They’ll be back, though. Sandgrouse keep to their schedule with the precision of a Swiss watch, and I’ll be waiting for them, better concealed, when they return the following morning. In the meantime, I’ll go chase guineafowl and francolin. Such are the bird-hunting options in southern Africa—if you miss one bus, there’s always another just minutes away.
For hunters, the appeal of an African safari is the marriage of abundance and diversity. Understandably, many dream only of hunting big game, with dozens of antelope species to choose from in addition to the fabled Big Five and a broad assortment of other unique animals. Like others, I too have been captivated by the intoxicating allure of Africa’s big-game hunting.
With every return visit, however, I became increasingly distracted by gamebirds, from flushing a covey offrancolin while stalking a kudu bull to getting sold out by squawking guineafowl on a Cape buffalo hunt. As a result, I discovered the opportunities for bird hunting are every bit as numerous and notable as they are for four-legged critters. Now I make hunting birds a major part of every visit to Africa. And I’m not alone—dedicated wingshooting safaris are an emerging trend in African hunting circles.
