Jul 18, 2019 | News, WingShooting
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Ken Bailey
There’s an emerging trend in African hunting circles that is seeing dedicated wingshooting safaris rising in popularity. As all who’ve hunted or visited Africa know, it is home to an astounding variety of bird life, including game birds, but they’ve largely been ignored as hunters pursued their big-game aspirations. That’s changed in recent years, and current trends are seeing an increasing number of safaris where bird shooting is the primary objective.
Safari Club International (SCI), recognizing this trend, created a new awards program just a short time ago, dedicated solely to wingshooting. The Game Birds of the World Platform was developed to bring increased attention to the array of bird-hunting opportunities around the world. Seven distinct classifications were established specifically in recognition of African wingshooting:
Quail
Four species of quail were identified, including the common quail. It has a wide range, stretching from West Africa to the Red Sea down to South Africa, wherever suitable grassland habitat is found. The blue quail is a nomadic, uncommon species found across sub-Saharan Africa, though it’s rare south of Zambia and Mozambique. The Harlequin quail is very similar in appearance to the common quail, and their range largely overlaps, although the Harlequin doesn’t extend as far north or west across the continent. SCI lumps all buttonquail together, although there are actually three distinct species. To qualify for the African Quail Award, a hunter must shoot two of the four recognized species.
Partridge, Francolin and Spurfowl
SCI identifies eight species in their program, including Coqui, greywing, Orange River and crested partridge, red-wing and Shelley’s francolin, and the red-billed and red-necked spurfowl. These birds are all somewhat similar in appearance, resembling the Hungarian, or grey, partridge familiar to North American and European hunters. These eight species represent only about 20% of the partridge and francolin found across Africa, but are the most common in those countries and regions where the vast majority of recreational hunting occurs. A hunter is required to take at least six of these species to qualify for SCI’s awards program.
Guineafowl
Few African birds are as recognizable or iconic as the guineafowl. A somewhat unusual appearance belies a crafty mind, however, and these birds that would rather run than fly are notoriously challenging to hunt. The three species identified in SCI’s program include the helmeted guineafowl common throughout most of sub-Saharan Africa, the crested species found in scattered regions in west, east and southern Africa, and the distinctive vulturine guineafowl of east Africa. Qualifying hunters must shoot two of these species.
Doves and Pigeons
They don’t quite compete with Argentinian numbers, but African doves and pigeons can be found in significant numbers in nearly every country with hunting. Unlike in South America, there is a wide diversity of species available, and the new SCI program recognizes 12 of them. These include the blue-spotted, Cape turtle, cinnamon, emerald-spotted, laughing, mourning, Namaqua, olive pigeon (aka Kameron/Cameron), red-eyed and tambourine doves, along with the green pigeon and the rock dove, the common pigeon of North America. Most can be found in east and southern Africa. SCI requires that a hunter take nine of these species to qualify for their awards program.
Sandgrouse
Sandgrouse are the most-revered of Africa’s gamebirds, having been referenced in much of the classic African hunting literature. They are fast-flying birds similar to a pigeon, although they’re dressed in natural browns as are typical partridge. The SCI program includes four species – the Burchell’s, the double-banded, the Namaqua and the yellow-throated. All are found in southern Africa, with Namibia and Botswana the recognized epicenters. To qualify for the sandgrouse award, three of these species must be collected.
Ducks
There are more than two-dozen duck species present across Africa, though SCI has selected only 12 as part of their program, focusing on those found in southern countries. These include the African black, the Cape shoveller, the Cape teal, the fulvous whistling duck, the Hottentot teal, the comb (knob-billed) duck, the red-billed and yellow-billed teal, the South African shelduck, the southern pochard, the white-backed duck and the white-faced duck. Qualification for the awards program requires that a hunter take a minimum of nine of these species.
Geese
The program classifies three goose species, including the Egyptian goose, the spur-winged goose (the largest goose in the world) and the pygmy goose, which is actually a duck despite its name. All are widely distributed across much of East and southern Africa. To qualify for the African Geese award, all three species must be taken.
Birds to be submitted for consideration in the program are not measured as is required with big game animals. Rather, SCI requires that a field photograph showing the distinguishing characteristics of each bird be submitted. To protect the ethical considerations of the program, SCI further stipulates that:
- Each species must have been hunted by a legal method within the country where it is harvested;
- That each species must have a known population status;
- That birds be harvested during a specified hunting season for the species; and
- That the species be recognized as either an upland game bird or waterfowl species by the SCI Game Birds Committee.
It is not clear from their program promotional material, but the wording in SCI’s online description of the awards program suggests that birds beyond those specifically listed on the awards submission form would be accepted provided they meet the four criteria identified above.
For many years hunters have been shooting birds as an add-on to their big-game hunts, a relaxing diversion when they have an afternoon off or are looking for a little variety for the stewpot. It wasn’t really until the 1980s that we saw any outfitters catering specifically to wingshooters, and that effort met with largely mixed results. In recent years, however, we’ve seen a resurgence in both the interest in bird hunting and the number of outfitters offering dedicated wingshooting safaris. Hunters seeking a truly mixed-bag hunt that includes birds are advised to check out the promises their prospective outfitter makes. Having birds on the landscape and a shotgun or two in camp doesn’t equate to a professional wingshooting safari outfitter. Those outfitters with a dedicated bird program know how to hunt birds, have all the gear required, including decoys for many of the species, and run quality dogs, usually pointers for the upland species and retrievers for waterfowl hunts. It pays to check references if you’re serious about spending a few days, or an entire safari, focusing on bird hunting.
What separates African wingshooting from that offered around most of the rest of the world, is Africa herself. There remains to this day broad expanses of relatively untouched habitat, even in developed areas, and the diversity of bird and big game present is one of the great attractions. Where else will you see an English pointer lock up on a reedbuck ram hiding in the grass as I did on a greywing partridge hunt in South Africa’s Stormberg Mountains? Or watch giraffes, kudu, springbok and a host of other large mammals come in to a waterhole as you wait for the next flight of sandgrouse, as I experienced in Namibia?
When you get the Africa bug, as so many sportsmen have, you look for any excuse to go back. For those who’ve already checked the boxes for the big game they want, or for those who are avid wingshooters seeking a new destination, a dedicated African bird hunting safari may be just the answer.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_btn title=”View article in eZine” color=”chino” align=”center” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.africanhuntinggazette.com%2Fjuly-aug-sep-2019%2F%23africanhuntinggazette-ezine-july%2F96-97|||”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_media_grid grid_id=”vc_gid:1563438682116-c72b66ba-21a3-4″ include=”22638,22639,22640,22641,22642,22643,22644″][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Aug 3, 2018 | News, WingShooting
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Is Southern Africa the New Argentina?
By Ken Bailey
For years, dedicated dove and pigeon hunters seeking high-volume shooting opportunities have descended annually en masse to Argentina. Just uttering the word “Córdoba” brings knowing grins to the face of legions of enthusiastic wingshooters. And why wouldn’t it, as that province in north-central Argentina is the acknowledged capital of dove hunting, where daily bags of 1000 birds or more per day are possible, if not common, for those willing to put in the time, energy and investment.
I know firsthand how Argentina garnered its reputation, having visited and hunted there a few years ago and experiencing the best of that country’s dove and pigeon hunting. Stopping in for “a quick little shoot” on the way from the airport to the lodge, as one example, I knocked down 340 Eared doves in just a couple hours. I must say, it was an exhilarating beginning. The next day I shot 800 or so, with several handfuls of squawking, green parakeets, another agricultural pest, thrown in for good measure. Had I been so inclined to extend my shooting, 1000 on the ground for the day was a definite possibility.
As much as I enjoyed my hunt in Argentina, however, I found it do be a “one and done” experience; I have no burning desire to go back. After three days of shooting, with the novelty having worn off, I’d lost my edge. I wasn’t leaping out of bed to get back on day four. In fact, by then I was actually getting a little bored with it all. And I’m not alone in this assessment. I’ve talked to others who enjoyed their Argentina dove hunting experience but who harbour no urgency to return.
Still, Argentina remains the world’s most popular dove and pigeon hunting destination, particularly among North Americas. Slowly but surely, however, South Africa, and to a lesser extent Namibia, are gaining a dedicated following of hunters seeking a more diverse and rewarding dove and pigeon hunting experience.
To be sure, there are both remarkable similarities and stark differences between Argentina’s and southern Africa’s dove and pigeon hunting. Let’s examine a few of them.
Shooting Volume
When you visit Argentina, it’s all a numbers game. A bird boy sits beside you as you shoot, ensuring you always have your next box of shells at the ready while he keeps a running tally of the birds that fall. 500+ bird days are pretty standard, even for average shooters. 1000 doves is just a matter of putting in the requisite hours, as the birds don’t stop flying through the daylight hours. And for those hell bent on running up the score, I suppose 1500 – 2000 birds isn’t out of the question.
By those standards, South Africa can’t compete, but 300 – 500 birds per day is certainly possible, and for most of us, that’s enough. Robbie Stretton of Stormberg Elangeni Safaris (www.sesafaris.com) says they’ve had several pigeon/dove hunting safaris this year and have averaged 750 – 1000 birds per day for their groups. Similarly, Reiner Linde of Legelela Safaris (www.legelelasafaris.co.za) says that eager hunters at his camp will shoot more than 750 rounds daily. If you assume a 50 – 60% success rate, that’s 375 – 450 pigeons.
Species Diversity
If there’s one word that summarizes Africa’s wildlife, it’s “diversity”, and their doves and pigeons are no exception. Cape Turtle doves, Laughing doves, Red-eyed doves and Namaqua doves are the most common, depending upon where you hunt, although there are another four or five dove species present in the region. As to pigeons, Rock, Speckled and Rameron species are most common.
Argentina doesn’t boast as broad an assortment; you’ll shoot Eared doves exclusively, along with Rock and, possibly, Picazuro pigeons. If variety turns your crank, southern Africa certainly has the upper hand.
Get beyond the dove and pigeon family and you’ll find both Africa and Argentina have excellent waterfowling that can be added to your hunt. It’s tough to make a distinction between the two, actually, as both offer great abundance and diversity of species, but one of the great attractions in African waterfowling is the Spur-winged goose, generally acknowledged as the largest species of goose in the world. To some, size matters.
For upland bird hunters, Argentina offers perdiz, a partridge-like bird that comes in several varieties. Renowned for exploding suddenly out of the grass and getting beyond range quickly, seasoned shotgunners love this little bird.
The African counterpart to the perdiz is the francolin, or spurfowl; again, several different species are present and all offer gunners an exciting and challenging experience. But Africa being Africa, it doesn’t end there. Those seeking upland birds also have their choice of a handful of quail and buttonquail species. Sandgrouse, which are more pigeon that grouse, are numerous where they’re found, with Namibia a popular destination. And the pièce de résistance is the ubiquitous guineafowl, a bird with an odd mix of characteristics. For North Americans, think equal parts wild turkey and pheasant, with both the best and most challenging attributes of each. It’s an absolute “must-do” hunt, either walk-up or driven.
Other Hunting Opportunities
This is simply not a fair fight. No part of the world has the number and variety of big game animals found in Africa, period. Better still, most African bird hunting outfitters will gladly tee you up for a crack at a springbok, impala, kudu, zebra, or just about any other species of common African wildlife you care to hunt, generally on the same properties – or very close by – to where you’re hunting birds. It’s only the Big Five and a small handful of other species that are somewhat difficult to add to a bird hunt. Trust me on this – if you’re an avid big-game hunter who’s not hunted Africa previously, you won’t be able to stop yourself from carving a day or two out of your bird-hunting activities to pursue one or more of the many iconic species you’re sure to see.
Argentina has some excellent big-game hunting, but in comparison the number of available species is significantly fewer. Further, most often you’ll have to travel a considerable distance from the prime dove hunting grounds to get into quality big-game country.
Food and Lodging
My personal experience is limited to one trip to Argentina, while I’ve been to more than a dozen lodges in southern Africa, but it’s clear to me that the Argentinians have borrowed from the African playbook.
I’ve never had a bad experience as far as food and lodgings go in Africa – quite simply, they look after visiting hunters at a level that sets the bar for hunting lodges around the world. Invariably the food is both plentiful and superb, the local wines are exquisite, the beer eminently drinkable, and the rooms are always immaculate and comfortable. I should live so luxuriously at home! Daily laundry service is one of the great pleasures of most camps, and the staff are generally friendly and helpful to a fault. In short, African hospitality is near impossible to top.
If any destination comes close, however, based upon my experience and discussions I’ve had with others who’ve hunted there, it’s Argentina. Once again, the food and lodging are first-class, and their malbec wines need little introduction to those who enjoy the grape. So if you enjoy being pampered, you’ll get more than your share of attention whether you hunt Africa or Argentina.
Getting There
For most North Americans, whether travelling to Argentina or southern Africa, at least two long flights are in order. I live in Edmonton. When I hunted Argentina I went via Minneapolis, then Atlanta, on to Buenos Aries, then another two-hour flight into dove country. A day and a half all-in, however you cut it. I’m flying to South Africa later this week – Edmonton to Calgary, then to Amsterdam and, from there, down to Johannesburg. Again, a day and a half.
There’s simply no escaping the fact that both destinations involve considerable travel for many of us. From some parts of the U.S., a long day may do it to either destination. The perception among many, however, is that southern Africa is a lot further away than Argentina, or at least takes a whole lot longer to get to, but that’s not the case. Pack a book, your iPod, a pillow and some patience, and you’ll be in either place before you know it.
Costs
On a dedicated bird hunt, costs are pretty similar between the two destinations. Daily fees are very reasonable in both – not much different from lodging and dining at your local Hilton. Shells tend to be the greatest expense whenever you’re high-volume shooting. Fortunately, quality ammunition is available in both locations and you can expect to pay about the same, somewhere in the $12 – $14 per box range.
Summary
When you compare Argentina to southern Africa as a high-volume dove/pigeon destination, you’ll find that travel, service, food and lodging, and overall costs are very similar. You’ll likely shoot more birds in Argentina, important if numbers are your primary objective. Where Africa shines is in the variety it offers – the number of species of doves/pigeons is greater, the array of additional game birds is broader, and the other hunting opportunities are immeasurably more. Further, there’s no substitute for the African backdrop – when you’re hunting birds it’s not unusual to see any one of a dozen species of antelope or other recognizable African wildlife. For my money, the natural sights and sounds of Africa are unequalled anywhere in the world.
Africa has not been marketed as a bird-hunting destination to the extent that Argentina has, and today is considered by most knowledgeable accounts to be one of hunting’s best-kept secrets. If you’re a passionate wingshooter, you owe it to yourself to hunt southern Africa. But be forewarned: nothing in Africa bites quite like Africa herself. You won’t go just once.[/vc_column_text][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”16486,16487,16488,16489,16490,16491″][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Nov 10, 2017 | News, WingShooting
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Taking Wing in Namibia
By Ken Bailey
They come out of the sun as though they’ve stolen the playbook of the Red Baron, so it’s not until the last moment that we see them.
By then it’s almost too late and, having obviously seen us, they’re already twisting skyward as I shoulder my gun. I manage to get off two shots, but it’s a desperation effort, and I don’t cut a single feather before the flight of a dozen sandgrouse disappears into the horizon. But they’ll be back, I know. They keep to their schedule with the precision of a Swiss watch, and I’ll be waiting for them, better concealed, when they return the next morning. In the meantime I’ll go chase guineafowl and francolin. Such is the bird hunting in Namibia – if you miss one bus, there’s always another only minutes away.
To many, the appeal of an African safari is the combination of abundance and diversity. Understandably many think only of big game, with literally dozens of antelope species to choose from, not to mention the Big Five and a wide assortment of other unique animals of all sizes and descriptions. And compared with most other parts of the world, the sheer numbers of most species is breathtaking. I, too, have been captivated by the intoxicating lure of Africa’s big-game hunting.
But along the way, safari by safari, I found my attention being increasingly distracted by game birds. Whether flushing a covey of francolin while mid-stalk on a fine kudu bull, watching with amazement at the endless flights of doves as I check out a waterhole for warthogs, or being sold out by squawking guineafowl when closing the distance on buffalo, I was discovering that the opportunities for bird hunting were every bit as numerous and notable as they were for four-legged critters. So when planning to hunt Namibia a couple years ago, I dedicated time to hunt birds as a “must-do” on the agenda.
I admit I’m an avid wingshooter by nature – if not by nurture. It wasn’t as though the numbers of game birds I was seeing in Africa awoke any feelings in my soul that weren’t already stirring. It’s simply that with each flush and flight and flurry of feathers, the idea of devoting time to birds grew from a germ to an all-out determination. Packing a favourite over/under smoothbore into the two-gun case before leaving for Namibia just cemented my commitment.
Rather than risk temptation and fall back into old habits, I took my shotgun for a walk the very afternoon I arrived at Danene van der Westhuzen’s Klawka camp, one of two hunting concessions she manages with her husband, Gysbert, under the Aru Game Lodges banner. Whenever you’re hunting new country it takes some time to get accustomed to your surroundings, so I wasn’t fully prepared when a couple of common buttonquail rocketed up from the tall grass at my feet just minutes into our walk. PH Stephan Joubert and I both emptied our doubles, and in quick succession the two quail tumbled to the earth. Despite a thorough search, unfortunately we weren’t able to recover them. Perhaps they were merely wing-tipped and ran off to distant cover, but I still got that queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach, known only to hunters who wound and lose an animal. It matters little that it’s “just” a bird and not something larger.
We hunted on, and over the next hour collected four red-billed francolin, or spurfowl as some refer to them, chunky common residents a little bigger than a Hungarian partridge. They tend to inhabit open, grassy wooded cover, especially near watercourses, and much like pheasants would rather run than fly. To get them up we’d first push them into dense thickets. Crash the thicket, and they’d flush, rather like hunting ruffed grouse in dense stands of young poplar. The francolin provided the perfect conclusion to a first day’s hunt.
They say everybody has a fight plan until they’re hit by that first punch. That’s guineafowl hunting in a nutshell. Pushing with beaters is one of the popular ways to hunt these strange birds, and invariably your strategy sounds pretty good – beaters here, moving in that direction, shooters there. Of course, that’s before the first guinea recognizes something’s afoot. Then the plan falls apart, as guineafowl have a nasty habit of not following the script you wrote. In part, it’s what makes them incredibly fun to hunt, but their ruthless unpredictability is also what makes them so frustrating.
We set up two drives for helmeted guineafowl, both thoroughly and precisely battle-planned. Total body count for the two drives? Two! I guess by some standards, that that could be recognized as a success, but on each occasion we reckoned that there were 20 or more guineas within our theater of operations. And our reckoning was right, based on the number of birds I counted flushing early, late, and in every direction but the one we wanted them to fly in.
But, my, they’re beautiful in the hand – hefty and colourful, if a bit odd-looking with a horny helmet and bald head of blue and red.
One morning we opted to walk-up hunt guineas, much as one might for sharp-tailed grouse or pheasants, the primary difference being that we were hunting without a dog. From several hundred yards away, however, we’d spotted a several guineas cavorting through a grassy flat area, pockmarked with the odd thorn bush. We circled to ensure the wind was in our faces, not to manage our scent but rather as a means to help reduce the noise we’d make, then walked slowly forward to where we’d seen them last. Guineafowl have incredible eyesight and hearing, so it was more than a little surprising when they held until we were well within range. Four shots between us and four birds down – it really couldn’t have unfolded more perfectly. I don’t want to spoil my story, so I’ll refrain from describing the majority of our other attempts at sneaking up on these crafty veld denizens!
Nobody goes to Africa for the doves. That’s what Argentina’s for, after all, or perhaps Mexico. But if you don’t take advantage of the dove hunting opportunities Africa offers, you’re missing out on some exceptional gunning. You won’t experience the powder-burning extravaganza common to the dedicated dove destinations – there will be no 500 and more bird days. What you can expect, however, is sustained shooting, morning and evening, for a wide array of species.
At Aru, we had three primary species to target. The largest is the Cape Turtle dove, with that distinctive early-morning call that I associate with southern Africa more than nearly any other sound. Only slightly smaller is the Laughing dove, with its distinctive black-mottled rusty-coloured breast. Finally, we enjoyed flights of Namaqua doves, pretty little birds sporting unusually long tails; the males have a characteristic black facemask and throat. Our standard tactic, simple as it may have been, was to hide beneath the shade of a large tree adjacent to a watering hole. Each morning and late afternoon, as if on cue, the flights would arrive. Generally it would be half a dozen birds or less, though on occasion as many as two dozen would fly in en masse. Seldom would we wait more than 10 minutes between volleys, though this would carry on for an hour in the morning, a couple hours during the late-day hunt.
On our best hunt I think we tumbled 70 or so doves between the two of us -impressive, though certainly not Argentinian numbers. The trade-off? In Argentina you don’t have the opportunity to watch giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, springbok and many more species go about their business while you’re reloading or awaiting the next flurry. Having experienced both, I much prefer the relaxed, yet steady pace and otherworldly backdrop of Africa’s dove hunts.
Before reluctantly packing for home, I insisted on one last Nambian sandgrouse hunt. As with the doves, three distinct species were available – Namaqua, Burchell’s and Double-Banded. Despite their names, they resemble doves or pigeons much more closely than they do grouse. More importantly, I can assure you their flight doesn’t resemble anything close to the predictable, even flight path of most grouse. Think of a pigeon on amphetamines trying to escape a peregrine falcon, and you’ll have some idea of how sandgrouse fly.
I was so keen to hunt them not just for their sporting qualities, but more because classic African literature is rife with references to clouds of sandgrouse arriving daily at hidden waterholes, and I wanted to better understand what the fuss was about. The truth is, the clouds are no longer there, much as they aren’t for many other species. At Aru we could expect flights of anywhere from four to a couple dozen birds. Unlike the low-flying doves that would arrive suddenly, invariably we’d see the sandgrouse coming from a long distance, winging high over the trees for their date at the local watering hole. I suppose that opportunity to prepare should have translated into better shooting percentages, but it never did for me. Not that I cared much – as I said, there’s always another bus just minutes away when bird hunting Namibia.
I’ll go back to Africa – I always go back. Now, whenever I do, hunting birds will be a regular part of the plan. In just a few short days in Namibia I discovered in a new way that, for hunters, Africa remains the land of opportunity.
Ken Bailey is an outdoors writer from Canada. When not hunting big game or birds, or fly-fishing, he’s writing about his experiences. And when the bills need to be paid, he is a consultant in the wildlife conservation industry.
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Aug 22, 2017 | News, WingShooting
The Wildlife Game – 29 May 2017
Dr John Ledger
South African big game hunter Theunis Botha, died after being crushed by an elephant cow that had been shot on a game reserve in Zimbabwe in May 2017. He was leading a hunt with clients when the group accidentally walked into the middle of a breeding herd of elephants at the Good Luck Farm near Hwange National Park. Three of the elephant cows charged the hunters. Mr Botha fired a shot from his rifle but he was caught by surprise by a fourth cow that stormed them from the side, the news site Netwerk24 reported. One of the hunters shot the elephant after she lifted Botha with her trunk. The elephant then collapsed on top of Mr Botha, killing him in the process.
Condolences from family, friends and clients poured in for the man who was a husband, father and professional hunter. But in the other universe of the First World mainstream and social media, countless animal-rights and anti-hunting sentiments were expressed that actually celebrated his death. The story went viral around the world in an Internet frenzy that has become a phenomenon of our modern times. The other recent incident of even greater reach involved the case of Cecil the Lion, another example from Zimbabwe where local people benefit from trophy hunting and are perplexed by the peculiar emotional responses from so many people who do not actually live with elephants and lions.
In trying to understand this phenomenon, I came across the notion of the so-called ‘opportunity availability cascade’ which seems to explain what happens with many controversial issues that people feel strongly about. The article I have paraphrased here was originally about climate change, which has strongly contested views from both alarmists and sceptics, but applies equally to the issue of hunting, which also has strong protagonists and opponents.
The notion of ‘opportunity entrepreneurs’ is well known in the NGO community. Organisations like Greenpeace, WWF, Born Free and others have built lucrative businesses by grasping the opportunity to raise money from concerned citizens who have bought into a particular belief system. WWF, once essentially concerned about whales, Pandas, baby seals and elephants, saw great opportunity in climate alarmism, in which it is now a big player with a big budget, sitting at the same tables as the folks from the United Nations.
An availability cascade is a self-reinforcing process of collective belief formation by which an expressed perception triggers a chain reaction that gives the perception of increasing plausibility through its rising availability in public discourse. (Kuran & Sunstein, 1998).
An interesting aspect of the whole ‘animal rights movement’ is the way that the (non-sceptical, first world) public consciousness has been captured by two very simple, easy-to-understand and certain ‘facts’, that
- Animals are sentient beings and have rights – to life, security and absence of cruelty.
- Hunters infringe on animals rights and inflict cruelty and death upon their quarry.
In tweets/soundbites/social media, we often see things like ‘Hunters are cruel, callous murderers; hunters are cowards who only confront dangerous animals when they have superior weapons; hunters are driving certain species to extinction’.
To question these ‘facts’ is to be ‘pro-hunting’ and ‘anti-animal rights’, and despite both these ‘facts’ being debatable, these two beliefs (because that is all they are) seem to have become ‘memes’ (beliefs that spread by ‘cultural acquisition’, from peers or the media). When questioned, members of the general public who claim to hold these beliefs may say they do so because ‘my Facebook friends say they are true’, or ‘newspapers say they are true’, or ‘politicians say they are true’, or ‘Africa Geographic says they are true’. In other words, it is ‘received opinion’.
In this case they have not arrived at these beliefs through their own reasoning or even been argued into them by the reasoning of others; instead they ‘just know’ they must be true because ‘everyone else’ ‘just knows’ they must be true. After all, it is what all sympathetic, responsible, humane and reasonable people believe. Isn’t it? Only the stupid, irresponsible, irrational and unreasonable hunters and wildlife managers question it.
This process has been characterised by psychologists as an ‘availability cascade’, a self-reinforcing cycle that explains the development of a collective belief (or meme) in animal rights. The idea that a great many complex factors affecting wild animals, such as human population increases, pressure on wildlands, conflict with livestock farmers, shrinking habitats, and poaching for meat, that actually have unrelated and multifaceted causes, can be explained by one, simple, easily understood cause (hunting), gains rapid currency in the popular discourse by its very simplicity and by its apparent insightfulness. Its rising popularity triggers a chain reaction within the social network: individuals adopt the new insight that we are experiencing the abuse of animal rights because other people within their social network have adopted it, and on face value it sounds plausible.
The reason for this increased use and popularity of the ‘wicked hunter’ idea involves both the availability of this idea in the media, and the need of individuals to conform to it, regardless of whether they fully believe it.
Their need for social acceptance and political correctness, coupled with the apparent sophistication of the new insight, overwhelm their critical thinking. Imitation and conformity, rather than critical analysis and independent thinking, are at the heart of a meme. The public concern then puts pressure on political policymakers to make policies to address the public concern. The public then see confirmation that their concern over hunting must be valid – after all, the politicians are enacting policies to address it. It is a self-reinforcing loop of irrationality based on a very poor understanding of what wildlife management science actually says.
The availability cascade around the ‘wicked hunter’ idea has been so extreme that despite the fact that common sense alone should tell us that the idea may be wrong, it nevertheless is regarded as a fact by many. It is much easier to ‘just believe’ in the wicked hunter meme, when independent critical analysis of the subject requires a great deal of time and effort to understand the science and arguments for sustainable utilisation of wildlife.
Ending this availability cascade would require the politicians and journalists and public of Europe and North America (and small but vocal groups in South Africa and Australia) to understand that their beliefs are rather more based on emotion than science and reason, and to take the time and trouble to actually critically investigate and understand the science of wildlife management. It would require them to lay aside their simple certainties for complex uncertainties. Given that this is highly unlikely, it seems that when a global anti-hunting availability cascade is dong the rounds, the best advice is to ignore it – as the vast majority of African and Asians would do anyway.
Acknowledgement: this essay draws extensively on the post by Iain Aitken below
Aitken, Iain (2017). Guest essay on https://wattsupwiththat.com/2017/05/22/climate-alarmism-the-mother-of-all-availability-cascades/
Kuran, Timur and Sunstein, Cass R., Availability Cascades and Risk Regulation. Stanford Law Review, Vol. 51, No. 4, 1999; U of Chicago, Public Law Working Paper No. 181; U of Chicago Law & Economics, Olin Working Paper No. 384. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=138144
Dr John Ledger is an independent consultant and writer on energy and environmental issues, based in Johannesburg, South Africa.
John.Ledger@wol.co.za
