Best hunting season in Namibia (Africa)
When is the best hunting season in Namibia?
Namibia has about 320 sunny days. And yet the seasons are completely different. Important to know in advance: The seasons between the northern and southern hemisphere are always opposite. For example, when it is summer in England in the northern hemisphere, it is winter in the southern hemisphere. If it is spring in Namibia, for example, then we have autumn in England.
01 February – 30 November
The trophy hunting season
The hunting season for trophy hunting in Namibia runs from 01 February to 30 November each year. For two months – in December and January – no hunting is allowed. Then there is a rest period and the population has time for their offspring.
Half hour before and after sunrise & sunset
Trophy hunting regulations for hunting
From February to November, half an hour before sunrise, until half an hour after sunset. Hunting at night and with headlights is forbidden.
Winter - Hunting season in Namibia
The dry season is often considered as the best hunting season in Namibia
In the months of May to September there is no rain, this is the so-called “dry season”. You can expect bright blue skies and starry nights without even a cloud. During the day it is warm, but not too hot, and in the evening and at night it may get very cold.
Hunting game is especially easy to spot in the dry months due to the monotonous, dry (and later in the year) bare vegetation. In addition, during these months, game is often found at the valuable watering holes.
May / June / July / August
Spring - Hunting season in Namibia
Spectacular nature: dry season, dry thunderstorms and the "little rainy season".
It is still very dry and can now become particularly hot. Towards October, the first dry thunderstorms occur, which greatly increases the risk of devastating, but ecologically important bushfires. With luck, the first drops fall, which makes the country and its people especially happy – after months of drought. After the bushfires, the first rains make the burned areas shine again with a green carpet of lush grass. Due to the positive ecological benefits that a bushfire brings, the first thing to be spotted on these green areas is game. Spectacular cloud formations and sunrises & sunsets characterize this season.
September / October / November
Summer - No hunting season in Namibia
Hunting is not allowed - time for regeneration of nature and population
Namibia is turning green. About two weeks after the first rain shower, the entire landscape transforms. It is humid, warm and the water reserves are finally replenished by heavy rain showers. A spectacle of rainbows, dark thunderclouds and luminous clouds at sunrise and sunset can often be seen. The animals are in their strongest physical condition due to the green and nutrient-rich grass. There is a lot of offspring to be seen, water is everywhere, the game is spreading out and is no longer – as in the dry months – often only to be found at the water holes. It is the resting season. No hunting is allowed in December and January. Time for nature and the population to recover.
December / January
Autumn - Hunting season in Namibia
The green veil turns into a golden one
Namibia is still green and rain continues to fall. However, the intensity decreases as the months progress. How game in Namibia will fare through the upcoming drought depends on how long and how heavily it rains. These conditions will determine how long water reserves will last for the rest of the year. Some farmers and game reserves are capturing water through dams or keeping water points active through solar pumps. It is still humid and warm and the animals are enjoying the nutrient-rich vegetation and at best have brought their offspring through the first few months, so they are now strong enough. The less rain falls, the more the grass “burns” and thus becomes golden. Soon there will be hardly anything left to see of the green veil.
February / March / April
This hunting guide will help you make the right decision for your hunting trip. Need more information?