Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1900-10-07
BAGG|NG BIG GAME
IN SOUTH AFRICA
VAST HERDS ROAM THE vELDTs OBJ
THE TRANSyAAL AND HERE
HUNTER FINDS HIS
PARADISE.

BY an American Sportsman Just Returned
From the Transvaal.
Where is the best big game shooting
to be had? 1t is = question which is
often asked, with. necessarily. many
nswer Kangaroo shooting down
under" has a charm of its own. India
with its tiger killing n pig sticking
finds many adherents; while trapping
grizzly bears in the Rockies is not
without the element of danger SO fas-
cinating to the heart OF the true sports
man.
Blu this question has only one al
swer, l think-South Africa is the hun
ter's paradise.
And when / say South Africa. / mean
those districts of it lying nearest to
the great River 2ambesf. The time
was, and not very far distant, either,
when huge herds roamed over tn I'M
dulating veldt of the Orange Free
State and the Transvaal; but IL the
presence OF the Uitlander has develop
/ ed political problems, ii has also had
, a disturbing effect upon the wild game.
which has been driven further north
by the gold seeking crowds.
When one further north. however.
the hunter has his chance. Indeed,
the trouble Is not to find the game so
much as out OF so many hunting
fields to fix on the best. Almost any
where between the rivers Limpopo and
Zambesi a splendid bag may be OBJ
tanned.
Along the Limpopo Valley. especially
to the eastern side, big game could be
found, at n time, to any amount. But
through a long succession Of years this
district has been the happy hunting
| ground OF the Transvaal Beers. And
these gen .lemen have used their OPP
%portunities to such good purpose that
in places the game has been shot out.
Still. even in this. once-favored region
good sport can be obtained.
onans of Game Fields.
Going north from the Limpopo. and
following the coach road past the
township of Tuli into Mataheleland,
another fine game preserve is passed.
The Gwanda Umzingwani and Be-
lingwe districts were at one time the
favorite hunting country of the late
Matabele king, Lobengula. and were
| simply crowded with game. But va
| rious causes have operated to diminish
| their numbers-native iudiscrtminate
shooting. rinderpest defamation, and
especially the advent OF prospectors
and miners in fairly large numbers
have all tended 10 drive the animals to
| other fields. Occasionally. however, a
rich slice of luck falls 10 the lot OF the
adventurous and ~persevering hunter.
For instance, a friend of mine went out
one afternoon for a few hours sport.
He was stalking a buck, when he saw
something move on the top OF some
rocks. es
Slowly he climbed to the top, and
there. within a few PAGES of him, was
a liouess on her back playing with
three pretty cubs. Simply putting
down his gun he shot her on the spot
and secured the cubs. r
The only lion adventure I ever hady
was in this U~mzingwani region. | had
left Bulawayo for a three weeks shoot
ing trip on a bicycle. Running down /
the Tuli coach road. about fifty miles
from town | had a bit OF bad luck. |
met a native, who told me that a herd I
of nine giraffe had crossed the road I
about two hours before me.
| could only bemoan my misfortune, |
and pass on. When | got 10 my des-
tinatlon, the camp of a friend at the
Geelong Gold Mine, | exchanged my
wheel for a horse. for he soon con-
WINGED me that hunting big game on a
bicycle was a little too up4to-date to DO
practicable.
What with following up sable and
roam antelope, zebra herds and wild
pig. we were soon busy.
Before sun up one morning. we set
out on foot for the Umzingwanl, where
we thought we might loclfe one. Co
ing along. we followed up the spoor OF
three lions for about three miles, lead
ing down TO the river.
Presently we separated, my compan-
ion taking the right and myself the
left bank. As / jumped down on 10
the dry river bed / found the fresh
spoor of lion in the sand with water
trickling in, also the balf-eaten re-
mains OF an Gland antelope. by these
signs ! knew that | was on the right
track.
or course. / got very excited, and In
my enthusiasm walked along the river
bed looking for lions In the long grass.
Then, all at once. / remembered that
If one were to spring out on nc l
should have a very poor show, 20 1
climbed TO the top of the bank again.
a Big Find.
/ had gone about three hundred
yards in the breast-nigh grass, keep
ing a pretty careful lookout, when
suddenly two little lion cubs got up
! from almost under my feet. and made
of. shot one, and soon the mother
came along, only TO share the fate OF
her young.
One of the best game regions aourh
Of the Zambesi Is the country known as
the Pungwe Flats. In Portuguese East
Africa. Starting from Belra, the port
on the East Coast. after fifty miles or
so westwards, the Flats are reached.
and they stretch away north and south
a tremendous distance.
Together with the valleys OF the riv-
ers Sabi and Busl. the Flats coasti-
tute. in very truth. the hunters para
disc. Everything that can make glad
the heart OF the sportsman. from gut1-
ca fowl and pheassnts, up 70 lions.
elephants and bufaloes is 10 be had
here in rich plentitude.
To show that this Is no exaggera-
ton / may mention that an expert
hunter whom / know went out one
60 .-uNN fswrxf~ . ~k.trC4