{"id":15492,"date":"2019-02-24T23:01:40","date_gmt":"2019-02-24T23:01:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/?p=15492"},"modified":"2019-02-24T23:02:13","modified_gmt":"2019-02-24T23:02:13","slug":"the-hunting-wire-life-and-death-in-africa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/the-hunting-wire-life-and-death-in-africa\/","title":{"rendered":"The Hunting Wire – Life and Death in Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is the inaugural editorial in the first edition of the Hunting Wire<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Life and Death in Africa<\/strong><\/p>\n

For some reason I picked up an apple as I left the lodge. I shoved it in my pocket and threw my gear in the Land Rover. After almost 30 days away from home, I needed some alone<\/em>time. An hour later I\u2019d found it under an acacia tree at the edge of a wide savannah. The morning was Africa cold<\/em>\u2013 just above freezing \u2013 but the sun felt good on my face. I remembered the apple in my pocket, and the first bite took me back to another cool morning.<\/p>\n

I was on a big log and my Dad was sitting behind me. My mom\u2019s old Winchester Model 37 was lying across my lap, and my pockets were full of 410 shells \u2013 because I thought was going to kill more squirrels than I could carry. As we listened to the cuttings of hickory nuts falling around us, Dad whispered, \u201cWhen you find the hickory nuts, you\u2019ll find the squirrels.\u201d<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t long until a big fox squirrel jumped onto the far end of the log we were sitting on. I started to raise the shotgun, but Dad touched my arm. The squirrel came up the log, sniffed my gun barrel, and hopped off to go dig in the leaves. A few moments later we were both smiling, celebrating my first squirrel. Dad pulled an apple out of his vest \u2013 apples have always been his favorite hunting snack \u2013 and we shared it as we relived the adventure.<\/p>\n

With doves cooing in the distance, my mind got away from me. I recalled Dad carrying me on his shoulders while we raccoon hunted, because my legs were too short to keep up with the hounds. I remembered how he\u2019d explained the difference between red and white oak acorns, showed me bear poop, and taught me about using the wind to your advantage. I even chuckled, thinking about how he always let me shoot first when we flushed a grouse; I\u2019d miss and he\u2019d killed it. And, a grin found my face recalling his advice before I went off to Basic Training, \u201cTake care of your feet. If they get sore, you\u2019re done.\u201d He was right; it\u2019s why I\u2019ve always got extra socks when I go hunting.\u201d<\/p>\n

Time passes. Months turn into years, years into decades, and the sun was now much higher. With the wrinkles on my face mirroring my father\u2019s, a wrinkle in time had found me, lost somewhere between the Allegheny Mountains and the Bushveld, and between childhood and all grown up. I felt content and alone, but sensed a hand on my shoulder. That\u2019s when I caught a glimpse of movement.<\/p>\n

I reached for my binocular. (Dad called them field glasses and never hunted without them. I won\u2019t either.) It was a mature warthog, walking with his nose in the wind. I tossed the core of the apple onto the red dirt, grabbed my rifle, and started to cut him off. I paralleled him for several hundred yards until I\u2019d cut the distance down to what dad would have called \u201ca sure thing.\u201d Finding the perfect spot for an ambush, I crouched behind a termite mound, and when the old boy stepped out, I shot him right between the eyes.<\/p>\n

It\u2019d been a good morning, which in a way had spanned almost a half-century. As I walked back to the truck I thought about how far and close<\/em>a safari in Africa and a squirrel hunt in West Virginia are apart. I also thought about how a passion shared between a father and son, fueled during a cool fall morning on a hickory ridge, could be the inspiration for a lifetime of chasing wild things, and a career where it never seems like I actually go to work.<\/p>\n

A few days later my son and I were boarding the plane in Johannesburg for our flight home when my phone rang. My wife tearfully and painfully told me Dad had passed away. Over the next 16 hours I tried to remember the last hunt where we were together. I couldn\u2019t. Then I realized, it was just a few days ago. He knew we were on safari. He knew the day we were coming home. And, while he was not able to get his worn out body out of bed, he\u2019d found a way to be there with me.<\/p>\n

My son and I will head to Africa for another month again this summer. I\u2019m sure as the end of the safari nears, I\u2019ll once again need to get away from everyone. I\u2019ll find another acacia tree to sit under while the sun warms my body and soul. But, I won\u2019t be alone. Dad will be there, just like he\u2019s always been. And, I\u2019ll have a nice and shiny, big red apple to share with him.<\/p>\n

Richard Mann<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This is the inaugural editorial in the first edition of the Hunting Wire. Life and Death in Africa For some reason I picked up an apple as I left the lodge. I shoved it in my pocket and threw my gear in the Land Rover. After almost 30 days away from home, I needed some alonetime. An hour later I\u2019d found it …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":15493,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[2579,2820,2859],"tags":[391,2861,2860],"class_list":["post-15492","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-editorial","category-latest","category-the-hunting-wire","tag-africa","tag-editorial","tag-hunting-wire"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Week-1-8.jpg?fit=2959%2C1991&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5hujZ-41S","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":15489,"url":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/the-hunting-wire-4-february-2019\/","url_meta":{"origin":15492,"position":0},"title":"The Hunting Wire – 4 February 2019","author":"gunwriter","date":"February 24, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Check out this weeks Hunting Wire covering a new trigger from Timney, kids and guns, the Mossberg Patriot, Norma and Winchester ammo, tips for crossbow shooters, and with an editorial about dragging deer. To read the full wire click HERE Featured Video: Sig Zulu 9 Binocular https:\/\/youtu.be\/Vo8YyD2Erts \u00a0","rel":"","context":"In "EDITORIAL"","block_context":{"text":"EDITORIAL","link":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/category\/editorial\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Week-2-Image-6.jpg?fit=1200%2C808&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Week-2-Image-6.jpg?fit=1200%2C808&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Week-2-Image-6.jpg?fit=1200%2C808&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Week-2-Image-6.jpg?fit=1200%2C808&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Week-2-Image-6.jpg?fit=1200%2C808&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15498,"url":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/the-hunting-wire-22-february-2019\/","url_meta":{"origin":15492,"position":1},"title":"The Hunting Wire – 22 February 2019","author":"gunwriter","date":"February 24, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"This weeks edition of the Hunting Wire features a new long range target, how to better hunt with kids, Wilson Combat's 300 HAMR, information on the 300 Savage, a new rifle from Mossberg in 450 Bushmaster, and an editorial on long range hunting. To read the full wire click HERE\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "EDITORIAL"","block_context":{"text":"EDITORIAL","link":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/category\/editorial\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Week-3-Image-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C747&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Week-3-Image-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C747&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Week-3-Image-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C747&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Week-3-Image-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C747&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Week-3-Image-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C747&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15706,"url":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/life-and-death-in-africa-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":15492,"position":2},"title":"Life and Death, in Africa","author":"gunwriter","date":"November 7, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"\"...but I'm never really alone; dad's dead, not gone. He's with me there, just like he's with me when I'm sitting under a hickory in the Appalachian hills. And I always try to have a nice and shiny, big red apple to share with him.\"","rel":"","context":"In "EDITORIAL"","block_context":{"text":"EDITORIAL","link":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/category\/editorial\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Buck-31.jpg?fit=1200%2C554&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Buck-31.jpg?fit=1200%2C554&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Buck-31.jpg?fit=1200%2C554&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Buck-31.jpg?fit=1200%2C554&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Buck-31.jpg?fit=1200%2C554&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":17865,"url":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/africa-explained\/","url_meta":{"origin":15492,"position":3},"title":"Africa, Explained","author":"gunwriter","date":"April 4, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"After nearly two decades of African safaris, I\u2019ve learned some things. This is how I see Africa. It\u2019s a place where you can drink too much whisky at night, and not feel it the next morning.It\u2019s a place where you can get blood on your hands and feel no need\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "EDITORIAL"","block_context":{"text":"EDITORIAL","link":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/category\/editorial\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/AF-24.jpg?fit=1000%2C667&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/AF-24.jpg?fit=1000%2C667&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/AF-24.jpg?fit=1000%2C667&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/AF-24.jpg?fit=1000%2C667&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":16580,"url":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/under-orion-volume-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":15492,"position":4},"title":"Under Orion Volume 2","author":"gunwriter","date":"February 2, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"My latest book, Under Orion Volume Two, Hunting Stories from Appalachia to Africa is now available for purchase. There are just a few 1 of 100 signed copies left that can be ordered HERE. And the book is also available on AMAZON One of the best parts of hunting is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "BOOKS by Richard Mann"","block_context":{"text":"BOOKS by Richard Mann","link":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/category\/books\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/image-designindd.jpg?fit=1000%2C801&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/image-designindd.jpg?fit=1000%2C801&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/image-designindd.jpg?fit=1000%2C801&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/image-designindd.jpg?fit=1000%2C801&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":16394,"url":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/daily-blog-12-9-20-a-new-book\/","url_meta":{"origin":15492,"position":5},"title":"Daily Blog: 12\/9\/20 (A New Book)","author":"gunwriter","date":"December 9, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Today consisted of a hodgepodge of chores, including Christmas shopping. 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