Dear IvW,
It's always good to doubt whatever you read. I myself have doubts too about a lot of things which other members claim.
I don't mind your questions, even though I'm old enough to understand that some of them are expressed with a tone of skepticism. No, no. Rather, I encourage it. Healthy discussion is always good (and if nothing else... we'll have learnt something from you expressing your doubts).
But I would encourage you to keep an open mind, especially about hunting game animals which you have no first degree knowledge about hunting (beyond a rudimentary read on the internet). For instance: I do the same as far as the subject of hunting rhinoceros goes. I read extensively about the subject but have never actually been fortunate enough to hunt one yet. But you have (or at least you claim to). And I would honestly love to get your insights about rhinoceros hunting someday. I would consider it to be invaluable.
@grand veneur & myself have hunted in Asia quite a few times. Or at least we claim to. And have multiple photographs of ourselves partaking in those hunts. Or at least (in my case) photographs of the same tall, dark, handsome mustached Asian man in all my Asian/African/Australian/American/European hunting photographs which I've posted on these forums so far. So at the very least, I'm one hell of an impersonator (who looks & sounds just like the same man when I’m chatting with many of our fellow forum members on video call or phone). But I guess that we can never really know or fully trust the people who we meet online. The internet is one scary & mysterious place, after all.
There will always be at least 1% doubt regarding every hunter's alleged accomplishments (unless one witnessed the accomplishments first hand). For instance: The late
@Major Khan was very fond of telling people that I made one of my forest guards shoot my three man eating Royal Bengal tigers and simply posed with the carcasses for the photographs. Mark Sullivan, Buzz Charlton, Jeff Rann (and the like) have actual videos of their hunts but people still doubt if they actually happened the way the hunters claim they did.
But I choose to be trusting towards my fellow man. Or at least, to give him the benefit of the doubt (if possible). For instance: You are a white hunter. Or at least you claim to be. You don't have a single photograph with any dangerous game hunted in your long & successful career. Yet your knowledge about African wildlife and ballistics is quite enviable. I personally believe you.
What I'm really trying to say is:
Read "Tracks Of An Intruder"
Read "Horned Giants"
Read "Tigers Of Trennganu"
Read "Hutan Rimba"
All these books contain identical hunting photographs to my Seladang. And then, if you still doubt me... well, I guess I'll have to live with that.
The animal which I’m next to in the photograph could be a gaur. It could be a pyoung. It could be a gayal. It could be a cross breed subspecies. Those of us who hunted them in rural Northern Thailand & Malaysia back in those days… called it “Seladang”. And that’s what I’ve been calling it all my life (for lack of a better word).
Warmest Regards,
Habib
P.S: I mean not to cast doubt on your credibility as a white hunter. I have no doubt that you are an excellent one. Anybody who helped developed Rhino bullets is an A Grade fellow in my books. But I was just trying to draw an analogy. Forgive the imprudence.
.
