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One PH in Zimbabwe made a big noise and show, saying "Whatever you want to eat, we can do it." I said I love guineafowl. - In fact the best roasts I have ever had were guineafowl.

He replied, "ah no, they are too tough."

Ha ha in Africa where guineafowl are a dozen under any bush. But I guess the wild ones can be any age, where a roast in a pub in England is probably from a farm.

Another time I made a special request. As I was hunting elephant, I wanted to eat elephant one night. Again "oh they are too tough." They did provide us with some savoury slivers of biltong at the bar one night.

In Africa nothing is wasted. The blacks will ask to eat a kudu cow found in a snare which was more than ripe. We had taken it back to camp as the PH wanted to hang it for leopard bait for the next client. But the trackers make a request to use it for their dinner. Tough stomachs!

In Australia we have had an abundance of feral game. Which are often and usually considered pests and damaging to the environment or to stock feed. So in the past, I was only thinking of these past days this week and wishing for them again, we used to shoot many dozens or even hundreds of goats or pigs in a trip. And leave all but s handfull to rot.

With water buffalo, again in the majority of cases a lot of meat is wasted. Tropical, hot and possibly humid conditions. The meat does not last long. It goes off very quickly. And to use a whole buffalo or several, refridgerated trucks are out of the question. Hundreds of kilometres away from a town. And possibly many kilometres away from a vehicle. If harvesting buffalo meat I like to NOT shoot an old bull, but a younger beast. And if planning to take a fair amount of the meat, ideally prefer to shoot the beast closer to the vehicle and preferably near a cooler or portable fridge.

The Aborigines in Australia have it easier than the blacks in Africa. They get welfare payments so can buy canned food etc. Meat is not a rarity. So none of the same eagerness to to descend on a buffalo carcase and strip it to the bone. On my first buffalo hunt we shot on purpose a younger animal in the cooler time of the day. Where we could get the vehicle close. Skinned it, and butchered it into four quarters. And then took the four quarters to the local Aboriginal township which had four families and each got a quarter. They took it but weren't overly excited to get it. The outfitter asked us to do this though, so it was done.

When hunting deer I always use the meat. Usually 100% of it. Always like to bring some young goat meat back. Pigs it will depend on their condition, healthiness and if they have any disease or not. Rabbits, the old bucks the dog gets. I reserve any well shot medium sized ones for my table. Hares the same, into the freezer for human use.

I remember being upset when I once wounded a hartebeest in Namibia. And though we looked for it, never found it. The trackers were a bit hopeless on that property. I was the one who found the specs of blood a couple hundred metres from where it was last seen, and that was about it. Looked more but never came across it again. The lady of the property, said though - "The jackals and hyaenas have to eat too." (and my wallet was thinner as well.)

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John aka NitroX

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Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"