CDP Safaris also offers specialized bird shoots that take place in Brandfort in the Free State Province. Combination safaris can be easily arranged with game hunting in the Waterberg bushveld and a bird shoot and some plains game hunting of species that occur only in the Free State.

Depending on your needs a safari could vary from a 5 -10 day hunt in the bushveld, combined with a short 2 day red hot pigeon and dove shoot, or a 5 to 6 day full bird shooting experience in conjunction with some plains game species to hunt as well.

Take note that no hunting takes place here on Sundays.

Daily commercial flights are available from Johannesburg / OR Tambo to Bloemfontein, followed by a 60km road trip to the lodge. Charter flights can be arranged.

Species available in the Free State:

Steenbuck

Common duiker

Springbuck Common *

Springbuck Black*

Springbuck White*

Impala

Blesbuck Common

Blesbuck White

Bontebok*

Mountain reedbuck

Common reedbuck

Ostrich

Black wildebeest*

Blue wildebeest

Red hartebeest

Gemsbuck

Burchell’s zebra

Waterbuck

Kudu

Cape eland

(*Species that don’t occur in Bushveld, Limpopo Province.)

The plains game hunting is done primarily on the main farm, of 3 500 ha, where you stay and in a radius of 50 km around the lodge. The bird shooting however, is done over a large part of the district, with shooting concessions of over 80 000 ha.

The bird species we shoot in the area are guinea fowl, 2 species of francolin, quail, Egyptian and Spur wing geese, 3 species of duck, rock pigeon and 3 species of doves. The season for birds is from May until 15 September, except for pigeons and doves, which is open all year, with no bag limit.

The pigeons and doves shooting is high volume sporting stuff. Hunters can expect to shoot between 300 and 800 shots per day, with a kill rate of 20% to 60%, depending on skills. Best time for pigeons and doves is from beginning of March to the middle of June.

For the geese one could expect a bag of between 5 – 10 birds per hunter per outing, with the official bag limit of 10 birds/gun /day. Shooting is from pit blinds and decoy them in to the guns. With ducks, once again, an expected bag of 5 – 10 birds/gun/day. Ducks are shot on and near smaller dams and pans, from hides, and sometimes decoyed. Best time for ducks and geese is from May to September.

Francolin and guinea fowl are either walked up over German shorthaired pointers or driven, especially towards the end of the season. Although the driven shooting can be very spectacular and successful, we prefer to walk them up over the dogs. One can expect a bag of 7 to 10 birds/gun/day. Best time for guinea fowl and francolins is from end of April to the end of August.

We can tailor make the safari for you and your family. Contact us with your questions and needs and we will do the rest.