{"id":1613,"date":"2021-05-13T14:31:48","date_gmt":"2021-05-13T18:31:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/?p=1613"},"modified":"2021-06-30T10:52:15","modified_gmt":"2021-06-30T14:52:15","slug":"safari-edyou-dont-know-what-you-dont-know-now-you-can-learn-by-craig-boddington","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/safari-edyou-dont-know-what-you-dont-know-now-you-can-learn-by-craig-boddington\/","title":{"rendered":"SAFARI ED \u201cYou don\u2019t know what you don\u2019t know.\u201d NOW YOU CAN LEARN! By Craig Boddington"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Africa remains the hunter\u2019s paradise. She offers the greatest variety, and a safari is truly the world\u2019s last great adventure. And, if you shop well, the world\u2019s most affordable big game experience! In the wake of the pandemic, Africa is opening up. The game is almost always abundant, but with so little pressure for nearly two years, more plentiful than ever in many areas. Africa\u2019s outfitters and their staffs\u2014and Africa\u2019s wildlife\u2014need<\/em> your business. And many of you need to get out. The opportunity is there, and the timing has never been better!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Cape
There\u2019s something about dark animals that confounds the human eye, making proper shot placement difficult. Safari Ed can\u2019t cure the problem, but offers visuals and suggestions that will help<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Planning a safari is a big step! Some African hunts are admittedly expensive\u2026but not all. The cost for a memorable, life-changing plains game safari can be similar to a guided elk hunt in the Rockies, or a caribou hunt in Alaska. However, hunting Africa is not free, and cannot be compared to \u201cdo-it-yourself\u201d public land hunting. As a visitor, you must hire a licensed professional hunter\u2026who will have a staffed camp and hunting areas. A safari is thus an investment in memories. Taking the plunge can be daunting, so it makes sense to prepare well and, the more preparation, the more successful you will be\u2026realizing the most from your investment!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Crawling\"
So, what are the best ways to ensure safest possible firearms handling when crawling in on an animal? Safari Ed offers suggestions!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So, how do you prepare? There have always been great books on Africa, and countless magazine articles. Today there are excellent videos and films, but there\u2019s never been \u201ceverything you wanted (and needed) to know\u201d in just one place. Which is why my old friend Conrad Evarts and I created Safari Ed<\/em>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Boddinton
Today, the required Hunter Safety certification is almost universal in the United States. Boddington still carries the California Hunter Certification card he received at Camp Pendleton in 1975. <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

When I was a youngster, \u201chunter education\u201d was in its infancy, and not yet required in my home state. My first \u201chunting training\u201d was when I was stationed at Camp Pendleton; I needed a Hunter Safety certification to get a California hunting license. Since then, Hunter Safety has become almost universal in the United States. In some states the requirement depends on birth year and rolls forward a year every year. All US states reciprocate in accepting an approved course so, no worries, I still have my tattered 1976 California Hunter Safety card\u2026and I carry a copy with my hunting license.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today\u2019s courses are more standardized, often with a mixture\u2014or choice\u2014between on-line and classroom training. The up sides are obvious: We want all hunters, not just new hunters, to be safe, ethical, and more successful. The down side, especially in some areas, is limited availability of required classroom instruction. We are all aware of the necessity to recruit new hunters, and difficulty in obtaining required certification can be a roadblock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Hunting_
Caroline Boddington with her first game animal, a California wild hog. Obtaining the required Hunter Certification delayed her first hunting experience for several months because of limited availability of course.\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

American delays and inconveniences are nothing compared to what prospective hunters must undergo in some countries. In Germany, it takes a year or more of weekly night courses to obtain a hunting license. Passing the final exam is pretty much a one-shot deal, and failure carries a major stigma. Gordon Marsh, proprietor of LG-Outdoors and Wholesale Hunter e-commerce sites, took the year-long curriculum when he was a young soldier stationed in Germany. The framed license holds a place of honor on his office wall. I am not aware of any \u201chunter-training\u201d requirements as rigorous as Germany\u2019s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Finland_running_moose\"
Required hunter training is much more rigorous in Europe. Shooting tests are often required; this Finland\u2019s \u201crunning moose\u201d target, required in order to hunt. The target runs on a track and is shot standing unsupported at 100 meters.\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Even there, temporary licenses can be granted to visitors. However, in many European countries one must pass a shooting test in order to hunt. In Finland, I had to pass the \u201crunning moose\u201d shooting test; in Sweden, it was the running boar. The target moves on a track\u2014not so slow\u2014and shooting is standing, unsupported. Not so easy!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Safari Ed<\/em> wasn\u2019t intended to be difficult, or to put anyone on the spot. Instead, it\u2019s informative, fun, and visual, hundred-percent on-line. It will answer a lot of questions, many you probably hadn\u2019t even thought of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Gun_safety_
A big difference between Africa and the hunting most of are used to: In Africa, hunters are rarely alone, often with a professional hunter and multiple trackers. This changes gun handling protocols.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I was young when I went on my first African safari. Like most young people, I didn\u2019t know as much as I thought I did. For a person my age (mid-20s), I\u2019d done a fair amount of hunting, but I also wasn\u2019t as experienced as I believe myself to be. I made a lot of mistakes on my early safaris because I didn\u2019t know what I didn\u2019t know! I\u2019d read everything I could get my hands on, but in those days, there was no internet and no outdoor TV. Today, these resources are invaluable\u2026but I wish there had been Safari Ed<\/em>, a focused program that addresses both the specifics of African hunting\u2026and the differences between Africa and the hunting most of us are familiar with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"gun_safety\"
Safety is safety\u2026but, in Africa, when should your rifle be loaded?<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Safe gun handling is what it is, and is fairly universal, so (as an author) of Safari Ed<\/em>, I\u2019d be the first to agree that basic firearms safety is a review. However, in Africa you are almost never hunting alone, so there are important nuances\u2026including gun safety while stalking, tracking, even crawling!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shooting is a bit different, too. Before I landed in Kenya I\u2019d never even heard of \u201cAfrican shooting sticks. Today they are more common\u2026but they remain in almost universal use across Africa. I still see a lot of first-time African hunters who have done little practice shooting off sticks. So, Safari Ed<\/em> is rich in what I call \u201cstickology!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Stickology\"
Three-legged \u201cAfrican shooting sticks\u201d are in almost universal use on safari. Safari Ed spends a of time, with demonstrating videos, on \u201cstickology.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

 Africa is a huge continent with tremendous variety of wildlife. All African hunting isn\u2019t the same, and there are many options for the modern safari. So, we broke Safari Ed<\/em> into segments. We start with hunting the non-dangerous game, the antelopes, pigs, and zebras. The \u201cplains game\u201d safari is far the most common today, also the most affordable. Then we move up to buffalo, on to hunting the great cats, and then elephant. The final segment is the aquatics: Crocodile, hippo, and the semi-aquatic antelopes, collectively requiring some of Africa\u2019s most specialized hunting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Packing
Throughout, Safari Ed offers tips on essential and special equipment\u2026along with packing tips!<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

In all the segments you will find basic information on the animals and their habitats; conservation notes; hunting techniques; shooting and shot placement; recommendations on rifles, cartridges, and sights\u2026and special equipment. There are other places to go to help shop for your safari but, when you go, you\u2019ll be more ready, more successful, and you\u2019ll have more fun if Safari Ed <\/em>is part of your preparation!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Visit the Safari Ed website<\/strong> Click Here<\/a> https:\/\/www.safari-ed.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa remains the hunter\u2019s paradise. She offers the greatest variety, and a safari is truly the world\u2019s last great adventure. And, if you shop well, the world\u2019s most affordable big game experience! In the wake of the pandemic, Africa is opening up. The game is almost always abundant, but with so little pressure for nearly … Continue reading “SAFARI ED \u201cYou don\u2019t know what you don\u2019t know.\u201d NOW YOU CAN LEARN! By Craig Boddington”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":1615,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false},"categories":[21,47],"tags":[167,77,121,32,119,145,83,123,75],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/1.jpg?fit=1920%2C1080&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1613"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1613"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1613\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1668,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1613\/revisions\/1668"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1615"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1613"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1613"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholesalehunter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1613"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}