Problem Animal Control (PAC) Hunt

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I see that from time to time, we have PAC hunt being mentioned on the forum.
So I started this thread in order to summarize the community knowledge on this topic.
In theory (at least) it could be very interesting due to lower prices of such hunt.

- In which African countries PAC hunting is allowed for international foreign sport hunters?

- The animals that get under PAC: lion, elephant, buffalo, hypo, croc, any other?

- What are the rules concerning oufitters and PH? Outfitter or PH from one country can organize the PAC hunt in another country? Or, can not? What are the red flags to look for when such offer shows up?

- Exportability of the trophy?

- Any other information?

Basically, I am asking general guidelines for sport hunter when this kind of hunt is offered. I couldnt find specific thread on this subject, and this question shows up from time to time in various offers. Of course various rules will apply from country to country, but some guidelines as specific as possible, are welcome.
Many thanks in advance
 
Thanks for posting this question, should be educational for us all.
 
Good question!
 
Just guessing here, but are the realistic chances for an overseas hunter to deal with PAC? One would assume that the problem is of an imminent nature, i.e. if an elephant stomps on some villagers, the hunt will be on within a couple of days.
Unless you (the hunter) are already in the vicinity, I'd be guessing that the problem animal has been dealt with before you even take off from your home country.

Personally I would not mind doing PAC, but I would surely want (and need) proper backing from a PH who knows his/her business.
 
I see that from time to time, we have PAC hunt being mentioned on the forum.
So I started this thread in order to summarize the community knowledge on this topic.
In theory (at least) it could be very interesting due to lower prices of such hunt.

- In which African countries PAC hunting is allowed for international foreign sport hunters?

- The animals that get under PAC: lion, elephant, buffalo, hypo, croc, any other?

- What are the rules concerning oufitters and PH? Outfitter or PH from one country can organize the PAC hunt in another country? Or, can not? What are the red flags to look for when such offer shows up?

- Exportability of the trophy?

- Any other information?

Basically, I am asking general guidelines for sport hunter when this kind of hunt is offered. I couldnt find specific thread on this subject, and this question shows up from time to time in various offers. Of course various rules will apply from country to country, but some guidelines as specific as possible, are welcome.
Many thanks in advance

I'm going to take a bit of a swag at this and post what I've read and been led to believe. I've never actually read official documentation on this.

Typically when the subject of a PAC animal comes up, it's in relation to Zimbabwe. I would have to think other countries have a version of this too, but not necessarily using the term PAC. And anytime a foreign hunter has been involved in a PAC hunt, it's always in Zim that I see this.

Regarding which animals can be listed as a PAC animal, I think in reality it could be any animal that exhibits itself as a danger to humans. But my guess is this designation is sought only for those animals that the local population does not feel it is equipped to handle. So yes, it seems to always be dangerous game.

Regarding the rules for a PAC hunt in Zim for the PHs/Outfitters, they seem to be quite strict. As I understand it, it's illegal to market PAC hunts. And it should be. If the animal is an imminent danger to human life, it should be dealt with quickly. If it's not, it brings question as to whether the animal being tagged as a PAC animal is in fact a problem. So to my knowledge, anytime any outfitter is advertising a PAC hunt, red flags and loud bells should be sounding.

That said, there have been instances of foreign hunters on PAC hunts and it seemed to be legal. This as I understand involves a bit of lucky timing. If the foreign hunter is on the ground and the call comes in from the gov't that a problem animal needs to be dispatched, then that foreign hunter can in fact be involved and actually take the animal. Again, emphasis is on Zimbabwe here, I'm not sure of other countries.

Regarding exportation, that would be a no. If the animal were allowed to be exported, it opens up the possibility of corruption. It would surely lead to inappropriate tagging of animals as PAC animals.

Back to the foreign hunter and "lucky" timing. I'm sure it has happened and all was above board. But personally I think Zim and any other country that may allow foreign hunters on PAC hunts currently, should not. It just opens up the potential for abuse of the system. If the call comes in from the gov't for dispatching a problem animal and the outfitter can't afford a PH as they're all with clients, then so be it. Another will be contacted or some other arrangements made.
 
I'm going to take a bit of a swag at this and post what I've read and been led to believe. I've never actually read official documentation on this.

Typically when the subject of a PAC animal comes up, it's in relation to Zimbabwe. I would have to think other countries have a version of this too, but not necessarily using the term PAC. And anytime a foreign hunter has been involved in a PAC hunt, it's always in Zim that I see this.

Regarding which animals can be listed as a PAC animal, I think in reality it could be any animal that exhibits itself as a danger to humans. But my guess is this designation is sought only for those animals that the local population does not feel it is equipped to handle. So yes, it seems to always be dangerous game.

Regarding the rules for a PAC hunt in Zim for the PHs/Outfitters, they seem to be quite strict. As I understand it, it's illegal to market PAC hunts. And it should be. If the animal is an imminent danger to human life, it should be dealt with quickly. If it's not, it brings question as to whether the animal being tagged as a PAC animal is in fact a problem. So to my knowledge, anytime any outfitter is advertising a PAC hunt, red flags and loud bells should be sounding.

That said, there have been instances of foreign hunters on PAC hunts and it seemed to be legal. This as I understand involves a bit of lucky timing. If the foreign hunter is on the ground and the call comes in from the gov't that a problem animal needs to be dispatched, then that foreign hunter can in fact be involved and actually take the animal. Again, emphasis is on Zimbabwe here, I'm not sure of other countries.

Regarding exportation, that would be a no. If the animal were allowed to be exported, it opens up the possibility of corruption. It would surely lead to inappropriate tagging of animals as PAC animals.

Back to the foreign hunter and "lucky" timing. I'm sure it has happened and all was above board. But personally I think Zim and any other country that may allow foreign hunters on PAC hunts currently, should not. It just opens up the potential for abuse of the system. If the call comes in from the gov't for dispatching a problem animal and the outfitter can't afford a PH as they're all with clients, then so be it. Another will be contacted or some other arrangements made.
I believe that this is correct...I was hunting the Gonarhezou area in Zim with my son. The PH/ outfitter got a call from the local Game Warden that there were problem elephants at a nearby village...chasing children etc.
The Warden knew that this PH had foreign hunters in camp. We shot off like a shot but the Ellie's had scarpered by the time we got there.. followed their tracks for about 2 hrs then got a call that they had been spotted about 20 kms away. We did not get them, but the process was exactly that ..NON exportable and we would not have been allowed to take anything...not even hair from the tail!
 
In regards to Zimbabwe I understand it is illegal for a tourist hunter to shoot a PAC elephant. It is the responsibility of a PH or apprentice PH to kill these animals.
 
In regards to Zimbabwe I understand it is illegal for a tourist hunter to shoot a PAC elephant. It is the responsibility of a PH or apprentice PH to kill these animals.

And or the appropriate land authority normally being Parks and wild life representatives. Clients are not permitted to hunt PAC animals!!! Please don’t be mislead or duped into paying to hunt PAC animals in Zimbabwe! You could land yourself in a world of head aches!
 
Great question but also a very broad question, with each country having it's own answer (and term for PAC), with the potential for provinces within country to have different laws as well, just as here within the states.

Before any PAC hunt is taken, even last second when there LOTS of questions should be asked and if you aren't totally satisfied with the answers, beware....
 
Great question but also a very broad question, with each country having it's own answer (and term for PAC), with the potential for provinces within country to have different laws as well, just as here within the states.

Before any PAC hunt is taken, even last second when there LOTS of questions should be asked and if you aren't totally satisfied with the answers, beware....

Or just don't do it at all. If it's this complicated, why mess with it?
 
Or just don't do it at all. If it's this complicated, why mess with it?

Because if it's legal and you don't care about bringing home the trophy you can save a heck of a lot of money.

I mean everything I said should be applied to trophy hunts too. It's complicated as well, and lots of questions should be asked there too .
 
Because if it's legal and you don't care about bringing home the trophy you can save a heck of a lot of money.

I mean everything I said should be applied to trophy hunts too. It's complicated as well, and lots of questions should be asked there too .

Sure, but with a planned out trophy hunt or even a cull, there's time to do the research. But if you're on the ground in the middle of your planned hunt when suddenly a proposal to hunt a PAC animal comes in that goes outside the plan, then what? Personally, I think I'd avoid it. That money saved could turn into money paid to a lawyer.
 
Sure, but with a planned out trophy hunt or even a cull, there's time to do the research. But if you're on the ground in the middle of your planned hunt when suddenly a proposal to hunt a PAC animal comes in that goes outside the plan, then what? Personally, I think I'd avoid it. That money saved could turn into money paid to a lawyer.

Simple solution, ask the rules around PAC beforehand and research just as you would the rest of the hunt.

No doubt PAC isn't for everyone, even where legal, but it's an option for some.
 
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Royal,

Where is a PAC hunt legal for a foreign tourist hunter?

South Africa?
Zimbabwe?
Namibia?
Mozambique?
Zambia?
Tanzania?

I think it gets complicated when people try to start justifying a PAC.

BTW, I wish it was legal, with the right timing it could be very exciting.
 
Royal,

Where is a PAC hunt legal for a foreign tourist hunter?

South Africa?
Zimbabwe?
Namibia?
Mozambique?
Zambia?
Tanzania?

I think it gets complicated when people try to start justifying a PAC.

BTW, I wish it was legal, with the right timing it could be very exciting.

I don't know all of the answers and the only one I'm pretty certain of is "own use" in Namibia, which I equate to PAC (rightly or wrongly).

No argument at all that it's complicated .
 
Somewhat related:
A Finnish webzine had an article a couple of years ago about a "conservation hunt" in South Africa. A cull? They had various antelope and warthog available on the basis that the PH would select less desirable animals to be removed. Old ones, or ones that were unlikely to develop into high grade trophy animals.

Sounds like a cost effective way to get to hunt in Africa if you do not necessarily want a grand trophy or one of the big species.

The article mentions Frans Bussiahn of Mankazana Safaris, and the author seemed happy with his hunt.
 
The term changes depending on the country:
Problem Animal
Damage Causing Animal
etc.


These are some sources for your further research. They are not all encompassing and provide some basic resources and language

Norms and Standards Document from RSA.
Damage Causing Animals
https://www.environment.gov.za/site...ementofdamagecausinganimalsinsa_gn40412_0.pdf

Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Act
www.parlzim.gov.zw/acts-list/download/974_1749a6eb432dc5503efd912ec6ee7a84

Botswana
NATIONAL PARKS AND GAME RESERVES REGULATIONS
www.elaws.gov.bw/sub_export.php?id=1773

Namibia
Nature Conservation Ordinance 4 of 1975
http://www.lac.org.na/laws/annoSWA/ENVIRONMENT (1975) - Nature Conservation Ordinance 4 of 1975 (annotated).pdf


Mozambique
controle de animais problemáticos
Contact the authority and ask the question. I don't read Portuguese. :)
http://www.anac.gov.mz/en/turismo/turismo-cinegetico/

Tanzania
THE WILDLIFE POLICY OF TANZANIA (not the law but a source for research)
https://www.tnrf.org/files/E-URT_POLICIES_Wildlife_Policy_of_Tanzania_1998.pdf
 

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Sometimes outfitters/ph's may innocently muddy the waters by using terms they have used their entire lives. Terms that may be appropriate, but not in the current legal sense of the term. Since Zimbabwe seems to come up, let's use it as an example. A boy is born and raised on a farm. Every year when crops are in season animals come to raid them. It may be elephants, hippo's, bushpigs, baboons, etc. Periodically throughout the year they loose livestock to lions, leopards, hyena, croc. They loose poultry to caracal, mongoose, ratel, wild cat. These are all problem animals or PAC. They may get permission to shoot the problem animals from the appropriate authorities or take it upon themselves to do it without permission. The boy and his family call them PAC, or problem animals. The boy grows up and becomes a PH. He continues to use the terminology even though the official/legal term has changed.

Elephant's in a Communal Area, RDC, CAMPFIRE Area are almost by definition problem animals. They live in the area at the will of the community, even though they destroy crops and livestock. As long as it is profitable for the community, through hunting, they will be allowed to remain. When it becomes unprofitable they will all be killed.

I have shot an elephant in a maze field. I have shot an elephant that had been in a maze field 30 minutes to an hour previous. I have shot a leopard that had killed a donkey, calf and farm dog in the previous ten days. The outfitter had quota for all three animals, so they were all legal for me to shoot. Were these problem animals? In every sense of the word they were problem animals. At various times, the PH used the word problem or PAC to describe all three animals. He also used trophy to describe all three animals. In his mind, I am sure these terms were synonymous due to where the animals were. I am not trying to criticize the PH for using the terms problem and PAC. That is the terminology he grew up with. However, that terminology can be confusing to the rest of us as we muck our way through the decision process of where and who we hunt with.
 
Lots of fun to figure out the jargon and cultural terminology.

Plot
Boma
Farm
Concession

Ranch
Free Range
Captive Bred

High Fence
Low Fence
No Fence
 
Gents, please be careful if you intend to book a PAC hunt. We in Namibia are not allowed to advertise such hunts. In Big Game concessions it may be granted if Nature Conservation has officially declared the animal a problem animal and may be hunted for the experience only therefore the Trophy will belong to the Conservancy or State.
 

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