According to a 2016 survey, Impala is the most popular trophy with international hunters in South Africa. This blog post tries to identify the secret of the species’ success.
Continue reading
Category: Africa
Small Felines. Part II: Africa
Felines are perhaps the most successful predators among mammals. This post covers small felines of Africa: Caracal, Serval, and African Wild Cat.
Continue reading
A Poor Man’s Buffalo? Wildebeest and Wildebeest Hunting
Wildebeest, or Gnu, is one of the most recognizeable African antelopes. Nicknamed “a poor man’s buffalo” for similar appearance and tougness, various subspecies of the animal attract hunters to South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania, Namibia and Botswana
Continue reading
‘Gator and Croc
This post covers the difference between alligators and crocodiles from a hunter’s perspecitive: how to hunt alligator and how to hunt crocodile, how much does it cost, etc., in addition to the basic data about biology, appearance, distribution, etc. And yes, you meet one later, and the other after a while, the alligator and crocodile joke.
Continue reading
The Lion’s Breath, by Aleksei Agafonov
Lion hunting over bait is included in the “dangerous game” category for a reason. When Aleksei Agafonov, the BookYourHunt.com founder and CEO, was offered a chance to hunt a lion in Mozambique, his first impulse was to refuse. He agreed, and discovered, as the lion was literally breathing down his neck, that the gut feeling that warned him against it was not completely groundless. But the real cause of his fear hid deep in his subconscious.
Continue reading
Immersion Into the Past: Crocodile Hunting
Crocodiles evolved 60 million years ago, and outlived dinosaurs. They are dangerous neighbors for people in rural Africa, who are only happy when a hunter comes from Europe or America to kill one. Hundreds of people perish in crocodile jaws in Africa, which makes hunting the reptiles ethically justified: if they can kill us, we can kill them. Try walking in the shoes of Lt. Col. Patterson and Jim Corbett, but beware: crocodile hunting can be dangerous.
Continue reading
Africa on High: A backpack hunt for plains game in the Gamsberg Mountains of Namibia. By James Reed
Hunting in Africa today is usually associated with comfortable lodges. But James Reed found a way to explore the mountains of Namibia on foot with backpack, and got kudu, gemsbok, zebra and hartebeest on the way.
Continue reading
The Golden Age of the Travelling Hunter
A lot of hunters envy Selous, Roosevelt, and other people who hunted in exotic countries years ago. But these hunters often forget that a century ago exotic hunting was something only a few very rich people could do. Today, with air travel and so on, hunting in Africa and other remote countries has become available to middle class, and in fact, all things considered, the golden age of the traveling hunter is now.
Continue reading
“Karamojo” Bell on Rifles: In His Own Words
W.D.M. “Karamojo” Bell was an early XX century ivory hunter with unorthodox views on rifles. His name is often mentioned in “big rifle vs. small rifle” arguments. Did he REALLY mean that a 6.5 mm. Mannlicher was better for elephant hunting than a .577 Nitro Express? Let’s look in his books.
Continue reading
For Whom the Horn Blows? Hunting African Leopards with Hounds
Hunting leopard over hounds is a seldom practiced and often misunderstood pursuit. The trainer of perhaps the only leopard hunting pack in Africa speaks about why hunting over hounds is better than hunting over bait, and reveals secrets of the hunt, the choice of breed, and their training.
Continue reading
The Spotted Houdini
There was once a leopard in Namibia who got a proper name – Houdini – because of his miraculous escapes from hunters. Can James Reed put an end to this artist’s carreer?
Continue reading
Your Trophy Is Your Memory: Wise Taxidermy Choices for an African Hunt
Hunters cherish the trophies as material memories of their adventure. How to make the right choice of the taxidermy studio that won’t break your bank account? Should you choose a Euro mount, a shoulder mount, a pedestal mount, a full mount, or something creative? Is it better to “dip and ship” your trophies to a taxidermist near your home, or to use an African taxidermy studio? What can you do during the hunt to improve the quality of your trophies? These and other tips for taxidermy in our blog post.
Continue reading