There is an outstanding series on hunting in South Africa’s Eastern Cape: a gentle, funny and very accurate portrayal of the conditions over there. I’ve never hunted in that part of the world, and I wouldn’t care to do that now — heat, hills and thorn trees are not my idea of fun. But it is for these kids, and they do it with consummate skill, in sandals.
Take an hour or so and follow the sidebar’s recommendations on the Oxwagon Diaries.
Interesting videos – I lived in Eastern Cape a youngster. These guys have some serious equipment – just that GoPro ‘scope adapter is $1285.00.
My Dad had a farm on the Kafue River outside Luanshya on Northern Rhodesia’s Copperbelt. We were plagued by the baboons from the Mpata Hills near the farm. Both Dad and I went shooting them but in a very short time the baboons could recognise whether or not you had a rifle. Climb the hills with a big stick and you’d see lots of them. Go up with a rifle and you’d see not a one.
It was an old South African farmer who told us what to do. So we did it.
We trapped a young male baboon, we smothered him in white-wash (it comes off in the rain) and we doused him with some rather pungent and very cheap perfume before releasing him.
He went to join his troop. His troop fled at his approach. He followed, and so it went on. For months we were baboon-free. Then we repeated the same thing with two young females! It worked and it continued to work until Dad had to sell the farm.
Was supposed to take my sons to this part of the world for a hunt last July. Covid blew that up and not looking good for this year either. But we will get there – just not in the local summer!