Bushpig wrap for 2012

Dr Ted Pawlias,Illinois.August 2012

Fihl Jensen,Denmark.September 2012

Jose Sodiro,Argentina.Sept.2012

Lucas Brendel,South Africa.November 2012

Once again Blaauwkrantz Safaris proved to be a leading force in preservation of natural habitat and conservation of species that inhabit our very sensitive Valley Bushveldt biome in 2012.
Reaping the benefits by selectively hunting bushpig trophies such as the above specimens is a recipe for conservation that has very few rivals on private land where heavy economic demands on private landowners are growing daily in South Africa.The private sector is the backbone of South Africa's economy and private land forms part of this successful recipe.

Congratulations to the above hunters amongst others for not only choosing Blaaauwkrantz as their bushpig hunting ground but for persevering and making a successful kill on these elusive beasts.

The old adage of  "Location,Location,Location" is most relevant when targeting the bushpig.

Another record tumbles at Blaauwkrantz!

In line with my previous remarks about the fantastic proliferation of wildlife on our 80 000 acre private property another record has been broken : a 15" warthog!

Just like all other wildlife species, warthogs have benefited tremendously from our principles of incentivised conservation in recent years.

The incentive that has allowed this proliferation is ironically the funds generated from sport hunting and trophy hunting in particular.

This 12+ year old monster warthog is proof of this: we do not allow indiscriminate shooting and killing of animals, but rather meticulously select only certain old animals to be harvested by the paying hunter.

Economic value has allowed the wildlife to sustain itself on our land and clearly thrive as we invest in neighbouring land/habitat whenever the opportunity arises by means of funds generated from the wildlife itself.If the wildlife didn't have value we would simply be forced to sustain our resident employed staff and their large burgeoning families by increasing domesticated livestock flocks, which as we all know can easily lead to desertification, environmental degradation and other habitat destruction.

Congratulations to Luke Blewett from Idaho for being the lucky hunter who was at the right place at the right time to make the perfect shot on this fantastic trophy earlier this month.

NEW BLOG ADDRESS

My new blog address is www.eardleyrudman.blogspot.com

Read more about bushpigs and conservation on private land in our region in the Eastern Cape here.

Best Wishes!

Mark Biggs-Successful baitman!

Congratulations to Mark Biggs of Port Elizabeth in himself baiting and eventually shooting a bushpig in just the moonlight!

Mark has access to a friend's property,Longhill, very near to our property,Blaauwkrantz.

The property was recently bought and a lot of investment and work has been done in converting it into a private game ranch.The owner and Mark have a management idea for all the other trophy species except for the one specie that remains under the radar...yes you guessed it,the bushpig.

I mentioned to Mark that there are healthy populations of bushpigs there although they are hardly ever seen.So much so that many other landowners often doubt the presence of bushpigs on their properties.Bushpigs occur almost everywhere where there is cover and fences can't keep them in or out.

I advised Mark on how to set up a bait site and make use of an old house as a blind.

Mark did all this to the tee and also made use of a digital scouting camera to monitor their patterns.

I joined Mark on Wednesday afternoon the 15Th Sept to attempt a stakeout for these "ghosts".The moon was waxing very nicely and the forecast showed a clear night.We sat from sunset(6:30pm) till 10pm when I noticed a bushpig at the bait site.A layer of cloud had emerged and enveloped the moon.Mark struggled to see the pig at first but after a bit of frantic low level-frequency chatter Mark could make out the pig in the darkness.The shot of my 300 Win Mag topped with the Zeiss illuminated reticule scope roared and the muzzle blast temporarily blinded us.

Mark said that he missed!

I couldn't believe it since it was only a 45 yard shot.What I did see was blood running down from above Marks eye...He certainly was a member of the Half-Moon club already!

We walked over to the bait and low and behold there was a very nice boar lying stone dead.

Mark not only made it to the Half Moon Club but the Bushpig in the Moonlight Club too.

May the bushpigs on Longhill Farm also prove their value and sustain this fantastic endeavour of preserving natural habitat in order to sustainably utilise the wildlife.

Long-live the wildlife on Longhill!

David "Skip" Erickson,Montana, the newest Bushking!

If luck isn't on your side then intrepidness is the name of the game and Skip showed tremendous resolve in eventually bagging a good boar after four nights and a total of twenty hours in bushpig blinds.

Skip has been hunting Africa since 1985 and has never been able to add a bushpig to his Children's Museum collection despite hunting in areas where they occur. He heard about the Bushpigs of Blaauwkrantz and set his sights on a trip here to collect a bushpig amongst other unique Eastern Cape species.Skip cleverly planned his safari to coincide with the full moon too.

No sooner had Skip arrived and we set off with his son,Rob,to a bait site where I felt we had a good chance.The Moon was one night from full so we only had three good nights to be able to see what was going on when any pigs appeared at the site.

We sat two nights at this bait site without any pigs showing up.I was confused but not surprised as bushpigs do this,just when you think you've got them they throw a curve ball!

We went to another site on the third night and sat there till 12:30 am,still nothing...!I was getting worried as the next night the moon would only rise at 8:40pm .If the pigs came in before that we would have trouble in seeing them and of course making that shot.

Skip was resolute and showed no sign of giving in and we headed off to the site that we sat on the 3rd night again.At about 8:15pm I noticed what looked like a pig scurrying around the bait site.We watched it there till the moon came out and Skip could see it clear enough in the scope.

Skip made a shot and the pig dashed off into the night.I almost felt worry but Skip said he was right on the pig.We walked the 70 yards to the bait site in anticipation and Skip found some blood and then saw the pig lying in some brush not more than 20 yards from where he had shot.

Since Skip's Bushking accolade two more bushpig hunters have arrived at Blaauwkrantz and the first missed his shot and the other ended before it started.But these stories are better left untold,although to be fair the moon was gone and bushpigging without moon would be chancing it anyway.

Bushpigs aren't for everyone but understanding that they aren't just a normal hog or feral pig goes a long way in actually successfully hunting one.

Congratulations Skip!

Rob Woodward-The new Bushking!

Congratulations to Rob Woodward from Kona,Hawaii for successfully hunting a bushpig on Wednesday evening the 18Th July.

Rob had spent a total 14 hours at two different baits over a period of three evenings before he made that shot at a SCI bronze medal bushpig.The moonlight certainly helped us identify the bigger pig that appeared at 8:30 pm.Our relief and joy was tangible when the boar went down.

Once again our stoic efforts in habitat conservation has been rewarded by being able to hunt our wildlife that has value.Bushpigs have value not only as a hunting trophy but financially too.

We will continue to diligently conserve our very sensitive Valley Bushveld habitat thanks to bushpigs and the other species with value that exist here.

Thank-you bushpigs.

The new Bushking Award

Because targeting and actually succeeding in shooting a bushpig is not something that any Safari Outfit can even try let alone suggest, I feel that when a Blaauwkrantz Hunter attempts a bushpig he/she needs to be honoured when achieving his goal in shooting a bushpig.

As this blog of mine is mainly to describe what bushpigs are really all about, the Bushking trophy is merely the crowning glory of all this description.Reading all the past posts and many yet to come hopefully gets the message through what bushpigs are all about.

Our bushpigs live in a very sensitive habitat in the Eastern Cape namely the Valley Bushveldt Biome and because we are permitted to hunt bushpigs and enjoy the sport they provide and meat they supply(the locals are very partial to this meat) we are extremely determined in conserving their habitat.Habitat conservation is the cornerstone of all our wildlife resources and on private property the sustainable utilisation of our bush animals such as bushpig, bushbuck and kudu naturally ensure that we guard our sensitive habitat from livestock overgrazing and constructions such as powerlines and mines.

The Bushking Award is a floating trophy that is awarded to the newest, successful bushpig hunter.The "necklace" consists of bushpig tusks and porcupine quills that I put together myself. A Board of Honour is on the wall at the Buhpig Bar in the lodge to acknowledge the holders.

The picture accompanying this post is that of Rafael F.Ruiz from Spain who was the inaugural winner of the new Bushking Award.

Congratulations also to Tom Harrison and Hans Zagleur who have since won the award, they will join all the other bushpig hunters in the "Bushpig Hall of Fame" too.

Long live bushpigs.