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I was hunting a safari concession area in Zimbabwe where game was scarce. I was after cape buffalo. For a break the PH suggested we go to a high fenced area (quite large, 10,000 acres I think) and shoot a zebra plus whatever else. I wanted a second zebra, as I had shot one earlier elsewhere but shot it through the neck (it was an unexplainable bad shot) and I wanted one for a shoulder mount.

We went there, I shot a zebra, and drove around, and then went to lunch at the lodge.

Another client, an elderly man, had raved about this area the evening before. How he had had the best day of his life hunting there. Shot this animal, then this one, that one, another one of this, finally that one, about five animals in a day. He was deliriously happy.

After our lunch I had decided I had enough of that fenced area, as the "wildlife" were tame, didn't run away, stood around looking. Even after I had shot the zebra, the others stopped to watch from 200 metres away.

Near the lodge was a big pile of empty hessian sacks that used to contain stock pellets.

The PH to his credit came to inform me he had learned the wildlife, due to a drought, were being fed from the back of bakkies ... so it was up to me, no judgements, whether we hunted there more in the afternoon. I decided to go back to the empty hills and look for that buffalo or whatever else turned up.

Yes shooting too much game probably means they aren't wild, or something else may be going on. For me personally I don't regard it as hunting.

Cull hunts can involve lots of shooting. Hundreds of donkeys, pigs, buffalo, camels, etc (ie in Australia). More mass shooting than hunting. Great practice and testing out of bullets and rifles though. It can get VERY boring VERY quickly, at least for me. As I prefer a challenge and fair chase. Cull hunts in Africa might be interesting, but similar to those in Aust.

I would LOVE and HATE to be able to be involved in an elephant herd cull eg possibly as a group shoot 15 to 40 elephant. I would love the experience, but probably not find it enjoyable. I think it would be disturbing to shoot the young baby and immature elephants as well as the ancient ones, the whole herd. But it would be an experience worth having. JMO.

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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"

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