Other Passions beside Mustangs

Some of the members know I am sort of a crazy guy. Have always done anything I wanted when I wanted and did not really build a bucket list like some do. I snow, skied, water skied, had my own white water raft business in the 70's, sky dived, took out the power lines at airport once when in school. I bungy jumped the highest in the world 4 times. I drag raced in the 60's and 70's go cart raced with my son. I took I think 13 cross country trips and been to Alaska a couple times. I use to go hunting in Montana and took several groups out as their guide. My biggest white tail was from Montana 151 + inch.

My attention span is short to none and love change it what ever I do. When I hunt I do not sit I walk and have much better success than those that sit and hope something comes to them. That is like picking up beer cans on the road. Sit in one spot because you know one is coming sometime. Walk you will do much better. Be a hunter not a sitter.

I was never a wealthy person just worked my butt off at two jobs sometimes to get my MAD money. I went through two divorces and lost two houses. Not to them but to the banks. I kept digging and I still remain debt free and own my own home and a pile of old cars and parts.

While working in the tooling engineering my company got a contract with Husqvarna to make the lower dashes for their lawn mowers. the metal part between the frame and the dash. Four models were involved and the tooling was to be run in a 2,000 ton transfer press. The customer sourced the tooling in South Africa. I was assigned to follow the tooling so I went over the first time in fall of 2004 to start doing pattern reviews for the castings. While there the workers found out I hunted and ask how many times I had been to Africa. I said never it cost too much and they said no it doesn't. They ended up taking me to a hunting ranch and I got a blue wildebeest that would qualify for the world record books if I wanted to pay the $80.00 to enter it. My son went on one of the tooling trips and after two weeks working on the tooling we spent a week touring, jumping the worlds highest bungy jump and going on a hunt. Got him a free ticket by volunteering to get off flight. So we got two kudu his 48" and mine was 52 1/4" and would have been #25 in the record books again if I paid the $80.00, too cheap for that. I also took an impala at over 1/4 mile on video and he got a blessboc in a sneak on hands and knees.

The owner of the ranch and I just hit it off and I have been going back ever since. I started a LLC for travel and hunts to Africa. Africa First Travel and Safari, LLC. I opened it in 2006 and took several groups before the economy stalled it out. I am playing with it again and hope to take a few groups over. I have made the trip 14 times 18 hours door to door. Atlanta to Johannesburg to Port Elizabeth.

I have had six clients take world record animals on hunts there. I have 8. My last trip I stayed 4 months and guided on the hunting ranch and took care of the pests, monkeys and baboons, and culled animals. Free room and board and hunting as long as I took people hunting and went hunting. What a deal. Again no money I just barter. I get the airline tickets using air miles from my American Express so they cost $75.00 round trip. My son has been twice and I also took my oldest granddaughter and she took three animals that would qualify for the record books. Everyone there says I am the luckiest guy on the face of the earth. I tell them not lucky just a good hunter. I completely wore out a pair of new hunting boots on the last trip walking them to pieces in the rocks and thorns. Remember I am 67 and have lost 40% of my lungs to COPD from paint dust and smoking. Anyone can do this.

They want to hire me as a sniper during their next revolution, NO WAY. I can take out a baboon at over 500 yards shooting off sticks but not going to shoot anyone unless they are going to kill me.

I have used many different caliber of rifles while there. I take my own. From a .17 HMR for the monkeys and actually took a record bush buck with it. I also take a .50 cal. muzzle loader and if I had taken the kudu with it I would have the number 1 kudu in the books with muzzle loader. I have everything from .458 Win. mag., .325 WSM, .300 Win. mag., .300 WSM, .270 Win., 270 WSM, .25 WSSM, .223 WSSM, All of these are Model 70 Winchester the safest most dependable rifle I know of. I had two friends have the self firing issues with their Remington 700. Just went off while handing it to another nothing near the trigger and safety on .17 HMR, .50 cal Winchester muzzle loader and also a Thompson. You can put a round in the chamber of a Model 70 hold the trigger as you close the bolt so the firing pin does not set. To cock all you do is lift the bolt and push back down. No way it is going to fire.

I have put some links to video slide shows of some of the area and one hunt. I do these for my clients to show their friends. If they start and stop just play them again and it will go without stopping. It depends on your computer power.

I suggest to anyone that they do a week of site seeing and stay in one of the parks to view the game then hunt the second week. Africa is not like the U.S. elk hunting. If you hunt here you buy the tags and pay even if you don't get anything. In Africa you only pay for what you take and no license, no season, no limits. June, July and August are the best hunting and it does get cold. I have seen snow several times. South Africa is much safer than most of the other countries in Africa but they also have their issues. You pay a daily fee that covers your professional hunter, transportation, lodging, food, laundry, trackers, all in. Your wife and family can also go and enjoy the country and the animals. There are over 25 species of animals that can be hunted. I have not booked any dangerous game hunts but do have the contacts if wanted. I also deal with one of the best taxidermy shops in Africa. They send their work around the world. The food is fantastic. You can travel the coast and see the whales and dolphins. Explore caverns, tour the winelands and Africa has some of the best. One of the videos is the winelands. I have thousands of pictures and hours of video. I have a professional video HD system like the hunting shows use that I can video the hunt for the client.

Again I am passionate about Africa and can talk your ear off. If you are interested now is the time to go airline tickets have never been this low since 2004, under $1,000 round trip from Atlanta. PM me and we can talk more or if you want more specific info just ask. One client bought her husband a hunt and he took a Kudu, Blue Wildebeest, Impala and a Blesboc. The total cost including air fare, animals and the hunt was less than quotes she had got for one white tail deer in Texas with no guarantee. He is the one in the 2006 Tour video with the big smile and the Thompson single shot .300. His wife did go and was so excited everyday when they came in. She thought she would be bored but had the time of her life. She did the bungy jump also.

I had a web site but had to shut down while working in China and have not got it going again.

Enjoy the pictures and let me know your thoughts PM me if interested.

David

Kalahari Desert

https://animoto.com/play/r3qL0jF8m6g7vxTf8imOcg

Okavango Delta

https://animoto.com/play/D7jHjv63w6sHmov08ghBtA

Hunt 2006

https://animoto.com/play/F5r8WF8L3uNV1Hxmxk3b0A

Tour 2011

https://animoto.com/play/uJa9HlC6wHQuxjYmavTSmw

Winelands

https://animoto.com/play/aB9LsScBsU0DJ5tjkG369Q

That is really neat. I would love to see Africa some day. My wife studied in South Africa after she got her nursing degree and always comments on how beautiful it is. Her brother taught in Botswana for a couple of years as well.

Nice post David.

Thanks for sharing!

Paul

Hi David,

I have traveled a good part of the world and also love Africa, even went to school in Johannesburg as a young buck and have traveled to several other countries in Africa besides South Africa. Done the sky diving thing as a member of Army Airbourne, so had to use MC1-1B all but one time. But would love to do some rec skydiving someday. Love the outdoors and have spent the last 10 years in Alaska, 9 of them in Barrow. Still in Nome, till I get back to Florida next month. My passions are fishing, hunting, photography and some call me a gun nut. Personally I just think I'm an avid collector. LOL Not looking to head back to Africa anytime soon, since I have found a real joy in the Yucatan. Diving is amazing, the parting can't be beat and the prices are low.

Well if you ever make it down my way after next month, or are here for Iditarod, look me up.

David

Hi David,

I have traveled a good part of the world and also love Africa, even went to school in Johannesburg as a young buck and have traveled to several other countries in Africa besides South Africa. Done the sky diving thing as a member of Army Airbourne, so had to use MC1-1B all but one time. But would love to do some rec skydiving someday. Love the outdoors and have spent the last 10 years in Alaska, 9 of them in Barrow. Still in Nome, till I get back to Florida next month. My passions are fishing, hunting, photography and some call me a gun nut. Personally I just think I'm an avid collector. LOL Not looking to head back to Africa anytime soon, since I have found a real joy in the Yucatan. Diving is amazing, the parting can't be beat and the prices are low.

Well if you ever make it down my way after next month, or are here for Iditarod, look me up.

David

Click to expand...

I could not take the mosquitos in Alaska. I would shoot myself if I didn't have repellent. Pretty for sure but I hate bugs.

I did sneak in the back door to Cuba last March / April. If you love diving you should go to Cuba. While there talking with one guy that was really into it. He found a couple corals that were thought to be extinct but were still living around Cuba. They did not pollute the water like everyone else did. I went through Nassau so I didn't get a permit. You can stay with locals and have lots of rum. Much cleaner than some of the islands like Nassau which I though was horrible and would never go back there.

David

Cuba was on my list this past December when I was in Mexico, but the girl I was with chickened out. Really want to go there before the tourists ruin it. Maybe in May when I go down for the whale sharks.So you didn't like Alaska's state bird? LOL

David

Nice videos David. Africa is on my to do list too, hopefully in the near future.

Some of the members know I am sort of a crazy guy. Have always done anything I wanted when I wanted and did not really build a bucket list like some do. I snow, skied, water skied, had my own white water raft business in the 70's, sky dived, took out the power lines at airport once when in school. I bungy jumped the highest in the world 4 times. I drag raced in the 60's and 70's go cart raced with my son. I took I think 13 cross country trips and been to Alaska a couple times. I use to go hunting in Montana and took several groups out as their guide. My biggest white tail was from Montana 151 + inch.

My attention span is short to none and love change it what ever I do. When I hunt I do not sit I walk and have much better success than those that sit and hope something comes to them. That is like picking up beer cans on the road. Sit in one spot because you know one is coming sometime. Walk you will do much better. Be a hunter not a sitter.

I was never a wealthy person just worked my butt off at two jobs sometimes to get my MAD money. I went through two divorces and lost two houses. Not to them but to the banks. I kept digging and I still remain debt free and own my own home and a pile of old cars and parts.

While working in the tooling engineering my company got a contract with Husqvarna to make the lower dashes for their lawn mowers. the metal part between the frame and the dash. Four models were involved and the tooling was to be run in a 2,000 ton transfer press. The customer sourced the tooling in South Africa. I was assigned to follow the tooling so I went over the first time in fall of 2004 to start doing pattern reviews for the castings. While there the workers found out I hunted and ask how many times I had been to Africa. I said never it cost too much and they said no it doesn't. They ended up taking me to a hunting ranch and I got a blue wildebeest that would qualify for the world record books if I wanted to pay the $80.00 to enter it. My son went on one of the tooling trips and after two weeks working on the tooling we spent a week touring, jumping the worlds highest bungy jump and going on a hunt. Got him a free ticket by volunteering to get off flight. So we got two kudu his 48" and mine was 52 1/4" and would have been #25 in the record books again if I paid the $80.00, too cheap for that. I also took an impala at over 1/4 mile on video and he got a blessboc in a sneak on hands and knees.

The owner of the ranch and I just hit it off and I have been going back ever since. I started a LLC for travel and hunts to Africa. Africa First Travel and Safari, LLC. I opened it in 2006 and took several groups before the economy stalled it out. I am playing with it again and hope to take a few groups over. I have made the trip 14 times 18 hours door to door. Atlanta to Johannesburg to Port Elizabeth.

I have had six clients take world record animals on hunts there. I have 8. My last trip I stayed 4 months and guided on the hunting ranch and took care of the pests, monkeys and baboons, and culled animals. Free room and board and hunting as long as I took people hunting and went hunting. What a deal. Again no money I just barter. I get the airline tickets using air miles from my American Express so they cost $75.00 round trip. My son has been twice and I also took my oldest granddaughter and she took three animals that would qualify for the record books. Everyone there says I am the luckiest guy on the face of the earth. I tell them not lucky just a good hunter. I completely wore out a pair of new hunting boots on the last trip walking them to pieces in the rocks and thorns. Remember I am 67 and have lost 40% of my lungs to COPD from paint dust and smoking. Anyone can do this.

They want to hire me as a sniper during their next revolution, NO WAY. I can take out a baboon at over 500 yards shooting off sticks but not going to shoot anyone unless they are going to kill me.

I have used many different caliber of rifles while there. I take my own. From a .17 HMR for the monkeys and actually took a record bush buck with it. I also take a .50 cal. muzzle loader and if I had taken the kudu with it I would have the number 1 kudu in the books with muzzle loader. I have everything from .458 Win. mag., .325 WSM, .300 Win. mag., .300 WSM, .270 Win., 270 WSM, .25 WSSM, .223 WSSM, All of these are Model 70 Winchester the safest most dependable rifle I know of. I had two friends have the self firing issues with their Remington 700. Just went off while handing it to another nothing near the trigger and safety on .17 HMR, .50 cal Winchester muzzle loader and also a Thompson. You can put a round in the chamber of a Model 70 hold the trigger as you close the bolt so the firing pin does not set. To cock all you do is lift the bolt and push back down. No way it is going to fire.

I have put some links to video slide shows of some of the area and one hunt. I do these for my clients to show their friends. If they start and stop just play them again and it will go without stopping. It depends on your computer power.

I suggest to anyone that they do a week of site seeing and stay in one of the parks to view the game then hunt the second week. Africa is not like the U.S. elk hunting. If you hunt here you buy the tags and pay even if you don't get anything. In Africa you only pay for what you take and no license, no season, no limits. June, July and August are the best hunting and it does get cold. I have seen snow several times. South Africa is much safer than most of the other countries in Africa but they also have their issues. You pay a daily fee that covers your professional hunter, transportation, lodging, food, laundry, trackers, all in. Your wife and family can also go and enjoy the country and the animals. There are over 25 species of animals that can be hunted. I have not booked any dangerous game hunts but do have the contacts if wanted. I also deal with one of the best taxidermy shops in Africa. They send their work around the world. The food is fantastic. You can travel the coast and see the whales and dolphins. Explore caverns, tour the winelands and Africa has some of the best. One of the videos is the winelands. I have thousands of pictures and hours of video. I have a professional video HD system like the hunting shows use that I can video the hunt for the client.

Again I am passionate about Africa and can talk your ear off. If you are interested now is the time to go airline tickets have never been this low since 2004, under $1,000 round trip from Atlanta. PM me and we can talk more or if you want more specific info just ask. One client bought her husband a hunt and he took a Kudu, Blue Wildebeest, Impala and a Blesboc. The total cost including air fare, animals and the hunt was less than quotes she had got for one white tail deer in Texas with no guarantee. He is the one in the 2006 Tour video with the big smile and the Thompson single shot .300. His wife did go and was so excited everyday when they came in. She thought she would be bored but had the time of her life. She did the bungy jump also.

I had a web site but had to shut down while working in China and have not got it going again.

Enjoy the pictures and let me know your thoughts PM me if interested.

David

Click to expand...

I, too, am an avid hunter. The Western State's, BC, Alberta and South Africa. My wife and I head to Sitka for brown bear in April. I have just booked for buffalo and sable in Zim for 2018. We, dear wife and I, are heading to Alberta for a fly in for pike in August and also heading to Brazil coming February for peacock bass. So far all is good in retirement.