If you’re not a hunter, you may not know how intense the preparation can be for a safari that I had planned in Africa. For a year prior to going, I had started to prepare for my biggest safari ever with a bow, where I was planning to hunt a lion, leopard, cape buffalo, hippo and crocodile on a classic safari where I could take two guests as observers. As you now know, Jim “Doc” Kilgo was one of those guests, but both during and after the safari, Jim’s part became much more than just an observer.
Before going on the safari, I read three of Jim’s books to get a feel for the way he thought about life and hunting. I learned that for much of his life he was an avid hunter and rather keen outdoorsman, and I also learned that he was a ridiculously good writer, as he had won an award for “Daughter of My People” just a few weeks before we left. No wonder he thought I would want him to write about the safari, but the Holy Spirit didn’t mention it and I didn’t care either way.
Even though Jim had said that he wasn’t going to write a book about my exploits, he wanted to have an experience that would give him a story to tell, and he did, he became Hemingway in a sense as a frustrated Kudu hunter.
Doc was in a quandary, he was a well-known author, who had a large local following, many of which were liberals who found trophy hunting an abomination and sin against wildlife. And I helped matters by teasing him about the ignorance of his friends who found it appalling that a person could get off on chasing an innocent creature because it may look good in their trophy room. Jim knew that most anti-poaching efforts were financed through the resources of trophy hunters, where the legal hunter takes one animal and pays a fortune for the privilege, instead of the whole population being slaughtered and sold as bush meat in Lusaka. He called my hand one day when we encountered a vehicle that was full of photo safari people who wouldn’t even look at us when they saw the guns and bows, I called them bunny huggers and Jim said I made it sound like profanity. I’m certain it was intentional as I had a disdain for their hypocrisy, as they rode all over the bush photographing animals and talking about their contempt for the murderous bastards they just passed and that night they ate the same bush meat we ate.
At least that’s what Harry told us was going on as they were camped about ten miles below our concession. And I believed it, because the local Lozi didn’t like them taking pictures of the game and never providing the local tribe with any meat, as we had. It was easy to see the camera voyeur’s contempt for us and I know Jim felt awkward as he could have easily been in their vehicle instead of ours.
I told Doc, “You’re like a squirrel running from one side of the road to the other!” He was slightly annoyed with me as I laughed. He was struggling and I was being the jerk he had hoped I wasn’t. Doc had a huge heart for people and he somehow understood the positions of the huggers that I didn’t, and the thought of disappointing them caused him anxiety.
The next morning after a brief conversation with Harry, I met Jim on the way to the dining hut and asked him, “Hey Jim, how would you like to hunt a kudu?” He said,” How is that going to happen?” I said, “I don’t think I can sneak up close enough to shoot one with my bow, so I asked Harry about you hunting it with a rifle, he thought it would be a great adventure for all of us!” Jim said,” How much will it cost?” I said, “Who cares, it’s time to hunt, go for it man!” he said,” Ok, I’ll do it!” I slapped him on the back, and said, “Jim, this is going to be awesome!”
After breakfast, we loaded up the truck and went to do some target practice and hunt. Poor Doc had just been, sort of, railroaded into hunting, not to embarrass him, but to bless him. But blessings are in the eye of the beholder, and Jim was afraid that he may not perform up to our belief in him.
He shot a few rounds and was relatively accurate, since he hadn’t shot a rifle in years. And it didn’t help for him to have all of us coaching him. Ready or not it’s time to hunt, and unfortunately, that afternoon, the wheels came off as Doc had missed a nice Kudu on a rather difficult shot. He was rather deflated that night as we sat around the fire for the traditional cigars and drinks. He said very little and I hurt for him as I know how to fail big time in the hunting arena. We hoped to wake up the next morning to another opportunity and we did, and as things happen, he missed again. So, we searched for a confidence booster, and it came in the form of a puku.
We were killing it as a gift for the local chief of the Lozi tribe whose land we were hunting on, sort of, as it really belonged to the government but it was a tradition to give bush meat to the chief and we wanted to participate. Jim lined up on the animal’s shoulder and pulled the trigger, and the trackers hooped and hollered as the puku fell, only problem was that Doc had hit him high in the back and it bleated a pathetic cry as the trackers straddled its back and cut its throat. Doc was embarrassed and sick and ready to quit hunting, until I told him quietly that I saw what he was doing wrong, he was raising his head as he shot. I told him, “Doc, keep your head down on the stock and follow through, you’ve got this, just need a little refining.” He seemed to breathe a little easier, as he really wanted this. Deep, deep down in his spirit, Jim Kilgo was a hunter that wanted to hunt, and his entire attitude changed. He began to believe in himself. This was a huge event in his life, and he was so hungry to see it through, he was ready now to get after a kudu, and I was so proud of his effort and tenacity.
The next afternoon, while bouncing across the combretum fields, Harry stopped the truck, raised his binoculars and began glassing an area ahead of us that I couldn’t see and said, “Kudu, get the rifles and let’s go!” I looked at Doc and said,” Doc, remember to keep your head down and follow through, let’s go get him.” We left the truck as if we were the entourage following a rock star, and I’m sure it made Doc nervous as hell. And unfortunately, I had to carry the backup rifle as I needed lion bait and this kudu was it. I would shoot if Doc missed, and I was praying intensely that all would go well.
We got within about 125 yards from the small herd of cows, a young bull, and his daddy. The cows were feeding in the open while Harry set up the shooting sticks and told Doc to get set up and wait. Doc looked through the scope and saw the young bull and said,” He’s kind of small, isn’t he?” Harry said, “That’s not him, the one we’re after is about to step out, get ready.” I could see the sweat beading up on Doc’s forehead as the sun was overbearing that day. Then the most sought-after antelope of Africa stepped out broadside. I whispered,” Keep your head down, crosshairs center shoulder.” And Harry said, “Shoot him.” The rifle erupted and the Kudu staggered forward behind a combretum bush and then ran back around in front of us and fell dead as a rock. We all hooped and hollered! Except Doc as he stood there in wonderment, his lifelong dream, his Hemingway moment was fulfilled! He slowly walked up to the giant bull and stroked its neck, lost in the moment.
Jim Kilgo was a hunter again!
As we took pictures of Jim and his magnificent trophy, the trackers and Karim got the truck while singing their hunter’s praise song acknowledging the great hunting skills of Doc the kudu hunter!
That night we feasted on kudu backstraps, then retired to the fire pit to hear Jim tell his story over and over. He was the best story teller I had ever heard and that night was one of the best in my life!
Jim had told Karim earlier on the safari as I hunted a leopard, that in the spiritual realm, “there are hunters and then there are hunter’s!” Doc was the hunter kind, in pursuit of something real.
He was a HUNTER!!
THOUGHTS FROM THE HUNTER KIND
Learning to Be the Hunter Kind:
Walking out this life of a follower of Christ is no easy journey. If anyone ever tries to convince you that your life as a Christian should be free from conflict, pain and sorrow, don’t believe a word of it. But, our Hunter Kind journey is one that we can face with complete confidence, knowing that Jesus experienced everything difficult while he was on earth that we also experience. (Matthew 4).
You may be in a situation or circumstance today that is one of the most difficult you’ve ever faced. Maybe it’s creating intense anxiety and causing you so much self-doubt that you can hardly breathe.
But I have great news! You can know today for certain that for those who stay in the hunt, God is always faithful to provide a way to face every trial with peace. He knows our journey better than we do and already has a great plan for our lives.
You may already know the often-quoted verse found in Jeremiah 29:11, but I really like the verses following it too.
Jeremiah 29:11-14. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity.[b] I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”
The bottom line is God is for us. When we seek Him, we will find Him. He has great plans already made for us, if we pursue Him.
God loves it when we are the Hunter Kind!
Prayer of the Hunter Kind:
Heavenly Father, we thank you for always being out in front of every difficult situation and circumstance that we face. We know we cannot overcome the obstacles and hurts in our lives alone…we need You! We pursue You, Father, and we know that when we seek You, You will be found.
We ask you to keep us in the hunt. Keep us hungry for your Word, relentless in our pursuit of all that You have designed for us to be and have. And when trials and difficulties come, we choose to put all of our faith and hope in You!
We pray these things in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior. Amen.
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