has anyone heard about drought conditions in RSA

[recurveshooter]

had an email from my friend in RSA and he said he was starting to worry about water levels and feed condition in the conservation areas he manages .

if the weather doesn't improve (get some rain ) will have to cull a lot more animals .they had culled a lot last fall but maybe will have to remove a lot more in warm weather which they don't like to do .

Safari Hunt i think you live there is there .is it dry where you live ?---- herb

 

[Safari-Hunt]

Recurve,

Yes it is dry ! But it is not as dry as it can get yet. The dams have got enough water but the rain is the problem and the rest of the veldt.

The culling of the animals are mostly the farmers fault charging to high for their game for local hunters. A lot of the game farms are overpopulated because of teh last 3-4 good years and now when one dry spill strikes they suffer. Lot of teh farms are overgrazed especially the ones that have game and cattle.

Game use to be cheaper than buying meat at the butcher but not anymore R4000 + for a trophy kudu bull R650 for an impala add that up plus the daily rates and it's just too expensive it's becoming a rich man's sport. The farmers are too greedy to make a quick buck but now that they are in trouble they will still not drop their prices for local hunters but will set out culling packages fro international hunters where they will still earn more than from the locals.

I don't know what they are going to do hoepfully they will learn and drop the prices for next year. YOu are probarly going to tell me but why atre you guys paying that much think of it this way we don't earn dollars and if you compare I think we pay more for our game and it hurts us more than for you guys. Otherwise hunters wouldn't be able to afford a weeks hunt with 10 head of game. I'm lucky if I shoot more than 3 animals per year for my own use these days. This year it was 2 imapala and black wildebeest. Last year it was 5 but 5 small game 3 srpingbuck 1 blesbuck and 1 moutain reedbuck.

safari-hunt

 

[recurveshooter]

Safari Hunt ,
the PH i am working with doesn't offer cull hunts as he says it isn't hunting it is killing .you kill as many as you can as fast as you can .all the meat is utilized .

the government conservation area he manages (a small one ) they keep the pop per hectare smaller than hunting conservatories he manages as it gives the hunters a better chance and they can make more profit i imagine .

what i was amazed with was the culling wasn't just a few animals but in the hundreds .but this property hadn't been properly looked after and the pops of blesbuc and black wildebeast were very high .but even on the managed areas the numbers culled was suprising .------ herb

 

[Safari-Hunt]

Recurve,

What I mean by culling id for an indivudual to get 10 head in a week not the hundreds they shoot over a weekend at night with spotlight.

So hence rather get some local hunters to get the game for cheap let them hunt it in a week and get daily rates for it as well. In the end of the day no-one will have to do massive culling programs in that way and everyone is happy.

Just a more logical way I think that would make both parties happy. In this way culling will still be hunting you just won't be selective on the trophies

 

[recurveshooter]

Safari Hunt ,
i see what you are talking about .i know my PH charges less for SA meat hunters and takes quite a few out .

i have seen on AR where they offer cull hunts where you go to a property and shoot a lot of female kudu for a discounted price .it seemed to be a chance to try a lot of different rifle loads .

i understand what you are talking about ,when you live in a country and see the animals but can't aford to hunt them for food .

here in New Brunswick we experience something on the same lines with Atlantic Salmon .one of our major Salmon rivers the residents of the province arn't allowed to fish on .this river is the only river in the province that uses old english law of Raparian rights where the owner of the property owns to the center of the river .there are a few spots on the river where residents can fish ,almost shoulder to shoulder .------herb

 

[Peter V]

Recurveshooter,

I'm sure if I agree with all of Safari-Hunts points in his respone; the eL Nino conditions (that are no doubt causing a bunch of snowy weather in the States) are the cause of our current hot and dry conditions in Southern Africa. We have just recorded the driest November in close on 70 years! with the resultant negative impact on Wildlife per se.

South Africa, Namibia, Bostwana and Zimbabwe are all experiencing similar dry weather which has regressed to drought conditions, we have had Impala and Duiker dying in significant numbers - these are "indicator species" given their resilience and ability to get by ... when they die as a result of drought then it pretty much a given that softer species like Kudu will take a knock.

I've been in the wildlife and safari industry for sometime and currently run a business that is very involved in Wildlife Management - pretty mouch most of the big reserves, private lodges across a number of African countries are our clients.

ps - Jim, nice to see you are involved here, groetnis en totsiens.

Regards

Peter V

 

[recurveshooter]

thank you Peter V and welcome to Jesse's page .read the news from your part of the world as i have coffee in the a.m . i realize that only the worst gets to make the news but sometimes it gets scarry and i am seeing a lot abought drought conditions .especially in Zim which means an increase in the consumption of bush meat .-------- herb