his cell phone determines the adjustments to
the scope settings to hit a target at, say, 800
yards. Many times this is in an area where
multiple heads of game can be spotted from
high above. The target animal is then shot. I
have a few reservations about this. First, the
animal had no chance to see, smell or hear the
rifleman – very few African game species will
flee at a range of 800 yards as it is well out of
their “fight or flight” zone. It had no chance to
escape as it was denied every opportunity to
become aware of the shooter.
Secondly, we cannot predict the behavior of
any wild animal. In that crucial moment when
the sear breaks the animal may start walking
forward – on a large animal this could mean
movement of a full yard with just one step –
enough movement to turn a heart shot into a
gut shot. Also, how will the shooter know if
he has wounded an animal from that distance?
When there is any uncertainty we rely on
the immediate reaction by the animal after
the shot, and we search for physical signs
like blood, skin or bone. From a distance of
800 yards it will be almost impossible to see
the animal’s reaction, as will be finding the
exact spot afterwards. Mostly, my concern is
that there is really no skill involved other than
applying ballistic principles.
On Shooting
Walk and stalk hunting connects you with nature and offers the opportunity to see and
experience many more of what nature has to offer. While sitting under a tree a few yards
away, the author photographed these guineafowl scratching for insects.Katja Metzger: [email protected] • Tel: +264 (0)62 503 732
AHG1511