Researchers at North West University’s Potchefstroom campus have compiled a profile on biltong hunters in a study of the economic impact of biltong hunting in South Africa, News24 reported on Thursday.
According to Professor Melville Saayman and Dr Peet van der Merwe, about 200 000 local hunters set off each year with biltong as their target, which is far greater than the number of trophy hunters who visit the country.
As part of their research, they sent questionnaires to the 23 000 subscribers to SA Jagter (SA Hunter) to compile a profile of the typical biltong hunter and his habits.
The typical South African biltong hunter drives a Toyota bakkie, is married, is between 40 and 64-years-old, and speaks Afrikaans.
The biltong hunter prefers to hunt in groups. The three provinces of choice for biltong hunting are Limpopo, the Northern Cape and North West.
The hunters mostly have some form of tertiary qualification and are most likely to live in Gauteng.
Saayman said few people realised the impact of hunting and its associated expenditure, which totals a whopping R3-billion a year.
”To hunt, you must have a rifle and ammunition, a vehicle, food supplies, petrol and so forth.
”The economic trail is much more extensive than just a buck that’s being shot,” Saayman said. – Sapa