Steve if we would only be living in a perfect world?

Lets start with “problem” animals. There is less problem animals than problem people, giving it some thought there is probably more problem PH’s, outfitters and booking agents

than problem animals. Not counting mosquito’s and tsetse flies which is also accountable for many deaths.

On a more serious note, yes there are problem animals on occasions and they have to be taken care of, but firstly, one should try to use non- lethal methods and only after this fails should one consider culling. My experience with problem animals are that in only about 10% of the cases culling is necessary.

The true motivation for the “creation” of most problem animals is as follow: Lots of meat

(locals) and very welcome bonus income for the PH, outfitter, concession holder and “official”

.

How can someone offer problem animal hunts in advance??

Come on, this is BS and everyone with half a brain knows it. It is done only to make some extra bucks, it is illegal and definitely unethical to both the client and the host country. You can call it creative marketing, maximising profit or whatever, but not hunting?

As for Mozambique there is no legal provision for problem animal licenses and no provision that a client can shoot a problem animal! The only legal way for a client to hunt a problem animal would be to pay for a hunting license for the species and then to use this license to hunt the animal, assuring the concession/lease holder has a quota allocation for this animal species. And here is one of the main reasons for problem animal hunts: The concession holder has limited or no quota on these species and every additional “problem” animal sold is profit.

By the way license fees for male and female in Mozambique a the same, be wary of cheaper female offers. Concession holder do not get extra quotas for females it have to come of the normal quota. Bait animals also require a full license and have to be paid for! Theoretical

.

For the clients benefit, if you do not have a license in your name for the animal, do not shoot!

For Booking agents benefit get to know the law in the respective country! I suspect a lot of offers are made in good faith based on information received from the concession holder / PH and passed on without second thought. In the age of internet, email, phone and fax, plus we still got a mail system, do your research and if this is not sufficient try a forum like AR or nitro. This is one of the reason I published the contact numbers of the 2 department in Mozambique which dealing with wildlife and hunting. If anyone is interested and I can figure out how to post the complete Mozambique fauna and flora law I would. ( English) otherwise send a pm with your e-mail and I will send you a copy.

Regarding the tusk less cow elephant: In a post about these hunts on AR. Matt Norman posted a reply referring to such a hunt in Mozambique I still would like to know the outfitter which was involved. IMO culling them selective, tusk less cows, ( not outfitters

and not the matriarch ) provided population density’s is close to maximum, and there is a unusual high percentage tusk less cows in the population it is good management, nothing other.

Lion hunter of fame:

Yes the one with the longest cable ( ears to brain? ) is now in Mozambique instead of crawling in a hole and disappear he tried some years ago to set up a lion breading program in Mozambique luckily we got to know about it and stopped it dead. Lately he is somewhere hunting in Tete province with a big advertisement on his internet website, search by name and hunting otherwise you come up with a fast food chain.
I am amazed on the amount of business he got from the cooks report. Shows you the different interpretations of sport hunting and the continuous support he receive from “sport hunters” after all, every one got or makes his one view on ethics?

I don’t wont them and I agree with you get them out of business. How? by marking their clients????

Steve you or me wont change the wrongs alone but if everyone this must include clients and booking agents just change the things we be doing and accept a little at the time we can change things, for the better, in the long run.

If hunting will survive then only by honest and responsible self regulation. It seems to me that at times hunters and outfitters are hunting worst (own) enemy’s. and not the anti hunting groups. We are the ones which should have expose the canned lion “hunting”, expose the put and take shooting farms, etc and the hunters (Clients) should expose and spit on people which shoot these canned lions and these record trophies cornered on the fence on the next hunting show or convention! People like this insulting every hunter by calling themselves hunter! As hunters we have to distance us from these killers.

Then let the antis attack the killers or whatever there want to call them, after all we are HUNTER’S, and got nothing to do with this disgusting bunch and would have our house in order?

I still believe ethical hunters and outfitters are out there in the majority lets start cleaning our house! Attack is the best form of defence!

I ask myself often is it worth the trouble then I look at my and other peoples kids, off course is worth it!

We hunters can not depend an organisation such as safari club or phasa to clean up the house. Yes their attempt it on occasions???? In the end only the client can clean it up by not giving their money to the scum.

To “our concession”:

Maybe I am splitting hairs but I would fell better as a client if I know exactly on which property I am hunting. I know you making it quit clear that you do not have a concession to your clients and this is the correct way. But believe me I got hold of a brochure distributed by an outfitter showing my camp on the front page as his camp never mind the people pretending to own my concession in their advertising?? Is just not funny. Any thing from silly to criminal I came across in this regard over the years.

To get to the bottom of who is holding the lease is easy in Mozambique use the phone numbers provided in my previous post! Subleasing is only legal if authorised by the minister in writing!

I know of a case where a RSA outfitter sold shares to clients in a concession in Mozambique which did not belonged to him. In fact he owned nothing in Mozambique. All this could have been avoided by a phone call. This is actually a very bad story because Mozambique offers very secure and affordable long-term investment opportunities in game farms and conservation areas if done in the correct and sensible way.

About myself:

Steve, I am since 1983 in Africa and since 1993 in Mozambique. I hunted for the last 40 years, reload for the last 30 years, fish even longer than both, had hunting dogs (GSP) all my life, got 2 great boys which hopefully will carry on one day soon, permanently under funded

, because you outfitter and agents take so much

, have to few guns

, love bird shooting, and since I got this dammed concession no time to hunt and fish anymore

!

Now I spend my time stepping on peoples toes (government, outfitters, professional hunters, conservation organisation, aid organisations NGO’s Bunny huggers, ……..) but I still can look at myself in the mirror without getting sick!
As you can read above I own a concession in Mozambique since 1994 in this days we could still pick the best ones, even so it is more like a very very expenses at time consuming hobby? to me than a business (it was not planed this way).

Any how I seen PH and outfitters come and go in Mozambique. Dealing with government departments and also fighting with them at times I am tolerated by some, respected by others and hated by the rest. Mozambique is as close as you get real Africa and I am privileged and happy to be here.

A man is as good as his word!