December 2025

Hugo Was His Name

Sinister looking. A distinctive physical appearance, with front legs longer than hind, helping leverage when tearing apart carcasses. The thick neck is necessary to support the heavy skull and muscles, with bone-crushing jaws that only a close look at the skull will reveal. After the crocodile’s vice-like grip that is used to hold and drag their prey into the water, the spotted hyena has the strongest jaws that crush bones as though toothpicks. Scavenging on rotten carcasses or killing what they need, these clans are run by alpha females. Fearless. Leopards pose no threat and are regularly robbed of their prey, in packs hyenas will even chase lions off their kill.

In our days in Zimbabwe indigenous folk were superstitious about them. Like owls, and chameleons, these animals were thought to be a bad omen. Therefore, when my folks were offered a ropey old stuffed hyena (life-sized mount was too much of a compliment) they thought it would be a good idea to have it on our veranda as a deterrent. (One day I will write more of a story about our life in the Lendrum household in Bulawayo, but I digress). We had no burglaries. For years, Hugo stared out from our veranda entrance, and I am not sure if that was a contributing factor, or it was simply the good ole days of growing up in Bulawayo. Hugo and his species are colloquially referred to as the laughing hyena because of the unnerving cackling they make, particularly when all in a group, or on the run.

The memories came flooding back when I decided it was time for a hyena on the cover. They used to come into the Hwange Main Camp, tear up the vehicle bumpers and tires (can you believe that?) and leave a wave of destruction. There have been a few dreadful incidents when hyenas have attacked campers in Botswana and South Africa, on one occasion dragging a young girl off into the dark with her father having to chase down the predators. Miraculously she survived.

There are four species in this group, the spotted being the largest and most common. The smaller brown hyena is rarely seen being nocturnal, while the best-looking member of this family has to be the striped hyena. It’s an absolute classic to add on the trophy list if hunting in Tanzania. The fourth is much smaller than the striped, eats insects and termites, and while has a resemblance, is not really a hyena and isn’t even called one. It’s the aardwolf.

As we head towards the year end, I thought the hyena and this particular pic, would be a great symbolic image to use in the AHG Monthly. Symbolic of so much: Always on the lookout. A survivor. Eating anything. Family oriented. Facing down fear, to quote the cover title of my good friend, John Sharp’s book. Unpopular on many fronts but doing what is necessary to survive and thrive. No wonder more passionate hunters want to add this crafty beast of the African bushveld to their wish list. This wonderful picture of this unique species was taken by Drew Butterwick - a great photographer, good friend, who books bespoke safaris to Africa and is quite a character.

The next printed quarterly African Hunting Gazette will also be featuring this incredible predator and iconic African scavenger on the cover.

The second-last plug is for just a few more days, (December 12) - to sign up as a Life Member. Simple story is, for $1250, you have $2700 worth of real, tangible, redeemable benefits, like vouchers for your taxidermy or shipping, VIP vouchers at Afton for gun permits and accommodation, a safari shirt, books, and the magazine till you can’t read anymore! And here’s the real bonus. For no extra tickets being purchased… you are in with a very good chance (only Life Members are in the draw) to win a Rigby .416. 

If spending on Life Membership is too much, we have something for you. ALL subscribers, whether you sign up for 1, 2, 3 or 5 years, receive the tangible benefits of TTS (Taxidermy and Trophy Shipping) vouchers to Afton, plus - and here is the real kicker - you will be in the draw for an unbelievable all-in safari - the big Black Death Buffalo DRAW. An all-inclusive world-class safari hosted by African Frontier Safaris, including the trophy buffalo and taxidermy and trophy shipping with TTS, all to be drawn in March. 

In closing, thank you for visiting our continent if you did so in 2025, and hope you’re planning to get back soon. If you are able to share this digital AHG Monthly to just 3 or 4 friends, and spread the word, we appreciate your help.

Otherwise, enjoy the read in this issue, have a wonderful year-end and Christmas with loved ones and those near and dear.

Best regards from Africa,

Richard Lendrum

We all love reading about your African hunting adventures. Let’s spread the word.

Submit your story, and we’ll clean and edit it to be published on Africanhuntinggazette.com

Conservation Controversies

By Morgan Hauptfleisch

Knowledge of wildlife behaviour, how animals care for their young, how they communicate with each other, and other cute and interesting facts are common in nature guidebooks, magazine articles, and safari guide rhetoric. The eco-tourism experience is about giving the animal a place in our hearts. Conversely, knowledge of ecosystem processes, energy flow, homeostasis, genetic bottlenecks, and carrying capacity is not well understood by the general public, as it is seldom explained outside of scientific writing and lecture halls.

Lessons From an African Bowhunter

By Strang Middleton

Basically, to shoot long yardages, you need good form. This means your shooting technique must be solid and, with practice, should come to you like putting one foot in front of another. A bowhunter should shoot his bow often enough so that no matter what situation he finds himself in, he will react instinctively every time – kind of like driving. No matter where you stand, what the conditions are, or how excited you are, you come to the same anchor point – relax your front hand and squeeze your trigger.I have a little saying I always run by myself as I prepare to shoot: FPS (Feet Per Second) achieved by adhering to the following important guide: Please see pictures to illustrate these points.

Cape Fearsome

By Terry Wieland



 Years ago, I was told that professional hunters in East Africa wanted a young PH to have a close call with a Cape buffalo early in his career. Why? Because, they said, you could hunt and kill 500 buffalo without incident, become complacent, and number 501 would get you. Better to learn a lesson early. 

Recently, a writer I know and respect, who has hunted all over the world, including many Cape buffalo, wrote that he did not know, personally, anyone who had experienced a problem with a buffalo, much less an injury. Nor, he wrote, did any of the professional hunters he canvassed on the subject. 

The 30th is Pearl

By Bob Bixby

My wife Pam and I marked our 30th wedding anniversary not with a Caribbean cruise or a European tour, but with nearly five weeks in Southern Africa. It is a place that’s always meant more to us than just a destination. On our 20th anniversary, we renewed our wedding vows in a church overlooking the Indian Ocean. This time, we returned to make more memories. The trip had three distinct phases. First, we spent time in the Victoria Falls/Livingstone region, exploring Chobe National Park in Botswana and visiting Victoria Falls from both the Zimbabwe and Zambia sides. Then came the heart of the trip, a 14-day hunt with Huntershill Safaris.

Bulletproof

By Ken Moody

An uneasy feeling tugged at my gut as we made our final approach on the wounded buffalo. We had pushed the old boy for hours and now, it seemed, the pushing was over. I knew he was there, just in the distance holed up in a tangle of sickle bush, but I also knew that he was tired and ornery and all those things a buffalo can become when they’ve decided to make a stand. As we crept closer, I also knew a decision point would be reached and that all hell was likely to come thundering towards us. I knew all of this, but onward we pressed, as this, you see, is the essence of hunting buffalo. 

Choosing the Right Knife for Your South African Hunting Trip

Ripe with plenty of outdoor adventures and thrilling hunting experiences, 70% of land in South Africa is used for wildlife conservation, with the other 30% being government-owned national and provincial game reserves. While you’re likely no stranger to hunting, you can always improve your arsenal before heading to one of the nation’s top game reserves. From boots and the right clothes for the weather to a scope and even different types of safety gear, there’s one tool that can allow you to really take your experience to the next level.

On the Spoor of the Spiral-horned Kudu

By Simon K Barr

If I were going to take a shot at the kudu we’d been tracking all day, it would have to be now.

And it was going to be like threading a needle. There was no way of getting closer – swirling wind and, after cover, open ground. I’d have no choice but to find a path for my bullet through the dense scrub. Time was not on our side: the area was teeming with wildlife, and at any moment we’d be scented. We had already heard a large group of buffalo bounce around to our immediate east, just 100 yards away beyond the cover where we were.

The Forest, the Trees, and the Missing Boat

By Terry Wieland

A couple of years ago, I was part of a group pheasant hunting in North Dakota. As with many of these gatherings, it was an eclectic crowd of writers, cameramen, and industry types. One of the cameramen was a young guy, starting out in the business, and ecstatically happy to be invited anywhere at someone else’s expense.

Much of his time was spent quizzing one of the older writers about his time in Africa. Now, this particular guy had been to Africa a half-dozen times, starting in the mid-1980s. He’d been to Zambia early on, for about a week, and later spent time in Zimbabwe and South Africa. I’ve known him for 20 years, and was interested to eavesdrop during dinner and see how he would present his experiences.

Chapter 10

The Ethics

By Wayne Grant

The hunters found a track yesterday, shortly after noon, and followed it south towards the escarpment. It was a big elephant. His tracks indicated that he was old and had experienced some kind of mishap with his back left foot which, every now and then, when the elephant trod in the soft red dust, showed a scarred or raised ridge. For the first four hours the elephant did not stop. He did not feed and he ignored several clear trickling streams. He was, the hunters said, “on a mission”. But as evening crept in, the Zambezi Valley escarpment was no longer a soft blurred hazy blue. The tired group could now clearly make out the rock formations, individual trees and bush-thickened crevasses.

Who are the African Dawn Outfitters?

The African Dawn Outfitter Program is about working with an exclusive group, to offer one critical thing, and that is peace of mind for you, the hunter.

With over 1000 outfitters to choose from, despite the majority being good and offering a great safari, it is a minefield out there when trying to decide with whom to hunt across the continent. And when it comes to your hunt, why risk anything? This group can deliver the goods.

Book directly with them, go to our website and sign up to receive the weekly posts, Fresh from the Veld. If you’re an agent looking for outfitters to represent or sell; you’ll be safe contacting any one of these Dawn Members.

www.africandawnoutfitters.com

Richard Lendrum - Publisher African Hunting Gazette

richard@africanhuntinggazette.com

2025 African Dawn Members