Big game hunters in Africa are making headlines again this month, as the hunters themselves became the hunted.

Last month I wrote about Scott Van Zyl, a big game hunter hunting elephants in Zimbabwe who encountered two crocodiles — that consequently, ate him.  In a very strange coincidence, last week his good friend Theunis Botha was crushed by an elephant shot by his own hunting party.

Both men were very well respected hunting guides in Africa and while the hunting community mourns their loss the antis are taking to social media to call their deaths karma.

Theunis Botha: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know – “Big game hunter Theunis Botha was out to kill animals in South Africa but got a taste of his own medicine when he was crushed to death by an elephant. Netwerk 24 in the Rainbow Nation reports that Botha had taken a group of hunters into the bush in Gwai, Zimbabwe, on May 19. The station says that the a group of female elephants charged at the group in an area known as Good Luck Farm.”

The antis simply don’t understand the “law of the jungle” in this case Africa . . .

Arguments in Favor of Hunting – “By removing a small amount of hunters from Africa you are essentially sentencing all the animals to death. By comparison, hunters kill a small amount of animals while unrestrained poaching can lead to the extinction of these majestic creatures. A few animals must be killed in order to sustain the rest of the population.” Interesting how the animal kingdom mimics human nature. In light of Memorial Day, I wonder if these antis complain when soldiers give their lives for their freedom to bitch and complain about hunting animals in Africa.

Yes!!!!!! OMG sign me up for this ASAP. Texas Lawmakers Legalize Hunting Hogs From Hot Air Balloons – “As state lawmakers gut major bills in the last days of the 85th legislative session, it’s become clear where many of their priorities lie. Child welfare. Religious freedom. Women’s health. Oh, and hunting feral hogs from hot air balloons. That last one, oddly enough, is one of the few issues that have managed to float through both chambers unscathed. Thanks to a Wednesday vote by the Texas Senate, a bill allowing landowners to shoot wild hogs and coyotes from the safety of a hot air balloon basket has now landed on Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk.”

Sadly, we often hear about teenagers mishandling firearms and accidentally causing the death of another.  As parents and gun owners, we must be dedicated to teaching our kids firearms safety.

In this case we aren’t dealing with kids that got into mom or dads gun safe.  These kids apparently knew enough about guns to go out and hunt for themselves, so I’m sure mom and dad taught them the basics.  Unfortunately, in most cases with teenagers you can teach them safety but you can’t teach them temperance.

Teen accidentally killed by friend during hunting outing – “Authorities say a 17-year-old boy has died after he was accidentally shot by a friend while hunting in Vernon County. Sheriff’s officials say the boy and his 15-year-old friend were going turkey hunting on private land in the Town of Whitestown Sunday. When the two got out of the vehicle, a pistol held by the younger boy discharged, striking the older boy in the side and chest area. He was pronounced dead at the scene.”

FYI- In many states it is legal to allow minors to hunt unaccompanied by an adult.  In Texas you can let your kids hunt alone as early as 9 years of age.

There is hope for teenage boys still. While hunting with dad this teenage boy had a great idea for safety . . .

Vermont Boy Invents New Camouflage for Hunting, Launches KickStarter Campaign – “Vermont Boy Invents New Camouflage for Hunting, Launches KickStarter CampaignThe See3D Camo suit is an orange leafy suit that incorporates safety orange and “3D leaf” technology to greatly improve how the hunter’s outline blends into their surroundings. The new suit makes them invisible to deer, yet highly visible to other hunters. Patented this year, the new hunting suit achieves two contradictory goals: improved camouflage to remain hidden from deer while increasing visibility to other hunters for safety.

“I was sitting in a tree stand with my Dad and we were both wearing bright orange for safety. I thought to myself, ‘We can’t be very hidden from deer, we have too much solid color, there has to be a better way to do this,’” says Peter, aged 13. According to U.S. Fish and Wildlife, of the over 13 million hunters who take to the woods each year, more than one thousand are accidentally shot, many of them fatally.”

Very, very cool story! This one gave me chills and “je ne sais quoi” just made me feel proud for women everywhere. Girl power!

Japanese women are entering the male-dominated world of hunting — at the government’s request – “In Japan, it was once considered taboo for a woman to speak with a man before he went on a hunt. But a rising number of female hunters are taking up arms, at their government’s behest. Over the last decade, Japanese farmers have lost up to $170 million annually because of a booming deer and boar population, among other animals that nosh on vegetable crops.

“The Ministry of Agriculture enlists hunters to help control the pest problem and protect the farms. At the same time, there are fewer male hunters in Japan due to age and rural depopulation. Hunting groups and local governments are now recruiting women to get the job done.”

Bear season is in full swing, and this brave soul was hunting bears with a recurve bow!

Hunter attacked by black bear captures terrifying incident on video – “Richard Wesley has an unbelievable story to tell, but at least he’s got proof. Wesley, a hunter in Ontario, Canada, walked away after getting attacked by a black bear, and even managed to capture the incident on video, TMZ reports. The video shows the black bear just seconds before it started charging at Wesley. In it, the bear can be seen walking slowly toward the hunter before charging and knocking the camera out of his hand.”

With all these recent animal attacks while hunting, I’m thinking I need a new field pistol. Designed for self-defense against large predators this Ruger might be my next purchase.

Super Redhawk Alaskan – “Providing the confidence of a six-shot cylinder in a size and weight that is practical enough to conveniently carry afield where personal protection may be needed. Alaskan models feature a 2-1/2″ frame-integral barrel for fast draw-and-aim capability. Available in hard-hitting .44 Magnum and .454 Casull calibers.”

Big changes in Alabama you need to know for this upcoming hunting season. Baiting deer is not a great way of hunting y’all but if you have a deer lease and your neighbor baits then, you must bait. Otherwise, you are going to frustrate yourself.  If you don’t want to do that type of hunting then go somewhere baiting isn’t allowed, or high fence your property. However, for some of us, we need to eat.  Venison jerky specifically.

Hey, hunters: What you don’t know about baiting will cost you big– “The state passed a “supplemental feeding” law, most folks call it baiting, in 2016 and it went into effect this past hunting season. The current law allows use of bait if is at least 100 yards away from the hunter, and out of direct line of sight, no matter the distance. That’s the law in effect now.Williams’ proposal would have done away with the distance and line of sight restrictions, if hunters bought a yearly $15 baiting license. Of the money raised, $14 would go back to operate the conservation department and $1 would be an issuance fee. The bill would also allow bait to be used to hunt feral hogs. At the time Williams said his bill would clear up any confusion about distance, and raise money for the conservation department.”

Snake boots, hunters. Snake boots! . . . Scientist observes packs of snakes engaged in ‘coordinated hunting’ – “In case the mental image of snakes hunting in a pack weren’t reason enough to stay inside, the snakes did this group hunting while dangling from the top of the cave. ‘After sunset and before dawn, some of the boas entered the passage that connected the roosting chamber with the entrance chamber, and hunted by suspending themselves from the ceiling and grabbing passing bats,’ the study said.

“This isn’t the first time a group hunting effort among snakes has been observed, though it remains unclear if this is actually a widespread serpentine phenomenon or if there’s really any purposeful coordination between the snakes. ‘It is possible that coordinated hunting is not uncommon among snakes, but it will take a lot of very patient field research to find out,’ Dinets said.”

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51 COMMENTS

  1. Antis managed to ban the Ontario spring bear hunt in what, 1999?
    When and how did it come back?

    • OK, so I looked it up. Spring bear hunting came back in 2014 in response to (a totally predictable) 15 year increase in human/bear incidents.

      The anti hunters who worked so hard to get it banned last century are still protesting the three year old reversal.

  2. When I saw the headline “Balloon Hunting,” my first thought was, who would want to shoot a balloon? There’s very little sport in it and besides, they taste like shit.

    Then I read the part about “Texas Lawmakers Legalize Hunting Hogs From Hot Air Balloons,” and I thought, it’s going to take a lot of guts for someone to put a hog in a hot air balloon so that someone can hunt it.

    Then it dawned on me that the hog would stay on the ground and the hunter would go up in a balloon. Was my face red!

    So here’s a pro tip for balloon-based hunters: muzzle control is going to be really, really important.

    • You now owe me a new keyboard, windex that cleaned the monitor, paint for the wall, and a new painting to replace the one that is now covered with an Arnold Palmer! The missus really liked that painting too.

    • Don’t you have to shoot some of the balloons to get the lawn chair back to the ground?

    • So, what’s the proper form for hunting from a balloon? Leather helmet? Goggles? White scarf? Leather jacket? Parachute?

      A classy drilling or a more businesslike gatling gun? Does the balloon have to be blaze orange? Or if you look up and see your ballon blazing orange should you jump?

      Will peta harassers be restricted to biplanes? This one new law opens a can of worms for us hunters.

      P.S. If I want to contact the balloon hunter from the ground do I wrap a message around an arrow and then shoot it at the balloon?

      • I think you’re very near it JWM. I see a mounted brass telescope on the gondola. I wonder, with the hog problem being what it is, if they will next allow one to drop heavy objects from the ballon and onto the hogs both to make it more sporting and conserve ammunition?

        • Balloons aren’t capable of lifting heavy objects. Texas needs to amend it’s laws once more.

          I see sky’s full of dirigibles in the near future. Racks of bowling balls stacked and ready to go.

        • Please don’t use bowling balls. That will just spawn a scoring method and, in short order, a new series on ESPN7…airing after the “shopping cart derby finals”.

    • Balloon hunting ? Has Frank Luke taken to the sky again? WW 1 ace with a hard on for balloons….

    • My thoughts exactly, except I was wondering how the hogs in the balloon would hunt with no opposable thumbs.

      “And any fool knows a dog needs a home, a shelter, from pigs on the wing.”

  3. Can’t go wrong with a revolving Ru ger, but as Joe over at Real Gu ns pointed out, you’ve got to be careful with those Alaskans to avoid setting the local squirrels on fire.

  4. It is very difficult for me to understand the hunt of animals such as Leopards, Lions, Elephants, I would only be able to pull the trigger if a human life was on the line. I just don’t get it.

    • The big cats prey on livestock. Without hunting, the locals would turn to poisoning as a control. A far worse thing for the environment & the other animals in the food chain. Elephants again can be pests. Destroying fences & crops. Hunting is also a prime income source to. Folks in those nations. No, tree hugger is Paying the fees or hiring guides that hunters do.

    • …or a nice juicy steak. But I don’t think any of those animals are good eating. And if the wild population really does have to be controlled, just open up more zoos.

    • Don’t worry about it. Everyone can’t understand everything.
      For another example – I don’t get why you capitalize lion and elephant, but not human.

  5. Here’s a tip. When you notice a large, potentially dangerous animal like a bear approaching you, put the effing camera down and assume a defensive posture.

    • you would think some people had the common sense but at the same time I’m glad they didn’t

  6. I don’t see shooting hogs from a hot air balloon as being anything more then the novelty of “I shot 12 hogs from a hot air balloon”. There are other aircraft that would work much better and be more maneuverable than a balloon.

    But if you want to, go for it.

  7. That Ruger would have been nice for him to have, but the downside to hunting in Canada is that it’s awfully hard to get a wilderness ATC to carry a pistol. Average hunter would be SOL. I think the only option would be to carry an antique and hope that it did more than annoy the bear. Either that or a partner with a rifle.

  8. “Vermont Boy Invents New Camouflage for Hunting, Launches KickStarter Campaign…”

    I am SO effen tired of f-tard dipwipes thinking they “invented” something just because they know less than jack about the field (whatever the field is) and have never seen it before on YouTube. Guys have melded parts of a ghillie suit with blaze orange base wear for effen ever. Decades.

    The ignorance, it burns. Idiocracy is here.

  9. Lions, tigers and bears are PESTS, oh my. They need to be hunted to control environmental damage. It doesn’t not matter if you eat meat or not. It doesn’t matter if you hunt or not.
    Black people in Africa will see these creatures as pests and threats to their way of life. If they have commercial value then the blacks will protect them. The white hunters are welcome in those villages when they kill a threat to their children. And the hunters bring money to places most normal tourist don’t go to. They bring millions to Africa. The white hunters are much better for blacks in Africa than the racist white liberals in America and Europe.

    God bless those who die in the service of black people in Africa.

  10. I have a Redhawk in.44 that I carry hunting. Bear season overlaps blacktail bow season in WA. Mine has a 5.5″ barrel making it legal to use that to shoot a bear, should I choose to use that instead of the bow. I highly recommend a good .44 back up for bow hunters.

    • So, if the gun you have isn’t “legal” for whatever reason, or the hunting “season” is closed, you must simply allow the bear (or whatever) to kill you?

      The people who make up these idiot “laws”… do any of them have a clue? Of course not.

      • Yeah, stupid law in Washington, hand guns used to hunt must have more then 4″ barrels. You can use any for self defense, but if I was deer hunting with my bow and wanted to put the bow down and use the pistol to shoot a bear, It has Have a barrel more then 4. Also to follow a blood trail with the pistol out, after shooting the bear with my bow, it needs to have a barrel longer then 4″.

        • I don’t see how a four inch barrel would be much of an impediment, particularly for a Glock 20.

  11. The rainbow camouflage for balloon hunting is going to make me look ridiculous.

  12. Balloons make sense. Relatively cheap way to get some elevation and cover a lot of land while getting rid of dangers to domestic animals and crops.

    The Ruger might as well be a derringer. Barrel is 2.5″, with either the Casull or the Mag, I have vision of recoil leaving users wary of follow up shots.

    And the snakes. Oh, the snakes. Looks like Indiana Jones was on the right track and I’m just going to be avoiding caves for the rest of my life. Oh, those clever girls!

      • Cooper, the ultimate 1911 fan, made the argument for a 2-3 inch magnum snub for just such work as a backup when hunting dangerous game.

        His reasoning was that in a lot of animal attacks the person is on the ground with the animal on top or over them before the person has time to react to the attack. It becomes a close quarters scramble at which the snubbie excels. The shots are fired at contact range and he never mentioned ballistics or waste of powder.

        His own choice for such a job was the S&W mod. 19 with a two and a half inch barrel.

        • I guess it’s better than nothing as a contact-range gun. I’ve never argued against the theory vis-a-vis human interaction, and I guess if you’re able to jam it in the animals’ mouth and hit the brain stem, it might do the trick. Out of options, time for the hail Mary and all that.

          As for Cooper being respected? Meh. I’ve owned (and competed waaaayyy back in the day) with several Gold Cups, AMTs (including a Hardballer longslide), and assorted whatnot 1911 pattern stuff. I’m not enamored of the 1911 platform, and never will be. His involvement in the Bren Ten was, at least, a better caliber (and platform). Don’t get me wrong, his participlation in the origin of IPSC was useful, and catchy buzzwords like “hoplophobia” and “condition” whatever number or color were great for pop gun culture. And still in use today.

          He’s just one of those guys who thought way too much of a 350 Chevy….

  13. Balloon hunting brings to mind a famous duel fought in Paris over a woman. Two men agreed to shoot at each other from hot air balloons using blunderbusses at 80 yards. One missed, the other shot the balloon sending his opponent and his second plummeting to their deaths. To me it seems likely they both thought a successful shot at 90 yards with a blunderbuss was incredibly unlikely. They may have simply been trying to appear very brave without putting themselves at grave risk.

    Here is a newspaper account:
    http://blog.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/2012/08/24/the-first-duel-fought-in-hot-air-balloons-paris-1808/

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