Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Culling/Management hunts?

My father was interested in going to Colorado for an Elk Hunt, but then started looking at other avenues, and found an article in my Varmint Hunters Magazine about antelope culling. He told me to see what I could find out about it. I tried searching for cull and management, but couldn't find alot. I have seen stuff about baboon, antelope, and other stuff, just trying to figure more about it for him. He told me the hunt he read about was all from vehicles will freezer vehicles following behind dressing the animals. I don't know what he would want to hunt, but was wondering if anyone could tell me more about this side of African Hunting.

Check out www.tjsafaris.com

I've been on several safaris that included some culling. Generally you get a better daily rate, and you can also take trophies along with the culling. They can vary considerably in the number and type of animals you're allowed to cull.

Often you can take cull animals on a regular safari as well for a reduced fee. I shot my first springbok for half-price some years ago in Namibia; it had one horn that went forward rather than up, and I'd always wanted a pronghorn like that but never gotten a chance at one. But even that was a lot more than you'd typically pay on a real cull hunt.

My son and I shared an 8 animal PG hunt in 2008. It was much fun. Cost of the hunt was under 3 grand, which we shared. He did take a very nice Gemsbok, outside the package.
We plan to go again next year, and share an 11 animal management hunt.
I had the chance to speak to Craig Bodington at a SCI show. Asked him about it. He said a cull or management hunt was a great way to be introduced to Africa.
Look around, and ASK that question. African outfitters I`ve spoken with tell me that question is seldom broached.
Good Luck

I have gone on 7 or 8. PM if you want details.

Dad is looking at getting a big rifle, but if he doesn't go hunting in another state, or spend the money to go to a preserve, the 06 or larger gun will be of no use to him. He has several 30-30 and under, and think that spending $1K+ on a rifle to go on one hunt is not as fiscal responsible as spending another $200 on ammo for practice.

What calibers are people bringing for the culling?

If he buys another rifle I'd say some off the shelf name brand .30-06 which will be easily saleable when he gets back...and the .30-06 will handle any plains game culling...

The PH I hunted with last did a lot of culling. His culling rifle was a 22-250 on, as I recall, its 3rd barrel.

Make sure you understand the rules of whoever you go culling with. Some will allow head shots only. One that I'm aware of won't permit the use of all copper bullets.

True dat...if it is a real culling /meat operation..lotsa head shots with cf .22s

If it is normal "we gotta thin the herd on the ranch" type tourist culling, anything goes usually....

You could get Dad a used Rem 700 in 06 and have a super hunting rifle...ammo is reasonable too.
I used my 8x57 on Wildebest, Gemsbok and other smaller stuff with great success.
If Dad can shoot, you should have no problem with the 06.

Tell the Ph you want to use one of his rifles. It will be minimal cost and you wont have the hassle of hauling one back and forth.

Try www.kalaharihuntingsafaris.com, and go and ask them about their cull hunts. I hunted with them in August of 2009, and we were allowed 22 animals. 2 steenbok, 6 Oryx and 14 Springbok. Hunting is more like shooting, as all done from the hunting vehicle. body hits okay, as they use a lot of the meat for their farm workers, but also sell a lot of what isn't blood shot, etc. and don't require head shots. I forget what the price was, something like $6200.00 plus airfare, and staying over in Joburg one night (I'd recommend doing that each way, as a LONG trip otherwise). A 270 or 280 (I used a 280) or an o6 all would be acceptable, and even the 308 will do it okay..

@ Dust, I have sent you a PM

And I have received your PM. I will forward the info to my father and see what he thinks.

I don't know if it applies to cull hunts, but you may want to check into the minimum caliber/bullet weight/construction allowed for hunting in the country you are going to. They may well have different (lower) limits for local residents/citizens as opposed to "guest sport hunters".

South Africa has this as extracted from the source doc and cut and pasted from another poster on another web site.

Norms and Standards for Hunting in SA

Bullet weights and not caliber are now applicable to various categories of game

>35gr min up to rock hyrax ("dassie"), all rodents and feathered game - this implies no 32 or 33gr 22 LR, .17's and air rifles!
>50gr for gamer up to the size of springbok (so no 45gr Hornet for any on the tiny antelope.
>100gr thereafter up to impala, warthog, blesbuck, common reedbuck and nyala ewes (so don't bring 85gr TSX, 90gr Scirrocos or 85gr Hornady IB etc for your 243?!)
>130gr thereafter up to Black Wildebeest, Tsessebe, Nyala Bulls and hartebeest (so no 120gr 6.5's and where exactly do the .25's and 6.5mm's fit now anyway!)
>150gr thereafter up to Blue Wildebeest, Kudu, Gemsbok, Sable, Roan and Leopard.
>175gr up to Eland (excl lion and buff)
>250gr for larger up to buff and giraffe (meaning 250gr .33's and .35's would be legal?)
>300gr for larger - i.e. hippo and elephant (so 286gr 9.3 is illegal?!)
>For thick skinned game solids or monometal only - so as per their definition, croc, buff and hippo require solids (including buff in herds etc!?)

Here is a link to another site that a poster has compiled all the current (hopefully current) mins.

Current African Mins List

I have to remove 800 animals from a private hunting reserve. I'm selling the opportunity to participate in this for 4500bucks all inclusive. 20 animals per person which will be culls. You can add all the big trophy game you like for only the trophy fee. This is a private non hunting game reserve so some of the big game species are dying of old age and can be exceptional size. It must be done in Late Sept or October of this year.

The hunt includes everything from the moment you arrive until you're back on the flight home.

Where is the hunt/cull to take place, and what sort of animals are involved? I would be very interested in going back this fall, depending on the animals available. I took Gemsbok and Springbok last time (2009) in Namibia, but believe you are hunting RSA right?? anything like Bushbuck or Nyala involved? of the other 3 kinds of Springbok, etc..

It will be mostly impala and warthogs, but anything broken old or sick will be culled out. The hunt is in the limpopo province

No springbok live in this area, Doubtful Nyala and bushbuck would ever be involved in Culling anyplace. They do not live and reproduce in large herd numbers

They are the normal requirments, less meat spoilage.

Check out tjsafaris.com,