The author with a kudu that he shot with a recurve.

Author: Mark Siedschlag

Publisher: Adventure Trails Publishing, Thoreau, New Mexico

Growing up in a remote part of rural Wisconsin, Mark fed his love for the outdoors and adventure on the likes of Hemingway's Green Hills of Africa, and Ruark's Horn of the Hunter. He was inspired by their stories of adventure on the plains of Africa, chasing after the great spiral horned antelope called the kudu. He vowed to one day follow in their footsteps and despite many obstacles along the way, was finally able to embark on his own adventures on the Dark Continent. In 1999 Mark started his quest for the greater kudu, but unlike Hemingway, he would use the primitive bow and arrow (recurve) as his weapon. It would take him three safaris before finally accomplishing this goal. Along the way he would learn much about Africa and meet many interesting people, but most of all he would gain a deep love for some of the last truly wild places left on the earth.

SEARCHING FOR THE WILD is a very personal account of the three trips Mark took to Zimbabwe in search of the greater kudu. It documents both his triumphs and disappointments. He sees first hand the ravages of AIDS on a population and the effects of political turmoil on a nation and its wildlife. In the end, he wonders if there is still hope for the wild places left on this planet.

“Many may think of Africa, with its vast wildlife resources, specie diversity and game density, as an easy place to hunt. In truth, we as bowhunters take our place in line behind other predators, stalking the riverine and savannahs or waiting patiently at the watering hole. As those with fang and claw, we with stick and string are sometimes rewarded by the slightest of good fortune: the shifting of the breeze, the turn of a head, a pause or other seemingly insignificant event. Ultimately, for all, triumph is born of tenacity. Bowhunting, a game of inches, is played out in the game fields of Africa as it is in the fields behind our homes.

“Zimbabwe is an ever-changing place. The movement of game affected by drought and predatory cycles has longed governed the wild places. In modern times, the encroachment of the indigenous people and the shifting political climate has complicated the natural world. Time and progress (or lack there of) puts undue pressure on the wild African landscape. Just a few years ago, safari hunters touted Zimbabwe as one of the "jewels of Africa", but now, after years of political strife, Zimbabwe has gone the way of many other Africa countries, grinding its way backward in time.

“Mark Siedschlag invites us on his personal journey – from his musings as a young boy to the fulfilment of his dream. We experience with him the long hours of waiting in ambush and the exhaustion of relentless stalking. A world away, Mark takes us on three of his bowhunting safaris in the Low veldt of Zimbabwe where we share his heartbreak and elation of each arrow shot. His focus, as he pursues specific species with recurve bow in hand, is inspirational. Throughout the course of his travels, Mark writes of the subtle and not so subtle changes in Zimbabwe. As he witnesses the effect on both its people and its wildlife, he feels uneasy and even fearful of the future. Has irreparable damage already been done? Have the pressures of modern times caused irreversible harm to wildlife? Left only with his memories of what once was, Mark finds himself hoping that he will not need to shed a tear for Zimbabwe.” – Neil Summers of Bowhunting Safari Consultants

Mark’s book can be ordered by e-mailing him at mmsiedschalg@cnetco.com.