Africa – First Time in my Sights

Ihadn’t really thought about it, but knew that in Africa—at least among lions—it’s the ladies that are generally the hunters; the gentlemen waiting for the table to be set and dinner served. After deciding to see Africa’s wild places and wildlife, it didn’t seem all that unusual that I would do so as a hunter. As lions so capably demonstrate, I was not the first and would certainly not be the last.

Getting to Africa was easier than imagined, but I soon realized hunting plains game in the wild would be an entirely different matter. I’d gotten comfortable shooting my 7mm-08 rifle and was confident I could make the shot, but that was on a range with targets that didn’t move. After reaching our destination, the scale of the land and wildlife herds we passed driving cross-country was a little intimidating. Even so, I was encouraged with what met us on safari—lodges with accommodations and food as good as anything I’d experienced in America or Europe. Add people who made us feel like welcome guests in their home, who looked after and mentored me in the field, and any