I'm planning to hunt Namibia for PG in March 2009. What's the difference between hunting on Game Ranches, Cattle Ranches, Concessions, Conservatories, etc.

Although the experience of being in Africa and pursuing game on a "Fair Chase" hunt is of prime importance, trophy quality is also of great interest.

Bobby B.

Bobby B., you don't have to worry about the hunting in Namibia being fair chasse! What I would reccomend, though, is, practice up on your long range shooting! Most of your shots will be passed 200 yds, and some much farther. most of the land there looks like around west Texas, and eastern New mexico, simi-desert savana, and lots of red sand! most of the ranchs are not fenced at all,and the ones that are are generally low sheep fence. There are very few "CONCESSIONS" in Namibia, but don't worry, some of the ranchs go as large a 1,000,000 acres, and even small ones run 100,000 acres.

Who are you hunting with, and what rifle are you thinking of takeing?

Bobby,

Here is a link to a past discussion on this topic.

https://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/...=798104434#798104434

Game ranches: Usually high fenced, so I would hunt only those that are very large, or in some cases where the game is extremely hard to hunt due to thick brush, but even then it must be to my criteria, at least 10,000 acres in most cases..

Conservatories: A number of ranches that have gone together and hired a PH to hunt them. This is usually a very nice hunt. Usually have some fencing, but not necessarily.

Concessions: Again quite large as a rule and are normally Gov. owned and leased out to Safari Comapanies. Normally have few or no fences on them.

Cattle Ranches: Can be about anything from bad to extremely good, usually have a 3 or 4 barbed wire fence around them and game can come an go. Usually very good hunts.

Everyone has to set fourth their own criteria. Mine is usually based on the size of the hunting area, plain and simple..

You will get a ton of feedback on whats fair chase and what is not, a lot of that will come from folks that have not hunted very much, and have a lot of pre consieved notions...

The whole world today has boundries, be it a fence, mountain range, river, highway, pipeline, or whatever. The bottom line is use your COMMON SINCE, toss out the radicals on both ends and enjoy your hunt.

quote:

Originally posted by Lhook7:
Bobby,

Here is a link to a past discussion on this topic.

https://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/...=798104434#798104434

Lhook7, I believe that thread may cause more confusion that information. Everyone there is right, and all are saying the same thing, in different ways. Riaan is correct, but I think missunderstood waht Russ was trying, unsuccessfully to say. All Russ was saying is the perception brought to mind when dealing wit folks from another country, may be very different from what is meant by a person from some other country.

I don't believe there is any real agenda at play, but simply the use of words being different where you are, and may mean something intirely different to some one from someplace else.

Example: I ask my PH, one time if he knew another PH I'd hunted with. He said "Yes, and the last time I saw him he was "PISSED", as usual!" I questioned as to why he was angry, and my PH begant to laugh, and said HERE, "PISSED" MEANS DRUNK!

So you see, the words used may have far different meanings to different people, and cause one to think one thing, and get somthing else. No disception, just a misunderstanding!

Like most Americans, "CONCESSION" means a gov hunting area, and it is true that in The USA, FARM, brings to mind domestic animals, and fences, while in Namibia, it is far from a South Carolina dairy farm, and may not even be fenced at all, or have a milk cow within 200 miles!

Venders in Africa do need to make things more clear, when discussing their type of hunting property with folks from other countries!

VAUGHN FULTON, is a great man to contact about hunting in Namibia, and the hunting in Namib , is great, just differen't from what most who think of Africa. No JUNGLE THERE!

Mac:

Your comment brings to mind the expression that Americans and Brits are two people seperated by a common language. Your example of pissed brings to mind several other words with different meanings in different english speaking nations:

Bowser: America=dog, Australia=gas pump
Rubber: America=condom, former commonwealth nations=eraser
Knock up: America=slang for fornicate, former commonwealth nations=visit
Fanny: America=polite slang for buttocks, South Africa=crude slang for vagina

Thanks for the input, it's much appreciated. You've all helped clarify the definition of the different terms very well.

Mac, I'll hunt with a custom 7RM; laminated thumbhole stock, 26" gaintwist barrel, Sako action, Leopold scope with range finder reticles. I'll load 160 Ballistic Tips, 168 Berger VLD and 175 Partitions. I'm very much interested in experimenting with the effect of each on game. I'll hunt Kudu, Gemsbok, Hartman's Zebra and Blue Wildebeest. A friend is joining me and we have yet to select an PH and safaris. We're both pretty pumped to say the least.

Bobby B.

quote:

Originally posted by Bobby B.:
Although the experience of being in Africa and pursuing game on a "Fair Chase" hunt is of prime importance, trophy quality is also of great interest.

Bobby B.

". . . the experience of being in Africa and pursuing game on a "Fair Chase" hunt . . ."

That is "trophy quality".

Ray's response is a good one. He speaks from a solid perspective.

I do not like high fence areas but hunted the Lemco Conservancy in Zim. It is double high fenced to keep people out and is 500,000 acres. In that case I hunted it and rarely saw a fence except driving in or out.

There is no difference between hunting a conservancy or fenced / unfenced farm land. A conservancy is simply a legal confraternity of farms, no matter how much of it is fenced or not.
The ordinary concessions in Namibia are situated in areas which are not regarded as commercial farm land.

Fair chase hunting in Namibia is not a question of where you hunt, it is a question of who you are hunting with. You might "diesel-stalk" a consession all day or get foot-sore on 30000 acres.

Kaamatu,
Kudos on your response. You couldn't be more right. You can hunt ethically, sportingly and responsibly on a 10,000 acre concession, or hunt like a slob and shoot from the back of a truck on a 3M acre concession.