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Chris Van Schalkwyk, left, and Natchez resident Walter Harrison pose next to a dead elephant their team killed during a hunting trip in Mozambique this past summer.
Natchez native Walter Harrison lives by motto for life
Published Sunday, September 27, 2009
NATCHEZ — For Natchez resident Walter Harrison, life is an adventure to be enjoyed, not a problem to be solved.
That’s a motto he and his South African friend Rabie Bekker have adopted after spending five summers together on vacations in Africa.
“In May 2003, a friend of mine in the water treatment field was called to do work on sugar refineries in South Africa,” Harrison said.
“He invited me along, and I met Rabie while I was over there. We immediately hit it off.”
Harrison and Bekker’s love for hunting and exploring the outdoors is what allowed them to get along so well. Thanks to that friendship, Harrison spent six weeks in South Africa this past summer for the fifth year in a row.
“This was more of a vacation than a hunting trip,” Harrison said. “My wife, Donna, came with me, and she met Rabie’s wife Ferma. Both of them immediately bonded.”
Most of the wives’ time was spent in South African beach cities like Cape Town and Port Elizabeth while Harrison’s wife was with him.
While the women enjoyed the beaches, Harrison and Bekker spent their time at a lodge in the Karoo, a semi-desert region in South Africa.
“There’s 100 acres within game fencing (where we stayed),” Harrison said. “You see thousands, not hundreds, of animals.”
Bekker and Harrison also explored their way through Lesotho, South Africa, a mountainous travel kingdom, and stayed in a hunting lodge near Middelburg.
When Harrison’s wife came back to Natchez after a couple of weeks, he and Bekker made their way north through Zimbabwe. They spent the night in the city of Harare, and then went into the northern portion of Mozambique.
Despite the many hunting opportunities along his tour up to that point, Harrison said his participation remained limited.
“I (had) hardly hunted at all (by that time),” Harrison said. “The trophies I wanted personally, I didn’t see there.”
That would change, however, when the two met up with a man named Chris Van Schalkwyk near the Cahora Bassa lake.
Schalkwyk told about a rogue, one-tusked elephant that was raiding crops of local Mozambique villages.
After visiting one of those villages, tradition stated that the party had to get permission from the village witch doctor to hunt in the area. The three did so, and it wasn’t long before they ran across the elephant that was causing so much trouble.
Schalkwyk had been given special permission by the Mozambique government to hunt the elephant.
“It was evidently an old bull which had been ejected from the herd,” Harrison said. “Its teeth had gotten worn down, and because it was ravaging the crops of local villages, the government wanted it removed. (Schalkwyk) had been given a special certificate to hunt that elephant.”
The elephant wouldn’t go down without a fight, however.
“When he got wind of us, he charged immediately,” Harrison said. “Rabie and Chris fired repeatedly, and wounded him.”
The elephant escaped, forcing the party to track him down. When they did, the elephant charged again, but Schalkwyk and Harrison let off more shots, finally causing him to expire.
Harrison said he was impressed with how quickly the locals arrived to strip down the elephant’s corpse in order to gather resources.
“Within eight hours, he was picked dry,” Harrison said. “We had a good dinner that night.”
Africa is not the only part of the world where Harrison has explored. He’s been to Alaska twice, and has hunted doves in Argentina.
“I also plan to go to New York in the near future, as well as tour Italy and Rome.”
Comments
Posted by abc747 (anonymous) on September 27, 2009 at 2:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)
This is nauseating. I wish the Democrat would refrain from printing pictures of hunters with dead animals.
Posted by mxdntz (anonymous) on September 27, 2009 at 11:41 a.m. (Suggest removal)
How DARE they think that this is ok. These men are HORRIBLE KILLERS!
Posted by mxdntz (anonymous) on September 27, 2009 at 11:46 a.m. (Suggest removal)
"The elephant wouldn’t go down without a fight, however?!" And what living being WOULD "Go down without a fight"?
I'd love to see these men thrown into dense woods and hunted down like the trash that they are.
Posted by dovechase (anonymous) on September 27, 2009 at 4:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Did you even see this part?
"Schalkwyk told about a rogue, one-tusked elephant that was raiding crops of local Mozambique villages."
This was necessary for the welfare of the village.
Or are you one of those people who think that lives of people should come to a stop before an animal is killed?
Sometimes it's necessary to kill an animal when it is out of control and it's not like you can just slip a halter around an elephant and lead it away like a tame pony.
Posted by thelorax (anonymous) on September 27, 2009 at 11:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Euthanize it in a humane manner, good grief, it was just a cheap thrill for the hunter imo.
Posted by dovechase (anonymous) on September 28, 2009 at 10:49 a.m. (Suggest removal)
And just how would you get close enough to euthanize a rogue elephant?
Posted by Crakalakin (anonymous) on September 30, 2009 at 10:21 a.m. (Suggest removal)
LOL at the bleeding hearts. Better to let him starve while tearing up human crops, I guess. If he kills a few wone and children in the field, so be it. What are a few African kids' lives compared to that of an old, rogue banished bull elephant?
Euthanize it? What do you think, that two-ton animal is a pet you take to the vet?
"Posted by mxdntz-
...
I'd love to see these men thrown into dense woods and hunted down like the trash that they are."
Of course you would. Never mind the local government gave them a permit for the special purpose of killing this specific animal.
So, do you condone cold-blooded murder all the time or just when people kill dangerous animals at the request of the governments of African nations?
Posted by freedom42 (anonymous) on September 30, 2009 at 2:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Not only did they stop the rogue elephant, they fed the village for a few days. That's what true sportsmen do, kill as humanely as possible and use all parts possible of the kill.
Posted by crackbaby (anonymous) on September 30, 2009 at 8:39 p.m. (Suggest removal)
" OOHHH, this is so nauseating!!! I wish the Democrat wouldn't show pictures of hunters and dead animals", boo hoo!! I wish the Democrat wouldn't list comments from people suffering from Anthropomorphism that don't know squat about hunting. You anti-hunters, get a bag of popcorn, slide in your copy of The Lion King, and have yourselves a perfect evening???? LOL
Posted by southernbelle (anonymous) on October 3, 2009 at 11:06 a.m. (Suggest removal)
This is a downright sin ! I come from a family of hunters that hunt for meat and yes, if they happen to get a trophy in the process then goody for them . But THIS ! This just shows the true heart of some people. I feel nothing but contempt for people that hunt just for the love of killing. It's no different than a serial killer taking a souvenir from their victim.
Posted by southernbelle (anonymous) on October 3, 2009 at 11:12 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I guess these people will be going to Alaska to club the baby seals next ! They better take a guide so they want have to get to cold while they are there. The guides will find their prey and do everything but pull the trigger for these so called hunters.
Posted by southernbelle (anonymous) on October 3, 2009 at 11:56 a.m. (Suggest removal)
You know what else I hate about huntin season? It really messes up the great outdoors at one of the most beautiful times of the year for all of us non-hunters. You can't even take a walk in the woods for fear of being shot. Not even on the borders of your own property. If you happen to live near the woods you fear for your life and your pets if you even sit on your patio. I'm not against hunters if they want to hunt for meat but I don't like the way many of them have no respect for anything that moves in the woods unless its one of their own kind.
Posted by freedom42 (anonymous) on October 3, 2009 at 7:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Southernbelle, you know I usually agree with you, but did you actually read the article? This elephant was destroying crops and villages, and after it was killed the villagers came out to skin and butcher it. I bet every bit of that elephant helped save a human life.
On the other hand, reading your last post, here's a funny (to me anyway) story. Many years ago we lived next to a hunting camp with a creek running between the two properties, so it wasn't unusual to hear gunshots fairly close. But one day they got right down in the creek about 100 yards from my house. Now the hunters may not have known we were there, but after I emptied a few loads of birdshot into the air they took the hint. I never had another problem with hunters getting too close to my home.
Posted by southernbelle (anonymous) on October 3, 2009 at 8:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
freedom42, my son reminded me that these wealthy hunter s brought in a lot of much needed money to the area they hunted so in one way they helped. Still...... It ain't right! I feel a little better knowing the meat was eaten but it still doesn't make it right to go just for a trophy kill. i have guns and I think shootin in the air everyday from my patio is a fine idea. Thank you.
Posted by OldGrandDad (anonymous) on October 3, 2009 at 10 p.m. (Suggest removal)
southernbelle, the baby seals are clubbed in Newfoundland. Its a Canadian "hunt" that goes on. The U.S., including the state of Alaska, is not involved. The market for cute little dead baby seal hides is in Europe, by the way.
Posted by freedom42 (anonymous) on October 3, 2009 at 10:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The reasoning behind trophy killing is beyond me. To be honest, I thought the same as you just looking at the photo, then I read the story and it made more sense.
Now about the seals, remember that there are some people in the United States, I won't mention names, who believe the US should become more like Canada and Europe in many ways. Would this be one of them?
Posted by OldGrandDad (anonymous) on October 4, 2009 at 7:55 a.m. (Suggest removal)
freedom42, Canada has no "2nd Amendment" and its my understanding that firearms are much more difficult to obtain/own. Perhaps if the "gun control" folks in the U.S. ever get their way, Mississippians will be having a deer clubbing season.
:)
Posted by southernbelle (anonymous) on October 4, 2009 at 9:19 a.m. (Suggest removal)
As I said before ,I'm not against hunting ,just trophy hunting. Too many of us will put up a huge fight if they ever take our guns. To take away our guns would leave too many good people at the mercy of too many two-legged predators. It would be open season for the ones with no protection. It ain't gonna happen .
Posted by OldGrandDad (anonymous) on October 4, 2009 at 9:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)
southernbelle, concerning --> "It ain't gonna happen"
Yes you are correct. Hunting is considered a declining sport (numerically) but gun ownership is rising. Personally, my favorite sport is hunting hunters who "accidently" cross onto my place.
Posted by freedom42 (anonymous) on October 4, 2009 at 1:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)
OGD, I'm practicing with my bow for just such a time. Maybe I need to learn to make and fletch arrows too?
Posted by mike8427 (anonymous) on October 5, 2009 at 6:32 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I never have quite seen the reasoning in going to Africa for these big game hunts. I am not specifically talking about this article, but just in general. People pay tons of money, to be taken to a refuge, they are given an target that has been picked well in advance by the guide. Just doesnt seem like a sporty kill. I very much enjoy hunting in MS. Bow hunting is a real challenge. I cant believe some people up north hunt bears with a bow. Now that is what I call real hunting.
Posted by dixiecrat (anonymous) on October 6, 2009 at 1:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Hey, Guess what -- it's called "the Big 5" and is the "triple crown" of the hunting world (Oh, sorry to use an allusion from another one of those horrible sports that are so cruel to animals). Guess what else -- it's perfectly legal. In South Africa (and many other African nations where they have an overabundance of game) there actually is a hunting season for ELEPHANTS, RHINO, LIONS, LEOPARDS, and CAPE BUFFALO. Surprised? Good. Maybe you bleeding hearts out there who don't have the slightest clue about reality or how the other 99.9% of the world lives have learned something now. So quit complaining and go back to blessing your dogs or whatever the !@#$%^&* you do. As for me, I want to be Walter Harrison!
Posted by southernbelle (anonymous) on October 8, 2009 at 5:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Like I said,:I don't believe in trophy huntin" but I do love to eat wildlife and I have worn leather shoes and a fur coat. So I don't consider myself a bleeding heart. Just don't kill unless you have a true need for the animal. Now, Yall don't forget about the Wildlife Festival in Woodville. It's this Saturday and Its so much fun!
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