Convince me to look at South Africa

[revturbo9967]

@revturbo9967, Please don't take this as a personal hit because their have been so many post on this subject of fences and South Africa. I have made this same similar comment on some if not all posts on this subject.

Like so many others that have made these same comments on hunting fenced areas in RSA, I'm going to guess you live in the US. I'm also going to guess you usually hunt on 20 to less than 1000 acres for big game here in the US. While hunting here in the US one often sees, crosses, and otherwise comes in contact with fencing and are ok with the fenced places being hunted otherwise one wouldn't be hunting on these properties.

Yet traveling some 3000, 4000 miles to hunt in another country on a property 20 to 500+ times the size of the properties that you hunt here in the US, seeing that same type fencing the game is considered not free ranging, and thus somewhat taboo, not really hunting.

Outfitters that put and stalk with the sole purpose for a client to come and shoot that specific animal I whole heartedly agree regardless of the size of the property IMPO is a form of "cage" hunting.

Basically if one feels that it is OK to hunt in and around fences here in the US, what makes it not ok to hunt an area that is extremely larger in another country where the game is in its natural habitat born, raised, and free to foam on that entire property?

If you are wanting to be convinced to hunt in South Africa, perhaps you are really wanting excuses not to hunt and have a good adventure in South Africa.

I primarily hunt western US in wilderness areas. Not once have I hunted within or around a fence.

 

[revturbo9967]

What are you wanting to pursue?

Primarily kudu and possibly some of the smaller antalope. I don’t really have a list.

 

[revturbo9967]

There are certainly some areas in South Africa that can offer free-roaming (low fence) plains game hunting, but this is generally limited to species such as kudu, bushbuck, duiker, steenbok, pigs, springbuck, porcupine, and small predators. Legally, these animals require a hunting permit from the province, as all game that is not restrained behind an exclusion fence is state-owned. The provincial ordinances dictate the hunting season and other relevant conditions, such as meat transport, etc.
This is one of the main motivators for high-fence game ranching in South Africa - by receiving exemption from state ordinances (exclusion fence construction), private landowners can self-determine all parameters around game management

This is how all most of the hunting is run in the US. The state owns the animals and determine quota or bag limits, and charges money for tags for those animals.

 

[Altitude sickness]

The closest thing to western US game units in ZA are probably eastern and western cape.

As Brickburn suggested. If you bow hunt take a bow. Animal density in the ZA wild areas is lower. Like US wilderness. Animals are very elusive and spook easily. The trophy fees you rack up will be minimal if bow hunting wild areas in the south.

 

[Rubberhead]

Scroll down to see a picture I took of a topless woman.

 

[Catchaser]

I spoke with Crusader Safaris at DSC and thought their operation sounded interesting. They hunt 3 or 4 different areas in the Eastern Cape depending on what species you are wanting to hunt. All are large free range conservancies with no fencing.

My first safari was with Crusader in 2016. They were awesome to hunt with and there were no high fences where we hunted.

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

Primarily kudu and possibly some of the smaller antalope. I don’t really have a list.

Should be able to assist on Kudu, Bushbuck and a few others in our free range areas.

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

My first safari was with Crusader in 2016. They were awesome to hunt with and there were no high fences where we hunted.

The run an excellent operation.

 

[Flipper Dude]

Hunted a wonderful area along the Umkomass River in KwaZulu Natal. Completely free range. Kudu, bushbuck, impala, Nyala. Mountainous area, lots of glassing across canyons. Beautiful. Also, the Midland Meander is close by, provides a nice break for the missus.

 

[sgt_zim]

Just some food for thought.

There are 640 acres in a square mile. A 30K acre property is nearly 47 square miles. Yes, you could probably drive the entire perimeter of the fence in 2 or 3 hours. But that's a lot of land.

You could walk and drive all day on a property that size and never even see a fence, and that's certainly enough land for self-sustaining populations, even if there were some putting and taking going on.

 

[revturbo9967]

Just some food for thought.

There are 640 acres in a square mile. A 30K acre property is nearly 47 square miles. Yes, you could probably drive the entire perimeter of the fence in 2 or 3 hours. But that's a lot of land.

You could walk and drive all day on a property that size and never even see a fence, and that's certainly enough land for self-sustaining populations, even if there were some putting and taking going on.

The size of the property is only part of the equation for me.

 

[Hammergun]

You can make it as tough as you like if that's the issue. Hunt a very large property on foot. Walk and stalk. Wild self sustaining animals. If that's not good enough I don't get it.

 

[Nyati]

In RSA you also have the opportunity to hunt very large (20.000 hectares +) cattle farms.

Any wild game there is totally self sustaining and not managed in any sense.

 

[revturbo9967]

You can make it as tough as you like if that's the issue. Hunt a very large property on foot. Walk and stalk. Wild self sustaining animals. If that's not good enough I don't get it.

I personably like to track, not spot and stalk. Sometimes that is difficult depending on the property size. My weariness of SA has more to do with the management of the land and outfit within those fences rather then how hard or easy the hunting is.

 

[Hunt anything]

I’ve hunted cattle/goat /sheep fenced areas in the eastern cape and the northwest province, to me it was no different than hunting pronghorn or mule deer out in the western US.

 

[Graham Hunter]

Check out Nick Bowker hunting. Eastern Cape. Huge area's of low fenced land. Tons of animals. Trophy or culling or both. New beautiful lodge and Nick is a great guy. Went there in 22 and will go in 25.

 

[MontanaPat]

Should be able to assist on Kudu, Bushbuck and a few others in our free range areas.

I met Marius for the first time at DSC also and enjoyed visiting with him and hearing more about the properties he hunts. I would have no qualms at all in doing a trip with him to hunt Kudu and other species on the free range area they hunt. I hope to get a chance to hunt with him in the future.

 

[bakerb]

My first trip was to Crusader in the eastern cape in 2016 too. Andrew runs a good operation and the eastern cape is gorgeous country.

Mike Murray with African field sports has a big operation in the eastern cape as well. I haven’t hunted with him there but I hunted with his operation and partners Tholo safaris in Botswana and they all took VERY good care of me and I will recommend both Mike Murray and Tholo forever. They went above and beyond.

 

[Osama Mahdi]

Primarily kudu and possibly some of the smaller antalope. I don’t really have a list.

Hunting Kudu with Limpopo BIG GAME Safaris in the Soutpansberg Mountain was very challenging. We failed so many times. The beauty of the areas is hard to describe.

 

[thnsno]

I hunted with Crusader safaris in 2022. Everything was great. Get ahold of Andrew and he can set you up. All free range hunting. I know guys that have used him 6-8 times.