Season is on, bird hunters getting ready
Published: Mar 13, 2010 23:50 Updated: Oct 21, 2010 00:33
JEDDAH: Saudi bird hunters are getting ready for hunting season, which commences in the middle of March as birds flock back to northern climes following their winter breaks in East Africa.
“We go in groups to wadis and forests to hunt the migrating birds,” said Hamoud Al-Baqami.
Birds that cross the western region of Saudi Arabia include geese, quail, ducks, turtledoves and warblers. They make a brief stop in the Kingdom for a short rest, often seeking the shade of trees and the water that runs through wadis this time of year.
“Before the start of the season, the hunters make necessary preparations for their hunting trips that start early in the morning,” Al-Baqami said. The season falls into two halves — from mid-March to April 14 when quail are the main target and then from April 14 to mid-May, which is the season for geese. In winter months, the preys are bustards and sand grouses.
As elsewhere in the world, hunting is a passion and the hunters spend a great deal of time out on their trips but enjoy every minute of it and return home with large catches. “We usually bag between 200 and 400 warblers and between 100 and 200 turtledoves every season,” Al-Baqami said.
Warblers are particularly prized, explained Al-Bawardi.
“The best way to eat the warbler is to cook it with water and salt, because it has a lot of fat,” said Rashid Abdul Aziz Al-Amir, another keen hunter.
“We go out hunting on Wednesday around midday and only return to our homes early Saturday morning,” Al-Amir explained.
The actual hunting usually starts after the morning prayer, he said. He and others usually camp near wadis and forested areas waiting for the birds, rifles in hand. It is not only hunters who enjoy the season. It is also profitable to shops selling firearms and camping gear.
The hunters have their store of amusing and sometimes embarrassing situations to recount. Abdul Rahman Makhdour tells of how he once shot a bird on a tree several times before finally realizing that he was shooting a hanging piece of cloth.
On a more serious note, Filaih Al-Banati, another hunter, recounts how he once set off with a colleague on a hunting trip after Fajr prayer and their car became stuck in sand. When they realized that the car was not going to budge they walked for more than nine kilometers in the sand under the burning sun before a passing driver rescued them.
“We ran short of water and we would have died had it not been for that driver,” he added.
Salim Al-Jimaili said he started hunting birds about 10 years ago.
“This has become a seasonal hobby for me. I like to go out camping and hunting birds,” he said.
The Western region is famous for its hunting seasons of the sand grouses and turtledoves, especially the areas along the Red Sea, such as Yanbu, Rabigh and Umluj. The northern and the central regions are also favorite places for migrating birds to rest for a while before continuing their journey northward.
Comments
MARIE S
Mar 14, 2010 15:04
Report abuseOne half to one billion migratory birds are killed by hunters each year, some
10 million hunters are involved and an estimated 60,000 tonnes
of lead are discharged into the environment.
The latest assessment carried out by BirdLife International, on behalf of the IUCN, has revealed that more birds are threatened with extinction than ever before. A record 1,227 species (12%) are now considered at risk, while the number of birds classified as Critically Endangered has risen to 192.
ABDULLAH
Mar 14, 2010 15:23
Report abuseABU ABDULLAH
Mar 14, 2010 20:24
Report abuseSYMON
Mar 15, 2010 12:25
Report abuseUOTED
Mar 15, 2010 17:29
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