December 5, 2023
I spent my childhood weekends running wild in a beautiful corner of the Namibian bushland. The bush is more than just a place to me: it's a feeling, a connection to the land that runs deep within my soul. I can still recall the sensation of a Swarthaak thorn catching on my jersey, the warmth of red sand between my toes.
December 5, 2023
Hunting is a gift that is in our blood at birth, but true hunters are not born – they are made. I am of the firm belief that the instinct to hunt is present in every human’s DNA, albeit deeper down and less amplified in some. But I also believe it is something that needs to be nurtured and brought out of a person. The raw instinct to shoot the arrow or fire the rifle might live within you, but the why, the how and the what now? are skills and values that must be carefully taught and passed down through generations. Jackson Engel
February 9, 2024
Explore the vital role of wildlife population management through hunting in Namibia. Discover how sustainable utilisation, habitat conservation, anti-poaching efforts, and community engagement merge to support effective conservation strategies, ensuring both ecological health and economic benefits for local communities.
February 9, 2024
This may not apply to all areas where this species occurs as springbok are distributed over large tracts of Namibia, Botswana and South Africa, and the terrain differs considerably, but it certainly applies to the barren open country of southern and western Namibia.
The springbok is my favourite game animal – for a few days of springbok hunting at the edge of the Namib Desert I postpone everything else. So much so, that if I would have to stop hunting except for one species, I would choose springbok. Now, while springbok certainly are not endangered, it has become apparent in a dramatic way to me that springbok country true to my heart’s desire – meaning vistas of endlessly far horizons in unspoiled, unfenced landscape – is disappearing.
February 9, 2024
The issue is ripe with fear in Africa because of the implications such a move would have for conservation on the continent. Currently eight out of the top 10 countries engaged in large mammal conservation use trophy hunting as an important component of their efforts.
It is because of trophy hunting that many governments, landowners and local communities today choose to keep land as wildlife habitat rather than converting it to agricultural land. It is also why they choose to invest in anti-poaching measures and why they tolerate dangerous wildlife on their doorstep. The removal of these three incentive pillars would likely topple conservation in many parts of Africa.
March 27, 2024
It was an early start to the day with a roughly six-hour journey heading north-east from Windhoek, to the bushveld region east of Grootfontein. This is an area that I had only been to once before, in search of the same elusive eland. I had no success then and hoped it would turn out differently this time.
March 27, 2024
As hunters we always claim that hunting is conservation and that it is a very important tool to ensure the continuation of conserving wild places. We mainly link this to some form of financial incentive, be it for rural communities, for land owners or for ourselves as hunters. “If it pays, it stays” is the almost over-used credo. “Only if game has value will it be worth protecting”
March 27, 2024
Maxi is passionate about working with communities in rural areas and has dedicated herself to the CBNRM Programme for the last 15 years in government and non-governmental agencies. She is an expert on topics related to the community perspective. When asked what she feels is the community voice on the topic of hunting, Maxi replied: “Communities want to be allowed to use wildlife in a sustainable way. Hunting benefits communities because it is good conservation, it preserves wildlife areas and it is a good means of making sure communities tolerate wildlife. Namibia is a dry country, we need to ensure there are not too many animals using the same resources in one area. This comes down to the sustainable management of wildlife.”
March 27, 2024
It was the first time I hosted hunters on the farm after taking over the business from my parents in 1995. I had guided hunters before, for others and for my dad, but this was the first time I had clients of my own. The group was composed of three Frenchmen. From the outset, one of them emphasised that he only practices spot-and-stalk hunting. This was a change for me as I had grown up shooting from blinds or, if necessary, from the vehicle.
March 27, 2024
It is dry and dusty in Etosha National Park in May 2023. The rainy season has come to an end. Grazing does not look good since rainfall has been below average. Two helicopters take off, one with a veterinarian on board who will dart rhinos, in the other one Namibia’s Minister of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT), Pohamba Shifeta, as well as the dehorning team. Some of the team members and some observers have to follow in vehicles. Under normal conditions the dehorning team and its equipment travel in the two choppers. Using vehicles means that part of the team needs more time to get to the spot where the animal has gone down, and bundu bashing (driving through rough and difficult terrain) takes its toll on the off-road vehicles.
March 27, 2024
As a child I would always play hunting games with my San companions, dragging imaginary elephants back to camp by their trunk. For my 5th birthday I got a Daisy Gun and from there onwards I could actually hunt for something real. My first successful hunt was on a highly protected crimson-breasted shrike. My father was not happy and explained to me that this species was off-limits. Thereafter we prepared the little bird in some tin foil with onion and apple over the fire. Only hunt what you want to eat, or eat what you hunt – an important lesson for a young hunter.
March 27, 2024
Gudrun Heger’s words, spoken at the 2022 Namibia Professional Hunters Association (NAPHA) conference, pierced the air like a ringing bell: “Namibia’s treasure is nature!” she exclaimed to the attentive audience. Gudrun Heger’s status with the Nature Awareness Project and NAPHA is layered. She is chairperson of the Hunters Support Education Committee, which incorporates the Nature Awareness Project (NAP) within the NAPHA organisation.