# Now available in hardcover!



## shakari

Folks

Just to let you know that the 2nd edition of my book How to Become A Professional Hunter In Africa is now available in hardcover here: http://www.lulu.com/browse/sea...nal+Hunter+In+Africa

You should also be able to order it from your local bookshelves fairly soon and the ISBN number is: 978-1-4475-3982-7

The book is hardcover with dustjacket, about 62000 words. almost 90 images and chapters on:

1 How To Get Started
2 South African PH Training Syllabus
3 PH Training Advice
4 Back to School - African PH Training
5 Getting Your First PH Licence
6 Hunting Legalities
7 Getting Operational
8 Firearms & Ammunition
9 Hunting Kit
10 Building Camp In A Wilderness Area
11 Fly Camps
12 Developing A Hunting Area
13 Hunting Trucks
14 Hunt Marketing
15 Hunt Management
16 Taxidermy
17 Health
18 Top Tips, Handy Hints & Summary

And I've managed to keep the price down to US$47.99 or UKP29.99.









I feel like I've just given birth to my first born!


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## youngdon

Congratulations on the book Steve !! But ouch on the birthing.


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## On a call

Steve congratulations ! I may ask for it for Christmas or give it as a gift.

Great looking cover love those buff's.

Good luck and hope you sell a bunch.


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## On a call

How could I get a signed copy ?


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## shakari

Thanks buddy.... it'll never be a best seller because African hunting safaris is a bit of a niche market but I've enjoyed writing it and I'm pretty certain that any hunter will not only enjoy it but also learn a fair bit about how it's all done and how the guy on the far side of the campfire makes it all work so perfectly.


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## Mattuk

Congratulations Steve I'll have the 2nd signed copy if thats ok.


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## On a call

Enjoyment from writing....and your words live for a looooooong time. What a blessing.


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## shakari

It'd be a real pleasure to sign copies but the books are printed in the US & I'm in Africa so postage costs would of course be jacked up..... however if you email me your postal addrress etc, I'll be delighted to write something appropriate and post that to you & you can then paste it into the book.


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## Mattuk

You've got mine mate! Will it be on sale at amazon Steve?


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## On a call

Will do Steve...Look forward to reading it.


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## shakari

It will get onto amazon but will take a while to get there and delivery time will be longer because you order from Amazon, they pass it onto lulu.com who then send it.

Much better and faster to go direct to www.lulu.com and buy it direct from there.


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## shakari

Guys,

Lulu.com has been having problems with their site and we've now got a proper info page on ours that's deep linked into the lulu site.

so if you go here: http://www.shakariconnection.com/how-to-become-a-professional-hunter-in-africa-book.html you can get the full info plus reviews.


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## Mattuk

Yes, Steve I was being thick sorry!


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## shakari

I said earler that we were going to put it onto Amazon but having given it some thought, we might not do so.

Whether it's on Amazon or not doesn't alter the retail price at all but doing so means they take a whopping great commission so it might be better to keep it away from them and for us to do our own marketing/advertising etc.


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## On a call

I would but then if you move some by your own hand you save or make more money. Either way let us know.


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## shakari

The best way for me is without a doubt if you buy direct from lulu.com and it doesn't make any difference of you use the link on my connection site to get there or not.

It'll also be the quickest way to get the book delivered to you because if you order from someone else, they then pass it onto lulu anyway and that of course takes time.


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## On a call

Ok will do. Where are you now ?


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## On a call

PS....do you ever make it over to the states ?


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## shakari

Susan & I are ex-pat Brits and we now live just outside the town of White River in Mpumalanga, south Africa and about a 15 minute drive from the SW corner of the Kruger Park.

We haven't been to the States for about 7 years now as we don't do the conventions nowadays. - We actually keep promising ourselves a trip over there but at the moment, we just don't have the time to fit it in.

With a bit of luck, we might make it next year or the year after if all goes well. I've got no end of good friends in the States and one place I'm itching to get to is the SAAM ranges/ training centre in Texas.....

*[Excuse my language.... I have a limited vocabulary]* that place looks good!


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## On a call

Well it is just a short trip to the other side of the planet lol.

I was wondering if you did conventions or not that was my thinking.

Tell me Steve how hard was it to find a publisher ?


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## shakari

I really enjoy the conventions, esp the social side of meeting up with old and new friends but they are very expensive and I'm no fan of the donation scheme to say the least........ however, we sell most of what we can sell without attending and so we'd be going to a shed load of expense just to sell what we have left, so it's not financially viable to attend I'm afraid.

We had several offers of publication but the truth is that their own marketing expenses are astronomical and so they need to take almost all of the pie. Most will only do a limited run of something like 1000 copies and most will pay no more than 10% of that 1000 copies to the author...... often less, so actual return to the author is negligable.

The only other way the author can make more than that is to buy his own books at a discounted price and then go the rounds of the shows signing them etc.

In the end, the maths proved the best way to go (by far) was with one of the print on demand companies. So that's what we did.

The other benefit is I don't end up with piles of my own book laying about the place!









I appreciate the book will never be a best seller because it's a niche market so it certainly won't make me anywhere near a fortune but I enjoyed writing it AND felt it needed writing for the next generation.


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## Mattuk

Steve I'm sure everyone who buy's your book will more than enjoy it. And you should be commended for thinking about the next generation so many so called sportsman out there don't.


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## shakari

Matt

The original reason was that we get so many emails from people from all over the world asking how to get into the industry and/or asking for work.... so that made me write an article about how it can be done and that page on our website quickly became rthe most visited of all 600 or so pages on the site and we still got the same number of emails about it.

So that triggered me to write the 1st edition and then the 2nd edition added a lot more detail and new chapters about things like fly camps and how to develop an area to it's full potential AND a lot more explanation for hunting clients so they understand what goes into running a hunting camp/area.

The problem now is what comes next?


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## Mattuk

Are you thinking of another book!? After 30 years I think you could find a story or 2 to tell Steve.


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## shakari

I'd quite enjoy writing another book of some sort but am reluctant to do a memoir type thing because it's all been done so many times before and to be honest, it somehow doesn't feel right to do that sort of book and I know from past experience that without having passion for the subject, then the project is doomed from the start.

Which of course means I have to think of something else......


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## Mattuk

African wildlife photography? Fishing, You must have caught some fantastic fish in your time there!?


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## shakari

Y'know, fishing might be an idea..... I'll give that some thought. - Thanks!

A couple of people have suggested I try my hand at an Africa based novel but I'm undecided about that because I tend to prefer writing about facts.

On the subject of fishing:


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## Mattuk

Did you hook that croc!? And did you land it!?


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## shakari

Yup, it's one of my silly arsed hobbies and always worth a laugh when you can get a client involved.

The biggest I've got onto the bank is about 2 1/2 metres and the biggest I've lost is about 3 1/2 metres.

I don't use hooks any more.... just rely on them swallowing a francolin or guineafowl bait and then the action starts. It's not unusual to have one on the line for several hours before it tires and you can bank him.

Then all you do is just get the line in a straight line between you and the flatdog and pull like crazy..... then they regurgitate the bait, turn round and head for the water.

By the time you've rebaited and got it in the water again, they're ready to come back for more.

They might be crafty bastards but they ain't very clever.


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## Mattuk

Thats fantastic!


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## shakari

Mattuk said:


> Thats fantastic!


It really is a hoot mate and you'll have to give it a go.

Every time I do it, I take ever heavier tackle!

I told a friend of mine about it and he wanted to give it a go....... my last words to him before he left the pub were: "Don't use expensive tackle and don't EVER put the rod down whilst the bait is in the water"

He then bought a US$2000 shark fishing outfit, went to the river, chucked the bait out, put the rod down just to open a can of beer and by the time turned back to it, the rig was gone!


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## Mattuk

What a Numpty! I don't like to leave the rods when barbel fishing! What set up do you use?


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## shakari

Yup, and I give him shite about it every time I see him









I now use a 50 lb class sea rod, big Penn reel, don't remember shich line but think it's about 70lbs and a mild steel wire cable from the back brake of a bicycle (inner Bowden cable) on the end.

Then I just tie the dead bird on the end.

I've found the trick is to wait until the sun is just going off of the water and then throw the bird in so it hits the water with as much of a noise/splash as possible. The crocs then start to come into the bait as soon as they hear it..... then the first to get there takes it straight away.

I just have the reel on free spool and let them take as much line as they like. They swim to either a sandbar or the bank and then throw the bird in the air and catch it again until they get it round the right way and then swallow it right down........ then they swim off and that's when I tighten the line and the fight begins......... and it's an absolute joy from that moment on.


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## Mattuk

Yeah I bet!


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