Ethics

[Aaron Rust]

Growing up in Kansas we hunted deer various ways. Some blind hunting. Some driving around and finding the deer from the truck... then short stock and shoot. Occasionally the deer was taken from the truck. Although illegal most everyone did and continues to do this some. The ones that yelled "illegal!" and claimed to be such an ethical hunter usually was just protesting too much and later would get busted for something unethical. Living in Africa, I hunted like the person I was hunting with. One guy in northwest Namibia, we drove down the soft sand road until we found tracks then followed them for an hour until we jumped them and shot my first Kudu. The farmer a bushman and myself. I went hunting with a game warden and we drove around until we saw oryx and then would shoot them over the hood of the truck. Another guy took me on his farm and we rode in the back of the truck and shot from the back of the truck as the bush was thick and we could see over it against rocky hills. They really are not different than us when it comes to hunting at home. But they have a job and part of that is to live up to our expectation. The other thing I'd like to say is those of us that come from the USA worry about all the rules and legal calibers, doing things the proper way. The guys in Africa really are a reasonable bunch. I just told they guys, "hey, Im will you." I enjoyed it all. Now saying this I must say I was living in Windhoek so things were different. I am returning for a few weeks in May. I will go hunting with a Baster friend close to Rehoboth on his family farm and I will go hunting with my PH friend. I'll enjoy the hunt the way they like to hunt. Maybe someday I will go on a proper safari but for now I'll just hunt with my friends.
Aaron

 

[CAustin]

Growing up in Kansas we hunted deer various ways. Some blind hunting. Some driving around and finding the deer from the truck... then short stock and shoot. Occasionally the deer was taken from the truck. Although illegal most everyone did and continues to do this some. The ones that yelled "illegal!" and claimed to be such an ethical hunter usually was just protesting too much and later would get busted for something unethical. Living in Africa, I hunted like the person I was hunting with. One guy in northwest Namibia, we drove down the soft sand road until we found tracks then followed them for an hour until we jumped them and shot my first Kudu. The farmer a bushman and myself. I went hunting with a game warden and we drove around until we saw oryx and then would shoot them over the hood of the truck. Another guy took me on his farm and we rode in the back of the truck and shot from the back of the truck as the bush was thick and we could see over it against rocky hills. They really are not different than us when it comes to hunting at home. But they have a job and part of that is to live up to our expectation. The other thing I'd like to say is those of us that come from the USA worry about all the rules and legal calibers, doing things the proper way. The guys in Africa really are a reasonable bunch. I just told they guys, "hey, Im will you." I enjoyed it all. Now saying this I must say I was living in Windhoek so things were different. I am returning for a few weeks in May. I will go hunting with a Baster friend close to Rehoboth on his family farm and I will go hunting with my PH friend. I'll enjoy the hunt the way they like to hunt. Maybe someday I will go on a proper safari but for now I'll just hunt with my friends.
Aaron

Consider yourself fortunate to have friends to take you hunting.