I have plans for 2012. In addition to the long-awaited launch of 'Eating Aliens' and hopefully of my goose book, I've decided that its time to get my butt over to Africa.There are several projects in Africa that I am considering but the most likely option is to spend at least a month hunting and learning from indigenous hunter-gatherers (preferably the San or the Mbuti). Many anthropologists have spent time with the San or with other tribes but I think that doing this from the perspective of an American hunter learning techniques and tactics from indigenous hunters would be something novel and useful enough to be worthwhile.
Part two of the same trip would be to spend time hunting with the staff or biologists of a large park where some type of culling is necessary. I'd like to learn more about how professional hunters in Africa go about their work and see what happens to all of that meat.
Right now my best leads seem to be in either Gabon or Sierra Leone but I'm open to other countries.
The plan is for this expedition to result in a book, several magazine articles and a documentary film. The major factor in deciding which country to visit will be one of financial support. I have no money at all with which to finance this. The book and the film will be able to help promote eco-tourism in the country that is chosen, so support from a state's government is important. We're going to need help getting around the back country, places to pitch a tent, and some type of air travel for myself and a two-person film crew.
Got a private jet that makes regular stops in Africa? Perhaps you own a cargo ship that we can hop across the Atlantic on? I'm open to novel means of transportation. If any of my readers are in a position to help make this project happen then I would love to hear from you.
I can be reached at jack.landers@gmail.com
[Photo copyright 2011 by Jackson Landers. All rights reserved.]
5 comments:
I have an excellent man on the ground I'll email him this post
SBW
Why on Earth Gabon or Sierra Leone??
If you want to spend time with the San then Namibia, Botswana or north-western RSA are the best bet.
The best trained PH's come from Zimbabwe, although all the main hunting countries have great PH's of course. RSA has many PH's, some of them not quite the calibre of the better ones.
Management / legitimate culling in Sierra Leone or Gabon? Not likley, bushmeat trade, yes.
Gabon apprently has amazing forest left but very little hunting. if you are sold on cetral forected regions then Central African Republic or Cameroon are your best bet probably.
You could easily spend time in Zim, Botswana, Namibia and RSA and see a multitude of biomes, species and hunting styles from huge wilderness areas to high fenced ranches. These places will also offer good experience to liase with professional wildlife managers.
What is that you want to achieve, then find the place and people, Africa is huge and diverse. It would pointless for me to want a Coues Deer and Sonoran experience and head for the Yukon and get my drift...
@Brian,
What I am looking to do here is not a conventional hunting safari. I'd be just as happy running around after small game and the odd antelope as anything else.
Right now I'm looking at Gabon or Sierra Leone because I have friends with personal connections to the highest levels of those governments. I need assistance from the government of whatever country I choose. Gabon in particular is making a big effort now to open up to tourism and the timing is probably right for me to get some help from them. I have a friend with mining interests in Sierra Leone and those connections can help get me around on the ground.
I would tend to think that Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia and South Africa would all be less likely to offer me assistance since they already have great international reputations as hunting and tourism destinations. They don't really need me. But if I'm wrong about that, I want to know about it.
I'm putting a word in for Gabon - it looks amazing.
I dont know if you get a show the BBC made called The Tribe a chap called Bruce Parry made it, the episode in Gabon is well worth a watch if you can download it.
I once saw a hunter show on the internet where a famous american hunter (maybe Jim Shokley?) goes to Gabon, they head out into the bush with the locals guiding them. They've not gone too far when the local lads find a hole in the ground, lose all interest in the 'guiding' part of the trip and start digging, one brave soul goes down the hole sliding his leg down a preexisting tunnel at the bottom. A snake engulfs his whole leg and his pals use him as the rope in a tug-o-war where they end up with a HOOJ snake that's apparently very good eating. That's Locavore hunting!
SBW
Got ya,
Yeah Michael Fay's pics from Gabon look amazing. They apparently have 75% of their forest intact, wondefully busy 'bais' and VERY good fishing. The fishing scene there seems fairly well developed too.
Gabon used to be a mecca for those seeking out some of the forest Duiker species. Not sure how much hunting is taking place there but there is some, yes.
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