Is there anyone offering serval hunts on AH? How do you do the hunt? Dogs or night hunting? Success rate? Legal permits for export to USA needed! How many days needed and costs? I will be watching this thread to help plan my next hunt. Thanks again for any hints that can make my next hunt a success.
Enyesse,
I stand corrected.
The two critters I saw at night were Civet, look like a cross between a racoon and a cat, nonetheless beautifully marked coats (old folks get confused).
Hannes (the PH I mentioned) has a pretty good success rate with those but I think almost any PH having access to good habitat does as well, Civet do not seem especially clever.
Serval are a true cat somewhat resembling an Ocelot and I have never seen one, although the Hannes has photos of other clients that have taken them (AKA: "the poor man's leopard".)
Not sure if they were chance encounters or if he baits them like leopard or if he knows someone with hounds .. I'm not sure at all his method on Serval.
If no PH in this Forum chimes in with an offer you can't refuse, just email Hannes and he will tell you truthfully his odds of getting you a shot at one and/or he will recommend someone who has a high success rate on them.
I will email him pretty soon, as I need to update him on a task he put me on this summer anyway, and I will ask him about Serval hunting (now you have me curious about them) and I will let you know what he tells me about same.
Serval seem like a highly specialized thing - not unlike most other African feline - but if there is recent spoor of one in an area where you are hunting, I will guess any PH worth his tick gaiters will get you a better than even chance at it.
I wish you luck in your interest to take a Serval, as they are unique.
And the toothy bastards eat pigmy antelopes, such as steinbok, which annoys me to no end, just like Caracal do (and I actually have seen one of those, bolt across a dirt "road" in Namibia, lol).
Cheers,
Velo Dog.