I was admiring a fiery Bush-veld sunset while listening to the sound of a million geckos, barking in anticipation of the cool night after a scorching day. “Kek-kek-kek,” they continued as the glimmer on the horizon gradually faded into darkness.
I was invited to hunt a water-buck bull and cull a few water-buck cows and some wildebeest in the Steenbokpan/Stockpoort area of the northwestern parts of Limpopo. My friend Casper joined me on the hunt. It was October, the hottest, driest month in this region and probably the worst time to hunt. Temperatures soared above 45 ˚C in the shade and the occasional breeze burnt your skin at midday. This is a time when only the strongest animals survive but still lose condition, a time when the deafening sound of cicadas fills the air, and all animals await the first rains and new life with eager anticipation.
WATERBUCK MEAT – FIT FOR THE MENU OR NOT?
The waterbuck has a reputation for its unpalatable meat. The glands in its skin (mainly in the flanks) secrete an oily substance with an unpleasant, musky smell
