A pressing matter that seems to be lost in translation at times with many international clients and or enquiries is that of the hunt/shoot dynamic.
Many first time clients from abroad that hunt all around the world have a skewed view – which is often through being spoilt on these ‘shoots’ – on what real hunting is. I offer a hunt. An experience built onto the most traditional understanding of what a hunt is. We will be hunting wily, wild, glorious game birds, namely the grand Greywing Francolin, in their natural, wild, vast habitats. It is not a shoot. What is offered to many of these sportsmen, be it in England, France and even Spain are called shoots for a reason – because you literally are just shooting. You are shooting birds that are reared and driven over you and your peg all day long, day in and day out. They are reared for this very reason. Sometimes it might be a bit of a surround scenario around a dam or body of water for mallards and the like, but ultimately it is still what I am describing as a shoot. A hunt is an altogether different thing entirely. We will be walking, behind my dogs all day long, for the duration of the trip, hunting these wild birds in their natural habitat and in breathtaking surrounds. It is a hunt. It is a large part of the whole experience I wax lyrical about. There are no guarantees in hunting, and there shouldn’t be quite frankly. The playing field should be evened, and the birds should have just as much of a chance to beat us as we have of being successful. This is hunting. I find that sportsmen who attend these European ‘shoots’ are often mistaken as to what a true hunt is, and throughout the duration of their trip with me will tell me how many ducks they shot in a morning, or how many pheasants they shot on a drive. That is wonderful, but that is called shooting, I don’t partake in that, I only deal in hunting.
I have often likened the pursuit and hunting of Greywing Francolin in these special mountains to that of hunting Mountain Nyala in the Ethiopian Highlands at altitude. They are very similar pursuits and experiences. The true sportsman, nay, the true hunter understands this and understands this distinction that I am trying to convey here surrounding the differences between a typical European ‘shoot’ and a true hunt.
The other aspect for these selfsame sportsmen to get their heads around surrounds the accommodation and or hospitality aspects that come with these shoots in Europe. They are held on century old estates, steeped in aristocratic history and of course old money wealth. They are luxurious and grand. They are not the accurate or true representation of everyday real world examples that most outfitters and or operators will make use of in the vast majority of other countries – namely the African continent. I have had these selfsame sportsmen critique accommodation solutions that I am limited to use in a given, isolated area in comparison to those sorts of grand estates. And it is hugely unfair to do so. But alas, this is the world of service, tourism and to an extent, hospitality.
All I know is that I have poured my heart and soul into curating my hunting experiences with my dogs at my side, from the mystical mountains we hunt in, to our humble yet comfortable home base now too.
Be a hunter, not a shooter.
Always chasing the horizon.