Some hunters find it hard to believe that true free-range hunting still exists in South Africa and often what is touted as free range isn't but, there is still some great true free-range hunting on the Eastern Cape. This isn't wild Africa but your typical farm and ranch country that we hunt here in North America. You'll see lots of cattle and sheep and agricultural fields. You'll hear farmer's dogs barking but one thing you won't see are high fences. These ranches don't cater to hunters nor really care about the wild animals on their property other than they make a bit of extra money by allowing outfitters on.

We just completed a hunt with Lalapa Safaris and our goal was to take a genuine free-range spiral slam. Owner Ray Kemp has access to about 200,000 acres of this farm and ranch country and he was sure we could do it. You won't see a lot of game on this hunt and you will often go several days without killing an animal but if you want a free-range hunt at a bargain price you can still do it here.

Over the course of 10 days, we took eland, cape kudu, nyala, bushbuck, common reedbuck and mountain reedbuck. We also saw free-range impala, blesbok, steenbuck, duiker and gemsbok. The gemsbok were likely escapees from nearby high fenced operations but the others are as free-range and natural as elk and whitetails here at home. They have been running these same areas for centuries.

Vanessa and I split the spiral slam with her taking the eland and nyala. I took a great kudu and a nice bushbuck. This was my second try for bushbuck. Of the 10 days we hunted, we didn't take animals on four of the days. It's cool to know this type of hunting still exists and is much more affordable than most of the high-fenced places just because these animals aren't being raised for hunting purposes and the landowners aren't trying to make a living off of them. Trophy fees are cheap but trophy quality is high.

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Great! Congratulations you guys! Sitatunga next ?

Thanks for sharing!

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Thanks for the report! Those are some fine trophies. Congrats!

Good stuff TJ. I just got back from the Eastern Cape as well with my family and we too hunted on hundreds of thousands of free-range , no high fence acres and had a great hunt. I did the same in Natal last year, so if folks want free-range, it can be found.

Followed you on Facebook Tim...looked like an awesome hunt!

That's great! I hunted free range in Kwa Zulu Natal and didn't pull a trigger on an animal until day 5 of an 8 day hunt.

Good to see a fellow Canadian with such awesome trophies. Congratulations!

Plenty of fine hunting can be done within a fence. However freerange hunting I believe has been overshadowed in SA because 99% of the hunting industry is where the marked is and that is within a high gamefence.
I have been to a few good places in SA where freerange hunting was available but in must cases one must specifically ask for it. And yes...the hunt takes a longer time per animal.