South African hunters are hunting less because of a weak rand and surging costs. According to a study by Professor Melville Saayman, of North West University, local biltong hunters on average now hunt three times a year, down from four a few years ago.This, he said, was because the price of an average hunt had increased by 23% to R20328 per trip over the last two years. Ten years ago an average hunt cost R4130.Saayman said the increase was caused by the rising costs of accommodation, food, fuel, and meat processing."The weakening rand has increased the cost of ammunition, guns and rifles because they are imported."Saayman said there were also concerns about the effect rising hunting costs would have on the wider industry."Domestic hunters are crucial; a lot of rural areas depend on hunting for revenue," he said.The local hunting industry is worth about R8.55-billion a year. Foreign trophy hunting earns between R2-billion and R3-billion a year.Adri Kitshoff, CEO of the Professional Hunters' Association of SA, said hunting in SA was still cheap when compared to other countries"In the US, deer hunting is so costly it is cheaper to come to South Africa," she said. ..