While my trip to South Africa for Buff is still on, a fellow bowhunter found out just two weeks before his scheduled trip that Zimbabwe has outlawed hunting thick skinned game with archery tackle. I am glad that he and his PH were able to sort out a backup plan for different game to pursue, but I can’t image what it would be like to spend all those months preparing only to have the rug jerked out from under you at the last minute.
I was thinking about this as I was doing some of my Sunday morning reading today. I realized I’ve been studying this animal for almost 9 months now and I only have a handful of months left before I go. This is the most preparation I’ve done for any event in my life. I once trained up for a few months for a mountain ascent, but nothing like this. IF South Africa outlawed bowhunting for Buffalo tomorrow, I think I would have to leave my bow behind and go anyway.
I’m equally glad to be going to a country that embraces it’s hunting culture, and to be doing so while it’s still a legal and viable pursuit. I wonder as the world continues to shift culturally and politically how many dream hunts will become illegal before I would get to the point of being able to do them. Kamchatka moose and the hogs of Western Russia are currently on that list of dream trips which will never happen unless laws change radically.