Driven Guineafowl shooting is one of the most exciting and frenetic shoots the field sportsman can experience in South Africa. Based on British Driven Pheasants, beaters and flag bearers have the arduous task of driving troops of Guineas towards the line of waiting guns. Up to thousands of Guineafowl are meticulously driven in military style over a line of 6 to 8 guns at strategically placed pegs in a clearing made in the African savannah.
We conduct driven Guinea fowl from Mosita Lodge on the Botswana Border. This is driven shooting set up like a traditional English Shoot.
We also shoot Walked Up Guinea Fowl in the Free State from Bloemhof Lodge. This is usually walked up over pointers and labradors
This is truly magnificent shooting.
This exclusive safari begins at Mosita in the North-West Province of South Africa. While sparsely populated and rugged, it has incredible landscapes that is conducive and rich in agriculture. The climate is warm to hot, with nights being cool. This area is ideal for Guineafowl populations to thrive. The mixture of agriculturally planted corn, sunflower and ground nuts all ripening at different times of the year ensures an adequate year-round food supply. Thick bushveld between the planted lands is left fallow and creates an ideal nesting and roosting environment. This combination of food and habitat makes for a perfect environment for Guineafowl to flourish.
Driven Guineafowl shooting is one of the most exciting and frenetic shoots the field sportsman can experience in South Africa. Based on British Driven Pheasants, beaters and flag bearers have the arduous task of driving troops of Guineas towards the line of waiting guns.
Up to thousands of Guineafowl, as well as some Spurfowl, will be meticulously driven in military style over a line of 6 to 8 guns at strategically placed pegs in a clearing made in the African savannah. This is truly magnificent shooting.
Shooting is in the winter months, when Guineafowl troop together and spend the day eating in the agriculture fields. These troops sometimes number in the thousands of Guineas. The challenge is then to drive them from the fields into the bushveld over the waiting guns. This is done by at least 50 enthusiastic chanting beaters, ably assisted by parallel flag bearers who in unison drive the panicking Guineas over the guns. Swainson’s and Natal Spurfowl are also abundantly interspersed amongst the driven guineafowl and are extremely cunning and challenging to shoot.
A typical day of driven Guineafowl shooting will start with a hearty English breakfast at dawn. Thereafter departure to the hunting area is about a half an hour drive. The morning consists of 3 to 4 drives. Guns are dropped off at strategically placed pegs.
Each peg has a safari chair and picker upper who will be assisted by your professional hunters with their gun dogs eagerly waiting to retrieve downed birds. After the drive, the guns will be picked up by a vehicle and driven to the next beat.
A full field lunch is served under a gazebo tent or in the shade of a camel thorn acacia. After a well-deserved lunch, back into the field for 2 to 3 more afternoon drives. Evening sundowners are enjoyed after the last beat.
After a great day of driven guineafowl shooting, Mosita Lodge is a welcome and hospitable sight. Upon arrival from the shooting fields, sundowners are served under the African setting sun at the open lapa, where a burning log fire welcomes you in the tranquil surroundings of this bushveld lodge. Mosita Lodge is traditional African thatched and stone chalets, set in the shade of beautiful camel thorn acacia trees. There is a central dining bungalow with a large table where hearty meals and joyous conversation are enjoyed. Meals can also be served at the fire pit lapa under the African sky or in the indoor dinning bungalow.
Here, the morning starts with a combination of an English and Continental breakfast of your choice and where the day ends with a traditional African dinner served with a European flair, washed down with the Cape’s fairest wines. There are eight twin accommodation chalets that have king size or single beds with en-suite bathrooms. These bungalows can be heated or cooled with air conditioning. The sleeping quarters are all connected with a stone path leading to the central dinning and lapa area. Mosita is a very comfortable and scenic traditional bushveld lodge where you can experience true African hospitality.
Flocks of Guineafowl offer an entertaining and testing shoot. Once troops have been located these unpredictable birds are at first driven over the guns by beaters, providing challenging shooting, and are then walked up and shot over English Pointers, with labs doing the honors of retrieving downed guineas out of the thick grass. On a typical Guineafowl shoot guns can expect at least 3 or 4 troops to be encountered with at least a box of cartridges being expelled. The combination of Francolin and Guineafowl makes for sport like no other.
For those who enjoy a brisk walk in the morning, Francolin, Guineafowl and Spurfowl offer some great sport. We use two English Pointers at a time which work the surrounds of harvested corn, peanuts and soya fields. Francolin and Spurfowl have increased dramatically in these agricultural areas as this habitat lends itself to perfect upland game bird conditions. This consists of adequate grass and thorn cover around the cultivated fields, offering the birds perfect breeding and roosting habitat with the adjacent cultivated fields giving an endless supply of food. Swainson’s Spurfowl are the most abundant with the faster and more compact Natal Spurfowl in smaller numbers, as well as the rare Red Billed Spurfowl. Spurfowl and Francolin season is May, June, July and August.
Bloemhof Lodge is an upmarket lodge situated in the heart of the Free State Province. Here you will be staying in luxurious chalets. All rooms are en-suite and delicious African flavoured meals are served either in the boma or interior lounge. The appreciation of comfortable luxury is enhanced by the friendly staff that will see to your every need. Bloemhof Lodge is situated on a game ranch where the surrounding bush is alive with iconic African antelope. After a good day’s shooting you will enjoy a relaxing sundowner at the boma fire pit with wildlife coming in to drink at the watering hole a stone’s throw away. All this is complimented by the breath-taking sunsets and clear star-studded night skies with the sounds of the African bush reminding you of where you are.
26°C
