Petersen's Hunting December 2017 - January 2018

Just like Lucy’s footprints embedded in the Tanzanian dirt, my first steps onto African soil are just as indelible. In my mind, a set of size 11 Danners are still pressed into the mud along the Senegalese banks of the Gambia River, where I waited, shotgun in hand, in the fading orange sunset for the flocks of ganga, or four-banded sand grouse, to arrive. I’ve returned to Africa a few times since, notably wingshooting rock pigeons in the Free State and hunting in the snow for gemsbok and Cape kudu high among the Drakensberg mountains. Each trip has left a permanent mark upon me, and in my dreams, my tracks are still lined out across the landscape, leading the way for other hunters to follow. As mythical as Africa looms in the…

Welcome back, Zumbo! I WAS SURPRISED TO SEE JIM ZUMBO MAKE A COMEBACK IN PETERSEN’S HUNTING. I AM GLAD HE HAS FOUND A RETURN TO HUNTING JOURNALISM DESPITE AN UNFORTUNATE, POORLY CONCEIVED COMMENT ON FIREARMS YEARS AGO. WHILE WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES, FORGIVENESS AND REHABILITATION ARE THE AMERICAN WAY.IT IS FITTING THE OUTDOOR INDUSTRY IS IN SYNC WITH THAT MINDSET. JOHN STUCKER Via email Thank you for your letter and kind words. We believe you’re right. Jim Zumbo has “served his time” (10 years, in fact) and openly acknowledged and apologized for his “blog heard around the world.” Jim was one of the first people I met when I entered the outdoor industry, and he was quick to welcome me and treat me like an old friend—something I will always be thankful for.…

When investigators uncovered a massive poaching ring in Oregon and Washington in September, the hunting community did exactly what you might expect: It demanded swift and severe justice. Why not? In possibly the largest poaching case in Oregon’s history, at least 100 bears, elk, deer, cougars, and bobcats were killed over a span of more than two years. Many of the animals were left to rot. At least seven people have been charged with as many as 60 counts each so far, and authorities are expected to make more arrests. A decade ago, the men might have paid a fine of a few hundred dollars, suffered some public humiliation, and lost their hunting privileges for a few years. And then they would have been back out doing it again. Not anymore. If the…

BULLET BASICS A very modern iteration of the polymer-tipped, boattailed big-game bullet, the ELD-X features best-in-class BC, a tip made of a proprietary “Heat Shield” material that withstands erosion caused by extreme velocities, engineering that allows it to mushroom reliably at a wide range of impact velocities (1,600 fps to 3,200 fps), and match-bullet consistency that enables it to shoot with extraordinary accuracy. The only traditional feature about it is the presence of an InterLock ring around the shank to minimize core/jacket separation during high-velocity impacts. TESTING GROUND Hornady’s Neal Emery hit the vitals of a 55-inch Alaska bull moose with the bullet shown from 611 yards. Fired from his custom 7mm STW, the bullet exited the muzzle at 3,120 fps and impacted at an estimated 2,350 fps. FIELD PERFORMANCE Connecting squarely on the shoulder,…

WHERE: South Africa WHEN: May 2017 OUTFITTER: S.H. Safaris Swaershoek RIFLE: Mauser Voere (.30-06) HUNTER: Jose-Luis Sagripanti “The Poaching Restitution Act requires judges to impose the specific fines set in the act,” says Maryland Department of Natural Resources Police Public Information Officer Candy Thomson. If you illegally kill a buck over 150 inches, you will pay at least $5,000 in restitution, plus other costs. Judges don’t have any flexibility. “In most other instances, it is up to the judge, and they are often reluctant to impose heavy penalties.” That’s partly because some judges and prosecutors view poaching as victimless crimes, says Cenci. “It can vary from county to county and how well our officers are at networking with judges and prosecutors. I’ve seen judges hand down maximum penalties in locations where I would have never expected it.…

HISTORY Introduced in 1912, the .375 Holland & Holland features a belted, generously tapered case. The first ensured consistent headspacing and the second provided easy extraction when tropical climes caused pressure spikes in the cordite gunpowder of the day. Engineered to shoot a heavy-for-diameter 300-grain bullet, the “three-seven-five” quickly earned its spurs on heavy dangerous game. APPLICATION While it can’t compete as a true stopping cartridge with the big bores, the .375 generates far less recoil and, as a result, is much easier for most sportsmen to make carefully placed shots. Across much of Africa, the .375 is the minimum legal bore for buffalo. Loaded with a stout 300-grain projectile, it hits hard and penetrates marvelously. Put lighter, pointed bullets in the magazine and the .375 acquits itself commendably to 350 yards or…