For myself it was "The MaCumber Affair",as well as reading "White Hunter" by JA Hunter. Both of which occured when I was 10 or 11 years old....I'm now 41. Wolf
Wish I could find The MaCumber Affair on video!

Hemmingway, Chapstick, animal planet, and this site

I think Capsticks videos and a few Hemmingway's short stories...The Short Happy Life of Peter Macomber...

When I discovered that Africa was actually possible for me several years ago I started researching.....Finally enough was enough...I paid the fare, bought a airline ticket and just went.

Now the urge to return is driving me crazy.....

OH, yea, what was that movie with John Wayne in it?

Peter Hathaway Capstick... Robert Ruark...

First, Edgar Rice Burroughs. Then, Roosevelt, Hemingway, Ruark, John Buhmiller, Harry Selby, Robin Hurt. Then, finally, I could afford it.

I actually ended up going to Africa thanks to my gunsmith. When I was younger, I had dreams of one day hunting the big bears of North America. One afternoon I stopped in his shop and he told me one of the guys scheduled to go to Africa with him cancelled out, and he asked if I would like to go. Since the hunt was only 3 weeks away, the other guy forfeited his deposit, and it would be applied to my hunt. I ended up going on a 10 day plains game hunt to Namibia, shot 5 animals, and have been hooked ever since. I don't even think about the bears now.

Peter H Capstick, no doubt. His books had me hooked!

Jeff Cooper inspired me to take the plunge with his African hunting stories.

Years ago I read that the most common daydream of the American male was NOT a date with a supermodel but a safari to Africa. About that time I decided, "Fine, you suckers just keep on dreaming. I'm going to go!" Capstick helped and so did Jack O'Connor but it was that survey that I can't even remember the source of. Anyway, I finally decided that my fiftieth birthday present to myself would be a safari. I searched around and finally came upon COL Bill Williams who booked me with Leopard Ridge for a plains game hunt in Zimbabwe. In eleven days I took eland, kudu and two impala. That did it! I now exist between safaris. In Africa, I live!

For me, it was Doctari, and my subsequent visit to "Lion Country Safari" as a child. I negged my folks for months to take me. We drove the park with a tape player that described the animals as you cruised from check point to check point.

This was so important to me as a child, that my GI Joe with the wooden foot locker and all his accessories was tossed when I was a teen-ager, and would bring at least $200 on E-Bay.

HOWEVER, I still have a Lion Country Safari soda glass, and a way too small baseball hat that are worth about ten cents to any one but me..

To me, they are among my greatest treasures.

I'm 43 years old. Does anyone my age remember the plastic elephant tusks and "wooden" base that was a rifle rack for some kind of a toy gun as a child? It hung on the wall?

I remember it distinctly, but don't recall what the gun was or, who made it.

I still comb antique stores hoping to find one.

[ 11-22-2003, 08:24: Message edited by: N'gagi ]

For me it was reading J.A. Hunter's book "White Hunter" which I found in my college library. Later I read Capstick's articles and books and anything else I could find on African hunting.

/

100% true story:

After shooting pigeons with a BB gun as a kid I wanted to shoot the biggest animal on the earth(elephant). I dont know why I am this way but I have awalys liked things on a grand scale. Where can I hunt Blue Whales?

[ 11-22-2003, 11:20: Message edited by: LV Eric ]

For me it was Wilbure Smith. I started reading his novels when I was 9.

Bakes

A cartoon show about a doctor in Africa called "Doctari", and Mutual Omaha's Wild Kingdom with Marlin Perkins and his assistant Jim, on every Sunday night.

Petersens hunting annual and another one, I think a guns and ammo big game special maybe that had Wooters on big bores.

Karl.

Peter Hathaway Capstick-Death in the Long Grass.
After that I found that Robert Ruark had written something besides "The Old Man and the Boy".
Then there was Boddington, Peterson, Hemingway. After I went I discoverd George Hoffman's "A Country Boy In Africa".

Mukiwa posted this bit of prose on HA about Africa and it sums it up for me.

"Afica is undoubtedly a most fascination wild mistress. She gets a tenacious hold on most persons; bewitching, magnetic, that is almost irresistable, and once experienced, is NEVER lulled into forgetfulness."
May French Sheldon 1891

Post by Mukiwa on HA
on 11/11/01

I read "Hunting in Africa" by Frank C Hibben when I was 11 years old. After that I knew that one day I had to see and hunt Africa..... twenty years later I managed to have my first of many African Hunting Safaris. Now I live here and operate in 6 different African countries.

David Petzer wrote "And so if you meet a hunter who has been to Africa, and he tells you what he has seen and done, watch his eyes as he talks. For they will not see you. Thet will see sunrises ans sunsets such as you cannot imagine, and a land and a way of life that is fast vanishing. And always he will will tell you how he plans to go back"

Every time I left Africa to go home, it got harder to leave, and coming to live in Africa is the best thing I've ever done.

Reading Jack O'Connor in Outdoor Life as a kid in the early 1960s got me primed. Joining the Outdoor Life Book Club in junior high and spending my allowance on "Use Enough Gun" by Ruark set the hook. Hemingway, Roosevelt, Elliot Porter and Peter Matthiessen finished me off.

Bill C.....How did I forget Marlin Perkins and Jim!! Thanks for reminding me.

Up until now I did not consider africa,too far,too expensive,too lots of things This year I got my third sheep-wonderful experience in Canada.Would do it again any time.But this forum keeps ranting about africa,so you brainwashed me.Scheduled my first african hunt for 04.Lets see what you guys are crowing about
Lets see whether I was born too late to miss the real africa I read about as a kid.
sheephunter

It all started when I was a wee lad and read Edgar Rice Burroughs Tarzan of the Apes, it just expanded from there,,,,

I read everything I could about Africa by all of the above listed, I had them all read by the time I was 15, then some years later along came Capstick, Wilbur Smith, and Ruarks Something of Value hooked me bigtime at a very young age...In between time I read O'Connor, Keith, Hagle and a few others...along with a liberal dose of books on the early American MT. men and about everything Jack London wrote, then there were the Westerns and Zane Grey, then I started refinishing stocks and then making my own stocks and the love of guns and shooting took over....There is obviously a pattern here for a kid that wanted the outdoor life, to hunt and fish and to span the worlds hunting fields and somehow he did just that.

I can't think of thing that I would change in my life if I had it to do over again, not many folks have had that pleasure. I suppose the good Lord took a liking to me somewhere along the line, and me to him.

I don't see how anyone who has hunted this world could be an agnostic, there is just too much beauty in the bush, plains, and forrests of the world, for there not to be a creator....

"Boy you ain't hunted till you hunt in Africa" That quote originated from an old Texas man by the name of Kelley, and was spoken in about 1943, when I was six years old! This quote was what started me on two quests, that have spanned my life! One was the desire to hunt Africa's dangerous game, and the other was to someday own a double rifle! How would I ever do this?

These two dreams seemed imposible for a dirt poor Texas ranch kid, who lived in the North end of the Texas Hill country. Visiting Mr Kelley's hardware store, where animal mounts, that I had only seen in books, were displayed, instilled the burning in my heart for the dark continent! My Grandfather would have a time prying me out of Kelley's store, so we could go home!

Mr. Kelley, saw the born hunter in me, and would tell me about his exploits in Kenya, and Tanganyika, in the late 20s, and all through the thirties.

One day, when I walked into his store, he called me back to the back counter, where there was an Oak&Leather case with shipping stickers all over it! "Look at this boy!" he then opened the case revealing a beautiful H&H double rifle, with all the do-dads that went into those cases. He took the rifle out, and put it together! He then handed me one of the cartridges for this rifle, I think it was a 450NE 3 1/4". I pulled one of the .22lr rounds from my pocket, and held the two cartridges side by side. That had to be the biggest rifle cartridges in the world, I thought! Then he handed the rifle to me, and warned me not to drop it! I was amazed by it's weight,compared to my .22 Winchester single shot,or my Grandfather's double barrel shotgun, but I WAS HOOKED!

I never actually read a hard back book about African hunting, till after I had already hunted there! What made my first trip there posible was the fact that I went to work for a large international airline, and this made air travel within my means, along with a salery,at the Airline, and my parternership in a quality gun shop, which allowed me to be able to come by Double rifles a very reasonable prices!

All things come full circle, however, and one must, one day, accept retirement, and fixed income, along with the ENRONs of the world,
,and live, mostly, in the past! If, however, today was my last, I've missed nothing! I can still hunt wild boar, Bear, Moose, and deer with my doubles, or simply enjoy handeling, and shooting them. That ain't all bad!

[ 11-22-2003, 21:34: Message edited by: MacD37 ]

Mac, if there was a prize for the best story,
YOU JUST WON....

Keep the faith.
Pat Byrne

Mac, if there was a prize for the best story,
YOU JUST WON....

Keep the faith.
Pat Byrne

I remember thinking " Who would want to hunt Africa, when we have all these great game animals right here in North America". Sheep, deer, elk, pronghorn and bears was all I cared about. I didn't even like seeing all those weird African animals in other peoples trophy rooms.

Then I read Ruark's "Use Enough Gun". Man, the stories of hunting dangerous game gripped me and wouldn't let go. It seemed so exciting, so adventurous, so manly. But also so expensive. Yet I continued to dream.

Years later a PH friend of mine dropped by and told me he had a client cancel at the last minute and I could pick up the Cape buffalo hunt for close to half off. I knew it wouldn't get any better, so I seized the moment.

My Tanzania Safari was a life changing event. While a bargain for what I received, it is the most costly thing I have ever done....I know have an addiction.

Stories by Dr. Frank Hibben and Elgin Gates got me hooked. It took me about 40 years after I started reading them to get to Africa. That goes to show just how strong the influence of those tales was, and still is.

Gentlemen,

I started a cartridge collection when I was very young, probably 6 or 7. The local gunshop owner would always save things out for me that he thought were unique or interesting. I always loved shooting and reading about guns and hunting. Through high school and college, I never had as much time to hunt as I would have liked, since I was so busy with football. I always wanted to go to Africa though.

After I graduated from college and was working as an engineer, I told my dad that we needed to go to Africa to hunt. Expecting him to tell me that was a ridiculous idea, as only shieks and Texas oilmen hunted africa...However, he said "Do some research on it, and we'll talk about it next month"...Needless to say, that next month was a flurry of research. We talked about it, and set up a saving plan to make it a reality.

My Dad and I went to Namibia in May, 2001 and had the trip of our lives. I was so proud to be there with him and to watch him take 6 fantastic trophies with 6 shots.

Since then, I spent 4 months of 2002 in Africa, and have lived here most of 2003, and don't see myself going home anytime soon. I found a beautiful girlfriend here, and have amazing business opportunities as well. Might as well do this while I have the chance.

Oh yes, and the other thing that really got me hooked on the idea of Africa was reading every Capstick book cover to cover several times....truth or not, incredibly entertaining reading..

Originally Hemingways "Green Hills Of Africa", then the TV show American Sportsman with Curt Gowdy had some Arican hunting segments. Corbetts "Man Eaters of Kumon" and any African hunting story published in Sports Afield and Field and Stream. I thought I was interested before I went on my first safari but I had no idea how bad the bug would bite me, I now have an incurable case of AFRICA and read about the classic PH's like Percival, Holmberg and Henly between safaris while I plan the next one. "If you are not hunting in Africa you are planning to hunt in Africa". CFA

I wish I could hunt africa with my father. He took me deer hunting when I was 6. We even got our vw bug stuck and had to walk/hitchike back home.We used to fish alot as well. He used to tell me stories of when he was in ethiopia and I was always a bookworm. My folks died when I was nine so our adventures quickly came to a halt. I think when I'm out in the hills hunting or fishing I'm looking for a little bit of what we had together. Now I have a young family, my daughter Is almost a year and a half. We will have more as well. Now it's my turn to take them out. I did my first africa safari this year and there will be many more. I will do the family adventures when they get big enough. Even Alaska.

I wish I could hunt africa with my father. He took me deer hunting when I was 6. We even got our vw bug stuck and had to walk/hitchike back home.We used to fish alot as well. He used to tell me stories of when he was in ethiopia and I was always a bookworm. My folks died when I was nine so our adventures quickly came to a halt. I think when I'm out in the hills hunting or fishing I'm looking for a little bit of what we had together. Now I have a young family, my daughter Is almost a year and a half. We will have more as well. Now it's my turn to take them out. I did my first africa safari this year and there will be many more. I will do the family adventures when they get big enough. Even Alaska.

When I was 8, my best friend moved to Liberia (his dad was agency folk) and from the stories and pictures they brought back I became totally infatuated. Not just in the hunting, but Africa on the whole. _Baxter

In my case there is a short and long story:

The short story is basically that I am a born and bred South African.

I suppose the long story really dictates how I got into hunting. In the early eighties, while in the banking business, I assisted a few fellows with financing the purchase of a gunshop.

This obviously led me into having a keen interest in the success of their business, and I popped in to see how things were going, and walked out with the license form for a Colt 45 1911.

Not knowing much about firearms, I started purchasing Magnum magazine (Man as it was then known), and found the subject matter very interesting. From there things progressed into purchasing many handguns, and subsequently hunting. Like a lot of South Africans, my first �hunting� experience was nothing more than driven hunts in the Karoo for Springbok.

After this first experience, I started to re-read my Magnum magazines (to this day, I never discard a firearm magazine) and really got hooked on Capstick�s, Brian Marsh�s and Greg Wood�s hunting articles (to name a few), and I started collecting books on the subject.

Addicted for Life!

[ 11-23-2003, 23:39: Message edited by: DRB ]

Well,

I was hunting with my father and grandfather from my 10th birthday...

When I was older I read Hemingway, saw "Out of Africa" and other animal documentaries as well as some African hunting stories in some hunting magazines.

After graduation I went the first time to Africa...

With bitten from African bug greetings

Erik

J.A. Hunter's biography: "Hunter", borrowed off my grandfather's bookshelf in the late 1950's.

Jeff Cooper without a doubt!!! He taught me to shoot a rifle and a pistol and gave me confidence in the field. I was born with a passion for hunting which to this day, as a woman, I don't understand how that came to be. I followed Jeff Cooper's lead and booked my first safari with Ronnie & Ian McFarland in Botswana!!! After that "The Lady Africa" took over!!!!!!!!!

I'm really not sure what sparked my interest, like my right hand, its just ALWAYS been there