Episode 832: The Safari Hunter Then & Now – What Has Changed?

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Carl Van Zyl and I have spent over 2 months of our lives hunting the South African bush together. Having just wrapped up our 9th safari, we sat down in the library at John X Safari’s Woodlands Camp to talk about our recent adventure. In addition to recapping the ups and downs of our latest safari, we also take a historical look at the historical romance and allure of hunting on the Dark Continent. From the days of Teddy to Hemingway to today’s hunter, what has changed vs what has stayed the same? Highlights include:

Safari number 9!
Who originally is responsible for planting the African safari seed in the big game hunter’s mind?
From the days of Roosevelt to Hemingway
What happened from Hemingway to the 1970s?
The seismic shift when Kenya shifted directions
A door opened for South Africa
The early days of John X and the South African safaris in general
Sleeping in the truck for 3 days waiting on an international client
What the heck was a Delta Pass?
The early SCI convention days
The change in mindset from the early collectors chasing inches to today’s hunter chasing experiences
Shooting from the bottom up
A special impala ram
Cable and Carl stumble upon a new species
An impressive nyala bull
A species list on a truck dashboard
A missed kudu bull
Reminiscing about a spectaculer mountain reedbuck