African Hunting Gazette

Our Objective is simple and clear - to promote hunting in Africa. And everything we do, focuses on this central mission. We believe that for the passionate hunters they are either hunting, or spend their time wishing they were hunting. This publication helps them get through that time when they are not actually in the bush. Our reader is more committed, more passionate and has tremendous interest in just about everything to do with the African Safari. From cover to cover the AHG brings you everything you need to know about hunting the great continent of Africa. From the southern tip of Africa to the northern reaches of Ethiopia, we go about pursuing our simple and unambiguous objective.

African Hunting Gazette

Editorial

CONSERVATION CONTROVERSIES The vista from the summit of Mount Stupid is vastly different from the view from the Valley of Despair • Knowledge of wildlife behavior, how animals care for their young, how they communicate with each other, and other cute and interesting facts are common in nature guidebooks, magazine articles, and safari guide rhetoric. The eco-tourism experience is about giving the animal a place in our hearts.

GIANT CROCS of the Zambezi • Historically the crocodile has been an underrated game animal and considered an incidental bonus to an African safari. Recently, with the creation of the Big Seven, crocodiles and hippo have attracted more attention from hunters. I've been hunting Africa since 1990, and it wasn’t until 2007 that I really became interested in hunting a crocodile. I’d made many inquiries as to the best locations to hunt crocs and gotten the usual vague answers —Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Caprivi Strip and possibly Mozambique —but never specific locations. Over the course of several hunts, I’d passed on opportunities to take crocodiles in the 12-13 ft range, but I wasn’t checking off an animal on a “bag” list, and wasn’t impressed with the challenge of shooting a crocodile. That all changed while on a buffalo hunt in the Caprivi Strip.

Jewel of the KALAHARI • Harry and Jolane Claassens’ Mata Mata Camp is like a beautiful jewel set in the natural beauty of one of South Africa’s last frontiers.

Three-Year Quest • I started hunting with a crossbow in South Africa in September 2022 and hunted with a Ten Point Turbo GT; I had a very good hunt that year. I took a bushpig, a blue duiker, and a bushbuck that made the SCI Record Books. I also took three neat warthogs and a female fallow deer. All were taken at distances of 12 to 55 yards which was not bad for a first-time crossbow hunt. Last, I hunted for Eastern Cape greater kudu, and we hunted them at the bottom of a steep and rocky 45–50-degree slanted hill.

“HANS, SHOOT. SHOOT NOW!” A tale from the Zambian bush • It’s 5:00 a.m. The irritating alarm clock had been ringing for a few minutes. I wanted nothing more than to roll over and go back to sleep, but I had an agreement with my PH to meet at 5:30. So, I jumped out of bed and headed to the dining tent for a light breakfast. Just enough to keep the worst hunger at bay. Our cook had already finished preparing eggs, bacon, and toast for everyone. A good sign that the day might actually turn out well. We all needed something solid to go on. We’d already been hunting for two days without me firing a single round, aside from the test fires to check our rifles.

BEYOND THE PURSUIT - Why the Hound Hunt Model is Redefining Modern Leopard Hunting • There is a certain silence that overcomes men when the fresh track of a big cat is discovered - a silence heavy with anticipation, stitched together by the rhythm of ‘gearing up’ with the restrained whine of the keen hounds. In that moment, man, dog, and cat are bound in a contest older than language itself.

REMINISCING Magic Moments • Carole and I had the good fortune to visit Africa five times. Each trip provided memories that will be...