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June 2023

Contents 

• Editorial by Richard Lendrum               (Scroll down to read)
• Product News: Blaser'S B2 Riflescope Line
• Book Review: The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber by Ken Bailey
• Wildlife column:African Response to UK’s Proposed Hunting Trophy Ban by Dr John Ledger
• Black Wildebeest by Tom Murphy
• Wildlife Artist: Zoltan Boros by Tom Murphy
• Down Under in Namibia by Erich Mueller
• Some Things You Just Cannot Make Up! by Ricardo Leone
• Campfire Thoughts & Reminiscences Ch 19 by Neil Harmse
• African Dawn Catalogue Editorial
• African Dawn Outfitters 2023

Editorial

Africa in Full Swing

Since May’s AHG Monthly, we have had the pleasure of Craig Boddington’s company at Afton. Craig was out hunting with Tsessebe Safaris, and it must be his 135th or so safari, when he took the buffalo in this picture below. Incredible, and what an ambassador for African hunting. It’s been a few years and while the buffalo remains in Afton’s lounge, much around this great trophy has changed.
 

Craig was sharing stories of hunting Himalayan Tahr. Not where they are all hunted now, but actually in the Himalayas! Which got me thinking…

I have yet to hear a hunter bemoan the fact that he shot his Tahr not in the Himalayas, but on the island of New Zealand, a gazillion miles from the Himalayas.

NZ is a beautiful destination, but it’s certainly not the indigenous’ habitat of the Tahr. They were introduced in the early 1900s. Make no mistake, I love the Kiwi-South Africa rugby that’s rivalry spans a hundred years, but they seem to have dodged the negative perception that South Africa has for high fences and the movement/introduction/management of certain species. 

Should South Africa, or Namibia (where much game has been moved or interchanged, over the years) be worried, or bothered? I am not sure, really. 
There is an argument for both sides. 

If it was not for fences, borders, or man’s habitation, would certain species, over time, have moved in pursuit of new, more suitable grounds? I am sure they would. But as they can’t without the intervention of helicopters, M99, trucks, and in some cases, aircraft, the rules change. 

South Africa has taken it to new levels and the opportunity to hunt species in areas you couldn’t just 20 years ago brings with it condemnation from one side, and sheer delight from the other. 

As with much of this pastime, it is up to the hunter to decide what is right for them. All I say is do your homework. 
 

At Afton, we have a fantastic new addition to the showroom. It’s Phil’s crocodile. Sadly, in his 80s and wanting his last dream hunt, his ‘PH’/outfitter took his money, spun him a yarn about where it was hunted and could not get, did not get – and could never have gotten – the permit to hunt the crocodile. It is one of the most frustrating positions to be in – witnessing this, time and again. Life Form Taxidermy kindly refunded him for the mount cost in good faith – well done LifeForm and next time you are in Afton – take a look!

It is brought to my attention after the fact. Phil came by the booth in Nashville, shared the story, and said he was donating it to Afton after his 3-year fight that produced nothing. 

In closing – June is the year’s watershed month. As it approaches, the season is ending in Cameroon, but for the bulk of the southern regions, it is in full swing or certainly is about to be. Brilliant. 

Africa welcomes y’all with open arms. 

Regards
Richard Lendrum

PRODUCT NEWS

Blaser Introduces the B2 Riflescope Line

Featuring a 6x zoom and 30mm main tube, B2 riflescopes are extremely compact, robust, and engineered to handle the additional weight and stress when shooting with a thermal unit attached. The shorter length ensures the clip-on device can be comfortably operated from the shooting position, and that the rifle’s center of gravity is not shifted too far forward. This design also requires a shorter range of motion of the zoom system’s movable lenses which results in improved mechanical precision and a more stable point of impact when changing magnification. 

Black Wildebeest 

The Black wildebeest (Connochaetes gnou) is sometimes referred to as the white-tailed gnu. Its average weight runs between 250-425 pounds. Shoulder height is four feet. Overall length 65 inches to 90 inches. The black wildebeest has a dark brown to black coat with a rather incongruous white tail. Males are darker than females. Both sexes have forward-curving horns up to 30 inches long, with the female’s horns being shorter but similar in shape to the male’s.
They are herbivores, existing almost exclusively on grass and while they like to drink daily, they can survive if water is scarce. They are active during the early morning hours and after the heat has gone out of the day. 

Wildlife Artist: Zoltan Boros

Zoltan Boros was born in Szabadka, Hungary in 1976. Nature and animals fascinated him since his early childhood. Zoltan began drawing at a young age, developing his talent by drawing the local wildlife. Later, he began to paint with oils and watercolors and continued to draw using graphite pencils and chalk. After grammar school, Zoltan attended the Agricultural University of Gödöllő. There, he received a degree as a Certificated Agricultural Engineer of Environmental Management with a major in Wildlife Management.
Zoltan spends as much time as possible in the outdoors, observing nature and the behavior of animals in their natural environments. Through his art, Zoltan is able to capture the uniqueness of his subjects, and the situations of their existence. 

Down Under in Namibia

Hardly a Wild West scene is as well known as the long-range shot in the film Quigley Down Under. The weapon used by Tom Selleck as the sniper, Quigley, in the Australian film was a Sharps 1874 with Creedmoor Diopter. It was this film and this weapon that gave birth to what I would call something of a crazy idea: Why not use this breech-loading rifle in an African antelope hunt? For those who are wondering why crazy, you must take a closer look at the history and the technical specifications. The rifles designed by Sharps were built especially during the American Civil War. Later, the Model 1874 was specifically designed for North American big game and given the nickname of the Buffalo Rifle. It was a rather sad chapter for America when professional buffalo hunters nearly eradicated the herds of millions of bison. 

Somethings You Just Cannot Make Up!

This past January 2023 at the DSC Show, I was reunited with my professional hunter, Gamshad Gam, from a memorable Tanzanian Safari, nearly a decade ago. We had not seen each other nor talked since October 2013. As we sat in his booth to catch up on our respective life events, we reminisced about our unforgettable warthog chase. There are some things you just cannot make up!

Campfire Thoughts & Reminiscences Ch 19

As I approached my mid-60s, I decided I would ‘retire’ from game hunting and concentrate on wingshooting. I have a passion for vintage and well-made side-by-side shotguns, and it gives me great pleasure to step into the veld with a gun that is over 100 years old and still shoots as well today as it did when it left the gun-maker’s bench.
This is the epitome of the gun-maker’s art. I sold my hunting rifles and kept a selection of favourite shotguns with which to pursue my chosen sport.
In the areas where most of my wingshooting takes place, I often come across warthog and feral pigs which do a lot of damage to farmers’ crops, causing a loss of income for the landowner.

African Dawn

Who are African Dawn Outfitters?

The African Dawn Program is about promoting hunting in Africa, not just through what we publish, but with the outfitters’ cooperation in this program… and it is for your peace of mind.

International travel consumes two precious commodities – personal time and money. And when you are a hunter, things can get tricky when there are further considerations like rules, regulations, details and differences between each country and their species. It is important to have a good outfitter, and whether it is your next hunting safari, or your first one, there are many outfitters to choose from. In fact, there are over 500, so how do you find a reliable one, the one that is right for you?

To help you, we decided to promote and work with approximately 10% of this continent-wide group of outfitters. We have listed a limited number of an esteemed group of established and reputable African outfitters and they can be found in this Catalogue. To familiarize yourself with this list, we also offer monthly publications, and monthly trophy gallery posts (Trophies Fresh from the Veld). To ensure you receive these updates, sign up www.africanhuntinggazette.com.

If you are an agent looking for an outfitter to represent, you’ll be safe contacting one of these outfitters.

If you are researching for your next safari, be sure to contact any one of listed outfitters directly. It will support them and save you money by booking with them. Please tell them that it was by them being an African Dawn Member that contributed to the decision.

Our website www.africanhuntinggazette.com has a detailed overview of them all, and you know where to contact me if you need to know anything more.

For now, just enjoy the read.

Richard Lendrum - Publisher African Hunting Gazette

[email protected]

List of African Dawn Members 2023

• Ken Moody Safaris
• Khomas Highland Hunting Safaris
• Lake Albert Safaris
• Madubula Safaris
• Mashambanzou Safaris
• Mayo Oldiri Safaris
• Mike Currie Adventures
• Mokore Safaris
• Monterra Safaris
• Namibia Safari Corporation
• Northern Operations Africa
• Pete Barnard Safaris
• Richard Cooke Safaris
• Rob Lurie Safaris
• Rolling River Safaris
• Rovos Rail Tours
• Royal Karoo Safaris
• SB Hunting Safaris
• Spear Safaris
• Stone Hunting Safaris
• Strang Middleton Safaris
• Thierry Labat Safaris
• Watts Trophy Hunting Safaris
• Wow Africa Safaris