Can anyone please give me their opinions on Hunting Plains Game in the 'Free State' South Africa.

It came up in discussions with a mate who is intending to hunt there.

Cheers,

Jeff Gray

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As with any RSA Province, a lot depends on where your hunting and with whom. There is good hunting for plains game and birds in the Free States. It can be outstanding. If I can answer any specifics beyond that, feel free to PM or email me. LDK

As a South African Hunting Outfitter who lives in and operates from the Free State I feel duty bound to give some reply.

In a general way David has already said much about the good [and bad] plains game and bird hunting that can be enjoyed in the Free State: A hellofa lot depends on with who you are hunting. But that is true for just about anywhere in the world! [Just BTW, as Secratary of the Free State Professional Hunters Forum, I know many Free State Outfitters personally and will be glad to make recommendations if asked for in a PM.]

There is no doubt that the Free State is the wingshooting province in South Africa: Most species, most birds and most hunters - by a clear margin.

The Free State is mostly undulating to very flat grassveld - the natural home of true grassveld species like blesbok and black wildebeest, and the springbok, which although not generally regarded as a true grassveld species does very well here too. These can be hunted as true free ranging animals in large areas where there are only some low cattle- and sheep retaining fences that does not, or hardly, restrict their movements from one area to a next.

Then there are the grassveld adaptable species, like red hartebeest, gemsbok, blue wildebeest, tsessebe, eland and a whole host of others. Moist of these are hunted on some high-fenced game farms that range in size from small to very large indeed.

What is not generally known is that the eastern Free State is very mountainous and species like mountain reedbuck and eland do very well there, with reedbuck and a few more hill dwellers also in good supply.

A hunter can do much worse that choosing a reputable Hunting Outfitter for a plains game hunt or wingshooting in the Free State.

On a less flattering note it needs to be stated that the Free State is also the South African province that holds the most lions! Unfortunately all destined to be shot as captive bred and released lions.

There is absolutely no reason to not hunt in the Free State: The rural or farming community are known for their friendliness and hospitality. It is true that their command of the English language is not always as good as in some other provinces, but the friendliness more than compensates for the little difficulty in communication.

In good hunting, in the Free State!

Andrew McLaren

I will second to Andrew's comments...

I have hunted the Free State twice with Andrew I was very pleasantly surprised. It is a lot like the outback or I suppose the plains areas of central west USA but the game takes a lot of work to get close to.

The people are uber friendly and down to earth in that open way that is fast dissapearing in other countrys. When with Andrew and when travelling with my family, we often had invitations to stay or visit the local farms.

There are free range hunting opportunitys in the Free State but you will need time to do it right (and take knee pads).

The best attraction to me was the closeness I felt to South African history. You can always feel the ghosts of the voortrekkers and their wagons hunting their way across the grassveldt.

The Free State was different for me as we usually have hunted in Limpopo. In the Free state the land was very open we hunted Eland and springbok, shots were long, some over 300 yards.It was a beautiful place I can't wait to go back. And as Andrew said lions could be seen or shot but I only took photos of them. Tell your friends to go and have fun.

I think the free state is a very specific hunting experience due to the typical topography. I think the specific property you are hunting on in the Free state will play a greater role in the quality of the hunt than the generalities of the whole state. For example Lipopo hunts are pretty much the same type of ground regardless of property, whereas in the FS you will have some places that are very flat and others that actually have low bush which can make for some exciting hunting. The size of the property in the free state makes a much bigger impact on the hunt than it would do in more dense bushveldt.

Personally I don't hunt much plains game in the free state. Firstly because I'm not a fan of the wide open plains, (I have enjoyed hunting in the bushier properties) but primarily because whenever I'm in the free State I naturally reach for a shot gun because the bird shooting is excellent.

I'm back there for ten days in August with some clients again, and I doubt I'll bother taking a rifle this time.

Rgds,
K

the one thing i really remember about the free state was after we hunted a black wildebeest and were going out for dinner. it was a saturday night and the PH knew of a great little restaurant. So the outfitter, ph, di and me jumped into the car and went there. Only thing was when the PH went it the place was totally full. The outfitter jumped out of the car and said he'd take care of it. Couple minutes latter he comes out and said there was a table for us. When we got in the whole place stood up and applauded us. We had dinner and left (was good too) we asked the outfitter what he had done. Seems as he went in and told the owner that we were an group touring the country for then president ford.

Free State reminds me a lot of Wyoming from the Bighorns east. I loved hunting there. So different from Limpopo.

I bet you were! But that dog won't hunt in Dallas

Used to live in Lesotho and got familiar with Bloemfontein and the farmlands that Captain Warden robbed the Basotho of in his 1855 decision setting the borders of the Free State and then Basutoland.

Subsequently went back to hunt there, unfortunately at a farm where the owner had a marvelous fully-equipped bakkie with rifle rests to shoot from... He was annoyed when I jumped off the vehicle to take a shot.

Plenty of real hunting there, too, from plains game in fair chase; to francolin, guinea fowl and waterfowl including ducks and spur wing geese.

Sight seeing is also good with the town of Graaf Reinet just into the Eastern Cape, and the Willem Pretorius game park good stopovers.

Regards

quote:

He was annoyed when I jumped off the vehicle to take a shot.

Not uncommon.

I hunted Free State last year. It is very open country with long shots.

I did not hunt with Andrew, but was hosted by him. If he and Cecilia are any indication, you will be well fed. Everybody we met was very friendly.

Hunting the Free State is a great experience. Though I'm not terribly versed in African hunting (the Free State being one of two trips), I can say that I truly enjoyed the big game hunting, bird shooting, and varmint hunting in the FS. I shot six species of "big" game (black and blue wildebeest, blesbok, springbok, mountain reedbuck, and steenbok), and only one shot was over 300 yards - and that only by three yards. I recommend the Free State, especially if you can get in some bird hunting to add variety.

And if your mate hasn't selected an outfitter, I too highly recommend Andrew McLaren, who showed me a very nice time there.