Hunting with dogs has long been a source of controversy; both in town and in farming areas. Dundee farmer Herman de Wet, in his capacity as KZN chairman of the TLU, featured on a recent Carte Blanche episode on M-Net, which probed the hunting dog saga in Northern KZN.

He said it is not only the threat posed to animals, both wild and domestic, that illegal hunting causes, but also damage to infrastructure such as cut fences and burned veld. “The hunters set fire to the grass to send the animals scurrying and then they let their dogs loose.

It can be very cruel, as the dogs tear the animals apart in some instances.” Mr de Wet added that ‘almost every Monday’ he and many other farmers have to spend time fixing fences. “And hunting dogs act on instinct. They do not only hunt buck such as impala or duiker; if a sheep is spotted, they kill that too and even cattle.” Illegal hunting with dogs has led to a significant decline in the population of various species. Most notably, the practice threatens the existence of the oribi, blue crane and other crane species.

However, the hunters themselves told Carte Blanche that a top hunting dog is able to command a price in excess of R50,000. Some men even trade hunting dogs for cattle to pay lobola. The hunting is very organised, with an ‘entrance fee’ called for – sometimes up to R1000 – with prizes of up to R15,000. A ‘captain’ is appointed to observe the hunt and determine who the winner, according to the laid-down criteria – be it the fastest dog to catch a prey or the dog that takes down the biggest animal.

The hunted animal is usually headed for the food pot. So called ‘Taxi Hunting’ is when visiting hunters and their dogs arrive from as far as Gauteng to Northern KZN to participate in a weekend event. Mr de Wet said that tensions arise when hunters enter private property illegally with their dogs. Often, local police officials are not familiar with the laws governing animal welfare and/or illegal hunting.

According to agricultural website AgriOrbit, the rules surrounding the right of a property owner to shoot dogs trespassing on his land depend on where the farm is located. The legal position is regulated by a nature conservation ordinance, applicable to one of the four old provinces, or by more recent provincial legislation promulgated after 1994.

In the Free State, KwaZulu-Natal and Northern Cape, farmers may shoot any dogs that are not under the immediate supervision and control of their owner or any other person. In the other provinces, only a game ranger or a member of the SAPS may shoot stray dogs. We strongly advise farmers to seek legal advice in this regard. It is always risky to shoot first and ask questions later. “Farmers should be especially careful not to shoot at dogs if their owners are nearby. It often happens that illegal hunters disperse, only to return with the SAPS in tow. The farmer is then accused of attempted murder,” the website advises.  

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