SOUTH AFRICA: Barbary Sheep Hunt Northern Cape

[johnnyblues]

Well done sir, I took mine in Texas on A Fair chase mountain hunt, wonderful trophy fantastic hunt and challenge. I highly recommend this hunt to members.

 

[Roan]

Hi

Great thanks!

I started a conversation with you check there to see my email address.

Cheers,

 

[enysse]

Beautiful animal, I would love to hunt one too!

 

[dory]

Can someone tell me if they are native to SA or have they been introduced ?
Sorry to show my ignorance .

 

[Roan]

They were introduced to SA.

Don't know when or by whom though.

 

[dory]

They were introduced to SA.

Don't know when or by whom though.

Cheers for that , I thought they were but wasnt sure .
Especially as Boela hunted free range animals .
Cheers dory .

 

[Boela]

I had the same question put to the farmer we hunted with and his reply was as follow:

A small breeding herd was bought by the Johannesburg Zoo but it was quickly determined that the stress of being in captivity was having a negative influence on their health. A local farmer then made a deal with the Zoo during 1985 or 1986 (I can't remember exactly the year) and swapped 5 Black Wildebeest for four Barbary Ewes and one Ram. The 5 Sheep were placed in a 3m high boma when they arrived on the farmers property and low and behold, by the next morning all 5 had escaped from the boma by jumping out of their enclosure. The Barbary's were then not seen for quite some time but they managed to adapt to their new surroundings quite well and started breeding, and the rest, as they say, is history.

There are however numerous farmers in the Northern Cape that protect these animals on their land and will not allow anyone to hunt them at all. One particular farmer has a well over a 100 on his property at any one given time.

Please bear in mind that this is the story that was told to me as how they were introduced to the Northern Cape - I am quite sure that there will be different versions of how they were introduced into that particular area.

Regards
Boela.

 

[dory]

Thanks .
Interesting story .

 

[sheephunterab]

They were introduced to SA.

Don't know when or by whom though.

Where we hunted on the Eastern Cape they were brought in in the early 1960s from Chad I believe and kept in high fence until the end of apartheid and then the land was converted to cattle and sheep ranch and the high fences were not kept up and the sheep spread throughout the Stromburg Mountains. There is now over 1,000 of them by best guess.

 

[jeff]

Awesome ram, thanks for sharing!!

 

[rinehart0050]

Congrats on your very nice ram. Sounds like an exciting and challenging hunt. Thank you for sharing.

 

[cmnhunt]

Quick question to anyone who knows. I know the US has aoudad and we're able to hunt them of course, but are you able to bring back an aoudad from South Africa to the US? The reason I ask is because of scimitar oryx and how they're not importable from South Africa (at least I was told into the US). Thanks.

 

[Hendri le Roux]

Hi Boela

I have a small window to hunt this year. Looking for something different with my friend. He runs a game farm outside Warmbad. We looking for a spot to hunt Barbary Sheep. Would you be able to put us in touch with the farmer you hunted with.

Appreciate any help you could give.

Thanks

 

[Boela]

PM sent.

 

[Boela]

Welcome to AH Hendri, you have just made a whole bunch new friends!

 

[Pheroze]

Great report and it sounds like a fantastic trip. I would love to hunt Barbary sheep one day but thought my best option was Texas. I will have to keep South Africa in mind for this. I think you did it right!

 

[sbox]

Beautiful Ram. I still haven't hunted a Barbary but hope to some day. Putting in for a non resident tag in New Mexico this week actually. Thanks for sharing your story.

 

[Boela]

sbox, please keep us up to date.

Good luck!