If one wants to go to Africa to hunt he books a safari and hunts with a professional hunter. Do locals that hunt buy a hunting license and go out after what they want? How does that work for the locals? Can they still buy permits to hunt dangerous game or are they out of luck? Or do they not even worry about it and shoot what they want? Are there any professional hunters left that hunt for themselves and not take clients out? I supported myself hunting coyotes back when Missouri had a bounty but it was a hard road to hoe. Any African hunters support themselves and not take clients out?

I am not a native but as I understand it they book with a Ph or pay to hunt on a ranch usually under some sort of supervision. there are no areas to hunt for free as I understand. Public areas are controlled by the government and PH's bid for the hunting rights.

You do your own research on possible hunts.

You are responsible for your own food, drinks, equipment and transport.

On some ranches you get cutlery and linnen, some not.

Some of the camps are good some is very basic.

If you do not have a suitable vehicle you can rent one on some farms.

You get a guide, who is basically a policeman to check on missed shots and wounded animals. Some farms have excelent guides, but you pay more.

The animals you hunted will be gutted and skinned for you. If you want your animal caped it is your problem. On most farms there is not qualified skinners. It is your problem to get the trophies to the taxidermist.

All f=arms have a list of rules you must abide too, some valid some plain stupid.

On an exempted farm you can hunt the animals that appears on the exemption permit. Animals not on the exemption permit, can be hunted if you have a valid permit.

We can hunt dangerous game and we can get permits for them. Most of the time the price tags are out of limmit for most of us. Local hunters and outfitters pay the same price for permits.

More and more noises are being made that only hunters belongiong to hunters clubs and with specific training will be allowed to hunt. This can be good and bad for the industry. Unfortuneately there are a lot of hooligan hunters that are making things difficult. If it will ever be enforced is a question that will be answered in future.

There are also a lot of rules that must be abided by hunters. The new proposed hunting laws will make it more difficult to hunt certain scarces and endangered species

That is an abbreviated version of a local hunt.

There are tons of places to hunt in SA nowadays. Magnum magazine has an annual issue where all the landowner advertise their hunts for the local market. For every trophy animal taken by a foreign hunter, two immature males must be shot. Guess who does the shooting? The local "biltong" hunters.

The locals also pay a daily rate and a trophy fee..but both are considerably lower than those paid by a visiting hunter. The daily rate is basically a trespass fee and a camp/accommo fee. They don't get the full boat treatment that a visiting hunter gets. Some of them set up their own camps in a designated camping area. They mostly provide their own food, vehicle, and gear. A "tracker" provided by the landowner will accompany them to make sure they pay for everything they shoot/wound, and to police the rules (eg no trophy animals may be taken in many cases). And there is no licenced PH shepherding them around.

I sense that the question behind the question is why can't we get in on this "deal". The simple answer is that the law requires a foreign hunter to use the services of a PH, and there are also guidelines for the type of services that the PH must provide. All of this costs more so that's why you pay more. And if you don't use a PH, your trophies won't be coming home with you.

You can, however, get reasonably close to a "local" style hunt if you know how. Anyone who is interested in a no frills hunt contact me. We have a couple of options for you.

Pegleg,

Jaco gave you the South African version of how white South Africans hunt. Some more explanation may be required to give a full reply to your posted question. I am simply not up to speed with the regulations in Zimbabwe, Botswana and other countries to even begin to comment on how the locals hunt in those countries. A posting similar to the one by Jaco and mine, by a person(s) knowledgeable about the rules in those countries would be appreciated.

IMHO the basic point that you must understand is that in South Africa virtually all hunting is undertaken on PRIVATELY OWNED LAND. Only very limited hunting is undertaken on Provincial Nature reserves, and the actual procedures are not essentially different from those that apply to hunting on privately owned land. There is simply NOWHERE AT ALL IN SOUTH AFRICA WHERE ANYONE CAN JUST GO AND HUNT! So in the whole of South Africa if you are anywhere other than on a public road with a firearm, or any instrument that can be used to hunt, you simply HAVE to have WRITTEN PERMISSION from the land owner to be there!

So, to repeat this very basic difference between South Africa and some other countries rules: To be anywhere with a rifle, other than in your own house or with rifle unloaded and securely held in a bag or case while on a public road, you have to have written permission from the land owner! As Jaco had said, to get that written permission you have to make arrangements with the landowner, and abide by HIS rules. Some of these rules are ridiculously stupid, but mostly they stipulate common sense rules to regulate your conduct while on his property. This may include something to the effect that ‘ no hunting is allowed without the guide being present†. The guide is mostly a trusted laborer, whose main duties is to ensure that you do not stray off the landowner’s property – and so hunt illegally on a next-door neighbors’ property – or get lost. Guides also have to oversee what you shoot and or wound. Some farmers will provide a qualified, registered and experienced PH as your ‘guide’. Obviously you can expect to pay more for this privilege. The degree of help and assistance provided by the landowner with respect to recovering hunted game, gutting, skinning and caping, meat handling, cold storage facilities and meat processing vary, from no assistance to the full service. The payment for these services are always, or should be, determined by prior negotiation between the hunter and the landowner.

To explain the license or permit requirement is a bit more difficult, as there are some important differences between the 9 different Provincial Nature Conservation Ordinances. To simplify, and this explanation is admittedly not 100% accurate, but IMHO it will serve the purpose: There are two types of farm area: (A) High-fenced farms with an Exemption Certificate for specified species of game, and (B) farms that do not have an Exemption Certificate.

There are three types of Game: (i) Unprotected wild animals, (ii) Ordinary Game and (iii) Protected Game. [If each Provincial ordinance is read, there are actually more names, but the three types are essential to understanding the rules.]

Hunting of Unprotected wild animals [warthog and porcupine as examples]: On both type A and type B farms these can be hunted at any time of the year without any permit or license. You only need the landowner’s written permission to hunt such animals.

Hunting of Ordinary Game [springbok and blesbok as examples]: On Type A farms these can be hunted at any time of the year IF THE PARTICULAR SPECIES IS INCLUDED IN THE LIST OF “EXENMPTED†ANIMALS. Again you only need the written permission of the landowner to hunt such species. If these species are NOT listed in the Exemption Certificate for the farm, you can only hunt them during a declared hunting season and with a license for hunting the particular species. You still need written permission from the landowner. On Type B farms these can only normally be hunted during A DECLARED HUNTING SEASON, and you have to buy a Hunting License. You also need the written permission of the landowner. With special prior arrangement it is possible to get a “Permit†issued by the relevant Nature Conservation Department that will allow the hunting of Ordinary Game on a Type B farm, or on a Type A farm which does not have the particular species listed on the Exemption Certificate, during a closed hunting season. You again, as always, need the written permission of the landowner.

Hunting Protected Game [Examples are roan antelope and klipspringer]; On Type A farms you can hunt Protected Game at any time of the year IF THE PARTICULAR SPECIES IS INCLUDED IN THE LIST OF “EXENMPTED†ANIMALS. Again you only need the written permission of the landowner to hunt such species. On a Type A farm where the particular species is NOT included in the list of Species that are exempted, as well as on a Type B farm such Protected Game can only be hunted if a Permit has been issued by the relevant Nature Conservation Department. Again, as repeatedly said, you need written permission from the landowner.

These rules apply equally to local South African hunters as well as visiting foreign hunters.

Maybe I should give a word of warning to foreign visiting hunters: This explanation is actually greatly simplified and it does not cover “Problem Animals†or “Specially Protected Animalsâ€, nor is the nomenclature of all the Provincial Ordinances explained. My advice is to leave it all to your Hunting Outfitter! In terms of the Ordinances it is the duty of the Hunting Outfitter to ensure that all the legal requirements for your hunting are met. You must just insist on getting two copies of a fully descriptive Remuneration Agreement signed by the Hunting Outfitter, and signing both copies, keeping one for yourself!

What it all boils down to for a local hunter is that there is no more “buying a DG permit and go hunting oneâ€. We have to find a landowner who has surplus DG for sale, book a hunt at the same cost as any American or other foreigner would pay and hunt. As Jaco said, the cost is out of reach for most mortals here in South Africa.

Hope this helps and is not to confusing. It is however a complex situation, and the legal arrangements, getting licenses and permissions for a visiting hunter is best left to a competent Hunting Outfitter!

In good hunting.

Andrew McLaren

Any citizen or resident (as in one who has a residency permit) of Tanzania may hunt in any of many designated hunting areas for this purpose (Commonly known as open areas), provided they:
a) Own a legally registered hunting rifle
b) Have a hunting booklet which takes about 5 minutes to obtain from any game licensing office at a cost of approx $2
c) Obtains a hunting license for the animals he wishes to hunt. These include animals such as buffalo (the only DG allowed), gazelles, impala, hartebeest, eland, wildebeest, warthog, reedbuck, eland, topi, bushbuck, bushpig and various smaller antelopes.

A license is valid for a specific area for a period of 14 days and you pay for the animals in advance whether you shoot them or not. You do not need to have a game officer with you but its a good idea if you can. You should report to the village office of the area you will be hunting in and sign a register there. You may collect a village guide in return for a tip. Where there is a tourist hunting operator in the same area, it is courtesy to call in to their camp or call their office to let them know you will be there, etc.

while it all looks so simple and straight forward, actually obtaining a license to hunt any game in most areas is becoming very political and rife with corruption. Resident quotas have been highly reduced in many areas and unless you are well connected with the licensing officers, it is not easy to obtain a permit from them.

Russ Gould wrote:

quote:

For every trophy animal taken by a foreign hunter, two immature males must be shot. Guess who does the shooting? The local "biltong" hunters.

Where do you get this BS from?

Thank you, gentlemen! As much as I like to hunt, I wouldn't want to live somewhere that you couldn't walk out your back door and go hunting. Truely seems like the dark continent is commercialized in terms of hunting.

quote:

For every trophy animal taken by a foreign hunter, two immature males must be shot. Guess who does the shooting? The local "biltong" hunters.

Huh?

Not one, not three, but two...you sure?

For what species...they have different sex ratios 'requirements' or structures naturally (which are bent on ranches, understandably) but I have never heard this 'rule' anywhere or from anyone until until now?

Perhaps we are miscontruing what you meant and it came out different?

I think Russ was making a generalisation... In fact I think it is a good bit more than two. And it is pretty well understood that the local hunting industry does bring in more money than the safari trade. It's true, us locals do shoot more animals than the foreigners, and if it's biltong hunting, it's more than likely going to be females as they are in general cheaper.

Think of all the females that have to be cropped off by cullers or hunted by locals to balance out the ratio.