SOUTH AFRICA: A Lifelong Report!

Ike85123

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I have been a hunter for many years.
I was a vocal hunter til i was attacked in 2004 by everybody including animal rights groups on fb. I had death threats and and they contacted my family and business contacts.
But here is my story !
It started in summer of 1978. I was 6 yrs old.
My father and uncle went to south africa in 1946 after ww2. My dad and uncle was on a detail clearing Japanese islands.my dad was a 7th son of 8 children. My dad said they wasn't allowed to carry weapons, to not give away their position, the thinking at the time. My dad was given a throwing knife a commando knife and a piano string with 2 hooks. I have heard many stories about the firearms collected. And the strafes of zero fighters. It all scares the hell out of me. I've never known a fuller man than my father . My father was also selected for detail on the us indiana. I heard many stories here about the attack and the sharks. I wish i had the ability to give the real emotional story. I was not given that. My father would never talk about it much. I only learned things when older guys came over and watched and talked with my dad.
But lets go to to summer of 78. Whe. I was 6 i soaked in the knowledge of my family.
My father and uncle moved to Africa in 47.
I arrived at my uncle's house, for summer break. My uncle like my father came in the 40's after the war. They hunted ivory and other trophy for high paying clients. They hunted with some of the best in history.
The stories ive heard about leopard and lion hunts with 303's and a 3006 is is too many to talk about!
My story starts as a 6yr old.
I seen africa at 6yrs old. Too much too soon. It was mesmerizing! A young boy only experienced by the west virginia and arizona wilderness?
It was like a new life !
My father was a hard man. I grew up to the switch and belt. But he was a fair man and a loving father!
My uncle came for a visit in july 1978. My fathers stories collided with my uncles.
I was offered to spend the summer break with my uncle.
I stepped off the plane with a smell never experienced!
Ths first summer i got a kudu at 50in. At 6yrs old. I knew i was hooked!
In 1978 i returned for xmas break with my parents. I went on fabulous hunts, including a leopard blind hunt.
I went on several hunts the next few years.
I was finally out of the truck at 15.
I completed my first big 5, in 1980. Much cheaper then. Just my uncle and paying a farmer.
Well that is my experience up to 16.
I only futhered it, so far.
Im drunk tonight. Im not too good at explaining thimgs.
But i hope it excites you ?
Im 5 for 5 for except for 1 rhino . And 74 for 100 on buffalo. My life goals.
I really hope i dont get grief from this post.
Ive been out of the game for awhile. But hopefully will finish my life list.
Not as cheap as it was before, but hopefully doable.
Im dumb to to guns except what ive used reloading and the normal safari of these days.
But i gladly help any with general questions?
I have faced many animals. Im sure i have more to give, im just haven't been good with words !
 
Just keep it coming, stick actively to the keyboard. I am sure you have plenty to tell!!!!!
So far, so good! BTW, we are same age! ;)
 
Just keep it coming, stick actively to the keyboard. I am sure you have plenty to tell!!!!!
So far, so good! BTW, we are same age! ;)
Im 48, 49 in nov.
Just seemed so much has changed.

My last hunt was 2014.
Im just not technically literate.
I just know what i know, tics people off.
I can't put in to words what ive experienced.
So some deny me.
But i can't relate. I don't reload or know all the rifles or calibers. So i feel stupid !
Even with life experience. Some look at me like a dumb redneck, cause i dont know specifics or rifles.
I was just never around except was i was around.
 
Robert Ruark, was not an expert, he was not teaching calibers, - but he wrote his experience, and made history.
So, expert you dont need to be.

Nobody knows all the rifles, calibers, or cartridges - thats why we have books and catalogues, internet and forums.

So, just write, what you have experienced and with rifles you had at the time.
Let your story be told.
(y)

BTW - you say you have no gift for speech, but prof Mawla you mentiond, or even myself - we are not even a native brits or americans. I leraned english at school. So what? We just know basic english grammar, and swim on this forum like the rest of people. Dont be shy, you have full support of this forum community!
 
Robert Ruark, was not and expert - but he wrote his experience, and made history.
So, expert you dont need to be.

Nobody knows all the rifles, calibers, or cartridges - thats why we have books and catalogues, internet and forums.

So, just write, what you have experienced and with rifles you had at the time.
Let your story be told.
(y)
I can elaborate further. My uncle knew all the greats. I met a few.
But i can tell my story. It just won't be anything close to capstick. Lol
 
You have already made up your mind, when you created the title,

A lifelong report!​


All you have to do is follow your train of thoughts, digress where the thoughts take you, go back in time, and follow the idea. You WILL NOT BE WRONG. It is lifelong experience in hunting.
 
Keep it coming @Ike85123 I love hearing these stories from a bygone era!
 
One really special hunt was when my dad mom and me was taking xmas holiday.
We had a Blesbok, zebra, Wildebeest and a few warthog.
We was in Botswana, just over the border .
We were tracking a herd.
My dad was looking for a huge old buff bull.
But that day we took 7 lions .
Might sound unheard off. Thay is why i dont log my hunts.
We found ourselves in the middle of a huge herd. We was back tracking, then found the lions.
We detoured again, but found the lions tracking us.
It was a special situation.
I will see how the comments go, before i continue this story. Lol
 
My dad came back to the states in the 50s. He was riding a Indian motorcycle in 55, had a drunk driver pull out in front of him at 65mph. He had his hip replaced with plates and pins. He never could keep his balance after that.
So he preferred horseback hunts .
We was after a herd of buff. We ran in to the lions outside of livingstone.
We kept heading north along the river. We had issues with them for many nights. We wasnt sure if it was territorial or what? We fought them and hyenas off every night all the way to kabula.
The first night there, we had them visit us and take a horse . We got 4 of them, about 6am.
Is was the females. There was 3 males of the group close by. I personally took the 3 about 100yrds from camp. First 2 was one shot shot kills from my uncles 470.
The third was my first charge ive had .
I shot the lion at about 100yrds. He made noise and hid in the bush. I got off the horse and walked towards him. He charged at about 75yrds. I did a quick 1,2. He was down. I reloaded, amd went to check him. He was a great black beard beauty!
Was quite exciting for a teenager!
My father and uncle came riding up. They sais I was a man the . Made me take a bite of the heart and use the blood as war paint on my face.
It was very scary. But after, the scary just continued!
Afted that, they looked at me as the great white hunter . Good and bad, i guess.
Becouse of that moment, that is why i have as many elephant as I do.
My uncle from that point, put trust in me!
Better or worse, now it is my experience.
 
Keep it coming. I am 51 now and grew up in Rhodesia, SA and Zambia. We were always out hunting and fishing and I didn't know much about the rifles I was carrying for the job. I just knew that a .22 was good up to a certain size, an FN / .308 was good for most things and the 30.06 could get the job done on anything... even grew up with stories for elephants being taken with FN and 30.06. I didn't know that it was actually too small for that. We just made do with what we had (and it was not a lot of choice due to sanctions etc) and we had LOADS of fun as well as meat in the freezer. I remember (not too fondly) of eating guinea fowl and having several lead pellets on the side of the plate at the end of the meal.

I only got to know a bit more about bullets and calibres as I grew into my teenage years and I know exactly 2.45% of what most people know about that on this forum.

So tell the stories, many of us have had a taste of the life of those days and you'll be surprised of how close some of our experiences are! The biggest animals I have taken is a kudu so I am absolutely certain I'd would love to hear more of your stories. The words will come in whatever order they come, the story will tell itself.

And if you want to publish, every single writer has his words edited and put into the accepted structure but the publishing house... Including the greats.

Carry on with your story... :P Elmer Fudd: :cool:
 
Keep it coming. I am 51 now and grew up in Rhodesia, SA and Zambia. We were always out hunting and fishing and I didn't know much about the rifles I was carrying for the job. I just knew that a .22 was good up to a certain size, an FN / .308 was good for most things and the 30.06 could get the job done on anything... even grew up with stories for elephants being taken with FN and 30.06. I didn't know that it was actually too small for that. We just made do with what we had (and it was not a lot of choice due to sanctions etc) and we had LOADS of fun as well as meat in the freezer. I remember (not too fondly) of eating guinea fowl and having several lead pellets on the side of the plate at the end of the meal.

I only got to know a bit more about bullets and calibres as I grew into my teenage years and I know exactly 2.45% of what most people know about that on this forum.

So tell the stories, many of us have had a taste of the life of those days and you'll be surprised of how close some of our experiences are! The biggest animals I have taken is a kudu so I am absolutely certain I'd would love to hear more of your stories. The words will come in whatever order they come, the story will tell itself.

And if you want to publish, every single writer has his words edited and put into the accepted structure but the publishing house... Including the greats.

Carry on with your story... :P Elmer Fudd: :cool:
My uncle used a .303 and my dad a 30-06 except for a .500 they used on elephant. They took many buff and lion with the 30cals.
Havent talked about this in years. Feels good to let it out !
 
Keep it coming. I am 51 now and grew up in Rhodesia, SA and Zambia. We were always out hunting and fishing and I didn't know much about the rifles I was carrying for the job. I just knew that a .22 was good up to a certain size, an FN / .308 was good for most things and the 30.06 could get the job done on anything... even grew up with stories for elephants being taken with FN and 30.06. I didn't know that it was actually too small for that. We just made do with what we had (and it was not a lot of choice due to sanctions etc) and we had LOADS of fun as well as meat in the freezer. I remember (not too fondly) of eating guinea fowl and having several lead pellets on the side of the plate at the end of the meal.

I only got to know a bit more about bullets and calibres as I grew into my teenage years and I know exactly 2.45% of what most people know about that on this forum.

So tell the stories, many of us have had a taste of the life of those days and you'll be surprised of how close some of our experiences are! The biggest animals I have taken is a kudu so I am absolutely certain I'd would love to hear more of your stories. The words will come in whatever order they come, the story will tell itself.

And if you want to publish, every single writer has his words edited and put into the accepted structure but the publishing house... Including the greats.

Carry on with your story... :P Elmer Fudd: :cool:
My in used a .303 and my dad a 30-06 except for a .500 they used on elephant. They took many buff and lion with the 30cals.
Havent talked about this in years. Feels goos to let it out .
That gets us up to about 16. More to come, if you enjoy the read. My apologies for the bad grammar. Lol
 
"The Life of Ike"... I'd read that book. I love stories of areas I have roamed, they are more personal as I can relate to the places as I have been to them. The stories of east Africa are cool but I've never been there. I only found out later in life that people like Selby / Capstick etc and many of the east African hunters etc also hunted "our" part of the world..
 
Reading this thread with Ike using the hillbilly “we was” and his own admission that he was hitting the sauce, plus his timestamps show him up at 2am ...he’s gonna need some aspirin when he wakes up. :ROFLMAO:

Awesome stories Ike, looking forward to some more. After you’ve had coffee and some aspirin...
 
Reading this thread with Ike using the hillbilly “we was” and his own admission that he was hitting the sauce, plus his timestamps show him up at 2am ...he’s gonna need some aspirin when he wakes up. :ROFLMAO:

Awesome stories Ike, looking forward to some more. After you’ve had coffee and some aspirin...
Shoot, ive had my second wind. Its almost 4am here. Time to start working again. Haha
 
We enjoy the stories of hunting. Whether its recent or of a time gone by. Most of us wish we had some of the opportunities that you've had. Thanks for the start!
Bruce
 
Ike85123, we have members from all walks of life, so I'm sure there must be an English teacher or Professor amongst us. But I have yet to see any of them belittle or chastise anyone for "grammatical" errors. Your statement that you only know about the rifles you were around is true for most of us. Prior to joining AH the most powerful rifle I thought I'd ever need is a 30-06. But thanks to the "enablers" here, I now know better. Please keep the stories coming. We all like to read about the adventures from bygone years.
 

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