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THE Africa Thread (merged)

What's on your mind?
General interest discussions, not necessarily related to depletion.

Re: Hunting in Africa with spears

Unread postby Specop_007 » Tue 08 May 2007, 20:23:43

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('jupiters_release', 'W')ere those human graves at the end?


Yes. Welcome to Africa I suppose.
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Re: Hunting in Africa with spears

Unread postby Specop_007 » Tue 08 May 2007, 20:29:03

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ebyss', 'I')'m afraid I couldn't watch the elephant bits. They're highly endangered, and killing them seems such a pity - but if you need to eat, it's either you or him and then the choice is obvious.

The spear hunting was very interesting - one would always hope death would be immediate and as painless as possible, but when you don't have a gun you have to accept the fact that your ability to be merciful is limited.

I was disappointed to see a game hunter taking down an elephant with a gun in the first scene though - you know he ain't gonna eat it, and to kill for the sake of it is wasteful at best.

I wouldn't fancy taking on a water buffalo with spears - those things are perpetually furious. I saw one take on a pride of lionesses guarding their cubs. The cubs lost :/


I found it interesting as well, but didnt care for the elephant part.
Actually, I was both amazed and stunned. As a hunter I understand the predator prey concept, and know that animals die to put food on the table. Put as a modern day hunter the animal doesnt suffer nearly as much. Most times the animal is dead before he knows hes dead so to speak.

But those spears were amazing. Theres something primal about it that speaks to me, but my more civilized side was stunned at how long the animals took to go down. I realize they do it to eat, I cant fault them for it. But wow. Its just.....primal.

As for the big game hunter with a gun, rest assured much of the meat is still used. They dont just let the carcass rot, most goes to the surrounding tribes to feed them. Its actually a win win situation in as much as ait can be. The populations are controlled, the locals are fed, the government coffers are full and the animal is killed humanely. At least far more so then getting hundreds of holes poked in it.

And yes, I do want to do a big game hunt in Africa. That would be quite an amazing experience. I've seen pictures from some guys who have gone over there and heard stories. Incredible stuff. One picture shows the hunter stuck in the tree with a angry rhino underneath him looking up just waiting. No clue what happened to the hunters gun, but in that case the hunter became the hunted! Heard another story of a man who wounded a big cat that then ran into tall brush. Him and the guides went in for it, he commented that one of the guides only had a 9mm pistol.
"Its all you need, when he grabs you around the neck you reach up and shoot him in the head"
Guy said he was pretty on edge walkin through the brush after hearing that. Rightly so I suppose.
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Abyss, the Abyss gazes also into you."

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Re: Hunting in Africa with spears

Unread postby Chaparral » Tue 08 May 2007, 20:33:47

Those are pretty damn tough spears. The heads look like they are cruciform in cross section for lateral rigidity. It gives me a pretty good idea of what to copy should i ever want to forge one thats suitable for more than just decoration. I noticed no one was using atl atls either.
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Re: Hunting in Africa with spears

Unread postby threadbear » Tue 08 May 2007, 20:39:53

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Specop_007', '
')And those guys are brave as hell. No way I'd face down an elephant or hippo with a pointy stick!

Click

.


Don't sell your self short, Secop. I've seen you face down huge minds with a pointy head!
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Re: Hunting in Africa with spears

Unread postby Specop_007 » Tue 08 May 2007, 20:42:04

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('threadbear', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Specop_007', '
')And those guys are brave as hell. No way I'd face down an elephant or hippo with a pointy stick!

Click

.


Don't sell your self short, Secop. I've seen you face down huge minds with a pointy head!


I admit, I chuckled. :-D
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Re: Hunting in Africa with spears

Unread postby PenultimateManStanding » Tue 08 May 2007, 20:42:35

Wow, that's how it all started, didn't it? Outsmarting the lions. Eventually they started hunting the lions just for kicks, to show them who was the boss.
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Re: Hunting in Africa with spears

Unread postby VinceG » Wed 09 May 2007, 04:01:17

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Specop_007', 'O')K, so the bodies at the end dont really mesh with the rest of the video....But otherwise, damn. I didnt realize a spear was so frickin deadly. I mean sure, I knew people used to hunt with them but wow....

And those guys are brave as hell. No way I'd face down an elephant or hippo with a pointy stick!

Click

Warning, a bit graphic.


Perhaps interesting to know: This clip is taken from the 1966 Italian documentary Africa Addio, a movie about the end of the colonial era in Africa. This movie documents some of the disruptions caused by decolonization, such as poaching in former animal preserves and bloody revolutions, including the Zanzibar revolution which resulted in the massacre of approximately 5000 Arabs in 1964.

You can find the whole movie on Google Video --> Africa Addio

(warning: this is not for the faint hearted. If you already found Specop's clip disturbing, you probably should refrain from watching the whole documentary...)
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Re: Hunting in Africa with spears

Unread postby jupiters_release » Wed 09 May 2007, 04:36:20

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Specop_007', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ebyss', '
')But those spears were amazing. Theres something primal about it that speaks to me, but my more civilized side was stunned at how long the animals took to go down. I realize they do it to eat, I cant fault them for it. But wow. Its just.....primal.


I lived in Spain for a year and it was reminiscent of a bullfight, my first time it was difficult to watch in person but after the initial shock, you quickly join in on the cheering. Sort of a modern civilized sport of primal forms, then again Spaniards generally have a much healthier society especially compared to the states today.
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Re: Hunting in Africa with spears

Unread postby Newsseeker » Wed 09 May 2007, 08:51:11

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Specop_007', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('jupiters_release', 'W')ere those human graves at the end?


Yes. Welcome to Africa I suppose.


No shortage there.
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Re: Hunting in Africa with spears

Unread postby Ebyss » Wed 09 May 2007, 09:23:37

[quote="Specop_007]
I found it interesting as well, but didnt care for the elephant part.
Actually, I was both amazed and stunned. As a hunter I understand the predator prey concept, and know that animals die to put food on the table. Put as a modern day hunter the animal doesnt suffer nearly as much. Most times the animal is dead before he knows hes dead so to speak.

But those spears were amazing. Theres something primal about it that speaks to me, but my more civilized side was stunned at how long the animals took to go down. I realize they do it to eat, I cant fault them for it. But wow. Its just.....primal.

As for the big game hunter with a gun, rest assured much of the meat is still used. They dont just let the carcass rot, most goes to the surrounding tribes to feed them. Its actually a win win situation in as much as ait can be. The populations are controlled, the locals are fed, the government coffers are full and the animal is killed humanely. At least far more so then getting hundreds of holes poked in it.

And yes, I do want to do a big game hunt in Africa. That would be quite an amazing experience. I've seen pictures from some guys who have gone over there and heard stories. Incredible stuff. One picture shows the hunter stuck in the tree with a angry rhino underneath him looking up just waiting. No clue what happened to the hunters gun, but in that case the hunter became the hunted! Heard another story of a man who wounded a big cat that then ran into tall brush. Him and the guides went in for it, he commented that one of the guides only had a 9mm pistol.
"Its all you need, when he grabs you around the neck you reach up and shoot him in the head"
Guy said he was pretty on edge walkin through the brush after hearing that. Rightly so I suppose.[/quote]


Despite the fact that I find controlled game hunting for sportextremely distasteful, I do appreciate that without it things would be a lot worse for the animals. Provided the kills are used for food, I have less of a problem with it. But when species are SO endangered, I'm afraid all I see is selfishness on the part of the hunter. I understand primal instincts, I really do, but guns aren't part of it - if you want it to be a truly primal experience, then get thee a pointy stick and see how you fare. Standing back and shooting with a gun gives you much better odds than with any other weapon (bows included, despite the fact that they are a missile weapon and can be used from a distance) and really, one is removed from the "primal", real human element of it.

Hunting lions and rhino on a game reserve for no reason other than to shoot one just ain't right - they're dwindling as a species, the gene pool gets smaller and smaller. But again, game reserves control and conserve the populations of all their animals - and to afford it they must allow X amounts of animals to be killed each year. I understand that - but why any human being would want to shoot an endangered animal merely for the experience is beyond me. Gazelles, wildebeest and other plentiful herbivores - that's different. But rhino, lions and elephants? The real man, the real primal man, understands that he must take only what the Earth can spare, and right now she cannot spare these animals for one reason and one reason only - man has already brought them to the precipice of extinction. The real hunter, the one that is truly "man", would walk away. He may regret missing the experience, but he would have done the right thing so that, hopefully, future generations will have the chance just to see these animals, let alone hunt them (and who knows, maybe with concerted efforts we will one day be overrun with the things and they'll need to be controlled, lol).

I have ZERO problem with people hunting animals for meat and population/pest control (but again, the carcass should be utilised). I do have a problem with people killing an endangered animal for the sake of it.

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'T')heres something primal about it that speaks to me, but my more civilized side was stunned at how long the animals took to go down. I realize they do it to eat, I cant fault them for it


I agree, I felt the same way. I would like to learn to hunt - I would especially like to learn how to bowhunt. Sadly, bowhunting is illegal in Ireland, so I may never get to learn what could be a vital skill in the future. Still, I will learn archery nonetheless. In the meantime, I will learn to shoot game with a gun - and I'll use every last scrap of meat if it kills me, lol.
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Re: Hunting in Africa with spears

Unread postby Specop_007 » Wed 09 May 2007, 10:07:28

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ebyss', '
')Despite the fact that I find controlled game hunting for sport extremely distasteful, I do appreciate that without it things would be a lot worse for the animals. Provided the kills are used for food, I have less of a problem with it. But when species are SO endangered, I'm afraid all I see is selfishness on the part of the hunter. I understand primal instincts, I really do, but guns aren't part of it - if you want it to be a truly primal experience, then get thee a pointy stick and see how you fare. Standing back and shooting with a gun gives you much better odds than with any other weapon (bows included, despite the fact that they are a missile weapon and can be used from a distance) and really, one is removed from the "primal", real human element of it.

Hunting lions and rhino on a game reserve for no reason other than to shoot one just ain't right - they're dwindling as a species, the gene pool gets smaller and smaller. But again, game reserves control and conserve the populations of all their animals - and to afford it they must allow X amounts of animals to be killed each year. I understand that - but why any human being would want to shoot an endangered animal merely for the experience is beyond me. Gazelles, wildebeest and other plentiful herbivores - that's different. But rhino, lions and elephants? The real man, the real primal man, understands that he must take only what the Earth can spare, and right now she cannot spare these animals for one reason and one reason only - man has already brought them to the precipice of extinction. The real hunter, the one that is truly "man", would walk away. He may regret missing the experience, but he would have done the right thing so that, hopefully, future generations will have the chance just to see these animals, let alone hunt them (and who knows, maybe with concerted efforts we will one day be overrun with the things and they'll need to be controlled, lol).

I have ZERO problem with people hunting animals for meat and population/pest control (but again, the carcass should be utilised). I do have a problem with people killing an endangered animal for the sake of it.


I understand what your saying although I dont agree.
The simple fact is its a numbers game. The conservation or park rangers determine they can support X animals. If the number is high then animals will be destroyed. Period. End of story.
You can either send out Mr. Ranger to shoot them and let them lie, or you can charge some round eye an assload of money to come do the shooting for you. In the big picture having some guy come in and paying you to shoot them is all around a better experience. The populations remain in control and you expand you coffers instead of just keeping the population in control.

I cant speak to it with any degree of authority but I would assume if one had enough money and knew the right people he could be given a "free pass" so to speak to start shooting but thats another story.

Think of it as the lesser of the evils. Rather then just killing animals to meet population controls, they are making money to do the same thing.

Now the bigger issue (to me) is the loss of land the animals use. Ultimately the amount of land drives the allowable populations. If you lose land you lose the ability to support large numbers of animals.

While we're on the subject though I have an interesting story that most people wouldnt stop to consider.
I moved from Nebraska to Kansas some time ago, but was born and spent most of my life in Nebraska. When I was back home late last year I was talking to my grandfather who loves to hunt. He mentioned that the can insurance agencies contacted the Nebraska Game and Parks and said if deer populations didnt come down Nebraska residents would face a hefty increase for car insurance.
Why?
The amount of claims for collisions with deer had sharply increased. So either the population is brought down thus minimizing auto accidents or the insurance rates were coming up. I know they issued alot of permits that year, my grandfather and grandmother alone bagged 8 deer (all on legal permits).

Bet you didnt think your insurance agency had a hand in setting population numbers did you. What a tangled web we weave.....
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Abyss, the Abyss gazes also into you."

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Re: Hunting in Africa with spears

Unread postby Ebyss » Wed 09 May 2007, 11:57:20

Yeah, I understand that the game reserves are the lesser of two evils, but I just wish the excess animals could be relocated to areas where they could be safe and they could increase their numbers (I'm talking about the endangered species here). But, as you so rightly said, it all comes down to available land - and sadly, humans encroach on wildlife territory more and more each day. I would rather have the game reserves than some of the other alternatives, but I can't help feeling that killing endangered species is inherently wrong when more numbers are so desperately needed (where do you put them though?). It seems to be a no-win situation :/

As for your grandfather's insurance issues - well, one has to ask, are there too many deer or too many cars? ;) Peak Oil should go some way to culling both of those populations I should think.
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Re: Hunting in Africa with spears

Unread postby Specop_007 » Wed 09 May 2007, 14:17:27

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ebyss', '
')As for your grandfather's insurance issues - well, one has to ask, are there too many deer or too many cars? ;) Peak Oil should go some way to culling both of those populations I should think.


Haha, I suppose that depends on whether you walk around on 2 legs or 4!
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Re: Hunting in Africa with spears

Unread postby Pretorian » Wed 09 May 2007, 16:13:53

My favorite part is the one where they kill baby elephant and stick a spear into they eye of a little bit bigger one.
I only hope that those dead monkeys were real in the end of the movie.
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Re: Hunting in Africa with spears

Unread postby Baldwin » Wed 09 May 2007, 16:18:00

If i had to choose between the elephant and the hunter, I'd select the elephant. It's not as if we don't have enough people.
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Re: Hunting in Africa with spears

Unread postby mgibbons19 » Wed 09 May 2007, 17:05:44

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Specop_007', '.')..but was born and spent most of my life in Nebraska.


Figures you're from Nebraska.

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More good news from Africa

Unread postby shakespear1 » Mon 11 Jun 2007, 04:57:59

African Logging Decimating Pristine Forests, Report Warns

Link

I am guessing that all this wood is going to China as they are moving fast toward being one large desert 8)
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Re: More good news from Africa

Unread postby ohanian » Mon 11 Jun 2007, 06:53:46

If this is good news, then
I wonder what the bad news are like...
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Re: More good news from Africa

Unread postby shakespear1 » Mon 11 Jun 2007, 06:56:19

More good news will be that Tony Blair will soon have more time on his hands. NOW he will be able to rid Africa of HIV/AIDS :twisted:

Irony my man, Irony !!! :)
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Re: More good news from Africa

Unread postby TheTurtle » Mon 11 Jun 2007, 06:56:20

China is voraciously devouring African resources.
But the Chinese government insists that it is a co-beneficial relationship. :lol:
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