Goose hunting in South Africa

Goose shooting in South Africa can be a unique and exhilarating experience. Only two species of Geese are predominantly hunted in South Africa, these are Egyptian Goose and Spur-winged Goose. The other remaining Goose species is the colourful African Pygmy-Goose. Egyptian Goose is an African native but has been widely introduced across Europe and parts of the U.S. They have grey to buffy brown plumage, pink legs, pale eyes, surrounded by a dark patch and males have a distinctive dark spot on their breast. When in flight, their bright white forewing is very noticeable. The birds are very territorial until the waters start to recede and can be found in some areas in large numbers. They have adapted well to urban life and are a problem bird on some golf courses. Spur-winged Goose is a massive bird, the size of a Snow Goose. This predominantly blackbird has a long neck with varying amounts of white on the head, belly and wings. When in flight this bird sometimes sounds like it has squeaky wings. A short spur is found on the wings and may be used to defend themselves from dogs and hunters when wounded. In some areas, these birds can create damage to agricultural crops. Both species can be hunted throughout the country. Being resident summer breeders, the shooting season for waterfowl opens from May through to August. South Africa’s most beautiful waterfowl, the African Pygmy-Goose has a very limited distribution and special hunting permits may only be issued to collectors. Egyptian and Spur-winged Geese are classified as a species of least concern by the IUCN and no special hunting permits are required.