Namibia Holiday & Travel - Adventure in Namibia - Hunting
Hunting
Namibia has become one of the top hunting destinations in Africa. Members of the Namibia Professional Hunters Association (NAPHA), which celebrated its 35th anniversary in 2009, maintain a high standard of ethics. Hunting options range from trophy hunting on hunting or guest farms to hunting and big-game safaris in concession areas in the east and north-east of the country.
For the past eight years Venture Publications has been producing the annual magazine Huntinamibia in English and German. The publication is aimed at informing readers about the best there is on hunting adventures in Namibia and is supported by NAPHA.
Namibia has strict game laws, requiring all hunting farms to register with the Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET). All hunting guides, master hunting guides and professional hunters are required to meet the stringent requirements set by the Ministry.
Trophy hunting is allowed between February and November. The Nature Conservation Ordinance provides for four classifications of game: huntable game, specially protected game, protected game and huntable game birds.
Huntable game includes kudu, gemsbok (oryx), springbok, warthog and bushpig. The hunting season for huntable game on farms is usually in June and July. Written permission must be obtained from the farmer before a permit will be issued by the MET.
Specially protected game such as elephant, Hartmann’s mountain zebra, black and white rhino, hippo, impala, black-faced impala and Burchell’s zebra, and protected game including lion, blue wildebeest, eland, cheetah, red lechwe, roan, sable, sitatunga, steenbok, tsessebe and waterbuck, may be hunted only with a permit issued by the MET.
Game-bird hunting is growing in popularity and some farmers are now managing their game-bird populations to offer this form of hunting. Huntable game birds include Burchell’s and Namaqua sandgrouse, red-billed, crested and Orange River francolins, crested guineafowl, Egyptian goose and Cape and red-billed teal. The bag limits and hunting seasons for the respective species are published in the Government Gazette.
Namibia also offers bow hunting. Several farms have been approved for bow hunting by the MET, while professional hunters, master hunting guides and hunting guides are required to qualify as bow-hunting guides. napha@mweb.com.na www.napha.com.na
