Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
of white hunters. The primary motive was food not ivory. It is noteworthy that some of the most
socialist leaning countries also have the most extensive hunting traditions. Indeed as countries
become less capitalistic, hunting is no longer only for the elite but opened up to the everyman
providing for meat sustenance. The same is true in Southern Africa. With the collapse of
capitalistic colonial regimes, the importance of hunting to the local populace has become an
essential factor in the long term sustainability of wildlife. If the local population does not
perceive any advantage to preserving wildlife, then Sustainable Restorancy of the animal
populations will fail. An important Nguni principal is said with gusto that “men eat meat” -
“Amadoda bayadla inyama!”
Discussion in Washington about Trip Preparations, Books, Hunting Ethics, and Sport:
After we have caught up with our newspapers in Washington, I take out the Dictaphone and
turn to Bruce and start asking him questions:
So, Bruce, how long have you been thinking of going to Africa and planning to visit?
“Probably since I was 10 or 11 years old in those days, which were sort of the mid 1950s,
Africa was not just exotic but almost unattainable. The stories that I would read by writers like
Robert Ruark and Jack O'Connor and people like that about going over to Africa - you know
being a child, a kid who likes to hunt pheasants and ducks and things like that - the idea of
going over to Africa and that kind of hunting was sort of like some kids might dream of being
an astronaut. It was so unattainable that I guess it was something that I never seriously
considered until fairly recently because of that.”
So, you have obviously hunted with shotguns and people might wonder why you took up
rifles more recently.
“Maybe it is just association or something like that, but I never had hunted deer or any kind
of game with a rifle really until I began hunting with my neighbors in North Dakota during deer
season and really just for social reasons. It became appealing and then a patient was kind
enough to actually give me a rifle as a gift after I operated on him and I sort of felt obliged to
get a scope for it and everything like that, and then deer hunting progressed to antelope hunting
and I guess at this point in life one of the interesting things about hunting is there are so many
wonderful places that you can do it.”
Yes, it is a bit like golf courses, they are beautiful to visit even if you don't play a good
game. If I remember correctly, one of your early rifle hunting shots was with a 300 Winchester
at an antelope at some 400 yards?
“Actually my first rifle was a .270 that a patient had given to me and I went hunting with
Craig and we went hunting antelope down in New Mexico. On that occasion, with the .270, I
sort of lobed a shell at this antelope at 400 yards and happened to knock it down and that was
the start. Subsequent to that I bought myself a .300 Weatherby thinking that if I am going to be
shooting at those distances I have to be serious about it. Getting interested in rifle hunting is
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