The Fallow Deer
SEVEN STAGSRACEDacross the wheat field, their c nut-coloured coats standing out clearly against the lush green background. Upon reaching the edge of the field they hesitated briefly, then disappeared into the dense fynbos that lined a deepish gully.
With Valerian van der Byl leading, we set off after the takbokke. This was my first hunt on historic Fairfield, the 8 000ha property near Napier in the Overberg that has been home to the Van der Byl family for many generations. The late PK van der Byl, a former Minister of Defence in Ian Smith’s Rhodesian cabinet, and his family moved back to South Africa after his retirement to settle on Fairfield. Valerian, PK’s son, now runs the farm. I met him early in 2020 and liked him immediately. After a tour of the farm he invited me to hunt a fallow deer so I returned in August 2020 for two days of hunting.
The fallow deer () is a ruminant belonging to the family Cervidae. Its scientific name refers to the animal’sor in Latin means brown). The Afrikaans name is but most Afrikaners simply call it a .
