New Hampshire Hunters should be scouting now for your next hunting area. Below is the link to NH topo maps that you can print out. These maps are an essential piece of good hunting and scouting. Combine this with deer harvest data and this could be your next ticket to your next NH deer. Get back to basics and scout! This link has maps for most towns in NH. Study Study Study!
http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/maps/topo.html
Perhaps one of the toughest animals to hunt with Bow and Arrow is the Whitetail Deer. Here in New Hampshire it is even harder as the deer population density is lower than in many other states. Deer per square mile ranges from 4/sq mile in the North Country up to more than 20 per square mile along the seacoast. Much of the seacoast land is posted but you can ask permission. All they can say is no! Of course you are hunting in and around homes and woodlots. The deer I show on the cover was taken not far from my home in Plaistow, NH.
The season begins September 15th and Closes December 15th according to NHFG at http://nhfg.net/Hunting/Hunt_species/hunt_deer.htm
Special Permits are still being taken (see the website above.
I have scouted in the North Country and finding deer sign regularly but here we are talking about 4-7 deer per square mile. The reason to hunt here however is that there are few houses and lots of land. Further, there is a mystery to hunting wild places. Today there is a movement to hunt with ATV’s of all sizes up north. http://www.riderplanet-usa.com/atv/trails/new_hampshire_list.htm
These ATV’s are big kids toys for those that can afford it. A good 4WD vehicle can get you mostly to where these ATV’s go. The big plus for ATV’s is to be able to get your deer out of the woods too.
Back to Bowhunting; Today’s successful Bowhunter’s rely on scouting and knowledge of deer movement patterns and deer densities.
Reading deer sign is still the most sought after skill and is a work in progress as the season progresses toward the rut. The rut here in NH peaks around mid November and begins in September. As each day passes the bucks will gather in small groups in September. Some sparring will begin and in October the bucks increase aggression toward one another knowing that mating season is almost upon them.
By mid October scrapes and tree rubbing are evident and the first doe is in estrous and can be mated. This is perhaps the best time to bow-hunt when the rut is not yet in full swing. Bucks during this time frame are vulnerable because they are eager to mate and come to calls and smells and remain out on the trails during the daylight.
If you are tree-stand hunting your scent is above the ground and chances are better that you will see game that is not spooked by human scent. Most bowhunter’s spend many hours in tree stands so be safe and be harnessed in to prevent falls.
Smell is the most important of all senses that a deer has in its defense. Hearing is second and Seeing is third. So if you don’t smell and have good woods skills, to keep walking sounds to a minimum, your chances increase greatly in seeing game.
I was in my tree stand for just minutes when I called that buck in with a doe bleat call. At 20 yards it was a good shot with a fixed blade Muzzy head.
Today you need to be aware that coyotes can smell blood and body gases from your dead deer so retrieval ASAP is key. New England Coyotes Canis Latrans Var. are one third wolf and are larger than their southern and western cousins and have larger jaws and muscles to eat deer.
For Hunter Education please see NHFG site below.
http://nhfg.net/Hunting/hunter_ed.htm
Good Hunting! © 2014
Ok, so you don’t have lots of spare cash like me and you reload. A .308 Winchester or it’s necked down cousin the 7mm08 is a highly efficient cartridge to own for hunting or target. Many of us have opted for their larger bretheren the 30-06 and the necked down version in .270 Winchester. Most did this in their younger days like me and shot a box of 20 rounds with a poor recoil pad. That night and the next day your shoulder was not only bruised but in pain. And when it came time to reload them you brain was calling you names including “stupid” among others. Today with the advent of recoil pads like SVL- Simms Vibration Laboratory and Pachmayr Decelerator the recoil is largely cut by 50% so the only factor that adds to the reason to own a .308 Winchester is efficiency, cost of powder and a shorter bolt throw. The power is there, and plenty of it for hunting big game. Today a pound of Powder is around 30 dollars. A further argument for ownership is accuracy. As cartridges go a full cartridge is, in general, more accurate than a less full one. Lets examine a .308 round with a Hornady 150 grain head using Reloader 15 Powder. It uses 45.4 grains to push the bullet to 2700 fps out of a 22 inch barrel. In order to get the same velocity out of the 30-06 you must use 48.1 grains of powder in a longer barrel too 23.5 inches making it more likely that you will need 48.5 grains or so for the same barrel length. There are 7000 grains per pound thus with the .308 you can load 10 more Cartridges for the same velocity and the accuracy is potentially better and the bolt throw is faster and shorter than the 30-06. What about big game? Well for deer and black bear the .308/7mm08 is fabulous and has a shorter range on Moose but the 30-06 and .270 Winchester steps in as a better selection for Moose providing 300-400 fps more than the .308/7mm08 Winchester option out to 100-150 yards but so what, how often are you going to hunt Moose and African game unless you just love the fat side of medium bore as I do. All said and done, the 308 became the cartridge of choice for our Military in WW II, you can shoot faster per second and pack nearly as much energy as the 06. The M1A rifle in .308 is still highly popular at 1000 yards with open sights as a national match course cartridge. I give the .308 and 7mm08 a way thumbs up for hand loaders. The .308 and 7mm08 are at home with African Plains game short of the Big Five but most take the step up to 30-06 and 300 Win for reasons of safety and to have Enough Gun. I used .338 Win Mag and .270 Winchester as a two gun combo in Africa with my son Jason. I did not need the .338 Win Mag for Dangerous situations. Had I taken a lesser firearm than the .338 then Murphy’s Law would have put me in an untenable situation. The most important thing to remember is that shot placement is everything. © 2014
Wouldn’t it be neat to own one rifle/cartridge that you can hunt large jack rabbits with a reduced load without blowing it to bits and the next day hunt deer with a more powerful load in the same rifle and the next day hunt the largest game on the Planet with a 300 grain Dangerous Game Load – All in the same Rifle? YES! You can only do this if you hand load your own ammo for the .375 Ruger.
Shown here is the Ruger® Hawkeye® African with a 23 inch barrel verses my 20 inch barrel. See the Ruger website below.http://ruger.com/products/HawkeyeAfrican/models.html
My Ruger is less embellished with the ebony cap and sling on the barrel. But it is very accurate indeed with the .375 Ruger Cartridge and so versatile for handloaders. The .375 Ruger Cartridge was a joint collaboration of Hornady and Ruger back in 2007. Wikipedia has a write-up at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.375_Ruger.
As I said, If you hand-load you can load to shoot varying bullet sizes and energies for small game all the way up to dangerous game.
It has been tried before on older .375’s like the H&H magnum, very successfully, I might add! Most African hunters shoot a .375 H & H for everything from the 15 pound Dik Dik Antelope up to and including Elephant. Africans don’t often change loads though, most all sizes are taken with big bullets. Hornady made 220 and 225 grain heads but has not made any for a while. The 235 grain Speer Hot Core is still available as are lead cast bullets with gas checks. Sorta like “Quigley Down Under” cast bullets at 260 grains.
Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia (Kirks Dik Dik)
and then shoot Impala (impala venison is fabulous)
(Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia – Impala)
Then Shoot Cape Buffalo with the same Rifle
Photo Courtesy Wikipedia – Cape Buffalo
Or Elephant Below
Photo Courtesy Wikipedia – African Elephant
Enter the newer 2007 Cartridge, the .375 Ruger that is stronger than the .375 H & H cartridge, Shorter, Has no belt to be concerned for head-space, and fits in a standard bolt action and holds 6 % more powder than the older .375 H & H.
At left is the .375 Ruger Cartridge loaded with 235 grain Speer Hot Core bullets and the 243 Winchester at right for comparrison.
The problem for many .375 Ruger owners is that there has been little published data out there to aid the .375 Ruger Cartridge Owner to establish a cross section of bullet types and weights, powders and loading data that take you from small game, medium game. Most data is about really big game or African Game. So I went into student mode and gathered data over the years and worked up my own loads using available .375 Caliber published data for starting loads, small game loads and lower bullet weights with copper jackets. As with all load data work from low to higher very slowly, examine the spent round for primer and case indicators with a good Reloading manual as a Reference, like Hornady or Nosler. Pay attention to case length and Cartridge overall length COL making copious notes to refer back to.
I think that for medium and small game lead bullets can be cast and SR 4759 starter data can be found for reduced loads at 1200 fps and for 220 to 235 grain heads pushing a small game load at 1500 fps to a deer load at 2100 fps for 100 yard or less shots. The trick here is to shoot either a flat point to deliver more energy on impact or a bullet that is traveling at near to 1900 to 2000 fps at impact in a spire point to mushroom adequately. I have created a new lower power load of IMR ( ) from Hodgdon® that provides 235 grain Speer Bullets at 2400 fps for most North American Game at 200 yards and easier recoil like a 30-06. Yesterday I shot 3/4 inch 3 shot groups at 100 yards with that new load.
The data for starter loads can be extrapolated from published data by experienced wildcatters and reloaders. After that there is a plethora of published data for Elk, Big Bears, Moose, Bison, and larger African Species up to Elephant. The .375 Ruger with my M77 African Ruger Rifle 20 inch barrel can throw a 260 grain spitzer out of the muzzle at 2800 fps for Brown Bear or a 2000 pound Bison. Then Switch to 300 grain AccuBonds backed up by 300 grain Monolithic Solids for Africa’s Big Five. As Robert Ruark says: Use Enough Gun! I would choose a bigger rifle for close work on testy Bull elephants may be a 470 Nitro Express Double gun with 500 grain solids.
© 2014
If you ever had a dream to hunt Africa now is the time! Airfare and Safari Hunt Packages are very stable at this time. A complete hunt with 6 animals including airfare and taxidermy of mounts for 2 people would be less than some western hunts for one animal. It seems like only yesterday that I took my son Jason with me on Safari and wrote my e-book African Safari Rifle and Bow and Arrow.(click the link) the e-book is only $12.99, a bargain. Get a copy today!
My dream was to hunt plains game with my son and harvest animals like the Greater Kudu, Gemsbok/Oryx, Impala,Springbok, Blesbok, and Red Hartebeest. The timing of my Safari was in early August when days were warm and nights were cold. Every day was nearly the same with bright beautiful sunshine. The landscape of the hunt is very important to me. I did not want to be in heavy brush, I wanted to see Africa not be swallowed by it. I lucked out because we hunted the open bush-veld where we could often see nearly a mile in every direction. Below a spectacular View.
Here a herd of Wildebeest cross our path heading far from us while on the Toyota Truck.
Typically we hunted with our Toyota Land Cruiser where we would do spot and stalk hunts or for Bow and Arrow we would use Hides near watering holes.
Spot and stalk hunts were challenging as the game has been hunted and they knew what we were after. I was eager to take game with Bow and Arrow so some of my days were spent sitting in a grass blind called a hide. Game came in from all directions and it was never dull. From that Hide we saw every manner of game Blue Wildebeest, Gemsbok, Impala, Kudu, Red Hartebeest and Giant Eland. I depended 100% on my PH’s Andries Van Zyl and Joan-am for determining male from female and trophy from non trophy.
The e-book shares heart pounding Plains Game hunts by Jason and me, a Live Cheetah Capture, how we prepared for the Safari, equipment practice and clothing, rifle and bow accuracy, medical considerations, Taxidermy and so much more including a Safari Checklist. All of South Africa has hunting concessions that are fenced to control disease and predators. If the concession is 50 square miles, it is fenced or 5 square miles like mine. Game is monitored by a bevy of Veterinarians and meat is sold and or used/cooked by the Safari Outfitter for hunters and guests. Nothing goes to waste!
Our hunt included all wild and domestic meals, beverages, wine and alcohol after Safari’s, washing of clothes, transportation.
Below is my Cape Kudu that made the SCI Record Books. Now that was a Hunt because a few hours earlier I took a fine Red Hartebeest with bow and arrow!
Below I arrowed this fine Red Hartebeest, a one shot kill! Further down is the Blind I was in and at far right of the window in the hide is just the top of the horns of this cautious beast.
Sunset at this Watering hole is spectacular.
Live Capture of the Cheetah below. The Vet prepares a drug dart.
I had no gun! There in the spotlight in front of me was a real Cheetah! Just a camera in hand in the top of the Toyota fully exposed. If that Cheetah wanted a piece of me, it would have only taken a few seconds to close the distance.
Luckily the Vet was a good aim with the dart gun! All went well, safe at last!
A 150 yard shot at this Record Book Impala with my Ruger M77 338 Winchester Magnum with my own hand loaded 250 grain Nosler Partitions. Sweet! My PH Andries at left. I used some camo tape on my rifle barrel and it did not spook game.
My e-book is full of these terrific photo’s and so many more! This could be you!
Live the hunt with me again and again with your own copy of African Safari Rifle and Bow and Arrow!
Copyright © 2014 All Rights Reserved.
I have always been infatuated with Northern New Hampshire because much of it is still remote it draws me like a bee to nectar. The smell of Balsam Fir is addictive. Moose wood is a treat too see as it only grows in Mountain regions. The spruce and fir bogs and varieties of lichen are akin to the dark forest prime-evil and can only be seen in the North woods. I give a full measure of thanks to the bygone era lumber companies that created thousands of miles of dirt roads that allow us access to New Hampshire wilderness. I grew up watching giant work horses pull logs from the forest at the age of 12 but by 16 years old the horses were gone.
On my way north, I stopped in at Pemi-Valley where I am a member, to sight in my two rifles at 200 yards. My 6 mm is fine in the open but depend on my .375 Ruger hand-loaded for brush Having completed my shooting I continued north through Franconia Notch and said hello to my favorite spot “The Basin”. A five minute walk worth every step. I forgot my Katadine water purifier and missed the chance to get some cold NH water. Continuing north, I spied a great hunting camp from a by gone era of the 1950’s and early 1960’s. The stone chimney was listing badly. I dream of better days but this place was maybe too fancy for me. A pot belly stove for heat and sleep in the bottom bunk is my ticket. As a kid I got the top bunk at 90 degrees F. But I loved it, by midnight it was down to 70 degrees. The bottom bunk was 32 degrees by morning but with a good sleeping bag you were just dandy. Outdoors it was a scant 6 degrees.My father and his hunting friends were terrific role models for me. Respectful of each other more or less, they kidded around and understood the passion for deer hunting and eating venison they caught themselves. Cribbage was an evening pass time when dishes were done and we could tell stories of the big one that got away. Ayuh! We stoked the potbelly stove and off to bed. Up at 3:30 or so came fast.
The past few days in the North Woods I saw solid deer and Moose sign around Errol, NH. Spring was successful as I saw fawn tracks. On Moose, there was a Mother and Calf in my area seen in tracks. No big bull tracks. You gotta do your own scouting my friend. What is clear is that if want a big buck then you must go deeper away from the normal hunting haunts. There is turkey sign too. I saw a small Sow Bear with tiny cubs cross a logging road. I had a camera but she was too fast. It will be a treat only I can enjoy as I have imprinted it mentally like a little movie. She stepped out on the road first and as she crossed she gave a head turn as if the coast was clear to follow momma and out came the tiny cubs scurrying to cross and keep up. I passed through Whitefield on rt 116 and Rt 2 and stopped for a minute at the local Gun store. They say sales are great! Retiring next year. Want a gun store?
From a hunting rifle standpoint the furthest shot in the woods would not exceed 50 yards in widest openings but more normal would be less than 40 yards in brush. You don’t need a .270 for that! A .308 or 30:06 would be fine or a new lever gun in your favorite flat nose caliber like the 308 and .338 Marlin Express. Or if your a mind, a big Ruger like mine with hand-loads that you create. © 2014
For those who are waiting for the North’s shooting ranges to clear it is still, I think, a work in progress. In Northern NH in the White Mountains, they are still white with snow depths of 25 inches in some places. Far to the south and east in NH the snow is practically gone. At my home in Plaistow there are a few spots under heavy pines and in sun shadows that some snow remains. My lawn is turning green and my nose is itching with perhaps some pussy willow pollen. Get your gear ready, buy some of those new Turkey loads to increase your range and focus your shot pattern. I am thinking #5 shot. How ’bout you?
Love my Remington 870
This weekend is a good time to hit the sport shops for those turkey loads and calls and camo. I like the green leaf add to my camo hat as I sit at the base of a large tree. When they can see my eyes it will be too late. Note in an earlier article I said I bought some camo band-aids for camo around my eyes. Don’t purchase those as they didn’t stick at all. Lesson learned. But the camo leaves are terrific and a great buy. I have a camo’ wrap for my shotgun that should work but need more cloth tape to get rid of the shine of wood and metal. Here are the Turkey Loads I purchased today. They are #5 shot.
Here is the Quaker Boy Target I shot at today at 35 yards.
Looks like a very dead bird to me. The target says you need at least 5 shots in the head and neck for Maximum Effective Range. Here we have 14 pellets near the spine. Fantastic! I would say I could go a bit more. But I like it here!
I purchased decoys too.
Here is the Tom all unraveled ($19.00 each).
Each day gets closer! Time to do some scouting! Check out the Turkey hunt on NHFG website: http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Hunting/Hunt_species/hunt_turkey.htm
Wow! I can’t wait! I had such great success last year in New Hampshire that I am beside myself with thoughts of calling in a mature Tom this year with a long beard. The key to a successful hunt is to be prepared and that begins with good identification skills of a male Tom, knowing the differences of a hen and being safe yourself.
NEW HAMPSHIRE SAFETY TIPS AND BIRD ID’s HERE (Be sure to read it and understand it) :
http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Hunting/Hunt_species/hunt_turkey.htm#spring
“Hunters are, therefore, legally obligated to know the difference between hens and gobblers. This skill can be acquired through reading, field observation, watching videos, and attending a turkey hunting seminar”.
I highly recommend the 2014 Turkey Hunting seminar on March 31 April 7th. See website below.
http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Newsroom/News_2010/News_2010_Q1/HE_turkey_talks_032610.html
Gotta hava beard, gotta hava beard, gotta hava beard along with Red, White and blue head markings, size and other key features such as color of feathers. e.g., A Tom is almost black except for the head where a hen is more brown.
A beard is not a 100% positive ID of a Tom however.
Experts say 10 to 20 percent of females grow beards too so be on the lookout if you can tell the difference. Not illegal to shoot a female with a beard but if you can pass on them, its is better for the population. Photo’s from the Wild Turkey Federation website.
http://www.nwtf.org/all_about_turkeys/new_turkey_look.html
The Hunt?
Full Camo for your body, face and your shotgun or bow. Leave nothing to chance if you wanna play to win. Just so you know, I am no expert at turkey hunting as I am always learning. I am just like you, trying my best. Turkeys can appear and melt into the forest like ghosts if you are detected. A full face mask is a must along with a camo hat and coat and firearm. There are tons of face masks out there. I will be trying a HooRag face mask this spring. http://www.hoorag.com/camouflage-bandanas/ I like the patterns too. I even purchased some camo band aids for around my eyes. On order from the website below.
http://www.whatonearthcatalog.com/cgi-bin/hazel.cgi?
and some pin on camo leaves you can find on Amazon.com. Just ordered them! Here are some photo’s of the seamless face masks I have. Below is a proven Mossy Oak face mask and below that a deer camo mask from Hoo Rag. I have just purchased some pin on oak leaves too in green and brown for 12 dollars a bag from Amazon. I will pin a few green ones to my hat as well. wear some hunter orange when moving in the woods too like a hat. Never wear red white or blue as Toms are in similar head colors.
I have long since been an advocate of the Remington 870 Pump 12 gauge shotgun. I have killed many deer and a few turkeys with it. I use my goose barrel which is long with a full choke. Don’t leave it to chance. You want to pattern your shotgun each season with the loads you intend to hunt with. Outdoor Life has a great article on turkey loads to read below.
or
or
http://www.federalpremium.com/products/shotshell.aspx
or
http://www.winchester.com/Products/shotshell-ammunition/Advanced/Double-X/Pages/default.aspx?c=12
More as May 3rd approaches.
Today, Wednesday October 23, 2013 and I haven’t heard a thing about the Moose Hunt so I decided to take a drive with my Nikon camera to the New Hampton Moose Registration Station just south of Plymouth NH to see what’s happening.
I arrived around 11:30 AM to observe a Moose being checked it. It was huge! It had a whopping 53 inch spread. The hunters were Dave Deluca who made the first kill shot and Alan Michalowski with a follow-up shot to the neck. The Moose fell dead right there.
Dave and Alan were up for the past 16 hours and either gutting,cutting, dragging, or caping out this monster with no sleep.
What a terrific hunting team they made. Dave credits Alan with his excellent taxidermy prep. caping skills. They seemed no worse for wear as they were all smiles as I snapped photo’s and took video while getting their story. The NHFG Biologist’s were very helpful and informative to all of us. Listen to the initial video clip below. You can maximize the clip by clicking on the box at right in the clip.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3LC1IrEgXI
The bulls live weight is estimated at 800 pounds. Antler spread was a whopping 53 inches.The age is estimated at 4 1/2 years.
Rifle/Cartridges for Dave was .270 Winchester with 150 grain bullets and for Alan a .308 Winchester with 180 grain Silvertips. Nice! (Editor Note: Go to my June 2013 Archive to read more on Moose and Cartridges).
Below the NHFG Biologist says Ahhhh and ages the Moose by its teeth. If you can see the red bar in his hands he is prying the mouth open wide so he can get a good look inside.
A local high school biology class was there to observe too. I promised the teacher, I would send photo’s of her students in observation of the Biologists. Not shown as she needed to get permission for me to use them.
THE HUNT STORY
The Hunting story as Dave and Alan recall it was Yesterday October 22, 2013 at 3:40 in the afternoon in Unit G. Dave and Alan were hunting in the same area that this duo shot another giant Bull Moose 10 years ago. Wow!
They crested a rise deep in the woods and there in front of them was a 4 1/2 year old monster bull bedded down about 70 yards away. It was Dave’s tag but instead of shooting right away he began to fiddle with the HD Camera attached to his rifle according to his partner Alan. Alan was getting nervous with the camera fiddling that Dave was doing. It was around that time that the saw the other two monster bulls bedded beside the one they were going to shoot. What! Let me say that another way. There were three bulls all about the same size bedded together. Yes Really!!! Here it is in their own words in the youtube clip below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWi8dC131Qk
Initially, Alan and Dave only saw the one Bull directly in front of them. I can’t say that I blame them, he was huge! I suspect when the other bulls started moving antlers that the hunters were truly shocked.
Dave shot first while the Moose was still bedded. Then all heck broke loose and Alan followed up with a neck shot and the Moose fell dead. I assume the other two Bulls left in a hurry. Alan says he has the info and photo’s of their last Moose Hunt so we will post that story too. More to come!!
By Alan E. Lutz
Bear season opens on the first of September in New Hampshire. Alan Lutz, Vice President of the New Hampshire Wildlife Federation had the pleasure of hunting with guide Mitch Filson of Cast and Blast Guide Services. Mitch had set up his bait sites soon as the season opened. One of the sites was located adjacent to a dairy farmer’s corn crop. Unfortunately for the farmer, the bears were making quite a feast of the corn, having knocked down nearly a quarter acre of this important feed crop for his cattle.
After checking the bait sites for several days to insure the bears were actually visiting the bait, Mitch gave the author a call to set up the time and day for the hunt. Alan met Mitch around 3:00 in the afternoon and proceeded to the farmer’s property. Alan parked his truck and joined Mitch who drove him near the stand he had set up earlier. By the time clothes were changed, rifle loaded and the tree stand entered, it was nearly 4:00 pm. The stand gave a clear view of the bait site along with a good view of the two spots in the corn where the bears had been feasting. Mitch gave clear instructions to be quiet and, most importantly, to “keep your head on a swivel.” As Mitch indicated, bears are very quiet when walking through the woods as the author soon found out.
Every so often Alan would make a full scan of the surroundings. He would look to the right into the woods, back to the left into the corn and around to the bait site directly in front. At around 6:55 pm he was making his scan and when coming around from the left towards the bait site, he noticed something dark at about the 10 o’clock position. It was a bear …and it wasn’t far away, maybe 30 yards. At this point all he could clearly see was the hind quarters so he knew the bear would not see the Weatherby 30-06 being raised into position. As the gun was raised, the bear sensed something was amiss and turned left and began to slowly walk away. Fortunately for Alan, this brought the bear into a perfect position for a shot. The crease behind the shoulder stood out clearly as the shot was made. The 180 grain Nosler Partition dropped the bear in its tracks. A 173 lb. female.
After several minutes of adrenaline and heart pounding excitement, a call was made to Mitch who showed up rather quickly with his ATV. After a few photos were taken the bear was transported to Mitch’s truck. The bear was field dressed and loaded up.
The end of an exciting bear hunt in the great state of New Hampshire!
Editor’s Note: Reprinted with the Authors permission. Alan is a long time friend of mine and also hunted Africa with the same outfitter as I did. Nice Bear! Congratulations Alan!