going on safari together. My 42nd wedding anniversary gave me a good excuse to fulfill my lifelong fantasy, and it wasnt long before wed booked our 42-day dream vacation.

Ill tell you the truth: My passion was for a big leopard, but Ridges enthusiasm for Cape buffalo was contagious. He went so far as to say, A person has never really experienced an African safari until he has looked down the nose of mbogo. You know immediately that he is considering grinding you into a bloody spot in the

earth! Later, I would understand its true meaning.

Sometimes the best things happen when you least expect them. On this fateful day we struck out long before dawn intending to hunt a small tract not far south of the Tarangire National Park boundary. As the dark night sky gave way to the first hint of light, several hyenas were giggling and whooping out on the Masai steppe. I could see them in my mind, their breath swirling in the cool air. In the distance, simba coughed the sound carried well in the crisp morning. The symphony was a reminder that we were indeed living our African fantasy. We were looking for

a good lesser kudu that the Masai had reported in the area, but momentarily stopped to glass a herd of elephants, including several decent tuskers, headed toward the park and its ample water.

We were parallelling the border less than a mile away when I saw a lesser kudu standing across a korongo (gully) watching us. This clearly wasnt the bigger bull, but he was respectable and within easy range. Only moments later, Sally and I were taking pictures of one of the most unique trophies Tanzania has to offer. We were soon on our way and, almost in passing, Ridge said that we should continue climbing the hill because he had seen some decent greater kudu there in the past. I had visions of lling both of my kudu tags that day.

That was until we unexpectedly stumbled into a solitary bull. One look, and the old buff quickly disappeared into the thorny kichaka brush. Ridges command to shoot came just as the bull broke for cover but, unfortunately, before I could raise my ri e. Rather than follow, we worked our way around the outside of the brush, closely examining every dark shape. Its times like these when every shadow takes on new meaning and should not be ignored!

Without warning, Vincent, our head tracker, pointed as his whisper cut the silence like thunder: Mbogo! All I could see was the buff s nose and massive boss, as his head was at on the ground, his body hidden in a shallow depression - lying in wait in a clever trap!

Ridge grabbed my shoulder and whispered, Be careful, Ive never seen a bull hide in ambush like that!

When we made eye contact, the bull instantly knew that we had him pegged, and in a ash he was up and turned back into the safety of the thick thornbush. Rather than taking the bait, we continued circling until we were back near

A ghillie suit allows the hunter to virtually disappear into the surrounding brush. Still, one must be very concerned with scent and the wind.

Lance and Sally Stapleton with success written all over their faces. We were happy that the buffalo ordeal was over!

Tanzania: 2003


our starting point.Once again, Vincent was frantically pointing.

It took me a second to make out my bull standing partially hidden behind brush under a scruffy acacia tree. He was obviously considering doing us bodily harm.

What happened next was pure instinct. As he turned, I remember swinging the ri e and touching the trigger. But I dont remember aiming. Instead, I relied on years of competitive trap shooting as I shot with both eyes open. Then all hell broke loose! The bull piled up, but he was far from down for the count, with all four feet churning up a dust cloud as he tried desperately to get to his feet.

Ridge, was screaming, Shoot again, while I was busy slapping another round into the chamber and pounding the bull again and again! Surprisingly, I found myself walking forward as I shot until I was only a few yards away. I had to reload once, but honestly cant remember the delay, as I was absolutely and totally locked onto that buff. However, I was apparently counting because I was well aware

One of PH Ridge Taylors favourite rituals for his successful buffalo hunters was to butterfl y the bulls heart and cook it, on the spot, over the hot coals of a wood fi re.

Tanzania: 2003


that my last round was already chambered and I would soon have to reload again. Thankfully, he quit struggling to get up and I uttered a sigh of relief when I heard his death bellow. Ridge muttered, Kufa mzuri sana, (hes good and dead) words that never sounded so sweet!

Only then did I notice that my mouth and throat were dry as sand, not from thirst, but from sheer concentration and tension. In the distance, I could hear the approaching Land Cruiser carrying the other staff and Sally. Although the bull lying at our feet was the physical proof of a great hunt, the real trophy was in the memory of the experience!

I was amazed that only one of the ve shots taken at point-blank range went all the way through. He had absorbed over 25,000 foot-pounds of energy from 350-grain Barnes bullets out of the .416 Rigby - a testimony to the toughness of these old warriors. Later, the intensity of the moment really hit home when I discovered an empty case in my pocket - a handloaders unconscious reaction, but probably not the best use of a few precious seconds in the heat of battle! Hell, Im lucky that I didnt try to chamber the empty.

However, we experienced our deepest disappointment several months after arriving back home Ridge had cancer and had been in almost constant pain during our safari, although he never complained. He wore a back brace, but we assumed that it was because of the wear and tear that the bouncing across the korongos and through the kichaka for hours and days on end exacts on the body. He brushed it off with, claiming he was simply gaining too much weight. If you knew Ridge, a guy that hardly cast a shadow, it was his excuse to go directly to bed after our marathon days.

Looking back now, I know that it was also a sign of a true professional. He never let anything adversely affect a clients safari if he could control it. I think he truly enjoyed his role in making memories. I had selected the right man to show us Africa!

PH Ridge Taylor passed away in 2005 of bone cancer. True to his nature, he manned his booth at the 2005 SCI convention telling his long-time friends and clients that he not only expected to win his battle, but return to Africa that season.

Lance Stapleton retired as a part owner in a telephone company in Oregon. His second job as an outdoor writer for 45 years has allowed him to enjoy his real passion hunting including leading a number of exploratory hunts to remote destinations. His wife, Sally, has been the cornerstone for the family of two children and two grandchildren.

Stapleton went home not only with African game trophies, but with a shield the Masai camp staff made for him from

the hide from his buffalo - A special memento of my African safari!

Last Minute Elephant HuntElephant HuntBy Peter Y. Waller

Botswana: 2007


The safari was a 14-day hunt in NG 19 in the Okavango Delta, and the season closed on 14 September. I would have to make the decision and then nalize business within a few days. Andy promised to call the following day for my answer.

Ive hunted Africa seven times previously so I knew the routine. I would be taking my Manton .470 double ri e and Ruger Model 77 RMS .416 Rigby. A quick inventory of my ammunition closet revealed no .416 solids. Calls to every sporting goods store in Grand

Junction, Colorado turned up zip. I called Superior Ammunition and they agreed to load a box of solids for me and ship them overnight. Several stops for last-minute needs and I was on the road to Denver in time to be at the airport at 4.30 a.m. the next morning for the long ight to one of my favourite places in the world anywhere in Africa!

At the Joburg airport I ran into ASG editor Brooke ChilversLubin and her husband, Rudy, a well-known PH operating out of C.A.R., also on their way to Botswana. We quickly

became friends and over lunch I mentioned to Brooke the dearth of hunting stories such as used to be in the old Outdoor Life and Field & Stream magazines Id read as a youngster. Brooke immediately suggested I write about my upcoming hunt

The ight to Maun was two hours late. I was booked on a bush plane for the Kwai airstrip that afternoon. After dealing with the authorities in Maun for my rearms licence we were on our way to Kwai with only minutes to spare. With everything loaded in the Land

It was 1.30 p.m. on August 26, 2007. Hello Pete Greg has had a last minute cancellation on an elephant hunt. Can you come? said the voice on the satellite phone. It was my good friend, PH Andy Kockott referring to PH Greg Butler.

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Botswana: 2007


Cruiser we headed to Lethwe Camp where I would make my home for the next days, passing a leopard lying in the sand road.

That evening, after a few sundowners, dinner and good conversation, Greg and I retired, and I lay in bed listening to the night noises and thinking of the adventures that lay ahead when I heard elephants trumpeting in the distance. Perfect!

A short drive the next morning and we were following fresh bull elephant tracks. The trackers pointed him out and Greg and I closed

with the wind in our faces, moving slowly and quietly. A look through the binoculars and we backed out leaving the bull unmolested to grow more ivory. We repeated this process many times only to nd a broken tusk, one tusk, or just not quite what we were looking for. I wanted at least 60 pounds per side and there were plenty of elephant to follow.

I had re-read The Perfect Shot, but went over the anatomy of the head of an elephant with Greg many times. Greg has hunted elephant for many years and is truly an expert on the subject. The brain shot, while the most dif cult, is the classic way to take elephant, and I was con dent that I could do it when

the time came.On the third day we followed a musting bull

at rst light. After what seemed a marathon we found the bull, but he was short on ivory, so back to the Land Cruiser we went. Later that day we found the boys club - ve bulls together. The largest was a wonderful specimen with a 75-lb tusk - thats right, one tusk! The #2 bull looked to be carrying at least 60 pounds per side very even, heavy tusks. We worked and worked to get in close enough, but the bull I was hoping for had disappeared. After

more than an hour of manoeuvring we were very close to a bull that looked to be about 55 pounds each, with longish but somewhat slim tusks. After deliberation we backed away. I had 11 more days to hunt and there were plenty of elephant around.

We managed to nd my bull later and moved in. Greg and I were in stockinged feet and getting very close. The bulls had gathered close together. I think they suspected that something wasnt quite right, but the wind was in our face and they could not smell us. As we began to step out from behind a mopane tree to take the shot, the bulls began to walk toward us. My bull was looking to my left. I think

he might have spotted the trackers and Andys son, apprentice PH Peter Kockott, who were standing behind and to our left. As the double came up I remember thinking the sight plane was perfect. I placed the bead just inside and below his left eye and up through the base of the trunk because of the angle.

Greg had told me that if the elephant didnt fall following the rst shot to put the second barrel through the shoulder. At the shot, I lost the grip in my right hand. The report of the ri e seemed overly loud. The bull didnt

drop but raised his head and seemed addled somewhat. I remember thinking, Ill just put the next one right between your eyes, as he was looking straight at me. As I squeezed the back trigger, nothing happened. I thought that perhaps due to loosing my grip with my right hand that I had somehow knocked the ri e on safe. I clicked the safety back then forward to ensure it was ready to re. I squeezed the back trigger again - nothing. By then Greg had taken a back-up shot but didnt hit bone, and elephant were running everywhere. Now I had the breach open and remember thinking that the left barrel contained a dud because both primers were punctured. I pulled out the

After turning down a 75-lb singler tusker, Peter Waller hunted his 60-lb per side elephant in the Okavango Delta, taking it with a Manton .470 double rifl e with professionally hand-loaded .500-grain Woodleigh solids that picked a bad time to double pip.

Botswana: 2007


cases and only then realized that my ri e had double red.

I felt sick, wondering if I had somehow pulled both triggers. I grew up shooting a double-barrelled shotgun with double triggers. My muscle memory is quite familiar with such rearms. I still shoot a double barrel, double-triggered Parker 20-gauge as well as being very familiar with my double ri e. Time after time as I went over the fraction of a second that all this took, I was convinced that the old Manton just picked a bad time to double pip.

Greg had made sure that we had plenty of water. After a warning from him that we had a long day ahead of us, off we went. The trackers sorted out which they thought was my bull, and soon blood on the trail con rmed that we were following the right one. Greg is 15 years my junior and hunts elephant for a living. I sit behind a desk and, although I exercise regularly, following a wounded bull elephant at the pace required to catch up with him was something. We went as fast as possible without running the whole time. We drank water on the go, never stopping, kilometre after bloody kilometre. The 100F heat was taking its toll. Greg was 100 yards or so ahead of me when he turned and motioned ahead of him. I realized that he had spotted the elephant. A quick jog to catch up, and Greg and I went in only to discover the

one-tusker. Off we went again. We nally caught up to my bull. He was

walking briskly ahead. We circled around. He was to my right at about 50 yards. My rst shot, at his ear hole, caught him a little forward. The shot spun him around, and I heard Greg say to shoot him in the hip. The sun revealed the hip joint clearly as I moved the sights in position. At the shot he went straight down. Another between the eyes, and one through the ear hole, and it was over.

Ive read much about the emotions one experiences following the taking of such a magni cent animal. I felt elation and joy knowing that the bull didnt get away only to suffer a slow death. There was much hand shaking and backslapping. We took pictures. Then the realization that Id taken the life of a creature that, for 50 years, had been free to roam wherever and whenever he wanted had a sobering effect on me. I think anyone who is a true hunter has this kind of respect for the life of the animal he has taken. A couple of days later I picked two thorns out of the bottom of my left foot. However, the ivory and hide will adorn my trophy room forever, and I plan to make a couple of gun cases and a pair of slippers to wear, instead of stockinged feet, the next time I approach an elephant so close.

The next two days were given to recovery

and setting up a hyena bait. While the people from Kwai Village were taking the meat from the elephant, Greg and I had a chance to analyse the effect of my rst shot when my ri e double- red. One barrel had missed, and the other entered pretty close to the line of sight. The .500-grain Woodleigh solid, hand-loaded by Ken Owen of Moscow, Tennessee, curved as it entered the upper trunk (we think the bullets collided shortly after leaving the barrels) and partially key-holed as it entered the skull inside and over the opposite eye. The bullet continued on its arcing path and had lodged in the honeycombed thick skull in front of the brain.

I hope that youve enjoyed my rst go at writing about my hunts. Ive got to go now and dream of my next trip to Africa. I will hunt elephant again. It was the single most thrilling experience of my life.

Peter Y. Waller is Chairman, President & CEO First National Bank of the Rockies, currently serving as a member of the Boa

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