Crocodile Hunting Safaris in Namibia

Crocodiles are unique, interesting trophies and a lot of fun to hunt. For a lot of our clients, this is high on their "wish list" and a species that we start to hunt as soon as our hunters arrive. To be successful on a crocodile hunt, clients must be patient and wait for the perfect shot opportunity — which doesn't always happen quickly.

While there are plenty of crocodiles available in Africa, that doesn't make them easy to hunt. With a keen sense of "fight or flight", and usually relying more on the "flight" approach, crocodiles will vanish into the water at the first indication of danger. Whether a slight vibration in the ground, a sudden movement, or a nearby bird suddenly departing, crocodiles have a keen sense of survival and use it much to their advantage.

How Do You Hunt Crocodiles?

Crocodiles can be hunted with two main tactics that are commonly used in Africa. The first tactic is simply to spot and stalk the crocs on sandbars, where they will often lay up in the sun in the mid day hours. While this approach can certainly work in some situations (and is very exciting for sure!) it also requires a reasonable amount of luck to find the right crocodile in the right place for a stalk. With some crocs measuring 15 feet or more, we try to be selective with our clients to shoot a large, mature animal whenever possible. So just because a croc is available on a sandbar, doesn't mean that's the right croc to hunt.

The second strategy — which is often used by Engelbrecht Safaris — is to bait an area with shallow water and nearby sandbars, to attract different crocodiles into the area. The importance of the shallow water is largely for retrieving the animals after they are shot. Crocodiles are tough animals, and even with a well placed shot they can quickly slide into the water, making retrieves quite difficult, especially in deeper water (which also has other crocs living beneath the surface). Even in shallow water areas though, it is critical for clients to be very accurate with their shooting. Well placed neck shots are usually the best option whenever possible.