Mark and Erik,
You are both on the money. There are such great things to do and to see that would make the hunt incredible.

And sometimes just staying in camp for a day and talking to people is so great. Last time in Africa I took a ball to camp and organized a soccer game. I will remember that as much as killing a big bull elephant and stalking a kudu with my bow.

Sometimes we could just try to hunt a little differently, without only the pressure to put an animal on the ground.

As an example, one of the times I was in Zimbabwe, there was a hunter in my camp who went to the hills in Chewore with a old hunter gatherer tribesman from the Vadoma people. That was certainly not one of the best areas of the concession, but they climbed those mountains and fly camped way up there, all with this man as guide showing them how to survive with just a knive, how to find water, etc, etc. He said it was an experience they will never forget.

Today people like Chuck Adams teach one to hunt his guts out always looking only for the best "trophy" producing area, like we were machinces trying to break records of efficiency.

What we need is to hunt slowly to travel slowly, to have time talk. Softly.

Dante