Know The Law Before You Hunt

Biltong hunting, popular in South Africa for centuries, is no longer the free-for-all activity of its early years, but a strictly regulated practice. Hunters and landowners need to familiarise themselves with the legislation, Prof Peet van der Merwe of North-West University told Annelie Coleman.

- Annelie Coleman

Biltong hunting has become a fully-fledged industry in South Africa. ANNELIE COLEMAN

Biltong hunting involves shooting wildlife by means of a rifle, bow, or similar weapon for producing a variety of game meat products, such as biltong and salami.

Hunting has been practised in South Africa for hundreds of years, according to Prof Peet van der Merwe, of the School for Tourism Management at North-West University. It has been used not only to produce food, but to generate income through the trade of commodities such as ivory, hides and meat.

“[My] research has shown that hunters are outdoors people who visit places such as game farms and national parks. The main reasons they hunt are to learn about wildlife, be with family and friends, experience adventure, and obtain game meat. It’s also a spiritual experience to be in the veld or sitting next to a campfire,” he says.

Legislation differs from province to province, and hunters and landowners need to know which permits are required for their specific hunting activity. DEREK KEATS

Since embarking on his research in 2005, Van der Merwe has found that the 10 most popular species amongst biltong hunters have stayed almost the same, although their rankings have changed position from year to year. In no particular order, these species are springbok, blesbok, impala, kudu, gemsbok, blue and black wildebeest, warthog, eland and red hartebeest.

Hunters are sometimes also particular about where they wish to hunt a specific species, for example gemsbok and springbok in the Kalahari, and kudu in the bushveld.

SUSTAINABILITY AND ETHICS