@IvW please elaborate on your enjoyable wild experiences for the benefit of the Original Post. I'm sure he'd like to hear about all the options that meet his requirements and the rest of would enjoy listening in.
I will try to give some input regarding and hope Canadanoob can find something helpful.
First of all, just to clarify-ALL hunting and conservation areas in SA are fenced some or other way, even the 2000000 Hectare Kruger park is fenced. This however does not need to detract in any way from your hunting experience.
There are many places where you can have a hunt of a lifetime, all depends on how you approach it and how you hunt.
I will not refer to Luxury Tented Safaris here as this is not what the OP had in mind. Rather basic tented hunting camp.
I will split it up in two.
Our own yearly hunting excursion and similar for clients.
We do one or two hunts per year as family and some friends mainly because we love hunting, being in the bush, enjoying nature and of course we love the meat. For fresh meat, biltong(jerky-just better) and sausage.
These hunts take place on a large property(last number of years in Limpopo) of approximately 30 000 acres.
The property belongs to a grand old Lady who is now well into her 90's.
She also farms some beef cattle on the one section of the property but this however does not detract from the hunt and in some cases is beneficial.(explanation later).
We prefer to camp when we hunt. We have what we call Canvas Gazeebos(which basically looks like a rectangular tent) that we pitch and use as a kitchen dining area, another smaller one is used for shade or to sit under if the weather turns a bit bad.
We use fold up table for having our dinner(I hate trying to eat with a plate on my lap).We then have canvas dome tents to sleep in.
The toilet consists of a hole dug in the ground, fitted with a wooden branch frame and a proper toilet seat fitted to the top.
For the shower we use a upright stainless steel portable water heater which works of LP gas. A pop up shower cubicle rounds out the shower.
Each tent has a fold up wash basin for washing your face and brushing your teeth.
For other hot water requirements we use a stainless steel beer keg that has a tap fitted straight in the fire.
An open fire is where most of the cooking is done. The big Gazeebo has two fold up tables ina L shape on the inside which forms the kitchen, complete with a two plate gas burner.
A 140 ltr 220/12v freezer ensures we never run out of ice and cold drinks and our food supplies that need freezing are kept in there. Drinking water we normally take with in large 20ltr containers. Camp water is replenished from the skinning shed, for washing, showering etc.
This basically gives us all we need.
Now the nicest part is that you pitch your camp where you want to. You can change locations for every hunt if you like. We have chosen a spot under some huge Baobab trees, which is also not too far from a natural spring fountain.
There is nothing more relaxing than sitting outside at the campfire enjoying nature and hunting like this. It just does not compare to staying in a lodge. We also much prefer having to cook dinner over an open fire.
I have hunted in many fancy lodges, one thing I hate is some places that make you sit in a wide circle around the campfire, each with his own chair and small table and you get served dinner like this. You cannot talk to whoever is next to you and is very impersonal. Not for me.
You wake up in the morning to the smell of smoke from the fire and a fresh pot of coffee bubbling on the same fire.
The animals.
Although the property has a vast number of huntable species, it is not set up for your normal foreign trophy hunter. Meaning there is no lodge, only very basic hunting camp. She mainly caters for some local meat hunters and because it is not the sole income derived from the property, she makes enough money for her needs just the way it is.
The local meat hunters tend to hunt female animals and the smaller species.(mainly Kudu cows, Blue Wildebeest cows, Impala, Duiker.) Some trophy animals are taken during these hunts but mainly not. This means that there are many old male animals available in a large number of different species: Eland, Gemsbuck, Giraffe, Zebra, Kudu, Impala, Duiker, Steenbuck, Bush pig, Warthog, Waterbuck, Nyala, Sable, Blue wildebeest etc.
Only one group at a time permitted to hunt, so if you have booked it you are the only people there.
Not catering for trophy hunters, the animal prices are very reasonable.
Prices for female animals(even Gemsbuck..) are lower than for males.
There are no higher fees for more inches. A kudu bull is a kudu bull.
Nocturnal animals that command high prices on trophy safari properties are very cheap and plentifull as the meat hunters have no interest in them.
With the permits in place for the ones that need them, the following can be hunted.
Brown Hyena, Caracal, Jackal, African Wild Cat, African Civet, Genet, Honey Badger, Serval etc.
Skinning shed facilities and meat cooler we use the same as we would if staying in the basic hunting camp.
There is no electricity in this tented camp, weak phone reception, no air conditioners or hair dryers etc. but this is the way we like it, getting away from it all as far as possible. Being as close to nature as possible.
We also hunt a bigger property 45 000 acres east of Windhoek in Namibia, same set-up. Basic hunting camp or tented.
I have to emphasize that this type of hunt is not for everybody.
We do it and would not change it for a luxury lodge.
I have taken clients on such hunts and they have loved it because that is the way they want it.
You get a proper bed to sleep on by the way.
There are mainly two types of clients who like these hunts.
The ones who would like to have a more basic old fashioned type of safari and like to get involved in helping around the camp and thus feel more part of the hunt and then the ones who actually cannot afford the "normal" safari rates. These hunts work out a lot cheaper than a safari in a higher end lodge set-up.
We have booked four hunts for this year 1 in each month- May, June, July and August. I will take some pictures and post them with regards to the camp and the animals after we have been.
A proper luxury tent safari on the other hand will cost a fortune.
With regards to the weather. It can get hot in Limpopo, so choose your months during mid hunting season May, June, July, Aug-the closer to the middle the colder it is. Take care however that it can get very cold at times and it is a different cold to what you are use to.
I hope this has given you some insight and may be of some benefit to you.
I forgot to add-yes you may encounter some strange night animals such as mentioned before. But you will probably only see the tracks the next morning. You have a bigger chance of getting killed in the trip to the hunting area due to a MVA than from any wild animal you will encounter on your safari.
I wish you good hunting and good luck, I am sure you will find what you are looking for.
