Africa plains game questions

[BigPig]

I'm in the inital stages of planning an African plains game safari in the near future. I want a place where I can bow hunt and rifle hunt. We also want to be able to fly in fairly easily.

Most of the South African areas seem to be fenced properties. (PLEASE DO NOT TURN THIS INTO A FENCED HUNT PISSING MATCH) Being a Western hunter, the fence element bothers me. But everyone I talk to say that 1) all the concessions are fenced so its is really your oinly choice 2) the properties are massive and you will likely never see the fence 3) the animals are wild born and very elusive and that the fence is really a non issue.

Is this really the case? Is it really not an issue? I don't want to hunt a game farm but I really, really want to hunt Africa.

I know there are other more remote areas where the ranches are not fenced at all, but they are really difficult and expensive to get to. A place where you fly into a major airport and the outfitter picks you up there is more practical.

Can anyone recommend an outfit that meets my criteria? Please comment on whether the fence was an issue. First hand experience please.

 

[Bambistew]

I sent you a PM.

Also I think that JJhack might have a low fence consession in the Limpopo IIRC.

 

[WVHUNTER]

I hunted in the Eastern Cape of SA in May of 2005 with Huntershill Safaris. It was a rifle hunt and they weren't really set up for archery, everything was spot and stalk(no blinds over water holes).

I think you are correct in that most of South Africa is high fence. Even if it has a cattle fence some of the animals (blesbuck, zebra and possibly wildebeast won't cross it).

Some of the animals are born wild and some are purchased at auctions and released on the ranches but they are all elusive.Trying to get within 300 yards of a zebra in open country was very difficult. They said after new animals were there for two weeks they were as wild as the original animals. They had started this game ranch three years earlier and the animals that were there free roaming were kudu, mountain reedbuck, impala, duiker and steenbuck (I think). The other 25 species that were there had been stocked when they started the ranch.

The Eastern Cape is mountains and you could see the fence at times. The ranch I was on was 24,000 acres. I was told by my PH that in other areas of SA it was brushy and flat and you may never see the fence.

There is a www.accuratereloading.com web site that has a lot of information on Africa hunting. Namibia is supposed to have some free chase hunting, is a safe country and isn't to hard to get to. It will probably be a little more expensive than SA.

I was also told by the PH that the SA bow hunts that I see on television with 50 animals coming to a water hole were small fenced areas heavily stocked with game with only one water hole on the property.

Was the fence an issue? It was something of an issue. I don't look at my Africa trophies the same way I look at my free chase trophies but I do look at them with great memories of a wonderfull trip.

 

[Huck58]

Yes many are fenced, the ones I have hunted were in excess of 20,000 acres under one fence. I actually seen a cow eland run accross a two track road along the 6 foot fence, and in one leap clear the fence, bounded in front of us then cleared the fence, then off into the bush on the other side. It happened so fast we, including the trackers and Ph, were speechless. All types of smaller antelope and wart hogs pay no attention to the fences, crossing back and forth.

We could drive all day and only come near the fence at dusk as we headed in. As for archery hunting it is gaining popularity in RSA and outfitters are greared up for it. All the ranches I hunted never allowed rifle hunters to use blinds, as they were for archers only and photography.

 

[freedivr2]

Talk to Scottyboy and Deerking. Scotty is going there for his third Safari and Jeff went last year. Both gentlemen are hard hunters and have many of the same expectations and high standards that you have.

 

[Texas_Hunter]

Sent you a PM

 

[Blank]

I went to Namibia last year, and my son was there this year. We just booked two leopard hunts for April 2007 at Reno SCI. The ranch we hunt is 160,000+ acres, about 260 square miles! High fenced to keep the black rhino, ele's, hippos in that they are given from Etosha park to care for, but a big eland or kudu can still clear the 9' fence if they want.

I would go to Namibia over RSA myself, but there is some excellent open range hunting in both. Bow hunting without using blinds is very difficult; are you willing to spend all that money and still be unsucessful? What would you want for primary species? That might determine your ultimate decision.

Like was mentioned before, check out AccurateReloading African forum for info.

 

[7D]

I have heard the same information. There are fences but they don't stop much, maybe the largest animals only, maybe. The areas are so big you hardly ever see them. I wish I was in the postition to go sometime soon. I would recommend reading Peter Capstick's books, if they don't get you excited about going there, nothing will. That man could really write. You won't get much info on this site, to many ethics crazed people that are in love with nature but live in metro SLC and BCBOY pictures of him when he was 10 gutting a doe, "yawn".

Check out Accuratereloading.com for everything you ever wanted to know...

I too dream of africa, where everything bites!

7D



"Arguing on the Internet is like running in the Special Olympics, doesn't matter who wins, you're still a retard?