The Rules We Lived By

[Major Khan]

While not an article ( in the strictest sense ) , l felt that perhaps some of our African Hunting Forums members would like to see a scan of our professional shikaree's regulation book for the state of Uttar Pradesh in 1967 .
If all you gentle men enjoy this 1 , then l will eventually get around to scanning our professional shikaree's regulation books for ALL the 30 states of India during the time of my career as a professional shikaree working for Allwyn Cooper Limited in Nagpur, India from 1961 to 1970 .
I apologize for all of the wrinkles , dear readers as this document is over 63 years old .

I hope that all of you gentlemen enjoy .
I 1st shared it with @SnowLeopard , because the gentleman specifically showed interest in it . Later , l felt that it might interest the other members of these forums as well .

 

[mdwest]

Such an important part of history that could could easily be lost. Thank you for sharing this!

 

[Major Khan]

Such an important part of history that could could easily be lost. Thank you for sharing this!

I am really glad that you enjoyed it so much , mdwest . They are a real pain to scan , though !

 

[Wade J VanGinkel]

Very interesting, and informative look at the past. Thank you
I'm assuming this was written in English since as you've stated Americans were the largest group of foreign hunters?

 

[Major Khan]

Very interesting, and informative look at the past. Thank you
I'm assuming this was written in English since as you've stated Americans were the largest group of foreign hunters?

Thank you so much for enjoying it , Wade. Yes , American clients roughly represented 65 % of India's shikar market back in those days . That is also the reason why the values are given in American Dollars.

 

[grand veneur]

Very interesting, and informative look at the past. Thank you
I'm assuming this was written in English since as you've stated Americans were the largest group of foreign hunters?

Not only , and you didn't have much choice to be understood by everyone. English and Hindi are the official languages of India , but there are also 21 recognized local languages.

 

[Major Khan]

Not only , and you didn't have much choice to be understood by everyone. English and Hindi are the official languages of India , but there are also 21 recognized local languages.

Your knowledge about our subcontinent is most impressive , Kurpfalzjager .

 

[Wyatt Smith]

Very interesting Major.

 

[Major Khan]

Very interesting Major.

I am really glad that you enjoyed it , Master Smith.

 

[Shootist43]

Poton, there is an old saying that states, "the more things change, the more they stay the same." The Michigan Hunting and Trapping Guide as modified and used annually contains similar information and requirements i.e. species, antler restrictions, type of equipment, dates of hunting seasons , locations etc.

 

[Major Khan]

Poton, there is an old saying that states, "the more things change, the more they stay the same." The Michigan Hunting and Trapping Guide as modified and used annually contains similar information and requirements i.e. species, antler restrictions, type of equipment, dates of hunting seasons , locations etc.

Even though we live and hunt in different parts of the world , Shootist43 ... We are not so different at all. I believe that this is exactly what unites the international hunting community.

 

[Shootist43]

Poton, please check your Messages.

 

[Shootist43]

Poton, did you know that you can check and reply to your Private Messages on your cell phone? When you open the Africa Hunting "app" next to the name is a box with a pencil, next to that are three horizontal lines. Touch those lines and a dropdown menu appears. one of them being Messages. Touch Messages and you are off and running.

 

[Major Khan]

Poton, please check your Messages.

Forgive me , Shootist43. I was at my restaurant. I have just returned to my humble abode . I shall be replying promptly.

 

[baxterb]

Very interesting. A great friend of my uncle's was born in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh. He flew a lot for Pan-Am - did 680 flights over the 'hump' in DC-3s. He turned 105 last September. I know he did some hunting in India, I will have to read through his book, Himalayan Rogue, to find some details.

 

[Major Khan]

Very interesting. A great friend of my uncle's was born in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh. He flew a lot for Pan-Am - did 680 flights over the 'hump' in DC-3s. He turned 105 last September. I know he did some hunting in India, I will have to read through his book, Himalayan Rogue, to find some details.

Peter is still alive ?! This is fantastic news ! Please ask him if he remembers Allwyn Cooper Limited and Rao Naidu's junior professional shikarees . Also ask him if he remembers the fat young man with the Belgian shot gun . The 1 who used to prepare the baits for Asian Sloth Bear . Show him this photograph . See if he recognizes me .

Is there any way that I can contact Peter ?

 

[baxterb]

Unfortunately, I do not have a contact for Peter. I only knew of him through my uncle. They both went to Pan Am training in Miami in 1942 and became life-long friends during the war and later - my uncle flew DC-3s across Africa from Accra to Cairo, Peter flew the 'hump.'

His book is very detailed, but I do not see either of those names mentioned. He was friends with HH Cooch Behar, flew a lot for him and hunted with him - this was the mid-late 40s. Peter had an incredible career and got to know about everyone - the forward to his book is from King Hussein of Jordan. Not many have seen what he has - consider that his parents were married in 1897!

 

[Badger Matt]

Major - You really ought to write a book. What stories you could tell.

 

[rinehart0050]

Awesome resource. Thank you for sharing

 

[WebleyGreene455]

I recognize one or two of those locations from one of my art history courses when I was at college. There must have been a considerable population of leopards in some of those areas if hunters were allowed a maximum of two (and for those curious, $75 in 1967 was around $580 in 2020); of course, the "major leopard population" in Uttar Pradesh in 2015 was less than 200. I'd be curious to see the limits for them in other states.

And this is completely unrelated but have you ever been to the Mehrangarh fortress in Jodhpur, Major Khan?

Also I found this old photo online. Obviously that's a leopard, not a cheetah, but then I read that the word for "leopard" in Punjabi is the same root for "cheetah" in English.