grizzly_
Well-known member
- Joined
- Feb 18, 2013
- Messages
- 1,242
Growing up reading the hunting stories of Theodore Roosevelt, my friend traveled the world looking for adventure and wild places. Sadly, few of us will ever get to cross continents pursuing our passion of hunting big game. Even fewer will have the opportunity to test his fortitude while standing to face a charging bear. And of those of us that would stand tall, how many would hold his fire to try and spare the sow’s life and those of her cubs? I think not many. This particular sow stopped her charge at a few paces and retreated to her cubs, but the next charge had a much different outcome.
While tracking a large African lion, the old lion had gotten tired of the constant pursuit and had circled back to watch its trail. The hunting party never saw the lion until they heard the screams… but it was too late. Their tracker, Tsitebe, was already suffering a horrific mauling. If any of us were thrust into that situation, how many would run towards the mauling, raise his .375 H&H, and fire the shot that killed the lion and saved the tracker’s life? I’d like to think I would remain that calm, but I’m not so sure.
Earlier on that trip, shortly after landing in Africa for his 30-day safari, he found his luggage had been lost in transit. Wandering the local town trying to find something to wear, he ultimately was forced to hunt the entire safari in the little bit of clothing he could find in his size; a baby blue leisure suit (this was the mid-1970’s after all) and a pair of soccer cleats. Seeing the pictures of him with his elephant, hippo, Cape buffalo, leopard, and lion… all in a leisure suit and soccer cleats… is always good for a laugh.
While on this safari, he was paired up with another man from the States who acquired an infection and ultimately entered a coma during their hunt. Waiting as long as he could for his new friend to recover, he ultimately had to leave the man at a local hospital and return to his family. The afflicted man did recover and return home but sadly died shortly thereafter in a plane crash in Alaska.
He had many stories like this and now I have the terrible experience of hearing some of them at his funeral tomorrow, a man that I loved and have no doubt is responsible for my love of hunting and the outdoors. I owe him many debts that I could never pay back.
Thanks for everything Grandpa. I’ll see you on the other side.
While tracking a large African lion, the old lion had gotten tired of the constant pursuit and had circled back to watch its trail. The hunting party never saw the lion until they heard the screams… but it was too late. Their tracker, Tsitebe, was already suffering a horrific mauling. If any of us were thrust into that situation, how many would run towards the mauling, raise his .375 H&H, and fire the shot that killed the lion and saved the tracker’s life? I’d like to think I would remain that calm, but I’m not so sure.
Earlier on that trip, shortly after landing in Africa for his 30-day safari, he found his luggage had been lost in transit. Wandering the local town trying to find something to wear, he ultimately was forced to hunt the entire safari in the little bit of clothing he could find in his size; a baby blue leisure suit (this was the mid-1970’s after all) and a pair of soccer cleats. Seeing the pictures of him with his elephant, hippo, Cape buffalo, leopard, and lion… all in a leisure suit and soccer cleats… is always good for a laugh.
While on this safari, he was paired up with another man from the States who acquired an infection and ultimately entered a coma during their hunt. Waiting as long as he could for his new friend to recover, he ultimately had to leave the man at a local hospital and return to his family. The afflicted man did recover and return home but sadly died shortly thereafter in a plane crash in Alaska.
He had many stories like this and now I have the terrible experience of hearing some of them at his funeral tomorrow, a man that I loved and have no doubt is responsible for my love of hunting and the outdoors. I owe him many debts that I could never pay back.
Thanks for everything Grandpa. I’ll see you on the other side.
