Edrich’s dream comes true as he brings down his first blesbok
Most of the farms in the Eastern Cape and particularly around Komani now allow buck to increase naturally. However, that increase has to be controlled as they compete for grazing with cattle, goats and sheep.
Many farmers make an additional income by charging hunters (local and international) to acquire a trophy animal or for meat. The range of South African buck runs from the biggest kudu and eland down to the smallest springbok, with the blesbok a medium-sized animal.
The economy of the area benefits in a considerable way during winter months from hunters. It provides employment for professional hunters as well as those who cut up the meat in local butcheries.
New Komani hunter Edrich Verster has always longed to have a go at shooting a buck but for so long it has been totally out of his reach financially. Having saved the R1,200 he needed, he went about trying to make this happen. Firstly, he spoke to Simon Sutton on whose farm Edrich works with bees and Sutton put him in touch with a friend of his who has a farm on the N6 road.
With much excitement and hardly sleeping the night before, Edrich met the farmer at 5am and they drove to the farm, had breakfast and then spent some time having a few practise shots at targets in the front garden. The farmer had agreed that Edrich could shoot a blesbok. Edrich has shot before and is quite a good shot. The farmer talked to him about where it was best to shoot the animal, in the heart, so you kill it with one shot and don’t have to spend hours hunting down a wounded animal.
After a couple of hours in the bakkie and then walking, they first saw gemsbok, then some kudus and finally two blesbok.
Edrich aimed and was able to drop the blesbok with his first shot. The farmer put blood on Edrich’s face something that is done to anyone who has shot and killed a wild animal for the first time.
Edrich then had to carry the blesbok on his shoulders back to the bakkie. He said he fell a few times because the buck was so heavy.
The farmer drove Edrich and his blesbok to the farmhouse where they skinned the buck and removed its innards. They then dropped the buck off at a butchery to hang in their freezer. Edrich works at the butchery and they later deboned the buck to make biltong and dry wors.
On achieving his dream, Edrich said it had been an amazing experience.