http://www.huntingreport.com/rss/rss.cfm Hunting Articles For The Hunter Who Travels Wed, 01 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT http://www.huntingreport.com/worldupdate.cfm?articleid=636 Two clients hunting with Johan Calitz Safaris in Botswana have taken a 92-pound and an 80-pound elephant only days apart. The larger of the two was a one-tusker shot by Mike McGinnes, while hunting with PH Garth Robinson (pictured here with the trophy). They reportedly shot the bull at a distance of only seven feet in NG42 (Masame). PH Garth Robinson guided Mike McGinnes to this 92-pound one-tusker. The other jumbo weighs in at 80.3 x 79 pounds and was taken by Boyd Meyer while hunting with PH Johan Calitz in NG32 (Qorokwe). See photo below and check for more details in the next issue of The Hunting Report. Boyd Meyer (right) and PH Johan Calitz with 80-pound jumbo News Bulletins Thu, 09 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT http://www.huntingreport.com/worldupdate.cfm?articleid=636 http://www.huntingreport.com/current_issue.cfm?id=1056 The May 2013 Issue Wed, 01 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT http://www.huntingreport.com/current_issue.cfm?id=1056 http://www.huntingreport.com/current_issue.cfm?id=1058 <div align="center">By Barbara Crown, Editor</div><br>At the top of this page, right under the spiffy (we think) logo are the words "The Independent News Source For Hunters Who Travel." That, in a nutshell, is who we are. <br><br> I came to <em>The Hunting Report</em> from the news industry; our managing editor, Tim Jones, has a newspaper background stretching back almost 40 years. Frankly, we do get excited about bringing you fresh, immediate, actionable new information that helps you to decide where to hunt next. In this issue alone we have news of <strong>new</strong> "old fashioned" hunts in South Africa and Russia, and fresh information to help you decide if Japan is the right destination for you to hunt sika deer. We have news on a change in the BC sales tax structure which will affect traveling hunters, a "no news is good news" report on Quebec, and several reports on outfitters we've never covered before in the US and Canada. We bring you news whenever and wherever we can. <br><br> Recently, a subscriber told us he feels that, by focusing so much on the new and (sometimes) exotic, we shortchange what he, personally, finds most interesting. In his case, it's quality, affordable opportunities for more "standard" game such as North American deer and African plains game. He's not trying to complete a collection, set world records, or hunt on the edges of combat zones; he just wants good, quality hunting and a lot of bang for his time and money spent. <br><br> We suspect a number of you feel the same, and we hear you. Sometimes in chasing "news" and breaking down exactly what it means to the traveling hunter, we may have neglected balancing it with "plain old quality hunting." We'll keep a better eye on this moving forward. In this issue, we've included a few "value" hunts, including one in Austria that a subscriber felt delivered a lot of satisfaction for the money spent, reasonably-priced exotic game hunts in New Mexico and Texas, two highly successful blacktail deer hunts in Oregon and news (there's that word again) on who's picked up quotas in Namibia's community conservancies, including information on a heavily-discounted Cape buffalo/plains game hunt in one of them. <br><br> We are going to continue to bring you as much news of the hunting world in each issue as we can, but we'll also chase after more of the tried and true opportunities many of you crave. We hope you'll continue sending us feedback and tell us which stories put you on what you consider to be hunts-of-a-lifetime. After all, that's exactly what we want to help you to find. The May 2013 Issue Wed, 01 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT http://www.huntingreport.com/current_issue.cfm?id=1058 http://www.huntingreport.com/current_issue.cfm?id=1045 <div align="center"><em>By Harry Morse</em></div><br><em>Editor Note: In our February issue, correspondent Harry Morse told you where to find trophy-quality free-range bison in the lower 48. Now he's researched similar opportunities in Alberta. Just be aware, these hunts could test your physical and mental endurance. Enjoy!</em> <br><br> Alberta bison hunting offers challenging wilderness hunts for totally free-range trophy bison in their natural habitat. The hunting takes place around Wood Buffalo National Park, the largest national park in North America at 44,807 square kilometers (17,300 square miles) - an area larger than Switzerland. The park straddles the border of Northern Alberta and Northwest Territories. It was established in 1922 to provide sanctuary for wood bison and now boasts the largest (estimated at more than 5,000 animals) free-ranging herd of wood bison in the world. Wood bison lived there before man set foot in these forests, and the great beasts were never displaced or extirpated as they were elsewhere. <br><br> Despite this, bison coming out of the Wood Buffalo National Park are not recognized as game animals in Alberta and are classified as non-wildlife under the Alberta Wildlife Act. That's because the wandering animals are considered to be hybrids of plains and wood bison. Plains bison were introduced to the area over 70 years ago, when officials feared all bison could become extinct. Later, pure strains of wood bison were found in remote corners of the park and concerns arose that the imported bison could spread disease to the native herds. As a result, a special bison hunting zone was established in Alberta where they can be hunted all year. A hunting license is required, but there is no bag limit. A bison hunt here can be booked at any time or can be set up as a combo, adding wolf, bear or moose depending on the location and timing...... The May 2013 Issue Wed, 01 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT http://www.huntingreport.com/current_issue.cfm?id=1045 http://www.huntingreport.com/current_issue.cfm?id=1047 <div align="center">By Barbara Crown, Editor</div><br>Here at <em>The Hunting Report</em>, we've heard every problem possible when it comes to trophies. We have seen trophies mishandled in the field, damaged before and during shipment, lost or stolen in transit, switched with lesser quality trophies, destroyed in warehouse fires and even disappear along with dishonest or bankrupt taxidermists. When a shipment of trophies from Botswana was highjacked by smugglers in 2011, we suggested hunters may want to invest in cargo or trophy replacement insurance, but a policy that would actually cover trophies from the moment they hit the ground to the moment they enter your trophy room did not seem to exist. Enter the <a href="http://www.theholmesorg.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Holmes Organisation</a>.<br><br> You may have noticed their recent advertisement in our pages. The ad pitches "comprehensive insurance for your trophies, from the field to the trophy room and everywhere in between..... The May 2013 Issue Wed, 01 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT http://www.huntingreport.com/current_issue.cfm?id=1047 http://www.huntingreport.com/current_issue.cfm?id=1049 <div align="center">By Tim Jones, Managing Editor</div><br> If you already have a hunt booked in <strong>British Columbia</strong> for anytime in 2013 or beyond, you need to know about a change in the tax scheme there that may save you some money. We are indebted to Senior Western Correspondent Lance Stapleton for alerting us to this bit of information that impacts traveling hunters. <br><br> Some needed background: Until 2009, BC had two separate taxes, a seven percent PST (Provincial Sales Tax), which did <strong>NOT</strong> apply to hunting packages, and a national five percent GST (Goods and Services Tax), which did apply. However, non-Canadians could receive a 50 percent rebate on this GST if the invoice showed the full amount and the 50 percent rebate...... The May 2013 Issue Wed, 01 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT http://www.huntingreport.com/current_issue.cfm?id=1049 http://www.huntingreport.com/current_issue.cfm?id=1048 <div align="center">By Barbara Crown, Editor</div><br> Last month I told you that at least two operators had carried out hunting safaris in the Central African Republic this past January/February despite the activities of the rebel group Seleka. You'll recall this rebel group swept through the countryside and threatened to take Bangui if President Francois Bozize did not step down. They have since done so; more on that in a moment. However, despite the unrest, it seems there was a third operator who successfully carried out safaris during this upheaval, namely Dave Rademeyer of <a href="http://www.northernoperationsafrica.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Northern Operations Africa</a> (305-733-1873). Despite postponing his first group (scheduled for January 3), just as peace talks with Seleka leaders were underway, Rademeyer ran four other safaris in a partnership of sorts with Central African Wildlife Adventures (CAWA), one of the other companies that conducted hunts there this season. Rademeyer says that while he uses CAWA's infrastructure, his clients hunt an area exclusive to Northern Operations Africa (NOA) and are guided by NOA PHs Pete Wood and Thierry Labat.... The May 2013 Issue Wed, 01 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT http://www.huntingreport.com/current_issue.cfm?id=1048 http://www.huntingreport.com/current_issue.cfm?id=1055 <div align="center">By Tim Jones, Managing Editor</div><br> Some of the controversies we air in these pages simply defy any attempt to summarize them to fit in our print edition. So much depends on the personalities involved and the precise details and timing of many events. That's why we always place <strong>all related materials</strong> with the original complaint and make it instantly available in our Email Extra database, and by fax or email to any subscriber who has not yet upgraded to Email Extra. <br><br> In one such controversy, subscriber Bob Cassell voices a number of complaints around a hunt in <strong>Mongolia</strong> for Gobi argali sheep and Altai ibex in 2011 (Report <a href="http://www.huntingreport.com/email_extra/report_details.cfm?hr_item=9063" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">9063</a>). The hunt was booked through Kaan Karakaya of Shikar Safaris and conducted in the field by Odgiiv Galbadrakh, of Mongol Tours..... The May 2013 Issue Wed, 01 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT http://www.huntingreport.com/current_issue.cfm?id=1055 http://www.huntingreport.com/current_issue.cfm?id=1057 <div align="center"><em>By Tim Jones, Managing Editor</em></div><br><br>Just at press time last month, subscriber Mario Nobili sent us our first-ever report on a big-game hunt in <strong>Japan</strong>, on the northern island of Hokkaido for native sika deer. We published what details we had at that time (see the <a href="http://www.huntingreport.com/email_extra/current_issue.cfm?id=1031" target="_blank">April issue</a>), then went digging for more. <br><br> As we told you last month, the hunts take place in the winter and are archery-only due to Japan's extremely restrictive gun laws. There are, however, lots of animals available. Nobili reported, "I was really surprised to see dozens and dozens of stags every day, many high quality trophies that you could only dream of in other areas of the world, where the sika was introduced." Nobili took three stags on his hunt. <br><br> We contacted Eric Rose (oregoneric@hotmail.com), the American ex-pat who organized Nobili's hunt. He answered our questions candidly, making it very clear that this is not a hunt that's right for everyone. But, for the right hunter with the right attitude, it could be a gem. Here's what Rose told us..... The May 2013 Issue Wed, 01 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT http://www.huntingreport.com/current_issue.cfm?id=1057 http://www.huntingreport.com/current_issue.cfm?id=1044 <div align="center">By Barbara Crown, Editor</div><br>Peter <a href="http://www.africatrophyhunting.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Thormahlen of Thormahlen & Cochran Safaris</a> has secured the rights to the East Caprivi Salambala Conservancy for elephant, buffalo and plains game. The Salambala Conservancy encompasses 930 square kilometers (359 square miles) of floodplains and Kalahari sandveld adjacent to Botswana's Chobe National Park and is bordered on two sides by the Chobe River.It is one of the first conservancies created in Namibia and is home to....... The May 2013 Issue Wed, 01 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT http://www.huntingreport.com/current_issue.cfm?id=1044 http://www.huntingreport.com/current_issue.cfm?id=1043 In <strong>Namibia</strong>, operator <a href="http://jofielamprechtsafaris.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Jofie Lamprecht</a> tells me he has secured quotas in several prime concessions in Caprivi and near Etosha National Park. Lamprecht, you'll recall, had successfully bid for the Waterberg Plateau government hunting concession in 2009 and proceeded to lead hunters to a number of world class trophies. (See Articles <a href="http://www.huntingreport.com/email_extra/article_details.cfm?ar_item=2300" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">2300</a>, <a href="http://www.huntingreport.com/email_extra/article_details.cfm?ar_item=2397" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">2397</a>, <a href="http://www.huntingreport.com/email_extra/article_details.cfm?ar_item=2600" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">2600</a> and <a href="http://www.huntingreport.com/email_extra/article_details.cfm?ar_item=2769" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">2769</a>.) When the Ministry of Environment and Tourism decided not to renew the hunting concession at Waterberg Plateau, Lamprecht began exploring other areas and working with a number of prime concession holders to continue offering his clients high-quality hunting experiences in Namibia. His approach, he says, is to offer five star plains game and dangerous game experiences in the best areas of the country...... The May 2013 Issue Wed, 01 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT http://www.huntingreport.com/current_issue.cfm?id=1043 http://www.huntingreport.com/current_issue.cfm?id=1046 <div align="center">By Michael Bodenchuk, Correspondent</div><br><em>Editor's Note: In our <a href="http://www.huntingreport.com/email_extra/current_issue.cfm?id=1009" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">March issue</a>, in the first of a three-part series on opportunities for free-range exotics across the US, correspondent Michael Bodenchuk took you on a tour of the opportunities in Alaska, California and Hawaii. This month, he's focusing on <strong>New Mexico</strong> and <strong>Texas</strong>.) </em> <br><br> New Mexico began an official, state-sponsored, exotic game program in the late 1960s. The state evaluated several species for possible introduction, among them greater kudu, Persian red sheep and Persian gazelle, none of which were ever released due to potential competition issues with native game. The animals that were released include gemsbok (which are called oryx in NM), Persian ibex (or pasang), and aoudad, (which are called Barbary sheep in NM). Siberian ibex were also released in the Canadian River Canyon near Roy, NM in the late 1970s, and a few were hunted under limited public and landowner permits. I worked this area in 1977 and saw the ibex regularly, but their numbers dwindled, and I doubt any remain. <br><br> The Persian ibex, however, was a stunning success - so much so that female ibex hunts are held today to keep the population in check. The Persian ibex, actually not a true ibex but a wild goat, was released in the Florida (pronounced as the Spanish: <em>flor-ee-da</em>) Mountains south and east of Deming, NM. This is a rugged mountain range about 20 miles long and only a single ridge-crest wide at the top, with many cliffs perfectly suited for ibex. <br><br> I personally accompanied ibex hunters in these mountains for about 10 years and believe this is a unique hunting opportunity in the US. Trophy size is as good as or better than in Iran (the world record horns are from this US herd), and special opportunities exist for muzzleloader and archery hunters. The best chance for success is, of course, the once-in-a-lifetime, either-sex, any firearm hunt, but the odds of drawing that tag run about 1:200. However, New Mexico's draw system is set up so that if your application is drawn, they will consider any of your first three choices before moving on to another hunter's application. Therefore, if you are willing to try the hunt with a muzzleloader, the odds improve significantly (around 1:42). New Mexico excludes ibex (and oryx) permits from resident/nonresident quotas, so all applications in the pool receive equal consideration. The May 2013 Issue Wed, 01 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT http://www.huntingreport.com/current_issue.cfm?id=1046 http://www.huntingreport.com/current_issue.cfm?id=1053 <div align="center">By Tim Jones, Managing Editor</div><br> We have two recent reports on Oregon hunts for Columbia blacktail deer. In report <a href="http://www.huntingreport.com/email_extra/report_details.cfm?hr_item=9036" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">9036</a> subscriber John J. Meldrum reports on a father/son hunt in October, 2012, for blacktail with Craig Augustynovich of <a href="http://www.finsandfeathersguides.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Fins and Feathers</a> Guide Service (541-974-6567). Meldrum tells us he booked a 3½-day youth hunt for his 13-year-old son, Austin, who took a nice blacktail on the second day. "We saw deer morning and night while we were hunting. After my son got his deer, Craig took us snow crabbing for the last day of the scheduled hunt," says Meldrum. "I personally have hunted with Gus to take a blacktail and Columbia whitetail in past years. Everything is clean and first-rate...... The May 2013 Issue Wed, 01 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT http://www.huntingreport.com/current_issue.cfm?id=1053 http://www.huntingreport.com/current_issue.cfm?id=1051 <div align="center">By Tim Jones, Managing Editor</div><br> If you are looking for a quality winter mountain lion hunt, we have three recent subscriber reports to help point you in the right direction. <br><br> First up is <a href="http://www.huntingreport.com/email_extra/report_details.cfm?hr_item=9051" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Report 9051</a> from subscriber Dwight Van Brunt, who used a handgun to take what he describes as a "huge, old tom cougar that weighed (empty) 175-180 pounds." Van Brunt hunted in early February in northern <strong>Idaho</strong> with Bruce Duncan of Selkirk Guiding and Outfitting (509-893-3414). <br><br><div align="center"><img src="http://www.huntingreport.com/images2/temp_content/in_this_issue_1051.jpg"></div><br> Van Brunt gives Duncan's guiding and outfitting excellent ratings in all particulars, saying, "This hunt was flawless in every respect. I have known Bruce Duncan for nearly 30 years, hunted with him many times and have recommended him to other hunters. His new lodge is fantastic in every respect, and his equipment is all new. Hunting is by truck and snowmobile from the lodge..... The May 2013 Issue Wed, 01 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT http://www.huntingreport.com/current_issue.cfm?id=1051 http://www.huntingreport.com/current_issue.cfm?id=1052 Subscriber Peter Hunt is very pleased with what he says was a reasonably priced, five-day hunt in Austria near Miesenbach. He hunted in mid-October with Klemens Bugelnig (phone from the US: 011-43-2674-88201; <a href="mailto:office@gvmf.at" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">office@gvmf.at</a>). His personal guide was Bert Eder, whom Hunt says spoke English well. He describes Eder as "young, hard-working, energetic and fun to hunt with." <br><br> The hunt produced four trophies for Hunt: an 86cm Gold Medal mouflon, a 168 CIC Silver Medal Alpine ibex, a 21cm Bronze Medal wild boar, and an "average" Alpine chamois. By phone, Hunt told us, "One of the reasons I chose this hunt was the reasonable prices. The mouflon was actually larger than I intended to take, but was within the margin of error I'd specified. I saw another mouflon that looked like a Marco Polo - they have some very big mouflon rams here. I hadn't intended to take a boar at all, but we turned a corner on a trail and encountered a huge one-402 pounds on the scale-and I decided to shoot. Fortunately, his tusks were only Bronze Medal quality and that's what I was charged for..... The May 2013 Issue Wed, 01 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT http://www.huntingreport.com/current_issue.cfm?id=1052 http://www.huntingreport.com/current_issue.cfm?id=1054 <div align="center">By Tim Jones, Managing Editor<br><br> <img src="http://www.huntingreport.com/images2/temp_content/in_this_issue_1054.jpg"> </div> <br> This report by British hunter Mark Brackstone on a dead-of-winter wolf hunt in <strong>Russia</strong> is so intriguing we had to pass it along. Brackstone's hunt was February 27 to March 05, 2013 near Kirov, about 500 miles northeast of Moscow. His hunt was arranged by<a href="http://www.stalker-group.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> The Stalker Group</a> (011-7-495-755-4851). <br><br> Brackstone reports that all three hunters in his party took at least one wolf. He took two and describes the trophy quality as "fantastic!" The wolves, he says, were wild and in great condition. <br><br> What's really fascinating about Brackstone's hunt is the way in which it was conducted, using a traditional method called "flagging...... The May 2013 Issue Wed, 01 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT http://www.huntingreport.com/current_issue.cfm?id=1054 http://www.huntingreport.com/current_issue.cfm?id=1050 <div align="center">By Tim Jones, Managing Editor</div><br> Were you holding your breath awaiting news on whether <strong>Québec</strong> would allow one caribou tag or two for the 2013 hunt? If you were, relax . . . go back and re-read the cover story of our <a href="http://www.huntingreport.com/email_extra/current_issue.cfm?id=1007" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">March issue</a>, and our news item on page 10 of the <a href="http://www.huntingreport.com/email_extra/current_issue.cfm?id=1030" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">April issue</a>. Nothing's changed. <br><br> To confirm that, just before press time we made a phone call to Dominic Dugré of the <a href="http://www.pourvoiries.com/en/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Québec Outfitters Federation</a>. He told us that recent meetings with the ministers responsible for northern hunting had produced no official word on the upcoming season.... The May 2013 Issue Wed, 01 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT http://www.huntingreport.com/current_issue.cfm?id=1050 http://www.huntingreport.com/current_issue.cfm?id=1042 <div align="center"><em>By Barbara Crown, Editor</em></div><br> Africa aficionados who pine for the romance of bygone days will want to know about a new opportunity to hunt across <strong>South Africa</strong> using an elegant Edwardian-era style train as your base and mode of transportation. Think of it as hunting from a traveling five-star hotel from the early 1900s. You may have heard of South Africa's <a href="http://www.rovos.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Rovos Rail</a>, which became well-known among wing shooters for a marvelous bird shooting safari the company offered as one its rail tours. Long-time <em>Hunting Report</em> correspondent Gary Kramer, who focuses his efforts on wingshooting these days, brought me word that the Rovos Rail is now offering a plains game shooting safari that harkens back to a classic era. It's not the right trip for everyone, but for the hunter who wants a different experience, or the hunter who would like to travel back in time for a classy historical experience, this new Rovos Rail safari could be what you crave. Here's what Kramer reports about the opportunity...... The May 2013 Issue Wed, 01 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT http://www.huntingreport.com/current_issue.cfm?id=1042