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I have never hunted africa but... I have never hunted dangerous game but... I have never shot a cape buffalo but... I have never killed an elephant but... I have never fired a double rifle but... I don't own a large bore rifle but... I already had 15 safaris in 8 different countries and had taken over 50 african species when I first came here. There are others here with more safaris and who have taken more species. AR is a grand resource for hunters new to our passion for africa and most experienced members are generous in sharing their sometimes hard earned and always expensive lessons regarding hunting the dark continent. However, the armchair experts who have done two PG safaris in RSA and one DG hunt in Zim are really not experts at anything africa, because africa changes from country to country and season to season and it takes years of returning on safari, hunting multiple species with different PHs and outfitters in a variety of sub-Saharan countries to develop any significant degree of expertise, just as in any endeavor. I have made some great friends on AR and have learned a few things from other experienced africa hands - especially about double rifles, of which I had virtually no knowledge - and have also vehemently disagreed with others. And I have surely irritated some as well. That is the dynamic of human interaction. I have also received PMs and emails from many experienced members over the years who have decided to discontinue actively posting on AR because they were tired of being challenged by people who were clearly of the armchair variety. And I admit it is the biggest cause of my frustration on AR as well. I do not post hunting reports or pics nor do I feel compelled to provide justification for my opinions which are based upon my experience and I cannot debate with someone who has a reading comprehension level below that of a sixth grader and only hears what he wants to hear. There are also topics and discussions I refuse to participate in, and these are my choice. Mike ______________ DSC DRSS (again) SCI Life NRA Life Sables Life Mzuri IPHA "To be a Marine is enough." | |||
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LionHunter I personally find your post exactly the sort of thing that would put anyone off posting here. You are putting yourself up on a pedestal as a voice of experience of knowing it all about African hunting on the basis of having hunted several safaris and shot 50+ animals while the rest of us who may not have hunted Africa or even those that have but who have not shot as many animals as you, are all just armchair experts. By your very own illusions where does that leave you when we compare you with Bell, Taylor, Hunter, Selby, and many other of their ilk and today Saeed and others who post here who have hunted and shot individually hundreds and thousands more animals than you have probably ever seen. No I have not hunted Africa, although I have hunted and shot dangerous game and countless other animals of a similar nature to African PG so when I join a discussion on African hunting I listen to all those who have experience and share their views and thoughts. Of course that also includes those experts from last century who nobody in our world today ever has the right or superiority to doubt even though we may not agree with or attempt to follow their exploits. When it comes to discussing suitable cartridges and rifles for Africa which seems to invoke the most passionate discussions on this forum, many of these hunters I've mentioned certainly don't agree with your thinking on suitable cartridges and rifles for Africa. Do you really think you are so superior and so much more of an expert than them, or do you accept that you too can be classed as just an armchair expert? Keep in mind when you put yourself above others on a pedestal there is only one way to go! Of course you won't reply to this as you "don't feel compelled to provide justification for your opinions." I really have found this particular post of yours an outright bore. | |||
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I have hunted africa. I have hunted dangerous game. I have hunted and killed buffalo including Cape. I have hunted and killed elephant. I have fired double rifles. I own several big bores. LH needs to consider not reinforcing the Californian stereotype. What a self righteous humanoid. Wow. I like this site and most of the posters(50+%). No complaints here. | |||
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eagle27- Not superior at all and never claimed such. Simply stated what qualifications my comments and opinions are based on - qualifications - some have more and some less. That's life and is true of any endeavor. You, IMO, are exactly part of the problem. You have never hunted africa, yet you apparently believe, because you've read a few books written primarily by deceased people who hunted in the first half of the last century and who were NOT SPORT HUNTERS and therefore functioned under completely different dynamics than modern sport hunters in africa, that you know of what you speak. Well, I for one, say you don't have a clue. I know this will come as a surprise to you, but frankly, I don't give a damn about your opinions as they have no experiential basis in fact. Doesn't mean you're not entitled to post them, which you do with vigor, but I find you to be a terrible bore and exactly the reason some experienced hunters no longer post on AR, which was the purpose of the OP. I will state again a simple fact that is known by all who have hunted africa more than a few times: one, two or three safaris do not make anyone an expert. You have a distinct problem with reading comprehension. You don't like me and the feeling is mutual. I don't loose sleep over your feelings for me. And like so many of your posts, your last paragraph has now been proven wrong. BTW, other than government culling operations, I challenge your silly statement about others who have "...shot individually hundreds and thousands more animals than you have probably ever seen.", demonstrating again your complete lack of understanding of sport hunting in africa. And since I have been in amongst the zebra and wildebeest migration, I feel safe in saying that I have seen thousands of animals in africa. Do you know about the "ignore" function available to everyone on AR? Please enter my name and you won't be troubled reading my posts any longer. I assure you I won't be reading your reply or further posts as you have now made my short ignore list. Congratulations and enjoy the company! Mike ______________ DSC DRSS (again) SCI Life NRA Life Sables Life Mzuri IPHA "To be a Marine is enough." | |||
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Ah well I hope LH doesn't get lonely up on that pedestal of his  | |||
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I have been on AR for a bit. I do not think we are losing good posters. Some just move on. There are some I wish would move on. As far as hunt reports go, I enjoy sharing mine. Two of the best hunt report writers are BillC and D Nelson. JudgeG is in the top 5 as well. They have not left. If you want to see some scathing posts/reports, check Ray Atkinson and Drummond Lindsey's exchange over false adverstising. Or check out anything to do with Carmelo. Llamapacker took a few licks as well. You are fine posting here as long as you post the facts, nothing but the facts. When the BS starts, expect an all out assault - and you should expect one. The most recent involving Hawkeye47 and Wendell is a great example. Forums like this are rare because they are self policing. Saeed rarely has to do anything as the "membership" usually handles the problems. Sure, out of 44,616 folks on this website, there are some trolls. What site does not have trolls? I think the most interesting assault was on a guy that posted pics and a short hunt report on the 3 or 6 lions he and his buddies shot in South Africa in a 3 day hunt. Wow! That was fun to read as the guy really did not know what he was posting (canned lion hunts with pics) and thought he was a big shot. Another one was by a regular poster here who mentioned he had taken multiple 300+ inch elk. When asked for pics, he backed off. Post the truth, post your stories, expect comments and enjoy the process. | |||
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 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “A man can never have too much red wine, too many books, or too much ammunition” ― Rudyard Kipling | |||
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+1  Tom Addleman tom@dirtnapgear.com | |||
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WRONG! Mike did reply; and then some!  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “A man can never have too much red wine, too many books, or too much ammunition” ― Rudyard Kipling | |||
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Sorry for the lack of involvement, I will try to post more regularly. | |||
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I personally saw that as a man simply stating his credentials & nothing more. I've only been on 3 safaris, I've got to believe that there is knowledge to be learned from those with more experience that are willing to share it. LORD, let my bullets go where my crosshairs show. Not all who wander are lost. NEVER TRUST A FART!!! Cecil Leonard | |||
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Well ignoring the pompous assholes that seem to have to remind people just how 'expert' they are, and how many trips they've been on, as long a real hunters like Phil Shoemaker and Steve Robinson come here and post, this site is good by me. And the tolerance and respect that Saeed shows to all of us assholes that come on here, argue, bitch, boast etc... he allows us the opportunity to conduct ourselves, on the best African hunting forum on the net. Jim | |||
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Experience does not necessarily mean insight, and it sure doesn't guarantee wisdom. But you go right ahead and do what you think is best. | |||
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Very well said. I sure don't ignore my employees who are younger than me just because they don't have experience. | |||
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+2 on experience not necessarily being the "be all, end all" on the road to wisdom or even knowledge. Look at Gaston Glock. He had never designed or built any kind of firearm, and he had no factory, before he gave the world the revolutionary and wildly successful Glock 17. But all else being equal, I'll still take experience over theory, every time.  Mike Wilderness is my cathedral, and hunting is my prayer. | |||
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 “In theory, theory and practice are the same. In practice, they are not.” ― Albert Einstein | |||
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I like that and oh so very true! | |||
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I would guess many if not most African hunters, esp those that hunt year after year, have a type A personality that creates both the means and desire to hunt Africa. Seems natural that a group of folks like that will rub each other the wrong way at times. Hunting: Exercising dominion over creation at 2800 fps. | |||
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A big thanks to Saeed for this site and all those who contribute here. When I came to AR, I had not been to Africa, I had not shot a big bore, I had not shot a double rifle, I had not shot a drilling, I had not shot a German gun; and I knew none of you. Since I've been a member here, I've been to Africa, only once and only for plains game, but it was a big deal for me. I own and shoot a big bore; I've owned and shot double rifles; I own and shoot drillings and German combos. I have made a bunch of friends, some I've been lucky enough to meet, some I speak to on the phone and some I only know through emails and shared communications here. I've learned a lot. Yeah, there are a few folks here who might get a bit wound up, but so do some of my neighbors and friends. Some are correct and get me back on track; some are uninformed and insulting and frustrate me, but that will pass. Sometimes we walk in sunshine, sometimes in the shade. The secret is to enjoy the walk. Bfly Work hard and be nice, you never have enough time or friends. | |||
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 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “A man can never have too much red wine, too many books, or too much ammunition” ― Rudyard Kipling | |||
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Mike Wilderness is my cathedral, and hunting is my prayer. | |||
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There seems to be a group on any site that likes to argue and make defamatory remarks about people they don't know. Many of the same people claim to read one paragraph of any post, and then divine the "facts", of which they know nothing. Unless you have a particularly fragile ego, you soon realize that while distasteful, these blowhards are meaningless. They apparently derive some self gratification by acting like pompous fools. Does it make me less likely to post on AR? To a degree, but it also is a reality check that my time isn't worth debating morons, and I post my opinions and advice for those that are interested, and the rest be damned. There are a lot of good people on AR, and a handful of self righteous fools that diminish the experience. A lot like most any group of people, and probably why I enjoy my time out hunting far more than participating on any message board. It takes time to discern who knows there stuff, and in my experience, the louder one proclaims their expertise, the more dubious I am. Bill I may need to use the Einstein quote for a new tag line: "In theory, theory and practice are the same, in practice they are not." | |||
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No, I don't think so. There are some that need to go away with their BS but for the most part, I lurk here everyday, and quite often. We still have some wonderful people, stories and opinions. There are some that piss people off, some that seem to get along with everyone, nice people that help each other out, some experts and some wannabe's. Still one of the best forums on the 'net. | |||
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____________________________________________ "Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life." Terry Pratchett. | |||
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I read this whole post with all the responses and was building my reply when I read Llamapackers response that said it all. I could add nothing to his usual well thought through reply, except to say again his last point that those who speak loudest and longest generaly offer the least. Good shooting. phurley | |||
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"There seems to be a group on any site that likes to argue and make defamatory remarks about people they don't know. Many of the same people claim to read one paragraph of any post, and then divine the "facts", of which they know nothing. Unless you have a particularly fragile ego, you soon realize that while distasteful, these blowhards are meaningless. They apparently derive some self gratification by acting like pompous fools. Does it make me less likely to post on AR? To a degree, but it also is a reality check that my time isn't worth debating morons, and I post my opinions and advice for those that are interested, and the rest be damned. There are a lot of good people on AR, and a handful of self righteous fools that diminish the experience. A lot like most any group of people, and probably why I enjoy my time out hunting far more than participating on any message board. It takes time to discern who knows there stuff, and in my experience, the louder one proclaims their expertise, the more dubious I am." One only needs to look at the recent Boddington thread, (or any Boddington thread, for that matter) for examples. A virtual Whitmans Sampler of bad behavior. | |||
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I would never have been considered a major contributor here, but I have lost my zeal for a number of Hunting websites over the past few years for this reason. I get tired of the paranoid screeching at the moon. | |||
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he wrote it on his stolen laptop while going to the bank to cash some travelers checks that were also stolen by parties unknown.... Vote Trump- Putin’s best friend… | |||
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LANE - SPOT ON MY FRIEND!! Guys, I share a general admiration for everyone who hunts! Frankly I get a kick out of all the reports, pics and stories. Be it a plains game hunt in SA or not, I'm happy for everyone's success. But as Lane points out, the lion issue is/was in a class by itself! The shooting, posting and advertising of young lions was/is killing the limited future of the wild lion! Comparing our criticism of that to a guy taking a soft buffalo is absurd. Frankly, the buff is in ZERO jeopardy at the moment, and if a soft buff is your choice - so be it I guess. I won't agree, but I certainly won't criticize for it either! Frankly, if some of you guys really think that any one person/poster, and his little feelings are greater than the future success of the lion - then the wildlife where I sit now (Africa) is in far greater danger than I first thought!!!!! If you don't think our campaign to stop the shooting of young not only helped, but gained a lot of momentum, your head is in the sand!!! DSC and more than a hundred outfitters, agents, PH's and other organizations adopted our definition for a reason. DSC NO LONGER ALLOWS THE DISPLAY OF YOUNG LIONS AT ITS CONVENTION because of the LCTF. Obviously they agreed, or would not have done it! So, if you think posting, advertising and shooting young lions is ok? All I can Say is - thank god the lion has some who are more concerned about the conservation and longevity of Africa's king, than you. And ya Wendell, that means you too. As for the - "I won't post anymore cause someone might criticize me" crowd, really??? I've dated women that are less sensitive than some of the men on this site!!! | |||
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Ah the memory of younger days! Black, white, brown or any shade in between. Fat or thin. Young or old, makes no difference, as long as she is a woman, she'll do!  | |||
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I was going to reply to Aaron's post with the comment that pictures are in order, but then I scrolled down and read Saeed's post.... Gentlemen, this thread has just become useless without pictures!  | |||
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Llama: Do you really want to dredge up why you feel this way again? Because many of us here will never drop it, just like we won't drop Blair. Those two threads/events, or whatever you want to call them, generated more animosity than any other subject I can recall. The bottom line is Nixon went to cash travelers checks you said he stole from you. As time goes on, Nixon has gone on to host any number of wonderful hunts for AR members, including Aaron Neilson, who has as much hunting experience as anyone and who now books for Nixon. If Nixon was the piece of crap you made him out to be, he has sure pulled the wool over Aaron's eyes. You, on the other hand, will always be remembered as the guy who shot the wrong elephant, was bitter about it, and screwed Nixon by claiming he stole your traveler's checks. If that is a blowhard, I am proud to be one. | |||
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AW, Wendell knows I'm giving him a hard time - but good heavens, just get on with posting reports and stop worrying about what everyone else thinks all the damn time. Except of course if its a young lion. | |||
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Is he placing himself on a pedestal? Or are you merely digging yourself into a hole that makes it look that way? When I found AR it was often frustrating to search for information on some particular aspect of a topic. I found myself spending just as much time researching the "credentials", if you want to use that term, of the various posters and/or posers who would authoritatively state their opinions. Frankly, if I want to know about elephant hunting, double rifle shooting, dangerous game stopping, malaria prevention or anything else, I want to hear about it from people who know BECAUSE THEY HAVE DONE IT. If I wanted an opinion based completely upon theory and reading...I already have my own...and I know how much it's worth. After awhile it got easier...I quickly began to learn the names to be put on "mental ignore" and the ones which have experience worth a listen. There are always the tricky ones...the ones who don't walk the walk, but talk the talk in a convincing fashion. It's almost a personal insult to me when I find that someone who fooled me into thinking they were an authoritative source of information is in fact no more, and in some cases less, experienced than I am myself. Of course, that's the way of it in real life as well...but on the internet there are fewer "tells" to alert you to the fact that you are dealing with a phony. It's more work to sniff'em out. I must congratulate Saeed on his extreme tolerance to some of the extreme nonsense that goes on here. The other forum that I read frequently is a Canadian firearms-oriented site, similar to AR in a Canucky sort of way. The biggest difference, aside from the less cosmopolitan membership, is quickly obvious to one who frequents both sites: here on AR we are expected act like adults and gentlemen (and ladies), although expectations and reality diverge widely sometimes (often?). By comparison, the Canadian site is an over-censored ban-fest. The "Ban Hammer" (yeah...it actually has a nickname!) is brought into action so fast, so far, so frequently and so hard that it seems like a "Mighty Thor" comic book over there! Banned names appear in pink...there's a lot of pink on many of those threads! I definitely prefer it here...especially now that my "mental ignore list" is up and running. John | |||
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The only thing wrong with AR is that picture of small Walter with the large Buffalo! "shoot quick but take your time" | |||
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I learned the story of how that picture was taken of Walter and the buffalo and found it rather funny. Typical Saeed and Walter sense of humor stuff. Let's just say that Saeed is creative in his photographic skills. | |||
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Saeed, this reminds me of a B-B-Q I was at when a divorced fellow asked the hostess to find him a date. Sharon asked what he was looking for? He replied anything, he wasn'nt picky. Then said, " wait, I only have a 1/2 ton pick-up, I dont want to have to buy a 3/4 ton just to go on a date". | |||
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You are just jealous you cannot shoot a buffalo as big as Walter did! | |||
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I don't think Aaron limited himself to just "women" and to be fair, he's dated "women" that were also bigger then some of the men on this site | |||
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I was a lurker on the forum for many years before joining. The forum has many reputable members, that every one could learn a thing or two from. As far as posting a hunting report go, i try to enjoy everyone report and look at them. I posted once about a soft boss cap buffalo from the picture posted, however after receiving a different picture one could easily tell it was a good hard boss Cape Buffalo and i did back track on my post to the poster. Seeing what i needed to do to make things right about my post. The thing everyone needs to learn is that the pictures presented for all to view, may not be the very best that the posters has. I enjoy the elephant reports as some day i would like to go on a elephant safari. Cape buffalo seem to generate a lot of varied reply as every one thinks the poster could have done better. And that is what is indicated about other trophies also. Goals on Africa hunting are varied and some posters go back to the same operator every year or every other year. I on the other hand like to go to different countries and have a go at other trophy game animals. Or if i return to the same country i am usually looking for some different trophy animals that i have not had the opportunity to hunt. As far as posting hunting reports on hunting forums, my future reports will be shorter with fewer pictures to support my safari. How i look at my hunting trips. They are for me and if they are shared with others, i am not looking to justify why the animals were taken. Some times a person has the opportunity to shoot some bait animals for incoming hunters looking for lions or leopards. You see when that happens i will have my picture taken with the animal for my picture book and some times i will post the picture with the hunting report i have posted. I also have noticed in the past year that we are missing some members that i have enjoyed reading there reports and comments. I guess i am lucky in that i can e mail a few PH'S and get there input. And just by pass the posting of a question on the various hunting forums i look at. We have members that post the same question on 3 or 4 hunting forums that i currently view. Some i am a member on and some i just lurk in the back ground. When i post i try to limit my posting to experiences that i have lived over the years, And have personal experience and knowledge to support my posted answers. I just wish other posters could say the same.  >>>>>>>>>>>>>> "You've got the strongest hand in the world. That's right. Your hand. The hand that marks the ballot. The hand that pulls the voting lever. Use it, will you" John Wayne | |||
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