Sometimes it appears that we, Africanophiles, are somewhat one-dimensional, that hunting Africa is placed above all else. Though hunting the dark continent is my passion, I also enjoy other pursuits with almost equal fervor. This unfortunately causes my much better half consternation and headaches as she watches our bank accounts diminish but our treasure trove of sporting firearms, art, taxidermy and my library grow!

Now to the question after the silliness of that set-up... what are your other sporting passions?

Me? I am a closet bird hunter, I love waterfowl and upland game hunting. And the shotguns that go with them. Sporting clays? You bet, golf with shotguns! The perfect preservationist's sport!

Lighttackle fishing? Saltwater for reds, trout, snook, tarpon and bones? I am there! Salmon? Chinook, coho, sockeye? Absolutely. Steelhead? Washington on the Klickitat if you please. Trout in the west? Of course.

International travel, but only with a bit of hunting or fishing thrown in... well not an absolute but it helps!

Anyone else?

I would have paid for at least one hunt for Buff and/or leopard if I had the money I've poured into my passion for Harley Davidsons.

But a long list of fly fishing gear, bird hunting and elk/deer hunting would probably do the same.

I grew up hunting and fishing all the time. Now as an adult, work doesn't leave me as much time to do either. One thing I miss from my childhood hunting days is rabbit hunting with a few beagles.

Africa is the best. However....

Hunting - love quail over dogs, doves & ducks are ok too. Rabbits with dogs are fun. Deer, I'd rather watch than shoot.

Fishing - sight fishing reds in skinny water or 2 lb speckeld trout here in south La. Tarpon, snook, bone fish, in the ever glades or keys anytime ( headed back that way in a couple of weeks)

Also collect guns & guitars. That ought to be enough hobbies (addictions) to support!

All kinds of wingshooting & fishing plus classic cars & motorcycles..... and of course books!

quote:

Originally posted by shakari:
All kinds of wingshooting & fishing plus classic cars & motorcycles..... and of course books!

What motorcycles? Do you have access to most of the same bikes that we do?

Elk, mule deer hunting, whitetail and pronghorn here in Colorado. I am also a dedicated hog swatter and have a place in Texas for doing so.I ride enduro and have a couple of very nice dirt bikes with which I enjoy converting packed earth into dust..

My other big time killer and passion is my Krav Maga and MMA habit. I teach and train Krav Maga and fighting as much as possible, usually 4 days a week.

African hunting is great and I've done a fair piece of it but I have to tell you that after my last debacle I've cooled way off on it. The shine has worn off as they say.

quote:

Originally posted by bwanamrm:
Sometimes it appears that we, Africanophiles, are somewhat one-dimensional, that hunting Africa is placed above all else. Though hunting the dark continent is my passion, I also enjoy other pursuits with almost equal fervor. Anyone else?

Bwanamrm,I think it may seem that folks who post on a forum and/or web-site that is mostly geared to African hunting and big bore rifles are one dimensional, but I think it is not only appropriate to discuss African hunting in those places than it would be to talk dove hunting!

On these forums a post will be discussed with a level of knowledge that makes it worthwhile to post there.

There are websites that deal with mostly North American deer hunting, with a few forums the deal with birds, but there you will rarely see any mention of Africa, or fishing. Then there are websites where there you will never read about Africa, or deer hunting, but are limited to fishing and/or boats. In these forums if you post about Africa you will get some real off-the-wall replies, and that is natural.

I think it all depends what your interest is as to where you post. I post on many different websites that deal with all types of subjects, because like most here and everywhere else I find folks to be multifaceted, but are rarely knowledgeable enough on some subjects to enjoy the discussions on those forums.

Top that off with most deer hunting type websites will have a constant banter between the Jack O’Connor .270 Win followers, and the 338 win mag types and on the other end the 45-70 “will kill anything in the world stone dead!” group, all put down by the guy that wants to shoot animals at 1500 yards, and in most cases the average age of the guests is less than 20 years old, with maybe a bag under the belt of a couple of fork horn whitetails. The age and experience level in those places is usually mostly in their minds, and the knowledge is mostly right out of Field & Stream, or Wal-Mart adds.

All I’m saying I find most people will post where they are most comfortable, and in line with what they know, or want others to think they know. On the African forums you can’t fake knowledge of the game involved, or the firearms used in the hunting of those game animals. The rank and file on any of the more sophisticated gun or game forums mentioned will spot a poser very quickly, and make him/her very uncomfortable to do anything but read.

Lots to do out there! Hogs with a handgun, Woodchucks out past 400 yards, Pheasants over Shorthairs, bowhunting for Whitetails. A bit into bikes as well, with 2 HDs, a restored full-dress 1971 Moto Guzzi Police bike, and my original Rickman Matisse Moto-X bike I bought in 1974. When all else fails, a bit of flyfishing passes the time quite nicely!

Besides Africa, and perhaps even more so, I have always enjoyed teaching, especially the classes:

CROC 101 Crocheting for Degenerates.

KNIT 232 Knitting Dick and Ball Cozies.

GOLF 358 How to Win Every Annual Company Golf Tournament If You are the President of the Company.

But I am most proud of organizing the Annual Parade of Queers and Bike Jamboree here in my hometown.

Happy summer.

I've been around hunting most of my life. Floating the Cumberland river for fox squirrel's with my Grandfather, along with running trot lines & jug fishing for Catfish all Spring, Summer and Fall. My first dove hunt with my Father, then discovering that there were many species of ducks besides Mallards at the age of 15. Waterfowling has remained a passion for me; that's what brought me into the world of taxidermy at 16, becoming a professional at the age of 21. I love hunting big game very much, but waterfowl instills a deep yearning to be there at sunrise no matter what country I'm in. At one time I thought I wanted to enter the bass fishing world and become a professional tournament fisherman, but in its early years, there wasn't the millions one can earn today so I turned to saltwater angling where it remains a major interest today. Back in the early 70s when I first heard the quiet talk about anti-hunters, I told a friend, "Anti-hunters won't take away hunting, the rising cost of the sport will do it for us." Little did I realize how right I was.
LDK

Sheep and Ibex in the high country, quail in the tall pines, brown bears along a salmon stream, trout on a dry fly, whitetails in the north woods


"The world is so full of a number of things
I'm sure we should all be a happy as kings"

I'm an abosulute fishing nut.

As long as I'm on the water or next to it. Fly fishing, Ski boat fishing, freshwater bait fishing....anything.

My favorite is Mozambique offshore game fishing. Must be the best holiday in the world.

I'm also an amateur modern day military historian....focusing on Southern African conflicts over the last 100 years. I therefore enjoy reading a lot.

It furthermore entertains me to great lenghts to follow some threads on AR.....like the one on Namibian hunting going on now in advertised hunts section....

quote:

Originally posted by dla69:
What motorcycles? Do you have access to most of the same bikes that we do?

Pretty much everything you can think of except for some strange reason, Indians. - RSA and indeed most parts of Africa are chokka block full of classic cars & bikes like you wouldn't believe.....

MY "Obsessions": (listed in order of importance)

1) GOD! & Family & Country!!! (eiher you get this one or you don't)

(space intended to demonstrate distant second)

2)Fitness & agility training (cardio & Jujitsu it's a brawn over brains thing for me)
3) Business - Life as an inventor has been very, very good. (most of below directly tied to this one)
4) Training & raising sporting dogs (and on the 8th day god created the Labrador Retriever)
5) Shooting / Hunting of any kind, but likely in this order: (Tie - Bird shooting anywhere, anything (especially live pigeon) & African DG), Varmint / pest control, NA big game.
6) Guns!!! (nuff said)
7) Knife collecting. (military and hunting knives, especially antiques)
8) Watch collecting. ( Rolex, Rolex, Rolex, especially 50-70s era classics)
9) Classic Movies. (if it's B&W, has people smoking & drinking and speaking with no "PC"...)
10) Classic Books - (anything with accurate history / technical data - fiction sucks!)

Upland Bird Hunting (Huns, Sharptail & Blue Grouse & Pheasant) -with my 3 German
Shorthair Pointers & 1 Black Lab
-at least 30+ days a season (perhaps my biggest passion?)

Elk, Mule Deer & Whitetail Hunting: luckily I live in America's Serengeti (Northern
Wyoming) & have abundant numbers available.
-primarily use an ACS Longbow, but occasionally will use a rifle. Pretty cool
to bugle in a big bull to 15yards (oops forgot, lots & lots of Pronghorn as well)
-running mountain lions with hounds in the Winter can be a great workout

-Africa, 6 safaris so far & #7 already scheduled. Have hunted Zim, Moz & Tanz.
Next trip is Namibia with Karl Stumpfe, would love to try Zambia & Botswana!

-Fly fishing: world class trout fishing. Hard to beat the 20 min drive to the
Bighorn Mountains in August to fish mountain streams (plus its 20 degrees cooler!)

-Collecting Firearms:
-British Double rifles, single shots (Farquharsons) & shotguns.

Bwanarm, like you, I love international travel with a bit of hunting or fishing. Did high
volume dove hunting in Argentina this Feb, it was awesome. Already looking to
go back, also researching Eastern Europe, Scotland & even Morocco
for possible bird hunting & adventure?

Hard to find enough time somedays!

I used to do about everything.

Now.....it is only hunting, fliming and going to Africa. When I am not there.....I am "making a plan" to be there.

Otherwise.....my daughters, grandaughters and I hunt for deer and elk sheds. Plus any accidental tags we may draw here in the States...Ha - Ha - Ha!!!

Here are the advantages: There is No season.
You do not have to draw a tag. You do not have to carry a rifle. You do not have to get up early. You do not have to pack meat. You do not have to stay late. You can go on the spur of the moment. You can go as long or short as you want. You can take the family. It is CHEAP. It has great rewards - when you find those rare 'monster' fresh brown sets. You can go often. You can go in rough...badass country that you could never hunt in. You do not have to be quiet. You do not have to ever worry about the wind. You do not have to put up with 5 to 7 (or more) people in a typical African hunting party. If you wound yourself carrying out the spoils - you do not have to pay a trophy fee. Your feet turn into steel calous pads. Your legs turn to iron. Your lungs turn into marathon machines. You thrive at altitude.........AND WHEN YOU FINALLY GET TO GO AFTER ELE'S. YOU CAN WALK THOSE BASTARDS TO DEATH, and simply finish them off with your rifle. It also keeps you thinking you are a stud when your in your 60's, and keeps the illusion in your family that you are still da' man. I could go on.....but you get the picture.

I have to say if I didn't live in Africa I'd want to get back into training & working gundogs again.

As far as wingshooting goes, I never understand why African wingshooting isn't more popular than it is.

quote:

Your feet turn into steel calous pads. Your legs turn to iron. Your lungs turn into marathon machines. You thrive at altitude.........AND WHEN YOU FINALLY GET TO GO AFTER ELE'S. YOU CAN WALK THOSE BASTARDS TO DEATH, and simply finish them off with your rifle. It also keeps you thinking you are a stud when your in your 60's, and keeps the illusion in your family that you are still da' man. I could go on.....but you get the picture.

Awh, heck - I can get the same results in the bedroom! (and a whole lot more fun)

JW

quote:

I have to say if I didn't live in Africa I'd want to get back into training & working gundogs again.

As far as wingshooting goes, I never understand why African wingshooting isn't more popular than it is.

Might have something to do with your first statement! Tough place to keep really good dogs in any numbers.

Until I went to Africa for the first time my hunting world was very one dimensional. Ducks ducks and more ducks with dove thrown in as a warm up to duck season, Deer hunting is just something to do between dove and squirell season and duck season.

Now that I have discovered turkey hunting I am in deep trouble. Of course spending a day or two on the water chsing specks or reds is pretty good also.

Jeff

Good point...a wingshoot without well trained dogs (even with African retreevers ) is never quite the same.... That said, the demand for wingshooting is infitisemal compared to other hunting here and that never ceases to surprise me.

African hunting is a def love of mine, but so are the following:

my fitness
Mountain climbing (always make plans for at least one big climb per year)
mountain game hunting (when it does not interfere with Africa!)
Mearns quail with a nice shotty over my pointers (ALL upland, but Mearns are my fav)
SCUBA diving and spear fishing when I can make it to the coast. Wish I lived closer.
deep sea fishing
golfing

I don't know how anyone can even snorkel let alone scuba..... the thought of trying to breath with your head underwater just makes my blood run cold!

bwana, I also love shotgunning and wingshooting.

Last year in Argentina I thought we had passed through the Pearly Gates into wingshooting heaven. I fired two thousand rounds in two days, but I could have stayed there and shot every day from then until now and not dented the dove population!

But like you, Africa is my first love, when it comes to hunting.

quote:

Jeff

Good point...a wingshoot without well trained dogs (even with African retreevers ) is never quite the same.... That said, the demand for wingshooting is infitisemal compared to other hunting here and that never ceases to surprise me.

Lol! But in all seriousness, everytime I suggest a trip over to Africa to go winshooting my croanies scoff and contend why waste the time on birds when there are Eles and Buff to go after...and "that" might be the main reason the wingshooting hasn't taken off like we think it should. That and the fact that there is just no place like Argentins when it comes to high volume shooting - At least none that I've found!

Jeff,

I've never shot Argentina so can't comment except to say that I've occasionally heard people on wingshoots here say that it had been as good as Argentina..... but how true that is, I have no idea.

One place I'd really love to wingshoot is India. - I'm told the duck shooting there is phenomenal.

India...Hmmmmm - might have to plan a trip there...Might they have doves as well??

Wonder who knows?

Whoops! Thread hijacked...Sorry Russell...

Like most, I have a great many interests other than Africa, even though Africa is important to me, now and in the future. I have three primary interests, after my family. Hunting, fishing and baseball.

Hunting is probably my #1 passtime pursuit, even though some would say it is baseball. I love to hunt ducks, and have been fortunate to be in a very good club in California's Butte Sink for 35 years (Thanks Dad!). I probably average about 25-30 days per year just duck hunting. We also hunt pheasants on that property. I enjoy shooting doves, and am fortunate to have a small piece of property near where I live that we do that each year. I also enjoy spring turkey hunting, and have two nice properties where I hunt them. My main big game passion in North America is elk during the rut with a bow. Archery hunting for elk in September is a joy that has to be experienced to be fully appreciated. I also like hunting deer, mule deer, blacktails and whitetails, and try to do a few deer hunts each year. We lease hunting privileges on a group of ranches close to my home, so I get to go blacktail hunting pretty much whenever I want. I seldom shoot one, as I enjoy seeing lots of bucks and having a place close to home to enjoy that, so shooting one seems unimportant these days. Also love pronghorn hunting, and just about anything else I can get drawn for anywhere in the west. Haven't been to Alaska hunting in a fair number of years, and can't imagine doing that over Africa anytime soon. Can't seem to draw a sheep tag anywhere, so haven't done that in quite a few years.

Fishing, I love to fish for stripers, especially in the salt water where we catch them along with halibut. Mostly, I love offshore long range fishing, as there is nothing like pulling on tuna after tuna and who knows what else on one of the San Diego long range boats. I also enjoy salmon and steelhead fishing, though I don't take time to do it very often, as well as Alaskan fishing.

Baseball, I've been running a very successful college development baseball program for 11 years now, and it has taken time away from everything else I do, but I find it very fulfilling. I've coached more than 80 high school players who've gone on to play in college or pro ball, so that is very fulfilling. It's been a lot of fun the last few days to watch the NCAA playofs on ESPN, and see guys I coached just a few years ago playing for Oregon State and Cal State Fullerton, among other schools. Knowing that you've made a small but positive difference in the lives of so many good young men is a gratifying thing. One of my major points of pride is that one of my boys leaves on June 22nd to begin his college stint at the United States Air Force Academy, and knowing that I played a central role in that happening. I coulnd't be prouder of any kid than I am for that one.

Those are the things that have my focus, besides a love of African hunting.

Jeff

I have no idea if they have doves or not but although big bags aren't particularly my thing, I get an idea the record bag in one day came from there.

Hopefully one of our members from that neck of the woods might care to comment.

quote:

India...Hmmmmm - might have to plan a trip there..

Bird hunting the world... I like the sound and thought of it. Driven partridge in Spain, pheasant in England, grouse on the Scottish moors, ducks in India, dove, perdiz and pigeons in South America and sand grouse and driven francolin and fowl in Africa...

I think I am hijacking my own thread...

I'm with Jeff & Surestrike, other than Africa I enjoy working out/weight training & EATING. Golf, which I just finished a round about 45 minutes ago, and all that is hunting!

After hunting Asia, Mexico and other places that are operated by 3rd world people, its easy to come back to Africa. Hunting those places is so frustrating, simply because the operators are so incompentent. I'll stick with Africa, N.A. and a few select places like Australia/New Zealand.

But really, how can any of us follow "Will"?

Very light-weight fishing in teeny tiny skinny water that no one else bothers with. Guys fish for lunkers but I like picking the little buggers from behind small rocks and watching them get their first taste of my fly...

LOve shotguns more than rifles and have shot a case of shotgun shells for each box of rifle ammo easily, of not two or three or four... (I think Jeff Wemmer did that in Argentina recently...)

Now for reality...
Although hunting anything is a passion, my all-time favorite is women. If I had back all the money I spent chasing women, I'd be able to go on a DG safari every year for the rest of my life.

Other than hunting I like visiting sunny and warm places like the mediterranean and being around people who make me feel like I am on holiday.I never really enjoyed fishing and can't stand fishing talk especially in camp when I am on safari,even though I may not show it.Nights and even afternoons,out on the town are fun too,and a couple of beers.Also enjoy playing war video games like MOH and COD.

The beach for me or bass fishing in farm ponds. I like the pace the best.

Not a day goes by that I do not think of Africa and relive the hunts there. But the family has always been and will continue to be first. My wife and I have annual passes to Disneyland where we enjoy time with Children and Grand Children from both coasts.

That said, my Bass Boat would pay for a nice buff hunt. Kids/Grand Kids love to fish with granddad. The family ski boat is used to wear out everyone all summer, would have paid for another hunt. No decision here.

I put in for X zone deer, Lassen antelope, and North East elk. Get drawn often enough to keep it interesting, I live on the B/C Zone boundary so I hunt almost daily during the season. When the big game season closes in California I try to find time to chase mallards and honkers along the Little Shasta River.

My bass fishing buddy has a drift boat, great for steelhead on the Trinity and trout on the Sacramento.

So there it is. I am truly blessed with a wife of 47 years and loving family that while we are separated by thousands of miles, we are in communication daily and see each other often. I could spend the resources to be in Africa annually, but you know, it is not going to happen.

Fitness
Backpacking
Wildlife Photography
Adventure Racing
Mountain Climbing

Ducks, ducks, ducks, ducks, ducks, ducks ... trout and reds and ducks.