Birdshot

I promised to show some views from Southern Africa – the Vurhonga Savanna Reserve. But first I should tell you that this cost me dear. The virtual person writing this is the third person – the two other persons were killed on Vurhonga Savanna. I should clarify…

In Hirschfelden and Layton Lakes you can get killed. But, this is usually a consequence of getting inadvertently caught in the middle of a herd of Deer that are panicking. The Bears in Layton Lakes do not pose much of a threat and usually run away as you approach. In fact, the Wild Boar in Hirschfelden are probably the most dangerous animals out there but again, only if you get real close to a big family group. Vurhonga Savanna is a totally different ball game. Here you will find one badass carnivore in the shape of the Lion. Time to tell the story. I took this photo of the savanna just for you……I was standing just outside of a stand of scrub – loosely growing short trees – a bit like a spinney. I heard a faint growl in the distance behind me and turned to see if I could find the source. Then I saw her running fast through the trees towards me. I barely had time to fish out the .338 rifle and get off a shot that was never going to be anywhere near the target before she was in my face and then I was dead! I did get my revenge though – after respawning at the nearest outpost, I found her still hanging around the location where I died. 110 meters with the .338 and a nice new Lion-skin rug!

This experience led me to buy a .470 rifle – it’ll stop anything assuming you can get the shot on target. And that’s the issue isn’t it – getting the shot on target. Somehow I think I’m walking around with a Linus Blanket 😉 For the record, the other time I have been killed since restarting the profile after the initial learning play was also in Vurhonga Savanna. I was hunting Scrub Hares with my pistol loaded with Birdshot when suddenly I was hit hard from behind. The animal that was attacking me ran round and charged me again – I did get a couple of shots away but birdshot wasn’t going to do any good – before killing me with a final charge. I guess the noise of my hunting had woken the beast and left it very annoyed! My assassin on that occasion? The Cape Buffalo or as I know it the Water Buffalo. These beasts kill more people than all the big cats in southern Africa. I can accept that death and unlike the Warthogs and Lions, I haven’t placed Cape Buffalo on my shoot on sight list 🙂

Here are some more shots of the scenery for you to enjoy…
…And here’s a shot through the binoculars with some Gemsbok and Warthogs in the distance……When I get them Piggies..Grrrr!

Sadly, the real world is nothing like this – Lions and other animals are killed by trophy hunters all too often, sometimes with the conievence of governments seeking international currency and using the desire of rich people to collect physical stuffed animals as a means of getting it. Playing at hunting on a computer is fun but I feel that trophy hunting in the real world needs to stop 😦 There’s a big difference between a new stuffed trophy and shooting something for the dinner table!