by Tim Robison
Moapa Valley Progress
Since Overton resident, Dan HSince Overton resident, Dan Hopkins, was a child, he has enjoyed hunting. By an early age, he had hunted pretty much every animal in the Southwestern United States. From there his hunting experiences expanded to hunting bison in Idaho, deer and elk in Alaska, Moose in Canada. Then in 2003, he decided to leave hunting in North America and try another continent’s hunting experience. He and his friend, Logandale resident Mark Whipple, took off for South Africa that year. Since that time Hopkins has gone back two more times; once with his two sons and then again with his wife.
On his first trip to Africa, Hopkins hunted mostly savanna dwelling animals like antelope, impalas, zebras, and gazelles. “I went to Africa not knowing anything about the animals,” Hopkins said. ” By the time I was there a few days I was able to identify several animals; it was an amazing experience.”
On his second trip in 2004, Hopkins most exciting adventure was shooting an elephant. According to Hopkins, most of the stories of the animals he hunted were not terribly exciting, until he hunted an elephant. He relates the account that after hunting for two days, they found a herd elephants. They picked out one and Hopkins shot it; stunning the animal but not killing it. The hunters began circling around when the elephant woke up and suddenly charged directly for Hopkins. With an urgent ‘kill-or-be-killed’ situation on his hands, Hopkins aimed and fired. He dropped the elephant at 15 feet.
“The interesting difference between hunting African and American animals is that when you find an animal in America they generally run away from you,” Hopkins said. “In Africa they run at you. They really do have an instinct to kill whatever they think is going to hurt them.”
It was in 2005, Hopkins third trip to Africa, traveling with his wife Karen, that he was able to hunt a lion. The lion he shot on this trip was one of the largest ever killed, Hopkins said. “They are really powerful animals,” Hopkins said. “Imagine a four hundred pound house cat. These lions could just pick you up in its mouth and carry you off without much effort.”
These are just a small number of animals that Hopkins has hunted and brought back with him as trophies from Africa. His game room also includes one of the most dangerous of the African animals a hippopotamus. According to Hopkins, they are very aggressive animals; they move fast on the land and can run a person down or chew a person up with their large and very sharp teeth.
The professional guides and hunters that took Hopkins and his family on their hunting trips informed them that the ideal trophies are the older animals.
Despite popular belief, the game animals are not wasted. According to Hopkins, all the food they ate at their hotel was some sort of game and what is not used there are sold to shops for the locals to use. Game meat is quite plentiful in the area, Hopkins said.
“It was fascinating going to Africa and seeing a different culture and how they lived.” Hopkins said. “It definitely gives you an appreciation for how we live in the United States.”
That said Hopkins also stated that he looked forward to going back. “Everyone I’ve ever talked to that has been to Africa can’t wait to go back,” he said. “It is such an amazing place.”
