Significant Differentiator | MatabelelandSaf

Intelligent Hunting

A Significant Differentiator

To our knowledge “intelligent hunting”™ is not a phrase used, seen or heard in hunting circles. Its meaning, however, should be fairly obvious. In our opinion, the practice of hunting intelligently is unfortunately not observed nearly as much as it should be. So what is it all about?

This is not about hunting or not hunting, but rather the manner in which one is hunting. We are hunters ourselves, and of the firm belief that hunting is a valuable tool in wildlife management if used correctly, apart from it being a fascinating and satisfying pastime.

Intelligent hunting™ is based on four pillars – compromise anyone, and its contribution, value, satisfaction or image is also compromised.

Conservation-centred mindfulness: being in tune and harmony with parameters for setting species’ quotas and offtake that would guarantee improvement in trophy quality genetic viability and overall fitness in the individual populations of all hunted species, and the overall, general well-being of the hunting area.
Incorporating the body of knowledge of wildlife research findings to boost own practical knowledge and understanding when formulating a hunting strategy and pursuing your quarry.
Employing specialized hunting techniques, and perfecting your hunting skills to enhance success rate, but simultaneously taking the first two pillars/considerations fully into account.
The right “head and heart” – attitude, mental fortitude, ethics, consideration and compassion, fairness, and perseverance.

I am touching only briefly on each pillar in this article, to serve as an introduction to more comprehensive treatment of the pillars of intelligent hunting, and its species’ specific applications in subsequent deliveries.

Watch this space!

Pillar 1:

Hunting in harmony with nature conservation and wildlife management principles and objectives

It is an absolute requirement which involves thorough understanding, appreciation and full support for sound wildlife management principles, which in turn are based on sound and solid applied wildlife research about ecology, animal demographics and population dynamics, socio-spatial organisation, etc.

This pillar is the interface between parks and wildlife conservation authorities on one hand, and the hunting industry and its stakeholders on the other. It governs hunting on public and private land; determines and manages hunting safari areas, concessions and concessionaires; and set realistic-conservative hunting quotas for a variety of game species. It also regulates hunting outfitters, operators, professional hunters (PH’s), and recreational hunters. It is essential that the hunting fraternity are at all times legally compliant. It is also vital, especially for hunting outfitters/operators and PH’s, to have a thorough understanding of the scientific conservation management principles and objectives underlying the wildlife management approach. Only then would both parties be on the same page. If not, there will be (the fairly common) conflict of interests. Do not always question why the authorities are so “difficult or stuck-up”, or why hunting quotas are apparently so low. Rather gain in-depth understanding of established wildlife management principles, and engage these authorities if ulterior motives are suspected (it is a fact of life that maladministration and corruption sometimes also pervade these institutions). Participate and engage, rather than oppose and obstruct.

Consider carefully why you are questioning everything - why this, why that? Organisations that derive their livelihoods and income from hunting, e.g. hunting outfitters, agents, operators and professional hunters should not let greed and short term financial gain undermine harmony with conservation principles and objectives. Their hunting clients could rightfully expect a decent chance to successfully hunt representative specimens of sought after species. But those clients also should analyse their own motives. It would be wise not to strive for the “biggest and best at all costs” to boost own ego’s about their hunting prowess. Even for visiting hunters from foreign lands it should be expected to learn about, understand and remain in harmony with wildlife management principles and objectives, especially with regards to allowing the best representatives of their targeted/hunted species to continue living and breeding, and so ensure that trophy quality are forever improving, and not deteriorating as is usually seen. Or is it?

Consider, for example, what has happened with Rowland Ward and SCI minimum requirements. For elephant, buffalo and many others the minimum scores are getting lower and lower. The only explanation is that trophy quality is deteriorating. In a recent study in Zimbabwe based on data over 10 consecutive years, findings indicated a gradual decline in elephant tusk weight, and in buffalo horn scores. Botswana terminated trophy hunting and closed all hunting concessions a few years ago? Why? One of the main reasons is that mature adult male lions were over-hunted to the extent that their lion population became seriously destabilised. All in the quest of hunting the biggest elephant, lion, buffalo, sable, kudu or whatever else could be found in the hunting areas.

Does this mean that the biggest could never, or should never be hunted? Let us consider this question, as part of the second pillar.

Pillar 2:

Solid familiarity with wildlife research findings, and making it part of hunting strategy

Intelligent hunting relies very much on a solid familiarity with all relevant disciplines of wildlife research – in general, but also regarding the specific wildlife species we are interested in, and those with whom they interact. It should include socio-ecology, animal demographics and population dynamics, movement patterns, habitat selection, territories and home ranges, social and spatial organisation (and how that changes over an animal’s lifespan, or during the annual seasons), social behaviour, and daily and seasonal activity patterns, etc. – at least for all major species hunted.

All too often I read in hunting magazines, websites and books about hunters and professional hunters making claims that very good trophies were taken, always with the justification that those animals were already beyond their prime and no longer contributing their (obviously good) genes to their respective populations. What really annoys me is when this is said about elephant bulls in their forties, or eight-year old buffalo. Where have they heard such rubbish?! There is very little doubt that such comments reflect utter ignorance, or is used to mislead and cover up. Hunting of elephant or lion in particular, elicits very strong emotions among the anti-hunting lobbies. The last thing we should tolerate is that ignorant hunters contribute to the demise of their own careers and pastimes, and especially those who are not even guilty of these ‘sins”.

So, let us have a look at elephants, as an example in a little more detail.

With this new insight, I think you will already agree, the only way to hunt a really big tusker, is through the scientifically based approach

Some facts about elephants:

Unlike most other animals, elephants have very unique dentition. The incisors are restricted to the upper jaw. They form the typical tusks and are ever-growing. The cheek teeth consists of premolars and molars – six double pairs in all - left, right, upper, lower jaws respectively. Most interestingly these teeth are not present all at the same time as with e.g. humans. The teeth are sequentially replaced from the back of the jaw, and worn teeth are shed from the front of each tooth row. Only ONE or parts of two cheek teeth in a jaw quadrant are functional at any one time. The 6th and last molar is fully developed and erupted at about 45-47 years of age. This last set has to last for the rest of the animal’s life. Eventually this last set is worn down, and by the elephants mid to late fifties just a fragment of the tooth remains. An elephant with only a few remaining fragments soon die of starvation, as it is unable to chew its food. This limits an elephant’s normal lifespan in the wild to about 55-60 years. Evidence of malnutrition and very inefficient digestion is evident in their dung balls, the bulk of which has passed through the gut without being digested.

The other aspect is that tusks (the primary indicator of trophy size) continue to grow throughout an elephant’s life, and even more so in the case of elephant bulls. An elephant bull itself continues growing in size and bulk throughout its entire life. With an ever increasing frame, its head keeps enlarging until his very last days too. With the enlarging head, the tusk cavities and therefore the tusks increase in diameter as well. With the constant growth in length and the increase in diameter, the tusk of a male elephant increases in volume and weight at an ever-escalating rate – with the major weight gain in the late years in an elephant’s life (see graph, based on research conducted by Dr Iain Whyte et al in the famous Kruger National Park, courtesy of Johan Marais & David Hadaway, in their book “Great Tuskers of Africa). Let us ignore the actual weights given and rather convert the maximum tusk weight to 100% at maximum lifespan (e.g. 60 years).

It is clear that at age thirty the tusks has attained only about 25% of its potential; 33% at 35 years, 43% at 40 years and 66% at fifty years. The last 10 years could add a further 34% towards weight gain!

Clearly it would make sense to hunt only very old bulls – if the emphasis is on tusk weight. Why hunt a younger bull with 30 lb. tusks when it could become an eighty or hundred pounder 20+ years later?

But before one start chasing every last old bull it is necessary to consider two other vital aspects. What about population structure (elephant demographics) i.e. how are the different age groups numerically represented in a population? Secondly, how does age correlate with breeding success and passing of genes to the next generations of elephants?

The bulk of most elephant populations are made up of females, calves and subadults (male and female). By the age of about fifteen years male offspring leave their maternal herds as young adults and join bachelor bull groups. In a typical population, without excessive impact from illegal hunting/poaching, adult bulls (15 – 60 years of age) represent ±26% of the total population. Bulls of 40-60 years of age make up about 6% and the very old fellows over 55 years contribute less than 0,7%. It should be noted that under the impact of elephant poaching or insensible trophy hunting all bulls may have disappeared by their late forties or early fifties. Sound and sensible quotas would allow only about 5% of adult bulls to be hunted. This would account for about 20% of all males between 15 and 60, and our personal view is that this on the high side. It is also easy to see that unless care is exercised it is very easy to over-exploit the older age classes. If the 5% quota is exclusively focused on the oldest bulls it would wipe out all those over 45 years, and a third of the 40-45 years age group!

Within each age group there is a normal distribution of bulls with tusks of average size for their age group, and small numbers at both the extremes. If all of them were allowed to reach maximum age, a few would become great tuskers, the majority would have good ivory (because of having attained 90-100% of tusk weight potential), and a few would have small tusks for their age. Generally speaking, however, an average 55 year old bull would always significantly outclass even the best bull at 40 years of age.

Remember the statement above about ignorant hunters claiming that elephant bulls in their forties have reached the end of their reproductive lives? The final aspect we need to consider is if this is true or not.

With reference to a number of large scale and representative research studies on male mating strategies and activities in the African elephant the following are the facts: Young bulls of 15-25 are the “hopefuls”. In the presence of a normal age spread, even bulls aged 25-35 are mostly unsuccessful. The most actively breeding males are those of 45 years or older. Size and bulk are key criteria for mating success and the oldest bulls are the biggest (because of non-stop growing in size). Sexual activity of the biggest bulls (50+) are correlated with oestrous peaks among females during and shortly after the rainy season, and they remain sexually active during these breeding peaks for 3-4 months. Slightly younger, yet mature adult bulls time their sexual activities, which last 1-2 months immediate before and after the breeding peaks. The rest of the time (8-10 months) these mature elephant bulls are mostly sexually inactive, and they very often retreat to distant home range areas. Based on these facts, there could be absolutely no doubt about the devastating effects should a hunter indiscriminately (yet within quota and legal rights) focus hunting efforts on the 45-55 year old “super stud” bulls. It should be evident by now why elephant trophy quality is deteriorating everywhere they are hunted.

Intelligent decisions regarding elephant hunting:

How does it fit in with conservation and wildlife management principles and derived quotas? How would wildlife research findings translate into intelligent hunting?

First of all, be informed about the objectives of elephant management programs in the various countries in Africa where elephants still roam. Be aware of the conflicting views of whether or not elephant hunting is allowed or not, and what is happening i.t.o. population growth or decline. Understand the contrasting views and general implications. One should be intimately informed about the specific elephant management plan of the relevant country where you conduct safaris. We operate in Zimbabwe, therefore let us use it as an example.

Zimbabwe is one of the key elephant range states and home to the second largest estimated elephant population of nearly 83,000 individuals, following Botswana. Tanzania used to be number 1 but has tumbled owing to a devastating and still uncontrolled illegal hunting crisis. Zimbabwe 4 separate demographically and genetically viable subpopulations – some in decline, others stable or increasing and being in excess to what could be sustained. By any standards Zimbabwe has a proud history of successful elephant conservation and has had a formal elephant management policy and plan since 1997. At present each subpopulation is managed according to its own unique requirements in terms of the “Zimbabwe National Elephant Management Plan (2015 – 2020). One should be informed about the policies and plans – as we are. One should be informed about quotas – for the entire region, and for your specific hunting area – is it conservative, excessive? These conclusions can only be made if one knows the total number of elephants in the area, and how it fluctuates, based on all relevant factors. Are there restrictions or recommendations based on age classes and tusk sizes? If you believe that it is realistic, but without specific protection for the “elite” group of old bulls, then the hunting outfitter and his hunting teams should set their own limits based on specific age groups.

One should analyse population data and determine the number of bulls according to age classes. Use research data and determine how “your own subpopulation” compares. It would also require the ability to correctly judge age (by using published scientific criteria), and tusk weight (using proven methods of estimation).

The next logical step would be to decide which animals to hunt. For those hunters who are not concerned with big ivory and “making the record books” any bull elephant over 25 years would be a good, adrenaline-filled challenge. It is critical, however, that the PH should be able to gauge the elephant’s age accurately, and also, for the SPECIFIC age group, select an individual elephant with average or slightly below average sized tusks – with the client obviously pre-informed and agreeing to this approach.

Should the client aspire to take a big tusker (relative to the elephant subpopulation) the approach would be very different. Such an individual would be aged 50-60 years. The most important breeding bulls are in this age group. One would obviously not want to shoot a super-tusker if still actively breeding, as this would certainly result in declining tusk size over time in the subpopulation. This is where dentition and level of tooth wear re-enters the equation. Once the last molar is worn down with only a small, useless fragment remaining, this majestic bull elephant would (sadly) be suffering from malnutrition and starvation, being unable to properly digest its food. The process would have started, or may be at an advanced stage of rapidly losing condition, and the signs thereof would be clearly evident – sunken areas on its face, drooping head, ribs, hip bones and vertebral column sticking out prominently. It would also be evident in its partially undigested dung (as mentioned above). Once an elephant bull reaches this stage of life (>55 and probably closer to 57-60) the end is very near. Sexual drive has disappeared as bodily functions are progressively seizing up. This would be the perfect trophy. This once mighty animal has completed its significant genetical contribution and, at long last, has no further role to play in elephant society. Hunting it at this stage has no detrimental effect whatsoever. If anything, it would relieve the poor animal from its final suffering The client should realize what a rarity it really is. There would be very few such very old bulls alive, and fewer still at the genetic top end of above average tusk weight. The next question is how and where to find them!

We know where, and what signs to look for. Come and hunt your dream elephant the scientifically based approach way

Before we answer, this is an opportune moment to first discuss the third pillar of intelligent hunting.

Pillar 3:

Interpretative and Specialized Hunting Techniques

A normal hunter would have mastered most or all of the various skills contributing to effective hunting. It is a prerequisite that a professional hunter should possess excellent hunting and other client handling and hosting skills. While these skills are essential, this does not necessarily mean the hunter is hunting intelligently, nor necessarily making intelligent decisions for the good of long-term viability and good wildlife quotas.

It is hard to define, but to a large degree it is based on conscious and subconscious interpretation of the hunting area and the quarry, almost becoming and thinking like the quarry itself: and using your senses as if being the predator of the quarry; combined with human hunting skills, all rolled into one. Add to this a sympathetic attitude towards conservation principles and objectives, coupled to deep interest in the body of knowledge about the physical environment, the ecology, and specific knowledge about the hunted species – much of it based on studying research literature, being well read about great hunters and their exploits. All these should ideally be coupled to much personal and first-hand experience gained over an extensive period, interspersed with regular introspection, learning from mistakes, and experimenting with new approaches, methods and techniques. Together these traits and capabilities result in a rare “hunting sixth sense”. Without the right mindset and values, this could easily lead one to become a cold, clinical and ruthless killer. However, balancing seriously efficient and effective hunting skills with the correct attitude and mindset would contribute to intelligent hunting – this being the fourth and final pillar of Intelligent Hunting™.

Pillar 4:

The Right Head and Right Heart

A lot could be said here, but it would suffice to emphasize attitude, mental fortitude, ethics, compassion and being considerate, fairness, and perseverance.

Let us look at some examples of what is required regarding pillars 3 and 4.

Integration of interpretive, specialised hunting skills with the right mental make-up

Unless one is professionally employed as a game warden, game scout, control officer or professional hunter there is little likelihood of ever being involved in the control of wildlife considered to be “problem animals”, alternatively known as “damage-causing animals” or DCA’s.

The “man-eaters of Tsavo” (two lions, Kenya)), or “the man-eater of Rudraprayag” (leopard, India) springs to mind. There are other fairly frequent instances of man-eating lions in southern Tanzania, and even in the Kruger National Park in South Africa (unarmed Mozambican citizens crossing the lion-infested park to find a better life in South Africa). In many rural, tribal communities adjacent to wilderness areas crocodiles often take human life. The small, informal fields with field crops and vegetables are often raided by marauding hippo, buffalo and elephant. Livestock (cattle, goats, sheep) as well as chickens and dogs are often preyed upon by lion, leopard and hyena (spotted and brown). Even large commercial agricultural land is sometimes invaded by marauding DCA’s, causing havoc to sugarcane, maize, bananas or other orchard crops. Almost always there are cries for help. Unlike typical hunting, the hunting of DCA’s is specialised and difficult. You cannot just “go in and shoot just any old critter”. If it is a man-eating crocodile, you have to shoot the specific one pointed out. Or, if it is a specific hippo, or a small pod of hippo regularly breaking a fence along the river to enter an agricultural field with tasty lucerne (alfalfa), you have to identify the actual trespassers, and not neighbouring hippo pods. If it is a wounded buffalo or elephant that killed somebody, that same individual have to be tracked down. Man-killing lions or leopards are even more difficult. They tend to become extremely wary and secretive. There are often multiple casualties before they are eventually tracked down and despatched.

Regular hunting skills is not sufficient for tracking down these DCA’s. It requires exceptional hunting skills; a sixth sense to almost think like the animal itself and to predict it’s next moves. Because of regular failures being the rule rather than exception, it requires a willingness to really “think outside the box” and to be innovative and creative when considering alternative strategies, tactics, techniques and methods to hunt and outwit these specific, individual DCA’s. It also requires endless patience to return and try, again and again and again.

It is no coincidence that wildlife management/conservation authorities often have a very small core of competent DCA hunters/control officers, alternatively they have a short list of very experienced professional hunters with demonstrated ability to effectively sort out the DCA problem.

One of the owners of Matabeleland Safaris fits this mould perfectly. His career started in the mid-late nineteen eighties. He showed exceptional talent as a regular PH. He spent much time collecting faeces of all sorts of animals, identifying and preserving it. Eventually his dung collection was used to illustrate various books on wildlife spoor and signs, tracking and or mammal field guides. He also became a very, very good tracker. The owner (and hunting outfitter) of a large game ranch once told him “Why are you always looking at spoor? You cannot hunt spoor!” True, but the ability to track and interpret spoor and making associations and predictions allowed him to hunt specimens on this same land that the landowner did not even realise existed on his land!

This ability soon reached the ears of those authorities concerned with the control of DCA’s. For many, many years he was the go-to man for them, because of his innate hunting skills and intuition. And his absolute willingness to persevere, irrespective how long it would take until the job was finished.

He brought this skills set and aptitude to hunting normal game, whether stalking a diminutive duiker, or interpreting topo-cadastral maps to identify the most likely haunts of leopards. Invariably this is proven correct. He even has the ability to identify the overlapping territories of a number individual leopards based on spoor dimensions and other characteristics. When hunting trophy kudu bulls, he looks for those with the biggest spoor. He then sniffs their dung pellets for the faintest aromatic whiff to determine what tree species they browse on that time of the year. With his excellent knowledge about plants he will search and locate stands of these trees or shrubs. And almost without fail he, or rather his hunting client, will bag his big kudu at this very same location. This is a critical element of intelligent hunting.

Back to elephant hunting:

We diverted from our discussion about hunting the big old tusker in his final, starving life phase in order to first deal with the third and fourth principles of intelligent hunting. We can now continue from where we left off.

So, how and where do we find this individual elephant in the midst of the vast African savanna, bushveld or woodlands?

Like any good rancher or farmer of livestock, the concessionaire/outfitter/PH should know the entire hunting area intimately – not only the road network and boundaries, but also its topographical, geological and soil type features, and drainage systems (rivers, streams, fountains/springs, pans and waterholes). These would influence vegetation types, plant communities, plant physiography-physiognomy and translate into wildlife habitats – some areas preferred, other areas avoided and the rest used randomly by each and every creature, some of which would be our typical game species, among them elephants.

We consider it essential to continuously and consistently record and monitor all game species according to their distribution patterns, social groupings, etc. We try to record its exact location, the specific vegetation type, and position relative to nearest water. For prime species such as elephant, lion, buffalo and leopard we try to identify individual animals using all relevant distinguishing features. Over a period of time, and by analysing records of sightings, the home ranges and preferred locations of known individual animals within these areas become known. We have multiple such projects, one of them is to identify elephants with above average tusks for their age category. Some of them will only turn into major tuskers in 10-20 years, and they might not survive that long. We, however, would not touch them, and in fact would endeavour to influence the conservation authorities as well as hunting neighbours to become like-minded and to protect these specific individuals. We would obviously also monitor the whereabouts of all old elephant bulls, irrespective of size of ivory (at these high ages even an average bull will have heavier ivory than very good younger bulls). We would not hunt these bulls either, but would have made our estimates of their respective ages and monitor their condition. In many instances we would also be able to identify them from their unique footprints (pattern of cracks, furrows, smooth parts and other irregularities), without actually seeing them. Finding their tracks among herds of breeding females could indicate sexual interest and activity. Over a period of time one would begin to notice progressively compromised and dysfuctional digestion until when the bulk of their faeces pass through as undigested plant material. At this stage one would no longer expect them to mix with breeding herds. Once these tell-tale signs are observed and confirmed, we would alert our agents. Those clients with a particular desire to hunt a big tusker would be contacted, and for one of them the safari would be booked.

Intelligent hunting (of these elephants for example) required intimate understanding of conservation ethos, principles and objectives. It required being a skilled wildlife research scientist, or least being fairly well trained and experienced but very well informed. It required understanding elephant population dynamics, numbers and proportions of the sought after age classes. It required diligent, long-term monitoring of known individuals and their respective movement patterns, which was based on ability to identify individuals (and their individual tracks), and to classify age and tusk weight accurately. It required acuteness of senses to physically track and locate elephants, using stealth not to be detected or charged. (At this point it is necessary to remind you again that animals in this age category forms only about half a percent of the population. At any given time there might be only one in hundreds of square miles/kilometres). It required the perseverance and persistence to do this over long to very long periods of time. All the energy expended has a time and financial cost attached, with no certainty of an eventual return. Yet, we believe it is the right thing to do, to be hunting with intelligence and integrity, and we enjoy doing it this way.

Let us get back to the question raised in the beginning: Does this mean that the biggest could never, or should never be hunted?

I trust that, in the case of elephant, the question has been answered. Yes, you can, but only if a huge commitment has been made in many spheres to ultimately indicate what, when, and where an opportunity has been developing (often over years), but that the time has finally arrived.

Does the same strategy and life history hold true for buffalo. As far as the 4 pillars of intelligent hunting is concerned, definitely “yes”. It again require knowledge of population dynamics, age classes, movement patterns, behaviour, etc. But as far as the species life history is concerned, it is very, very different to elephant. And “no”, you cannot hunt an eight-year old buffalo bull as it would not have reached the status of “stud bull”, even though he became fertile at age five. And “yes”, there is a time that you may well hunt the biggest one you can find.

And lion? If you hunt the big pride males indiscrimately or randomly you WILL definitely cause serious harm to the resident lion population. But there is a way, and a time when you can hunt the very same individual without ANY negative impact! But it will be necessary to study all the lion prides and to get the timing right in window period that is no longer than 4 months.

Taking the trouble to invest this amount of knowledge, skill and effort is not typical for the vast majority of hunting outfits, however, for the Matabeleland Safaris hunting team this is non-negotiable. Two of the three owners specifically are keen wildlife observers – one being a more skilled and experienced hunter of dangerous big game, the other one a post-graduate and former nature conservation manager and wildlife scientist with research experience with elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard and various other species. They have introduced this life-long philosophy to the reborn Matabeleland Safaris, and it will be used to progressively differentiate Matabeleland Safaris as a company and hunting outfit that strives towards, and doing its best to exemplify intelligent hunting, based on its four essential pillars.

With the partners in Matabeleland Safaris and their conservation ethic, long-term scientific and wildlife research backgrounds; combined with their strong ecological and environmental sensitivity; excellent interpretative and specialized hunting skills, and determination to make it work, we aim to offer our hunting clients informed and exciting hunting adventures, and counter any negative hunting aspects including the decline of genetic viability and good genes through what we call INTELLIGENT HUNTING!

With this new insight, I think you will agree. The only way to hunt a really big tusker, is through the scientifically based approach

Watch this space for future discussions on intelligent hunting of lions, buffaloes and many more.