7 Steps to Bowhunting Success Otto Bock`s

Transcription

7 Steps to Bowhunting Success
Bowhunt Africa better
Otto Bock’s Cartridge
Do you need more than the 9.3x62 in
Africa?
Buttonquail
Quail with Attitude
The Best All-round Large
Bore Rifle Cartridge
Sectional Density and Velocity
Kayak Fishing
What to look for when you buy your
first fishing kayak
The Ghosts of Marromeu
The unexplained in Northern Mozambique
Malaria
Killer of the African night
Hunting Under Water
Spearfishing the elusive white steenbras
Don Juan of Mozambique
Secrets of seduction in Africa
WIN
a luxury hunt 68
a dive with a Great White Shark 72
www.africanxmag.com
Editorial
The African Hunting Magazine is now the African Expedition Magazine.
In addition to hunting, we will now cover many more aspects of
adventure in Africa: scuba diving, fishing, overlanding, climbing and
many others. But mainly hunting - and whatever else is fun and
dangerous in Africa.
Here in Africa, if the game can pay the game can stay. Unlike many
of our friends in the USA and Europe, we Africans are concerned
with survival. There are a great many of us, and if the game holds
no benefit for us, we will eat them and that will be that.
It is ecotourism that pays for the survival of animals in our National
parks - but it is hunting that foots the bill on the outside. If a farmer
can not sell his Impala and Kudu, he will farm with goats.
That will be extremely bad news for our indigenous species. It will
stop the hunting (not the killing) of animals, but it will also drastically
reduce the gene pool in our great Africa and wildlife outside of our
national parks will disappear.
So, we remain unapologetically convinced that hunting drives
conservation in Africa. Many adventure/outdoors magazines do not
openly deny it, but most keep quiet - and it is about time that someone laid it on the line.
There are some hunters that are unthinking killers, and we do not
associate with them. Most hunters want their children’s children to
enjoy the wilds like they do, so they hunt wisely. Game farmers are
paid for their animals, so they farm wisely and allow hunting only
as long as the animal populations on their farms can continue and
numbers can grow.
That sounds like a winning recipe - and it is.
Anyway, those that are so maniacally set against hunting do not
bat an eyelid when eating a good steak - a steak that was part of
an ox a few days before. Here the same rules govern: the farmers
farm beef because it sells. If no one ate steak he would plant wheat
instead. Some vegetarians are paranoid about meat (because an
animal has been killed) but have no problem wearing leather shoes
and belts - and you know where leather comes from.
At least we hunters do not use hired assassins (abattoirs) to do our
killing for us: we are there when the animal dies - and we appreciate the meat all the more for it. We know it is the way of nature and
life: the one dies and nourishes the other.
That’s how it has been since Adam.
Anyway, if evolution is true, then how could we be blamed for surviving because we are fitter?
Mitch Mitchell
Post a comment on our weblog
at http://africanhunting.wordpress.com/
Publisher
Safari Media Africa
Financial
Thea Mitchell
Editors
Africa: Mitch Mitchell
[email protected]
USA: Alan Bunn
[email protected]
Layout & Design
Xtasis Media and Digital Wind
Contributors & Photographers
K. Botha, C. Cheney, A. Bunn, D. Edgcumbe,
G. Geer, Dr. K. Hugo (Medical), C. Hugo,
C. Mitchell, T. Mitchell, Dr. G. Swart (Medical)
Advertising and Marketing
South Africa: T. Mitchell
[email protected]
Phone +27 13-7125246 Fax 0866104466
USA: Alan Bunn [email protected]
(706) 2762608
African Expedition Magazine is an independent bimonthly publication promoting fair,
sustainable hunting, a protected environment,
adventure sports and practices.
The African Expedition Magazine is published
by
Safari Media Africa
Disclaimer
While all precautions have been taken to ensure
the accuracy of advice and information provided,
the Proprietor. Publisher, Editor or Writers cannot
accept responsibility for any damages, inconvenience or injury whatsoever that may result from
incorrect information. The views expressed in this
publication are not necessarily those of the publisher or its agents.
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and copyright purposes and material will be subject to African Expedition Magazine’s unrestricted
right to edit and editorial comment.
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the property of African Expedition and/or the various contributors. No part of this magazine may be
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Publisher.
September 2008 AFRICAN EXPEDITION MAGAZINE
|3
conten
3 Editorial
8 7 Steps
to Bowhunting
Success
18 Otto Bock’s Car-
26 Buttonquail
Quail with Attitude
33 The Best
All-round
Large Bore Rifle
tridge
Do you need more than
the 9.3x62 in Africa?
Cartidge
Sectional Density
and Velocity
39 Kayak
Fishing
What to look for when
you buy your first fishing
kayak
46 The Ghosts of Marromeu
The unexplained in
Northern Mozambique
4 | AFRICAN EXPEDITION MAGAZINE September 2008
nts
52
Malaria
58 Trophy Gallery
62 Hunting Under Water
Spearfishing the elusive
white steenbras
70 Don Juan of Mozambique
Secrets of seduction in
Africa
78 Hunter’s Pot
African Bush Cuisine
81 True North
The Darker Regions of
the Soul
|5
Drumbeat
Reader’s comments
I emigrated to the USA 2 years ago. When I heard about your magazine, I thought it would just be a little email newsletter. Wow, was I ever
wrong. Great magazine, keep it up!
K. Brown, Texas.
Thanks K, we get that a lot. -Ed.
Great hunting articles. Makes me want to start cleaning my rifle and buy
a plane ticket to Africa!
J. Green, Canada.
Well J, come on down! -Ed.
Thanks for thinking of us lady adventurers as well. Give us more articles
on adventure - and ones written by ladies, please.
S. Hanson, Sweden
We are onto it. -Ed.
Many of us have considered buying property in Africa. Some did it and
were very sorry afterwards. Why not do an article on the pros and cons and how to do it right?
M. Limsiki, USA.
Good idea. I’ll organise something. -Ed.
I must say, reading the magazine in the bathroom on my PDA works. I
just copied the .pdf to my Ipaq and voila! Mobile magazine. How about
more recipes?
K. Hugo, South Africa.
You again. How will you cook in the toilet? -Ed.
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J. Howe, Singapore.
Yes, you can - for now. We are building our subscriber base but soon we will
stop allowing downloads by non-subscribers. So forward away! -Ed.
Congratulations on the really exciting new concept for outdoor, hunting
and adventure enthusiasts! I loved the amazing photographs and the
variety of interesting personal encounters with nature of other lovers of
the outdoors. Having started I could not “put it down” (or should I rather
say “stop clicking pages”?) I can’t wait for the next issue, and hope to be
part of many more adventures of which I can otherwise but dream! I am
even warming towards the idea of hunting .. maybe one day.
Charlotte, South Africa
Thanks, Charlotte. We appreciate it. -Ed.
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|7
7 Steps
to Bowhunting
Success
Life is complex but can be broken down into
its more understandable component parts.
Hunting is a complex and bewildering subject but can also be better understood when
fundamental principles are identified.
Bowhunting, especially to the newcomer can be a
perplexing maze of unfamiliar terminology which can
leave the wide-eyed novice confused and not knowing where to begin. Taking things a step at a time will
help unravel some of the mysteries.
Cleve Cheney
quence.
Bow setup and tuning as well as correct arrow selection are critical to optimum bow performance and
accuracy.
If you don’t know how to set up and tune your equipment and to select the right arrows get someone with
the know how to teach you.
Seven steps to successful bowhunting are identified:
•
STEP 1: Know your equipment.
•
STEP 2: Know your quarry.
•
STEP 3: Know yourself.
•
STEP 4: Know how to get close.
•
STEP 5: Know when to shoot (and when not to).
•
STEP 6: Know where to shoot.
•
STEP 7: Know what to do after the shot.
This, in a nutshell will result in food on the table or a
trophy on the wall. Simple!
Well in reality, not so simple: because books can and
will be written on each one of these steps but if we
can identify the core issues contained within each
of these steps we will have traveled a long way on
the road of understanding necessary to arrive at an
intended destination.
STEP 1: Know your equipment
1
An understanding of animal behaviour and habits and how to
read its body language will be one of the links in the chain of
successful bowhunting
Before even considering hunting with bow and arrow you must become familiar with your equipment.
You should have the right equipment for the animals
you intend to hunt and hunt within the limitations of
that equipment. If the bowhunter remains within the
constraints of modern bow and arrow equipment they
make a very effective and lethal combination.
Conversely, by stretching the equipment’s capabilities the statistical probability of high wounding rates
becomes an unfortunate and unacceptable conseSeptember 2008 AFRICAN EXPEDITION MAGAZINE
|9
water dependent or independent of water?
You should carefully study its anatomy so that you
know the position of the heart and lungs from different perspectives and know what its tracks and scat
look like and other signs of its presence.
3
Developing tracking and stalking skills are a decided
advantage.
STEP 3: Know yourself
2
Practicing under ideal conditions can result in unrealistic expectations in one’s own ability.
STEP 2: Know your quarry
Many hunters go to great trouble to buy the best
of equipment, set it up correctly, tune equipment to
perfection and spend hours and hours practicing
until they can put six arrows through a keyhole at 30
meters - and forget one of the most important factors
on which a successful hunt hinges: knowing their
quarry!
This means that you should understand the behaviour of the animal you intend hunting, how to read its
body language, how it responds to perceived threat
or danger, what it is likely to do if wounded, what is
its flight distance, where it is most likely to be found,
what are its eating habits and daily movements, is it
As with your equipment so with yourself! Know your
ability - but more important know your limitations.
When do you know when you are ready to hunt
with a bow and arrow? Good question, because if
you have hunted with a firearm for many years it
does not by default qualify you to hunt with archery
equipment. Shooting a bow and a rifle have a few
similarities but many more differences. It is the
responsibility of an ethical sportsman to get to know
his equipment intimately and to use it well, before
taking on the challenge of hunting - especially with a
weapon that is new and unfamiliar.
Becoming proficient with archery equipment and the
techniques used in bowhunting takes time. More time
than it takes with a firearm - simply because the bow
and arrow is generally a short range, low velocity
weapon when compared to a modern firearm.
Many novice bowhunters practice under ideal conditions – level area, known distance, stationary target,
no wind and no adrenalin – and determine for themselves a range at which they can consistently place
eight out of ten arrows in a 20cm “kill zone” and then
think that this is the distance at which they can successfully engage a wild animal under field conditions.
This is an incorrect approach.
When stalking choose an appropriate background. On the left the bowhunter has excellent concealment and is “lost” in the background. On the right, despite wearing good camouflage the bowhunter is starkly silhouetted because of an unsuitable background.
| 11
As most hunters are aware, hunting conditions are
often far from ideal. There is the heat (or cold),
crosswinds, up or downhill shots, targets that don’t
want to stand still, sweat in your eyes, a galloping heart rate and adrenaline surging through your
veins.
So the distance at which you could consistently
group your arrows shrinks dramatically in reality and
it is this distance – your optimum range – which you
must determine and which must establish the range
at which you are prepared, with a high probability of
success and a low probability of wounding, to risk
taking a shot at a live animal.
Most individuals overestimate their ability with the
bow and arrow. We are capable of success when we
shoot within our limitations but can easily miss when
we attempt shots beyond our level of proficiency.
Knowing when and when not to shoot is critical to success.
In these examples neither shot is on because of obstructions
in front of the vitals (top) and because of the risk of a passthrough (bottom)
Research in the USA where there are around two
million bowhunters shows that the range at which
beginners can shoot with reasonable accuracy under hunting conditions is 8 yards, “average” skilled
bowhunters 18 yards and “above average” bowhunters 21 yards. This puts things into a more realistic
perspective.
STEP 4: Know how to get close
4
You should know how to get within optimum bow
range without initiating a flight response.
There are significant differences in hunting with bow
and arrow as compared to hunting with a firearm.
The most significant is that a bow is a short range
weapon.
When one compares the ballistics of an arrow to that
of a bullet there are some glaring differences.
Bullets travel at much higher velocity, have a much
flatter trajectory and have much more kinetic energy.
The implication of this is that the bowhunter must get
much closer to his quarry than would be necessary
with a firearm.
What factors are involved here?
Wind
Firstly the bowhunter must be aware of how he will
be detected by an animal he is attempting to stalk.
The first issue is scent. Animals rely heavily on monitoring their environment by smell.
The bottom line is stay downwind of your quarry (or
crosswind). When you are upwind your scent will
waft towards your intended target which will put dis12 | AFRICAN EXPEDITION MAGAZINE September 2008
tance between you and itself in a big hurry.
Sound
Sound is a big giveaway. Walk as silently as possible
and avoid talking.
Movement
Some animals have relatively poor eyesight and
some have good vision so things which will make
you readily visible should be given attention – movement, shape, silhouette, surface and shine.
Wearing appropriate camouflage will make you more
difficult to see by dulling shine, breaking outline and
making your shape less detectable.
When stalking up to game try and picture yourself
from the animal’s position and choose an appropriate background which will help you to merge into the
background and avoid being silhouetted.
Excessive movement is of course a big no- no! Move
as little as possible, spend a lot of time in deep
shadow where movement is less obvious and when
●● Don’t shoot in poor light.
●● Don’t shoot at moving animals.
Bowhunters are limited to
shots at the heart lung area
from a side on or quartering
away presentation
●● Don’t shoot when other animals are standing
in front of or behind the animal you are shooting
at
●● Don’t shoot at tense or alert animals.
When to shoot
●● The animal is looking away from you
●● The shooting lane is clear of obstructions
●● The animal is within your optimum range
(preferably 20m or less)
●● The animal is relaxed
●● The animal is standing still
●● Light must be adequate – there should be
enough light for a follow up to search for an animal that has run off or is wounded
6
●● You must be sure of being able to place an
arrow in the vital zone
STEP 6: Know where to shoot
Where should you aim to hit? The fact that arrows
have low kinetic energy when compared to bullets
begs another question which is how do arrows kill?
you have to move do so slowly.
STEP 5: Know when to shoot
(and when not to)
5
During realistic practice sessions we can determine
our optimum range. As far as range goes we can
now make an informed decision whether to shoot or
not. There are however other criteria which must be
taken into consideration which will help us make the
final decision whether or not to shoot.
When NOT to shoot
●● Don’t shoot if the animal is looking at you.
●● Don’t shoot if there are obstructions in between you and the animal and you cannot see
the vitals.
●● Don’t attempt a shot if the animal is more
than 25m away.
●● Don’t shoot at an animal with young at foot.
This is a bit of a trick question because arrows can
kill in a number of ways but there is only one way
which bowhunters should attempt to bring about the
relatively quick demise of their quarry and that is
through rapid and massive blood loss.
A razor-sharp broadhead is of course necessary for
this to happen. Arrows can cause the death of an
animal by infection. It is slow and involves a lot of
suffering. This usually happens if arrows end up in
the abdominal cavity of the quarry and is something
all ethical bowhunters try and avoid as far as possible.
Arrows can also kill very quickly and effectively by
disrupting the central nervous system. This means a
brain or spinal (neck) shot. However if a bowhunter
hits the spine (neck) or brain it is (should be) by mistake and not by design!
Bowhunters are limited as to the target of choice.
Whereas firearm hunters generally have the option of
a brain, spine or heart lung shot bowhunters are restricted to aiming for the heart lung area from a side
on or quartering away presentation.
Shots with bow and arrow should not be purposefully
aimed for brain or neck shots. The reason for this is
| 13
1. As you release your arrow try and register
where it hits. The watermelon “plunk” of an arrow
hitting the rib cage or the “crack” of a broadhead
smacking bone are unmistakable. Arrows hitting
rocks, branches or ground make entirely different
sounds. Follow the flight of your fletchings as they
will often indicate where the shot has gone.
2. As your shot lands make a mental note of
exactly where the animal was standing when you
released. Don’t be vague - it must be an exact
spot. Pick an object like a rock or a tuft of grass
- something that you can locate after the animal
has run off so that you know where the animal
was standing. It is here that you must look for the
first signs
Follow up skills will help to bring the
hunt to a successful conclusion.
that one chooses the target with the biggest margin
of error to allow for the slower arrow speed (some
species respond to the sound of the bowstring being
released by “string jumping”) and the more pronounced trajectory. The brain and spine (neck) are
relatively small targets compared to the heart lung
area and continually moving, both of which make
shooting at these areas with a bow and arrow high
risk shots which should not be attempted. No frontal,
quartering towards or rear end shots should be attempted.
7
STEP 7: Know what to do after the shot
The first few seconds after the shot are usually a
jumble of events. You have a fleeting impression
of your arrow flying towards your target, the animal
exploding away, and running out of sight (unless the
brain or spine has been hit). Did you miss?
Was it a good shot or was the animal just running
away at the sound of your bow or your arrow landing
somewhere near it? Getting an arrow into a vital area
is only part of a successful hunt, for after hitting the
target the bowhunter faces a considerably more difficult task - that of tracking and recovering the animal.
The main thing to do is to have a strategy worked out
before you need to use it and the following guidelines
will facilitate the task.
3. As the animal runs off watch it for as long as
you can so that you have a mental note of the last
place you caught a glimpse of it. Also listen - carefully - the sound of running may be heard long
after you have lost visual sighting and this may
also aid you in recovering your quarry.
4. Take careful note of the animal’s reaction as
the arrow impacts and it runs off:
●● A spinal or brain shot will drop the animal in
its tracks.
●● Missed shots will cause the animal to run off
at the sound of the string and the arrow landing close by. After initial fright some animals
like zebra for example, will sometimes return or
stop and try to locate what gave them a fright
and might, if you are lucky, present you with a
chance for a second shot.
●● An animal hit with a good chest shot will race
away at great speed after jumping or bounding high in the air as it takes off and then set off
running low to the ground with tail clamped down
hard against the rump and corkscrewing. Sometimes they will run into obstacles
●● If it runs off with back arched high the chances are it is gut shot and you are going to have a
long, hard trailing job to locate it.
●● A lightly wounded animal will probably have
the tail held high or in the normal down position
as it leaves the scene in a more upright run than
for a heart / lung shot animal, leaping high over
obstacles as it runs off.
●● Does the animal stagger or run off trailing a
leg? If so you may have hit it in the rump, low
down on the shoulder or legs.
Once again it must be stressed that shot placement is critical.
| 15
Be prepared to pass up shots you are not sure
of.
5. The next thing to do is ………. wait for at
least 30 minutes before you move to the spot
where the animal was standing before you shot it.
This wait is very important. Some animals will
run off for a short way before they stop and rest or
look for cover. If you approach too soon they will
run off a long way and make recovery extremely
difficult.
6. There are a few exceptions to this general
rule:
●● If you have actually seen the animal go down
and expire.
●● It begins to or was raining at the time of the
shot. All spoor and sign will be obliterated if
there is moderate to heavy precipitation.
●● If an animal is shot just before dark. Consider
postponing follow up until first light. If you decide
to follow up in the dark make sure you are not
contravening any hunting laws.
7. Now assuming the animal has run out of
sight, smell and sound, you can recover your
arrow (if it is not in the animal) and examine it to
give an indication of the type of wound that has
been inflicted.
8. Mark the place where the animal was standing when hit and begin the follow up.
9. As you follow sign, mark the trail with some
easily seen biodegradable material like toilet paper. This will enable you to backtrack should you
lose the spoor or become lost.
Looking back it will also give you an indication
of the flight path direction. This step might not
be necessary if you are accompanied by a local
guide.
10. As an ethical bowhunter you have an obligation to find the animal you have shot. Be patient,
walk silently and keep your bow and arrow handy
should the animal need to be dispatched with a
second arrow.
11. It is likely that the animal will move to thick
cover or water.
12. Remember that a fatally wounded animal can
bleed internally and leave a poor blood trail.
13. If the blood spoor dries up you must search
the area in ever expanding circles as you cast
about for additional clues.
14. Be careful! - a wounded animal can be dangerous. Whether it is a warthog or a lion, when
following spoor don’t become so involved that you
forget to keep an eye open for the animal itself (or
other potentially dangerous ones).
15. Remember: don’t just look on the ground for
sign. Often an animal will leave telltale splotches
of blood on bushes and limbs quite high up as
they brush past. Sometimes a wounded animal
will stumble or bump into a tree.
16. If signs disappear - DON”T GIVE UP! Start
searching likely spots in the area where a wounded animal might go. How will you do this?
By remembering two things: generally a wounded
animal will:
●● Follow the line of least topographical resistance as it flees, especially if it is hard hit - staying either on level ground or running downhill
(Very rarely up a steep incline).
●● Might move to water.
Follow all seven steps and the chances are pretty
good that you will keep the freezer full and the taxidermist busy.
Cleve Cheney holds a
bachelor of science degree in zoology and a
master’s degree in animal physiology. He is a
wilderness trail leader,
rated field guide instructor and the author
of many leading articles on the subjects
of tracking, guiding, bowhunting and survival. Cleve has unrivalled experience in
wildlife management, game capture and
hunting, both with bow and rifle.
| 17
Otto Bock’s
Cartridge
Koos Barnard
Do you need more
than the 9.3x62 in Africa?
The great 9.3x62 Mauser is recognised in
Europe and Africa as one of the best big
game calibres ever, yet it is virtually unknown in some hunting circles in the United
States.
When it was introduced in the early 1900s, America
already had the .405 Winchester which was similar
in power to the 9.3 and America’s love affair with
the lever-action probably blinded people to the
merits of this European cartridge. The 9.3x62 has
earned lasting fame in the Dark Continent as an allrounder and once was the workhorse and darling
of many British and European farmers in Africa.
However, like some other very good cartridges of
the day, the 9.3x62 almost faded into obscurity after
World War II.
Designed by Otto Bock and introduced in 1905, the
9.3x62 was exactly what many farmers had been
praying for. Africa was a hunter’s paradise but a
farmer’s nightmare. Plantations and crops were
continually destroyed by herbivores while the many
carnivores, especially lion and leopard, tried their
best to deplete domestic livestock.
Life in Africa was hard, money tight and luxuries
few and far between. Most hunters thus could only
afford one or maybe two rifles. For general hunting
they wanted an affordable rifle in a powerful enough
calibre to not only take care of large antelope, lion
and leopard but also buffalo and elephant. Bock’s
cartridge was available in the high-quality yet affordable bolt-action Mauser which, due to Germany’s involvement in Africa, was readily available all
over the continent.
Because of the bushveld terrain which dominates
large expanses of land in Africa, lightweight, handy
rifles with enough short-range killing power and
the ability to take the odd moderately long-range
shot at plains game, were preferred. Although the
slightly more powerful .375H&H - introduced in
1912 - was also available, most Europeans farming in Africa chose Mausers in 9.3 because the
.375H&H was a proprietary cartridge in those days
and British rifles more expensive than the highquality Mausers.
Also, the .375 H&H’s reputation was marred by
| 19
bullet failure because the softnose bullets of the day
were not strong enough for the .375’s high velocity,
especially at short, bushveld ranges.
World War II, however, almost abruptly ended the
golden era of the 9.3x62. The destruction of the
Mauser factory at Oberndorf cut off the main supply
of Mauser rifles while post-war political changes and
restrictions did the same for other arms factories
all over Europe. Ammunition manufacturing was
stopped in Germany and even Kynoch in the UK
started dropping the production of many “African”
calibres until they eventually ceased all production
in the 1960s. British rifles, especially custom rifles,
were still very expensive so African hunters and
farmers turned to America for affordable rifles chambered for so-called all-round cartridges.
Africa now also became the domain of the American
hunter and as a result American cartridges flourished in the Dark Continent. Winchester brought out
their Model 70, a rifle based on the Mauser design,
and being unfamiliar with European metric cartridges, Americans opted for this high-quality and also
affordable rifle chambered in .375H&H.
The Holland & Holland cartridge thus replaced the
9.3 as Africa’s all-purpose cartridge. The 9.3 was
dealt another blow when many African countries
introduced minimum-calibre legislation for dangerous game. Although the 9.3 served with distinction,
a minimum bullet diameter of .375” was set and this
unfortunate legislation relegated this great cartridge
to the rank of a non-dangerous game cartridge.
Make no mistake, the 9.3x62 is not the ideal elephant charge stopper but with the right bullets it
is any day as effective as the .375H&H on pachyderms.
Some African countries (Zimbabwe is one) do allow
the use of 9.3s on dangerous game these days.
The 9.3 is also legal for buffalo in some of South
Africa’s provinces but not in KwaZulu-Natal where
I live. In Namibia it is legal for all plains game up
to and including eland, as well as leopard and lion
but not buffalo, elephant, hippo, rhino or giraffe for
which the minimum energy required at the muzzle is
3983ft/lbs. A 286gr bullet leaving a 9.3’s muzzle at
2360fps produces 3540ft/lbs.
When 9.3 ammunition became scares many hunters had their rifles rebarrelled but faithful fans kept
the cartridge alive because they realised that Otto
Bock’s mild medium bore was all they needed for
the African bush where shooting distances seldom
exceed 150 to 200 yards. Another factor that African
Although the terrain comprise of open savannah and semidesert, rocky hills like this one often allows the hunter to
stalk closer than 250m. At all ranges up to 250m the 9.3x62
is deadly on Africa’s non-dangerous game.
hunters like, is the
minimal amount of
meat damage this
cartridge causes.
Meat damage might
not be a factor for
trophy hunters but
to meat hunters it is
very important.
Left to right: 9.3x62 soft, 9.3 solid, .375H&H, .416 Rigby.
Although slightly less powerful than the other two, the
9.3 packs enough punch to qualify as a general purpose
cartridge for African game.
The 9.3x62 launches a 286gr bullet at
2360fps and zeroed
to print three inches
high at 100 yards
it is dead on at
200 and six inches
low at 250 yards.
Many Americans
are obsessed with
high velocity and
long range shooting but believe me,
there is no need for
magnums and true
long range shooting in Africa. Yes,
you do get the odd long shot but even that should
not be a problem because most hunters (and Professional hunters/guides) nowadays own rangefinders
and once you know the distance to an animal, and of
course the trajectory of your bullet/load combination,
placing a bullet where it matters at 300 yards is not
difficult.
Those who want to flatten the 9.3’s trajectory can
switch to the various 250gr bullets. Nosler’s excellent
core-bonded Accubond comes to mind. Launched at
2550fps and zeroed at 200 yards it drops less than
four inches at 250 and less than 10 inches at 300
yards. For any plains game, even Cape eland this
bullet will do the job with accurate shot placement.
There is a myth that African plains game animals are
much tougher than American game, but that is nonsense. Yes, we have our tough customers such as
buffalo, blue wildebeest, warthog and gemsbuck, but
no animal with a hole through its heart or lungs will
ever get away. Hell, my favourite kudu, gemsbuck
and blue wildebeest rifle/calibre combination is a
Remington in .30-06 stoked with 150gr Nosler Accubonds or 130gr GS Custom bullets (a South African
manufactured monometal expanding bullet).
Faithful fans would not allow the 9.3x62 to die and
it has been making a strong comeback in recent
years. Today Norma, Sako, Highland, RWS and PMP
all produce factory ammunition while many more
companies, including some from America, market
9.3 bullets as components, both in conventional and
premium grade designs. Barnes and Woodleigh
from Australia for instance, are known for the excellent solids they produce. IMR4046 and IMR4320
seem to be the most suitable American powders for
the 9.3x62. With these it is possible to load 250gr
bullets to almost 2600fps while 2400fps is possible
with 286 grainers. Speer markets a 270gr bullet and
Woodleigh produces a 320 grainer.
Points in favour of the 9.3 are its manageable recoil,
the fact that it fits in standard-length actions and
that it is easy to form 9.3 cases from .30-06 brass.
(Prime .30-06 cases, load them with 9gr Unique followed by an over powder wad of cotton wool or toilet
paper and uncooked rice - filled to the shoulder - and
another wad. Fire this “blank” off in a safe direction in
your 9.3 and voila, you have a 9.3 case).
Although the 9.3 x62 is a so-called mild medium
bore, it is deadly on game. The lower impact velocities of the bullets ensure that they hold together
and penetrate deeply. A friend, Nigel Woodroffe, is
an avid 9.3x62 fan and he uses his rifle exclusively
with open sights to hunt all sorts of bushveld game
in South Africa. He has shot a very large number
of blue wildebeest, many with solids, and has also
| 21
The terrain in Namibia is varied. In some parts shooting distances can be
short while fairly long shots (up to 250m) are common in other parts.
The 9.3x62 fits into standard-length
actions and can therefore short, lightweight rifles can be built around this
efficient cartridge.
dropped buffalo and elephant with this rifle in Zimbabwe. Whenever we go to the range together I am
always offered a few shots with his 9.3 and I find this
mild-mannered cartridge very easy to shoot accurately from the offhand position.
By the way, talking about shooting. Americans should
practice shooting off the so-called “African” shooting
sticks from the standing position as this is the position most often used in bushveld conditions. Long
grass and other vegetation make it almost impossible
to shoot from the sitting or prone position and despite
the many trees there never seem to be a handy tree
stump or branch close enough whenever an animal
presents a clear shot. The shooting sticks I refer to
is actually a bi- or tripod with legs long enough to accommodate an adult when standing upright. I prefer
a tripod because it is much steadier than any bipod
will ever be. Several companies in America market
these, (usually made of aluminum), but in Africa
many hunting guides use home-made sticks of bamboo or long wooden dowels.
Nowadays many Americans hunt in Namibia, my
country of birth, which as you probably know, was
a former German colony. Here the 9.3 also enjoyed
great popularity. Overseas hunters favour Namibia
because it is in some ways more user-friendly than
South Africa. Importing your hunting rifle is easier
than doing so into South Africa and this sparsely
populated country still has that real “wilderness”
ambiance while the hospitality of the people is simply
out of this world. Certain hunting areas in South
Africa are very commercialised and you often hunt
within sight of towns, airports and busy national
roads. Namibia is safe, affordable, has an excellent
road network and a wide variety of species.
In the south the semi-desert topography consists of
rolling plains interspersed with rocky hills or koppies,
mountain ranges and, in places, fairly deep canyons.
Although it is open and very rugged country, the
clever use of the rocky terrain will enable an experienced hunter to stalk close enough to get within 200
yards of his quarry.
| 23
This kudu bull was taken in southern Namibia. The
9.3x62 is ideal for Africa’s large antelope species.
Central and northern Namibia is savannah and
bushveld country where it is normally not necessary
to take shots in excess of 200 yards, unless you are
one of those lazy hunters who shy away from proper
walk-and-stalk hunting.
Most hunting in Namibia is done on private land or
ranches which we prefer to call “farms”. But do not
be misled by the term “farm”. Properties are huge
and the size of the average farm is around 12 000
acres. Many properties are of cause much larger due
to the amalgamation of various farms.
On many all the inner fences have been removed
and you can travel many, many miles in all four wind
directions without seeing a single fence. The latest
statistics show that less than 40% of the country’s
hunting grounds are fenced.
For the average plains game safari you really don’t
need anything more than Otto Bock’s mild 9.3. It is
plenty of gun for all antelope up to and including the
regal kudu, as well as gemsbuck and eland. In the
Namib desert shooting distances sometimes stretch
beyond 300 yards and many would prefer magnums
for such shots. However, when you book, enquire
about the terrain in which you will be hunting and if it
is open savannah or woodland and dense bushveld,
the 9.3x62 will not let you down if you do your bit.
This grand old cartridge is quite popular in southern
Africa and with good reason. It has flattened game
with monotonous regularity for 103 years and will
probably do so as long as we have hunting on the
Dark Continent.
Koos Barnard is
an ex-professional
hunter and a full
time gun writer,
having published
hundreds of
articles. He was
born in Namibia
and has been a
keen hunter since
his youth.
My friend Nigel Woodroffe’s 9.3 on a Mauser
action. He has shot everything from steenbuck
to buffalo (the latter in Zimbabwe) and uses
this rifle exclusively with open sights
| 25
Buttonquail
Quail with Attitude
Galen Geer
I’ve shot a lot of American quail. Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Colorado, North Carolina, and
Florida are just a few states where I’ve hunted
quail.
My hunting has been for a mixture of wild birds that
flushed in coveys, or sometimes just singles and
pairs. I’ve hunted pen-raised birds that had been
stocked in the fields the day before a hunt. They
held so well before flushing I had to boot them from
the bush they were hiding under.
With all that experience I thought of myself as a fair
quail shot and I could hold my own at The GunShop
among the Middle Arkansas River Rottweiler Retriever and Boilermaker Drinkers Social Club members.
Then I met the African buttonquail.
It must be one of the world’s smallest game birds; although Fred Clancey, author of Gamebirds of Southern Africa, calls the buttonquail a semi-gamebird and
today it is only hunted on special permits from the
appropriate African wildlife conservation office. The
rewards of the experience of hunting these birds is
worth the extra effort of getting the permits effort because ounce for ounce, I believe the buttonquail it’s
one of the most exciting birds I’ve ever hunted.
Chris Steyn introduced me to the buttonquail on
our second bird hunt. We had spent the day mixing the hunting of both birds and big game. I’d killed
a trophy warthog earlier and about mid afternoon
Chris collected me from the lodge and we went off in
search of francolins. I’d shot two birds and we were
on the way back to the ranch when we drove past a
field where Rocco Gioia’s father had planted mango
trees.
“There’s buttonquail in there,” Chris said.
“Let’s hunt them.” I said.
He sighed that peculiar sigh of his which I’ve come
to understand is his way of expressing something
akin to, “Thank God, he took the hint”. We drove to
one edge of the field and got out of the truck. I was
carrying Chris’ Spanish double and before we started
walking the field, I loaded the shotgun with Federal
field loads of 7 1/2 shot.
“Be quick,” Chris said. “They’ll come up right at your
feet, and then be gone. You’ve got to shoot quick.”
Another magnificent understatement by Chris. Before I discovered how much of an understatement,
we had marched the entire length of the field and
were walking back toward the truck when a small
bird kicked on its afterburners and climbed out of
the shin-deep grass. The bird flushed straight up,
climbed to an altitude of two feet above the grass,
rotated its wings and flew straight away in a blur. I
got the gun up and pointed toward the bird when it
suddenly turned its wings, stopping its forward flight
and dropped into the grass. I didn’t even shoot. I
wasn’t sure I’d seen it.
“I told you to be quick,” Chris said.
“’Quick’ isn’t fast enough,” I muttered.
My first African buttonquail beat me. I shot at the
next one, and another. I missed them both. I was
then sufficiently humbled. Chris must have felt it
prudent to return to the lodge.
Quasi-Quail?
After my first humiliating attempt at hunting African
buttonquail, I decided I’d better know a bit more
about the birds. I asked Rocco if I could rummage
through his extensive library to learn something
about the birds. Rocco is one of those professional
hunters who is always pleased when his clients show
a little more interest in the game other than just killing it. He led me through his spacious home to the
library.
“You should be able to find what you need here,”
Rocco said. He left me alone to learn about African
game birds. After spending hours in the library, I was
able to combine my limited hunting experience and
newly absorbed reading material with the information I’d gleaned from Rocco’s and Chris’ discussions
around the lodge braai. I was learning about the
birds and fortunately, I had two excellent teachers.
The 19th Century outdoor writer Henry Herbert believed that a good hunter should understand both the
quarry and the means needed to get the game, so,
to me, the time spent reading about hunting African
game birds was time well spent.
I was surprised to learn there are three true quail
species in southern Africa, in addition to the buttonquail which are of a different family. All of these
birds have similar profiles but quail are from the order Galliformes and of the Phasianidae family. This
includes the francolins whereas the Numididae family
includes guinea fowl. A common trait of these bird
families is that they are similar to domesticated fowl
in appearance and are strong runners.
Sizes range from only a few ounces to two or three
pounds (for the guinea fowl). They are all fullbodied, with strong wings and all are considered
game birds. My nemesis, the buttonquail, is from the
| 27
order Gruiformes which includes cranes, coots, rails,
moorhens, and bustards. I found this initially confusing because the buttonquail prefer the grassy fields
rather than the shoreline habitat where its cousins
live. My frustration was building as I tried to gain
some understanding of the birds, but Rocco patiently
reminded me that no one ever said learning about
the birds would be easy. I secretly suspected he was
well aware of the habits of the various species.
I already knew the buttonquail to be small birds.
In the skillet, they amount to as much meat as a
sparrow so they’re seldom hunted to make a meal.
However, I did manage to find a single reference by
one 18th Century turn-of-the-century writer who shot
enough of them for the pot. I suspect though, that a
person planning a meal of these birds would probably get mighty hungry before having shot enough
for even a toy skillet.
Hunting Buttonquail is frustrating. They hold very,
very tight, waiting until the hunter is nearly on top of
them before flushing. Every time I’ve hunted these
birds, they’ve blasted from the grass seconds before
I would have crushed then with my boot. I’m sure a
competent bird dog would make hunting them less
difficult, but on the occasions when I’d hunted them
at Casketts Ranch there wasn’t a bird dog available.
There is also another rather important consideration-snakes.
In Africa I’ve always made it a point to walk creating
a lot of noise in the thick grass giving any resident
snakes ample opportunity to find new quarters. A
working dog wouldn’t be so considerate. Given conversations I’ve had with South African hunters who
own working bird dogs the presence of venomous
snakes is given considerable thought before sending
any dogs into the field.
Being limited to hunting buttonquail without a dog
may have kept Chris and me from kicking up more
birds than we did. As I’ve pointed out, buttonquail
hold tight, but they will flush when the hunter is right
up on them.
Of all the birds I’ve ever hunted, however, the flush
of these diminutive speedsters is the most distinctive
and consistent of any game bird. The buttonquail
launch themselves straight up out of the grass under
the feet of the hunter—which is also a favored haunt
of any one of southern Africa’s venomous snakes.
The sudden and always surprising flush will take a
few minutes off of your life. With each flush the time
I recovered my wits and realized I’m not about to be
nailed by a mamba the bird is dropping back into the
grass.
The direction they take away from the hunter, however, is pot luck. Some birds will fly in the same
direction the hunter is walking, or very nearly so, thus
giving him some sort of a reasonable shot. Also,
most game birds I’ve hunted try to gain a little altitude to feel secure and the hunter can see the bird
above the horizon. Not the buttonquail. Every bird
I kicked up exhibited the same flush. They rise from
the grass until they’ve got at least two—but never
more than five feet—clearance over the cover. They
then accelerate straight away on any point on the
compass, regardless of what direction the hunter
was moving. I’ve shot at them in front of me, behind
me, and to each side.
After the buttonquail have flushed, the game is generally up, or at least becomes more challenging! The
birds will fly thirty to sixty yards and plummet to the
ground. With a good tail wind they may fly as far as
eighty yards before rotating their wings and stopping
their forward flight. My luck has been the thirty yard
flights. I tend to shoot holes in the air where the bird
should have been. By the time I squeeze the trigger,
the bird has dropped from the air and straight into the
grass.
Of course the buttonquail hasn’t finished taunting
the hunter. The minuscule tormentor has now set
the stage for part two of the hunt. After their erratic
descent into the veldt, the buttonquail run for several
yards and hide! Without a dog to dig them out of
the grass the birds are gone. Only once have I ever
seen a buttonquail fly into a particular stand of grass
that I could identify as the exact spot where the bird
landed. I was actually able to walk to that spot and
flush the bird a second time. Of course, I missed it
then, too, but that isn’t the point—I have shot at the
same bird—twice!
On our African bird hunt Doc Greenlee was anxious
to have his own go at buttonquail and before leaving the states we spent several days in the mountains practicing shooting at our improvised version
of buttonquail. We set up our Trius traps with the
throwing arm parallel to the ground. Our thrower,
usually another member of our Rottweiler Retriever
Club, would throw the clay birds for us, as low to the
ground as possible. Both of us got fairly good at hitting clay birds. The first day out for buttonquail Doc
managed to drop two of the speedsters.
The small size of buttonquail is intriguing. The length
of the bird is not much more than a shotgun shell
although they are listed as having a length of 5 1/2
| 29
inches to 6 1/2 inches in official bird books. The
official measurement is taken with the bird stretched
out and is from bill tip to tail tip.
Their weight is even more surprising. The average
adult is less than two ounces but what they lack in
size they make up for in challenge. I have noticed
that when the birds first flush, they often have their
legs dangling so they resemble a stunted Wilson’s
snipe, but their flight is much more direct—nothing
like the darting motion of the snipe.
Buttonquail, the experts maintain, seem to breed
throughout the year, but October to March is the
peak breeding season so there is little risk of
shooting a brooding pair during the safari
season. Each pair produces a clutch of
two to four eggs and the next generation can fly within ten days.
There are actually two species of buttonquail, the
kurrichane, and the
blackrumped buttonquail. The
kurrichane
is found
throughout
most of Southern Africa except the southwestern
region. The blackrumped buttonquail is similar in
size and has many of the same markings. Its distinguishing feature is its black rump clearly visible as
it disappears in flight. The blackrumped buttonquail
is found only in the more easterly region of southern
Africa, including Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and along
the eastern rim of South Africa south to the Cape.
On my first buttonquail hunt I used Chris’ Spanish
double. I was shooting Federal Field loads in 7 1/2
shot. Of course, I was thinking “typical quail.” On
my second hunt I carried my own Remington Wingmaster 28 gauge, also loaded it with 7 1/2 shot.
When Doc and I hunted I carried my Remington
Premier over/under 12 gauge.
Doc Greenlee was carrying a Browning Citori 12
gauge and he was shooting 8 shot. After he’d killed
two quail he told me his theory for successfully hunting the tiny quail—”Be quick.”—exactly what Chris
had told me.
To heed their advice the next time I hunt Africa’s
speedster quail I’ll carry my shotgun in a ready
position more suited to the trap range than a field of
grass. Maybe the split second I save will be enough
to let me put a couple of buttonquail mounts on my
bookshelf.
Galen L. Geer is
a former United
States Marine
Drill Instructor and
Vietnam veteran.
A professional
outdoor hunting,
shooting and gun
writer, he has
published 2000 magazine articles. He
has been a contributing editor to Soldier
of Fortune magazine for thirty years and
is the author of seven books.
| 31
Steven Bowers
The Best
All-round
Large Bore
Rifle
Cartridge
Sectional Density and Velocity
What is the best all around rifle cartridge for a large
bore rifle? Also, what is the best test to determine
that top candidate? I would like to expand on a
statement by Finn Aagaard (Safari Rifles, Craig
Boddington – Pg 378), where he says, “I have never
been able to detect any difference in the field on
game, between the .458 and .500/.450, .465, .470,
or even the .500 Nitro Express.”
OK, maybe just another man’s opinion, but it is a
concept I combined with another author’s remarks
declaring that a bullet with the sectional density of
.300 and a starting velocity near 2000 fps or better, is needed to take down an elephant (Richard
Harland, NDLOVO The Art of Hunting the African
Elephant, page 380). So, I came up with the following theory.
Sectional Density times Velocity, for solid rounds,
appears to be the universal equation that levels the
playing field and removes all the voodoo, folklore,
and literary romance from the discussion. This value
| 33
to me is the clearest penetration calculation check of
a caliber encompassing mass, cross sectional area,
and velocity.
reading found no abusive language and this caliber
found in the same sentence; it is a saint.
The Section Density times Velocity target value is
682.
This value stops short of John Taylor’s theory in creating a KO factor.
Dia
Wt
Vel.
0.51
0.458
0.338
275
0.375
300
0.416
500
0.458
0.475
0.51
0.51
525
500
275
2550
300
2650
400
2150
500
500
600
525
2400
2000
2375
0.344
2300
0.305
2400
0.341
2300
2150
2125
2300
0.288
0.341
Sec
Dens.
0.348
877
0.305
808
0.33
733
0.341
0.317
0.33
0.288
691
682
0.458
500
1950
0.341
665
Gun
338-06
338 Win Mag
375 Flan
375 H&H Mag
416 Rigby
458 Win Mag
458 Lott
470 Nitro
500 Nitro
505 Gibbs
500 Jeffrey
458 WM Reduced Velocity of
2000fps
458 WM Reduced Velocity of
1950fps
0.338
0.375
0.458
Taylor’s factor is Bullet Mass in grains, Velocity in
feet per second and Bullet Diameter in inches multiplied together then divided by 7000. A 30-06 has
numbers near 21, 375 H&H around 41, 416 Rigby at
57 and a 458 Win Mag comes in at 70.
These values are of a general nature (bullet weights
and velocity) to indicate the step increase in the cartridge’s power levels, and show the brilliance of John
Taylor in his time.
His life experience, in taking large numbers of game
and being able to correlate his values to his field
observations, is something few have attempted. In
this case, the bullet diameter is a plus as a larger
bore rifle firing an equivalent bullet weight at the
same velocity is a better “thumper” based on Taylor’s
calculation.
Regarding this analysis of penetration, the opposite
is true with a bullet of higher sectional density hence
a smaller diameter for the same given weight and
velocity will provide better penetration results.
Listed below is a small sampling I have put together
comparing some of the common African rounds with
some general velocities and bullet weights.
The benchmark I use is the 470 Nitro as my years of
SD*V
827
702
792
784
682
701
662
A comparison of the numbers supports Mr. Aagaard
statement with most rounds equaling or exceeding
682. I also looked at 458 Win Mag in detail by dropping the velocity and found I could match the 470
Nitro at 2000 fps and match the 505 Gibbs penetration factor at 1950 fps.
I started with the .338 caliber as I have come across
a number of articles with the 338 Win Mag being
used on Lion and Cape Buffalo very successfully and
I personally own one. Top honors go to the 375 H&H,
416 Rigby, and 458 Lott - showing why they can take
large game at almost any angle.
The winner is the 338 Win Mag based on this comparison, a true scalpel in the hands of a professional
using the 275 Tungsten African Grand Slam bullets.
Unfortunately, Speer no longer makes these.
I will concede that the 338 lacks the frontal area of
the 375+ calibers (even the 375 is questionable at
times) to be regarded as any type of charge stopper,
but with proper shot placement dispatch anything it is
pointed at.
I was also able to locate a wonderful set of test data,
“Comparing the Big Bores” by Dave Estergaard
(http://www.470mbogo.com/BigBores/BigBores.html),
| 35
where he used penetration of ¾ inch plywood planks to compare the following rounds.
Adding a column to evaluate the Sectional Density times Velocity factor, we have the following table:
Gun
416 Rigby
458 Win Mag
450 Ackley
470 Nitro
470 Mbogo
500 Nitro
505 Gibbs
500 Jeffrey
500 A Square
0.458
0.458
0.475
0.51
0.51
Dia
Wt
Vel.
0.416
500
500
0.475
500
0.51
0.51
525
600
400
2150
2380
500
2500
600
525
2400
2400
2400
0.341
0.341
2150
0.317
2125
2300
0.288
0.33
Sec
Dens.
0.33
733
812
0.317
793
0.33
0.288
691
792
SD*V
792
66
92
682
72
701
662
62
73
Penetration
71.5
57
62
60
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Graphing Bullet Diameter vs. (Sectional Density
times Velocity Factor)
N.E.” – from my data is fair, reasonable, and accurate.
The 505 Gibbs was a surprise, coming in very near
the bottom in both calculated factor and plywood
penetration – maybe bigger is not always better.
Graphing Bullet Diameter vs. Plywood penetration.
The leader in this penetration analysis is the 338
Win Mag and a challenge to the 375 H&H for the allaround title for best cartridge.
In most of my readings of African cartridges, time
and time again I come across words of respect for
the 318 Westley Richards and 333 Jeffery (African
Rifles and Cartridges by John Taylor, Chapter 5, The
These two graphs have striking similarities, which
lets me know we are on the right track, so I went to
the next level and graphed our Sectional Density
times Velocity Factor vs. plywood penetration, and
came up with a correlation coefficient of 0.74.
Not bad, but the 458 Ackley data appeared to be a
little off, so I recalculated the data again minus the
Ackley and came up with a respectable correlation
coefficient of 0.94.
In conclusion, this data is not taken from animal
shots in tissue and bone, nevertheless it appears to
be a relative simple and effective tool for estimating
bullet penetration in game.
Finn Aagaard’s statement, “I have never been able to
detect any difference in the field, on game, between
the .458 and .500/.450, .465, .470, or even the .500
Medium Bores).
Medium calibers with a light report are not charge
stoppers, but with a good solid bullet, they can leave
four pachyderm or bovine feet pointed towards the
blue sky.
Three Cheers for Finn.
| 37
Kayak F
What to look for when y
Fishing
you buy your first fishing kayak
Brett Challenor
It is early morning and the ocean
waves are smooth as glass. The
wind is still and there’s a silent
peacefulness about the world.
You watch that red ball slowly
rise above the hazy horizon as
the new day dawns, when suddenly the silence is broken by
a reel screaming in protest as a
powerful game fish takes off with
your Rapala firmly clamped in its
jaws.
That’s kayak fishing at its best and anyone who tries it will agree. The kayak
fishing fraternity has grown exponentially in the past 5 years and there is a
never-ending hunger for information
Throughout this series I hope to bring
you everything right from the basics to
some of the most expert advice. The
world of kayak fishing has very little educational information out there and my
aim is to not only educate you but turn
you from a novice to a master angler.
The sport of kayak fishing has been
around for a fairly long time however
it has only been in the last five years
that we have seen a huge influx into
the sport and along with this growing
interest some serious advancements in
kayaks, tackle and techniques.
| 39
Kayak fishing is not just a sport; it’s a lifestyle and
a healthy one at that. One of the great things about
kayak fishing is that it will take you to some of the
most beautiful places
What is kayak fishing?
In simple terms it is the use of a kayak to go and
catch fish. The angler sits on a kayak and fishes from
it. Taking a leisurely paddle on a lazy summer’s day,
enjoying the spoils the ocean has to offer is really
what it’s all about. Watching the dolphins playing just
off the back line, turtles diving over the deeper reefs
or whales cruising by are all just added bonuses.
Knowing that, it’s easy to see why there is so much
interest in the kayak fishing lifestyle.
The simplicity and cost-effectiveness of the sport has
also definitely aided in its growth. With the sudden influx of new participants, it’s very encouraging to see
the technological advances in the crafts in particular.
Fishing kayaks have come a long way since the days
of fishing off the rescue crafts from the lifesaving
clubs. They’ve evolved into the serious fish catching
machines we have available today.
At first it may seem like a difficult way to fish however
the success rate of kayak fisherman far exceeds
most other types of anglers. From many years ago
the big heavy two man Crocker skis kayak fishing
has evolved into the very serious lightweight advanced kayaks of today. These kayaks have been
designed and adapted in many ways to make fishing
from them a pleasure and a lot of fun. Not only have
they been improved but they are also a lot lighter and
far more manageable than their predecessors.
The Beginning
I remember around 17 years ago when we used
to fish from our racing surf skis. These were super
unstable and very difficult to balance on and to stay
sitting on never mind even fishing from them. It was
back here that we first talked about trying to make
a ski more suited for fishing than just racing. From
using lifesaving surf skis, to rescue skis and now to
| 41
the evolvement of our current day fishing kayaks The
kayaks we use today are far more suitable in every
way…
Getting started
Getting started with kayak fishing is not just buying
a ski and off you go - one needs to choose a kayak
and a range of equipment wisely.
Lets start with the most obvious and of course biggest decision.
Choosing a kayak
The biggest mistake I see many people making is
thinking that any kayak with rod holders makes it a
fishing kayak. This is most definitely not the case.
There are a lot of kayaks out there in the marketplace now. Some of these have been adapted to be
used for fishing by just adding some rod holders and
similar adaptations - however if you are a serious
about your fishing I hope to help you make the right
decision in choosing the correct an most suitable
kayak for you.
A recreational kayak that has been adapted is nowhere near as easy to fish off as a purposely-designed fishing kayak - and, after all, the easier it is to
fish off a kayak the more fun and enjoyable it is
Lets run through the design of a fishing kayak and
what makes them so much more suited for fishing
than just any kayak.
Stability
The biggest difference between a surf kayak and a
fishing kayak is your stability. The more stable your
platform, the easier it is to fish.
A simple explanation is that a fishing kayak is a
kayak that is designed for a complete novice to fish
from taking maximum stability into account. Where
as a surf or racing kayak is a kayak that is designed
for a paddler to go as fast as possible with stability
as a secondary priority - merely an afterthought.
Modern day fishing kayaks are extremely stable and
suited to absolutely anyone, and it really doesn’t
matter if you have never even tried to paddle before.
Good Stability can be the difference between enjoying your fishing and battling to balance all the time.
Size
The right seating position or making sure you fit into
the seating of the kayak is a vital part of making sure
the kayak is comfortable and suited to you.
A basic rule is the three fingers or fist rule, which is
a guide to establish whether the kayak is suitable for
your body length. This rule works by checking the
space under you knee with your hand when seated
in the kayak.
Make sure you are sitting right back and comfortably
in the seat and your heels are touching. You will find
that by just sitting in a kayak you will feel whether
the kayak is comfortable, taking into account that
you could be sitting in your kayak for up to five hours
while you enjoy a great days fishing.
A size that is too small can be terribly uncomfortable
and also give your kayak a very false sense of stability, while a sizing that is too long can be very uncomfortable on your back and legs and feel very unstable
as well.
Before buying your new - and especially before you
buy a second hand kayak - make sure the kayak is
the right size for you.
Modern kayaks are easily adjusted to make the size
better suited to you while your older design kayaks
are a fixed size and should be checked before purchasing.
Hatches
Your next important item on a kayak is your hatches.
A good fishing kayak will have two main hatches with
a main hatch for fishing rods, and much more as well
as a smaller dry hatch. When you are standing on
dry land all hatches on your kayak look good, but the
most important thing to note here is that when you
are in the water they should be accessible and easy
to use. If you can not reach them easily, they are
virtually useless.
Your most important hatch is your fish hatch or centre hatch.
This hatch is the majority of your storage and even
your rods and your gaffs and some of your tackle fit
comfortably in here with more than enough storage
for plenty of fish as well. A well designed fish hatch
has a rod shoot to fit all your rods in comfortably
and contributes to the overall strength. The hatch lid
should also have a good seal. On a good day you
may need to store over 80Kg of fish in your hatch.
The other important hatch is the rear hatch or “ dry
hatch”. This hatch is situated right behind the seat
and is easily accessible while out on the water. This
| 43
hatch is used for the storage of extra tackle, lures,
clothing as well as your cell phone or safety equipment. This hatch is a separate compartment from
your centre fish hatch and really comes in handy in
terms of extra storage. Although referred to as a “dry”
hatch. it is recommend that anything that is valuable
or important is stored in a waterproof pouch.
Steering
A good fishing kayak has a steering system with
peddles and a rudder. What this system allows you
to do is steer your kayak when you are paddling.
The real advantage to a steering system is not only
that it allows you to control you kayak extremely well
in surf conditions and waves, it is also ideal to use
when fighting a big fish.
You can steer your kayak after the fish you are fighting and control the direction your kayak goes as the
fish changes direction or continues to tow you. Keep-
ing your kayak under control while fighting a fish is a
must to make the fight a lot easier for you.
The rudder and peddle system is very simple but
extremely effective.
Rod holders
Of course an important item to have on the kayak is
rod holders. These are essential to make fishing a
little easier and a lot more manageable. A standard
kayak has two easily accessible 50 degree rod holders right behind the kayak seat making the rods easy
to get to at all times.
Extra rod holders can be fitted to a kayak and these
can be used to store a third rod or a even a spinning rod. It is also to used as a baiting-up rod holder.
Make sure that your rod holders have a saddle or
something similar so that your rods can be secured
with leashes while in the rod holders.
Handles
Handles are nor really a necessity but makes carrying, holding or dragging your kayak a lot easier.
Webbing
Extra webbing on the deck can also be quite handy.
Although webbing on your front deck although looks
good it is not accessible in the water. Extra webbing
on the rear can be easily reached and has numerous
uses.
Kayak design
One of the last items to look at when choosing your
kayak is the kayak’s design and angler recommendation.
Kayak design is a matter of individual choice. Leading brands will offer you a range of options and you
should check with the salesman to see which kayak
suits you as an individual.
It is also a good idea to check with owners of the
kayak you are considering to get their opinion on the
craft.
Go buy one!
Now you know what to look for in a fishing kayak. Go
and get one!
Tight lines - and hope to see you on the water.
Brett Challenor
represented
South Africa as
life saver for
8 years and
earned multiple
world championship medals. His
kayak and surf ski
designs have dominated many
national championships.
| 45
The
Dave Edgumbe
Ghosts
of
Marromeu
The unexplained in Northern
Mozambique
Some years back I received a call from my
friend Danie.
“ Dave, I’m putting a trip together to look
at a hunting concession just south of the
Zambezi in Mocambique. Take time off your
farming and join me.”
Offers like this don’t need much persuasion, particularly as the third member of the party was another
good friend Tom Yssel, a Kruger Park ranger who
rose to prominence after surviving a crocodile attack.
The plan, after securing visas, was to drive to
Maputo, overnight there and catch an early flight to
Beira the next day. Joe, our Portuguese guide and
concession manager would be on hand to meet us.
For me, the excitement of the trip and our departure was marred by an underlying concern for my
wife, who having undergone a major operation for
cancer, was left disabled and had to learn to walk
again. Leaving the farm in her care was a worry, but
with her usual cheerful demeanor, insisted that she
would cope.
So we left early one morning, to be at the Lebombo
border post at opening time. With formalities concluded, over the border we went en route to Maputo.
The trip passed quickly and that night we celebrated
my birthday at the house of Danie’s acquaintance
who had kindly offered us accommodation.
Waiting in the departure lounge at Maputo Airport
the next morning I somberly contemplated the
airworthiness of each arriving aircraft, hoping by
some miracle that we could be “teleported” to Beira
without having to fly. Three sensitive heads from the
previous night probably didn’t help either, but I’m
sure we would have faced a charging lion with more
confidence than climbing aboard a rickety plane.
Well fly we had to, in an aging, creaking, groaning Boeing 737 that Noah had used to round up his
animals for the ark, serviced by three massively
overweight stewardesses, and piloted by a speed
maniac who thought he was at the controls of a
Mocambican Air Force fighter. We made the fastest
landing at Beira, and I made the fastest exit.
Joe was there and we thankfully climbed into his
Toyota Landcruiser, shaken but undaunted. We saw
a bit of Beira that morning as Joe collected two staff
members and loaded drums of fuel and other provisions.
We left Beira with Joe and Tom in front, Danie and
| 47
I perched on the open hunting seat and the two Mocambicans comfortably seated on the cargo. Danie,
in true Danie style, produced a mouth organ and with
us blowing and singing lustily the miles fell away and
we turned north at Dondo en route to Inhaminga.
Judging from the pained expressions on the faces of
our Mocambican friends our musical talents were not
appreciated, and their auditory discomfort became
distinctly physical as we bounced from tank trap to
tank trap, through water and deep mud.
The Mocambican civil war had been distinctly unkind to this part of the country, with numerous road
and rail ambushes, land mining, and the digging of
tank traps at frequent intervals by Renamo. Indeed
the number of wrecked trains between Dondo and
Inhaminga was remarkable.
Apart from war damage, the road was churned into
a muddy morass by logging trucks and tractors. We
passed at intervals through pristine forests with high
canopy hardwoods ornamented with orchids and
staghorn ferns – a botanists dream!
We stopped periodically to ease bladders and swop
seats, and when I eventually rejoined Danie on the
hunting seat, I noticed that my friend became less
communicative and was staring ahead with a look of
quiet desperation, knuckles gripped firmly on the rifle
rail. Danie’s hoarse “Joe, stop, I need the toilet”, and
much banging on the cab roof brought the Cruiser to
a slithering halt. Danie literally fell over the side and
waddled at best speed for the bushes with his pants
already around his ankles.
Not even Joe’s shouted warning of anti-personnel
mines which had been liberally sown along the road
edge in places would deter Danie, and the last we
saw was his white, incredibly hairy bum disappearing into the vegetation. The explosion that followed
was not from a land mine, and when Danie’s face
appeared with a relieved, but idiotic grin, our Mocambican friends who had hitherto been much embarrassed by this noisy South African’s behaviour, could
no longer contain themselves and collapsed with
mirth.
Danie clambered aboard and we continued for about
an hour. Danie started fidgeting and suddenly went
white. I thought, here we go again. His cry to Joe to
stop was even more desperate, but not as it turned
out, motivated by his anal condition. He had left his
moon- bag containing passport and the equivalent of
R40000-00 in cash behind at his bush toilet. To our
collective disgust, we had to turn around and retrace
our steps, tired by now and sore, hoping to find a
moon-bag in amongst vegetation at the side of the
road. We found it, with Danie gingerly picking his way
through the undergrowth. It was a thoughtful group of
men that continued the trip to Inhaminga.
Inhaminga, like Inhamitanga, where we turned east
to follow the Zambezi towards Marromeu, boasted
Portuguese colonial architecture in the few buildings
still standing but that is about all. Years of abuse
had left their mark on most Mocambique towns and
these were no exception.. It is always a relief for me
to leave habitation and even the sugar lands on the
Zambezi floodplain held no interest. I was waiting to
get into the concession that we had come so far to
see.
Eventually we turned south and entered Coutada 11
( Concession 11 ) run by Joe’s company. His responsibility was to build a hunting camp and market
the coutada to outfitters, amongst other things. We
couldn’t see much as we arrived well after dark, tired
and aching after miles of jolting, but nothing that a
few cold beers wouldn’t put right.
We were accommodated in reed bungalows erected
on concrete slabs and slept on mattressed stretchers
under mosquito nets – quite comfortable! A separate
kitchen and dining area completed the living area.
The next few days were spent looking for trophy buffalo through forest, swamp and grassland islands.
The fact that it was the rainy season didn’t help and
many of the tracks were under water. In fact the
plains of Marromeu are extensive swamplands which
once supported huge herds of buffalo, decimated by
Frelimo and their Russian henchmen for food during
the war.
The remnants find refuge in the swamps and one
hopes that with correct management numbers will
increase.
Joe did his best to give us an overview of the coutada in what became really trying circumstances for
man and vehicle. When we bogged down we really
went deep, but winch, jack, and ingenuity got us out,
wet, muddy and relieved to get back to the comforts
of camp.
We found an impressive amount of leopard sign in
the forested areas which pleased Danie no end, as
the potential for baiting these elusive animals looked
good.
Time was starting to run away. I think it was the
fifth night there, after sterling efforts by Joe’s cook
and much evening yarning about many things that
we retired. I was still hoping to hear the rumble of a
distant lion when I climbed under my mosquito net,
said goodnight to Danie with whom I was sharing the
bungalow and fell asleep.
It is strange how outside influences can impact ones
dreams. I vividly remember dreaming that I was being strangled by something/someone whose hands
held my throat in a vice-like grip. I fought back and
woke up, conscious of a steel band around my throat
without anybody being there. As I thrashed about
trying to get air I managed a gurgle and fell off the
stretcher.
I desperately tried to wake Danie and at the same
time release the grip on my throat. Danie is fortunately a light sleeper and through a red mist I felt
rather than saw Danie pick me up and shake me
violently all the while calling out “what’s the matter,
what’s wrong with you?” I of course couldn’t reply – I
was still scrabbling at my neck, trying to remove the
pressure to get air to my oxygen-starved brain.
As suddenly as it started, I felt release and I gulped
great lungfulls of air. Tom, by this time, hearing all the
commotion had run through from the adjoining room.
His suspicious look was a mixture of concern and
mild annoyance at having been woken up – suspecting a Danie and Dave prank!
Once I had calmed down and could communicate in
a croaky kind of way, I tried to explain that something
had tried to strangle me. Danie, having witnessed my
desperate, but futile attempts at breathing was more
accepting than Tom, who quite naturally blamed
the event on everything from nightcaps to a warped
sense of humour.
After satisfying themselves that I was going to live
my friends went back to bed. I would not lie down
again, and spent the rest of the night sitting on the
steps of the bungalow, swatting mosquitoes and trying to understand what had happened.
Around the breakfast table the next morning, levity got the better of Danie and Tom, and I became
the butt of their leg-pulling as they recounted my
A a poignant casualty of war
| 49
misfortune. Joe, notwithstanding my protests, accused me of staging the whole thing. Hovering in
the background - and obviously listening - was Joe’s
cook who could understand a fair amount of English.
As we left the dining area he approached Joe and
entered into an animated discussion in Portuguese.
I saw them a while later in conversation with other
camp staff. Joe then approached me with a very
serious look on his face.
“Dave, I don’t know how to explain this, but my cook
at breakfast overheard snippets of our teasing and
asked me for clarification. I of course told him that
you had played a joke on your friends the night before, pretending to have been strangled.
He protested immediately and said it was no joke,
but that you had been strangled by a ghost of a dead
Renamo soldier. On seeing my disbelief he called
other staff together who volubly confirmed his story.
Others living in the area have had similar experiences.”
I could see that Joe was a bit shaken, particularly
as his bungalows had been built on an old Renamo
camp, on the periphery of which was a burial ground
for Renamo soldiers who had succumbed during
the war against Frelimo. It seems that I was the first
white person to have been attacked.
When Joe asked why he had never been told about
these events before, the cook replied with unassailable African logic that Whites’ do not believe in witchcraft and ghosts until they experience them, and thus
there was no point in discussing the matter.
I wasn’t too happy. We still had two more nights there
and I certainly did not want a repeat of my experience. Danie and Tom were suddenly much quieter,
and Joe more thoughtful as he had to spend much
time there in the course of his duties. Having had
to endure my friends jibing up to this point, I tried to
cover my discomfort by planning sweet revenge.
I thought that perhaps I should more gently strangle
one of my sleeping companions but then sanity got
the better of me. Danie for one is a powerful man
and I would probably have ended up with more than
a bloody nose!
We still tried to find our trophy buffalo but they
turned out to be as elusive as the ghost strangler.
None of us slept particularly well until we left two
days later. On our departure the camp staff gathered around me and with Joe translating, invited me
back.
It seems that they felt some kind of kinship with me,
that my strange experience which they understood
and had an explanation for had drawn us together.
The story finishes on another strange but perhaps
coincidental note. On the morning of my attack, my
wife back on our farm in South Africa fell as a result
of her disabled leg, sustaining multiple fractures to
her left ankle. She had to undergo emergency reconstructive surgery. I knew none of this of course as
there was no communication where we were.
I’ve often thought back to the ghosts of Marromeu
and a strange but terrifying event that I cannot
explain. Danie went back to hunt there, finding his
buffalo where we couldn’t.
He was never troubled by ghosts, and neither was
Joe to my knowledge who stayed on to manage the
coutada for a considerable time.
The local Africans continued to speak of disturbed
Renamo spirits who roam the area at night, and the
attack on a white visitor.
I have not returned, but often wondered why I was
the only person on the trip who had this chilling experience.
Dave Edgcumbe holds an
advanced biological sciences degree and
is a dedicated
hunter, conservationist and
outdoorsman.
| 51
Malaria
Dr. Gerhard Swart
As the sun sets over the African bush and
the animals brace themselves for the night
to come. She is already out on the hunt.
A small campfire flickers in the distance and
silhouettes of dark figures move between huts and bush. There
is no hesitation as she
makes her way slowly
and silently towards
the unsuspecting
intruders.
She is deadly and
she wants blood.
Amidst the hunters she carefully picks her
target and
moves in.
For one of them, death beginning is very near.
There are very few killers in the African bush more
deadly than the female Anopheles mosquito carrying
the deadly disease called Malaria.
Do not underestimate this disease. It is said that
malaria is responsible for the death of a child somewhere in the world every 30 seconds. It infects 350500 million people each year, killing 1 million, mostly
children in Africa.
Ninety per cent of malaria deaths occur in Africa.
Not knowing the risks and not taking preventative
measures could be fatal. The hunter becomes the
hunted.
Malaria-carrying Anopheles species mosquitoes
tend to be more active between dusk and dawn. Often biting between 5 p.m. and 22:00 p.m. and again
in the early hours of morning. Usually the mosquitos
are breeding in collections of water within 2 kilometres of the place where you live or camp.
Malaria mosquitos have white and black
spots on their wings and they sit
and feed at a 45 degree angle.
These characteristics make
them easily identifiable to the
trained eye.
The Anopheles species mosquito
injects malaria parasites which is contained in its saliva into its host while obtaining
a blood meal. These parasites enter liver cells and
after that the red blood cells where it replicates,
causing the cells to break.
By-products are released into the bloodstream which
cause chills, muscle aches, headaches and other
flu-like symptoms. These symptoms usually start after an incubation period (time since parasite injection
until the start of symptoms) of 10 to 14 days.
Some preventative malaria medications may prolong
the incubation period.
| 53
Four species of parasites infecting man are of
interest. P falciparum is the most deadly and may
cause coma, kidney failure and death within a few
days after initial infection. P vivax and P ovale, also
known as chronic malaria, can live in the cells of the
liver for many years causing relapses of the disease
even after standard malaria treatment.
To kill these parasites in the liver, one would need a
special type of treatment. Plasmodium malariae is
another form of malaria and rarely causes death.
One fact has remained true throughout the years:
prevention is better than cure.
Ways to prevent malaria infection when
hunting in Africa
When sitting outside in the evening:
●● Wear long sleeved tops and long pants.
Malaria mosquitos find it difficult to penetrate
clothing.
●● Make use of mosquito repellents and burn
mosquito coils. Repellents are very useful early
in the evening. They are usually active for 5-8
hours, then they have to be re-applied.
When sleeping:
●● Sleep under mosquito nets. Some nets are
treated with insecticides. Remember to tuck
netting in under the mattress or mat. Make sure
there are no holes in the net and kill mosquitoes found inside the net.
●● Keep all windows and doors in the house
closed.
●● Rooms may also be sprayed with insecticides.
Repellents
DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide) is an effective
insect repellent. It is available in many formulations,
including lotions, creams, gels, aerosol and pump
sprays.
Mosquitoes are attracted to hosts by carbon dioxide from their breath and skin odours. DEET products confuse the mosquito and make it very hard for
the Mosquito to land on its host. These repellents
are only effective over a short distance from the
application or treated area and it is therefore not
necessary to apply more repellent if mosquitoes are
still flying nearby.
Insect repellent containing DEET or permethrin can
| 55
The life cycle of malaria parasites in the human body. A mosquito infects a person,by taking a blood meal. First, sporozoites enter
the bloodstream, and migrate to the liver. They infect liver cells (hepatocytes), where they multiply into merozoites, rupture the liver
cells, and escape back into the bloodstream. Then, the merozoites infect red blood cells, where they develop into ring forms, then
trophozoites (a feeding stage), then schizonts (a reproduction stage), then back into merozoites. Sexual forms called gametocytes
are also produced, which if taken up by a mosquito will infect the insect and continue the life cycle.
This electron micrograph shows a
migrating malaria parasite
also be applied to clothing, rather than directly to the
skin. You may wish to use products not containing
DEET which might give limited protection. Remember, Permethrin is a
pesticide and exposure should be
minimized. Do not apply permethrin
to skin.
The symptoms of malaria vary from very mild to very
severe. The most important feature of malaria is fever. Shivering and profuse sweating with headache are common
symptoms.
Joint pains, muscle aches, diarrhoea and vomiting may also occur. The infected person may feel
better the next day, but might have
another attack the day after.
When planning a safari or hunting
trip to the African bush, make sure
to visit your doctor for a prescription
for malaria chemoprophylaxis well
in advance of travelling.
Do not wait for symptoms to subside before seeing your doctor for
appropriate malaria testing. It is
characteristic of malaria symptoms
to subside for a few hours to a day.
Your doctor will advise you on the
best preventative medication which
suits you best. Malaria prophylactic
medication is individualised.
These medications are life saving and can prevent
the malaria parasite from entering blood cells and
thus prevent infection and serious complications
including death.
Although anti-malaria preventative medication is not
100% effective it is still imperative not to leave without it. Do not take a chance. Many people have died
because they did not see it necessary to take this
treatment. Don’t be ignorant. It is not worth it.
Also, do not believe the urban legend that it is better
not to take prophylaxis because “it confuses the doctor when he wants to diagnose you”.
Many who believed that are now dead.
Be very wary
of flu-like
symptoms a
few days to
weeks after
returning from
a malaria area.
Even if you
were taking
anti-malaria
medications.
Any flu-like
symptoms
should be followed up by
a health care
professional
and malaria
should be
ruled out as a
cause.
present.
Act quickly when symptoms are
Malaria from P
falciparum kills
quickly, but is
curable if diagnosed early, so
do not postpone.
Things to
include when
planning a
hunting trip
●● Get a
mosquito net
Ring forms in infected blood cells
●● Use a repellent (DEET containing repellent if
possible)
●● Get and use mosquito coils
●● Use malaria chemo prophylactic medication.
Take as prescribed. Consider Paracetamol or
Acetaminophen.
Prevention is the key.
To make your hunting trip memorable, remember to
prevent mosquito bites which prevent infection.
Should you become
ill during your trip or
after, early diagnosis
and treatment will
save your life.
Dr. Swart has
been involved
in Communicable disease
control since
2004 and is
an authority
on Malaria,
tropical and infectious diseases
in Africa.
| 57
Trophy Gallery
| 59
| 61
Hunting
Under
Water
Spearfishing the elusive white steenbras
Gletwyn Rubidge
You look out over the
plain from your rocky
lookout – out of the haze
a shape materializes,
cautiously edging closer.
The range far exceeds
that of your weapon –
patience learned in your
training must prevail.
You are well hidden but
must catalyze the partially aroused curiosity
of your striped prey.
The author cradles a 16 kg White
Steenbras
This is a delicate matter
– if you are not subtle
enough you will send it
off with a series of deep
thuds as the heavy tail
drives into the water.
Remaining too well
camouflaged may cause
it may loose interest
and drift off back into
the haze from where it
came.
You slightly expose yourself, ensuring that your eyes
are essentially out of direct view, then tuck away
completely. Only the glistening tricut tip of a 1700
mm cylinder of hardened spring steel is now visible.
The steenbras’s curiosity is now overriding caution
and it steers in for a fatal closer look.
The fish
The white steenbras is one of South Africa’s larger
sparidae family. It possesses an elongated body and
a rather pointed snout which evolved for feeding on
sand/mud prawns. They also feed on other bottom
invertebrates, including worms, crabs and occasionally appear to scavenge redbait when single fish
accompanying schools of musselcracker.
The steenbras is considered to be under considerable pressure from fishermen in certain areas such
as False Bay. It is not a commercially available species. Fishermen and hunters may take only one fish
per day and it must exceed 60 cm in length. Typically
a 1.2 m fish may weigh 18 kg.
Preparation for the hunt
It requires some effort to prepare to hunt these fish
as they are rather shy and do not often occur in very
shallow water. Training will typically include swimming in the pool, running, and dry apnea (breathholding).
Live specimens are silvery white with six to eight
dark narrow vertical bars, which are lost after death.
The scales are large with a silvery grey edge. These
fish are normally found in sandy areas near prawn
colonies in the ocean and estuaries. The fish may
reach a size of almost 30 kg but a 16 kg specimen
is considered large with specimens over 20 kg being
considered rare.
Part of the training includes becoming comfortable
and extroverted underwater while holding ones
breath. In South Africa spearfishermen may not use
artificial breathing apparatus. A downtime of 1-1.5
minutes will be needed to successfully hunt these
shy fish. Training may be difficult at first, but with
persistence breathholding becomes easy as a phenomenon termed the mammalian dive reflex kicks in.
When this occurs, breathholding becomes surprisingly easy. Also the hunter must get to know and use
the rubber powered spearguns that have an effective
maximum range of 4-5 m when used for fish exceeding 15 kg.
The SA angling record is 29 kg which leaves some
room for improvement for underwater hunters whose
record is 21 kg.
Concurrently to self conquest in extending your
breathholds you will venture into the domain of the
white steenbras, seeking their feeding grounds – the
| 63
massive prawn beds. The ideal hunting grounds are
reefs or shipwrecks near these prawn beds.
the hunter can often obtain a solid shot at any time
he can aim at the fish.
Tracking the steenbras is actually rather easy to the
few that know the signs. The great tails of these of
these fish are raised and heads lowered when they
feed. Craters up to 1.5 m across are blown onto
the sand as they blast the hapless crustaceans out
of their sand grottoes with jets of water from their
mouths.
Some experienced hunters even predict the path of
the fleeing fish and shoot where they expect it to be
through the murk and still land their fish. Personally
I have taken many a fine steenbras this way – often
expecting to have missed the shot completely but in
fact having rolled it over with a spine shot.
Even if visibility does not permit, one may easily
detect their feeding activity by the thudding sound of
their heavy tails against the water.
Equipment
Their presence is readily confirmed by fresh bits
of prawn left lying about the craters. On such days
hunters will have great expectations.
Optimum conditions
The ideal time to seek the white steenbras is when
cold water is being raised by specific weather conditions. The upwelling of the cold water (thermocline)
is normally brought about by offshore winds that
cause a lifting of the water from deep in the ocean.
Along the South African coastline it is predominantly
the easterly winds that cause this phenomenon. The
reason this rising thermocline is so effective is that
fish, just like their land-based warm blooded counterparts, are also sensitive to temperature changes.
The cold water herds fish up from the depths as it
sweeps upward and concentrates them on reefs.
The ideal scene for a steenbras hunt is a thermocline on a reef that juts up from a sand bottom,
which is occupied by a colony of sand prawns. When
the cold water is a meter or so above the sand but
has not yet covered the reef one has a good chance
of meeting the steenbras; singly or in shoals of up
to 200 fish. Predators also follow such conditions as
hunting is then considerably easier. Sharks such as
sand tigers and bronze whalers are the most common predators of concern but the occasional great
white is not excluded.
On some days the surface water may be 20 ºC and
the thermocline perhaps five or six degrees cooler.
Thus, to increase the probability of taking a trophy
the underwater hunter must expand his knowledge
of underwater “weather” conditions and learn to forecast the rising thermocline on good reefs.
Due to the shy nature of these fish many hunters
prefer to seek them in conditions of reduced visibility – perhaps only 2.5 - 4 meters. This way they may
hunt with a shorter speargun. In such poor visibility
Typically an underwater hunter will require a good
pair or spearfishing fins – either thermoplastic or
carbon fiber. Freedivers, Spierre, or Rob Allen are
good brands often used by South African underwater
hunters.
Spearguns can be either pneumatic or rubber powered, the latter preferred for their simplicity and
robustness. A seven or eight mm spring steel spear
with a downward barb of about 70 mm is desirable.
The spear is ordinarily powered by a
single rubber (elastic) of 18-20
mm, or on occasion by two 16
mm bands. A 5 mm open
cell wet suit will provide
protection against cold
and a weight belt is
required to retain
neural or slightly negative
buoyancy.
Placing
the shot
The fish most often determines the shot. If unaware
of the hunter, it may swim
above forcing a shot from
below. Most often the
white steenbras
will approach and then broadside to have a good view of the
alien body of the hunter in its aquatic domain.
This type of side shot is most common. The ideal place to
spear a big white steenbras is through the brain or just
behind the head thought the spine(neck). The neck shot is
risky though since if the shot is just too high the fish may
tear free as there is little sinew in the flesh just behind
the head. Such a wound is not mortal and will readily
heal, as is the case with most fish, scales will eventually grow over the scar.
Aiming directly for the heart is undesirable, unlike in
hunting land dwelling animals. A 15 kg steenbras
has a heart of only 2.5 cm(1 inch) in diameter and
this presents a small target, especially in a moving
fish. Similarly, a direct brain shot is seldom attempted. Instead a body shot is often the best option and
very seldom tears out.
Once speared the fish will often run extremely hard,
hence the nickname white steamboat.
The fish may easily bend a seven mm spring steel spear.
Another shot that holds superbly is placing the spear
through the fishes’ cheeks, but in this case the fish will fight
hard and a bent spear is almost guaranteed. My personal
favourite technique is to wait for the fish to turn and spear it
obliquely from behind as it departs – in through the body just
behind the gills and out through the cheek.
The spear is seldom bent and the fish may run hard
if not spined and the flesh does not tear significantly.
Pan fried or fire roasted steenbras
is excellent. Braaing (fire roasting)
should include a baste to prevent the
flesh drying out.
Gletwyn Rubidge
holds four South
African spearfishing records and
represented SA
as Springbok
spearfisherman in
2007 in Spain. He
is an author, holds
a doctorate in analytical chemistry, has
done over 1300 dives and spent more
than 6000 hours at sea in the last 17
years.
Underwater hunting is rather similar
to bow hunting where the hunter
must closely approach the prey to
allow for an effective shot, only that
it must be achieved in an environment where man is disadvantaged
by his lack of mobility and the need
for air.
However, the very strangeness of his
presence beneath the waves combined with the inherent curiosity of fish
is the catalyst that brings the prey to
him.
| 65
| 67
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| 69
Don Juan
of Mozambique
Secrets of seduction in Africa
Mitch Mitchell
Arturo is about sixty-five years old with a wide,
easy smile and a twinkle in his eye. He looks
and moves like a man of forty, and his halfsmile, high forehead and close-cropped hair
give him the air of a slightly amused and retired
schoolmaster.
More like a rascally old uncle or a close friend of the
family than an employee, he had been working with
my friend Dave for almost twenty years. Arturo is
one of those Mozambicans who can do everything:
look after the children while we go out, interpret for
the farm laborers, manage the household or prepare
the pregos and the prawns in superb MozambicanPortuguese style.
Arturo does indeed have many talents - but above
all, he is the consummate ladies man.
He can not keep his hands and eyes off of them. Not
only has he accumulated a large entourage of lady
friends over the years, but he always has 4 or 5 girls
on the line at any one time - and they weren’t matrons of his advanced age either.
In keeping with his soaring testosterone level, they
were always 30 or so years younger than him.
Many times Dave set Arturo up in his cottage on the
farm with furniture, radio and other creature comforts.
The day would then come when Arturo would disappear again, and he would only return months later.
By that time he had not only spent all his money on
the ladies, but paid for their services with his small
television and the last of his furniture
Arturo would then be much thinner and absolutely
broke. He would loudly lament the fact that he again
allowed his earthly pleasures to completely consume
his worldly possessions.
After fervent promises of reliability and fidelity, Arturo
would then be reinstated in the household with much
of his former authority intact and things would continue much as they have in previous years.
John, the farm foreman, did not approve of Arturo
or his easy life - and neither did and the rest of the
laborers. They believed he did not work as hard as
they did but was paid the same salary - and this
while chatting with the boss and eating free food in
the comfort of the house.
| 71
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Perhaps it was the knowledge of the swiftly approaching seventh decade of his life, or maybe the
rapid increase of AIDS cases scared him, or maybe
Arturo just decided to pursue a lifestyle more in keeping with his years. Whatever the reason, Arturo found
a pretty eighteen-year old and decided to settle down
with her in his cottage on the farm.
Although she could not read, it seemed that Precious
was not just a pretty face. She enjoyed the good
things in life and Arturo was eager to provide them.
What she did not want was to become pregnant by a
wayward, raunchy geriatric and then be dumped for
a new girl. She was painfully aware of Arturo’s past
philandering and she was going to make sure that
she was his very last conquest.
She saw in Arturo a mature potential spouse and
provider - and she would ensure he became exactly
that.
It seemed Precious ran a tight ship.
It was not long before evidence of Arturo’s infatuation
with the young Precious became glaringly obvious:
Dave’s daughter Candice found her best shoes miss-
ing and decorations and other items began to disappear around the house.
The levels of Amarula liqueur and cognac also
dropped alarmingly – and now the persistent rumors
of Arturo’s guilt became impossible to ignore.
When a complete collection of rare sea shells disappeared, Dave summoned John in his capacity as
foreman. Dave was determined to find the culprit –
and the chief suspect in the investigation was Arturo.
With Arturo busy at the house - and unbeknownst to
him - the two determined investigators made their
way to his cottage.
They were met at the door by the comely Precious
who was informed of the need to search the cottage.
She reacted angrily and refused to let them in, shouting and cursing in Swazi and spitting like a wildcat.
What made matters worse was that Precious was
having a bath just before the intrusion and neglected
to don a shirt before answering the door. This caused
John to loose his concentration in mid-sentence
often during the negotiations and stare wistfully at
Precious’s obvious bounty.
| 73
After much deliberation and repeated explanations
by the foreman that Dave was the owner of the farm
- and therefore owner of the cottage on it as well –
the men were let inside by a reluctant Precious.
Sure enough, there was the evidence: the missing
shoes, some unlabeled bottles with liqueur in them
and the shell collection which was proudly displayed
on the window sill.
They also found a suitcase full of many smaller items
which were not missed up to now: knives and forks,
two gold-rimmed crystal glasses, a torch, and a
couple of audio tapes.
When Precious perceived that her illegal hoard would
be repossessed, she became even more uncooperative and would have swung her tightly clenched fist at
John if her right hand was not protectively wrapped
around a small but obviously valuable item.
Convinced that it was jewelry, Dave ordered Precious
to surrender the item. She refused, and - in spite of
the fact that her soapy flesh complicated proceedings - she was forcibly convinced by the foreman to
do so. She sulkily surrendered a small plastic container.
When questioned, Precious replied that it was medi-
cine given to her by Arturo.
read the label aloud:
“It is iPrevent” she haughtily informed them. By that
she meant that it was an oral contraceptive to prevent an unwanted pregnancy.
“Baytril. For Prince. One tablet twice daily after feeding.”
The foreman examined the item, and it is at this point
that Dave said the room became very quiet.
Prince was Dave’s ferocious Alsatian and the pills
were an antibiotic the vet had prescribed a couple of
weeks before.
Precious now stood with her arms folded over torso,
her eyes blazing with indignation.
As Dave looked up, he noticed John was staring
intently at the pills. He seemed deep in thought.
John slowly turned around and handed Dave the
small plastic container. It had a few elongated pale
yellow tablets inside it. They stood in silence as Dave
He had a small smile on his face, and Dave said he
was sure he saw the beginnings of a grudging new
respect for Arturo in his eyes.
Mitch Mitchell
is a hunter,
outdoorsman
and the author
of several books
on African wildlife and survival.
| 75
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| 77
Hunter’s Pot
African Bush Cuisine
These two recipes incorporate gemsbuck and Shepherd’s bush root taken
from Kudubos, our game farm in Namibia.
And yes, I admit it: I made these recipes up. So sue me.
They are still really delicious, though.
Here they are served with kudu biltong,
pepper game salami, cheese and
cranberry sauce.
Garnished with wild pear
(drolpeer) flowers, Buffalo
thorn and stamvrug tree
leaves.
I hope that these recipes will
dispel the vicious rumor that
bowhunters can not be chefs
once and for all.
Paté de Oryx Gazella
30ml vegetable oil
100g Chopped mushrooms
250g Smoked Bacon
350g Minced gemsbuck fillet
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
100 ml sherry
½ Spoon Thyme
2 Eggs, beaten
•
Heat the oil in a large pan and gently fry the mushrooms, onion and garlic until tender. Stir from time to time.
•
Add the Port, thyme, salt and pepper and bring
to the boil. Remove the saucepan from the heat
•
Stir in the minced gemsbuck, bacon, beaten eggs and sherry. Mix well.
•
Transfer to a small bread tin
•
Bake at 180 ºC or 350 ºF for one hour and 15 minutes
•
Loosen from the tin with a knife dipped in hot water. Turn out on a flat serving plate.
•
To serve, cut thickly into neat slices. Garnish with shepherd’s bush leaves
•
Bask in the glory
Mitch Mitchell
Kudubos Pumpernickel
This bread is based on the Dutch
pumpernickel and is very solid
and moist.
It is sliced very thinly to
act as a base for open
sandwiches.
300g boiled wheat
kernels
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons molasses
1 teaspoon cooking oil
100g Shepherd’s bush
root, beaten very fine
and liquidised.
50g raisins
Bran
•Place all the ingredients except for the bran in a bowl
and mix well. The mixture will be very moist
•Cover with a moist , folded cloth
and leave to stand overnight
•The next day, add enough
bran to make a dough
•
Transfer the dough into a bread
tin and cover with tin foil
• Place the bread tin with the bread
(not the bread) in a bigger tin in which
2.5cm (1”) of water has been poured.
•
Place on the lowest rack of the
oven and bake for 4-5 hours at 100ºC or
200ºF. Top up the water if necessary.
• Remove from the oven and let it cool before removing from the tin
•
Words are sweet, but they never
take the place of food
African proverb
•
Wrap in moist sandwich paper and then in
tin foil and place in the fridge for 2 days
Slice in very thin slices and serve
| 79
True North
The
Darker Regions of the Soul
If a man does not find those things for which
his heart is made, if he is never even invited
to live for them from his deep heart, he will
look for them in some other way.
Why is pornography the number one snare
for men? He longs for the beauty, but without
his fierce and passionate heart he cannot find
her or win her or keep her.
Though he is powerfully drawn to the woman,
he does not know how to fight for her or even
that he is to fight for her.
Rather, he finds her mostly a mystery that he
knows he cannot solve and so at a soul level
he keeps his distance.
And privately, secretly, he turns to the imitation.
What makes pornography so addictive is
that more than anything else in a lost man’s
life, it makes him feel like a man without
ever requiring a thing of him. The less a guy
feels like a real man in the presence of a real
woman, the more vulnerable he is to porn.
And so a man’s heart, driven into the darker
regions of the soul, denied the very things
he most deeply desires, comes out in darker
places. Now, a man’s struggles, his wounds
and addictions, are a bit more involved than
that, but those are the core reasons.
As the poet George Herbert warned, “He begins to die, that quits his desires.”
And you know what? We all know it.
Every man knows that something’s happened, something’s gone wrong . . . we
just don’t know what it is.
From Wild at Heart. With permission from John
Eldredge www.ransomedheart.com
| 81

7 Steps to Bowhunting Success Otto Bock`s

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