This was taken from Cameron Hanes Instagram feed.
On my last trip hunting Africa we were in a very remote area of Tanzania when we saw an armed poacher 80 yards away. Not the first of the trip either which wasn't a surprise as we were hunting in game rich country. Seconds after I raised my arm and pointed, hissing, "poacher", Cedric (a game officer is required to accompany hunters) shot. I had my binos up by the time Cedric's rifle boomed as I wanted to see if the poacher had a scope on his gun. In my mind that changed things. I was more nervous when they had scopes, but this guy didn't. We caught the poacher off guard and he knew it. He ran, disappearing into the tall grass, but through my binos I could see the shot missed. But Cedric did his job, which is to protect hunters from the lawless.
This is pretty much the name of the game back there, the poachers are armed and will do whatever it takes to not get caught (including kill) so it felt to me like it was a matter of whoever can shoot first. What many don't realize is without hunters back there like us, running the poachers off, and paying for a 12-man anti-poaching team like we had patrolling, the poachers are killing anything and everything they can at will. Without properly managed hunting taking place, keeping the order, the animals are getting slaughtered. There are good men like Cedric and Rashidi here that put their life on the line each day while in the bush, earning a living, feeding their families while at the same time protecting Africa's wildlife. Social justice warriors here in the USA think hunters are the enemy...poachers are the enemy. The hunting industry in Africa, mirroring the successful blueprint of conservation-through-hunting like we do here in America is the best hope for Africa's wildlife.
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