The 2026 South African 41ers Annual Hunt – Queenstown, Eastern Cape
This year, it was the responsibility of our Vice President-Elect, Gareth Gray-Browne, to organise the annual hunt. He promptly selected the Queenstown (Komani) area in the Eastern Cape, home to Round Table Queenstown 16 and the Queenstown 41ers.
Queenstown boasts the largest 41ers branch in our Association, with 22 active members. We arrived on Thursday, 2 July, and took the opportunity to “raid” the Round Table Queenstown 16 meeting. Due to Gareth’s exceptional organizational skills, the entire Border Area Council was in attendance, including ARTSA President Wessel Dreyer. Representing the 41ers Association of Southern Africa were our President, Jan Nel, together with our esteemed YAP Convener, Gerhard van der Berg.
The meeting was expertly chaired by the club’s Vice Chairman, who stood in for the Chairman, while the Sergeant-at-Arms ensured that the inevitable good-natured rowdiness remained under control. After the meeting, everyone enjoyed magnificent tomahawk steaks, potato bake, and fresh salads. The fellowship around the braai fires was truly something to behold.
Banners were exchanged, friendships strengthened, and plans made to meet again—either at our next AGM in Badplaas, Mpumalanga, at the beginning of September, or at the ARTSA AGM next year in St Lucia, KwaZulu-Natal.
Unfortunately, we had to call it a night at a sensible hour. When hunting in the Eastern Cape mountains, being in the veld before sunrise is essential. The real celebrations are always reserved for the final evening, when the day’s harvest hangs safely in the cold room and the stories of successful stalks, missed opportunities, and unforgettable moments grow richer with every retelling.
The veld around Queenstown (officially Komani) is renowned as one of South Africa’s most rewarding—and most demanding—hunting destinations. This rugged landscape is characterised by rolling grasslands, steep mountain ranges, rocky ridges, deep valleys, and thorn-filled kloofs that challenge both hunter and quarry alike. Unlike the flatter plains found elsewhere, success here is earned through patience, physical endurance, and careful stalking.
The mountainous terrain provides the perfect habitat for the majestic Greater Kudu, often referred to as the “Grey Ghost” of Africa. These magnificent antelope thrive among dense valley bush, broken cliffs, and rugged mountain slopes, using the natural contours of the land and their exceptional eyesight and hearing to evade even the most experienced hunters. Their uncanny ability to disappear into the shadows of acacia and spekboom-covered ravines has earned them legendary status.
Hunting in the Queenstown region is rarely a matter of simply driving from one location to another. The area’s steep inclines, rocky tracks, and remote mountain passes require capable 4×4 vehicles to reach many of the prime hunting areas. Even then, the real hunt begins on foot, with long climbs over loose shale, careful traverses along ridgelines, and painstaking stalks through thick bush where every step must be deliberate. Wind direction, elevation, and terrain continually influence the approach, making every successful stalk a true test of skill, patience, and perseverance.
These demanding conditions are precisely what make harvesting a mature kudu in the Queenstown mountains such a memorable achievement. Every encounter is hard-earned, every opportunity fleeting, and every trophy represents not only the quality of the animal but also the determination, respect for nature, and hunting ability required to succeed in one of South Africa’s most challenging hunting environments.
For those seeking an authentic African mountain hunting experience, the veld around Queenstown offers far more than spectacular scenery—it delivers adventure, challenge, and memories forged in the rugged mountains where the Grey Ghost truly reigns.
Our sincere thanks go to Gareth Gray-Browne for organising another outstanding hunt, to Round Table Queenstown 16 and the Queenstown 41ers for their warm welcome during our raid, and especially to our host, Danny Mulder, a member of the Queenstown 41ers, who graciously hosted us at Rheebokfontein Game Farm. His exceptional hospitality, outstanding food, and genuine friendship made the weekend one to remember.
I can wholeheartedly recommend the Queenstown experience as offering some of the finest hospitality anywhere in the world. I certainly cannot wait to return—and next time, I intend staying a little longer to enjoy a round of golf as well.
Next year, our annual hunt heads to the Thabazimbi region of Limpopo Province. We would be delighted to welcome fellow International 41ers to join us for another unforgettable South African hunting adventure and, above all, the fellowship that makes our Association so special.
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