Big Game Hunter's Gaiety

[efts34]

"The object of hunting dangerous game is only indirectly to get yourself stomped, gored, or bitten to death. In fact, it's to court the real possibility of death rather than to actually die. A humane hunter uses "enough gun" to kill quickly-hopefully instantaneously- for two reasons; first, so that the game does not have the opportunity, having been fairly stalked on its own territory, to escape wounded and be wasted or lost; and second to keep the hunter alive. Just as a rock climber doesn't use rotten rope- although it would increase the element of danger- a hunter should use enough gun not to be guilty of suicide. Lord knows, the edge of man over beast with even the most powerful of modern rifles is slight enough under the true sporting conditions typified by the hunting of dangerous game; close, dense, and restrictive cover that virtually eradicates the hunter's defenses of eyesight and hearing. After all, a bull, a bull elephant weighs about ninety times as much as a big man. No human can begin to outrun any of the Big Five, nor would last more than a few seconds in any contest of strength. The distinction between hunting and shooting an elephant remains classic. On a bare plain, even an Orangutan using open sights could leisurely shoot an elephant through the chest from two hundred yards. And why not? The target is the size of an airplane hangar wall and too far away to be remotely dangerous. Yet, at five to ten yards, to stalk up to a big tusker with a doctorate in people-pounding, through the bush so thick that the 14000-pound animal is invisible, knowing that there is a chance for just one shot that will bring a sure charge if not exactly placed-that's the difference between elephant hunting and elephant killing.
That's what also explains what Big game hunting is all about." (Capstick. 1983)