Wing Shooting
African Classic Safaris is a fore runner in providing clients with quality African Wingshooting safaris. South Africa has a wide variety of game birds requiring the use of different techniques. These may include driven hunts and placing clients in the “pass” position to achieve the best results. Others, such as for Guinea Fowl, are to drive the birds from the fields to the rough where they are walked up. The excitement of a bird picking up at any time requires the hunter to remain focused on his surroundings if he is to achieve that perfect shot. The open areas and grasslands provide sufficient cover for a number of Francolin species. Even with the dogs on point, signalling the hunter to ready himself, many a good man has been scared by the sudden, noisy and very late flush of these birds The mountainous slopes of the south-eastern Freestate also allow for excellent Greywing shooting…
African Classic Safaris mainly hunts in the Freestate Province of South Africa. As the largest producing agricultural area within the country (maize, sorghum and sunflower) it explains the numbers, and diversity, of bird species to be found there. February – April, which includes Rock Pigeon season, will allow clients the opportunity to shoot 1000 – 2000 shells a day! The waterfowl season runs from 1 June – 31 August and depending on rainfall, one is able to reach bag-limit daily… Hunting here allows for the use of blinds and decoys to attract waterfowl species to the area ensuring an enjoyable shoot.
Typical days hunt,
Rock Pigeons and Doves - Clients are woken up and meet in the lounge for tea and coffee before heading to the vehicles. The birds fly from their roost, either in nearby mountainous areas or from the buildings of Bloemfontein, to the sunflower fields. I first identify their flight path before placing my clients out in the “pass” position for the morning flight. This is replicated in the afternoon.
Waterfowl and game birds - Similar morning activity however, depending on the distance, generally an earlier wake up. We scout every dam before hunting there to assess the amount of birds and flight path to or from nearby feed fields. Depending on the flight we will build blinds and place decoys to attract the birds as best as possible. The waterfowl shoot will either be a morning or afternoon affair as the geese and ducks stop flying around 8h30/9h00. We utilise the interim period for hunting game birds such as Guineafowl and Francolin within the same general area. These are shot either over dogs or driven through maize and sunflower towards the clients.
Gallery
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