Hunting season starts Friday

THE 2009 hunting season will start on May 1 on commercial farms with officially registered game-proof fences, the Ministry of Environment and Tourism announced on Tuesday.

Huntable game species are gemsbok, kudu, springbok, red hartebeest and warthog and some bird species, but only one kudu per hunter for the entire hunting season is allowed.The hunting season lasts until August 31 on farms of 1 000 hectares or larger, with game-proof fences. ‘In the case of commercial farms of the same size but with a normal livestock fence, the hunting season starts a month later on June 1,’ the Ministry said. Once again, the Ministry has imposed strict rules to protect game, which is regarded as a valuable natural resource. Each hunter may shoot either three large game animals (kudu, gemsbok or red hartebeest), or two large species and four of the smaller game species (springbok and warthog), or one large species and eight small species, or 12 small animals. ‘The Police will not allow imports of any automatic firearm or any handgun by visiting hunters and such firearm may not be used for hunting,’ the Ministry stated.’Imports of hunting rifles will only be allowed for hunting if the hunter presents an invitation letter from the farm owner, the lessee (of a farm) or of a conservancy committee where the hunt will take place.’As in the past, hunting permits will only be issued to farm owners, lessees or to committees of officially registered conservancies, but only after farmers or conservancies have submitted letters of invitation to the hunters. Permits can only be obtained at the Ministry’s Parks and Wildlife Management offices in Windhoek, Keetmanshoop and Karasburg, and at the regional capitals of the Hardap, Kunene, Omaheke, Otjozondjupa, Oshikoto and Erongo regions.No meat of hunted animals may be taken from areas north of the veterinary cordon fence to areas south of the fence, nor may that meat be exported. Exports of hunted meat are allowed from areas south of the cordon fence after permission is obtained from the Agriculture Ministry’s Directorate of Veterinary Services and the meat must be accompanied by the white copy of the hunting permit carried by the hunter.