I was thumbing through a 1956 edition of Shooter's Bible (published 1955) and came across this notice of Stoeger being the representative for a hunting outfitter in India. I really didn't know that sport hunting, particularly for tigers, was still being conducted in India by then, but I found the page very interesting. We're always flabbergasted at how small prices from the past sound, at least until they are converted to today's dollars. But when I ran the $860 fee for an all-inclusive (lodging, meals, guide, etc.) 10-day hunt through the inflation calculator I found that it was about $7,600 in today's dollars. For two tigers, plus leopard, antelope, boar, and whatever else, that's a huge bargain by any measure. Thought you folks would enjoy reading the ad for the hunt (especially those of you who have small children that you would like boarded and entertained while you hunt for $120 per month!)



By the way, does anyone know what kind of hunting is available in India today?

Wow, thanks for sharing. It must have been a fine endeavor indeed!!!

Stonecreek,
to the best of my knowledge hunting in India was banned back in the late 70's/erly 80's and has remained so since.

There is a very small amount (at least compared to Africa) of poaching/illegal hunting occurring, mostly by locals and a very tightly restricted problem animal control program limited to a very few individuals sanctioned by the Government for the removal of man-killers etc.

A very good friend of mine is Indian and manages coffee and tea plantations in the Southern regions. He has regular contact with Elephant, leopard, Gaur as well as other animals such as boar etc.
He has recently had to resort to doing his early morning inspections armed after confrontations with leopard.

Interestingly, the ban on hunting has had little/no effect on improving populations of certain animals (except for leopard) as the level of human encroachment is by far the greatest factor.

Note, none of the information I have provided has any scientific basis and is anecdotal only via my frequent discussions with my buddy who actually lives there.
I plan to visit soon one day and at least hope to see it. I am crazy for Gaur and there is a population of them in the adjoining forest to one of my buddies plantations that contains some absolute studs of bulls !!!!

Thanks for posting that nostalgic poster. It reminds us of some of the grand old days before most of us.

Great read! Certainly seems a wonderful trip. It makes me want to go back and read Corbitt again.

My mother grew up in India and Bangaladesh. My grandfather and uncle hunted in both countries and Pakistan in the 1960's.

My grandfather had a tiger skull and some other treasures left over from that time, and a ton of 8mm video and photos.

1955: Median US household income $5000

2016: Median US household income $56000

I would say the hunt appreciated faster than ordinary income!

Thanks for sharing,
Ski+3

Thanks for that information.

India stopped tiger hunting in 1971.

Other big game hunting continued with very limited quota and permits in a few areas. Gaur was allowed in south India until late 70s. Problem elephant and "Makhna" tuskless bulls were allowed in Assam in the 80s.

Leopards were allowed in some areas in the 80s.

Sambar, chital, muntjack, etc. were allowed in some areas in the 80s. Shooting on private estates was a grey area & I shot a few muntjacks in 1984. The technicality is that the private property was not under the authority of the officials but if there is a National Park or Sanctuary near by, then the zone changes and hunting on private property was not allowed.

Wild boar permits for crop protection were allowed in most areas for a long time & technically still available. But most officials just do issue such permits. The locals shoot and net pigs all the time and the officials just ignore it.

In the last couple of years the new government has revised policy and started allowing crop protection permits for wild boar, nilghai and chital.

Thanks for posting the historical stuff.

The TAJ group has a tiger photo safari tour with private plane flights between camps that exceeds the cost of most high end african safaris.

Real estate in Bombay/Mumbai on a sq ft basis in certain areas is approaching $1K-$2K.

This stuff is interesting but from a time far gone and never to come back again.

You want to hunt indian stuff - go to hill country in Texas.

Mike

I posted this some time back. It is my grandfather, and the date is 1931



RIP.
Peter

I love seeing old photos like this. Thanks for posting, Peter. What a fine and stately gentleman. What is the gun or rifle in his hand?
Cheers,
Cal

quote:

Originally posted by Peter:
I posted this some time back. It is my grandfather, and the date is 1931



RIP.
Peter

Peter, that could be commercial for milk, look at that milky mustache

Thanks Cal! The back of the picture says something about going to hunt nilgai! While I had hoped that he is holding a double rifle, it does look like a shotgun. What do you think? Nothing has been handed down. Not surprising because we got the hell out in 1947 with nothing but a couple of suitcases! He did hunt Indian elephant because another grandchild has a coffee table with a couple of small (by African standards) ivory tusks. My father did go tiger hunting (over bait) but was unsuccessful. This was in the 40's
Peter.

quote:

Originally posted by Peter:
Thanks Cal! The back of the picture says something about going to hunt nilgai! While I had hoped that he is holding a double rifle, it does look like a shotgun. What do you think? Nothing has been handed down. Not surprising because we got the hell out in 1947 with nothing but a couple of suitcases! He did hunt Indian elephant because another grandchild has a coffee table with a couple of small (by African standards) ivory tusks. My father did go tiger hunting (over bait) but was unsuccessful. This was in the 40's
Peter.

Why a couple of suitcases in 1947 - the transition was pretty well signaled.

Mike

The so called "transition" was a total disaster and one of worst cases of culpable negligence of any government in human history.

The genocide and virtual civil war that followed resulted in millions killed and displaced. Britain was committed to its "Divide and rule" policy of creating Pakistan and keeping the subcontinent in perpetual conflict (like Iraq, Syria, Palestine etc.)

Britain had no plan of transition for partition of India in 1947.

None of this is properly taught in British history though it is well documented, if one wants to really look for it.

http://www.inquiriesjournal.co...f-the-british-empire

The Nationalist anti colonial movements around the world were largely expressed from Pro colonial point of view as being treason and treachery. Now more scholars are prepared to apply a more neutral interpretation of freedom, justice, human rights etc.

Leaders like Gandhi & Mandela were incarcerated for long periods under charge of treason and subsequently seen as champions of freedom & human rights.

quote:

Originally posted by Beretta682E:

quote:

Originally posted by Peter:
Thanks Cal! The back of the picture says something about going to hunt nilgai! While I had hoped that he is holding a double rifle, it does look like a shotgun. What do you think? Nothing has been handed down. Not surprising because we got the hell out in 1947 with nothing but a couple of suitcases! He did hunt Indian elephant because another grandchild has a coffee table with a couple of small (by African standards) ivory tusks. My father did go tiger hunting (over bait) but was unsuccessful. This was in the 40's
Peter.

Why a couple of suitcases in 1947 - the transition was pretty well signaled.

Mike

I don't want to get into a political discussion about partition in 1947 or bengal famine in 1942.

My question was simply why did any British subjects not get their affairs in order before 1947 - it was pretty clear for at least 8 years the end of bititsh rule was near.

Mike

quote:

Originally posted by Nakihunter:
The so called "transition" was a total disaster and one of worst cases of culpable negligence of any government in human history.

The genocide and virtual civil war that followed resulted in millions killed and displaced. Britain was committed to its "Divide and rule" policy of creating Pakistan and keeping the subcontinent in perpetual conflict (like Iraq, Syria, Palestine etc.)

Britain had no plan of transition for partition of India in 1947.

None of this is properly taught in British history though it is well documented, if one wants to really look for it.

http://www.inquiriesjournal.co...f-the-british-empire

The Nationalist anti colonial movements around the world were largely expressed from Pro colonial point of view as being treason and treachery. Now more scholars are prepared to apply a more neutral interpretation of freedom, justice, human rights etc.

Leaders like Gandhi & Mandela were incarcerated for long periods under charge of treason and subsequently seen as champions of freedom & human rights.

quote:

Originally posted by Beretta682E:

quote:

Originally posted by Peter:
Thanks Cal! The back of the picture says something about going to hunt nilgai! While I had hoped that he is holding a double rifle, it does look like a shotgun. What do you think? Nothing has been handed down. Not surprising because we got the hell out in 1947 with nothing but a couple of suitcases! He did hunt Indian elephant because another grandchild has a coffee table with a couple of small (by African standards) ivory tusks. My father did go tiger hunting (over bait) but was unsuccessful. This was in the 40's
Peter.

Why a couple of suitcases in 1947 - the transition was pretty well signaled.

Mike

I posted that just to get facts right.

If you read some of the journals etc. - it was very unsettled time after WW2. The writing was on the wall that India was going to be free.

Churchill was among the few wanting to hold on.

Many just picked up and left. The Tea Planter in Assam (until 1947 there were no Indians among the Planters) and other Brits left.

Jim Corbet moved to Kenya.

Leaving with just 2 suitcases might be a bit of an exaggeration but many just left.

This was not just in India but other colonial countries that faced uncertainty.

My grandfather was with the British Military Engineers as a Colonel in Burma and he left behind his car and house and walked across the North East Indian jungles in 1940 - when the Japanese swarmed Burma and entered NE India. He lost his brother to black water fever on that walk.

2 suitcases for adults 1 for each kid. RAF rules. Last plane out. We paid off the servants, sent them away because we could not protect them.. Still they came looking for them, so they could kill them. I was a kid, but i guess we expected the army to protect us, but they could not.
as to this:
Why a couple of suitcases in 1947 - the transition was pretty well signaled.
Sorry, this shows an ignorance of history and the facts on the ground at the time. Estimates are 1 million killed. Did not mean you were safe if you are British. Try to protect your Hindu servants on the wrong side of the partition and you are DEAD. The opposite is also true.
They still hate each other!
Peter