The HUNT

“Yours is a strange and self-obsessed generation who just can’t get over your personal ego to believe in something. Above all, you take pride in hurting the sentiments of your elders, showing your angst and disbelief against the conventional wisdom”, that is my mother at her rhetoric best. Unfortunately, I could not understand her as she could never understand me. There are millions of parents having the same complaints from their kids. I can’t comment on all of them as I would be too naive and unaware of their feelings. But in my case, I can say that the chasm is not built based on our contrasting beliefs but on the contrary this is a gap between “blind beliefs” and “Questions”. Those who raise the questions and speak their minds can’t be politically correct always.



I always say that Human brain confuses; now I also think that the brain is wired in such a way that it understands only polar positions. Anything in between, it finds it difficult to understand. We have given the word “Closed” and then the opposite “Open”, we call “In” and opposite “Out”, we say “God” and then we coin the term “Devil”. It is so comforting. We want to think rational, in clear Black and white. Surprisingly, beneath this ideology everything appears to be in grey shades. People have god like as well as Devilish characteristics in them. But at the surface level, they want to be categorized in either of the 2 extreme groups. The entire social structure has shaped up based on an ambiguous logic. if you agree with their tenets, you fall in line or else you are an outcast.



Is it not escapism from the truth? Is it not hypocrisy? I think the world is not categorized in such extreme categories and I think the truth is hidden somewhere among the questions. You can’t question if you have already given yourself to some belief. The truth can be extracted only by your inquisitive approach. Beliefs have only divided the people through “Religions” and a variety of Gods but the questions have given us “Science”. By questioning, I don’t mean that you have to disbelieve the popular axioms; you just have to question with an open mind. Questioning is the way to explore the outer world and your inner universe. It is the path to freedom and the way to the hidden truths.



I embarked on my exploratory journey around 2 decades back when contrary to my family values, I had the first bite of a cooked chicken and the big swig of a chilled Beer. The day has led to me a journey full of experimentation and today I share a story of my experience of a “Hunt in the wild”.
I was in South Africa on a business trip in July when my business partner, Timothy, told me in an informal meeting that he is going into the wild towards Mozambique border with 3 other friends on a hunting trip. He asked me if I would love to join. I will be candid that I was tentative at the first moment but then I gave my consent. The idea of roaming freely into the wild with those freely roaming beasts was enough to get my nod. So, we started on 28th July, 2013 towards Pongola reserve, around 500 kms from the city of Johannesburg. Tim, his Sales Director Pierre, His business associate White and his Business partner Charles reached on the meeting point as decided on an otherwise lazy afternoon of that bright sunny Sunday. The five of us grabbed our seats in two 4*4 vehicles with big buggies at the back. Later, I realized that the buggies were so much required to bring all the meat from the hunt.



It took us around 5 hours to eventually reach our destination. Everybody was excited to be there. The silence of the dark night in that jungle of 200 km radius amplified the eerie sounds of those small insects. It was a good enough place to stay with all the basic amenities available in such a remote place where even the mobile network signals were not enough to make one successful phone call. We all decided to wake up very early in the morning and leave for our target with the 1st light of daybreak.



For those who must be wondering by now, that what do I mean here by “Hunting”; by Hunting, I mean….real HUNT of the animals. The innocent animals roaming freely in their own territory are hunted by Human Beings legally for 4 months, May to August in South Africa. The wild animals which comprise of Impalas, Zebras, Warthogs, Giraffes, Rhinos, Elephants, Kudu, Bush Bucks, Black buck, Pigs, Elephants and even the big cats are shot down by those big guns at hefty prices. The people come there from all around the globe in search of an adrenaline rush and get some trophies in the form of animal skins and their heads. They are guided by professionally certified hunters. These hunters watch, move slowly, gallop and chase with speed, hold their breaths, get into unforeseen troubles due to a sudden encounter with a Rhino or even get a thrashing sometimes from the monkeys but nonetheless they keep their long pursuits on. An analysis says that Hunting is one of the most addictive activities and has its roots embedded very deep in the human psyche right since our evolution on this planet.



In South Africa, one can hunt during the open season and pay some money for each kill based on the price tag on them. The price goes northward with the rarity of the animal species; a Rhino hunt for that matter could cost a fortune to some people with a price tag of around 80,000 USD. I was wondering, which animal Tim and party might be targeting at tomorrow?



We were carrying some frozen meat with us to cook and eat there. It was getting colder when White and Pierre started the fire in the central fire place. We all gathered around with our beers and scotch drinks in our hands. Soon, the liquid started showing its symptoms as the otherwise loud people like us got sober and our discussions went around the changing economic patterns around the world and specifically South Africa. Sooner, the business talks converged into philosophy and I started inquiring about their ideologies behind hunting. White quipped with a stunning thought behind the act which was unanimously approved by all the others present. He said that for them the motive for hunting is not Fun, instead they “Hunt to eat”. So, does that mean they will not kill an animal which they won’t eat; Indeed yes, came an affirmative answer from Pierre. It dawned to me during the discussions that Pierre and White are seasoned professional hunters. Tim would have done some hunting in the past but is coming back after a long gap and Charles is probably relatively new to the game.



Soon, I was the target of their discussions. I was being asked to hunt some animal the next day and eat it with them as that is what, their traditions will vouch for. I sensed the anxiety in the air and promised that I would barge in one of the vehicles with them and will watch them to learn the entire day. I also planned to have some shooting practice during the day with one of the firearms. By 10:00 pm, we all said adios and went to sleep.



The wake-up call came too early probably as I was still deep into my dreams; well, we could not afford to lose another minute. We all packed fast and as scheduled left in 2 different directions in our 2 vehicles, into the WILD. I was accompanied by Tim, Pierre, one Park ranger, 3 Rifles of 311 and 378 calibre, water bottles, Juice, some lunch bars and one big ice box filled with beer cans. Within a drive of 5 minutes, we spotted a herd of Impalas right in front of our car. The ranger asked us to not to stop immediately and rather keep on driving straight. After driving for around 400 meters when we were away from the herd, he asked us to stop the car. We followed and quickly jumped down with the arms in hands. For me that entire day, the weapon to shoot was my Camera.



We all followed the gaze of the ranger and then his footsteps to move in a certain direction. It was a very quiet walk into the bushes and soon we could have a slight glimpse of the same herd. The ranger asked us to move towards them to reach in the range of at least 150 meters so as to aim and shoot. We inched closer without making any mistake but…did we make some mistake?? These animals certainly have a sixth sense and I was a mute spectator to that natural phenomenon in awe. They just hopped down the valley in a moment and all our efforts came out to be futile. So that was just a start, a tentative one but nevertheless, it gave us the clear idea of upcoming hurdles and adventure. We all then started walking round the hill to get a sight of some other animals. It came out to be a long walk of around 70 minutes with a lot of Hill climbing, Hiking and jumping involved.



By the time we again reached back to our car, we were thirsty enough to empty one beer can in one full swig. The drive began once again and I stood at the back into the buggie watching the majestic nature and giving my camera a chance to shoot something incredible. Another 15 minutes and the ranger spotted something. It seems, these people have also got the 6th sense developed among them as the mountain, he was hinting at for a pair of Kudus, I could not find out even with a 30X zoom of the camera. A live example of Human adaptability and survival instincts. Soon, we all spotted the animal. For those who are new to this name, Kudu is a beautiful antelope with a bigger structure like a Stag and are often found in pairs. It’s bones are very heavy so to kill this animal, the bullet of higher caliber like a minimum of 303, must pierce direct into the vital organs through it’s ribs. These Kudus were visible but were standing at a long distance, probably at around 250-300 mtrs. The Guns were capable to aim and shoot even till 1 km but the slightest shake in the hand will defocus from the whole target at this distance. So, it could prove to be a risky shot. Pierre asked Tim to give it a try. To be noted, Pierre was a very experienced hunter and he had come, especially to assist and accompany Tim. So, he wanted to shrug off all the doubts and apprehensions and just give that shot a try. Tim, at his tentative best had several looks from his gun’s scope but was unable to make up his mind. In the meanwhile, I was busy shooting with the camera. Finally, after around 15 minutes of contradictory thoughts and discussions, we all decided to let it go. It was almost noon now and all of us were hungry by now. So, we decided to go back to the place where we stayed and have something to eat. We were also curious to hear the result of the 2 shots we had heard in the jungle. The sound echoes to a long distance and thus we were sure that those 2 shots must have been fired by our other team.



Soon, we reached back and when we saw the back buggies of the other car driven by White, a beheaded impala was lying still in it. White had shot one Impala which was then beheaded by them for Charles to practice his shots. The whole car was full of blood and the small pests were visible on the dead body. I could feel the lifelessness and was numb for a minute. It was the first time I had witnessed such a site and I must say, that scene remained with me throughout the trip. I felt some pain and after watching it for a few minutes, I left towards another direction. My mind now was flooded and cluttered with several thoughts and I was bamboozled between right and wrong. I was getting nervous with this sudden deluge of conflicting thoughts. Mostly, in such harried times your mind stalks to give any answer and we lose our peace. But then I remembered that “Peace of mind is not the absence of conflict from life, but the ability to cope with it”.






I started thinking about it peacefully and gained insight from all the directions. Why something has to be either good or bad, why do we need to always label everything?? In fact, an act is never good or bad but it’s the circumstances and the intent behind, that label an act. Killing is an offense from the eye of the law in case of a criminal while it’s a matter of pride for a soldier in the war zone. For these guys, it’s a way of life. Hunting is their culture and they are certainly not barbaric. They take their long time to kill the animal in 1 shot within seconds so that the animal doesn't suffer. They kill for meat and their love for animals is profound too. Even the hunting has a positive side associated to it. As per a recent analysis, the legal hunting has resulted into more preservation of those rare species in SA than the ban of it has resulted in other countries. The huge cost on the head of an animal has turned the game into a profitable sport for the organizers. Moreover, when to placate the taste buds of many non-vegetarian people, millions of animals are killed, why then killing this animal could be such a big deal. Rather, I appreciate these hunters more than the scavengers who have no idea what an animal has gone through to be converted into a delicacy. Only those who are a part of this reverse metamorphosis of animals are capable of appreciating the food; those unknown to the predicament of “once a living animal” now being served as meal, still say ignorantly “the food didn't taste good”



Well, so I made up my mind and prepared myself to remain a part of the flow. We all had our food and soon after left for the second drive of the day. So we left at around 1:30 pm. it was warm and we again divided in the same 2 groups, drove in two different directions. Tim looked to be eager to get his first kill of the day; specially after seeing the other group’s success, he was now raring to go. The afternoon time normally is not much favorable time to site the animals; so we did have some difficulty but soon, as always, our ranger’s sixth sense worked well. There was a herd of around 15 impalas around 150 meters from us. We stopped the car a bit away from the point of sight and then started moving slowly with our respective arms on our shoulders. The ranger told us that the direction of breeze is towards us so these animals can’t have our scent. Also, the herd was grazing down the hill and we were on top of the same hill making it easier for us to have a clear view to aim the target. We definitely were on an advantageous side. When we moved a bit further, we realized that it indeed could be the opportunity. Wind was blowing at a slow speed towards us, the targets were right there and we were positioned at just the right point. It could have not been better. This time Pierre advanced for the first shot and put his gun on a bi-pod. His gun lay unperturbed on the stand and his eyes focused on the target. A few minutes later, his finger was ready to pull the trigger. I seemed he has locked upon his target. We all were just looking at the herd and assuming which one could have been the locked target and suddenly a thudding sound erupted from the massive gun & we saw an impala falling down without moving even an inch. She was standing in the clear front of the herd and was the easiest target and it was a dead body.






I just scrutinized my thoughts and figured out how soon the conversion of a “She” happened into “It”. A dead body is no more a “He” or “She”, it’s just an object now. Even in human society, when someone dies nobody says “Let’s take my father to the morgue” rather the son says “Take the body to the morgue”. It’s not the body which has an identity, it is the something within the body which is named and identified by that name, relationship, religion etc. Funny are the ways of life, we tend to care so much about our outer self and don’t listen to the inner side, while everybody identifies us from something deep within.



Well, so I came out of these thoughts when I saw Tim and Pierre moving briskly towards their kill. Yes, the HUNT, the first one of the day, the first one of our group, the first one I ever witnessed in my life. The ranger was indeed a very fast mover and despite of the bewildering hilly terrains and thick bushes, he guided us straight to the kill. A female impala there lied dead with large, beautiful and innocuous eyes wide open. The eyes were not open in horror because she could never take the wildest guess as what could be coming in those few minutes. The ranger was quick in his work. To make it comfortable for them to carry the meat uphill to the car, they have a technique of cutting and tearing the limbs of the animal in such a way that the front limb gets entangled in the rear limb to make the whole body look like a meat bag which the ranger then puts on his back and is able to move very fast. This technique worked very well for all of us as none of us had to work to pull and carry that dead meat.



It had begun for our group, though a bit late but not too late what so ever. Tim was staring towards the deep woods and bushes to spot a target for him. We could see many other animals during our drive like Bush buck, Rhino (where we halted quietly to let them go their way without provoking them), Zebras, Giraffes, fox, pigs, warthogs, monkeys and many birds. The jungle was a habitat to the wild animals in abundance. We could not take the shot because either they were too far or they carried a very heavy price tag on them. Soon, we discovered another herd of impalas. By now we were aware of the rule of the game so we parked the car a bit ahead from the point of sight and then dropped down from our car fully armed. That was another uphill walk of around 1 km to be done so as to be in reach of the herd, so we quickly started moving. The circumstances were favoring us as the direction of the wind was again in our favor and we were on top of the hill soon to have an unhindered view of the target. Tim took a long breath, took out his gun, placed on the bi pod firmly and started focusing on the target through the gun scope. There was a period of silence of around 2 minutes and then the same thudding sound came out of the mini cannon and another animal was dropped dead. Tim, pleased by his perfect single shot couldn't stop smiling. There was a look of victory on his face and the broad smile went broader on seeing the size of the kill. It was a big male impala with long horns.



Another hour in the jungle and then the successful day was concluded. We returned to our base and started preparing for some drinks, food and good night sleep to start an early day ahead.



The next day too started very early and we left to enter another portal leading to an unknown but beautiful world. I had denied carrying the gun and taking some shots myself. The reason was simple that I didn't find that exciting enough. So, I carried on with my camera and planned to click some beautiful bird flights and capture some memories in those picturesque moments. It was an eventful day since the very first hour itself. We had spotted a big warthog and chased him for a few minutes. Fortunately for him, he was faster than us. Then we had a tet-e-tete with a crash of Rhinos and we were spell bound while ogling at their shear murderous strength when 2 of the males were locking their horns in a dusty fight.



We roamed around the jungle treks and found many apt moments to drink beer and appreciate the timeless beauty of the wild. We had 2 kills that day; one adult female impala shot dead by Pierre and one big Wild Beast weighing more than 100 kg hunted by Tim. Carrying the huge body of the wild beast to the car standing 200 meters uphill, was another draining task, we all jointly and successfully did. The day was special as I received many beautiful messages in the form of emails, phone calls and text messages on my Birthday, which too fell on the same fateful day.



Soon, we were done for the day and we came back to the base with the plans to go back to the same life the next day. It was a relaxing evening as none of us had to wake up early to search for a source of meat. The drive back to the city of Johannesburg was a smooth sail.



Finally the trip was culminated. I was left with loads of thoughts and stories untold. The never shared secrets of the soul after this eventful journey were to be explored. Many people would have detested on the way my tryst with self-exploration has taken place. Likewise, there would be many, applauding the efforts. People generally do consider such external feedback necessary either to justify their acts or to have lifelong grudges, if mandated otherwise. I have always believed in experiential learning. I have seen the best of the notions germinating in the hindsight of man’s rumination and the most diabolical deliberations have stemmed from the opinionated people without veritable experience.



I didn't seek for an external feedback, instead I tried to muse inwards. Factually speaking, I didn't feel anything. Neither are there any qualms for the indulgence, nor I feel pumping my chest heroically, boasting of an accomplishment. It was just a blank but wholesome feeling; an experience without any adjectives accompanying it. Yes, there are memories; and no matter what, I always cherish the memories.



The whole trip can be summarized by those beautiful thought from White. He quoted, “we falter when we name the things. When we have a pet cow and we name it, we can’t eat her when she dies because we associate with the name and not the meat. Same is the situation with the religions, we name the religions and then we get associated with them to draw an invisible dividing line”. I can realize that, Divine is the way of life which is unlabeled The best religion is the one without any name, The food you eat shall bear no name tag and then you enjoy whole of the universe with complete freedom in it’s true colors without any bias originating from the unnecessary labels.

V R Bhardwaj