BOB: A Long Way To Zimbabwe

By Robert T Mullis

Bob invites you to travel on some of his adventures from the 30+ years of travels to Zimbabwe, Tanzania, South Africa, Ethiopia, Namibia and Zambia. Ride with him in the open hunting cars, dugout canoes, and trucks as he tracks the big game of Africa and faces challenges of such dangerous animals as mbogo, simba, chui, and ndovo. Or, as we know the

• Language: English
• Publisher: Belongtobob
• Release date: Apr 1, 2015
• ISBN: 9780692420850

Book preview

Dreamers and Doers

As most of us plod, walk, jog, or run through our lives, we sometimes find ourselves dreaming about what we wish we had done, the places we wish we had gone, the events we wish we had participated in, and the people we wish we had met. For some it is the big blue marlin they saw on TV and watched some person fight and reel in off the coast of Costa Rica. For some, it is bear hunting in Alaska, elk hunting in New Mexico, lion hunting in Africa.

Many wish for a successful career and hope to make a lot of money, owning their own business and making the big deals, buying and selling. Maybe, for a few, there is the dream of owning a portion of a large bank and be part of the world of high finance.

Others wish for more mundane things like skiing in Colorado or Utah every now and then. A nice retirement at the golf course or they dream about having a place in Florida or a home in the mountains. Maybe it’s a new Porsche or owning their own airplane. Maybe their goal is that retirement trip to Paris and climbing the Eifel Tower or driving around at Trafalgar Square or sailing around the Greek Islands or seeing them on a BMW motorcycle.

It might be nice to ride across Ireland on a bicycle or hunting for elephant, or to be back in Nepal visiting the birthplace of Buddha with the sister of the Queen. Some might find spending time in the Australian Outback a wonderful experience or, fishing in New Zealand. How about catching bone fish in the Florida Keys or deer hunting in Middle Georgia? Prairie dogs and antelope in Wyoming or quail in South Georgia and geese in Missouri? Mule deer in Wyoming and hogs in Texas should not be left out!

Few can imagine being charged by not one, but two full grown male lions much less living to tell about it. Some have seen the running of the bulls in Spain, but few have done it from a hot air balloon. One African safari is unusual for most people, twenty five African safaris is beyond the realm to even dream about. I’ve known a lot of people who made a trip to British Columbia on their hunting trip of a lifetime but none who were there twenty to thirty times!

And not many have explored Russia with an interpreter and a body guard in the early days after the fall of the Soviet Union and received offers from the Russians to sell just about anything the Russian military had except the boat that floats under the water. And I only know of one that avoided a potential life threatening encounter with a roving band of thugs carrying AK-47’s in Africa by passing out peppermint candy.

I know of a man who called the wrong phone number in California on a Sunday afternoon and ended up driving his own car in the Baja 1000 road race…..and winning in his class. He then topped that off by later driving in the Baja 2000.

There are the Hemmingway’s and the Zane Grey’s and the Teddy Roosevelt’s, but not many. They wrote of their daring exploits and became famous for their writing and travels.

For most of us, it’s not enough time, not enough money, too many responsibilities, or some other excuse. Somehow, this man from Macon, Ga. was able to find the time, the money, and the management to do what he dreamed. It’s about twenty five thousand miles around the earth at the equator and can be traveled by commercial jet in about fifty hours of flying. But it is quite a long way on foot, in a vehicle, and on horseback.

This book is about a man that I met about fifty years ago who grew up in Macon, Ga. and has made friends around the world doing all of these things, and more! A man who’s life has been one adventure after another and has some still to play out.

Most of us settle for one or two adventures and make them last a lifetime. And, for most, that’s all we ask for.

This book is about Robert T. Mullis who started out on a lifetime of adventure and who has forgotten more than most will ever dream about. Some of those adventures still await those who choose to do them rather than just dream about them.

While a lot of the content involves hunting and shooting of game animals, there is the element of traveling the world, seeing the people, enjoying the beauty (and, yes sometimes the ugliness), and experiencing the world as it is. This is not intended to convert anyone from their way of thinking about hunting. Hunting was a reason, a motivation, and certainly, an excuse to see places that might not have otherwise been seen.

For some the excuse is skiing, for some its fishing, some golf, and others it’s just travel for the sake of travel. Bob has chosen to DO them. To see them. To smell the smells and hear the sounds from most corners of the globe. To know what it’s like in a Range Rover on the plains of Africa, to breathe the dust of the Baja Race, and know the smell of hunting while riding on the back of elephant in Nepal. Here, we give you a glimpse through his eyes of just some of those and his world of adventure.

My Grandmother had a saying, Spit in one hand and wish in the other and see which one fills up first. It won’t be the one you are wishing in!

Jerome Chapman

A Blessed Man

There are seven continents on this planet by most accounts. Some say six and combine Euro Asia as one entity. In addition to the seven continents, there is Oceania which includes the major pacific islands grouped along with Australia. Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, New Zealand, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu all go to make up Oceania. In some cases, Brunei, East Timor, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines are also included in the Oceania list.

The largest continent in square miles is Asia with 17,139,445. It also has over 4 Billion people. North America has 9,361,791 square miles. Most people may not know that Antarctica ranks 5th in size by square miles of all the continents if you are using seven as the number.

Probably an even lesser known fact is that Antarctica is the only continent with zero population, although there are some one thousand or so people there at any given time doing research, etc. When Global Warming melts all of the ice and snow there, there will be room for a lot of condos! It’s a big world out there and looks even bigger to a young man growing up in Macon, Georgia.

I have hunted on every continent with the exception of Antarctica. I have also had excursions to New Zealand and some of the other Pacific Islands.

Some say that I am fortunate but I feel like I am blessed. The people, places, and experiences exceed anything I ever could have ever imagined. Blessed carries with it more of an implication that this was meant to be and that there has been a sense of Divine Purpose behind it all.

I have had success on every continent hunting everything from Prairie Dogs to Elephants. From above the Arctic Circle to the South Island of New Zealand. There have been many quail, dove grouse, pheasant and ducks and geese. Foxes, coyotes, and other varmints could be added to the list.

Additionally, although I have never been too keen on fishing, I often found myself hunting in some areas that also have fabulous fishing. This would often result in side trips for fishing that would have been, on their own accord, worth the trip.

Though I have no talent at fishing, I have used spinning and fly rods for a few local bass of note. There have been trout in North Carolina, North Georgia, Quebec, Wyoming, Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, New Zealand, Alberta, British Columbia, Yukon, and the North West Territories. Of course, off shore fishing has presented itself in places like Puerto Rica for Marlin and Costa Rica for a hundred or more sail Fish. (All released) There have been the bone fish and the tarpon off the coast of Florida and we should throw in some dolly varden. And, yes, there were some tuna and some BIG sharks! I caught a redfish in Texas that my friend said was too big to keep! A strange notion – too big to keep! Yes, I am blessed!

Successful hunting on all the continents has produced good representative trophies and enduring friendships. During all these years and trips, I did not do a good job of preserving the memories on tape, video or journal. I never cared about Record Book conversations and the trophies speak for themselves. But one fellow hunter did enter a Musk Ox into the Boone and Crockett record book along with his and both made the requirements for entry.

Before I go any farther, I want to make a few comments on Hunting. I realize that there are millions of people who cringe at the thought of going out and killing any animal. They look at hunting as barbaric. I doubt there is any action I could take that would get me their seal of approval. They do not believe in inflicting harm on a fish for the sake of catching them and they shriek at the sight of a dead animal or fish. But, keeping some of the dear fish in a bowl of water on the table just to look at is fine. A dolphin kept in a big tank of water doing tricks or a lion in a cage forever is also fine. I will leave judgment of those actions to someone else and hope they will grant me the same courtesy. But, if not, so be it.

Those same folks may have a Great Dane and they take him everywhere they go. They do not approve of hurting a fish but taking the clippers to the ears and tail of the Great Dane to improve its looks is just fine. Removing its private parts seems a normal thing to do.

I would not care for walking around with a plastic bag wrapped around my hand so that I can reach down and handle the dog’s excrement. But, some see that, too, as Normal.

Hunting is not just about the kill but about the process. The place, the getting there, the action, the beautiful scenery, and the friendships made that last a lifetime, and the memories of having done something make for a wonderful experience. The preparation, the cost, the travel, the hunt, the tracking and the spotting all comes down to a final millisecond when the heart is pounding, the adrenaline is pumping and the hands are shaking at the very moment a steady hand is required to take the shot at the intended target. A miss may mean all has been in vain and failure is the only reward. This is a realm that is hard to explain to someone who has not experienced it. For some, once is enough.

For others, an addiction is started that can only be satisfied with new adventures, new quests, and new places. Such it was for me.

The rhinos and elephants and the big cats may all disappear. Having had them a part of my life for many years, I would be extremely saddened if that happened. If it happens, however, it will not be because of professional outfitters taking a controlled number of hunters on a permitted hunt.

The Kruger National Park in South Africa has had such large numbers of animals killed by poachers for their horns and hides that they are trying to save some by capturing and moving them to neighboring countries. Over 1200 were killed there in 2014, alone. And anyone who gets in the way of the poachers is in grave danger, too.

The black market for horns and ivory and the perceived aphrodisiac parts of these animals is so large that murder has become a routine component in the exotic animal trade. Poachers kill animals and they kill professional hunters and guides, policemen and game wardens. Game wardens kill poachers. Anyone who stands in the way has to face bands of poachers with Ak-47’s. Governments that get enough pressure hire people to track down the poachers. Unless the lawless elements are contained, they will wipe out the animals and eliminating hunting will not make the problems go away. Many animals are hunted today in my home state of Georgia that could not be found when I was a kid. Yet they are hunted regularly. This uncontrolled killing of animals along with habitat destruction are the major threats to their future. This problem will require serious attention. Soon!

I have a list of the names and numbers of many species of animals that I have taken on various hunting expeditions. This is a partial list of only the ones I can wipe the cobwebs off of and recall in my memory bank. Unfortunately, as I went along, I did not keep up with every trip, every event, or every result. But I have elected not to include that list here as it is mainly for my own remembrance and looking at it serves to help me better recall all the wonderful people I’ve met and places that life has taken me.

Not every adventure was about hunting. I fulfilled the notion of owning and driving a car in the Baja 1000 and Baja 2000 Road Races. I was able to ride a bicycle across Ireland and a BMW motorcycle around Greece, learned how to fly, rode elephants in Nepal and made a few good business deals. I have been a son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, entrepreneur, and friend. These roles have taken me down many roads.

Each of the trips has a story all its own. We will try to take you along on a few of these and hope you enjoy the ride!

Looking Back…Thinking Ahead

"I am old now, living my 74th year. Not so much, you may think, in years but I have lived some of them, in some ways, hard by choice and some not by choice. I have hunted and done other things of interest my entire life, since my early teens.

The memories recorded here are but a slight few of the many. It seems to have been my nature to just do things as they came up with no long advance planning and then not think often of them until something prompts my memory. Always looking forward rather than back.

During the course of calling up the few memories recorded here it has caused me to think of many others. These are not the best or the worst but just a few of many. All of my hunting and related experiences would fill volumes as well would my personal life and my business life.

There are my two daughters who I love dearly and my wife of many years who encouraged many of the things I’ve done and was smart enough to largely remain silent on the others. There are, of course, my friends, one of which volunteered to help write this book, a tremendous undertaking. Whether anyone else enjoys it or not I have enjoyed working with him on it and recalling many memories I might have otherwise not thought about.

Some of my friends have been along on events described here and many I have gone alone. If any of you read this you will know who you are.

I am grateful for your friendship and companionship, some for more than half a century! Life is good…..live it as best you can.

Bob

Gone! In a Flash!

Sheep and goats prefer a lot of hard to reach areas. Both seem to have some special magnetic ability to hang on to places that seemingly no animal could be. The goats can leap from one 3" wide ledge to another with ease.

Hunting these animals requires patience, physical stamina and the ability to shake off failure and keep at it until you succeed. Physical stamina, well, maybe you need a double dose of that.

I learned about Don Peck and his outfitting operations in Muskwa River area of British Columbia from books and articles by Jack O’Conner. As I have mentioned in other stories, I had been going to British Columbia and really wanted to hook up with Don Peck. If he was good enough to be the outfitter for Jack O’Conner and to introduce Mr. O’Conner to this beautiful, rugged and game rich area, he certainly should be good enough for me! Unfortunately, I waited too long and Don Peck passed away before I had a chance to meet him and to hunt with him.

But, I managed to get to meet his widow, Alene, over off the Alaska Highway one day. Her son, Ross was now running the outfitting business and had been a guide there for years. Outfitting was in his blood! Ross Peck Outfitters in Fort St. John, Big Nine Outfitters in Fort St. John, Horseshoe Creek Outfitters in Charlie Lake, and Moberly River Outfitters in Moberly Lake were the outfitters of long standing and all with fine reputations.

My experience has been with Ross Peck in that area. (Ross has, at this writing, retired). Ross sold his business to Larry and Lori Warren at Tuchoi River Outfitters, LTD and they are headquartered in Hudson Hope.

After my visit with Mrs. Peck, I was not too encouraged about getting to hunt with Ross as she said he was booked up for years. I had no doubt that that was the case, but, being the eternal optimist I left her my contact information, just in case something came open.

Some months later, I received a call from them that there was an opening on short notice due to the illness of the client that had the spot booked and did I want it. Ross could take me at a certain time. My answer was yes! So as the judge says, Setting aside all business, I cleared my scheduled and booked a trip to hunt with Ross. I made it plain that I only wanted to hunt with Ross and that was agreed to.

So, I showed up at Ross’s and Ross, an Indian and I went with a pack string up into the mountains looking for sheep. We tried really hard and saw lots and lots of sheep.

At one point, we had 18 rams right out in front of us! We were on the top