Jun 10, 2021 | News
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The African bushbuck is divided into two species, the kewel (Tragelaphus scriptus) and the imbabala (Tragelaphus sylvaticus) The kewel’s distribution includes Senegal Ethiopia,Eritrea, and south to Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The imbabala, which is larger than the kewel, is found from the Cape in South Africa to Angola and Zambia in the west, and up East Africa to Ethiopia and Somalia.
Roland Wards Records of Big Game list eight different species of African bushbuck as does Safari Club International. For descriptive purposes and hunting information, only the above two will be mentioned. The kewel is more related to the nyala, while the imbabala shares traits with the bongo and the sitatunga.
The bull bushbuck stands about three feet at the shoulder and weighs between 100 pounds and 130 pounds. Ewes are considerably smaller at sixty to eighty pounds. The ram is the only sex to have horns. Horns continue to grow throughout the bushbuck’s life. A large set of horns will measure 16-17 inches. Coloration of males and females run from reddish brown to almost black brown with the male being darker than the female. Its legs and flank are white. These colors work well to camouflage the bushbuck. When in danger, the African bushbuck will lie down and not move, making it very hard to spot. Its warning call sounds like the bark of a small dog.
An impressive, not yet fully mature Masai bushbuck ram in excellent condition in Arusha National Park, Tanzania, where the living is relatively easy due to the lack of large predators. McCallum Safaris (Photo Courtesy of Karen Seginak)
Menelik’s bushbuck
African bushbuck prefer living in thick bush along river banks where they can stay well hidden. Cover and fresh water are the main requirements of the bushbuck. They are browsers, but will consume most any other vegetation they can reach. Bushbuck are active around the clock, except when they are near human settlements where they become nocturnal. The ewe will give birth to a single lamb between October and January. For the first sixteen to eighteen weeks of life, the lamb is hidden by its mother until it’s strong enough to survive.
African bushbuck are solitary by nature, the adult males work at staying away from each other. Sometimes a buck and a ewe are seen together during breeding season. There have been sightings of small family groups consisting of a female with a young faun and an immature male, although this isn’t very common. African bushbuck live within an area of about 60,000 square yards and it is very uncommon for them to move out of that area.
Mature African bushbucks are prey to lion, leopard, caracal, wild dogs, and hyena. The young are hunted by pythons. The greatest danger to bushbucks is snaring and hunting with dogs. Habitat destruction also contributes to their decline. African bushbuck come out of their bushy daytime layup during the cooler hours of the morning, and browse along the edges. However, the slightest noise, or movement, will send them back into the shrubbery barking furiously while disappearing from sight.
Hunting the African bushbuck can be a real challenge as it is such a solitary, evasive antelope. The traits necessary to hunt deer in the United States will work well when hunting the African bushbuck. When tracks are found one way to hunt would be to set up a blind along the trail. A hunt can happen quite rapidly as the bushbuck can seem to just appear and disappear, so the hunter must be ready and react instantly.
Sometimes the African bushbuck can be found out in an open spot in the morning trying to shake off the cold night by basking in the warmth of the sun. Hunt along a river bank during early evening while there’s still good shooting light, or in the morning’s first light, and if you are quiet, careful and lucky – very lucky – you might get a shot. The evening is the best time as the African bushbuck is very active at that time.
The most common, and most successful method of African bushbuck hunting is by the stalk. For this, a very good pair of binoculars is a necessity. Binoculars by Zeiss, Leica, Nikon, Swarovski, Doctor and others, in 8X42 or similar are usually the best. Stronger powers, like 10x, reduces the field of vision and are harder to stabilize.
Pick a hill with a good field of view, and check feeding spots. Again, early morning or late afternoon are the best times. Shots will tend to be long, so an accurate rifle in a flat-shooting caliber is best. The .30 magnums like the 300 Weatherby, 300 Winchester Magnum, 300 Remington Ultra Magnum, or any of many similar calibers can reach out 300 yards if the hunter does his part.
One caveat about African bushbuck hunting. This little antelope can be extremely dangerous. Wound him and he will become quite aggressive, with a charge possible. Those foot and a half long horns are very sharp at the pointed end, and more than one careless hunter has had the dubious pleasure of meeting a pair at a high rate of speed. When you shoot, aim for the chest cavity. If he runs, give him a fair amount of time to stiffen up before doing a follow up.
Seven Bushbuck Facts
- Scientific name: Tragelaphus sylvaticus
- Male weight: 100-130 pounds
- Male shoulder height: three feet
- Male horn size: 11-17 inches
- Gestation: 180 days
- Hunting: April – October
- Territory: 60,000 square yards
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Jun 9, 2021 | News
Contact: (Owner/Manage) Hilgard Kotze
Physical Address: Farm Moredou , Schweizer – Reneke, North West
Tel Office: 053 963 1444
Mobile: 082 784 5269
Contact Email: mortax@mailbox.co.za
Website: moredoutaxidermy.com
It is always a treat to be given a real surprise and this was one for me. Driving onto the farm, Acacias, ground squirrels and a beautiful winter morning to meet a family operation, husband wife, daughter in law and son in an operation that is almost 30 years in operation is wonderful. A short whistle strop tour and a promise from Hilgard to put a few words down.
Tell us a little about your operation.
How it started & why you got into the industry:
It was actually my dad’s hobby. He did a course through Nature Conservation. So for me it also started as a hobby just doing my friends trophies. Each year there were more trophies to mount and that is where it became a business.
How many years have you been in the business?
We have been in the taxidermy industry since 1992.
What are your favorite mounts & why?
Our favorite mount and these we do the most or, are shoulder mounts.
What are your specialty areas that you have in the business?
We specialize in full mounts, shoulder mounts, skull mounts, rug mounts, skin soft tanning and also leather tanning. It all depends on what the clients want. They can send us pictures of how they want their mount.
Current processes offered:
- Pick up & collect trophies Yes
- Maximum distance offered to collect trophies : Across the country
- Own tanning facilities: YES
- Do you buy in forms or sculpt your own or both – Both
Delivery time (approximate):
- Dip and Pack – 5 to 6 Months
- European mounts – 6 Months
- Shoulder mounts – 9 to 10 Months
- Full mounts – 9 to 10 Months
Jun 9, 2021 | News
Non-governmental organisation (NGO) African Parks has just released its 2020 Annual Report. By the close of 2020, AP had 19 parks under management in 11 countries, over 14.7 million hectares (56,757 square miles, covering ten of the 13 ecological biomes on mainland Africa. This is the largest and most ecologically diverse amount of land under protection for any one NGO on the continent.
African Parks was founded in 2000 as an African solution for Africa’s conservation challenges. AP takes on complete responsibility for the long-term management of national parks and protected areas, in partnership with governments and local communities. The goal of such partnerships is to restore and effectively manage these landscapes, making them ecologically, socially and financially sustainable so they can deliver a multitude of benefits for people and wildlife in perpetuity.
In his Introduction to the Annual Report, Mavuso Msimang, writes movingly about his early childhood when he learned to love nature walking beside his grandfather on his farm in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. He could not learn about nature by visiting national parks, for these were off-limits to people like Mavuso because of the apartheid system of racial segregation. After living in exile for 30 years, he returned to the reborn and democratic country of his birth, and became the CEO of the South African National Parks in 1997. In 2000 Mavuso and some colleagues founded African Parks. He is today the Vice-Chair and has been a Board member for the past 17 years.
Akagera National Park
In 2000 Malawi was the first country to entrust African Parks to manage and resurrect the Majete Wildlife Reserve. Today the organisation is managing four of Malawi’s parks. African Parks is now responsible for 90% of the country’s elephants, 100% of its rhinos and has brought lions and cheetahs back to the country. The parks are the largest employers in their respective regions, and have remained so during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Here is the AP portfolio of protected areas.
ANGOLA
Iona National Park
BENIN
Pendjari National Park; W National Park
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
Chinko
CHAD
Zakouma National Park; Siniaka Minia Wildlife Reserve; Eneida Natural & Cultural Reserve
CONGO
Odzala-Kokoua National Park
DEMOCRACTIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
Garamba National Park
MALAWI
Majete Wildlife Reserve; Liwonde National Park; Mangochi Forest Reserve; Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve
MOZAMBIQUE
Bazaruto Archipelago National Park
RWANDA
Akagera National Park; Nyungwe National Park
ZAMBIA
Liuwa Plain National Park; Bengweulu Wetlands
ZIMBABWE
Matusadona National Park
What an achievement it is for African Parks to have gained the confidence of governments in these countries to take full responsibility for the management of their protected areas! But African Parks has its sights set on further efforts to protect Africa’s biodiversity, and its vision for the next decade is that by 2030, AP will aim to manage 30 parks measuring 30 million hectares across 11 biomes, significantly contributing to the vision of protecting 30% of Africa for nature.
Bazaruto Archipelago National Park
Mavuso Msimang says:
“There is a quiet and demonstrable transformation under way across the continent for protected areas, and that is because of the governments that are gaining confidence and trust in the African Parks model, and for progressive funders who are investing in in nature’s capital. We are not stopping. This is a journey I helped create, and it will continue long after me, and all of us. But in the meantime we will continue to do what we have always done. We will be persistent, we will be patient, and we will be polite, but with a ferocity knowing that this is the surest solution for any park in peril in Africa, and therefore for Africa’s wildlife, and always for Africa’s people. And that is a legacy of which I am most deeply proud.”
We are indeed blessed to have people of Mavuso Msimang and his African Parks colleagues’ calibre, dedicated to the protection of Africa’s abundant biodiversity. This is a very special annual report, full of information and beautifully presented, with amazing photography. You can download it by following this link.
Dr John Ledger is a past Director of the Endangered Wildlife Trust, now a consultant, writer and teacher on the environment, energy and wildlife; he is a columnist for the African Hunting Gazette. He lives in Johannesburg, South Africa. John.Ledger@wol.co.za
Jun 9, 2021 | Hunting Stories, News
As the world knows, 2020 was unlike any year ever before experienced—and that was true for life at Eastern Cape Bowhunting. When the government implemented the lockdown, we refocused our efforts on our hunting grounds, staff, facilities and animals to elevate every experience for future guests.
Thriving Populations
The rainfall in the 2020 season was so much better than the previous seven years, which led to thriving animal populations and record new births. Because there was no hunting in 2020, the prospects for success have truly never been better. With the improved rainfall and feed availability, we’re seeing some truly impressive bulls. This hunting season is going to be remarkable!
New Hunting Blinds
We built two new bowhunting blinds to provide guests with new opportunities. Dassie Blind is set into the side of a kopje (stone outcrop) and has a rugged feel, unlike the concrete blinds on the property, making it an ideal spot for baboons, kudu and waterbuck. Cliff Blind is situated along the Tarka River on a remote part of the property, where we’re seeing nyala, kudu, sable and golden wildebeest.
Pop the Cork
With the help of our head sommelier in Cape Town, we’ve acquired some very exciting wines for our guests. The cellar is stocked with prize-winning South African wines, as well as a few new selections to keep things interesting. If you’re new to South African wines, fear not—we’re always excited to host wine tastings for your group. And, of course, when the occasion calls for it, we happily open a beautifully chilled bottle of champagne!
Caring for Staff Families
During the lockdown, all our staff’s children came to stay with them on the farm. Because we feel so strongly about education, we’ve been supplementing their learning with educational materials and games. We built a community vegetable garden to supplement food through the year for our families and created a sports area for the children to play netball and soccer. We even hosted a proper South African Christmas party with all the kids!
Ready for the Hunt
The start of 2021 has seen all our rivers flowing, our dams full, and we’re irrigating our newly planted crops with strategically collected rainwater. There’s plenty of green grass and the animals have had a bumper birthing season. The excitement, trophies, camaraderie and friendships forged in the pursuit of the hunt are all starting up. The firewood has been prepared and the campfires are eagerly awaiting your return to the starry African skies. The hunt is on!
To learn more about Eastern Cape Bowhunting and make your reservation for 2021, visit easterncapebowhunting.com Password: hunting.
May 12, 2021 | News
I wanted to showcase the common eland (as opposed to the Giant, or Lord Derby) this month. When I sent the message to the African Dawn Outfitters asking them to send in pictures for this month’s issue, there was some push back. Isn’t the Lord Derby an eland said some? Others thought it warranted showcasing all on its own.
Read on
May 6, 2021 | News
As second owner of Nico van Rooyen Taxidermy, from 1994, my beginnings in this artistic trade were based on a childhood in hunting and conservation, both in Tanzania and Germany, as well as a family background in art. A profession in taxidermy offered itself as a logical combination. German taxidermy school, followed by an apprenticeship with Nico van Rooyen in South Africa from 1979 to 1984 were the foundation to my career. Eight years followed in museum taxidermy at the then vibrant and active Transvaal Museum of Natural History.
With my partner Geoff Voigt we took over the company from Nico van Rooyen in early 1994, by then a well-known and reputable company with international clientele.
Keeping pace with developments locally and abroad we specialize in custom mounts of game animals from all over Africa, both for hunters as well as museums.
We draw on a large stock of molds, sculpted in house over the last 50 years.
One of our specialties are replicas of special trophies, as well as replica mounts of elephant, rhino and hippo. These circumvent permit issues, and are possibly more durable than skin mounts.
We are currently branching out into bronze wildlife sculpture.
We strive to keep our delivery time for mounted trophies within 10 to 12 months, while Dip/ Ship leaves to the shipper within 4 months of payment.
We offer a trophy collection service within a radius of about 600km of our studio, as well as good courier services operating within South Africa.
We understand the importance of the close co-operation of outfitter, taxidermist and trophy exporter, that is necessary to facilitate a successful hunting experience.
Email: katharina@taxidermy.co.za
Website: www.taxidermy.co.za
