Wingshooting Africa:By Ken Bailey
stewpot.Itwasn’treallyuntilthe1980sthat
we sawany outfitterscatering specificallyto
wingshooters,andthateffortmetwithlargely
mixedresults.Inrecentyears,however,we’ve
seena resurgenceinboththeinterestinbird
huntingandthenumberofoutfittersoffering
dedicated wingshooting safaris. Hunters
seekinga trulymixed-baghuntthatincludes
birdsare advised tocheck out the promises
theirprospectiveoutfittermakes.Havingbirds
onthelandscapeanda shotgunortwoin camp
doesn’tequatetoa professionalwingshooting
safarioutfitter.Thoseoutfitterswitha dedicated
birdprogramknowhowtohuntbirds,haveall
thegearrequired,includingdecoysformany
ofthespecies,andrunquality dogs,usually
pointersfortheuplandspeciesandretrievers
forwaterfowlhunts.It paystocheckreferences
if you’reseriousaboutspendinga fewdays,or
anentiresafari,focusingonbirdhunting.
WhatseparatesAfricanwingshootingfrom
that offered aroundmost ofthe rest of the
world,is Africaherself.Thereremainstothis
day broad expanses of relatively untouched
habitat, even in developed areas, and the
diversityofbirdandbiggamepresentis one
of the great attractions. Where else will you
seeanEnglishpointerlockupona reedbuck
ramhidinginthegrassasI didona greywing
partridge hunt in South Africa’s Stormberg
Mountains?Orwatchgiraffes,kudu,springbok
anda hostofotherlargemammalscomeinto
a waterholeasyouwaitforthenextflightof
sandgrouse, as I experienced in Namibia?WhenyougettheAfricabug,assomany
sportsmenhave,you lookforanyexcuse to
goback.Forthosewho’vealreadycheckedthe
boxesforthebiggametheywant,orforthose
who are avid wingshooters seeking a new
destination,a dedicatedAfricanbird hunting
safari may be just the answer.Ducks are plentiful wherever there’s water, particularly in agricultural landscapes.T +27 (0) 44 272 7549 C +27 (0) 82 575 9299
[email protected] KLEIN KAROO, WESTERN CAPE400km from Cape Town
30+ Free roaming species
5000ha Wilderness
est. 1998