Ourano Pointers

06/03/2025

An excerpt from the featured article in The Shooting Sportsman, the enigmatic Robert Parvin Williams wrote on us after their trip with us last season:

“If I had to pick a single highlight from the trip, it would have to be spending time with arguably the best set of pointers I’ve hunted behind. The image of those dogs streaking across wild country under endless skies is enduring, as is the memory of waking after a nap to find a sleeping pointer’s head nestled under my arm.

One way or another, we expect to return.”

It is still so humbling to page through the publication and see my dogs and I featured on such a global platform.

Always chase your dreams.
And always chase the horizon.

Please get in touch to enquire about your very own bespoke Ourano Experience with my world class team of Pointers, and explore some untouched Highlands with us.

[email protected]
www.ouranopointers.com

25/02/2025

Care more about one thing.
Care less about everything.
When you find what works, but doesn’t feel like work - you’ve won.
Through expression and creation we meet ourselves.

Life on the road lately has been productive and magical.
This season promises to perhaps be our most life defining one yet, with lots of growth and exciting changes on the cards.

I believed in myself, in my dogs, and I stuck to a vision that most said wouldn’t work. And with plenty of boot mileage and even more paw mileage we’ve carved our own little existence in the very mountains we find strength, inspiration and guidance in.

The Ourano Greywing Experience is about to become even grander than ever before.

Get in touch to chat about your very own Highland adventure with us at [email protected] or visit our website www.ouranopointers.com and ask us some questions via our enquiry page.

Always chasing the horizon.

14/02/2025

Journal Entry:

We had so many poignant and beautiful moments from last year, the season that was. So many perfectly captured professional photographs even, and I’m forever grateful for all of those moments. But this still stands out as one of my favourite moments and images that I will hold onto forever. Hopefully as a really tired, stiff old man one day I’ll look at it and remember everything about it.

A photograph is a powerful thing. I’ve always said such. It can transport you right back to an exact moment and time. I personally remember every detail about any capture; the smells, the weather, the exact scene and moment that unfolded, what I was dealing with personally, where I was internally, and how content and happy just that moment in time left me - even amidst the stresses of life. The present moment is all we have. The past and the future both don’t ever exist, they merely exist in our minds. Truly inhabiting the present moment, in surrender is enlightenment enough sometimes I feel. As it allows us to accept everything we are dealing with. And the secret is, it’s all good, no matter how ‘bad’ it seems at the time…

Bulton of Oscar high up in the snowy capped peaks, like a white beacon, my white beacon of hope - amongst the tangerine, rust, apricot and ochre yellow shades of grasses. It was a large covey of Greywing Francolin, 17 birds. We were high up, 2600m up to be exact. I was hunting Bulton and his daughter Bianca as a brace. All three of us were tired. Our legs were weary. There are no roads up here. It’s all negotiated on foot. The type of hunting i truly revel in. It had been a long season already. But this was our time. Our time to enjoy one another, without the pressures to deliver and without any time constraints. To find Greywing Francolin who have barely seen man before, especially man and dog, really gets me going. It is an untouched wilderness up here. I’ve always said that, perhaps one of the very few remaining areas like this in South Africa. To find startled Greywing Francolin up here, bright eyed and bushy tailed, hurtling in all directions like mortars making their escape, with only the Black Eagles as your spectators and company, and the odd Vaal Rhebok or Mountain Reedbuck is something truly special. Bulton is the old man of the show now, but he still doesn’t act like it, and I love him for that. I hope to be as he is one day when I’m an old man.

Always chasing the horizon.

https://ouranopointers.com/2024/12/11/journal-entry-5/

10/02/2025

The Adventure is in the Journey:

“As I have always stated, what I take great pride in doing and putting together, is vastly more than the mere trigger pulling experience. Almost anyone can throw a hunting trip together, but I derive immense enjoyment and satisfaction from not only curating extraordinary experiences, but doing so genuinely and authentically. The word ‘bespoke’ has been used over and over again by me, and rightly so – I enjoy working with a client or group as per their respective enquiry’s, queries and requests. But not everything can be tailor made, some things are difficult to veer away from. Things like duration of days for a trip, how many of those days are hunting days and how many are for leisure, or, some flyfishing, these aspects are very much up for discussion. Things like bag limits, gun safety, the fee for rental of fi****ms, tipping for all working team members (of which I will expand on in a separate note), respect for all staff and or team members, respect for all of the fauna and flora, as well as respect and love for my dogs are just a few of the non-negotiables I stand firmly behind…”

To read the full entry, please visit the link below:

https://ouranopointers.com/2025/01/14/the-adventure-is-in-the-journey/

www.ouranopointers.com

Always chasing the horizon.

21/01/2025

"The fact that a man who goes his own way ends in ruin means nothing... He must obey his own law, as if it were a daemon whispering to him of new and wonderful paths.”
- Carl Jung

The open road is calling and I’ve been keeping a keen ear pricked for the call for quite a while now. Life and her redirections are magical things when you wholly understand them. They may seem like ‘end of the worlds’, or, ‘spanner in the works’, but after some time and experience, you learn to slow down and wait for it all to play out. Watching. Waiting. Waiting to see a glimpse of the Genius at work. Even amidst total and utter chaos. And you’ll see that gap eventually. It will be illuminated too by a soft, but pure white glow, it will feel ‘easy’, and this is how you will know. It’s for you. It’s yours. It comes from a greater intellect and power. Trust the redirections. Trust the process. Trust life. It’s all sent to you. With your name on each page, personalised even. Gifts.
Keep The Faith.
If you do good, if you do right by the world and by everyone, your redirections will always be better even if you can’t see it in that particular moment. As I’ve quipped before I want to ‘keep the inner dialogue flowing, keep the respect’; and I’ve felt this going more than coming of late. And that alarms me. So, if you’re in tune, and you know how important that Inner Dialogue is with the Source, you realise when it is lacking. So for this very reason I need to get out there. To go to where it all makes sense.

I feel confined, I feel contained, I feel chained and shackled when in the throes of the city.
I feel as if I’m living my life at 5%, not truly being Chris.
So here’s the deal.
I’m hitting the road to quell some doubts, find some answers, interrogate myself as to what is really important to me.
To find some solace and healing in some voluntary suffering and difficulties. To sit with Nature and listen for Her lessons and whispers that carry silently on the wind. Not look in a mirror for the duration of my trip if I can help it. Shed layers, unnecessary layers that the city throws on you like an overprotective but caring mother can do. Needless clothing when the weather isn’t all that bad. Shed kilograms too. Bleed. Carry. Put down. Pick up. Ache. Sweat. Run. Walk. Sit. Cook. Write. Read. Listen. Maybe even cry a little.
And run a bit more.
But breathe. Breathe the breath that matters.
Do more, with less. And do less, with the more.
I’ll be scarce. I need to be.
I’ll be gnawing at the shackles day by day, inch by inch until they break, again. Hopefully for good. Or is that just a whimsical fantasy? Who knows.
I’ll be busy, without being city busy. But mostly, I’ll be lacing my boots up every single day, to enter the fray.

My only companions will be the Self. A team of dogs. The open road and some musical artists who conjure up inspiration and emotions. An 90kg sandbag to carry daily and to be my dance partner - even though I’m a terrible dancer. Trails to run. Many more trails to walk. And many, many miles on the open road. Going so deep into my art and craft that I don’t want to recognise my usual thought patterns afterward - they must be unrecognisable. A travelling library of books. A couple notepads. A whole lot of grand birds. And Mother Nature herself to help shape my dreams and visions.
I’ll eat simply and sparingly, but well.
And drink the purest water.

I’ll see you all on the other side.

Always chasing the horizon.

28/11/2024

I’ll be posting more long form writing as well as journal entry’s as we go along on our journey on the blog.

Please follow the link below, and come along for the many memorable moments afield. It costs nothing, just a quick read to pass the time or see what we might be up to.

Always chasing the horizon.

Chris’ Rambling Thoughts A few thought pieces written by Ourano Pointers and our affiliates.

04/11/2024

Get your hands on a copy of the current November/December issue of Shooting Sportsman to catch a glimpse of how we do things in our world.

We had the privilege of guiding the team who came out to compile a true Ourano Wingshooting Experience on behalf of the Shooting Sportsman publication. We hunted across two vastly differing areas, allowing the guests to harvest a true mixed bag offering. The cherry on the top however was pursuing the grand Greywing and Redwing Francolin in the Highlands over first class Pointers, which was unanimously the groups favourite part, and as is the usual feedback we receive, the part that they would like to repeat again!

Thank you again to all involved.

Chase your dreams.
Always chasing the horizon.

11/10/2024

Some moments and images of the beautiful and breathtaking places we get to operate in, and make a living out of.

There is an unmistakable beauty in the work no one will ever see. The hours of iteration that culminate in a picture perfect moment, a satisfied client with their dog, or a happy group after a successful hunt.
Something that has slowly but surely come to me whilst working in these places and churning out the hours of iteration is that there is a reward, an ultimate reward even, when you create and live your life’s work - you become the truest version of yourself through that whole process.
When you create things that are a direct extension of who you are they exist effortlessly, and independently. And, sometimes you have to make difficult decisions to go to the next phase and stage of your journey, to really become all that you are meant to be. In a sense, I think we have reached that place (again) now. Standing on the proverbial precipice with the abyss below and in front of us. The funny thing is, each time we’ve been here, and with that decision ultimately resting with me, I take the plunge and free fall right into the unknown, and mid fall, learn that we have wings and can in fact fly…

Always chasing the horizon.

16/09/2024

Incredibly humbled again to be featured in this beautiful publication. The folks at Project Upland Magazine and Hunting Dog Confidential really put together a seminal publication each and every single time, which is truly a coffee table worthy offering that can hold its own in any home.

Thank you. Thank you for the opportunity, and for the exposure, but more importantly for highlighting the conservation aspects that we try and uphold in our little world - it is a very humbling feeling to be recognised globally for something that both the dogs and I truly live and breathe. At the end of the day, it will always be about the dogs. I am merely a vehicle for their endeavours and talents.

When you find what works, but doesn’t feel like work, you’ve won.

Always chasing the horizon.

04/09/2024

Alba and Bianca of Ourano working as a team - how a brace of dogs should work, by ranging far and wide, locating and holding the covey, and then presenting the birds to the gun properly. Training and more importantly knowledgeable training is key in polishing natural, inherent traits that exist within a dog. And a knowledgable eye to work with what is natural and what isn’t natural is a key aspect many overlook. There’s a lot of negative based training methods. I don’t want a dog hunting out of fear, I want it visibly enjoying itself, and harnessing its natural predatory instincts. The oft used idiom comes to mind, “You cannot make a silk purse from a sows ear.”

And for the last time, it’s Pointer, not English Pointer. And a GSP is not a Pointer, it is a GSP.

Always chasing the horizon.

08/08/2024

Whilst we’ve had a quite brilliant season in terms of the action; the sport, the dogs and the birds, another aspect that we take huge pride in, and that we put a large amount of effort into in all of our experiences are our field lunches.

We believe that the field lunch is as much a part of the hunt and the quarry itself. An attraction and event in and of itself. No stone is left unturned with various courses served, and utilising all that is seasonal, as well as connected to the hunt and our heritage here at Ourano Pointers.

It is a coming together of cultures and friends, and one that we take delight and pride in sharing with our guests.

As we say in Greek, ‘Καλή Όρεξη!’

Always chasing the horizon.

09/02/2024

Random Journal Entry:

2570m up with Aera and Baggio of Ourano Pointers.
Behind us is the old Transkei. Just beyond that is Lesotho. It’s a hard slog up, but it is always worth it. Lots of Greywing Francolin. And just plain beauty as far as one can see.
We sat there a while amongst the natural splendour. With various Martins, Swallows and Swifts, gliding around us just above our heads, showing incredible feats of aerial acrobatics in their aerial predation pursuits. Such interesting birds, and so hard to identify each one at times. It’s unreal to think that some of them (the Swifts) sleep on the wing at high altitudes. Interesting birds. Aera found the first covey a couple hundred meters upon being on the top flats, a second a few hundred meters after that, and then Baggio got in on the action too with a third covey, all within 1km of one another. Good start.
A kettle of Cape Vultures circled a bit beyond us, no doubt with some carrion on the ground. Such a pristine, prime, Afromontane biome and environment. The variety of grasses, shrubs, and flowers is magical, and the stretches of vistas and views is bewildering at times.

Do less with more, and more with the less.

Always chasing the horizon.

01/02/2024

When you find what works, and doesn’t feel like work, you’ve won. Block out the world, create your own world, obsess over it, iterate, believe, live.

“The ideal life would be one where you had a hobby that as a byproduct made you money, you had a hobby that as a byproduct kept you healthy, you had a hobby that as a byproduct made you smarter and more creative.” - Naval Ravikant

For all enquiries please visit www.ouranopointers.com or send us an email to plan your very own bespoke wingshooting Experience at [email protected]

Always chasing the horizon.

17/01/2024

This is my response 99% of the time to people.
Yes you need a knack. Yes you need good genetics. Yes you need birds. Yes you need the passion. Yes you need many things, but there’s one variable that nothing can replicate nor substitute, and that’s good ol’ boot mileage. You will walk, and climb, and walk a whole lot more, and you will probably need to walk a bit more still after that.

Clients always know I put in the mileage, because certain telltales, or giveaways, just don’t lie.
“Look how fit Chris is, you can see how much he walks and works with the dogs, unlike others.”
“Chris your boots are always in ‘work mode’. “
And my personal favourite, how every single dog prefers my vehicle to their owners, especially if I pick them up, they clammer and jump, going looney to try and get in (much to my insurance excess dismay for all the scratches I keep having to remove. I must start factoring this into my pricing I think 😆).

I will work with your dog every single day that it is with me, this is a guarantee, and a promise I not only make to a client, but most importantly to myself.

This season is going to be another special one. The boot mileage is accruing nicely… 🥾⛰️