Mike Arnold has been a hunter all his life. The Hunter’s Horn blew very early for him. Taking his first whitetail at the age of five was a transformative experience. From that time forward, Mike has spent months each year pursuing game animals – from quail and rabbits behind his parents’ house, to kudu and leopard in Africa. Mike continues to be a hunter and firearms enthusiast, and now combines his love of writing to record his adventures. He has written feature articles for various Outdoor magazines – including Sports Afield, Strung, Safari, Game Trails, Hunter’s Horn, and American Outdoor News.
Mike’s writings also incorporate his 45 years as a research scientist with his passion for shooting and hunting. He often covers the role hunters and their organizations play in ecosystem restoration, conservation and outreach into local human populations.
Mike’s New Book is Available to Order!
Mike gave three talks at the 2025 Annual Fundraiser of the Michigan Safari Club International Chapter. What a wonderful privilege addressing hundreds of dedicated conservationists!
Preparing for a crocodile hunt with Zambeze Delta Safaris in May begins with the right rifle, in this case a Blaser R-8 in .300 Winchester Magnum loaned to Mike by great friends at the Blaser Group out of San Antonio. And, it goes together using only that tool in between the bolt and trigger assemblies…and Mike’s clumsy fingers (if he can assemble it, anyone can!).
The right equipment, besides that wonderful R-8 includes super accurate, and powerful, Hornady ammunition, Mike’s standing and sitting rests from 4StableSticks, and his 5.11 ‘Rush’ Backpack. According to Mark Haldane, by the time Frances and Mike chase crocodiles with ZDS in Mozambique, all of these items will be a bit muddier.
Mike uses MOA as a way of communicating group sizes to his buddies who hunt or compete in long-range shoots. MOA, Minute-of-Angle, at 100-yards is ~1-inch. So, the Precision Hunter group at 100-yards off the bench was a bit less than 1/2 inch in diameter. Off the Stable Sticks, Mike’s group was ~1.3 inches in diameter. At 200-yards, 1xMOA is 2 inches. The take home from these results: the rifle and ammunition are ready for a shot on the spine or brain of a crocodile. Now, it is up to the shooter…gulp!
Well, as you can see, Mike got him! Taken on Lake Massingir, the animal measured right at 14 feet in length, weighing an estimated 1500 pounds. Mike shot the huge lizard from the boat you see in the background, at 100 yards. He never moved after the first ELDx into his spine from the R8, but Mike shot a second time into the shoulder. Stay tuned for videos and articles on this amazing hunt!
Hmm, is the target size really that tiny? Unfortunately, yep. Since Mike wants the skull (remember he is a scientist-geek who loves natural history museums, and skulls), he’ll want a spine shot. Now to spend the next two months at the range practicing from his field rests!! (Photo Courtesy of Diamonds-of-Nature…Mike added the dots…)
So far, so good. Blaser R-8, Hornady, 200-grain Precision Hunter ammunition and the results from the bench (right-hand target) and, after elevation adjustment, using Mike’s 4StableSticks, Ultimate Carbon standing rest (left-hand target). The Blaser B-2 riflescope may need slight tweaking to the right, but there was a light, right-to-left breeze when the Stable Sticks’ shots flew down range. Both targets were tacked up at 100-yards. Shots fired at 200-yards also showed fantastic accuracy (see the graph with all the data to the left).
Oh, and Zambeze Delta Safaris’ PH, Dylan Holmes, and Tracker, Albiñio, the R8, plus a Luchs-1 thermal optic attachment made by Liemke, and of course Hornady’s ELDx bullets, resulted in this old, and huge, hyena. Taken on the Massingir Safaris property - with hunting safaris run by ZDS - it was the first time for Mike using a thermal optic. Like the crocodile, articles and videos coming soon!
Be sure to check out some of these website pages…..
Check out Mike’s 2022 book
Sports Afield Magazine
“No one who reads this book can come away doubting the fact that international hunting—when done the right way—is one of the best and most durable ways to save Africa’s wildlife while simultaneously supporting and empowering its native peoples.
“Approachable, informative, and entertainingly written, Bringing Back the Lions is a must-read for hunters and non-hunters alike.”
Sporting Classics Magazine
“Anyone who wants to understand the true nature of African wildlife today must read this book. It offers a window to the problems of the present and solutions for the future.”
African Hunting Gazette
“Bringing Back the Lions should be mandatory reading for every hunter and for as many non-hunters as we can influence to read it. It’s a heart-warming story of a modern-day conservation success that should inspire everyone with a passion for wildlife.”
Bringing Back the Lions named one of the 15 Best African Hunting Books Ever Written. Check out the article from The Big Game Hunting Blog
RECENT NEWS
Mike sat down recently with his good buddy, Larry (Mr. Whitetail) Weishuhn for another trip to the DSC Campfire. In this episode of Larry’s podcast, the two grownup kids (a.k.a. Larry and Mike) discussed their trips to everywhere from Suriname to Namibia. Mike keeps telling Larry that having him on will drop the Podcast’s ratings!
Mike’s work for Safari Magazine and Game Trails continued in the past few months with articles on everything from a hunt for Muntjac and Chinese Water Deer in England, to how the love of Game Meat by non-hunters drives conservation in Sweden.
Mike often reviews firearms, frequently involving him using rifles or shotguns on hunting adventures (he knows very well that he has a tough life!). Just as often, though, he gets to use and review products that make shooting and hunting so much easier and more fun. Two such reviews appeared recently.
The first involved trying out another 5.11 Tactical product, this time their 5.11 RUSH® 24 2.0 Backpack 37L. Recommended by none other than Mark Haldane, with the quote, “This is the bag ALL of our APU (Anti-Poaching Unit) members use!” This is now the backpack de jure for Mike!! The review is available in American Outdoor News.
The second review titled ‘Jack 'O'Connor's caliber and Hornady ammunition…Sweet!’ appeared on Hornady’s Blog, The Hole Story and relates Mike’s range workup of a .270 Mauser. What a sweet rifle it was!
Mike presented two TEDx presentations on conservation through hunting, with both now live on the TED YouTube channel.