You hear the shot of the rifle and feel the recoil, but the animal runs. What should you do now? To learn about tracking, gerhard uys spoke to willem van der merwe, a professional hunter at chacma safaris, and a tracker from hpg security group, who wanted to remain anonymous.
Tracking is the art of following a spoor, which may include tracks, scents, blood spatter, scat and broken foliage. Patience, practice and a good understanding of your quarry’s behaviour are needed according to our experts, an experienced tracker with HPG security group, who often tracks rhino poachers, and professional hunter, Willem van der Merwe.
Do different species react differently when wounded?
Willem van der Merwe: Absolutely! When a buffalo realises it is being pursued and is wounded, it will start circling downwind while looking for a wooded area to lie down. In this way, it smells a hunter before the hunter finds it. It usually waits for the hunters to have nearly passed before charging them. I would recommend at least two people follow a buffalo spoor: one should search the ground for blood, and another should keep an eye on the vegetation in case of a charge.
One should also walk around dense grass to see if there’s a blood spoor before entering it.
Bushbuck will retreat into bushes to hide; this allows them to see danger approaching. They can cause a lot of damage if they attack. I have seen how water buck hide in water after being wounded, with only their noses sticking out.
Most animals will get away from where they were shot as fast as possible. The last thing a hunter needs is an animal full of adrenaline; it makes meat tough and is a recipe for a long tracking excursion. I usually wait a couple of minutes after an animal is shot without allowing the animal to see me.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Syngenta Seedcare celebrates a decade of innovation
Syngenta's ambition is to enable their customers' investments to grow in healthy soil from treated seeds to young plants through innovation and collaboration, writes Magda du Toit.
Agri workers shine at Western Cape awards
Lindie-Alet van Staden, a garden and olive orchard manager at L’Ormarins Wine Estate in Franschhoek, was crowned as the Western Cape Prestige Agri-Worker of 2024 at a gala event recently held near Paarl.
Small and large farmers recognised at grain awards
The annual Grain SA/Syngenta awards ceremony bears testimony to the quality of farmers in the grain industry.
Growing partnerships: Fedgroup's flexible and innovative approach
Janine Ryan spoke to Warren Winchester, general manager of impact investing at Fedgroup, about why the company became involved in agriculture, and what it offers farmers and their immediate communities.
Why fish farms fail, and how to avoid becoming a statistic
The popularity of launching fish farms is not matched by their success. Leslie Ter Morshuizen, owner of Aquaculture Solutions, explores the factors that cause most of these businesses to go under.
Where history and modernity meet in a luxurious setting
Brian Berkman kept his eyes peeled for ghosts in the oldest continuously run hotel in South Africa, but all he found was a fabulous two-night stay.
THE HITCHING POST
I'm a stylish elderly lady with a radiant glow and a good sense of humour that keeps me young at heart.
Cutworms: check the weeds on your fields!
Zunel van Eeden explains why understanding the ecological interplay between cutworms and weeds is crucial for effective pest management. Producers should disrupt the life cycle of cutworms to minimise crop damage.
Does high-density grazing mimic grazing patterns of game?
In their paper on high-density grazing in Southern Africa, professors Angelinus Franke and Elmarie Kotzé from the Department of Soil, Crop and Climate Sciences at the University of the Free State say high-density grazing systems may not accurately reflect natural ecosystems. Roelof Bezuidenhout reports.
Global grain outlook: 2024/25 marketing season
In its latest summer crops report, the Crop Estimates Committee says South African farmers intend to plant 4,47 million hectares of summer grains and oilseeds in the 2024/25 season, up 1% from the previous season. As South Africa exports maize and soya bean, Annelie Coleman reports on the latest trends in the international grain and oilseed markets, amid fluctuations in weather conditions and ongoing armed conflicts.
