SOME BUSHVELD BASICS The fundamentals of hunting procedure

Some Bushveld Basics

by IAN MYBURGH

M as te ri ng th e f un da me ntal s

HERE is something for the youngsters and newcomers: let’s discuss a few of the fundamentals of hunting procedure, and then consider an example of practical application.

First of all, what should you carry on a hunt? I will assume that your rifle has already been properly sighted in with the particular loads you’ll be hunting with, and at a distance appropriate to the terrain, and that you empirically checked its zero after arriving at the hunting venue. That said, you still need to carry spare ammo (not just a magazine full). Any hunt can go wrong, with you needing more than your usual number of shots – whether to finish off an animal, to signal an emergency or, if your rifle takes a fall, to fire a few sighters to recheck the scope. Always carry an appropriate knife or multi-tool. While not essential in bushveld terrain, a pair of lightweight 8x25 binoculars can be a great help. Carry a cigarette lighter or matches (waterproof them) in case you get lost and need to make a fire

for warmth and signalling. Hunters did without the GPS until only very recently, but make no mistake, you’d be wise to carry one, not only to prevent getting lost but to mark the position of carcasses for later recovery. An ash bag for silently determining wind direction is useful. Shooting sticks can be very helpful and sometimes essential to success, but are a nuisance to carry with your rifle. If you are accompanied by an unarmed tracker who doesn’t mind carrying them, take them.

Always carry drinking water in the vehicle, and food if on an all day outing. Whether or not you carry water and/or food on your person (or on the tracker’s person) depends on how far you will be footing it, the nature of the terrain, and the general circumstances. ‘Energy bars’ can help. Take any medication that is imperative for you, such as insulin, heart pills, etc. Even on a game ranch, if in terrain where vehicles cannot go, a serious ankle or knee injury late in the day can mean a night spent in the veld. A ‘space blanket’ takes up as much room as a hanky, and can save your life. Finally, think of the little things you might need. Toilet paper. Many a hunt has been made very unpleasant for want of sun-screen or lip-ice, or spare spectacles. As for clothing, wear well broken-in boots, a sensible hat, and either dark khaki, sombre green, olive drab, army browns or ‘camo’ clothing. Do not wear white or pale, washed out khaki.

Now, some hunting basics. Think when choosing your dates. Hunting during the full moon phase can be difficult as the game has had sufficient moonlight to feed during the night, hence lies low during the day. During cold snaps, game tends to hole up in sheltered areas, but if there is sunshine, they often move to high ground where the air is warmer and where they can catch direct sunrays. Hunting in windy conditions is a controversial issue. Some believe it can be ideal, as the wind direction is more likely to remain constant, and the sounds of your movements are drowned out by the rustling of wind in the bush. On the other hand, the animals know that wind makes it difficult for them to hear approaching predators, which makes them very much more alert and skittish.

Cover anything that might glint in the sun to reveal your presence. A sweat band to cover your watch is a good idea. Hunting in overcast weather reduces light reflections, so you need not worry unduly about your scope or bino lenses, face

Author’s beautiful ram at last light.

Two young knypkoppe.

HUEBSCH PHILIP BY PHO TO

and hands or other reflective surfaces. But it also makes the game much more difficult to spot. In the Free State I have had great success on overcast days, as my quarry was easily visible in the open terrain, and my stalks made easier as the sun did not give my position away.

Time of day is important. The various species differ in their habits, some being nocturnal, some diurnal, while some can be active anytime. There are always exceptions, but broadly speaking, game moves about more in the early mornings and late afternoons than during the hotter midday hours. In the early morning, the animals often seem less alert while slowly warming up in the sun. Typically, impala like low thorn bush or the fringes of open sections of veld early in the morning. Probably, more game is shot in the late afternoon and early evening than at other times, because both diurnal and nocturnal animals can be on the move at that time. However, this is also a bad time to take a shot unless you are certain of a clean kill, for if a wounded animal runs off, you can run out of light before you find it. Generally, if you make the effort to be up early, you will be rewarded, not only with game sightings, but also because the bush comes alive and is at its best in the early morning.

Favourable wind direction is always a primary concern, but, in bushveld, if this also allows you to have the sun behind you, so much the better. This will enable you to spot sunlight reflecting off the quarry’s hide or horns, and can also make it harder for them to see you (animals also find it difficult to see when looking into the sun). Be aware, however, that on open grassy plains, the sun behind you shows you up as a sharp black silhouette against the uniform pale grass, and this can give you away.

Read up on the food preferences of your intended quarry, and learn to identify those trees, bushes and grasses. Impala, for instance, will often be found around acacia, as they favour the pods, and will eat them from the tree and those on the ground. Kudu, on the other hand, cannot resist the vaalbos with its thin grey leaves and dark berries.

You should be constantly checking the ground for tracks, droppings, fresh green leaves, etc. Sometimes, the colour of the soil can be a pointer – to some extent, this determines what vegetation will be growing there. Impala seem often to be found in red soil regions where rainfall is appropriate. You won’t find impala in the red sands of the Kalahari, however. Bear in mind also, that animals tend to follow the lines of least resistance, so they walk on well-used game trails, cattle and goat trails, roads, etc. Always walk very slowly, with a minimum of jerky movements (don’t swat or wave away flies, mopani bees, etc). Stop frequently to look into every likely spot. Novices tend to look at the open patches; you must learn to look into the bushes and shadows, look through the bushes. And don’t expect to see the whole animal standing there as he appears in the field guide book. Look for sunlight reflecting off a small patch of hide, look for vertical lines (the side of a leg or neck) and lateral lines (an underbelly or the top of a back). Look for movements – a horn tip, a flickering tail or a swivelling ear.

Now, some practical application. We were hunting on a 65 000ha concession north-west of Pilanesberg. In such a large area it’s common to walk 15 to 25 kilometres in a day. I like this kind of hunting, where your skills are really put to the test. Waterholes are dotted around, posing an extra challenge, as you cannot easily predict the habits or movements of the game. That day, Brenton decided to stay in camp to add the final touches to his lamb potjie. Jarda chose to try an area five kilometres south-east of camp. We described our respective routes to each other – you should always have a good idea where to look for another hunter should something go wrong. We use quad bikes to save time getting into the hunting area, and to recover carcasses.

I headed north for a kilometre and left my quad under a beautiful camelthorn tree. It was 3pm – I had a maximum of three hours until darkness. I checked the wind and chose to take a northerly direction which led me parallel with the eastern bank of a deep riverbed. With the sun sinking on my left, my best chance of spotting game in the dwindling light would be to look to my right, while also watching the ground for sign.

I found a path with the spoor of three impala – fairly large tracks, normally indicative of a bachelor herd. Ewes have

Jarda preparing his quad for the recovery.

smaller hooves and usually, but not always, go in larger groups. I estimated that the tracks were from at least midday because insects had already left their marks over them. This meant the impala would be looking for a good place to feed and spend the night. I crossed a narrow, deep tributary and continued in the direction I thought they would take, until I found their spoor again.

After a while I spotted a nice cluster of acacia at the edge of a pan. I stuck to the fringes and worked my way around the pan. The sun was now casting long shadows. As I reached the other side, a red flash caught my eye. Although I have shot many impala, my heart still skips a beat at this point in a hunt. There they were, three rams, two knypkoppe or juveniles, and one big boy. My problem was that they were already withdrawing into the thickets, soon to be lost to the approaching darkness. I crawled in under a swarthaak for cover and then slowly stood up among its branches. This provided me with a deadrest, but limited any movement. The rams were moving continually between two large acacia bushes picking up fallen pods. I had to be quite sure of my shot, for there would be very little time for a follow-up. The first youngster walked across the gap without stopping, followed by the other knypkop. The last ram had to be the big boy. My hair trigger set, I waited, fully focussed. The big ram moved into view and stopped briefly. My crosshair settled just above the heart. The shot shattered the stillness and a Swainson’s francolin loudly protested the disturbance. I quickly recovered from the recoil, reloaded and looked through the scope. The young rams bounded off a short distance then stopped to look back. With herd animals this is a sure sign that one of their number is down or in difficulty. I extricated myself from the bush and walked over to the ram, which was already dead. On seeing me, the youngsters silently vanished into the thickets.

The ram was in his prime and a fine specimen. Using the last minutes of light I took a picture with my pocket camera, marked his position on my GPS, then walked back to my quad. Leaving the GPS on, I purposely took a route that I could backtrack on the quad in the dark.

I phoned Jarda to tell him I would need his help with the recovery, then I sent an SMS giving him my quad’s co-ordinates. By the time I reached my bike it was pitch dark and Jarda was already there. I took the lead on my quad, backtracking according to the GPS, with Jarda following close behind. We crossed the tributary with some difficulty, then disaster struck when we still had another kilometre to go. My bike’s fan came on and blew its fuse which cut out the ignition, stopping the bike. Fortunately I always carry a good toolkit and a head lamp. I replaced the fuse, which lasted only until the next time the fan was activated, less than 200 metres on. As I had only one fuse left of a higher amperage, we decided to continue on Jarda’s quad, recover the ram, get back to my quad, then attempt to disconnect the fan and return to camp.

We finally arrived back in camp at 20h30, to a rather irate Irishman and a potjie that was now soup. We gutted the animal, hung it in a tree, and sprayed the open parts with a vinegarwater solution to keep off the flies. Then we retired to the warm embrace of the fire. The promise of prepared liver the next morning enabled Brenton to forgive us, and we all enjoyed our evening around the fire.

This article first appeared in Magnum, September 2012.