Bowhunters: Friends of African Villagers and Animals Alike.
By: Joe Byers
African safaris aren’t a tax-deductible contribution to conservation, but they should be. African countries like Tanzania, Zambia, Mozambique, and others set aside huge chunks of real-estate specifically for hunting. People are not allowed to live there, because they will interfere with the natural ecosystems. Dangerous game species are managed by “permit”, and hunters keep the more numerous plains game animal populations in check. These hunts are very expensive, beyond the affordability of the average American, yet these funds play a key role in supporting African governments and controlling poaching. Unlike major hotel chains and tourism operations that are owned by corporations in Europe and China, hunting dollars go directly to local villagers, Professional Hunters, and governments.
The South African conservation model uses hunters to manage herds and support village populations.
South Africa has a similar conservation model but on a much more affordable scale. Instead of the central government owning hunting blocks, private citizens own them and employ many of the same conservation principles. Hunting occurs in remote areas where jobs are scarce and most natives live in poverty. A hunting operation provides a multitude of employment opportunities for men and women, many of which include housing and food. No part of the animal goes to waste; they are used or consumed by either the hunters, natives, or their families. To obtain protein source from animals, many times locals use snares, which kill indiscriminately, and most of what is caught rots in the bush. Hunting operations manage their herds, so that animals are healthy and in numbers commensurate with the environment. In a drought year, guides allow more animals to be taken, so they don’t destroy the habitat so badly that it will not recover.
Raising cattle and farming destroy local habitat and cause the elimination of native animals.
Much conversation about hunting in Africa involves emotion rather than science, and a hard look at reality shows why hunting is so valuable to conservation efforts. First, to a local, an impala is no different than a chicken, pig, or cow. They are animals, they are abundant, and they provide protein only available from few other sources.
Because much of South Africa is rugged, arid land, it is not suited for farming. In the Southern Hemisphere, rain occurs during four months of the year and drought the other eight. In December, January, February, and March, the bush is lush and green, yet by October or November, the earth is parched and nearly devoid of vegetation. Irrigation can support crops, yet water is a precious resource in the arid land.
Furthermore, to raise crops, locals must clear the land and destroy the habitat necessary for animals to survive. The same is true for raising cattle. Wildebeest, zebra, and other grazers compete directly with cattle for food. If you are a cattle farmer, one of your first priorities must be to kill off all the competitive grazers.
The South African conservation model allows citizens to fence and own the wildlife on a property, so they can conduct hunting safaris where foreign payments support their business, control populations, and support local villagers.
An African safari is like a cruise for hunters with lots of amenities and services.
I’ve been to Africa more than 25 times on all types of hunting operations, and my most favorite is a bowhunting safari around waterholes in the dry season.
I often say, an African safari is like a cruise for hunters. All the things you do at your local hunting camp, safari staff will do for you. You will enjoy comfortable accommodations, even if tented, great food, brilliant, cordial campfires every night and all the hunting adventure you can handle. A Professional Hunter (PH) will help guide you and identify game. Professional trackers will follow up after your shot and skinners will transport your harvest to a butchering facility the venison will be processed. Nothing goes to waste, not even the stomach.
Game is abundant in South Africa and you will see hundreds on a bowhunting safari. Every hunt is also a photo safari.
I’ve hunted elk and mule deer in the American West, been afield from dawn to dark, and not seen an animal. Africa is the opposite. In a normal dry season, a hundred or hundreds of animals will drink at a waterhole during a single day. Some species like eland, zebra, and big kudu bulls are notorious for drinking at dusk or night, so you will need to put in your time to catch them off guard. Like hunting during the whitetail rut, the need for water causes animals to be more active during daylight hours and increases hunting opportunity.
Every waterhole bowhunt is a photo-safari as well. Since most hunters carry a cell phone camera, you can capture amazing stills and videos while you wait for that special animal.
“Eat what you shoot” is a common theme of most hunters outside of Africa, and you will enjoy the venison you collect. Obviously, you can’t eat a 600-pound kudu in a week, but once you taste marinated venison cooked over leadwood coals, you will think you are in culinary heaven.
Despite its beautiful horns, this is an old management animal. Notice its ribs and hip bones, signs that an animal is at risk for starvation.
Rassie Erasmus is one of my favorite Professional Hunters, because he uses special pricing to manage his animals. He posts trail cameras at his waterholes, so that, eventually, he will see most of the game on his 10,000-acre property. This helps him determine population numbers, age, and health. He uses local hunters to control the female populations and offers special discounts to reward safari clients to shoot “management” animals that are past their prime.
Two years ago, I hunted a bull eland on his property that had a tick infection on its penis. “It’s pretty gruesome,” Erasmus told me. “You’ll recognize it immediately once you see it.” A local hunter killed the animal prior to my arrival this year telling Erasmus, “I felt sorry for the animal and shot it.”
African animal survival isn’t a “Disney” experience. All animals die and some starve to death, perish of injury, or are eaten alive by jackals or wild dogs. An arrow through the rib cage is lethal in 10 seconds or less, and one of the most humane endings an animal can have. Though it’s individually sad, its demise provides protein to humans, income to villagers, and overall allows for the perpetuation of its species. From a conservation standpoint, that’s win, win, win.
For information about hunting for Rassie Erasmus, contact him by email at bowhunt@rassie.co.za.
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