HSCF PH SPOTLIGHT

HSCFPHSPOTLIGHT MEMBER Meet Ashley Hobson of Eastcape & Karoo Safaris

1. WHAT IS THE PRIMARY AREA AND GAME FOR WHICH YOU GUIDE? I guide primarily in South Africa but sometimes in East Africa, where I’m also a licensed Professional Hunter. As our name suggests, we specialize in hunting the Eastern Cape and Karoo of South Africa; in what Craig Boddington referred to as “… without question one of my favorite areas, offering a unique variety of habitat, and a wonderful variety of game.”

The coastal areas of the Eastern Cape offer dense bushveldt landscapes and game that are unique to the area, such as bushbuck, caracal & genet cats, blue duiker, nyala, oribi, bush pigs, and bontebok, to name a few.

In the Northern Cape and high country of the Karoo, we offer 115,000 acres (180 square miles) with a 5-Star lodge amidst one of the biggest game conservancies in South Africa, with large herds of buffalo, roan, sable, eland, gemsbuck, kudu, wildebeest, waterbuck, and around 20 other species of game. It’s a very special place, with abundant game and a fascinating variety of terrain and vegetation.

2. HOW DID YOU CHOOSE A CAREER AS A PROFESSIONAL HUNTER? I grew up on a farm in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, so hunting was in my blood from a very early age. As soon as I could walk, I was hunting birds in the fruit orchids with my pellet gun. Whenever I was home from school I used every opportunity to be out in the field. For me, hunting and guiding is much more than a profession. I guess you could say that I found my calling at an early age, and never looked back.

3. WHAT WAS YOUR MOST DANGEROUS HUNT? I’ve been put up a tree by black rhino and Cape buffalo cows a few times! I’ve never been injured by one but have a great deal of respect for them and appreciate that they’re called “dangerous game” for good reason. As a PH, I hunt Cape buffalo with clients every year, and each time you prepare to hunt this animal it gets your heart pounding. These nearly 1-ton animals can move very fast, especially through dense bush, and more than a few hunters have ended up on the receiving end after quarry became hunter, with dire consequences. Cape buffalo can toss a grown lion around like it’s a toy, making them a serious opponent when pursued on their turf and terms; one that should never be underestimated. One must be mentally and physically well-prepared when taking on buff because stalking and shooting them involves a dangerous hunt … every time!

4. WHAT DO YOU WANT A FIRSTTIME CLIENT TO KNOW BEFORE HUNTING WITH YOU?

I like to walk … a lot … sometimes a bit too fast!

5. WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE FACING HUNTING AND HUNTERS TODAY? With COVID-19 thrown into the mix, our community faces many challenges. Very little hunting took place during 2020 – resulting in a much larger selection of mature game for 2021 – but near-term funding for the protection of wildlife has suffered. Outfitters have not had the resources to protect their areas and wildlife, and poaching has increased with inevitable and irrevocable results. NGOs and animal rights groups pose an ongoing threat, with renewed calls to increase bans on the import of hunting trophies and even ban trophy hunting altogether.

There is a perception out there that hunting is grotesque and morally wrong, and I feel this is negatively and unfairly influencing younger generations. When one objectively examines the broad range of issues surrounding conservation and hunting, it’s clear that wildlife has been restored in previously devastated areas, and herds are stable or increasing on game conservancies where they’re seen as renewable, natural resources and something of value that benefits Africa and all Africans. In fact, the hunting community’s efforts have made possible the reintroduction of plains game species that were previously made extinct in Africa – a win-win for people and wildlife. The Cecil incident was a major blow to the hunting community, despite that fact Cecil was taken lawfully, with a knowledgeable, reputable, and licensed PH in attendance. I do not believe the PH would have

pursued or allowed the shot had he known it was Cecil.

To summarize, as hunters we must be prepared to articulate the often overlooked conservation aspects of lawful hunting and game management programs that do, in fact, preserve habitat and conserve a renewable resource – wildlife. It’s not an either/or discussion.

6. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HUNTING WEAPON AND/OR CALIBER? I grew up with a rifle and it is my favorite method of hunting. We do a lot of plains game hunting and as a Professional Hunter, I’m sometimes required to back up clients shooting across long distances. My trusty old .300 Win. Mag. is ideal for reaching out there … with the legs and knockdown power to get the job done.

7. WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU ARE NOT HUNTING? Working on other businesses, spending time with my family, river boating, fishing, or playing tennis.

8. FAVORITE MEAL? I love a good steak on the “braai,” as we call it – “cut its horns off and wipe its ass” rare!

9. WHY DO YOU HUNT? As soon as I drive into our hunting camp, I feel as if I’m visiting another world. At night, I love the absolute quiet and pitch dark … where the skies are so clear that you can see every star. Hearing the animals noisily eating around the campfire … oh, and the fire … staring into it with a whiskey in hand. The camaraderie of meeting and hunting with new clients, some of whom become good friends, is unmatched. The good food – I absolutely love game meat. Bumping into a rhino on the way back to my room is always a surprise! Boots on the ground … I love the fresh air, the exercise, just seeing the game out in the wild. Searching all day for that perfect mature animal and putting a plan together to outsmart a majestic old ram or bull. Killing an animal should never be an enjoyable experience for any hunter, but this is part of the hunt. I have deep respect for the animals I hunt and the terrain they live in. As a friend once wrote, the trophy on the wall is merely the tip of the iceberg; a visible reminder of a journey, day, and stalk that led to an unforgettable moment in time.

10. WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU COULD NOT DO YOUR JOB WITHOUT? There are so many things one could list here, but I think I have to go with my tracker. As a PH, you have a partnership with your tracker – another set of eyes, another set of ideas, physical strength to assist with carrying things, an extra driver. A tracker, who is also often your skinner, is really someone who is there to back you up.

Ashley Hobson

EASTCAPE & KAROO SAFARIS hunteasterncape.com +27 (0) 82 376 7766