What First Spurred Your Interest in Africa?

[Daveboone]

Cowboy in Africa! Boy, I had forgotten that one, but I remember Daktari, I grew up reading Ruark ( I think he would have been a superb safari companion, Hemingway a poor one).
I grew up deer hunting in northern NY, and read every thing I could find about hunting Alaska and Africa, and many other places about the world. The wife and I had never been able to go away on a big trip, but had always anticipated going to Alaska...the problem was I didn't want to go and not see the Alaska I had dreamed of.
A couple years ago I was at an auction house dropping some firearms off to sell to help finance a Newfoundland moose hunt. While there, I was talking guns with the auctioneer, and he asked if I had ever been to Africa. No. Well, we proceeded to have quite a long visit. I had never given second thought to Africa, even though my wife had many times asked if it would be feasible (she more wanting to just do the wildlife viewing thing). I brought it up with her, and we proceeded to look into it, and realized it was at least as, and generally more affordable than the Alaska trip that still wouldn't have been all I would want. We will be able to do plenty of the viewing she wants, and I will have a modest (but all that I would like) hunt.

 

[cagkt3]

Talking hunting with a sales guy, and he was in the middle of planning his first hunt. Went to a little get together at his house with his outfitter and it really piqued my interest....pretty soon I was buying books about Africa, then won a silent auction hunt and the rest is history now. Looking to make it back again this year if I can swing it.

 

[Hank2211]

Started with getting sick when I was a kid. My dad collected books called "Boys' Own Annual." English members may know it - was a weekly and then monthly newspaper for boys, started around 1890 and ended I know not when. Once a year all the year's papers were published in book form.

The books contained all sorts of stories which would appeal to young boys, especially adventure stories, many set in Africa. Lots of time to read when I was in bed, got hooked, and snuck the books to read even when I was better.

As a result, always wanted to go to Africa and have an "adventure." Took a long time to get there, but once I did, got hooked, and have been back more than a dozen times!

 

[sestoppelman]

On the map on the previous page, near the junction of the A23 and the Momella road is the Mt Meru Game Lodge and Sanctuary. This is where I mentioned earlier that we stayed, it was on the way home. I have a book about the filming of HATARI and it states that the "game farm" where a lot of the filming was done and where the catchers started out every day was actually a set. It was 6 acres of building and pens, but a set nonetheless. When I hunted that area in 1985, the fellow I shared the 2x1 hunt with, a German said that HATARI was a Hardy Kruger movie, and not a John Wayne movie! Still one of my favorites. I have the book from the original author, two different soundtracks, this movie companion book and of course the DVD and earlier tape. It did of course have no small influence on me as a youngster when it came out, I was 9 in '62. I guess that makes RedLeg a year older than me!

 

[AZDAVE]

Reading my dad outdoor life in the 60's I was 8 or 9 and remember telling my dad that I wanted to hunt something Called "Cape Buffalo". It took many years to go on my first safari, got my buff

 

[BRICKBURN]

What an incredible role "media" has played in shaping young peoples dreams.

Keep sharing your stories.

 

[LivingTheDream]

Hatari is what got me interested as a kid. My dad was a huge John Wayne fan. As an adult I didn't think it would ever happen and figured Africa would be one of my last hunting trips I ever took. Then I got a call asking if I wanted to go hunt Africa and it was far less than I thought. The rest they say is history, as I have my fourth trip booked.

 

[MAdcox]

Capstick can probably be blamed for a lot of safaris!

I agree. I was always watching Mutual of Omaha hoping they were in Africa, and spent time each year at the OKC Zoo looking at anything Africa, but I started reading my dad's Capstick library at 10 or 12. That led to Ruark, Hemingway, Bell, Roosevelt, Patterson, Corbett (granted that was India), then on to Boddington and great series like Tracks Across Africa, Trailing the Hunter's Moon, and Shockey's different TV shows. I have tried to absorb it all.
I was actually a little concerned I had built it up in my mind so much my first short trip to RSA would be a let down. It wasn't. Can't wait t o get back.

 

[Divernhunter]

Many , many years ago(1950's) when I was in grammar school I read the book Born Free and that is what started it for me.

 

[Pondoro]

For me it started with an overall interest in firearms...first mil. arms due to spending time in uniform....then I started reading Elmer Keith on Africa, discovered John Taylor´s books, Capstick and the ball started rolling.....I framed up a National Graphic map of Africa in 1990 and kept looking at it for many years to keep the dream alive....until I had the economy to go....been in Africa every year since..

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

and then of course, there was Commander McBragg..............

 

[barbells.and.arrows]

Watching Ghosts And the Darkness with my dad 40000 times as a kid.

 

[John Camp]

Watching Johnny Weissmuller Tarzan movies in the 60s.

This is it. There are a couple of those movies where they had footage from a plane flying over plains game. I guess they paid a lot for it because they used all the footage. 20 min of watching African plains game run about. My dad had some old records of Curt Gowdy interviewing Fred Bear. Most of that was Brown bear stories but I wore that out. I did not read Capstick until I was in my late 30s. It was overwhelming to me. After reading Death in the Long Grass I had a complete collapse of ego. I understood I had never accomplished anything and had wasted my life. All because I was born 20 years too late.

 

[John Camp]

Commander McBragg

THERE, THE KHYBER PASS...

 

[brushmore]

In 2014 The Telegraph started republishing their old editions online to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of WWI. In one of the editions that was published a few days before the start of the war was an ad to get people to move to Rhodesia. That really struck a cord with me for some reason. The next thing I know is that I find AH.com and I'm booking a trip to Africa!

 

[PatrickMa Ward]

Went on a photo safari in 1996, and somebody gave me a copy of Death in the Long Grass by Peter Capstick and the rest is history.

 

[TheWhitetailNut]

Peter Hathaway Capstick

 

[Jason Miller]

The Late Great Mr. Peter Hathaway Capstick for me as well.

 

[NurseFet]

Out of Africa. Definitely Out of Africa.

That and my husband is super invested personally and professionally. If you can’t beat em, join em.

 

[Darrel Morris]

For me, it was reading Wilber Smith's Flight of the Falcon during my senior year. From there I discovered Peter Capstick. After that, I was hooked.