africa’s
Bowhunter Jong jagters vertel hul jagervarings
Bowhunting the
"little 8"
European hunters in SA
2016 Vegas shoot March 2016
VOL 17 - ISSUE 3
16003
SOUTH AFRICA R36.50 [incl VAT] USA $6.50 OTHER COUNTRIES R32.08 [Tax excl]
Ten tips for Bowhunting success
9 771606 267005
Bowhunting warthog
2
AFRICA’S BOWHUNTER MAART 2016
MARCH 2016 AFRICA’S BOWHUNTER
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AFRICA’S BOWHUNTER
5 The onslaught on hunting 7 From our readers 8 Ten tips for bowhunting success 12 Bowhunting the warthog 19 Bowhunting the "little 8" 21 Ojibwa bird snare 22 Struggling economy... what now? 25 Moenie 2016 se Sterkriver-tradisionele byeekoms mis nie! 26 Bowhunting in South Africa 32 Readers' Trophies 35 Die Viermanskap – Deel 1 39 Jong baasskut skryf oor jy jagervaring... 40 The 2016 Vegas Shoot 43 Glory Days
51 For the kidz 54 Bowhunting opportunities 56 The way I see it – Don't mess up after the shot africa’s
Bowhunter "little 8"
Cover image: Cleve Cheney
2016 Vegas shoot March 2016
VOL 17 - ISSUE 3
16003
Ten tips for Bowhunting success
9 771606 267005
Bowhunting warthog
4
PUBLISHER Rean Steenkamp E-mail: editor@africanarcher.com EDITOR Rean Steenkamp E-mail: editor@africasbowhunter.co.za HUNTING/ENVIRONMENTAL EDITOR Cleve Cheney Cell: 082 922 5547 E-mail: cleve@africasbowhunter.co.za
DESIGN AND LAYOUT Rean Steenkamp E-mail: rean@africasbowhunter.co.za REPRODUCTION & PRINTING Paarl Media Midrand Telephone: 011 201 3460 DISTRIBUTION RNA Distribution Hazel Luüs Tel: 011 248 3639
Bowhunting the
European hunters in SA
SOUTH AFRICA R36.50 [incl VAT] USA $6.50 OTHER COUNTRIES R32.08 [Tax excl]
Africa’s Bowhunter Magazine cc [CK/] 96/32848/23 PO Box 31688 Waverley, 0135 South Africa Tel: 012 330 3464/1301 Fax: +27 86 615 7044 E-mail: editor@africasbowhunter.co.za Website: www.africasbowhunter.co.za Office address: 880A Crots Street, Rietfontein, Pretoria.
COPY EDITOR Emmerentia Steyn
44 In the last light of Kuduskloof
Jong jagters vertel hul jagervarings
Africa’s Bowhunter [ABH] is an independent monthly publication for the archer, bow hunter, game farm owner and nature lover. Copyright on all articles and material published in ABH resides with the publisher. No part of ABH may be copied or reproduced without permission of the publisher. Opinions expressed in articles or advertisements do not necessarily reflect those of the editor, editorial committee or publishers. Submission of articles for publication is welcome, but although care is taken, the publisher can accept no responsibility for loss or damage to any material submitted.
SUBSCRIPTIONS Yolande Steenkamp E-mail: yolande@africasbowhunter.co.za ADVERTISEMENTS Yolande Steenkamp E-mail: yolande@africasbowhunter.co.za
AFRICA’S BOWHUNTER MAART 2016
COMMENT
The Onslaught on Hunting
A
fter listening to a talk on this issue recently, and SABA’s visit to the Professional Hunters Association of South Africa (PHASA) conference, I realised how superficial our knowledge and nonchalant our stand is regarding the constant threat the Greenies pose to hunting and why this attack is so severe. However, I want you to think about a different opinion for a second. In fact, you cannot oppose an opinion if you do not share it as well… Japan is hunting whales for food, for various motivations and ultimately money. Now the whales they hunt are highly endangered. I oppose the hunting of whales by Japan. Closer to home we see animals like the roan antelope. In the wild they are highly endangered. This means that if hunting on roan continues, they will become extinct. Elephants are highly endangered – right through Africa they are being hunted into extinction for food, and for the danger they present. Lions are probably the worst off, being hunted for muti and for the danger they present to all people and livestock. Lions are being hunted into extinction. I will just say “rhinoceros” and you will feel the hate against the “hunter”. And so we can list one endangered species after the other in each part of the world and how someone is hunting them (or collecting the plants) into extinction. I am severely tempted to join these greenies, anti-hunters and bunny huggers. If not for them, the world will be a much poorer planet. I think we should all stand behind these nature lovers, to protect the diversity of the Amazon, Africa, etc. If we do not support the ban on the hunting of these animals, the biggest and fastest mass extinction of animals is here – in our time, by our own hands. Not a meteorite, not a zombie virus, not global climate cycles… Yet, I am very happy to hunt an antelope for myself. I have shot quite a number of animals, and species. I use the meat of course, and, so sinful, I even enjoy doing it. I am the president of a hunting organisation… How then do I reconcile these two conflicting points of view? This is the very heart of the problem. We do not understand the onslaught of hunting worldwide on animal populations. Animals are being decimated for food, for muti, for competition with livestock, for agricultural land, for protecting crops – and yes, even for the pleasure of killing. Now you may claim you have no part in this killing, you only buy meat from the supermarket. You realise that the meat was once a little piglet, a soft fluffy lamb, even a beautiful strong bull. But somehow being “removed” from the death of these animals, you find it acceptable. My question is: If this was about the killing of animals, how do you absolve yourself by paying other people to do the killing for you? Are you not willing to do it yourself? But what is the new trend? “I’m a vegan. I do not eat any animal products. Therefore I do not contribute to these animals’ plight.” WRONG, my dear. The very house you live in was built on some poor Bambi’s food. Your bread replaces the grass they eat. You drive your car on roads that cut their playfields into patches… and so on. We are all part and parcel of killing animals in favour of our own life and living standards. Live with it. But then some people felt guilty about this. And they decided to do something at least to attempt to right the wrongs caused by their very existence. And they are recruited by very legitimate and righteous organisations that stand to protect what is left of the planet’s animal and plant kingdom. The point I’m trying to make is that the world’s anti-hunting onslaught is justified… Where does this leave me as a bowhunter? The complications The important point to note here is that all these justifications are not against hunting itself, it is against the hunting of endangered species. The problem is not killing animals, as NOBODY can live without doing so. This is the first point of order. The whole onslaught is against the hunting of specific species. We ourselves take part in this onslaught. We give money to those who fight against the hunting of rhino. How does this differ from us taking up a weapon like a rifle or a bow and killing an impala? Some organisations in South Africa have redefined the concept of hunting versus poaching. And this is one technique in attempting to resolve the dichotomy. They have defined that hunting happens inside the law, and any illegal killing of animals is deemed poaching. This is a very handy defini-
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