African Hunter Published Books Guide to Nyati | Hunting the African Buffalo | Page 8

Preface It is with the greatest of pleasure that we offer this work on buffalo to you. Striving for perfection, it has been long in the making, a work which has taken some years to compile, arrange and complete. Even now as we “put it to bed”, we struggle with the temptation to add just one more titbit of information, another picture or two, maybe one more chapter... and before we know it, another hundred pages. From the first moments of inception, to its exciting growth and expansion, its development has taken us on a great many journeys, our paths crossing with those whose passion is buffalo. Those who love him, and those who fear him... but all men that respect him. More than once, the similarities of this project to actually hunting buffalo have been obvious. On more than one occasion, while searching out vague little details, or elusive stories, we have had cause to get up close and personal with Mr. Nyati. He has led us on merry chases through the bush, always tantalisingly close, but just far enough out of reach to be frustrating. And always the cold excitement which he awakens in us turns slowly from a tantalising demon, to a sweet addiction... a sort of drug which it is a pleasure to peddle and share with others. This is one of the most comprehensive works ever compiled on buffalo hunting, though in truth at least another volume of equal proportion still remains to be written. One could quite literally go on for ever. As always, a work of this kind owes its final birth to a great many people, all of whom have added little bits to our character sketch of Nyati. We claim no outright credit as the African Hunter Magazine or Mag-Set Publications, and it would be impossible to thank each and every contributor individually. From those who have stood over our shoulders giving direction, to the campfire conversations that have fuelled our resource VI