Kilimanjaro

Patience, Eric, patience.... 2010 will be here before you know it, and we'll be Namibia bound!! Chef, you too!! I will get all the wrinkles ironed out in Jan of '09 at the Dallas Safari Club convention and then its game on!!

GREAT post Bill!!! I most definately have the bug... BAD! This was my 4th time over there, and I've already got the next trip in the works!! And about the priorities.. You sir are 100% right. If you want it, you'll find a way.. Once my Ele, Buff and Sable hunt is complete, only THEN will my African itch be completely scratched.. And trust me, it'll happen within the next 6 yrs. Africa is a wonderful place that I wish everyone could expirience at least once in their lives. There's nothing like it.

Thanks a million on all the kind words, guys!! I really do apprciate all of them for sure! Amanda, Kevin is right about the bird.. beautiful little guys for sure.. Christian, NOW your talking!! Mearns season is swiftly approaching!! I CANNOT wait!! The pups are chompin at the bit as well. Doug, I really do!! I'll be livin' on top of mounts before too long!! Which, of course, is alright with me.. But I'm fairly certain that Bonnie isn't too keen on the idea! Thanks again guys!

Well guys, my '08 season gets to kick off with a bang this weekend.. We fly out Sun night for another safari in northern South Africa, along the the Zimbabwe border... This is my fourth time over to the Dark Continent, and I can honestly say, that feeling of pure excitement (like Christmas Eve night when you were 6) never gets old!! I love the build up to a hunt as much as the hunt itself! All the planning, packing, hopes and dreams, etc! Love it! Wish us luck and I'll be back Stateside on the 4th of next month! Take care guys and to all you arrow flingers, stick a big one while I'm gone!!

Thanks a bunch guys!! I'm all packed up and ready to head out later tonight!!! I hope to have a full report for ya'll when I get back!

not to hijack your thread, triple seven, but Ben I have a quick question for ya.. how is the access into the big and little Hatchets?? Easy, hard, locked gates, etc?? Thanks

Excellent post, TAM... I agree 100%. I'd like to add something to it, but you pretty much said everything I wanted to!!

Dang it!! I wanted to wear mine in Africa!! But I'm leaving Sun... Oh well...

WUSSY!! Awesome pics Daniel!

And just for clarification, I am not talking about when you take a child hunting.. In those cases, a doe/spike etc. could be the most exciting "trophy" hunt that child has ever been on and there is NOTHING wrong with that at all!!! I cant wait to take my little daughter out on her 1st deer hunt when she's old enough!! I'm willing to bet her first deer will be an old TX doe or a yearling spiker!!

dang good post, Redbeard.. It seems as of late, that on all these hunting boards, if you are deemed a "trophy hunter", you are the devil himself and not worthy to hang with all the holier than thou meat and campfire hunters.. If you are looking for the best head you can find and will pass alot of animals or go home empty handed, you are not a "real" hunter at all.. And yet I look around and all everybody talks about is how big this and that was/is and what that buck/bull scores.. Look around, the WHOLE hunting industry is geared towards trophy hunting in general. Ever watch any hunting videos? They don't make too many DOE STALKER 5" A MUST HAVE DVD FOR YOUR HUNTING VIDEO COLLECTION"!!! GET YOUR'S TODAY!! Yeah right! When did it become so unspeakable to be a TROPHY HUNTER? It seems that if you hunt super hard and use the best equipment and are putting in your time to shoot a big buck/bull/ when did that become such a bad thing?? I guess I don't know where I'm going with this rant, but I guess if being a trophy hunter is bad, well then, I'm just a bad person. I hunt for trophies. There I said it. I like the challange of the hunt, being out there knowing that I'm not going to shoot unless he's a true trophy specimen, etc.. The camping at night, etc are all part of it too, but make no mistake, I'm not going to go hunting just for the expierience of sitting around a campfire and BSing with the boys or family.. I'll go hiking and camping off season to get that feeling. Lots less gear I have to pack around too! I'm not hunting for meat either.. Most trophy game (as in mature males of the species you are hunting) taste like a sack full of a$$. I have ZERO interest in eating 100lbs of that.. I usually will find a food bank, or a needy family to give the meat to. Doing that puts my mind at ease knowing that the meat will be put to use by folks who genuienly need it. Should I want to eat venison, I usually will shoot an axis deer doe back in TX and have it processed. I make enough money that I can go to the market and buy beef. Last I checked, it wasn't a crime to like beef more than venison, even though you wouldn't know it on these hunting boards. When I'm big game hunting, I'm TROPHY HUNTING. Is there anybody else out there or am I the only one willing to stand up and come out and say it to the rest of the hunting community?

dunno... I'll guess 4,075

For a split second, I thought you were serious!! I was thinking to myself, "those things are gonna be like 2 telescopes welded together!"

a .177 pellet would change that cat's mind real quick.

Super bucks on the PF!! That is a very historical ranch as well.. Lots o' TX history there! Make the most of it and shoot a GAGGER buck.. As I type this, Im in TX right now, not very far away from that piece of property

It blows my mind on here everytime I read that ya'll will keep putting $250-300's worth of ya'lls money out there...Even after somebody rips you off once, twice, even THREE TIMES!! There's no way in heck I'd put up a cam in AZ. Too many dirtbags in this state.. as we can all see from the posts that come in almost daily. Its like giving away free cameras. To each their own, though.

Let us not forget what cattle can do to Mearns quail habitat in a hurry.. Its pretty much a sure bet where there are cows, there will be no quail.

Dont crucify the messenger Doug.. I know you're educated enough to know that when dealing with ANY Native American Nation, getting anything done is next to immpossible.. Multiply that X 100 with the TO's..X 100000 with ANY issue that deals with the border and/or immigration. Should you have the secret to getting that fence built on the border within the Rez in a timely manner, I'm sure Mr. Chertoff in DC would love to hear from you. Why would they want a fence built on their Rez?? A large metal fence separating them from Mex would impede on their smuggling. And no, I'm not kidding. In the end, it's THIER NATION and they get to decide what happens and what gets put there. Cartels?? Who said anything about a cartel?? No.. This was the Mex millitary. Of course they work with the Cartels (BTW you get the wrong groups), but this was the Mill. doing the raids on the rez, not the Cartels.. Why would the cartels raid a village? They have bigger issues to deal with like killing rival cartels and taking over key routes south of the line.. RPGs??? Again, good luck telling Chertoff that the BP should be equipped with RPGs. But then again as you stated, that's your opinion.

Well said. Get ready boys.. He's coming.

TAM, you are 100% right.. Nobody wants to say or do the "wrong" thing and make anyone upset. And it pisses me off to no end.

Fence??? Barricade??? There are MILES of border on the rez where there is NOTHING to denote which side of the border you're on.. No fence, barricade, marker, NADA. And this happened in the middle of the night. And it happened within 25 FEET of the line.. I think it truely was a case of "we THINK we're still in Mexico".. The Agent luckily had his GPS on. This was a "peaceful" incursion.. After they found out that they were indeed in the US, they went back without too much incident. My guess would be that they were trying to bluff the Agent out of the area. They were probably guarding some dope they were getting ready to run. Take what Ajohunter said.. 100% true. Whole Indian Villiages have been raided Panch Villa style in the RECENT past by these bastards.. Another one that didn't catch the publc ear was the one east of Deming where three Mex .Humvees were over a MILE on the US side and were popping off .50cal rounds at the BP!!

Ain't the US Govt just GRAND!!

Ive found a few... i found them where there were high concentrations of goats around.. Found a few in MT and WY.

You guys are suprised because??? This crap happens ALL the time!! Its only that this one made the news that anyone has even mentioned it!

Mr Hungarian pa'tridge, you really know how to get under my skin.. But you live in some unbelievable country.. rarely do you hold well for a point.. even if the pups are well mannered.. and when you do hold, it's never for too awful long!! who's honoring who??? the land you inhabit is sometimes SO damned windy that a pointer can't even get his tail all the way up and I can't keep the camera steady!! WHEW!! I've gone after you many, many times with the intent of doing damage to your local population, but I rarely find you alone.. Often, all I see of you is your rear end going mach 10.. luckily for me and the mutts, your prairie breathern are much more well mannered. and sometimes on those same trips, I don't even see you at all!! (This was yesterday's hunt!! I went out looking only for Huns,and came home with a limit of Sharpies!! dang you Huns!!) But once every now and again, redemption is mine!! They say that chukar hunting is all about revenge.. I can honestly say that his cousin the Hun is now on that list as well!! But as much as I love to hate you, how can I not love the challange you put up every round we go at it!!! You are a truely worthy advisary!! Gents, watch yerselves around Mr Hun.. He'll getcha!! Hope you guys enjoy the pics!! And have a Merry Christmas!!