Goes without saying that folks that hunt worldwide and book African safaris are wealthy. It isn't cheap and brings a great deal of money into rural Africa. Plus it has convinced many Africans that big game should be protected not poached as a continuous source of income.
Yeah, it "goes without saying"...and yet someone always manages to say it nevertheless...despite that fact that it simply isn't true. Many folks can swing a hunt in Africa if they want it badly enough, but they also want to waste money on smokes and booze and gambling and to be seen driving a new vehicle as often as possible. I'm far from wealthy, but I've spent a month hunting in Africa...two separate safaris, two countries, back to back on one trip...plains game and buffalo. Sure, if you want go every year, you need to have a deep wallet, but for a once or couple times in a lifetime thing it is definitely doable if there's sufficient motivation and will.
The allure of dangerous game hunting. If they weren't dangerous, it wouldn't have any thrill to it.
I know people who have died racing motorcycles and that doesn't stop us wanting to race motorcycles. The very reason we do it, is because it is dangerous.
This ^, for sure...although non-dangerous game hunting is also a thrill, the knowledge that a DG hunt carries the slim chance...very slim!... that you will be stomped or gored or get a really big booboo adds immeasurably to its appeal. Denying this merely shows the ignorance of some people to that reality. For those who
just don't get it...they're lucky, it might save them a ton of money and inconvenience and travel and time.
Two kinds of hunters: the kind who see a big buck on the first day of their hunt, jump out of the truck (or not...) to shoot it, and then turn around and go home, chortling about how lucky they were...and the kind who think the best hunt is the one where you spend days looking, waiting, walking, crawling, sneaking and then maybe, finally, shoot a nice critter on the last day.
My buff was shot at around 20 yards, not 200; I would have flat-out refused if the PH had suggested I shoot it at even 100, let alone 200 yards. I'd wager that the vast majority of buff...certainly cape buff, at any rate...are shot at whites-of-their-eyes range. Dogleg? If anybody knows, it would be you...would you agree with that assessment?