Page 107 - THE SLOUGHI REVIEW - ISSUE 13

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Hunting of mouflon is strictly regulated in the Ahaggar, all “mouflon areas” are privately
owned. Foureau had already noted this fact: “Close to us, he writes (1902, p. 76) to the east,
and part of the escarpment, lies the Gara Youfassaka, about which the following story is
told: A Targui, who wished to hunt the mouflon in peace, is said to have bought a two-year-

old camel for this Gara (Arabic for: small mountain); but this hill, which has a truncated
cone shape, has at its top no more than one or two acres in area.” In fact, all large
mountains are leased out for mouflon hunting, and the beneficiaries owe the community
leader a fee of three dried mouflons every year.

Asekrem is now a fief of Babti ag Abahadj of the Dag Rali; Tahat belongs to Mohamed ag
Mahoua, who has it from his father, and this Targui is a rare descendant of the Issabates
(mythical people, giants, supposed builders of barrows), who are considered the ancient

inhabitants of Ahaggar; Ilaman belongs to Dangochi ag Ouksem and Taessa Ouksem ag
Chikkat.

According to information I recently received from the Adjouh-n-Tahle, the custom of leasing

the mountains exists, but only among the Dag Râli. Among the other tribes, anyone can hunt
as they please.

In the leased mountains, hunting by outsiders, except by the tenant, is prohibited. If a hunter
kills a mouflon in one of these privileged places and the hunter is known (he always is), he is

only entitled to the head and the offal, the other parts of the body and the skin must be
handed over to the lessor. If the hunt takes place at the owner's request, it is shared equally.

If a hunter kills a mouflon on a property he does not own and meets the owner, the owner

gives him the meat when it is already dry, but keeps the skin for himself.

The mouflon hunter sets out with his dogs. Sometimes he joins forces with one or more
comrades who also have well-trained dogs, because the whole success of the hunt depends
on the large number of dogs participating.

If you go hunting with one or two dogs, you come back empty-handed. The mouflon doesn't
even care about the presence of a single dog, it only runs away if it sees two dogs, but then
there is no need to hunt, because it will track them down and lose them. It takes at least

three dogs to harass the mouflon, surround it and thus wait for their maur, for they are not
able to kill it.”