Hunting: The colour game is over

[SBB]

Definition includes: "strikingly, excitingly, or mysteriously different or unusual"

Suppose that would explain it :)

[Messor]

No idea. Thats what the chaps seem to call them down here. Maybe its changed now to something more PR friendly. One does hear colour variant thrown about quite often too.

Just asking, because exotics also mean something coming from far away, or another land.

But even if you remove that from the equation, the whole premise on which the industry defends their breeding of these animals(aka making them not abominations), is the fact that they do indeed occur quite naturally in the wild.

Hence it cannot be exotic either from their point of view.

[Tetelestai]

So a couple of game sales have kicked off in 2017 thus far. Ive been outta the game for a year. Anyone been and seen prices? How the exotics faring vs the normal stuff? We must be close to saturation on some of the funnies ( rainbow coloured animals ;)

Spoke to a vet friend of mine who specializes in game capture and he says his work is sparce this year compared to the last couple years.

The prices have totally collapsed. Where you were looking at R750,000 minimum for a golden gnu bull last year (the "big name" breeders' stock obviously went for far more), these now go for R30,000. R60,000 if you're lucky. Much the same with the other species. Whether this is temporary (eg a result of drought with breeders having to sell stock to pay hefty feed bills leading to oversupply) or permanent remains to be seen. The price of Black Impala, one of the earliest species with colour variants being bred for commercial gain, historically went through many ups and downs.

[SBB]

The prices have totally collapsed. Where you were looking at R750,000 minimum for a golden gnu bull last year (the "big name" breeders' stock obviously went for far more), these now go for R30,000. R60,000 if you're lucky. Much the same with the other species. Whether this is temporary (eg a result of drought with breeders having to sell stock to pay hefty feed bills leading to oversupply) or permanent remains to be seen. The price of Black Impala, one of the earliest species with colour variants being bred for commercial gain, historically went through many ups and downs.

Interesting to watch. Ive heard prices etc but havnt seen any sales prices myself. Everyone seems very hush hush around the market at the moment. Heading to a sale soon and will see myself. Its definately going to be an interesting year and i am keen to see where the market is going to go.What peaks my interest more is all the normal females ( ewes and cows ) that were bought for exorbitant prices to cross breed and form ' split genetic ' animals, must now be redundant. Are they going to go on sale or have the farmers culled them out on the veld.What i see as well wrt to the trophy hunting side ( of normal coloured game) is that certain outfitters are starting running a PR session where if a good trophy ( say a 15/16 inch springbok or 50 inch kudu) is shot, they painstakingly promote it as free range being free from any genetic manipulation by introducing these stud rams that are bred all over.