Many a page in the “Wild Sports of Southern Africa” may seem appaling for modern readers, both for the blatant racism and for hunting practices described. However, it is a document of an epoch, and inspired many later hunters and explorers. Here we reproduce an abstract from it.
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By the end of my hunt I had done everything I said I would not: crawling two and three hundred yards at a time with legs that had been cut to shreds by razor grass, wading through chest-deep hippo channels, grabbing razor grass to keep from falling into rivers teeming with crocodiles, and lying flat on the ground with only the grass between me and a charging buffalo.
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Blesbok, or Blesbuck, is one of the most popular antelopes with hunters in South Africa. However, harvesting this dweller of open spaces is not easy.
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America is still the Land of the Free. Many nations close or limit travel opportunities to their citizens these days.
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Impala is often referred to as the McDonald’s of the African Bushveld, because it is the most commonly killed prey animal for every predator from large eagles and pythons to humans, and also due to a conspicuous black ‘M” shaped mark on their backside.
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The West needs to heed the voices of Africans calling for a sound understanding of Africa’s sustainable utilisation conservation policies and look beyond the emotional rhetoric before it is too late.
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Shop wisely, stipulate a “COVID clause” for rescheduling the hunt in case of an unforeseen travel ban, but shop early and book your hunt now.
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There are very few natural habitats left in the world big enough to allow nature to regulate wildlife populations without any intervention from man. Even South Africa’s biggest national parks are too small to allow for this to happen. Smaller parks and private conservation areas may also not be afforded the luxury of a laissez-faire (“hands off – let nature take its course”) management approach.
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The bull turned one more time and looked straight at me. It was now or never. I got my breathing under control, aimed the small copper bead dead on, and started squeezing the trigger. The 570 gr Barnes hit him like a ton of cement and he dropped instantly. I looked at my friend next to me and he confirmed the kill without saying much … A 140 m kill shot with my favourite rifle – that had just happened!
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It is not surprising that where Giraffes have an economic value they are preserved to such an extent that overpopulation now occurs in some areas. Giraffes are not a popularly hunted trophy species.
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If there’s one thing that is for sure with Leopard hunts, it is there are no guarantees that you are even going to even see a Leopard even though your PH may try every trick in the book to get a suitable animal on bait. Leopard hunting is like chess, a mind game where you are always trying to out manoeuvre your opponent, in this case “Mr Spots”.
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Leopards are listed as vulnerable and are a CITES 1 animal, so hunting quota offtakes are strictly allocated according to population numbers. South Africa has temporarily suspended Leopard hunting but does issue a limited quota from time to time. Hunters must always double check their country’s trophy import regulations as it differs around the world and printed information in this regard may be outdated.
Leopard hunting regulations also vary from country to country. Some allow hunting over bait at night while others only permit daylight hunting in the presence of a wildlife official. Different rules may apply as per the areas that may and may not be hunted with hounds if hunting with dogs is even permitted. Only fully mature males should be hunted and in many countries hunters will be fined for shooting a female and have their trophy confiscated.
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