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I have been on enough failed hunts where we worked hard and still had no success that I don't hesitate when a freebie or easy one comes along.

My understanding is a lot of animals are shot from a vehicle and will admit to taking two this way. Some shooters shoot everything from a vehicle and I have heard one story where a "shooter" when walking a whole 100 metres gave up on a top buck and said lets find another.

BUT take this as an example. I hunted Zebra the first time. Most people would think Zebra should eb a breeze but they are very alert animals. We sighted herds with a shootable animal maybe nine times and had to track them from 2 kms to 9 kms each time to try to come up to them, before having to give up (Zebras are very alert if they know something is up) each time. Finally connected on one which stood long enough after moving 20 metres or so to get a clear shot off the track. My second trip I got a shot off at two without problems but both times again we were on foot.

My first safari we covered probably close to 100 kilometres on foot over seven days (the PHs new shoes were worn through

).

Game collecting? While I realise I could hunt more or longer if I only brought photos back I would be very disappointed to do this. I will start bringing back skull caps though where I have taken animals like that before eg impala.

It is very hard to hunt without a PH in Africa. Some places do allow hunt auctions but once you have outfitted yourself and considering probably a lower rate of success it probably costs the same.

Probably the typical hunt consists of - driving the tracks and sighting either game or tracks. If after leaving the vehicle a shot can not be made, then the trackers start tracking and it could go for hours, with occasional sightings and hopefully an opportunity to shoot a trophy. Other times you might go for a walk through likely country or just sit and watch some country.

To me hunting from hides is a legitmate method of hunting, and has been for thousands of years. Indeed before firearms I would guess it was even more common. Leopards are principally nocturnal and even more so on game farms where they are hard hunted. How else are you going to hunt one in a 15 day period, unless one has extreme luck?

The ultimate would be a day stalk on leopard and a Central African Lion tracking hunt. One day if the lotto comes in ...

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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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