Culling in Africa

[Werdus Smith]

The reason we use .223 rifles are that they are cheaper to reload for, cases are plentyfull, they have marginal recoil and almost nill with a silencer. They are quite acurate with the right barrel and bullet combination too. Seeing as we only shoot at night, wind is rarely a problem. In day time shooting we have almost allways some wind, so then heavier calibers are used.

 

[Werdus Smith]

Useless facts

Some useless information about our operation:
Our team came into existance 29 years ago. We`ve had members thats still with us from the beginning. I`m in the squad for the last 12 years and have a total of about 14000 springbuck. Member with the most amount is over 40000 springbuck in almost 30 years. He also has the most shot in one night - 136. The most the team culled in one night between 6 members is 402.
Averages:
These days we take about 150 per night between 4 shooters.
Time taken would be 6 hours on average.

 

[6MM]

Nice rifles Werdus. In the daytime I suspect your shots run a little longer. Sounds a bit like shooting pararie dogs at 800 yards.....except you have something to sell/eat afterwards. All of my rigs are custom 700's as well. Shooting at night is pretty neat as well. Thanks for the post.

 

[ruppell]

Gee, I know of guys who do culling, but your operation sure are one of the better ones I know of! Just for interesting sake, how many animals get wounded or take more than one shot? I bet not much?

 

[Werdus Smith]

Daytime shots will be on average about a hundred metres longer than night time shooting. Wind is also a critical factor by day. Thats why culling in this country is required by law to be done at night. I dont like taking headshots at more than 250 metres. Chances for wounding the animal gets much more likely with distance and a crosswind. The other factor that comes into play is that I have to change caliber when shooting in daytime. That means shooting a rifle that I dont use all that often and are not as familiar with the rifle I use at night when I do 99 percent of my shooting. The other factor is safety. If you move around in daytime with several vehicles in the same area, you will not know where your fellow culling operators are and might shoot inadvertantly in their direction. At night its quite easy to see the spotlights that everyone uses and then knowing where everybody is in relation to you, so as not to take dangerous shots in their direction.

 

[Werdus Smith]

Taking headshots at animals always poses the risk of missing the brain and hitting the antelope in the jaw or base of the horn or throat. Different animals react differantly to being wounded in the jaw for instance. At night you will get enough chances to put a springbuck down thats been wounded that way. In daytime not, they will be less disorientated and run away from you and your heavily laden vehicle quite easily. ( Another reason I never shoot during the day)
Oryx on the other hand I NEVER, EVER, take any chances with, If you hit an Oryx any place that does`nt kill it instantly, it`s going to go away from you at very great speed and determination to get to another district. The same goes for Blue Wildebeast. They are very tough and requires a combination of the right caliber and shot placement to harvest successfully.
To answer your question: I would say out of a hundred animals shot, five will require more than one shot and one will be wounded and not found. Its a most unfortunate fact that there will be collateral damage when harvesting in great numbers. No harvesting outfit can claim a perfect record in that respect.

 

[AfricaHunting.com]

Werdus, This is all very interesting and I have been reading with great interest. I also very much appreciate you sharing your vast experience and stories on this culling industry with us, a business much in demand and needed in some parts of Africa. Your so called "useless information" provided some impressive numbers, very interesting to me. Do you ever set up day culling teams at water points during the drier part of the year? Do you have a culling season in South Africa? It seems you have a very professional culling business going, are you called in from time to time to other parts of Africa and have you done any culling on big game?

 

[Werdus Smith]

Jerome
I apreciate the interrest. Because culling is such a frowned apon exercise, little is known about it I guess. We never do culling by day , because law stipulates that it has to be done at night in my country, Namibia. We do have a culling season here from April to August. Culling at waterpoints is a foreign idea to me. Is it done somewhere in Africa?
I have never been called upon to do culling in other parts of Africa, No, but would relish the chance.
Big game culling ? Never done that either, BUT, if there ever whas a chance of that happening, would most certainly be up for the chalenge too.

 

[enysse]

Most Ph's tell me culling is a pretty tough business, having worked night shift work in the field on the farm and and for my career, I would agree. I would only want to cull those beautiful oryx....and that would be during the day.

 

[Dr.FrankB-Mimic]

Werdus, I would be really interested in partecipating to one of your culling experiences as a paying shooter guest.
Why do not you send me a mail, so we can see if it is possible ?
Frank

 

[AfricaHunting.com]

Werdus, I assumed that you were in South Africa for some reason, sorry about that and thanks for the additional info. What part of Namibia are you from?

 

[marshy]

Culling at waterpoints is a foreign idea to me. Is it done somewhere in Africa?

Werdus, I'm with you on that! Haven't seen it done and it would be SERIOUSLY frowned upon by most. It's seen as unethical, as animals have to drink, and people shouldn't take advantage of the situation.

 

[DOC-404]

Where are you operating,Werdus?

 

[Werdus Smith]

Werdus, I assumed that you were in South Africa for some reason, sorry about that and thanks for the additional info. What part of Namibia are you from?

Jerome
I`m from the south of Namibia.

 

[Werdus Smith]

Docman
I am operating in the southern half of Namibia. I live here as well, on the edge of the red Kalahari, where we have the largest concentrations of springbuck as well.

 

[Werdus Smith]

Enysse
Yes, culling could be quite taxing in many areas. Long hours and cold nights with some horrendeous terrain takes its toll on your body as well as your equipment. Its not that way all the time though, so mostly, if you are well equiped and know your stuff, then it wont be hell on wheels every night.

 

[Werdus Smith]

 

[Xpraetor]

Springbuck culling

I know this is an old thread, but wanted to say-

Werdus, That is a well made custom rig. I have worked on several over the years and I can say the detail is impressive, even though the pics are from a distance. The frame you describe is similar to what we use here on mud buggies. Jeeps, Toyotas & Samurais used to provide the drivetrain, now most are souped up side by side ATVs.

Great thread.

 

[Werdus Smith]

It is a fairly tried and proven setup and results in using it has been very satisfying. Thanks for the interrest, I am busy culling at the moment and have`nt been on this site for some time. Will be busy for at least two more months.
Regards
Werdus

 

[Upton O. Good]

Werdus, this is a very interesting thread, thanks for posting it. I imagine the hide and horns also have commercial value? In the U.S. there are very few culling situations with some large land owners relying mostly on sport hunters to harvest sub-trophy males and excess females. Our laws regarding commercial use of wild animals for human consumption make it prohibitive to consider developing a market. I participated in white tailed deer research, done at night, using 6mm bull barrel Remington. We tried to donate the meat to prisons, homeless shelters, and so forth but met with many obstacles. We usually took only 5 or 6 animals each night so the numbers you post are truly amazing and impressive. Of course, I was working for a government operation at the time and efficiency is not a prime consideration.

What other species do you cull in addition to the springbok and oryx? You mentioned wildebeest, I would imagine eland and impala?