Almost forgot. We were discussing me going to Africa at lunch at work one day.

Our summer student wondered how I could go hunt there, as she insisted that all the wildlife in Africa is in parks, behind fences.

quote:

Originally posted by invader66:
Russell, Take a photo standing with a rope around a buff's neck. Let them figure it out.

I like it, but I think a picture of a small net, like those used to land trout, or even butterflies, over a buffalo's horns or face would be far better.

Not that I have been to Africa (yet) but a memorable question was: "Are you feeling angry at the animals you shoot at?" The interesting thing is that it was asked by someone not the least opposed to hunting and who knows several hunters.

Regards,
Martin

A few months ago my wife and I were talking about our upcoming safari at a party and that the package we had included two animals.

A lady (a coworker of my wife) asked us "What does two animals included mean? Do you get to ride two animals?"

I looked her right in the eyes and said with a grin on my face, "I get to SHOOT two animals!"

Her jaw dropped, but surprisingly, she didn't seem too offended. She even continued the conversation...

Q1: "Where are you going on your vacation?"

A1: "Tanzania."

Q2: "Where's that?"

Sometimes I think Q2 would be the same for any A1 other than "Florida."

It really amazes me that stupid people have and keep jobs,as that is where I always get asked the really stupid questions.With the exception of my mother in law.Her trade make question being what did I catch? My answer has always been I did not catch anything as I know how to wear a rubber.

A girl once told me I couldn't shoot wildebeest because they were endagered. I replied with, "You don't watch the discovery channel do you."

I've been asked many of the same questions.

But one of my favorite comments is. "Africa, I've heard it's a beatifull country!"

Besides the ever popular zebra questions, the one that annoys me the most is..."How can you afford to go to Africa?"

Possible answers..."None of your damn business" or "I've been pimping for your old lady." leap to mind, but if I'm feeling polite, I'll explain that it costs less than their deer lease, bass boat or four wheelers and I only go every two or more years.

The fellow who leases a horse pasture from me was amazed that I would go off to africa since (he thought) it was too expensive. This from a guy with a new one ton dually, aluminum horse trailer with living compartment, two fairly high dollar horses and all the tack that goes with them, just so he could go elk hunting when he gets drawn.

Oh well, we set our own priorities.

quote:

No need to confuse the issue with facts. If the bunniehuggers can make up shit and tell it for the truth to an uninformed public, then hunters can and must do likewise. Fight fire with fire.

Maybe a bit of topic but a lot of species including those mentioned are in fact endangered but mainly due to habitat loss rater than low population densities. Hunting is then part of conservation and often what is paying the bills. An alternative would be that you give your safari fees to conservationists who can then hire a local to go out and kill the animals. What ever, the result is the same. Try to get the "bunny huggers" to grasp this instead of contradicting facts that they know to be true and you might end up not having to defend your activities at all!

Sigh had them all

"how could you kill something so beautiful?"
"aren't they endangered?"
"how do you train them to lie in front of you guys like that?"
"how could you exploit the africa? what about the natives?"

i normally patiently explain about habitat loss, conservation via hunting, hunting protection of endangered species, community benefit schemes,PAC hunts and reclaiming former agriculutral land etc.

If i already have a headache then i occaisionally say that the animals lie there cos they are already dead. They ofetn follow with "what did they die of?" my answer is lead poisoning! hahahaha

tm

Here is another one. Someone at work heard a conversation about my interest in hunting. She asked "Do you have a lot of deer FACES on your walls at home?" I have never thought of having only the faces mounted. That would be a bit creepy. Wonder how much a taxidermist would charge for a face mount.

Fisher,

I have an friend that got married at the local zoo, I have no idea why but it turned out all right. After the event I had a golf cart and the wedding party/guests had the zoo to themselves, so I gave tours. I probably took 4 or 5 groups around. The guests that went with me thought I was an employee of the park I found out later, thought it was the best part of the experience and said how great I was.

Not a single one had a negative thing to say, that I heard about at least, about the hunting spin I put on it all. For instance,

They didn't have tigers out but they had a picture showing the life size of the different tigers and I would stop,"blah blah about tigers, and hopefully with new breeding programs and re-introduction into the wild they will soon be at a population level high enough to allow hunting."

I also would do a bit of explanation at the buffalo (american) enclosure explaining how it was poor comparison with bullet performance compaired to the African buff due to differences in bone mass. I even took the time by the Lemur pen to say something like,"blah blah about their social life, stand guard while feedint etc., THEY REALLY AREN'T ANY GOOD FOR HUNTING."



I am not a widely hunted person yet, so the only big thing I get is,"how can you kill Bambi?!" My answer,"I'd never kill Bambi! I want his dad!"

Red

quote:

Originally posted by JudgeG:
"You shot an Elephant? Why?"... my regular answer is "There are no bears in Africa."

:-))))

One of the standard answers to telling people that you hunted South Africa and shot an elephant is: "What did you do that for? You can't legally hunt elephant 'cause they're endangered, and besides that, you can't legally bring the ivory back into the United States!"

They look at the photo & say "Is he alive"?

Ahmed

The Zebra seems to draw the most shock out of people, "you shot a Zebra!?". Of course, the monkey gets the same kind of response.

quote:

Originally posted by TXRandy:
The Zebra seems to draw the most shock out of people, "you shot a Zebra!?". Of course, the monkey gets the same kind of response.

Then when I tell them I ate Zebra, they give me another look entirely. "You ate a horse?" "No, a Zebra."

quote:

Originally posted by RAC:
My cousin asked me if I saw any bears. I had to keep a straight face while I explained there were no bears in Africa.

Except for that mythical cryptozoo monster, the Nandi bear... :-)

Seriously, large ratels (honeybadgers) rank close to bears in some respects, and are definitely more ferocious and aggressive than e.g. US black bears.

Carcano

Because of what my guys do we are well known throughout our squadron. So damn near everyone of the 500 people in my squadron know I am going to Africa.

Here are the top things I here everyday:

Did you go to Africa yet (we live 30 miles from Morocco)?
"yep 2 weeks ago Tangiers is a shit-hole".

No, did you go to Africa on safari?
"yep Tangiers is a shithole"

NO, DID YOU GO TO THE JUNGLE?
"I am not going to the jungle I am going to the desert".

What's in the desert?
"Namibia"

What's Namibia?
"It's a country north of South Africa, west of Botswana on the west coast of Africa directly south of Spain".

It's in the desert?
"Yes the Kalahari and Namib"

It's not in the Sarah desert?
"Do you mean SAH-HAR-A?".... "No, it isn't"

How is it that I have never heard of Namibia?
"Your stupid, or your parent's educated you?"

Are you going to shoot a tiger or a lion?
"No tigers live in Asia, and aren't huntable. Lions cost $1800 a day plus trophy fees". I am hunting antelope, warthogs, giraffe, and zebra.

You hunting zebra? You can't hunt zebra, it's a horse.
"No it's a wild animal, a horse wouldn't kill you for trying to ride it."

Giraffe are endangered you must be joking?
"Nope"

Why would you hunt Giraffe?
"I need wall to wall Giraffe patterned carpeting, and they don't have it at the hardware store!"

For the most enjoyable (and humorous!) experience of your life, have dinner in Thermopolis, Wyoming at the Safari Club restaurant owned by Jim Mills. Turn an ordinary 1 hour dinner into 2 hours or more of fabulously trophies, and all of the idiotic comments by all the tourists. I always learn new names, locations, habits etc. about game animals by all of these self-styled experts. It is hilarious!!!!!!!!!! Did you know that steenbok and duikers are just the babies, and grow up to be impala/grant's/Tommies etc. when the antlers(?) get longer.

Blank,

Yes, I spent several days there in 1999. Actually nights as I was mule deer hunting in the day time. Most of the people staying there were hunters but ocassinally we'd get some looney. If you could name em all you got a free dinner.

Rich Elliott

Going to Africa? Are you with the peace corp or something?

quote:

Originally posted by shortround:
Going to Africa? Are you with the peace corp or something?

I have been asked if I was doing missionary work at least three times.

Not about Africa... the strangest question about tigers I'd ever heard came from my then future wife. I took her to some woods where I hunt squirrels during the summer. The trail led through some thorny bush (wild roses, berries, tall grass, etc). She wouldn't follow me, and was quite aggitated.

When I asked WHY she asked me whether there were tigers in NY State, she said that during the Cultural Revolution, her family had been sent into the Jiang Xi Province to be re-educated since her father was a professor (I'd known about her family's re-education; the rest of this story had been a surprise). A neighbor stopped by one morning to warn them not to let her -- or the other kids -- wander around outside at night, or in the woods in the daytime, since there were tiger prints all around their hut. That scrub looked very much like tiger stuff to her. I understand the population of tigers in that particular stretch of hills has dwindled a lot since then, but that they were indeed around at the time...

Dan

A long time ago and far far away I overheard a man talking about his extensive adventures in Africa (hunting, fishing, mercenary soldiering, buying/selling raw diamonds, etc.) and the group around him was plainly made up of the American east coast city type and hardly believed a word he said though it was probably all true. He noticed this and in the middle of talking about a huge logging operation in the Congo he dropped a phrase about the "Sahara Jungle". Somebody said, "You mean the 'Sahara Desert', don't you?" With a straight face he said, "Yeah, that's what it's called NOW," and kept on with his discussion and nobody batted an eye. I nearly took two fingers of single malt up my nose I was laughing so hard.

quote:

Originally posted by Rich Elliott:
Blank,

Yes, I spent several days there in 1999. Actually nights as I was mule deer hunting in the day time. Most of the people staying there were hunters but ocassinally we'd get some looney. If you could name em all you got a free dinner.

Rich Elliott

You're right about peoples stupidity not being limited to African animals. About 25 years ago, our local SCI Chapter had an information booth at the Harrisburg, Pa. Sportsmans Show. As part of the booth backdrop, we had several shoulder mounts on display, including 2 Boone & Crockett Quebec-Labrador Caribou. A man in his mid 20s, accompanied by his 6 or 7 year old son walked up to the booth, and after looking at the mounts looked me straight in the eye, puffed up his chest, and announced "my Moose is bigger than either of those two". My friend who was manning the booth with me said to the guy, that's nice, where did you take it? The guy replied "oh somewhere in Canada, I think". My friend and I just got up and walked away.

Just another example of why stupid people shouldn't be allowed to breed.

When asked why I hunt these adorable, cute animals, and the zebra gets the most comments. The most startling responce I have come up to date is "well I used to hunt people, then some stupid politicans made it lillegal"

The Safari Club is Thermopolis is fantastic. I grew up in Riverton and Casper, Wyoming and have had many a meal in the Safari Club after swimming at the Star Plunge.

I have never had a free drink though. The blasted duikers always get me confused.

quote:

Originally posted by Blank:
For the most enjoyable (and humorous!) experience of your life, have dinner in Thermopolis, Wyoming at the Safari Club restaurant owned by Jim Mills. Turn an ordinary 1 hour dinner into 2 hours or more of fabulously trophies, and all of the idiotic comments by all the tourists. I always learn new names, locations, habits etc. about game animals by all of these self-styled experts. It is hilarious!!!!!!!!!! Did you know that steenbok and duikers are just the babies, and grow up to be impala/grant's/Tommies etc. when the antlers(?) get longer.