Basic information
The Namibian trophy hunting season opens on 1 February and closes on 30 November each year.
Clients should ensure that they are booked and will be hunting with a Namibia Tourism Board (NTB) registered trophy-hunting operator, as well as a Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET) registered Namibian hunting professional.
The three classifications of hunting professionals are:
- Hunting guides
- Master hunting guides
- Professional hunters
Two specialist qualifications are:
- Big Game Professional Hunter – a registered Namibian professional hunter who has passed the Big Game examination; and Bow Hunting Professional Hunter – a registered Namibian hunting professional with an additional bow-hunting qualification.
- Hunting professionals must comply with all the trophy-hunting regulations governed by the MET.
- Trophy hunting can be practised from half an hour before sunrise until half an hour after sunset. No artificial light source may be used while hunting. Trophy hunting may take place only on properties where permission has been granted by the landowner.
- Properties where bow hunting is practised must be separately registered with the MET.
The following is required for trophy hunting:
- Permits must be applied for by the MET-registered Namibian hunting professional.
- Permits must be issued by the MET prior to the hunt.
- A separate permit must be issued for each individual hunting client.
- An additional permit is required for hunting large cats (leopard, cheetah, and lion).
- The list of conditions attached to this permit must be adhered to strictly.
- It must be stated on the permit whether it is a rifle or a bow hunt.
- A permit must be completed in full and signed by the hunting client and the hunting professional (after the time wounded or lost animals must also be indicated on the permit).
- Permits are issued by the MET only.
- A maximum of two trophies per species may be harvested, per hunting client, per permit.
