The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Hunting African Big Game Hunting The Passion is goneGo | New | Find | Notify | Tools | Reply | |
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Seems like all you’re doing is leaving early. Passion does not equal stupidity. Two words for you, Bhangra. Stop crying and beating your chest. Oh, sorry. I guess that’s six. Mike Wilderness is my cathedral, and hunting is my prayer. | |||
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All sorts of people go hunting to Africa. Some actually have no business going, or even hunting. Some hunt for self glorifications and collecting "trophies" to compete against similar minded, basically, non hunters but "trophy" collectors who like to scream "look at me" idiots. These are the ones glorified by SCI and its utterly stupid competition. They actually have no knowledge of what hunting actually entails, and means. Generally, these are the ones who will make any excuse to get into that competition, going as far as to break laws to gain attention. We have seen it so many times happen in the past. Bloody hell, even the so called "professional" hunters who have been given rewards by these organizations turned out to be crooks. And there are others who hunt because they enjoy it for what it is. They don't care what "obstacles" they have to go through to go hunting. It is part of modern life, and they will continue to go. | |||
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There’s a big difference between not going at all because you don’t want the hassle and quitting a hunt half way through because it’s too much work….  Vote Trump- Putin’s best friend… To quote a former AND CURRENT Trumpiteer - DUMP TRUMP | |||
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+1. A waning passion largely because you have “been there and done that” and no longer have a fire to put up with today’s hassles is a far cry from throwing in the towel and trying to blame the outfitter. Mike | |||
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Been there 7 times and dreaming of number 8. I am 60 yo and have been obsessed with Africa ever since I read "Hunter" by JA Hunter in 3rd grade in 1972. That along with Tarzan, Wild Kingdom, and in 1977 Death in the Long Grass. Ever since I stepped foot in Africa, I was ruined to hunting here in the USA...nothing here came even remotely close. I wish it wasn't that way because I was a devout Bow Hunter killing over 50 deer with the bow, and I used to count the days to bow season....not that has passed a long time ago If you lose your passion for Africa (or anything else) don't take it to heart..just find something else that you are passionate about and move on | |||
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-2. Hunt or not. Just don’t cry and then beat your chest about it. On the other hand, there’s always fishing. Mike Wilderness is my cathedral, and hunting is my prayer. | |||
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Good advice. Take it. Mike | |||
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Please. Really? I understand your loyalty. But the hard truth is what I faced, day after day after day. Not anything else. Again, I understand your loyalty. But I’d rather hunt the Devil in Hell than anything in Dande East. Still, there’s always fishing, right? Hitting the hay now. Long day tomorrow. Mike Wilderness is my cathedral, and hunting is my prayer. | |||
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Must be hard to accept giving up. I understand that. Just own it. Mike | |||
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No not at all Steve. Just a general comment regarding the hassle factor. ROYAL KAFUE LTD Email - kafueroyal@gmail.com Tel/Whatsapp (00260) 975315144 Instagram - kafueroyal | |||
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Absolutely agree the Northern guides are as tough as they come. You have to be fit to properly hunt free-ranging Elephant and Buffalo. I have been hunting hard areas and I assure you it's not a walk in the Park. I am passionate and very much enjoy the long often arduous stalks, especially after big very wise Buffalo. Hence my comment. ROYAL KAFUE LTD Email - kafueroyal@gmail.com Tel/Whatsapp (00260) 975315144 Instagram - kafueroyal | |||
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__________________________________________________ Since I got married in 2015, I’ve taken my wife on 4 African safaris and she loves it. In fact, our honeymoon trip has an elephant hunt in the Caprivi followed by 2 days in Kasane/Chobe National Park and 3 days in Vic Falls. She loved the ele hunt and stood up to 2 bluff charges from a herd of cows and calves and young bulls on day one. She was standing behind me when I dropped the elephant on day 2. Her presence makes every trip that much more enjoyable.  [/QUOTE]__________________________________________________ What Jdollar said +1 JCHB | |||
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I actually think there something wrong with people who fish! They are up to something very fishy!  | |||
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I'll agree with Ahrenberg that a on lot of safaris, the hunting is physically pretty easy. However, a proper tracking buff or elephant hunt in Oct or Nov can be quite a physical challenge. Walking day after day in 115 degree heat, temps not dropping until 2am. I've done tough mountain hunts, a lot of backpacking in general, and I've done late buffalo hunts in TZ and Zim. They are ALL a physical and mental test in their own way. Especially since I make my living sitting behind a desk! | |||
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Sitting in a boat holding a line is very exhausting! | |||
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My toughest physical hunt was a proper tracking hunt for LDE in CAR. From daylight to dark, every day. Very hot, mopane flies, sweat bee’s etc. I was with Mike Fell. Pretty competent guy. Glad he’s recovering. Killed day 5 or 6? But even that, I carried only my rifle. Not that hard. But I could see an older gent from the Northeast, not used to the heat, having a struggle. That was 2012 and was racing regularly. So yea, fitness matters. Formerly "Nganga" | |||
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Sorry, Tarzan, or is it George of the Jungle? Not going to re-litigate my late hunt in Poacher's Paradise. Nor my report thereof, which no one has dared to question as the absolute, unvarnished truth of the event. But for those who have not read my report, or who willfully choose to misrepresent it, or who have trouble with reading comprehension, physical endurance was not a factor. But keep on with the chest beating and self-pity. It's frankly amazing. Mike Wilderness is my cathedral, and hunting is my prayer. | |||
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Why are we classifying a hunt by how hard it is? Is it chest thumping time again? | |||
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As Tim Grover has said . . . physical strength measures what you can do, mental strength measures whether you’ll actually do it. Mike | |||
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MJines - I won’t quote your nasty post above. I wouldn’t want to deny you the opportunity to apologize and delete any record of it. Mike Wilderness is my cathedral, and hunting is my prayer. | |||
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Some of you are beginning to sound like Cal Pappas! He only went to “hunt” to prove a point. Either trying to justify his worthless hero Mark Sullivan or to prove how incapable he was in killing anything with rifles too big for him to handle!  | |||
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...Cal was an great hunter, an great human... I miss my contact with him.... | |||
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I would agree Jason was/is as tough as it gets. I’m no prime physical specimen, but seem to do ok. I agree the more fit you are, the better you tend to do, but honestly with hunting I think where you are at mentally probably means more than physically. I’ve seen some handicapped hunters who while their hunt was not a challenge physically inan objective sense, it sure required stamina and willingness to put up with pain for them to have success. I’ve seen guys who set a goal of a 50# elephant end up taking a 35-40# one on day 2-3 at their choice. The more remote and dangerous the environment, the tougher you need to be. Also, if you don’t really enjoy what you are doing it makes it more difficult. My Mountain Nyala hunt in retrospect was probably my hardest one. Strangely enough, if finances permit, I’d consider doing it again.
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I find all this stuff about toughness funny. The vast majority of African hunts are Toyota safaris interspersed with walking. I been there, done that on elephant and buff hunts. You want a real African hunt experience? Try a portered foot safari(no Toyota in sight) and no PH, where what you have is what goes in on your backs. Especially where all your food and gear got lost by the airline before you even arrived in country!  Vote Trump- Putin’s best friend… To quote a former AND CURRENT Trumpiteer - DUMP TRUMP | |||
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I tend to agree with Michael and Steve. At times, I burn out on whatever my hobby is. It has nothing to do with the physical aspect of the hunt. Any hunt is as tough as you want to make it. I prefer eland to buffalo. That requires a lot of hiking and tracking. Eland are harder to find than buffalo. All of that said, these hunts do not compare to sheep or ibex hunting. As I said in my sheep hunt reports - I love/hate sheep hunting. I hate the lousy food, sleeping on the ground, sharing a small tent and the climbing. However, I truly like getting my hands on the curly horns. The toughest hunt for me? Marco Polo. Brutal weather and altitude. The worst hunt, brown bear in the rain and wind. Worst of the worst, hunting in a shared camp with bums and arrogant people when I was told I was not sharing the camp. Hunting in the US is a whole other mess unless you are hunting private land. I won't hunt public land in the US. Too many bums and bad hunters out there. Canada? Mostly fine, but have had two bad hunts there - overtly lied to by the outfit and the other just did not have the game. Anyway, I get it. Loss of passion or loss of trust in the process. Having done 30 plus guided hunts, I have had mostly good, several disappointment/thefts. Those are the hunts that make me doubt what I am doing. I am not like some - going back to the same place every year doing the same thing. I have yet to repeat a hunt as there are so many great places to go - Ethiopia with Jason Roussos, Namibia with Jacques Strauss, anywhere with Thierry Labat, Zim with Dean Kendall or Canada with Darwin Cary or fishing with Mike Trotter... There are good ones out there. However, I get it when it stops being fun. I get it Mike and Steve. | |||
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Many of us have been hunting all our lives. We like hunting. We enjoy it. We never consider it as a competition. I enjoyed hunting sparrows with my slingshot, and I enjoyed hunting elephants. It might take a morning running around behind the house, and it might take several 21 day hunts in the heat of October-November in Chete. It is HUNTING. We enjoyed all of it. Whether we were successful at the end or not. Sadly, others have a totally different attitude to hunting. That is fine, it is their time, their money. But don't try to tell the rest of us what to do. May be stick to fishing. It is more rewarding sitting in a boat with a fishing line with a baited hook at the end. A beer can next to you! Bloody funny all this. It seems no matter where you look at the Internet, there is always someone preaching that whatever YOU are doing, is wrong, and THEY have a better choice for you. They call themselves "influencers" and "activists". I call them stupid, selfish, ignorant, know it all hypocrites! | |||
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Integrity. . . How people treat the disabled. Cal met my disabled son one time. We stopped by his home in Willow for lunch. For 14 years, every March a package arrived for my son from Cal. He never once forgot Brian’s birthday. Cal also helped edit all my writings. I had quite a few published and owe 100% of that to Cal. He had passion, he had integrity and I will miss him dearly. Formerly "Nganga" | |||
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Excellent post Ross. Formerly "Nganga" | |||
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Hunting with long time friends makes it a lot more fun. We do the same here at home. Participate in all sorts of outdoor activities with old friends. We meet new people, and become new friends. I feel sorry for people doing something which just satisfies themselves. Very shallow lives. | |||
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At 58 and after several safaris around the world I understand some of what you suggest... 1) even as money not a problem, some of my best buffalo hunts costed me a 300 dolar air ticket, a 300 dollar gas bill, 300 dollars in food and a 300 dollar gift plus some meat for a native guide. Camping is usually by invitation on some ranch house in the Amazon. For some reason I have better stories than some great Cape buffalo and ele hunts in Africa. 2) those 20 dollars cokes, 10 bucks to laundry a pair of socks....endless 20s, 50s and 300s is a great pain in the ass. Please, could you hide these inside those X,000.00/day. 3) regulations, regulations and regulations. Forms and forms. Norms and Norms beyond common sense, ethics or biology. These are a great pain as they feel opposite of what hunting was. 4) finally, those PHs that do all the hunting and want you to show up only when the tripod is mounted. You feel like a backpack carried in the field. You are not a hunter, but only the "designated shooter". I like to try to track, to evaluate what I shoot, to do the strategy. Yes, I like to spook animals and make dumb things. Pay 100,000 only to pull the trigger feels strange... ps: I understand that a PH is a thousand times a better hunter than ourselves. After all of that, all Safaris in the wildernesses of Africa, Amazon, Alaska, BC are to be loved forever. | |||
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It is hard to believe I have not been to Africa in six years after going eight times in nine years. I do miss being in the African bush. I do not miss the hassles of travel and I feel the whole tipping thing got out of hand, not to mention the cost of trophy prep, shipping, etc. Thinking about going to Africa in 2023 or maybe doing a sheep hunt in Alaska. I turn 60 in a couple of months and am in better shape now than I have been in 25 years. | |||
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Are you still cycling? Steve Formerly "Nganga" | |||
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I must still have the passion. Every morning I check AR for the offered hunts. | |||
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You need help! I hope you find it, as I have been trying to find help to stop me going hunting, nothing works! | |||
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