About these notes

I started writing these notes after the 2023 Okavango trip, mostly because I wanted somewhere to put my own observations before they got polished smooth in retelling. The first season's worth of writing sat in a notebook for nine months before I bothered to put it online. I still don't know whether anyone reads it, and it doesn't particularly matter.

Who

I'm middle-aged, European, and have been hunting in one form or another since boyhood. I came to African game late — first trip in 2019, plains game only, no predators. The shift towards hyena specifically happened after a guide in Zambia, on a hunt where we never saw the leopard we were sitting for, told me at the end of the second week that he'd rather hunt hyena than any cat. It took me a long time to understand what he meant. I think I understand it now.

I am not a professional hunter. I am not a writer. I sell software for a living and use the holidays I have on this. None of these posts are sponsored, none of the outfitters mentioned have asked to be mentioned, and I pay full freight on every trip.

What this is

Trip reports, mostly. A bit of writing about gear that has either earned its place or proved itself a mistake. Occasional thoughts on the ethics, regulation, and economics of hunting in southern and east Africa, written by someone who is a guest in those countries and tries to keep that in mind.

It is not:

• A trophy gallery. I take pictures of camp, of the bush, of the rifle on the rest. I don't post pictures of dead animals. That's a personal preference, not a moral position.
• A buying guide. I have no idea what your budget is, what you can shoot, or what your wife thinks of all this. Hire a good outfitter and ask them.
• A debate forum. The comments section is closed because I don't want to moderate it. If you want to argue with me, write your own site.

Where

So far, in roughly the order I've been there: South Africa (Limpopo, Eastern Cape), Namibia (Khomas, Caprivi), Botswana (Okavango fringe and the salt pans), Zambia (Luangwa), and Tanzania (Selous). Each has its own permit regime, its own quota, and its own way of doing things. None of them is a theme park, and the better operators will tell you so on the first morning.

Contact

If you found this site you can probably find me too. I don't publish an email address here because I'd rather not invite the noise. The people I want to hear from already know how to reach me.