Die Bontebok Desember 2020

DIE BONTEBOK AMPTELIKE TYDSKRIF - KAAPSE JAGTERS - EN WILDBEWARINGSVERENIGING OFFICIAL MAGAZINE - CAPE HUNTERS AND GAME CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION

DESEMBER 2020 - 8

KAROO GEMSBOKJAG JAG OP DAMESFONTEIN RON BACK IN THE BUSH

MY FIRST BUFFALO HUNT JAGSTORIES | TAKNUUS | WILDBEWARING | VUURWAPENS | VELDKUNS

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DIE BONTEBOK

KAAPJAG - TYDSKRIF DIE BONTEBOK - DESEMBER 2020 INHOUD 4 REDAKTEUR 6 KAAPJAG HOOFKANTOOR 8 KAAPJAG VOORSITTER 10 KAAPJAG PRESIDENT 12 MY FIRST BUFFALO HUNT 16 OLD BULLET RON BACK IN THE BUSH 20 JAG OP DAMESFONTEIN 26 GEMSBOKJAG IN DIE KAROO 30 KAAPJAG FOTOGALLERY 38 THE UNIQUE BIODIVERSITY OF MADAGASCAR 40 SPORTSKIET NUUS 42 KOUP-TAK 44 WESKUSJAG-TAK 45 OVERBERG-TAK 46 BOESMANLAND-TAK 48 SENTRAAL-TAK 50 WES-BOLANDJAG-TAK

FOTOS: DR LANDI LOMBARD VOORBLAD: WATERBOK IN KRUGER WILDTUIN NABY LETABA INHOUDS BLADSY : LEEU WYFIE IN KGALAGADI NABY KIJ-KIJ

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DIE BONTEBOK

DIE REDAKTEUR

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elkom by die Desember 2020 uitgawe van Die Bontebok.

Hierdie uitgawe is weer stampvol jagstories en artikels. Ons het nie minder nie as 4 jagstories uit eie geledere. Yaseem Hanware het sy eerste buffel geskiet op bladsy 12, en daar word wild gejag op bladsy 16 deur Ron van der Vyfer. Dan is daar ook in die Karoo en op Damesfontein gejag. Dankie aan almal wat hul stories vir ons stuur sodat ons ook saam kan jag.

Ons wil vir Sentraal-tak baie geluk wens met hul 10 jaar se bestaan.

Hulle is ook 2020 se tak van die jaar.

Lees hieroor op bladsy 48.

Op ‘n minder ligte luim het die gevreesde tyd toe aangebreek en het ek my eerste “Renewal notice” van die polisie gekry. Net toe ek die eerste een kry en besef dit is sulke tyd en 10 jaar is nou verby, toe daag die tweede en derde kennisgewings op ‘n streep op.

Met bietjie hulp van die altyd hulpvaardig en agtermekaar DFO kantoorspan van Kuilsrivier Polisie, Insp. Rika Hart, Patricia en Annabell, is ek darem deur die proses en het ek sommer ‘n paar lesse bygeleer.

Hier is in kort wat jy sal nodig hê wanneer jy jou DFO gaan sien. Hulle vereistes is nie almal dieselfde nie, hoekom weet ek nie, dus vra maar eers voor jy net daar opdaag.

1. Jou vuurwapen moet saamgaan polisiestasie toe vir ‘n inspeksie.

2. Saps 518 (a) vorm 3. Aanhangsel A vir elke wapen 4. Vuurwapen motivering 5. Afskrif van ID 6. 2 x Paspoort fotos (kleur) 7. R70 per vuurwapen 8. Bewys van adres 9. Vuurwapen opleidingsertifikate 10. Afskrif van bevoegdheidsertifikaat 11. Afskrif van vuurwapenlisensie 12. Bewys van toegeweide status 13. Fotos van kluis binne en buite 14. Jagters plaas uitnodigings brief

Francois Rossouw Ek is seker daar sal nog iets wees, byt maar vas en kry dit agter die rug. Aansoeke moet natuurlik 90 dae voor die lisensie verval datum ingehandig word.

Ons kompetisie wenner: Baie geluk aan Hein Hanekom met sy wenfoto vir ons fotogallery. Hy kry ‘n R2 500 geskenkbewys by Ivan Volskenck van Ells & Co. Ek wil ook ons lesers ‘n geseënde Kerfees en voorspoedige Nuwejaar toewens. Vir die wat op die pad gaan wees in die feestyd, ry versigtig en trek maar af as u moeg raak.

Groete en lekker lees.

DIE B O NT E B OK : EDI T ORI A L TEAM EDITOR: Francois Rossouw

francois@salocums.com COPY: N Bertram • A Cilliers DESIGNERS: • Johan Du Toit • Jade Design • Alfred Smidt Design ADVERTISING & SALES: • Yolande van der Merwe

frontpagemedia@gmail.com

DISCLAIMER Die Bontebok makes no representation, endorsements, warranties or guarantees about any of the products and/or services offered or advertised within this magazine. Die Bontebok expressly disclaims any and all liability relating to or arising from the sale, distribution, manufacture, use or misuse of all products and all services offered and advertised within this publication.

COPYRIGHT Both nationally and internationally all material herein is held by Die Bontebok.

No reproduction of any nature is permitted without prior written consent of the owner.

CORRESPONDENTS / EDITORIAL: • Matt Relihan • Hein Aylward • Neels Geldenhuys

INDEMNITY Die Bontebok, its owners, members and staff hereby advise that partaking in any activities, and handling any equipment advertised in, or written about in this publication, involve risk, potential injury or death to oneself or others.

Great care and professional advice must be taken when carrying out these activities.

Die Bontebok, its owners, members and staff cannot accept any responsibility or liability for any damage to personal property, including, but not limited to loss, financial loss, injury or death.

PHOTOGRAPHY: • Landi Lombard • Ernst Lombard

PHOTOGRAPHS & ARTICLES Submissions of photographs and articles are welcome, however it will be deemed that submission shall be a warranty that they are original and do not infringe on the copyright of others.

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DIE BONTEBOK

KAAPJAG HOOFKANTOOR MATT RELIHAN - KAAPJAG CEO THE 2020 FIREARMS AMNESTY

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f you are in possession of a firearm with an expired license, now is the time to act.

The only way to acquire a valid license for a firearm of which the license has expired, would be to use the current amnesty. If you are in possession of such firearm you are deemed in contravention of the Firearms Control Act and may be prosecuted and the firearm confiscated. The current amnesty offers an opportunity to “come clean”, provided you act before the amnesty period closes on 31st January 2021.

The Firearms Control Act (Section 139) stipulates that a person may apply for a license for the surrendered firearm in terms of the published amnesty. The Act further implies that the firearms will be handed in to the police and will be subjected to ballistic sampling. An application for such firearm must be submitted within fourteen days of the surrender of the firearm if the person so wishes to retain ownership of the firearm.

Alternatively, the firearm will be destroyed without the previous owner having any claim for compensation.

Please do not let this opportunity pass by without an attempt to ensure legal possession of your firearm with an expired license.

Not acting on or before 31st

January 2021 is a sure way of disarming yourself. We will not see another opportunity soon, as parliament has been more than accommodating in declaring a second amnesty after Covid-19 disrupted the previous amnesty which was due to expire on the 31st May 2020. Please act now!

The queues will only get longer and the police are already finding it difficult to manage the extra influx of amnesty and renewal applications.

When the current amnesty expires on the 31st January 2021, we have every reason to believe that the police will act against people in possession of firearms with expired licenses. Do not expose yourself to possible prosecution! How will you justify not making any attempt to rectify your situation despite having the opportunity twice in short succession in the form of an firearms amnesty?

What comes next may sound like I’m preaching to the converted – but it needs to be said…after many years of involvement in this industry, I have come to the realization that the current Firearms Control Act was designed to limit firearm ownership to people who are enthusiastic about firearms and their use in general. The current act is just too cumbersome and involved for the

Matt Relihan person whose firearm ownership is a mere afterthought. Let me be blunt; if you are not going to become serious and enthusiastic about firearm ownership, the solution that the amnesty now offers is just a temporary solution and you are bound to find yourself in this situation again somewhere in the near future. Hundreds of thousands of firearms with expired licenses are possessed by the South African Police and this is plainly because people forgot to relicense them timeously. This should not happen to enthusiastic firearms owners. Get enthusiastic or along the line you will lose the privilege (yes, it’s not a right) to own firearms.

We wish you a Blessed Christmas and happy new year.

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DIE BONTEBOK

KAAPJAG VOORSITTER

DIE STORIE VAN KAAPJAG & SY TAKKE “Kaapjag kan nie bestaan sonder die voortbestaan van sy takke nie!”

Hopelik sal u na die lees van hierdie artikel saamstem waarom dit nodig is om so ’n kras stelling hier reg aan die begin te maak.

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aapjag kan met trots daarop aanspraak maak dat ons van die min jagtersverenigings in Suid Afrika is waar die strukture van onder na bo werk. By die meeste van die ander jagtersverenigings het lede weinig na geen inspraak in die stuur van sake, sowel as die doen en late van die vereniging nie. By hierdie verenigings betaal lede slegs hulle jaarlikse ledegelde en verder het hulle geen inspraak in hoe die fondse aangewend word nie. By Kaapjag word dit totaal andersom gedoen – hier is dit die gewone lede wat by die jaarlikse AJV die nuwe bestuur verkies. Elke lid wie se ledegelde opbetaal is het stemreg en kan genomineer word om in ’n posisie op die Dagbestuur te dien.

Die Grondwet van Kaapjag beskerm hierdie beginsel en kan alleenlik verander wanneer die lede daartoe instem.

Wanneer ons die metafoor van ’n boom gebruik om hierdie werking en funksionering van die vereniging te verduidelik, moet ons reg aan die begin sê dat geen beeld volledig reg laat geskied aan alle fasette van die verhouding nie. Beelde het dikwels in hullself beperkinge. Die “boom” is egter ’n baie nuttige metafoor om iets meer te verduidelik oor hoe Kaapjag en sy nege takke funksioneer.

As die Dagbestuur en die Uitvoerende Bestuur van Kaapjag tesame met die HUB en ander personeel in die kantoor die wortels en die stam van die boom verteenwoordig, dan sou ’n mens die takke met die blare en vrugte as die onderskeie takke van Kaapjag kon beskryf. Elkeen van Kaapjag se nege takke is uniek. Hulle verskil geografies en in karakter van mekaar. In wese is daar een groot

gemeenskaplike eienskap wat almal met mekaar verbind – die lede is almal vuurwapen eienaars en jag en/of skiet graag. Die oorgrootte meerderheid van die takke se lede is jagters wat graag skiet. Die feit is egter dat die gemiddelde jagter jaarliks slegs ’n paar skote in die jagveld skiet, maar wanneer hulle terugkom gaan skiet hulle op die skietbaan. Dit is nie net met jaggewere waarmee geskiet word nie. Baie lede skiet ook graag haelgeweer en handwapens om hulle vaardighede hier rondom uit te bou. Dit is hier waar die takke met hul besture ’n kritiese rol vertolk.

Skietdae en kompetisies word gereël. Op ’n spontane en informele wyse - waar mense dieselfde belangstelling met mekaar deel, kry lede die kans om van mekaar te leer ken.

In die ligter luim - daar is nogal sterk ooreenkoms maar darem ook verskille tussen jagters en vissermanne. Die ooreenkoms lê daarin dat net soos by vissermanne die skote in die jagveld gewoonlik baie verder of beter raak, die bokke al swaarder weeg en die horings dikwels selfs groei nadat die bok geskiet is. Eie aan die vissermanne raak die visse dikwels groter, baklei hulle baie sterker en is met baie meer moeite geland. Genadiglik het jagters een groot verskil met vissermanne - hulle deel graag die fynere kunsies van jag en hoe om beter akkuraatheid te kry met mekaar. Tong in die kies gesê; “dalk is dit eerder ’n goeie geleentheid om bietjie te kan spog!” Die feit is – jagters en skieters deel makliker hulle fynere kunsies met ander as wat vissermanne “geheime aas-resepte of hengelplekke” met iemand anders sal deel. Die

Andre Duvenhage skietbaan en lede-aande skep dikwels die ruimtes waar hierdie uitruiling van kennis met mekaar gedeel word, waar kruisbestuiwing plaasvind.

Die rol van takke binne die struktuur van Kaapjag kan nooit oorskat word nie! Takbesture is die persone wat verantwoordelik is om aktiwiteite in die omgewing te reël en aan te bied - daarom is dit so belangrik dat hulle in voeling met die lede van die tak moet bly. Dit is op die vlak van die plaaslike tak waar nuwelinge gewerf word, waar jong lede deur ervare manne en vroue onder die vlerk geneem word om hulle te lei met die aanleer van die fynere kunsies van skiet en jag. Takke is verantwoordelik om tellings van die skiete wat hulle aanbied te verifieër en dan deur middel van Ranking U op die stelsel te laai. Die bestuur van hierdie stelsel kan maklik in chaos verval.

Wanneer lede op hulle eie begin opereer en tellings links en regs kan oplaai, gaan dit gebeur dat die geloofwaardigeid van ’n hele stelsel in gedrang kom. Dit sou beteken die ranglys wat dan op grond van die stelsel saamgestel word net mooi niks werd is nie! Skakeling met die lede in hul onmiddellike omgewing kan nie genoeg beklemtoon word nie – die takke vorm die netwerke om die nuutste en korrekte inligting na die lede te versprei. Die vergadering van die takvoorsitters (die Uitgebreide Bestuur) op ’n gereelde basis, is uiters belangrik om te sorg dat al nege takke van Kaapjag

DIE BONTEBOK

die regte inligting kry en dat die besluite verteenwoordigend van al die lede is. Kommunikasie - om met mekaar te praat op so ’n wyse dat ons mekaar reg hoor en verstaan, is uiters belangrik. In Kaapjag is dit nog meer belang omdat ons lede so wyd versprei is oor die hele Kaapprovinsie.

Om die een of ander onverklaarbare rede is daar altyd die gevaar dat Kaapjag en sy takke maklik van mekaar kan vervreem. Wat die spesifieke redes daarvoor is en wat daartoe aanleiding gee, is nie altyd makliklik bepaalbaar of opsigtelik nie. Die minste wat ons vir mekaar daaroor kan sê is dat as so-iets sou gebeur dit ’n “ONDING” is en dat dit iets is waarteen ons moet waak met alles binne ons vermoë. As ons weer die beeld van die boom onder oë neem – die een kan nie sonder die ander bly voortbestaan nie. Hierdie verbintenis word in die Grondwet van Kaapjag beskerm deur verskeie

bepalings. Een daarvan is dat die grondwet bepaal dat die Voorsitters van die onderskeie takke die Uitgebreide Bestuur vorm. Dinge wat ons kan doen om verwydering tussen die stam en die takke te voorkom: • Deur meer ons dankbaarheid te wys aan die lede wat uit die liefde vir die saak - op plaaslike bestuursvlak werk en leiding neem – om skiete vir ons moontlik te maak • Om gereeld met Kaapjag se kantoor in verbinding te bly – deur die kennisgewings te lees en te reageer op die versoeke • Gebruik die tak se bydraes vir die Bontebok om mense ’n kykie te gee van alles wat by die skiete gebeur van die aanlê vir die kolskoot tot by die gesellige braai na die tyd • Die regte en nuutste inligting help lede om te weet wat in die vereniging aangaan • Vele hande maak ligte werk. Kom ons help met die bou- en afbreek

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van die bane voor en na die skiete.

Dan is dit vir almal ’n plesier • Kom ons ondersteun ander takke se aktiwiteite deur mekaar se “vlagskip-skiete” by te woon of dan ten minste ’n span te stuur om die tak daar te verteenwoordig; Almal geniet graag die heerlike vrugte van ’n boom. Dit vra egter dat ons regdeur die jaar die boom moet versorg.

Ten spyte van die inperking – waar ons letterlik alles moes parkeer, het die jaar so vinnig uitgeloop dat hierdie die laaste uitgawe van die Bontebok voor Kersfees is en voor die nuwe jaar aanbreek.

Ons wil graag as Bestuur van Kaapjag vir almal ’n baie geseënde Kersseisoen toewens. Ons hoop dat julle in die geselskap van geliefdes ’n vreugdevolle en spesiale tyd gaan hê en mag 2021 baie mooi dinge inhou.

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DIE BONTEBOK

KAAPJAG PRESIDENT

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is wonderlik om vir so ’n positiewe vereniging te werk en deel daarvan te wees. Ons het dit weer agtergekom met die bestuur se Road show.

Ek, Matt en André het besluit om af te skop met Overberg-tak.

Ons vertrek 29 Augustus vanaf Malmesbury met Matt se nuwe Ford wat baie mooi ge-”brand” is met die Kaapjag logo. Die middag so 12-uur arriveer ons by Nico Loubser se huis op Bredasdorp en word ons met ope arms ontvang. Twee van die bestuur was ook by, nl. Douw Willemse en Berry Hatting en het saam met ons vergader.

Daar was baie vrae gevra en oplossings gegee en verduidelik hoe Kaapjag in mekaar steek en hoe belangrik die takke vir Kaapjag is.

Nico het toe vir ons gebraai en ’n lekker ete voorgesit.

Die 17de September was dit Wynland-tak se beurt.

Die oggend 8 uur het ons eers by Andries Du Toit (oud voorsitter) gaan besoek aflê. Ons het afgeskop met ’n lekker beker koffie. Toe is ons na sy trofee-kamer en elke trofee het ’n storie gehad. Dit is die nostalgie van jag en die herinneringe wat weer beleef word.

Toe vertrek ons na Robertson en na Wynland se skietbaan waar die meeste van ons al gebloei het met swak punte. Daar het Gert Visser hulle nuwe voorsitter vir ons ingewag met drie van sy bestuurslede: Johan Immelman, Gert Smit en Arno Matthyser.

Daar was gesels en gedagtes uitgeruil, nuwe planne gemaak en skiet bly belangrik vir die tak. Hulle het gevra hoekom kan hulle nie weer ’n Boland-ope aanbied nie? Hulle was darem goed genoeg om die eerste een aan te bied. Hulle stem saam hoe belangrik die tak vir Kaapjag is.

Matt het toe vir ons ’n worsie gebraai en worsbroodjies gemaak soos net hy dit kan doen.

Ons vertrek toe en slaap oor op Matjiesfontein omdat daar nie slaapplek op Laingsburg beskikbaar was nie. Matt, André en ek kon toe die aand lekker ontspan in die Lord Milner en gesels oor die kuier by die takke, maar ons kon gelukkig nie die afspraak met die spook kry nie.

Die 18de September was dit Kouptak se beurt. Die volgende oggend vertrek ons na Koup en ontmoet vir Jacobus Nel en sy pa Koos op die plaas. Ons kon sien hoe droog dit nog daar in die distrik is en die skaap moes nog gevoer word.

Dis toe dat Matt met die voorstel kom dat ons (Kaapjag) vir hulle ’n pret-skiet aanbied om die tak se moraal te lig. Daar was baie gesels oor skiet met meer erkenning vir die skut. Jacobus het vir ons vleis gebraai en daar was lekker gesels.

Die 30ste September was dit Weskustak se beurt.

Ons kry toe vir Abri Basson, sy vrou Marlene, Johan Ellis, Johan Esterhuizen en Koos Brand by die Riviera hotel op Laaiplek. Ons praat oor al die probleme en stryk hulle uit.

Ons eet toe die middag almal saam in die hotel. Hulle kos was uitstekend.

Die klub is goed aan die gang en het heelwat nuwe lede ingeskryf.

Welgedaan aan hulle.

Die Saterdag 31 September was dit Wesboland-tak se beurt.

Ons ontmoet vir Kobus van Niekerk, voorsitter, en Serfaas Rabe, John Carter, Braam Marais en Anton de Klerk, ondervoorsitter, by die skietbaan in hulle klubhuis. Hulle loop deur onder inbrake en goed wat gesteel word. Ons het baie goeie samesprekings gehad en kon vir al die knelpunte oplossings kry. Daar was weer baie oor skiet gepraat.

Die middag is daar weer ’n worsie gebraai en worsbroodjies gemaak.

Ons almal het lekker geëet en toe word daar gesels.

Die ander vier takke sal nog hulle beurt kry. Ek is jammer ons was nog nie by julle nie. Dit sal vroeg in die nuwe jaar plaasvind.

Die uitslag van die Roadshow sover: Ons het gesien hoe honger die takke is om met die bestuur te praat en vrae te vra en antwoorde te kry en hoe hulle dit waardeer dat hulle ’n besoek van die CEO, Voorsitter en President gekry het.

André het die takke ingelig hoe belangrik hulle vir ons is en dat Kaapjag as ’n eenheid moet funksioneer en die een nie sonder die ander kan werk nie.

Die mentorskap aan die takke het ook sterk na vore gekom.

Johann Strauss Ranking U se belangrikheid is ook bespreek en almal besef hoe belangrik dit is om die punte so gou moontlik op die stelsel te kry.

Al die besprekings het gelei na skietkompetisies by al die takke en jagters wat wil skiet. Skiet is die gom wat die takke aan mekaar hou.

Daar het ook uitgekom dat ons meer rand slag-kompetisies moet skep, bv: ’n Kaapjag rand slag vlakte skiet, want die ammunisie is baie meer bekostigbaar en meer lede kan deelneem.

Die werf van nuwe lede lê by die klubs en almal het kennis geneem van dit. Ons moet ook kyk na die gemiddelde skut sodat Kaapjag hom kan behou as ’n lid.

Kaapjag moet ’n ranglys van verskillende kompetisies byhou sodat ’n lid kan sien waar hy op die lys lê. Aan die einde van die jaar moet daar meer erkenning gegee word aan die top presteerders met bv. medaljes, ens.

Al die klubs het maar dieselfde probleme en ons moet maar by mekaar leer en inligting uitruil en aan mekaar se skiete gaan deelneem en met die oog steel oor hoe dit daar gedoen word.

Ek en André het gesien hoe belangrik dit is dat die CEO (Matt) losgemaak moet word van al die admin in die kantoor sodat hy by die takke kan uitkom vir raad en motivering. Die kantoor se nuwe rekenaarprogram in wording sal ons daarmee help.

Al die takke is baie gesond en goed op dreef. Dit is ’n riem onder die hart en stel ons baie gerus oor Kaapjag se toekoms.

Vriendelike groete. Johann

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12

DIE BONTEBOK

Every hunter has a bucket list. He may not even realise that he has a list, but somewhere in the back of his mind there is a list. On my list I have always had a Buffalo hunt. I think the inherent danger of hunting Buffalo was part of the intrigue for me.

E

very story, every adventure has a start, middle and an end. My adventure began with a phone call just before lock down from Mr Niel Dodds, the owner of the game farm Meerlust in Jansenville in the Eastern Cape. I was well acquainted with Niel and his son Bradley as I had hunted on his farm several times in the past, but I wasn’t expecting this call.

“Yaseen, a buffalo cow broke out of the camp and has made herself at home somewhere along the banks of the Sunday’s River. Would you like the opportunity to hunt her?”.

Unlike domestic cattle this bovine could not be herded back to the camp and therefore posed a threat to anyone who stumbled into her along the river banks.

I have hunted a variety of game from Duiker to Eland during my hunting career, but never a Buffalo. I asked to be allowed to think it over.

This was an opportunity few hunters are given and a day or so later I phoned Niel and confirmed my acceptance of his generous offer and my 5 day hunt was booked.

Then the Covid Lock down kicked in and so began a frustrating wait. Stuck at home like the rest of South Africa I could only think about my upcoming hunt. Gun shops were closed, as were the

shooting ranges, so there was no practice time. Thank goodness for the internet. I was able to source a fair amount of information on buffalo hunts, but some of the stuff I saw made me wonder what I had let myself in for.

My Winchester rifle in .375 H&H suddenly looked a little on the small side for such an animal when I googled the best calibre for hunting Buffalo. Fitted with a Vortex scope I knew it would do the job provided I did mine.

Anticipation, frustration and a little consternation became part of my everyday routine, but arrangements were made and my good hunting buddy, Ismail Kajee, agreed to come along on this once in a lifetime adventure and capture my hunt on video. Finally the Covid Levels were dropped and cross provincial border travel was permitted. The hunt was on.

Thursday morning broke and we were soon on the road from Cape Town via Laingsburg, Beaufort West and Graaf Rienet to Jansenville. Stopping over at an old friend’s farm in Laingsburg to say hello I took this opportunity to once again become acquainted with and sight in the Winchester rifle. Darkness was falling when we arrived at Meerlust where we were warmly greeted by Bradley who was to be our

host and PH on the hunt.

After settling into the 4-star accommodations we were treated to a great South African pastime, a braai, and chatted about “sailing ships, sealing wax of cabbages and kings” before turning in for a good night’s sleep.

Friday morning dawned and over a hearty breakfast we discussed the first part of my planned hunt. We were to join a group of 8 hunters from Worcester on a Springbuck hunt.

We were driven to and dropped off at our designated spots well away from each other. This suited me as I am always wary of hunting with someone I do not know.

My Tikka .22-250 did not let me down and I soon had my 2 Springbuck for biltong and “droëwors”. The rest of my day was spent enjoying the open air and in anticipation of what was yet to come.

The Springbuck we had shot were collected by Brad’s staff who expertly took care of the dressing, preparing and packaging of the carcasses. The evening ended with another braai and an early night.

Saturday morning, the first day of the Buffalo hunt, started with breakfast at 7.00am and butterflies in my stomach. We stepped outside into a beautiful day and drove down to the Sunday’s River where the escaped Buffalo

DIE BONTEBOK

MY FIRST BUFFALO HUNT

By Yaseen Hanware

13

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DIE BONTEBOK

Taking aim at the buffalo in the distance with PH Brad at my side cow had last been seen but with no idea of where she now was.

At 8.00am, Brad, Ismail, (with his video camera), Henloo, “the cooler box guy”, and I started off down a dusty track that ran above the river looking for spoor that might indicate where my quarry might have been.

We fought our way through thick riverine thicket which guarded the drought ravaged Sunday’s River with savage thorns for about 4 kilometres before working our way down to the river itself. Further along the riverside Brad picked up spoor but the tracks seemed to go both up and downstream. While concentrating on the tracks I happened to look up and saw the rear of the Buffalo up on the bank some 80 meters away facing away from us. The fact that we were moving slowly, quietly and with the breeze in our favour, had allowed us to get this close. It was only now that the penny dropped and I realised just how big this animal was. The Buffalo must have heard or smelled us because she turned looking for us and slowly moving towards us.

I asked Henloo for my shooting sticks, then realised I was alone on the river bed with Brad. Henloo and Ismail had beaten a hasty retreat to a safer distance. “Can I shoot?”,

I whispered to Brad, only to be told we had to get closer to about 25 metres! I believe the Buffalo and I made eye to eye contact before she turned, ran across the river and crashed through the same thickets, we had battled through, as if they were made of a spider web. This was our 1st “Bump”. After my heart had returned to its usual place in my chest we once again took up the spoor, tracking throughout the afternoon, only stopping for braai burgers on the river bed.

Around 6.00pm, tired and facing into the setting sun we again bumped into our Buffalo. At about 40 metres away it was a case of “should I shoot or not?” After a whispered conversation with Brad we decided it was too close to dark to take a chance. A wounded Buffalo was not something I wanted to chance at this time of day nor would we have been able to retrieve the carcass without extreme difficulty. The decision was made to call it quits for the day and take up the hunt the following morning.

Back at our base it was time for a hot shower, a braai, a post mortem of the day’s proceedings and to find out where all the scratches on my body came from. After another great braai and small talk around the fire it was time for bed.

I awoke to a beautiful warm Sunday, no wind and the feeling that this was going to be the day. Breakfast, then back on the spoor of our buffalo. Around 9.00am we found her about a kilometre further upstream.

To say that our 3rd bump was a surprise would be an understatement.

Brad almost “bumped” into her lying down in a thicket only 4 metres away. Just as surprised as we were she took off down the embankment and into the thicket on the opposite side of the river and disappeared.

Once our adrenalin levels had dropped to almost normal we took up the spoor again but lost it, called it quits and returned to the lodge for lunch.

By 2.00pm we were back in the thickets, up and down the embankments, through the river but back on track. Finding fresh dung we knew we were on the spoor again and continued tracking her upstream. We could hear branches breaking as she moved through the dense thickets ahead of us. By now the adrenalin was not just pumping but screaming through me. Around 5.00pm Brad saw her some 70 odd metres away on the opposite side of the river: 4th Bump. We cautiously descended the 2 metre embankment and set up the shooting sticks,

Taking a short midday burger break but decided to get a little closer.

With a pounding heart we crossed the river.

I remember lifting the rifle to my shoulder, confident that the Norma FMJ bullet would do the job if I did mine. Aiming for a heart shot, I did not hear or feel the shot but clearly heard the bullet strike home and knew it was good. Instinctively I reloaded, sliding another Norma solid into the chamber. I heard Brad fire the follow up shot. My Buffalo ran through the river and up the opposite embankment, I could see her rear and fired a 2nd raking shot from about 20 meters aiming to hit her lungs. The shot worked and she went down. She bellowed, a sound I had never heard before, so loud it

Niel Dobbs, Brad, Yaseem and Ismail

reverberated through my head. She bellowed again while we carefully made our way up the embankment to a position where I could safely deliver a “coup de grace� shot. The bellowing stopped and the silence was deafening for a few seconds.

She was down. There were photos and congratulations all around. Then began the hard work, removing the intestines to prevent the meat destined for the locals from spoiling.

The carcass would be collected later.

It took Henloo with a tractor and 8 men to load the carcass and bring it back to the farm where it was left to the professionals to process. As said earlier the meat was gifted to the locals, nothing wasted. I took the cape and mount.

That night was a night of celebration. I am not a smoker nor do I drink, but that night I smoked my first cigar, at least I puffed on one. A happy and contented man reliving the hunt with those who made it possible.

I began this story by saying every adventure has a beginning, a middle and an end. Well that is not entirely correct. This adventure has no end.

The memories of my first Buffalo hunt will live with me forever and each time I look at the mount I will recall and relive this hunt. Who knows what the future holds? Maybe my next buffalo hunt is around the corner.

Yaseem with his first Buffalo, shot with his .357 H&H Winchester

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The beauty of the Eastern Cape

OLD BULLET RON BY : Greg Sykes

BACK IN THE BUSH

“You want to do what?” was my response to Wesley when he told me that he wanted to take old man Ron on a hunt again. Have you lost your mind? The old bullet is nearly 80 and last time I saw him he could hardly walk. Wes assured me that Ron was exercising regularly and that he was as keen as mustard to get back into the hunting fields.

R

on Van Der Vyver was the chief Range officer at MSA when I joined them back in 1998. He drafted me to be a range officer and we then hunted together on and off for 15 years.

Ron fell ill about 8 years ago and was off hunting for a good few years. We used to take Ron on our trips and set him up in the veld. We would walk and stalk and always try in our wanderings to push the animals towards him where he would then get a shot. He is 80 years old now.

He is a difficult old bugger and through the years we have had

our arguments and fall outs, but always in the end patched things up around the hunting fire.

After a couple of weeks of Wesley White persisting, I relented and suggested that we could take Ron up to a farm that I hunt on in the Eastern Cape. A nice place with good facilities and a farmer who understands people who want to hunt on foot in the ethical way and does not pressure a person to just shoot or to shoot from the vehicle. I also know the farm fairly well and thought that with some careful planning it would be

the place with the best chance of getting Ron onto some animals.

As chance would dictate, as chance is prone to do if you push it hard enough, I had to take a client up to hunt, so the opportunity opened up to combine my client’s hunt with Ron’s sojourn back into the bush. Plans were made, dates booked and the hunt was on!

I think Wesley aged at least 10 years in the run up to the hunt as Ron in his characteristic manner decided to start on a process of load development only weeks before the due date and right up until the weekend before leaving

DIE BONTEBOK

he still had not settled on a load. Ron, being an old guy with time on his hands spends days on the range trying different loads and not always being flush, sometimes frustrates us all as he will use a variety of bullets that he has acquired and then by the time he has developed a load, he had run out of those bullets. Eventually Wes had to go with Ron and dictate to him that the hunting loads he had developed were more than adequate. The end result was Nosler accubond 150gr with 43gr of Somchem S335 powder.

With the logistics on that front finally settled, the two headed up to meet me on Hopewell, the family farm of Angus Maclean.

Arriving on the Sunday morning after a stop over in Graaff-Reinet, (apparently what happens in GraaffReinet stays in Graaff-Reinet is the new saying) introductions and formalities were quickly dealt with and we headed to the shooting range to make sure that the rifles were still on target. A click or two adjustment got everything centre in the bull and after a quick lunch we headed out for

an afternoon in the veld.

That evening around the old family fireplace, drink in hand we discussed the plans for the morning. Wes wanted to go off and look for his long sought after blue Wildebeest and I wanted to hunt a couple of Springbok and Blesbok. Ron likewise wanted Springbok and Blesbok. It was decided, Wes and Mac the farmer would head off to a farm outside of Queenstown where good numbers of Blues are found. Myself and Ron would hunt in the game camp on Hopewell.

I must say for an old man of nearly 80 Ron was pretty sprightly the next morning. He was up with the farm roosters and had coffee and rusks laid out by the time the rest of us shrugged off the duvets. By seven o’clock we were headed out into the veld. Ron had forgotten totally that he could not walk without his kierie and when I dropped him off at the edge of an open grass plain, he grabbed all of his gear and made off for a nearby patch of bush where he promptly entrenched himself between some

The Old Bullet Ron with his super one shot kill Blesbok ram

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thick logs and set up to ambush any buck silly enough to make its way out onto the plain to catch the morning sun.

I headed off to hunt on a different section of the farm, dropped the bakkie at a farm dam and began working my way into the wind, hunting and spotting as I went. The peacefulness of the morning is so fulfilling to the soul that it almost feels like a sin to disturb it, but when you spot the movement of antelope legs between the thick bush all saintly thoughts evaporate and the hunting instinct kicks in.

I stalked the Springbok carefully and as they fed onto an open section of veld. One unlucky fellow cleared the bush and paid the price.

On the shot, the buck dropped and the rest of the heard startled by the noise ran off into the middle of an open area and then continued to feed as if nothing had happened at all. I stayed in cover until they had totally relaxed and had “forgotten� about the loud noise. After attending to the task of removing the innards from the Springbok, I headed back toward the bakkie to recover the buck.

As I climbed a little hill with open cover on it, I noticed that the herd was about 2km away from where I had dropped Ron the morning and were peacefully feeding. I decided to give them a little nudge in the right direction to encourage them to move towards the open plain where Ron was sitting. By slowly

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DIE BONTEBOK

letting myself be seen at distance from the herd, they became just uncomfortable enough to feed away from where I was. By moving slowly and keeping just far enough away to keep them unhappy but not panicked, I gently nudged them towards Ron’s position. Once they were headed in the right direction, I left and recovered my Springbok.

I dropped my buck off at the farm for the guys to get skinning and had just left the bakkie back at the dam to continue hunting when I heard a shot from the direction of the open plain.

The radio in my pocket crackled to life and Ron reported that he had shot a Springbok. I was impressed. On arriving at his spot, Ron was standing admiring the beauty of the Ram he had dispatched with a perfect heart shot at about 120m. Recovery done we continued to hunt. I managed to get two nice Blesbok during the course of the afternoon.

Late afternoon, Wes and Mac arrived back and as we had already had a great days hunting we called it a day and headed back to the farm. While Ron relaxed with a well earned glass of cabernet, myself and Wes took his trophy wildebeest through to the taxidermy studios outside of Cradock. On

our return, Ron was a changed man.

He was happily regaling Mac with a blow by blow re-enactment of his days hunting. I swear the old man had dropped 30 years off his age.

A delicious braai around the lapa with hot coals shovelled under your old style metal garden chair to keep the winter chill from your behind rounded off a perfect day in one of South Africa’s most beautiful areas.

The next day Wes was also looking for Springbok and as I had already shot my quota on the previous day, I decided that I would just hunt along with Wes for the fun. Ron was dropped off in another spot with potential, only now with a flask of warm coffee to keep the chill of the approaching cold front from seeping into the old bones. We ran a similar plan as to the previous days, hunt into the wind and at the same time be aware of where Ron was and if possible encourage the herds to move in that direction. Wes shot a beautiful Springbok ram and Ron once again poleaxed a Blesbok with a perfect heart shot at about 140m.

As is always the case when hunting is successful, one is tempted to go for

another buck, this temptation weighed heavily on the old Bullet, but in the end common sense prevailed and Ron decided that he had come for two buck, had got them both and had got them in an ethical manner and that was enough. We called an end to the hunt.

With hunting over and not having to keep a clear head for the following day, we gave it a good bash the evening. I must say there is nothing nicer for me than sitting in front of a roaring fire, sated after a delicious meal, a good drink in hand, a sleepy dog tucked up against your hip for warmth and the company of like minded hunters. I guess nobody promised us it would be easy in Africa, so you take what you can get.

Hunt over we headed home stopping to overnight outside Beauford West at Teri-Lemveli Lodge, a really nice half way stop to break the tedium of the long road. The only problem we with the hunt caused was that now Lorraine, Ron’s wife, is going to have to try keep up with her new found young man.

Well until we can give her a break again and get the old Bullet out into the veld again. Ron said he is ready when we are.

Greg with one of the Springbok shot on the hunt

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DIE BONTEBOK

JAG OP DAMESFONTEIN Deur: Joe Kotze

D

ie vreugde wanneer ‘n Oupa se beloftes aan sy kleinseuns bewaarheid word.

Die storie het sy oorsprong sommer baie jare gelede toe ‘n oupa op ‘n dag daar doer vêr in Kanada met sy kleinseuns gespeel het en hulle een aan elke kant, onderstebo aanhul enkels laat hang het. Die belofte was eenvoudig : “As julle die jaar finaal die skoolbanke verlaat, bring ek julle Suid- Afrika toe om saam met my te kom jag”

W

el, beloftes maak skuld en hier is die stories van die vereffening: Vroeg namiddag van Julie 2014 sit ek in ‘n bakkie en kyk hoe bekruip ‘n Oupa, sy kleinseun en ‘n jong beroepsjagter ‘n troppie Springbokke op die plaas Damesfontein. Dis die plaas van Tieffie en Marguerite Wolfaardt, naby Graaff-Reinette. Dit is ‘n absolute heerlike wintersmiddag sonder noemenswaardige wind - net so ‘n effense luggie in die

Graaff-Reinette

groepie se gesig.

My gadagtes gaan onwillekeurig terug na presies drie jaar vroeër toe dieselfde Oupa met sy oudste kleinseun op dieselfde plaas in die aangrensende kamp, ook die mannetjie laat aanlê het op ‘n Springbok, maar met die groot verskil - dit was bitter koud, die berge en veld was prentjie mooi, spierwit van die sneeu en die wind erg onplesierig.

Maar wag. Kom ons begin die twee stories van die begin af.

Oupa Hennie Vermaas het sy twee kleinseuns beloof dat hulle onderskeie 18de verjaarsdaggeskenke dieselfde sal wees.Elkeen sal in die jaar waarin hy 18 word, saam met Oupa kom jag in Suid Afrika.

Shaun: Shaun is die oudste – vroeg in 2011 arriveer hy in die Kaap, met geen kennis van vuurwapens, skiet en jag nie.

Oupa Hennie het egter vroeg reeds alles begin beplan. Die jag

DIE BONTEBOK

is gereël, geweer is ingeskiet en ‘n hele opleidingsplan in werking gestel.

Die hoogtepunt van Shaun se 3 weke lange vakansie en rondtoer in Suid-Afrika is die jag. Hy leer van gewere, vuurwapenveiligheid, skootplasing en jag-etiket. Hy oefen om te skiet en die eerste skoot met Oupa se 7 x 57 laat hom byna van skietstoel afval.

Die skrik maak hom net meer vasberade en baie gou is sy groepering goed genoeg om tot ± 200m ‘n doodskoot te kan skiet.

Om te bewys dat hy reg is vir die jag moet hy ook met ‘n skietstok as enigste ruspunt kan raakskiet.

Met al die voorbereiding agter die rug klim ons, dis nou Oupa Hennie, Shaun, my seun Danie en ek in Hennie se Prado en vat die pad uit Somerset Wes, GraaffReinette se kant toe. Dit is die goeie nuus. Die slegte nuus is dat

dit reën, heelpad tot op die plaas.

Met die kwik wat net aanhou val en ‘n weervoorspelling vir die week wat skielik verander na ‘koud, winderig met ‘n groot waarskynlikheid van sneeu’. Dis beslis nie wat ons beplan het nie.

Met die aankoms op die plaas laat die weer ons gelukkig toe om vinnig seker te maak dat die gewere nog skiet waar hulle veronderstel is om te skiet. Dit was ook dan die laaste bietjie mooiweer vir die week.

Ons is vroeg-aand bed toe, maar so deur die nag begin die wind waai en die sneeu begin val en val.

Vroeg die volgende oggend toe ons met ‘n beker koffie in die hand uitstap, stap ons in ‘n sprokieswêreld van sneeu in.

Wel, ons was nie verbaas toe Tieffie, ons gasheer, vroegoggend kom koffiedrink en ons inlig dat jag amptelik uit is vir die

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dag nie.

Die res van die dag het ons maar gekuier en ‘Rummie cup’ gespeel, jagstories vertel en besluit ons gaan die sneeu die aand weg braai, want wat is ‘n jagtog sonder ‘n vuur en ‘n lekker braai.

Ons plan het seker gewerk, want die volgende oggend was die weer beter en is ons veld toe om Koedoes te soek, op modder paaie, tussen wit, nat en koue klowe. Sneeu oppad na die jagkamp is mos nie ‘n probleem nie en modderpaaie nog minder!

Dis seker nodeloos om te sê dat die soektog na Koedoes daardie oggend niks opgelewer het nie, net 4 baie koue en nat jagters.

Ons is terug huis toe vir middagete en om net weer warm te word, want alles was koud en nat. Ons was beswaard, maar die jong Kanadees was in sy element.

“Koud? Julle ken nie koue en

Die Prado toe onder die sneeu voor die plaashuis

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Oupa Hennie, Shaun en Danie agterop die bakkie en dis bitter koud sneeu nie, by ons raak dit maklik -35! Hierdie is mos sommer lekker weer”.

Tiefie is egter nie ‘n gasheer wat jou teleur wil stel nie en vroeg namiddag is hy daar om ons op te laai om te gaan kyk of Shaun nie dalk ‘n Blesbok onder skoot kan kry nie. Net die feit dat hy Shaun toelaat om uit sy Blesbok-teeltrop ‘n bok te jag, is bewys daarvan dat hy net so opgewonde soos ons is om die jag vir Oupa en kleinseun suksesvol te maak, kom wat wil.

Na ‘n korterige rit agter op die bakkie en nie weer in ‘n snoesige warm Prado nie, is ons gly-gly tot by die Blesbokkamp. Na ‘n kort stappie gewaar ons die Blesbokke in die sneeubedekte vlakte. Wel, met die jaggroep afgelaai en besig om die bokke te bekruip, probeer Tiefie om links om die koppie te ry om die bokke so bietjie in die rigting van Oupa-hulle te ‘druk’, maar die pad is net eenvoudig te modderig en glad. Wie wil dan nou ook vassit op so ‘n koue dag?

Om ‘n lang storie kort te maak,

(agter) Tiefie Wolfaardt, Hennie Vermaas en Joe Kotze met (voor) Danie en Shaun

die bekruipery wou net nie werk nie, want daar was eenvoudig te min skuiling. Die bokke het sonder moeite buite skietafstand gebly. ( Ek wonder net hoe weet hulle presies wat ‘skietafstand’ is!)

Tieffie het almal weer opgelaai en voorgestel dat ons na ‘n ander deel van die plaas gaan, waar dit minder gesneeu het. In die een kamp is daar Springbokke en voor die son sak MOES Shaun darem ‘n bok skiet.

Ons was almal senuweeagtig en gespanne en ek het gewonder hoe die arme Shaun gevoel het.

Ons moes natuurlik heeltyd bontstaan om vrae oor plante, diere en voëls te beantwoord.

Gelukkig is Danie ‘n Veldgids en kon hy die vrae gemaklik antwoord en vir Shaun (en ons oues van dae) wonderlike en interessante inligting gee.

Hennie het natuurlik geweet dat ons vasgevra sou word en daarom moes Danie daar wees om die jongeling ingelig en besig te hou.

Sommer met die inry in die kamp het almal se moed gelig, want die pad en veld was

droeër en bykans geen sneeu op die graspolle nie. Die wind was in ons gesig, maar die son ongelukkig ook.

Ons geluk draai toe weer so effens want ‘n wolkbank beweeg voor die son in en skielik is die soektog baie makliker. Bykans dadelik gewaar ons ‘n troppie Springbokke. Nadat Tiefie hulle mooi deurgekyk het sê hy vir Shaun om die enigste bok wat mooi staan vir ‘n bladskoot ‘n groot ooi is en dat hy haar moet skiet.

Met die aanlê-slag sien ons dat hy baie gespanne is, maar Danie maak hom rustig en hy trek die skoot af en dit is ‘n doodskoot!

Oupa Hennie spring amper tot op die maan en kan nie ophou om Shaun geluk te wens nie.

Nadat Tiefie die bakkie nader gebring het, het ons foto’ geneem en gesels en gesels en weer geluk gewens, want Shaun het na die gelukkigste jagter in die geskiedenis gelyk en Oupa se bors het net breër en breër geword.

Ian: Nou die tweede deel van die storie. Oupa vertel dat hy in

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2013 tydens sy besoek aan sy kinders in Kanada bekommerd was, want Ian is die sagte een en Oupa was nie seker of die jong man dit sou kon regkry om te jag nie. Vrae soos ‘Kan jy die sneller trek en weet jy skiet om dood te skiet’ en ‘ Sal jy dan help om die vleis te bewerk’ is gevra. Die antwoord was onomwonde “Ja ek kan”.

In Julie 2014 breek Ian se jagtyd aan. Oupa en Ouma ontvang die seun op die lughawe en kry ‘n bietjie van ‘n skok. Die seun het man geword en het tot by die 6 voet merk gerek.

Ook hy moet die volledige beknopte ‘jag en skietkursus’, soos broer Shaun deurmaak en natuurlik slaag!

Ook Ian se eerste skoot met ‘n geweer was ‘n belewenis. Sy skril skeeu het ons almal laat ruk van die skrik. Oupa moes blitsvinnig, soos ‘n krieket glipveldwerk gryp om sy geweer te vang, want dit was oppad grond toe, weggegooi van skrik. Die resultaat was egter ‘n perfekte skoot op 50 meter.

Die daaropvolgende skote na die teiken op 100 meter was

gelukkig baie rustiger en die geweer het nie weer vlerke gekry nie. Skootplasing was perfek.

Al wat toe oorgebly het was om jagveld toe te gaan, dieselfde plaas waar ouboet gejag het.

Danie kon ongelukkig nie saamkom nie en ons besluit toe sommer om ons wederhelftes saam te neem, want hulle vergesel ons gewoonlik as ons

by Tiefie en Marguerite gaan jag. Eintlik het dit nou al ‘n vaste kuier-jag geword.

Oupa was amper meer opgewonde as Ian. Hierdie keer is ons vergesel deur Tiefie se seun Philippie as gids en profesionele jagter.

Alhoewel dit op ‘n paar dae na dieselfde datum was as Shaun se jag in 2011, is daar hierdie keer nie weer sneeu en wind nie. Net heerlike sonskyn.

Die oggend van dag een vaar ons weer die klowe te voet in, maar die Koedoes ontwyk ons. Al wat ons te siene kry is Koedoes wat ver van ons af oor die randte verdwyn.

Die namiddag is ons weer veld in saam met Philippie.

Koedoes bly ons egter ontwyk.

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Op aanbeveling van Philippie draai ons om en ry terug huis toe. Oppad terug gewaar ons ‘n troppie Springbokke wat rustig wei en net daar word besluit dat Ian een moet skiet.

Ek sit rustig in die bakkie en hou die groepie in die veld dop.

Philippie, Oupa en Ian bekruip die bokke met ‘n paar bossies en ‘n lae damwal as skuiling. Teen die damwal word Ian gerieflik gemaak en die jongman is reg vir die eerste skoot. Soos vir ouboet het Oupa vertel hoe om asem te haal wanneer jy aanlê en hoe en wanneer jy die sneller saggies moet druk. Philippie se afstandmeter wys 254 meter maar ons weet dit nie. Rustig en saggies vertel hy vir Ian waar om te mik, want hy het sy geweer in Ian se hand gedruk vir die lang skoot. Ek hou ‘n mooi ram, wat volgens my die teikenbok behoort te wees dop en sien hom in sy spore val voordat ek die klap van die skoot en die dowwe plof van ‘n raakskoot hoor. Wat ek wel duidelik hoor is ‘n kreet wat Tarzan jaloers sou maak. Op die damwal was Ian besig met ‘n gebokspring wat ‘n

Philippie Wolfaardt, Ian Preston en Hennie Vermaas by Ian se eerste bok

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rieldanser na ‘n amateur sou laat lyk!

Oupa se bors was baie breed en net daar en dan is besluit dat ‘n Swartwildebees die ontwykende Koedoe sal vervang. Die besluit is natuurlik aangestig deur ‘n buurman wat vir Philippie laat weet het dat ‘n Swartwildebeesbul uit ‘n kamp gebreek het en nou in ‘n saailand rondloop waar hy nie hoort nie.

Soos wat ‘n Swartwildebees betaam hardloop die ding soos net hulle kan. Geduldig wag is al wat ons kan doen. Oupa praat saggies “Gee hom eers kans dat hy gaan staan en dis dan jou kans. Maak seker van jou skoot.

Jy weet waar jy skiet op 200 meter en jy weet die sneller is sag.” Die keer het Ian Oupa se 7 X 57 in die hand. Swartwildebees se kind het egter ander planne en hardloop heuwel af na die verste hoek van die kamp toe.

Ek stel voor dat ek teen die rand van die kamp sal afstap, met die hoop dat die bok onder langs die heuwel sal terug hardloop

en dan dalk vir Ian ‘n skietkans sou gee. Die plan werk toe en die bok draf aan die onderkant van die heuwel terug. Vir een of ander snaakse rede draai hy en hardloop teen die heuwel op, in die rigting waar Ian en Oupa wag.

So ongeveer 190 meter van Ian af gaan die bok staan ek kyk skuins na hulle toe. Die gaan stilstaan en die klap van die skoot was seker nie twee tellings uitmekaar nie.

Hierdie keer skree Ian “I missed him!’ het nog in ons ore geklink toe struikel die Swartwildebees en slaan neer in die laagte. ‘n Perfekte skoot!

Vleiswerk is deel van die jag en dit het maar met rukke en stote gegaan en ook nie sonder letsels nie. Daar was mos messe en die goed is skerp. ‘n Bietjie bloed en ‘n paar pleisters later was die vleis verwerk en Ian se jag verby.

Daardie aand is heerlik gekuier en dit was moeilik om Oupa en Ian se monde stil te kry.

Vir ons as vriende was dit

wonderlik om die jag-ervaring met hierdie jongmanne te deel en om te sien hoe trots die Ouma en Oupa is. Om hulle dankbaarheid en ook hulle genot wat hulle uit die kuier gekry het waar te neem. Hulle wat halfpad om die wêreld gereis het om hier ‘n jagervaring te beleef wat hulle nooit sal vergeet nie.

Die twee se Ma se kommentaar: Pa/Ma ek weet nie wat julle gedoen het toe die seuns by julle was nie, maar hulle het terug gekom Kanada toe as ander mense. Hulle het skielik groot geword.

As dit is hoe ‘n jag in SA ons kinders kan help grootword, dan is dit tyd dat elkeen kyk na wat ons belowe en hoe ons beloftes nakom.

Shaun se kommentaar: When my Grandfather told me that during my stay in South Africa I was going hunting, I was extremely excited. I never imagined my first hunting

Philippie en Joe agter met Oupa Hennie en Ian voor by ‘n pragtige Swartwildebees

DIE BONTEBOK

experience was going to be with him. I wasn’t disappointed. The next day I couldn’t believe my eyes. There was snow on the ground, and all I could think of was: It snows in South Africa?

This was the beginning of our cold days standing on the back of a truck driving through the mountains and the brush. We spent hours looking for Kudu, but with no luck. We came across a Wildebeest. This was my shot, the herd scattered on the right to a fence. On the left the truck with the others tried to lure them closer. All of a sudden they just ran away, my shot was gone. The farmer Tiefie said I could have one of his Springbok.

I was thrilled because I was told he didn’t let just anyone shoot his Springbok. We then found a herd. They said to go ahead. The one on the right was mine. I steadied my aim, took a breath, and squeezed the trigger. My first shot of my first hunting trip with my Grandfather was done at 214m. I will never

forget this experience, and I have my Grandfather, Joe and Danie to thank for this amazing experience. I that I still talk about it to this day.

Ian se kommentaar: My hunting trip to South Africa, was a promised trip that I had looked forward to since I was first told about it. My brother went when he had graduated high school and I had 3 years to wait before I could go. To me this only built the excitement and anticipation for the trip. When I arrived in South Africa all I could think of was hunting. After a week in Cape Town we started our trip. When we arrived on the farm I was ecstatic and could not wait to go hunting. I had only fired a rifle once before and that was a few days earlier, so when we left the first morning to search for game, I was extremely nervous, wondering if I would miss and the fear of choking when I had the animal in my sights. However, once we had

Hennie en Teresa saam met Damesfontein plaas eienaars Tiefie en Marguerite Wolfaardt

25

found a herd of Springbuck we stalked them and I had the rifle lined up for a shot. I remember a million different emotions going through my head at that moment, “How can I kill an animal? Will I miss and cause it to suffer? It isn’t trophy hunting so I am okay with this”. Finally I took the shot and at 254m I shot my first Springbuck. Later that day we had gone to look for Black Wildebeast and after a long drive on the back of the bakkie we found a bull. I took my shot at 190 meters. I was filled with emotions knowing that I had shot two animals on my first hunting trip. To me the trip is something that I will tell to my children later on in life. The experience is something indescribable and invokes plenty of emotions, not just for me but for my grandparents as well.

This trip gave me a great deal of self-worth and confidence and I cannot be any more grateful for what they have done for me.

Ian kyk uit oor die plaas met skemer wat aanbreek

26

DIE BONTEBOK

Plaashuis met die oggend son wat opkom

GEMSBOKJAG Deur: Schalk Van Van Der Merwe

D

ie dag was vinnig aan die afwen met die son wat laag hang en die vlaktes goud gekleur al langs die Nuweveldberge noord van Beaufort-Wes. Tussen die rante was die diepste klowe en duike al met skadu’s gevul.

In die kloof onder my was ses Springbokramme aan die wei. Ek het my nek kortgetrek en is bukkend tot op die kliprant bo hulle. Die namiddag-son het reg agter my gehang. As ek regop gestaan het het ek ‘n skadu oor die naaste ram, so honderd tree van my af, gegooi.

Hulle het niks van my geweet nie en met die son so lynreg agter my rug het hulle eintlik nie ‘n kans gestaan nie. Ek het myself op my maag gemaklik gemaak en die .270 vorentoe gestoot. Die ramme was

IN DIE KAROO

almal bedrywig, koppe aan die roer soos hulle wei in die bossies en op die grond, lastig as jy wil hê een moet net vir ‘n oomblik sy kop stilhou tot die kruishaar vassuig. Net wanneer my vinger die sneller onder spanning wil plaas tree die ram in my visier vorentoe na die volgende polletjie gras of gaffel die een na die ander as die te na aan hom verby wei. Ek het na ‘n oomblik of twee oorweeg om na hulle te roep sodat hulle net kan stilstaan en opkyk. Dit was darem nie nodig nie en toe een vir my kans gee het die skoot in die kloof op weergalm. Die orige bokke het hulle koppe opgeruk en op die plek bly maal. ‘n Mooi ram wou so son-in begin draf toe hy tien tree later gaan staan. Toe hy terugkyk na die ander is die stilte vir ‘n tweede

maal onderbreek. Weer was die ramme nie seker watter rigting hulle moet inslaan nie. Twee ramme was egter eers genoeg. Ek het die dop uit die geweer se kamer uitgehaal, opgestaan en dit saam met die ander een in my broeksak gesteek.

Eers toe ek die stof van my broek afslaan het die bokke my gewaar en met alle erns koers gekies. Ek is af teen die rant om die bokke se are te sny.

Die Springbokke was ‘n meevaller.

Ek en die manne was eintlik agter twee Gemsbokke aan wat teen die rante van Losberg hou. ‘n Tyd terug het my pa in ruil vir ‘n klompie Blouwildebeeste ‘n handjievol Gemsbokke van een van die buurplase by ons losgelaat. Dit

DIE BONTEBOK was net voor die laaste jare se erge droogte en die Gemsbokke wou net nooit lekker vat nie. Van die bokke het gevrek. Die res het wilder en wilder geword. Soms het maande verbygegaan sonder dat ons hulle sien en was ons oortuig hulle is oor die grensdraad. Op die ou-einde was daar net twee oor, ‘n ou koei en ‘n jonger bul wat die plekke op die plaas waar geen bakkie waag uitry nie hulle tuiste gemaak het.

Vroeër die dag het ek en Elrico, een van die buurplaas se manne, in Koedoekloof, die hoek agter op Losberg, afgeklim met die doel om die twee Gemsbokke uit die berg uit te jaag. Dit terwyl Pa en my swaer, Jacques, hulle bes probeer om hulle iewers onder te onderskep. Soos verwag het ons die twee Gemsbokke op die heel boonste trap onder Van Voorskop, die hoogste punt op die plaas, raakgeloop. Asof die bokke

kon aanvoel hulle is veilig teen Van Voorskop se voet en presies geweet het wat ons probeer doen was hulle huiwerig om saam te werk. Met moeite het ons hulle begin afdruk, een trap op ‘n slag. Elke nou en dan het hulle om ‘n rant se punt verdwyn en het dit gekos hardloop om seker te maak hulle swaai nie terug berg-uit nie. Om hierdie rede het Elrico hoog teen die rante gebly en ek laer af agter die bokke. Een of twee keer was ek redelik naby aan hulle, maar ek kon nie waag skiet nie. Ons spot baie met mekaar en vra: waar skiet jy ‘n bok? Die antwoord is voor die hand liggend: daar waar jy hom met die bakkie kan laai natuurlik. ‘n Uur of twee later het ons die bokke uit die berg gehad, maar hulle moes die bakkie gewaar het, want hulle het nie op die gelyktes onder die berg vertoef nie.

Van Voorskop met sy trappe.

27

Hulle is reguit daaroor, by die Uitkyk verby en af in die klowe, daar waar ek later die Springbokke sou skiet, en in die groot vlak onder op die plaas in. Pa en Jacques is dus met die bakkie af verby die Sonpomp en Skilpadpos vlak toe agter hulle aan terwyl ek en Elrico in die rante tussen die vlak en die berg sou bly om te keer dat die bokke weer daar uit. Oor die radio het ons op hoogte gebly van die bokke se beweging. Ek en Elrico het steeds apart geloop, hy so drie honderd meter bo my aan die draad se kant. Nadat ek die Springbokke se are gesny het het Pa se stem oor die radio gekraak “Die Gemsbokke is onder in die hoek”.

Ek het die oorkantste rand van die kloof geklim en aan die anderkant ‘n plek gesoek vanwaar ek ook die vlak sou kon dophou. Onder in die hoek het die bokke gemaal sonder

28

DIE BONTEBOK

om my kans te gee en kort voor lank het hulle begin terugwerk op hulle spoor berg toe. My asem het nog effe gejaag na die klim uit die kloof toe ek die Gemsbokke onder uit die hoek uit al teen die draad langs sien draf. Ek en Elrico het gesels.

Met die woorde “hulle moenie daar by jou verby nie” het ek die radio in my hempsak gedruk terwyl ek die antwoord hoor: “Hulle sal nie, ek is teen die draad.” Dit was nie lank nie en die bokke het die ent uit die hoek uit gedek. Onder die rant waarin ek en Elrico was, loop ‘n breë rivierloop wat met sy groenigheid die eentonigheid van die vaal vlak breek, ‘n lekker Koedoesloot. Die rivierloop loop op draad toe deur ‘n mat in die buurplaas in. Kort voor die rivierloop swaai altwee Gemsbokke weg van die draad, raak vir ‘n oomblik weg in die ruigtes van die rivierloop en kom reguit op my afgedraf. So tagtig tree van my

af, skuins onder die rant waarin ek myself gemaklik gemaak het, kom staan altwee en kyk terug in die vlak af na die bakkie wat intussen uit die hoek uit begin terug werk het. Na hoeveel mislukte kanse om dié bokke onder skoot te kry moes ek dubbeld seker maak hierdie een tel. Ek het die slot toegedruk, op die eerste een aangelê en oomblikke later het die geweer in my skouer teruggeskop. Met die klap van die skoot het die tweede bok uit my sig uit die rant geklim. Ek het ‘n tweede patroon in die loop gehad soos die koei agter my bo-op die rant uitgehardloop gekom het. Sy was egter al klaar op ‘n plek waar ons haar nie sou kon laai nie en ek moes my slot oopmaak voor ek vir ons so laat in die dag ‘n lelike klomp werk sou maak. Ek het haar maar staan en dophou soos sy haar kop omswaai en haar neus weer in die rigting van die hoogtes druk.

Schalk met die jong Gemsbokbul.

Met die bakkie wat uit die vlak uit moes pad maak deur die rivier nader na die rant toe het ons eers die Springbokke in die kloof gaan laai en daarna die Gemsbok.

Dit was sterk skemer toe ons by die huis kom. My ma was op die stoep besig met die kleinkinders.

Sy weet gewoonlik onmiddellik hoe suksesvol ons in die veld was.

As ons gaan jag het en ons trek die bakkie se neus onder die ou Soetdoringboom langs die stoor in of onder die groot Karee bo langs die braai sê sy altyd: “Julle stop verkeerd.” Vanaand was sy tevrede en het sommer met die kinders aangeloop gekom toe sy sien die bakkie se ligte volg die pad by die slagpale om. ‘n Lekker suksesvolle jag, maar dit het harde werk gekos om daai Gemsbokke te uitoorlê.

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DIE BONTEBOK

THE UNIQUE BIODIVERSITY OF MADAGASCAR

By: Dr Kas Hamman

M

adagascar at 592,800 square km, is the world’s second-largest island country in the Indian Ocean, situated approximately 400 km east of the coast of East Africa. Today, the island’s diverse ecosystems and unique wildlife are threatened by the encroachment of the rapidly growing human population and associated environmental threats.

Archaeological evidence of the

earliest human presence date up to 10,000 years ago, but as can be expected human impacts escalated exponentially over the last 1000 years.

This is the third article that deals with the interesting effects of island or isolation evolution. As with many remote islands, the composition of Madagascar’s wildlife reflects the fact that the island has been isolated for just less than 90 million years. The breakup of the southern supercontinent Gondwana separated the MadagascarAntarctica-India landmass from the Africa-South America landmass around 135 million years ago.

Madagascar later split from the north-moving Indian subcontinent about 88 million years ago, allowing plants and animals on the island to evolve mainly in isolation.

Because of this long isolation from neighbouring continents, Madagascar is home to an abundance of plants and animals found nowhere else on Earth.

Approximately 90 percent of all

plant and animal species found in Madagascar are endemic to the island. It is home to some of the most unique and unusual wildlife species found in the entire world.

Madagascar is home to almost 25,000 animal species, but today an alarming number of lemurs, the carnivorous fossa, many birds, reptiles, amphibians, fishes, and even insects are endangered.

Madagascar’s isolation has led to the evolution of a large number of endemic animal and plant species, but there is an absence of many taxa found on neighbouring continents. Some of Madagascar’s animals appear to represent lineages that have been present since the breakup of Gondwana, while many others, including all of the nonflying indigenous mammals are descendants from ancestors that survived rare rafting or swimming voyages from Africa probably aided by currents.

For a considerable time, it was assumed that flightless birds such as the now-extinct Elephant Bird

DIE BONTEBOK

37

The silky sifaka and the ring-tail are two of more than 100 known species of lemur found only in Madagascar reached Madagascar from Africa possibly before the splitting of the two landmasses, so that the closest relatives of elephant birds would have been ostriches.

A stunning finding from ancient DNA analysis, however, revealed that the closest living relatives of elephant birds are actually the relatively small kiwi of New Zealand.

Conservation International classified the island as a biodiversity hotspot and its distinctive ecology has led some ecologists to refer to Madagascar as the “eighth continent”.

THE MAMMALS OF MADAGASCAR

The mammalian fauna of Madagascar are adapted to the prevailing environmental conditions on the Island and are largely endemic. The latest survey conducted in 2014, revealed that there are 168 species, 40 genera and 9 families. Except for an introduced shrew, all the terrestrial mammals are endemic to the Island.

This endemic fauna, consisting of lemurs, tenrecs, nesomyine rodents, and euplerid carnivores, is thought to have colonized the island from Africa via four or five rafting events.

Lemurs species include the smallest primate in the world namely the pygmy lemur, which weighs only 25 grams and ranges up to the size of the indri lemur, which can weigh as much as 10 kilograms. From 2000 through to 2008, 39 new species were described and nine other taxa resurrected. As of 2010, five families, 15 genera and 101 species and subspecies of lemur were formally recognized. By 2014, the number of species plus subspecies recognized had increased to 113; of the 105 species then known. The number of lemur species is likely to continue to grow in the coming years, as field studies, cytogenetic and molecular genetic research continues.

According to the 2014 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, 24 lemur species are classified as critically endangered, 49 as endangered, 20 as vulnerable, 3 as near threatened, 3 as least concern, 4 as data deficient, and 2 were yet to be evaluated. Today, lemurs are of the most threatened mammals on the entire planet!

An interesting question is – how did lemurs get to Madagascar? Molecular clock estimates indicate that lemurs and the lorisoids (primates occurring in Africa and Asia) diverged in Africa during the Paleocene, approximately 62 million years ago. Between 47 and 54 million years ago, lemurs dispersed from Africa to Madagascar by Oceanic dispersal. This type of biological dispersal occurs when terrestrial organisms transfer from one landmass to another by way of a sea crossing.

This often occurs via large rafts of floating vegetation such as sometimes seen floating down major rivers in the tropics and washing out to sea, occasionally with animals trapped on them. Dispersal via such a raft is referred to as a rafting event. In the isolated environment of Madagascar, the lemurs diversified and filled the niches often filled by monkeys and apes today.

In Africa, the lorises and galagos diverged during the Eocene, approximately 40 million years ago. The lemurs thrived on Madagascar, as they did not have to compete with monkeys and apes or other mammals.

The Strepsirrhini is a suborder of primates that includes the Lemuriformes primates, the lemurs of Madagascar, galagos (“bushbabies”) and pottos (tailless monkeys) from Africa, and the lorises, primates from India and Southeast Asia. Collectively this group is referred to as strepsirrhines. Also belonging to the suborder are the extinct adapiform primates that thrived during the Eocene (56 to 34 Million years ago) in Europe, North America, and Asia, but disappeared from most of the Northern Hemisphere as the climate cooled.

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DIE BONTEBOK

Baobab Trees

The fossa Cryptoprocta ferox The fossa Cryptoprocta ferox; is a cat-like, carnivore endemic to Madagascar. It is a member of the Eupleridae, a family of carnivores closely related to the mongoose family Herpestidae. Genetic studies demonstrate that the fossa and all other Malagasy carnivores are part of the same clade which means that they are closely related and part of the Eupleridae family. The genetic data points to a single colonization event of the island by ancestors of these carnivores about 18 to 20 million years ago. The animal has a slender body and appears more like a cat with little physical resemblance to their relative the mongoose.

The fossa uses its long tail like a tightrope walking pole to move swiftly through trees.

The fossa is the largest mammalian carnivore in Madagascar. Adults have a head-body length of 70–80 cm and weigh between 5.5 and 8.6 kg, with the males larger than the females. It has semi-retractable claws which means it can extend but not fully retract its claws and it has flexible ankles that allow it to climb up and down trees head-first, and it has the ability to jump from tree to tree. The fossa is unique within its family for the shape of its genitalia, which shares traits with those of cats and hyenas.

Although population densities are usually low, the species is still present in most of the natural forests on the Island. The fossa actively hunts both by day and night. It is an opportunistic carnivore as up to 50% of its diet consists of lemurs, tenrecs, rodents, lizards, birds, and other animals. Mating usually occurs in trees on horizontal branches and can last for several hours.

Litters range from one to six pups, which are born blind and toothless. Infants wean after 4.5 months and are independent after a year. Sexual maturity occurs around three to four years of age, and life expectancy in captivity is 20 years. The fossa is listed as a vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List. It is generally feared by

the Malagasy people, which provides it with a certain form of protection. The greatest threat to the fossa is habitat destruction.

Malagasy rats and mice are all members of the subfamily Nesomyinae. These animals are the only indigenous rodents of Madagascar, come in many shapes and sizes, and occupy a wide variety of ecological niches. There are nesomyines that resemble gerbils, rats, mice, voles, and even rabbits. There are arboreal (tree dwellers) terrestrial, and semi-fossorial (diggers) varieties. It seems likely that all rodents in Madagascar are descendants from a single invasion of the Island from Africa.

OTHER ANIMALS

Madagascar has about 300 species of birds, more than 260 species of reptiles, and at least 266 species of amphibians. The island also has a rich invertebrate fauna including earthworms, insects, spiders, and nonmarine molluscs.

ANIMALS THAT WENT EXTINCT ON MADAGASCAR

Over the last 10 000 years, a number of Madagascar species went extinct, such as the giant lemurs (Archaeoindris) weighing over 200 kg comparable to the largest gorillas. Hippopotamus that inhabit the Island also went extinct. The island also hosted the largest known birds of all time namely the flightless elephant birds weighing up to 700 kg. All of these animals went extinct following the first appearance of humans more than 2000 years ago. Today, the largest surviving indigenous mammals of the island, is the indri lemur and the fossa, both weighing up to 10 kg. Most if not all of the 29 listed extinct species were hunted to extinction prior to the arrival of Europeans on the Island.

DIE BONTEBOK

The elephant bird (Aepyornis maximus) is the largest bird to have ever walked the earth and it laid the biggest bird eggs on record. This giant flightless bird was endemic to Madagascar. The bird had no natural predators on the island, meaning that its survival strategy was quite successful. Scientists determined that the Elephant Bird went extinct somewhere around the year 1000, not long after man first set foot on Madagascar.

PLANTS OF MADAGASCAR

More than 80 percent of Madagascar’s 14,883 plant species are found nowhere else in the world, including five plant families. There are several endemic families including the Asteropeiaceae, Sarcolaenaceae, and Sphaerosepalaceae. The humid eastern part of the island was formerly covered in rainforest with many palms, ferns, and bamboo, although much of this forest has been reduced by human activity. The west has areas of dry deciduous forest with many lianas and with tamarind and baobabs among the dominant trees.

A sub-humid forest once covered much of the central plateau but grassland is now the dominant vegetation type there. The family Didiereaceae, composed of four genera and 11 species, is limited to the spiny forests of southwestern Madagascar.

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

As human population density rose on the island, deforestation accelerated beginning around 1400 years ago. By the 16th century, the central highlands had been largely cleared of their original forests. More recently the loss of forest cover include the growth in cattle herd size since their introduction around 800 years ago, continued reliance on charcoal as a fuel for cooking, and the increased prominence of coffee as a cash crop over the past century. According to a conservative estimate, about 40 percent of the island’s original forest cover was lost from the 1950s to 2000, with a thinning of remaining forest areas by 80 percent.

Sustainable biodiversity conservation is a major challenged due to the illicit harvesting of protected forests, as well as the current state-sanctioned harvesting of precious woods within national parks.

Habitat destruction and hunting increasingly threatens many of Madagascar’s endemic species or has caused their extinction.

39

descended from species that were originally present when Madagascar became an island, or from species that later crossed the sea to Madagascar. Ecological niches were filled by animals with quite different origins from those on the African mainland, often leading to convergent evolution. A large proportion of these endemic Malagasy animals have died out since the arrival of humans, particularly the megafauna.

Despite massive deforestation and continuing habitat destruction, Madagascar is still home to an incredible diversity of wildlife, the vast majority of which is unique in the world. Madagascar is a primary spot for ecotourism, with more than fifty national parks and other protected areas.

Available information indicates that there have been only four natural colonization events of terrestrial mammals from the mainland of Africa. These events brought to Madagascar the ancestors of its tenrecs, lemurs, carnivores, and nesomyine rodents.

Other mammals that colonized the Island were the amphibious hippopotamus (now hunted to extinction) and as can be expected, various species of bats.

REFERENCES

Benstead, Jonathan P.; Goodman, Steven D. (2003). The natural history of Madagascar. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Callmander, Martin; et al. (2011). “The endemic and non-endemic vascular flora of Madagascar updated” (PDF). Plant Ecology and Evolution. 144 (2): 121–125.

Hogan (2008). Biological diversity in Madagascar and the Indian Ocean Islands. Conservation International.

Mitchell, K. J.; Llamas, B.; Soubrier, J.; Rawlence, N. J.; Worthy, T. H.; Wood, J.; Lee, M. S. Y.; Cooper, A. (2014).

“Ancient DNA reveals elephant birds and kiwi are sister taxa and clarifies ratite bird evolution”. Science. 344 (6186): 898–900.

Wikipedia (2020). Wildlife of Madagascar.

SUMMARY

Madagascar has been an isolated island for 80-plus million years. It broke away from Africa around 165 million years ago and from India nearly 90 million years later. This isolation led to the development of an endemic biodiversity absolutely unique to the Island.

Before humans arrived just more than 2,500 years ago, there were many large and unusual animals living there,

The extinct Malagasy Elephant Bird (Aepyornis maximus)

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HANDGUN & MULTIDISCIPLINE SHOOTING

Hein Aylward SPORT SHOOTING SPORT SHOOTING COMMITTEE (SSC)

T

he aim and purposes of the SSC at Kaapjag is to promote sport shooting activities and serve as a marketing wing of Kaapjag.

To introduce the current committee, they are; Hein Aylward (Chairman) Francois Rossouw Ludy Starke Llewellyn Loxton Louwtjie Hanekom By virtue of his position as Field Shooting representative, Andre Volschenk will be incorporated as well.

How it will further operate is that each branch will have a sport shooting co-ordinator to co-ordinate all sport shooting activities and work with the SSC. The following persons have been provisionally nominated for the roles at branch level; Anthony Swift – Boesmanland (assisted by Louwtjie Hanekom) Jacques Buckle – Central (assisted by Ludy Starke) Andro Du Preez – Witzenberg Andre Volchenk – Wynland

Handgun shoot at Bellville Pistol Club. Members shot the Tyro classifier on timed turning targets.

It was initially discussed that the chairman’s would in the interim assume the position, however we at the SSC will work with the relevant chairman’s to identify and select the suitable candidates. It was requested that the branches apply their minds in identifying a member with a multi-disciplined frame of mind and being open minded to all types of shooting disciplines.

A SSC strategy workshop will be planned for all the sport shooting reps where we will discuss moving Kaapjag to the next level. We will keep you all posted on the development at the SSC. The SCC also attended the EXCO meeting session on 27 August 2020 and it was found that the objectives were the same. The SCC also formed part or the management workshop that was held on the 25th of July 2020.

Exciting times are upon us and members can be assured that the interest and development of member’s interests are very important.

ACCREDITATION A lot of work has gone into registering Kaapjag with SAPS as an accredited association.

Special thanks to Matt Relihan and Francois Rossouw for their work in this regard.

The purpose for this process is to enable Kaapjag to issue members with dedicated sport shooting status. We would also be able to identify various other shooting disciplines and activities, for example; Shotgun: Trap, Skeet and Steel Challenge.

Handgun: NPA, PPC, ISSF, IPSC, Steel Challenge, self-designed customised.

Rifle: Field Shooting, FTR, Semi Auto - NRA Rifle events, to mention a few.

The current Chasa events are too restricted and limited. It was also found that Kaapjag members are forced to affiliate with other associations to have these activities recognised, which defeats the purpose. We will with time affiliate with the National Rifle Association

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Kaylin Blomerus at Central Chairman Shoot USA. Our members will then be able to compete at international level, such as the annual NRA World Shooting Championships in the USA. HANDGUN TRAINING Handgun training sessions were hosted at Bellville Pistol Club during August 2020. Over 30 members attended the training sessions after COVID was gradually eased off. Bellville Pistol Club Chairman Hamish Deal is thanked for his hospitality under strict COVID regulations. TYRO, NPA Service and NRA Practical events were offered.

Coming back to the SSC and the identification of branch representatives, these type of activities will be under the control of the local representatives.

The SSC is also investigating shooting opportunities at False Bay Sport Shooting Club, Kraaifontein and CPPC. It was found that some of our members are actively involved there.

The Steel Challenge and NRA action Pistol events will be rolled out in 2021 again by the respective

41

Kaylin at BPC NPA training

branches, and this is where the sport shooting representatives will play a big role.

YOUTH DEVELOPMENT The development of young hunters and sport shooters are very important and high on the priority list of SSC and Kaapjag.

Kaylin Blomerus (15 years old) joined Kaapjag in 2019 and showed keen interest and potential in handgun, rifle and shotgun shooting. With the assistance of advanced level firearms instructor, Hamish Deal and owner of Real Deal Recourses, Kaylin was assisted her with competencies in handgun, self-loading rifle, manually operated rifle and shotgun. She obtained her dedicated sport shooting status as well (cum laude).

Hein Aylward of Kaapjag assisted her with sport shooting development on handgun shooting and she was awarded the Chasa TYRO handgun shooting certificate and attended a short introduction to IPSC (Practical shooting). She is extremely focussed on handgun shooting and also

took part in the Central Branch Chairmans handgun shoot on the 7th of November 2020 where she showed some experienced members who is who in the zoo on the day, looking at the scores.

Kaylin is a top learner at Bellville High School and her desire to learn more about shooting in the short time that I’ve known her exceeded my expectations. I forecast that she will be a very successful sport shooter in the future.

SHOOTING EVENTS DURING COVID It was pleasing to see the activities that were hosted by Boesmanland, Namakwaland, Wes Boland, Witzenberg, Central and Overberg during the lockdown period.

All the events were conducted under strict COVID regulations.

The SSC assisted with the COVID compliance guidelines and it was good to receive the positive feedback from the various branches.

I wish everyone good health and all the best for 2021.

Hein Aylward

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Koup-tak Die dag is afgesluit met ‘n braaivleis ete. Ongelukkig is die tradisie na 18 jaar verbreek, naamlik dat ons nie die dag se verigtinge onder ‘n doringboom kon afsluit nie. Die wind en stof was bietjie erg en moes ons noodgedwonge na die stoor skuif.

Alle dank en waardering aan André, Johan en Matt wat die dag se verigtinge behartig het.

Dankie ook aan Kaapjag se mede Bestuurslede vir jul omgee harte.

Ons glo en vertrou dat elke persoon wat die dag bygewoon het, het dit baie geniet. Die atmosfeer was absoluut wonderlik. Almal het net skiet gepraat, gelag en gesels en van alles wat sleg was vergeet. Al was dit net vir een dag.

Koup-groete uit ‘n dorre Karoo

Jacobus Nel - Voorsitter

O

p Saterdag 7 November 2020 het Koup-Tak sy eerste skietdag na die inperking gehad. Die dag is in samewerking met Kaapjag se Dagbestuur aangebied en geborg deur Kaapjag.

Die besluit is geneem nadat hulle ons tak met die “Road Show” besoek het en bewus geraak het van die finansiële omstandighede en emosionele probleme wat Koup-Tak se lede ondervind na die sewe jare lange droogte, aangesien ons lede hoofsaaklik boere is. Die gedagte was toe om te probeer om die lede weer te betrek by ‘n skietdag wat hulle nie geld kos nie. Vantevore het lede nie kans gesien om skietdae by te woon nie as gevolg van die koste. Somme is net gemaak rondom voer koop.

Die dag was baie goed bygewoon ten spyte van al die faktore en slegte weer in ag geneem. Ons het ‘n pretskiet aangebied wat die volgende ingesluit het, .22 skiet, kleiduif en pistoolskiet. Oud en jonk het deelgeneem. Selfs die vroue wat nooit aan ‘n skiet deelneem nie, het geskiet en het die pistool skiet baie geniet. Die gevolg is dat van hulle selfs wil aansluit.

Matt se kleiduif was weereens ‘n treffer aangesien ons klub nie so ‘n fasiliteit het nie. Sy ammunisie voorraad het beslis ‘n groot knou gekry.

Johan Straus, Jacobus Nel, André Duvenhage, Matt Rehlian en Koos Nel, Ilze Nel, Fanie du Toit – Bestuurslede van Koup-Tak

Koup manne vroue teenwoordig reg vir skiet en braai

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Koup-tak

Matt verduidelik die haelgeweer se werking en kleiduif

Die manne maak reg om te skiet onder die baanoffisier se wakende oog

André Duvenhage en Jacobus Nel geniet ‘n grappie

André verduidelik bietjie pistool vir Suzaan Theron

Die beste skuts van die dag - Moolman, Louwrens Louw & Laray Marais

Die flukse manne wat ken van braai

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Weskusjag-Tak

A

Adri Basson - Voorsitter

s gevolg van die Covid pandemie het die tak tot hede nog geen kompetisies aangebied sedert die inperking in Maart 2020 nie.

Dit beteken egter nie dat ons geen aktiwiteite gehad het sedert Augustus 2020 nie. Die skuts het die kans gebruik om hulself vertroud te maak met hul handwapens sowel as met kleiduif skiet.

Diegene wat hul gewere wou toets was ook welkom om hulself vertroud te maak met die verskillende skietposisies.

Weskus-Tak is ook baie gelukkig met ‘n paar nuwe lede wat aangesluit het by Kaapjag.

Ons wil elkeen van julle hartlik verwelkom en vertrou dat ons julle nog baie by ons aktiwiteite sal sien.

Weskus-groete

Dis fyn mik en raakskiet tyd.

Die manne kyk mooi vir gate en die punte behaal op die teikens

Louis Engels wys sy vernuf met die kleiduif skiet

Jean van der Merwe skiet ook die kleiduiwe

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Overberg-tak

Nico Loubser - Voorsitter

M

nr Gideon Albertyn is die eienaar van die plaas Sandhoogte buite

Bredasdorp, op die pad Struisbaai toe. ‘n Area is aan Overberg Kaapjag beskikbaar gestel en vir meer as 14 jaar beoefen Overberg Kaapjag sy skietaktiwiteite op die Sandhoogtebaan.

Ou stalle is beskikbaar gestel wat omskep kon word in stoorplek. Hy het water laat aangelê. ‘n Paar keer per jaar sien ons net Gideon se trekker en bossieslaner het daar geloop en ons mag nie vra wat die koste is nie. Sy werksmense maak feitlik daagliks ‘n draai by die stoor om toe te sien dat alles nog veilig en toegesluit is.

Sandhoogte bied aan alle skuts die geleentheid, 6 dae ‘n week, om hul

wapens te gebruik en in oefening te bly. Die fasiliteit is so ontwikkel met die nodige infrastruktuur dat skuts terselfdertyd die .22, 100 meter baan en die 300 meter baan veilig kan benut.

Die pragtige natuurlike omgewing met die Melkhoutbome en die goed versorgde grasbane beïndruk alle besoekers.

Gideon, BAIE DANKIE vir jou toegeeflikheid, jou ondersteuning en spesifiek vir dit wat jy vir Kaapjag in die geheel beteken en doen.

OVERBERG KAAPJAG BESTUUR

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Boesmanland-tak

Anthony Swift - Voorsitter VLAKTE SKIET 10 Oktober 2020

O

p 10 Oktober 2020 het Boesmanlandjag weer ‘n Vlakteskiet oefening aangebied.

Nou ‘n amptelike dissipline van Kaapjag, is hierdie die tweede Vlakteskiet wat op Calvinia aangebied is.

Ten spyte van die COVID-19 regulasies wat ‘n reuse inperking op die Klub se skiet aktiwiteite geplaas het, was die dag steeds entoesiasties benader en het dit suksesvol afgeloop.

Hierdie jaar se formaat is deur klub alumnus Johann Strauss opgestel, en het bestaan uit twee dubbele teikenbane, asook een ghongbaan en ‘n vlakvark teikenbaan. Verskeie skietposisies is ingespan, waaronder staan met ‘n drievoet, sit met ‘n drievoet, en sit en skiet met ‘n uiters ongemaklike melkkrat.

Aangesien die dag slegs ‘n oefening was en nie ‘n kompetisie nie, was geen wenners aangekondig nie. Alle deelnemende skuts se punte is egter aangestuur vir CHASA-rangorde.

Na afloop van die oefening het deelnemers die geleentheid benut om bietjie sosiaal te verkeer na al die maande van “social distancing”! Die innerlike is ook versterk met heerlike gebraaide hoender, vetkoek en slaaie.

Ghongbaan, Maretha Thiart hou toesig as baanoffisier

Skuts het goed gefokus en mooi geskiet

Boesmanlandjag se jaarlikse Valplaat Skiet Op Saterdag 14 November 2020 het Boesmanland Jag sy gebruiklike Valplaat skietkompetisie aangebied waar deelnemers drie skote vir drie (30x30cm) valplate het. Indien al 3 valplate

Skut lê aan oor driepoot na 100m vlakvark

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Boesmanland-tak suksesvol omgeskiet is, skuif die skuts na die volgende afstand.

Vooraf word alle deelnemers se wapens in een van 3 kategorieë geklassifiseer. Die sogenaamde “Bakkie”-klas is vir skuts met ‘n standaard geweer sonder modifikasies en ‘n teleskoop met vergroting minder as 12; die Standaard klas vir meer toegeruste skuts, en die Ope klas vir die “donderbuise”.

Berug vir sy gure omstandighede, was Ramskop Skietbaan weer getrou aan sy reputasie, met ongenaakbare wind wat die vlae heeldag laat wapper het.

jare vantevore, hierdie dag vir ons borg en moontlik maak.

Elke afdelingswenner het ‘n kontantprys gewen, en alle deelnemers het kans gestaan om gesogte pryse (waaronder Wildman geskenkbewyse en skiet toebehore) tydens die gelukkige trekking te wen.

Na afloop van die prysuitdeling is die dag afgesluit met potjiekos, bakbrood en poeding, voordat

daar heerlik gekuier en nabetrag is oor die dag se raak - en misskote!

Die bestuur en lede van Boesmanland Jag bedank al die getroue en nuwe skuts wat van heinde en verre elke jaar opdaag om ons te ondersteun. Veral in die lig van al 2020 se gebeure is dit ‘n riem onder die hart dat daar steeds soveel mense is wat ons plaaslike skiet ondersteun.

Geseënde Kersfees aan almal.

SKIET GEBORG DEUR :

Die “Bakkie”-klas het op 200m begin, en het aangehou tot op 600m.

Vier skuts het deelgeneem aan ‘n uitkloprondte, en is gewen deur Johnathan Love, wat vir sy eerste keer aan ‘n Boesmanlandjag Valplaat kompetisie deelgeneem het.

Standaard klas het begin op die 300m en is deur Juanita Scheffers op die 800m merk gewen met Standaard Howa 6.5mm Creedmoor.

Ramskop Skietbaan

Die Ope klas het op die 400m merk begin en het volgehou tot op die 900m merk, met ‘n rekordgetal van 8 skuts wat tot op hierdie afstand deurgedring het. Twee rondtes was op die 900m geskiet om die wenner te bepaal, en JC van Niekerk het die meeste plate op 900m omgeskiet om as die finale wenner gekroon te word.

Spesiale dank aan Gerhard en Dorette van Wildman Brackenfell, wat net soos soveel

Top skuts van die Valplaatskiet

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Sentraal-tak funksies tussen die bestuur en vinnig die Tak op sy voete gekry. takke. Gevolglik kan Kaapjag Die maandelikse lede-aande Kantoor en Bestuur konsentreer was geleenthede vir die lede om op sake wat die Vereniging as gesellig bymekaar te kom en het geheel raak, terwyl die Takke groot byval by die lede gevind. Dit die plaaslike sake aanbied, soos het `n instelling geword en oor skiet kompetisies, CHASA toetse, die 10 jaar is ongeveer 80 ledeopleiding, werkswinkels, sosiale aande aangebied, met `n wye byeenkomste, ens. verskeidenheid onderwerpe. Die Op `n Spesiale Agemene vernaamste gasspreker was sekerlik Vergadering van 11 November Dr Imtiaz Sooliman van die Gift of 2009, het die lede oorweldigend JA the Givers organisasie. gestem vir die stigting van `n Stad Sentraal-Tak het die verpligte Tak. CHASA dienste uitgerol, soos die Op 23 Maart 2010, word die Praktiese en Teoretiese Skiettoetse, Stigtersvergadering van `n Stad .22 en Senterslag Baanskiete, Tak gehou. Daar word aan al die Handwapen -en Boogskiete, Yaseen Hanware - Voorsitter vereistes voldoen en SentraalHaelgeweer Skiete, Ghong Skiete, Tak word met groot entoesiasme Veldskiete en `n Vlakteskiet.

KAAPJAG SENTRAAL-TAK: gestig.

Ander aanbiedings was die vele DIE EERSTE DEKADE….

Die eerste bestuurskomitee Lede-aande, Wildevark Jagte, het bestaan uit DeWet van Springbok Jagte, Junior Opleiding ie jare vlieg vinnig verby en Rooyen (Voorsitter), Henri du Jagte, Voëljagte, Teoretiese -en mens kan dit skaars glo dat Toit (Onder-Voorsitter), Tom Praktiese Skietopleiding, Skoliere dit reeds 10 jaar is sedert die Maskowitz (Sekretaris), Marius skietopleiding, Big Bore skiete, Sentraal-Tak van Kaapjag gestig was.

Kotzé (Tesourier), Horst Kettner Vleisverwerking Werkswinkels, Ons nuwe lede is moontlik nie van die (Opleiding Koodineerder), Philip Herlaai Werkswinkels, Mesmaak geskiedenis van Sentraal-Tak bewus nie, Olivier (Skiet Koordineerder), Jack Werkswinkels, Fonds Insamelings so kom ons begin by die begin.

Nel en Barry Hattingh (Bykomende en laaste, maar nie die minste, die Ondersoeke wat deur Kaapjag gedoen Lede). lekker Ouballie Skiete. is gedurende 2006 en 2007 het daarop DeWet het sy take met ywer en Die erge droogte sit geweldige druk gedui dat die stigting van `n Sentraalentoesiasme uitgevoer en het op die boere van Noordkaap en Tak kon bydra tot meer eenvormige bestuur en administrasie dwarsdeur Kaapjag. Dit sou die persepsie van onregmatige bevoordeling uit die weg ruim en harmonie tussen die Takke en Bestuur skep.

Op die Kaapjag AJV van 15 Maart 2008, is die besluit geneem dat daar `n Sentraal-Tak gestig moet word, onderhewig aan `n ondersoek van die lewensvatbaarheid daarvan. `n Ondersoek gedurende 2008 het daarop gedui dat so `n stap die administratiewe las op die kantoor kan verlig, VLNR: DeWet van Rooyen (Voorsitter), Tom Maskowitz (Sekretaris), meer effektiewe bestuurspraktyke Marius Kotzé (Tesourier), Horst Kettner (Opleiding Ko-odineerder), bevorder deur die verdeling van Henri du Toit (Onder-Voorsitter) en Jack Nel

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Sentraal-tak Boesmanland. Sentraal-Tak besluit in 2017 om `n fondsinsameling skiet te hou en die aansienlike bedrag van R38 000 word aan die Calvinia boere gemeenskap geskenk.

Die droogte hou aan en verlede jaar was Anton de Bruyn geĂŻnspireer om weer `n fondsinsameling op die been te bring. Ons hou `n skietkompetisie, verkry skenkings en maak dit moontlik om R80 000 en `n vrag veevoer aan Sutherland se boeregemeenskap te skenk. Dit het `n reuse verskil gemaak in hierdie droogtegeteisterde gebied en is met groot waardering ontvang.

Al hierdie aktiwitiete was aangebied deur die verskillende Bestuurskomitees. Ons bedank hiedie groepe vrywilligers wat

hulle tyd en energie opgeoffer het vir die lede van Sentraal-Tak. Die voorsitters wat bereid was om die leisels te vat en van voor af te lei was: 2010: DeWet van Rooyen 2011: DeWet van Rooyen 2012: DeWet van Rooyen 2013: Christopher Cloete 2014: Christopher Cloete 2015: Christopher Cloete 2016: Bakkies Eksteen 2017: Francois Rode 2018: Yaseen Hanware 2019: Yaseen Hanware 2020: Yaseen Hanware Horst Kettner en Henri du Toit is die enigste twee bestuurslede wat ononderbroke op die bestuur gedien het.

SentraaltTak het die Tak van die Jaar trofee gewen vir die jare 2010, 2013, 2014 en 2020.

Ongelukkig moes die Algemene Jaarvergadering van Maart 2020 gekanselleer word weens die Covid-19 pandemie en Sentraal-Tak se 2019/2020 aktiwiteite kon nie behoorlik afgesluit word nie.

Ons kan met trots terugkyk na die 10-jarige bestaan van Sentraal-Tak. Die stigting van Sentraal-Tak het sy doel gedien. Sentraal-Tak lewer sy dienste aan die stadslede en Kaapjag Bestuur kan aandag gee aan strategiese sake.

Ons sien uit na die volgende 10 jaar van lekker Sentraal-Tak aktiwiteite.

GeseĂŤnde Kersfees aan al ons lede en dankie vir julle ondersteuning.

We believe that taking pride in the quality of what you make is more important than how many you can make. www.elsfineleather.co.za

orders@elsfineleather.co.za | +27 21 887 8063

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Wes Bolandjag-tak

Kobus Van Niekerk - Voorsitter a Covid-19 se “lock down” kon die Tak darem weer op die skietbaan uitkom vir ‘n skiet kompetisies. Dit was lekker om almal weer daar te sien asook die nuwe gesigte wat ook kom deelneem het.

Ons het weer twee van die tak se lekkerste skiet-aktiwiteite, naamlik die .22 Chasa en Standaard Chasa baanskiet aangebied en beide was goed verteenwoordig.

Daar is definitief van die junior skuts wat groot potensiaal toon en ons is baie opgewonde om te sien hoe hulle gaan groei in die sport.

Die deelnemers, oud en jonk, het dit beslis baie geniet en daar is weer lekker gebraai en gesels in die klubhuis na afloop van die skiet..... jagstories was maar min aangesien die manne nie kon gaan jag nie!!!

Wes Bolandjag se bestuur wil graag aan elke lid en deelnemer dankie sê vir julle ondersteuning en deelname deur die jaar.

Ons sien uit na 2021 en hoop dat dit ‘n jaar vol vooruitgang sal wees. Veilig reis en Geseënde Kersfees vir almal!

N

Pa hou toesig en gee raad tydens die .22 Chasa baanskiet

Wenners vir die dag met hul sertifikate na afloop van die .22 Chasa baanskiet....Die Junior heel links het van die seniors geklop met sy telling

Standaard Chasa baanskiet wenners

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Wes Bolandjag-tak

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