Andrew Holmberg, Professional Hunter
Andrew Holmberg, Professional Hunter
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Out in Africa by Andrew Holmberg.
Andrew Holmberg was born in Kenya in 1918 his parents were Swedish. He completed his apprenticeship as a PH in 1939 and hunted extensively in East Africa.
Andrew Holmberg is one of the two oldest professional hunters alive today. He was in a sense born into the business, for his godmother was Karen Blixen, wife of the famous old time hunter Baron Bror von Blixen. Andrew had a long and successful career and excelled above many professionals for the quality of big game trophies. He took for himself, clients or friends more large bull elephants than any other man, living or dead. Sixty three pairs of tusks over 100 pounds each represents a massive mount of hard and successful hunting. You can be lucky once or twice but not sixty three times.
His own best bull was 141 pounds. His best buffalo was 58 inches. As every big game hunter knows, truly big trophies are generally found only by pioneering new country and hard work. Andrew Holmberg excelled in hunting more remote areas where others came later. He was the leading exponent of the modern foot safari where pack animals carried light loads in and Large tusks out. His evocative photographs represent something that was truly original and unique at the time. Today they have a great historic quality, representing a vanished era indeed.
His book tells of a long lifetime of successful hunting safaris. To some it may seem that his adventures are painted with a large brush. But Kenya has always been a land of drama and sudden violence. And it has attracted people who lived out their larger than life lives in a manner keeping with the country. A large brush indeed is needed to paint the picture of Andrews Holmberg's life and big game hunting. In this book you will be treated to adventure on a grand scale.
Andrew Holmberg's documented record of sixty three sets of 100 pound elephant tusks represents over twice the total number of 100 pounder. He grew up with the likes of Phil Percival, Bror Blixen and Eric Rundgren. His company, the legendary Selby & Holmberg Safaris took out Robert Ruark.
Andrew Holmberg holds the record for the greatest number of 100-pound PLUS elephants. SIXTY-THREE taken for family, friends and clients and that does not count many that were almost 100 pounds. From the beginning, Andrew Holmberg recognized the potential of the harsh Northern Frontier District of Kenya when foot safari blocks (no motorized vehicles allowed) were created.
He worked hard and took light loads in because he was going to have heavy tusks and lots of other trophies to take out. His personal best on elephant: 141 pounds per side; his best buffalo: 58 inches! Andrew consistently pioneered hunting new areas where others followed later. Looking through his photos it is hard to comprehend that when these hunts took place, exceptional trophies were Holmberg’s typical results. (Sam and Rose Pancotto took three 100-pound plus elephants on one safari!).
In East African professional hunting history, no other individual has been given undisputed credit for so many number one accomplishments in the hunting area – by both clients and professionals alike – as Andrew Holmberg. His book is, in one word, extraordinary. As Tony Dyer says in the Foreword, Andrew Holmberg has led a 'larger than life' life. One needs a mighty big brush to paint his life story.
A great Professinal Hunter...
Monish
