Hunting in the Western Cape

The Western Cape is a province in south-western South Africa. With a population of 5,822,734 (as of 2011) it is the 4th most populous province of South Africa, and at an area of 129,462 square kilometres (49,986 sq mi) is also the 4th most extensive. The capital of the province, and its largest city, is Cape Town.

Geography

The Western Cape is roughly L-shaped, extending north and east from the Cape of Good Hope, the southwestern corner of South Africa. It stretches about 400 kilometres (250 mi) northwards along the Atlantic coast and about 500 kilometres (300 mi) eastwards along the Indian Ocean coast. It is bordered on the north by the Northern Cape and on the east by the Eastern Cape.

Cape Town as well as South Africa’s biggest landmark, is Table Mountain. It is located towards the south western part of Cape Town.

The vegetation is extremely diverse, with one of the world’s seven floral kingdoms almost exclusively endemic to the province, namely the Cape Floral Kingdom, most of which is covered by Fynbos (Afrikaans: Fine Bush). It is extremely rich in species diversity, with more plant species occurring on Table Mountain than the entire United Kingdom. It is characterised by various types of shrubs, thousands of flowering plant species and some small trees.

Climate

The Western Cape is also diverse climatologically, with many distinct micro- and macroclimates created by the varied topography and the influence of both the Indian (warm water) and Atlantic (cold water) oceans, thus climatic statistics can vary greatly over short distances. Most of the province is considered to have a Mediterranean climate with cool, wet winters and warm, dry summers. The interior Karoo has a semi-arid climate with cold, frosty winters and hot summers with occasional thunderstorms.

Hunting and Tourism

Cape Town is well known to tourists around the world with its beautiful views.  Another tourist attraction is the Cape Winelands where tourists have the opportunity to sample South Africa’s best wines while enjoying the majestic view.

The Western Cape is however not known as a hunting hotspot.  Hunting does take place in the province, mostly around the Karoo towns of Beaufort West, Laingsburg, Leeu-Gamka, Touwsriver and Prins Albert.