Hunting season officially open

KAROO NEWS - The 2024 annual Opening of the Season hunting competition took place on 31 May and 1 June in the small Eastern Cape town of Jansenville. This popular kudu hunting competition is marked as the official opening of the hunting season, which starts on 1 June.

Participants headed to various farms in the area on Saturday 1 June to take part in the hunting competition with the rainy weather posing a challenge for the hunters.

The participants in the Top 25 category woke up early and departed to several farms to search for kudu from 07:00 to 14:00. Participants had seven hours to find a kudu, and hunting forms were submitted by 15:00. In this category, eight kudus were shot, while six were shot in the open category. The Top 25 participants also took part in a shooting competition.

Freddy Zondagh from Kloppers George, main sponsor of the competition, said that it was cold and wet on Saturday and that the rain poured down on the hunters at times. "As we all know, a kudu does not like the cold, but instead lies down deep in the forest to avoid the rain. In the back of the vans, the rain went through our clothes, and when I turned my rifle downwards, the water literally poured out of the telescope's front lens," he said. Unfortunately, the weather meant that some of the hunters could not shoot a bull - despite the farmers' hard work to drop off the hunters at strategic locations. Zondagh said that they saw numerous kudu cows and calves standing no further than 50m from them, and that he was lucky to be able to shoot a bull on Fransie Fourie's farm, Ferreiraslaagte.

Stappie Staphorst of the East Cape Game Management Association also said that the rain put a damper on proceedings. "There was definitely an improvement in the condition of the kudus that were hunted, and this is thanks to the good rains of the past few months in Jansenville and surrounds," said Staphorst.

After the prize-giving ceremony at 20:00, the weekend ended on a festive note with a gathering featuring Steve Hofmeyr and music by DJ - B Promotions.

This competition also raises funds for various organisations and this year, Huis Van De Graaff, Boundless, Huis Welverdiend and Witlock House were identified.

Two kudus were donated by Sean Hobson and Lourens van der Kolff, and have already been processed and delivered to the organisations.

The organisers expressed gratitude to the following sponsors: Karoo Taxidermy, Kloppers George, OVK, Dentist@Health, Pick n Pay Graaff-Reinet, Merino-slaghuis in Gqeberha, Crown National spices, Naki Venter, Freddy Hirsch and East Coast Customs.

Without their contributions, the competition would not have been possible.

Results:

Top 25 Category

First place: Johan Kruger (kudu - 44 inches - 46,125 points) on Bradley Dodds's farm
Second place: Nello Jansen (kudu - 42 3/4 inches - 42,487 points) on Gert Louw's farm
Third place: Freddie Zondagh (kudu - 43 1/4 inches - 42,172 points) on Fransie Fourie's farm
Fourth place: Bernard Beukes (kudu - 37 inches - 39,387 points) on Bradley Dodds's farm

Open Category

First place: Albert Senekal (kudu - 44 inches) on Lawton Truter's farm
Second place: RJ Grobler (kudu - 39 1/4 inches) on Deon Grobler's farm
Third place: Petrus Nel (kudu - 38 inches) on Petrus Nel's farm

Top 25 shooting competition

First place: Francois Lessing

Participants interested in next year's Opening of the Season competition can contact the organisers: David Kinghorn 082 577 9073 or Stephen Kinghorn 082 775 2330.

From left are Johan Kruger (shot the largest kudu), Bradley Dodds (from the farm Dammetjies) and Natalie van der Mescht (from East Cape Game Management Association). Photo: Kinghorn