Hunting On Fenced Farms Vs Wilderness Areas

[Nhoro]

I think different areas are simply different products that you can choose from. As long as you know what you are paying for and it is delivered then you are happy. Crooks and liars occur in all countries so do your homework. If you want a quick and very civilised hunt, maybe with your family then SA is a good option. If you want adventure then pick Northern Mozambique. I have hunted relatively small fenced areas as well as unfenced land in Zim,Moz and Zambia. Some people like vanilla, some like strawberry and it doesn't make sense to me to to expect others to follow my taste buds. I believe all hunting types have their place.

 

[BigKev15]

I have hunted Limpopo 3 times in the last 6 years. I love the rugged bush and mountains where I have hunted. I have hunted very large, fenced properties and enjoyed every moment. My profession hunters have all been incredible, ethical, responsible, honest, and hardworking professionals.

I have hunted an unfenced Kruger adjacent property and that was great. My hunts on fenced and unfenced properties did not feel that different. I enjoyed the read and I am a huge fan of Limpopo. I would like to experience hunting in a huge, unfenced wilderness area someday.

I don't have lots of disposable income, so I have chosen to hunt Limpopo, South Africa. I would love to hunt Zambia, Tanzania, Camaron but I cannot afford these areas yet. My next hunt is in Namibia.

I guess what bothers me most is the arrogance of some hunters who ridicule others for hunting South Africa instead of places like Tanzania or Ethiopia. I would be glad to hunt Ethiopian Mountain Nayala or Camaron Bongo or Tanzanian Lesser Kudu on your dime! PM me with your offers for free hunts.

Very well said !!

 

[Hank2211]

Very well said

I have hunted Limpopo 3 times in the last 6 years. I love the rugged bush and mountains where I have hunted. I have hunted very large, fenced properties and enjoyed every moment. My profession hunters have all been incredible, ethical, responsible, honest, and hardworking professionals.

I have hunted an unfenced Kruger adjacent property and that was great. My hunts on fenced and unfenced properties did not feel that different. I enjoyed the read and I am a huge fan of Limpopo. I would like to experience hunting in a huge, unfenced wilderness area someday.

I don't have lots of disposable income, so I have chosen to hunt Limpopo, South Africa. I would love to hunt Zambia, Tanzania, Camaron but I cannot afford these areas yet. My next hunt is in Namibia.

I guess what bothers me most is the arrogance of some hunters who ridicule others for hunting South Africa instead of places like Tanzania or Ethiopia. I would be glad to hunt Ethiopian Mountain Nayala or Camaron Bongo or Tanzanian Lesser Kudu on your dime! PM me with your offers for free hunts.

I’m sorry that you have run into these types of people. Most hunters aren’t like that, at least in my experience.

I’ve been able to hunt many of the places you mentioned, as well as just about every part of South Africa. I still enjoy hunting South Africa - and in fact have a 10 day hunt planned there for next spring before I go to Zimbabwe for leopard - just as much as I enjoy hunting elsewhere (actually, more so in many cases . . . Some of the other places are great places to hunt, but I wouldn’t rate them as great places to visit).

Keep doing what you can do, and don’t worry about idiots who feel it necessary to lord it over others . . . hunting skill and, if appears, class, have nothing to do with money.

 

[dogcat1]

Been many places (Africa - 11 trips, NZ 2 trips, Canada 5 trips, Alaska 4 trips, Europe 3 trips, Asia - 2 trips). Some fenced, some not. I really could not tell the difference. I saw more animals in Uganda than anywhere else - no fences. I saw the fewest in Cameroon and Alaska - no fences. I like Europe as it is controlled and managed but does have fences. Same in NZ. Same in most of the USA.

The debate is about animals that bought, dropped into a paddock, then shot. Not for me. Not hunting. However, if you hunt the Crow Reservation Montana for Bighorns, guess what? Very controlled and a drive by shooting.... So, do your research, hunt what works for you.

Lastly, one poster said RSA has low ethics. That has not been my experience. They are ethical and do what they say. The question was about how the canned hunting (especially lion) was done. Common sense prevailed and those places are gone or soon will be.

On the "other Africa hunting site", the host/owner goes to TZ once a year and shoots any and all he and his party can. They pay for it, but it is a bit of blood bath as many buff, zebra, eland and the occasional lions/leopards are taken. Yes, it is all unfenced. Yes, the animals are wild. The meat is not wasted. But the reality may be that the area is lightly hunted until his army shows up. The off take is high. Does this hurt the population of animals? No, not likely. Is it something I would enjoy or do? No, blood lust is not for me. After you have hunted and killed several hundred buffalo, what is the fun or thrill to do it again and again? Not for me. Having talked to a couple of PH's on those hunts, they prefer less volume and more hunting.... Me too.

 

[Safari Dave]

I was hunting a 10,000 acre high fenced ranch in Limpopo a few years ago and saw a Gemsbok run though the fence like it was spiderweb.



Some of the larger ranches in South Africa offer a fantastic experience and are as large as most public Wildlife Management Areas in the eastern US.

 

[375Fox]

I was hunting a 10,000 acre high fenced ranch in Limpopo a few years ago and saw a Gemsbok run though the fence like it was spiderweb.



Some of the larger ranches in South Africa offer a fantastic experience and are as large as most public Wildlife Management Areas in the eastern US.

If a gemsbok ran through a high fence in Limpopo I’d suspect the landowner immediately repaired the fence the next day. No one thinks high fence deer in Texas just walk through high fences freely but somehow many want to believe that in South Africa. Some fences however aren’t well maintained for a variety of reasons. A well maintained high fence acts as a barrier for most animals. Without it landowners wouldn’t be spending the money to introduce better genetics and non-native species to their properties and there would be no difference between adjacent properties.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

If a gemsbok ran through a high fence in Limpopo I’d suspect the landowner immediately repaired the fence the next day. No one thinks high fence deer in Texas just walk through high fences freely but somehow many want to believe that in South Africa. Some fences however aren’t well maintained for a variety of reasons. A well maintained high fence acts as a barrier for most animals. Without it landowners wouldn’t be spending the money to introduce better genetics and non-native species to their properties and there would be no difference between adjacent properties.

The high fences in South Africa are different than what one might see in US. They don't use barbed wire (which can mess up a cape). RSA high fence may contain dozens of strands of straight non-barbed wire. Waterbuck and giraffe are also hard on fences. Actually, gemsbuck is one of many species of antelope that can be contained with low 4' fences. They can't jump. I'm told high fences will not contain kudu. They are fantastic jumpers. They jump into top of high fence and climb the rest of the way over. Kudu is considered free range just about everywhere. Property owners seldom have any idea exactly what's on their place for kudu.

 

[Safari Dave]

Your probably right.

I wasn't hunting with a "big money" outfitter, even though he was fantastic.

The fence did not have barbed wire, was about 15' high, and appeared to have 6" x 6" mesh. There were places every 100 yards or so, where warthog, leopard, etc. could crawl under.


(I decided to go with English Units of measure this time, even though the English no longer use it)

To me it just seems right that a "foot" is about as long as a man's foot!

 

[375Fox]

The high fences in South Africa are different than what one might see in US. They don't use barbed wire (which can mess up a cape). RSA high fence may contain dozens of strands of straight non-barbed wire. Waterbuck and giraffe are also hard on fences. Actually, gemsbuck is one of many species of antelope that can be contained with low 4' fences. They can't jump. I'm told high fences will not contain kudu. They are fantastic jumpers. They jump into top of high fence and climb the rest of the way over. Kudu is considered free range just about everywhere. Property owners seldom have any idea exactly what's on their place for kudu.

I don’t make a habit of taking photos of high fences, but each farm and fencing is different. I’ve seen many farms with barbed wire on top. Farms with square fencing. Farms with high tensile wire like you described and chicken wire on bottom several feet to stop smaller animals walking through. I’ve seen electric fence. Every farm has something different depending what they put in initially and how it was maintained over years. Kudu are not considered free range everywhere. If a property owner/manager doesn’t know what’s there for kudu it’s likely because they aren’t actively managing that species, especially in areas where the trophy fee isn’t that high and they are widely available free range. Given time some bulls will likely make it through the fence but most won’t and generally have no reason to.

 

[WildWill]

Your probably right.

I wasn't hunting with a "big money" outfitter, even though he was fantastic.

The fence did not have barbed wire, was about 15' high, and appeared to have 6" x 6" mesh. There were places every 100 yards or so, where warthog, leopard, etc. could crawl under.


(I decided to go with English Units of measure this time, even though the English no longer use it)

To me it just seems right that a "foot" is about as long as a man's foot!

Learned on my first trip that there's no such thing as a "high fenced" warthog . Those things and the steenbucks barley seem to notice the fences.

 

[Sarg]

254K views · 2.1K reactions | Kudu Bulls jump a fence. | These magnificent Kudu Bulls rejoice after the first rain of the season. (Videotographer: Unknown) | By Kuiseb Delta Adventures | Facebook

These magnificent Kudu Bulls rejoice after the first rain of the season. (Videotographer: Unknown)

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11 reactions · 3 comments | Amazing shot of a Kuddu bull jumping a fence. Source unknown. #kudu #jumping #namibia #rittersafariadventures #onsafari #tourlife #adventure #experiences | By Ritter Safari Adventures CC | Facebook

Amazing shot of a Kuddu bull jumping a fence. Source unknown. #kudu #jumping #namibia #rittersafariadventures #onsafari #tourlife #adventure #experiences

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See this a lot & Eland do it even easier.

We had a lot of Nyala, now all the farms around our hunting block have Nyala, including open Cattle Ranch, so now free roaming in the Limpopo.

 

[375Fox]

254K views · 2.1K reactions | Kudu Bulls jump a fence. | These magnificent Kudu Bulls rejoice after the first rain of the season. (Videotographer: Unknown) | By Kuiseb Delta Adventures | Facebook

These magnificent Kudu Bulls rejoice after the first rain of the season. (Videotographer: Unknown)

www.facebook.com

11 reactions · 3 comments | Amazing shot of a Kuddu bull jumping a fence. Source unknown. #kudu #jumping #namibia #rittersafariadventures #onsafari #tourlife #adventure #experiences | By Ritter Safari Adventures CC | Facebook

Amazing shot of a Kuddu bull jumping a fence. Source unknown. #kudu #jumping #namibia #rittersafariadventures #onsafari #tourlife #adventure #experiences

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Kudu jumps a medium fence?

 

[Sarg]

Kudu jumps a medium fence?

Same as all our fences & most properties I work on unless they have Rhino or maybe Lion.

One of those I think is in Namibia, I’ve seen 10s & 10s of Kudu do that Eland same.

Elephants walk down a pole, hard to keep Elephants anywhere even when electrified, Giraffes & Buffalo all the time are out, one property I was looking at buying on the Limpopo River (open farm) had Buffalo herd out the back, I told the guy he was Bullshit but saw tracks & trail cam footage, herd was escapees from fence farm miles away !

Obviously fences hold a lot of game but lots can do as they please if conditions are unsuitable !

 

[Cheesehead]

(I decided to go with English Units of measure this time, even though the English no longer use it)

To me it just seems right that a "foot" is about as long as a man's foot!

I believe you mean Fredom Units!

The way I look at it is that most animals have a typical "home range," and as long as the size of the fenced property is adequately large to encompass the largest possible home range and then some, it makes no difference to me. For example, a quick google search says a male Kudu has a home range of 11 sq km, or about 2,700 acres (in freedom units), while maternal herds are much less. In this case a property of 10,000 acres or more should be plenty big.

 

[Gemsbok45]

Can we just stop now. I love hunting in Africa. If you know what your getting into and it’s legal have at it. I love hunting in true wilderness. Not every hunt I do is that. I’m hunting a property next in the Limpopo that’s 114 k acres. Big enough for me. That’s the problem with the internet some D-Bag just throws something to be the know it all. Stop reposiding they go away.

 

[375Fox]

Can we just stop now. I love hunting in Africa. If you know what your getting into and it’s legal have at it. I love hunting in true wilderness. Not every hunt I do is that. I’m hunting a property next in the Limpopo that’s 114 k acres. Big enough for me. That’s the problem with the internet some D-Bag just throws something to be the know it all. Stop reposiding they go away.

Many people don’t know what they are getting into or questions to ask if these discussions don’t take place. Something obviously influenced your decision to choose to hunt a 114k acre property instead of the average 5k-10k acre game farm. Discussion isn’t a bad thing if it helps someone make a better decision.

 

[Scott CWO]

This discussion reminds me somewhat of the political posts on the Politics thread. Some people have an all or nothing mentality by branding others as either MAGA or Rhinos and can’t seem to discuss the issues without getting upset or going into class warfare. I think it’s worth remembering that we all have a lot more in common than not, whether it’s politics or hunting Africa. I enjoy reading hunting reports from everywhere. I also enjoy debating politics and while I may not agree with everything someone else says, I would defend their right to their opinion.

As for me, I have mostly done the unfenced open concession hunting in Tanzania, Mozambique, Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and CAR. I’m headed to Cameroon in February but also to South Africa in July. I have not hunted South Africa before and am looking forward to darting a rhino and hunting some of the endemic plains game on 30,000 high-fenced acres. I don’t think I will have a problem with the fence since it is a large property. Due to loving wilderness elk hunting, I don’t think I would enjoy hunting small fenced ranches in South Africa but I don’t have a problem with anyone doing it, as long as it makes you happy and it is legal. Personal ethics are just that, personal, and I try not to be judgmental if things are legal. Just my .02 cents.

 

[Lumaberpat]

This is an excellent article, it reminds me of the discussions of discussions we used to have in forestry school about different experiences people have camping. Some people will never settle for anything short of wilderness backpacking/canoeing and never seeing a soul for days. Other people can’t imagine something more wild than pulling their 900 ft^2 camper to the KOA and plugging into the electric. It’s important to remember neither are “camping wrong.” And it is very important as a land manager to be honest about what you offer and don’t offer so you attract campers who will be happy with the experience and excited to come back!

A lot of the gear and services used are the same. Once you’re out of the field, and buying; rifles, plain tickets, hotel rooms, dip and pack, shipping trophy’s! You’re using the same competing companies, keeping them in business and driving prices lower through healthy competition. This allows everyone to have the experience they desire.

Very different experience in the field, but the rifle manufacturer would not be developing new cartridges and rifles if both did not create the demand.

 

[DLSJR]

Kevin makes an excellent point. There are hardly any areas of true "wilderness" left in Africa.

(The best you can do now is probably Alaska, Canada, and Siberia)


I hunted a 500,000 acre unfenced concession in Mozambique on my last safari, however, I did have to deal with locals.

Overall, the experience was wonderful, but there were occasions:
- when a motorcyclist drove through at night when we were hunting over bait
- when you could hear people from a few miles away making noise at night (in addition to lions roaring)
- when a few people were just walking concession roads, unknowingly, interfering with your hunting

This kind of thing did not happen on the ranches I have hunted in South Africa.

Fantastic experiences can be had in either situation, but I believe it would be almost impossible to pull off a 21-day African safari without encountering people wearing Nike T-shirts and carrying smartphones.

It's the 21st century all over the world.

(Unfortunately, for this nostalgic 59 year old dinosaur...)

There still are, at least for a little while longer, places such as you describe. Last year, I hunted 16 days in the Selous on MA1/Madaba. It is a 7-hour drive on a rough 2-track to the nearest village, Liwale. We saw exactly no sign of anyone there, no poaching, people, anything other than a plane or two overhead during the entire 16 days.

Sadly, this is likely to change in coming years due to the building of Steiglers Gorge Dam and Lake Nyerere. Even worse, the Tanzania Govertnment has been building a belt road that will run through the Selous. Between the lake and new road, people will be able to start getting into the Selous. I’m saddened by this as it truly is still a very wild wilderness place. I’m planning on at least one more long hunt there before it becomes like too many other areas in Africa.