Greetings from the Chacma family.

A cold front has eventually hit us in South Africa.  As most of our clients and people who are fimiliar with South Africa knows, we are not used to very cold weather.  Our winters are very mild and enjoyable, but sure enough that was not to be the last two weeks.  We had temperatures below 0 during the night, and not going up much during the day.  Most of us are glad that we are having some cold, as this kills germs and bugs that love the hot weather, but I am sure all of us complain non stop about the cold. 

We are just not used to it.  And for the hunters visiting our region, it is also not good news.  With the cold weather most of the animals lay down on the ground.  They don’t move around a lot and don’t drink a lot at the waterholes, making it very difficult to spot them, not to mention hunting for your trophy.  So with the cold weather, frustrations are also high.  Here at Chacma Safaris we believe we are not supposed to complain too much, so we are keeping the spirits high, and keeping our clients happy with great food, hospitality and the ever enchanting bushveld.

Greg & Petra Tabor and Sloan & Chelsea Dennis

We just finished a two week hunt from 29 June to 9 July with clients from Texas 

Greg & Petra Tabor and Sloan & Chelsea Dennis.  We had a very cold but successful hunt.  The wet, cold weather made hunting really difficult but the hunters persisted and got some really good trophies. 

The cold weather made us appreciate the campfires a whole lot more especially after a long day hunting.  We want to show you some of the trophies they hunted but you can go onto our website to see all the trophies they shot. 

Greg & Petra shot zebra, kudu, nyala, red hartebeest, tsesebe, white blesbuck, springbuck and black wildebeest.  Sloan & Chelsea shot warthog, impala, red hartebeest, kudu, black wildebeest, common reedbuck and springbuck.

Congratulations all of you, we had a great time with you, and hope to see you soon.

Those woven wire walls. South Africa’s Game Fences

From PHASA June 2009, an article by Herman Jonker.

Firstly, it must be understood that in South Africa almost all large animals are behind fences. Even the legendary Kruger National Park- at 1.9 million hectares our largest game reserve- is fenced. Animals in conservation zones are fenced in, Animals in hunting areas are fenced in, farm animals are fenced in, junkyard dogs are fenced in, even killers, rapist and robbers are kept behind fences, instead of being swung in the breeze.

Small numbers of free ranging antelope do occur in some areas, but most do so furtively and at their peril. Besides these, it’s only really the cattle and goat herds of communal rural areas that can be considered free roaming, although these usually have one or more young herdsmen in attendance.

Americans also often don’t realize that there’s no such thing as hunting on state lands as in SA, as there is in the US. Virtually all hunting takes place on privately owned land. Occasionally a few tenders for cull hunts in provincial game reserves are awarded to citizens, but these also take place behind fences, for all such reserves are fenced.
Why the fences?

This is Africa, where poverty reigns and people are hungry. Conservation doesn’t mean a thing to desperate, poorly educated, rural folks. In many areas any animal, even a squirrel or a tortoise, represents nothing more than a meal to the fortunate finder. That’s why, even if SA had vast state lands, there would hardly be any game to be found, unless such an area had been fenced and controlled.

On private hunting ranches there are additional factors. Historically, all wild animals were legally res nullius, meaning that they belonged to nobody. This valueless status led to a steady dwindling of numbers and, in places, even local extinction. Many farmers saw wild animals as either a threat or competition for their livestock and had no qualms about killing them. The use of traps, set guns, poisoned baits and large driven hunts were all aimed at ridding the land of wildlife.

In the sixties of last century however, both law and attitudes changed. The SA farmer suddenly got full ownership of any game that happened to be on his land, although hunting them was still officially regulated. Then, when word spread that there were hunters who were actually prepared to pay for shooting, animals previously persecuted were suddenly seen in the golden light of money.

Thus commercial hunting was born and, with animals by then in short supply, so was game ranching. The science of game capture and translocation evolved and animals could now be bought to restock previously shot-out land. With wild animals subsequently representing not only value, but also often significant investment, it was only natural that measures would be taken to protect and keep them. And so the game fences went up. These fences are not cheap, but then neither are the lives of the wild animals they harbour, any more.

Fences protect the animals from poachers, roaming predators, packs of stray dogs and the like. They also ensure that hunters hunt in a dedicated, safe area where he’s unlikely to have some traveler on foot popping up in his scope or spooking his buck.

Above all, they allow the owner a degree of management of expensive assets. Fences allow him to isolate his herd from disease, to regulate numbers in order to maintain good grazing, to add better genetic material and to introduce and keep a diversity of species.

“Hunting in SA is like shooting fish in a barrel” It is perceived that hunting in SA is too easy. What is a big enough fenced area? 

It depends on terrain and vegetation. The largest number of SA’s hunting ranches are situated in the bushveld that covers most of Limpopo and Northwest provinces. Size average approximately 1300 hectares but most ranches are smaller. Still, in forest or dense savannah even the restriction of a small, 500 hectare ranch has more to do with the practice and ethics of game keeping, than with those of hunting. Aspects such as animal numbers, available graze and browse, gender ratios and competition between species all become critical when smaller land units have to be managed.

Where did this notion of “fish in a barrel” originate? Possibly it has to do with the whole prepacked lion debacle that so tainted SA’s natural offering. Practices that can be deemed “canned” shooting have been condemned by every hunters’ association in SA.

Where would you find fenceless hunting areas? Even the sparsely populated Namibia has camps for their sheep and cattle that get divided by 3ft high fences. Further north in Africa you may find the open Africa with no fences but there you will find yourself amongst villages and stray donkeys and livestock. You will also have no way of knowing whether the species you are looking for is even present within a day’s walk, unless you happen on fresh tracks.
Fences are symbols of an ideological swing away from slaughter and deforestation towards the conservation of nature in a near natural, sustainable manner.

Kudu:

Shot Placement on Greater Kudu:

There is something majestic about this beautiful spiral-horned antelope and it evokes a special fascination amongst all hunters and non-hunters. They stir the emotions, for although they are large and heavy they are so perfectly camouflaged by their grey-brown coloring and white body markings that they fully live up to their nickname “grey ghosts of Africa”. The white-tipped ridge of mane hairs along a kudu bull’s top-line and its thin vertical body stripes resemble the shafts of dappled sunlight that find their way into the thick cover kudu favor. These stripes and mane hairs also break up their outline so they can be extremely difficult to distinguish. Sly, secretive and elusive, kudu are blessed with exceptional sense that keep them constantly wary and on the alert. Their large, trumpet-shaped ears can detect the smallest of unusual sounds, and their sense of smell is as just as effective. Kudu cows give a warning bark when danger is near. Trophy bulls, on the other hand, simply vanish as soon as they get suspicious.

Kudu are certainly the most sought after trophy for both local and foreign hunters. The greater kudu forms part of the Tragelaphus genus, which includes seven species namely greater kudu, mountain nyala, bongo, lesser kudu, bushbuck, sitatunga and common nyala. The greater kudu is forther divided into the East African greater kudu, northern greater kudu and the southern greater kudu.

The name “kudu” is derived from the Khoi name, koodoo, believed to imitate their alarm call – a hoarse bark. The latin name, Tragelaphus strepsiceros, comes from the Greek names tragos, meaning “he-goat” and elaphus, meaning “deer”, together referring to an antelope. Strephis means “twisting” and keras means “horn”, thus meaning “spiral horned”.

Kudu adapt well in a diverse range of habitats. They prefer thickets, bushveld, light forest, and are often found in or near broken hills and are seldom far from water. They cannot resist agricultural land, especially sunflower and lucerne fields. They are primarily non-selective browsers living on tender shoots and leaves, as well as wild fruit and seed pods. Their diet changes significantly between seasons. They will even eat soil during winter for extra minerals. Kudu require 6 to 10 liters of water per day. They don’t move very far in one day, averaging 1 to 3 km per day in the summer months and roughly 8 to 10 km in the winter months. Kudu are mostly active during the early morning and late afternoon, resting in the shade during the day. If they are severely hunted they will become nocturnal in their habitat. On moonlit nights feeding can be extended throughout the night with less feeding during the day.

Kudu are gregarious animals, occurring in small herds of 4 to 20. These herds consist of mature cows, young bulls, younger cows and calves. The herds are sometimes joined by a mature bull, though these are only brief encounters. During the rut (April to June in most parts of SA) these herds are joined by one or two dominant mature bulls. Though not territorial, they inhabit preferred home ranges, those of the cow herds being larger than those of the dominant bulls. This could result in different mature bulls sometimes being associated with the same cow herd during the rutting season, in different locations. After the rut, and for the remainder of the year, the bulls may remain solitary or form bachelor herds, separating entirely from the cow herds. The kudu’s gruff bark is one of the loudest noises antelope produce, and a dreaded “game over” sound for any hunter.

Kudu carry out the following flight patterns: 1.) Most of the time they will remain stationary, relying on concealment rather than speed for safety. 2.) They will sneak away from the disturbance without anybody realizing. 3.) They will flee rapidly, normally after uttering a loud bark. Kudu will break through bushes after that, running along with their tails curled up to expose the white underneath. This acts as a beacon for the rest to follow. Bulls normally tilt their head so that the horns lie horizontally along the back, avoiding branches while fleeting. Kudu can easily clear an 8 foot fence when threatened. Kudu are preyed upon by bigger predators such as lion, leopard, wild dogs, spotted hyena, cheetah and crocodile. Young kudu can be taken by caracal or brown hyena.

Hunting the greater kudu:

Several methods can be used. Most terrains allow walk-and-stalk type hunting. This may be conducted walking from a fixed point, or driving around until you spot a good bull and then plan your stalk. Ambushing can also be used with great success. Certain areas don’t allow stalking as there is no cover for stalking or it is impossible to move quietly though the vegetation. South Africa’s provinces of Limpopo, North West and Mpumalanga seem to produce record length horns most frequently.

Plan five days to hunt your bull, it ought to be sufficient, but a really good trophy may take several seasons. Even though kudu can be hunted throughout the year, hunters should consider the following factors which may influence their success:
1.) Veld condition – the drier the leaves the more noise. Tracking will be easier as the grass is shorter. The opposite is true for greener leaves; this will make it more difficult to spot them.
2.) Wind behavior – They depend on their smell and the wind changes a lot during the months of August and September.
3.) Moon phase – They feed during the night when the moon is fuller making them inactive during the day.
4.) Rutting Period – They are with the cows so they can be found easily.
5.) Population – The amount of animals determine your success.

Although they are not tough, heavy bushveld calibers will be a better choice, as the hunter my need to take a shot through heavy, thick cover.

The .270/7mm calibers with premium grade 150-grain bullets are adequate and should be seen as the minimum recommended caliber. An animal with a lung shot will not go far, provide that soft-point bullets were used.

Remember shot placement is always important as a wounded animal may get lost. The only shot a hunter should consider is the heart/lung shot. Aim on the shoulder, about a third way up, which will result in the bullet passing through the top of the heart/main artery area and the centre of the lungs, with a safe margin of still hitting the lungs if the heart is missed. Because a shoulder mount is the only way to effectively display this animal, an upper neck or head shot is out of the question.

What constitutes a trophy?:

a. A representative mature bull;
b. A trophy that may be entered in the Rowland Ward record books;
c. A trophy that may be entered in Safari Club International’s record book.

To determine Rowland Ward or Safari Club International’s records please check as indicated in their books.

Any bull 6 to 8 years of age is considered mature while bulls 9 years and older are classified as extremely old. Judging the age of a kudu is not a firm science but here are some pointers:

• Horn bases – Older bulls tend to have thick horn bases with general thickness throughout the horn.
• Curls – Two-and-a half curl horns (horn tips splaying outward) will indicate a mature bull. Take note that not all bulls carry such genes. Generally bulls with two full curls, or nearly full, will indicate maturity.
• Horn tips – Bulls in their prime normally have ivory horn tips, whereas the horn tips of very old bulls are worn down or broken off.
• Horn wear – Some old individuals will show smoothness on the front of the horn surface.
• Shoulder hump – Old bulls have a pertinent muscular shoulder hump.
• Neck – Older bulls lose most of their neck hair, causing a grayish appearance. They also have thick necks.
• Ears – Ears of old bulls are torn and show signs of wear most of the time.
• Coat – The grey skin of older bulls show through as their hair wears away.

Curl, length and shape of the horns (narrow, average and wide) can also be used to determine the trophy quality of a kudu bull.

In the end look for a kudu with a nice shaped horn. If it makes the books it’s a bonus. Any old bull with horns longer than 48 inches can be seen as a good representative. Horns longer than 52 inches are good. Kudu with horns longer than 54 inches are very good while 57 inches are exquisite and hard to come by. 60 inches is a monster! You should be happy with the trophy as you have to pull the trigger.

REMEMBER CHACMA SAFARIS WHEN YOU BOOK
YOUR NEXT HUNTING SAFARI IN AFRICA!!
OUR PRICES ARE GREAT!!
AND OUR SERVICE EVEN BETTER!!

Friends Special

A viable period will be a minimum of 10 days.
Four and more hunters - $350 per hunter per day.
10% discount on the following species:

For more information on our hunting packages and prices, please visit our website at www.chacmasafaris.co.za or e-mail us at info@chacmasafaris.co.za.

SEE YOU SOON!!

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