Obediance

 

 

Obedience is the cornerstone to a competent hound pack. There is no short cut to time spent in various environments under numerous conditions. Discipline is effectively absorbed over time and repetition. Without the complete system of development under a controlled and constant command, starting at puppy stage, the hound cannot be expected to reach full potential and be an asset to the pack.

 

 

Leopard land

Of the entire near pristine wilderness areas, Private ownership accounts for more than double of State owned area. When viewed from this perspective it is blatant how important the citizen contribution to conserving fauna and flora is. Land use models that allow private owners to hold back the ever increasing demand for natural resources and food security are fundamental to the conservation of wild land. On top of the list for the least ecological impact is trophy hunting. Fewer infrastructures are required in order to generate comparatively large revenue. The cost, by no means trivialised, are the lives of select animals. Like in nature the magnified view of the life/death cycle is remorseful………………but the view of the entire system is beautiful. 

Leopard territory

In time the growth and expansion of this young Baobab (Adasonia digitata) will swallow up the aged sign of a territorial leopard, but for now I welcome the slight windbreak for my pitched tent and the mental images of his outstretched claws cutting into the tree flesh.

Chasse aux Sangliers

More than One hundred years after this image was captured the passion for hunting Wild Boar has not waned in the first world country of France. In fact it could be argued that continuous efforts to manage a viable hunting population of Wild Boar has resulted in an expansion of the total population in  an ever decreasing natural habitat. As long as there are hunters committed to pursuing these species, so will a place be found for them in a modernizing world.

Scenthound pups

TOOLS OF THE TRADE

The .416 Rigby evokes the romance of the African safari like no other with the possible exception of the .375 Holland & Holland. Introduced in 1911 it was the first cartridge to use a .416” bullet. Sending a 400 gr projectile out at 2300 fps, the Rigby gets high marks in any comparison of stopping rounds. While its impressive dimensions demand a true magnum action, it is interesting to note that perhaps the most famous .416 rifle - that of PH Harry Selby - was built on a standard Mauser action. This CZ 550 is a variant of the true magnum Mauser properly proportioned to accept the modern big game cartridges. 

Feeding Bushpig

The bushveld has just now started its drastic transformation from a dry, almost empty space, frequented by fires and wind transported waves of dust to the blossoming lush habitat captured in the many images that all the travel journals depict. 

Rain has arrived and the promise of abundance is ever more present. For most herbivores and omnivores the pantry has however not yet been fully unpacked and they still take full advantage of rich nutrient sources like the pile of sour unprocessed maize strategically placed by a hunter like myself.  This specific bait was visited by no less than 3 separate sounders in the same night but it’s this imposing Boar that captures my interest most. His confidence and surety of presence is a trusty sign that he will be a capable adversary for both hunter and hounds.  Physical identifications of his gender are the pronounced warts on his snout – absent in the sow on his left. Although his size is larger, this we find is often not the norm with sows regularly weighing more than the boars – field dressed.

One morning in the future the keen hounds will be de-coupled onto the scent track, and should this brute be brought to bay and felled by a hunter, it will no doubt be memorable and most challenging.

Xosha bushveld hounds