The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Hunting Outfitters - Offered and Discounted Hunts South Africa----Any True Free RangeGo | New | Find | Notify | Tools | Reply | |
| South Africa----Any True Free Range | Login/Join |
| One of Us |
Myself and 2 or 3 buddies are going to try and plan a safari for June/July/August of 2013. It will either be in SA or Namibia we've decided. We would rather not hunt high fence at all, and will not hunt high fenced places of 5000 acres or less. Barbed wire cattle fences are OK. I'm told that there's really no free range hunting at all in South Africa. Is this true? I've heard that Kei River Safaris and Cruiser are free range but after I was told this I'm really not sure. How about Namibia? Is there free range hunting there? Depending on what we find out, we may have to adjust our expectations a little, but we'd rather not. Thanks for the help. | ||
|
| One of Us |
If you are hunting plains game and leopard then IMO many of the RSA fenced game ranches qualify as true free range. It depends on the size. I have hunted on some as small as 1000 acres (not true free range), but also some as big as 40,000 acres with only one long external fence. I think 40,000 acres is big enough to qualify as true free range when it comes to hunting plains game. Namibia has many tribal conservancies with huge tracts of land available. I hunted two adjacent ones for leopard in 2004 and had over 850,000 acres all to myself. I doubt if I saw 25% of it while there. STAY IN THE FIGHT! | |||
|
| One of Us |
Therearesome free range areas in SA. When I hunte dJules of teh Karoo he has like 70k acres all low cattle fenced only. I seem to recall reading of other areas that are low fenced as well. There are some game fenced areas that are larger. The place I hunted in the NW Province was something like 15k acres high fenced and we rarely saw the fence unless we were headed out the gate or transiting along it for expediencies sake. DRSS Kreighoff 470 NE Valmet 412 30/06 & 9.3x74R | |||
|
| One of Us |
A few operators are specialized in free range hunting. I read a few good reports on crusader safaris for free range nyala http://crusadersafaris.co.za Cheers Dennis | |||
|
One of Us |
I hunted with Shumba Safaris last year and they had an agreement with one of the private unfenced areas that bordered the Kruger, so basically you were hunting the Kruger. There was a limited number of species that could be hunted and I was only interested in a few (Wildebeest, Impala, Zebra) so you'll need to check with them as to what is available. Anything else can be hunted in the standard fenced areas. The nice thing about hunting the Kruger satellite areas is that you could see anything at anytime that lives in the Kruger, all the big five were around. Good luck. "I envy not him that eats better meat than I do; nor him that is richer, or that wears better clothes than I do; I envy him, and him only, that kills bigger deer than I do." Izaak Walton (modified) | |||
|
| one of us |
Lumping everything into either "high fence" or free range/low fence is really quite difficult anymore. A lot will depend on what animals you want to hunt, and if they are naturally occuring and indiginous to the area you want to go to. Also, most of these game fences look nothing like what you're used to in Texas. Fences in Africa tend to be single strand, about 6-8 inches apart and eight feet high, not woven field fence that keeps everything larger than a rabbit inside, similar to sheep fence. My friends have several 25-30K game-fenced ranches they hunt, and regularly see specific animals go back and forth between properties. Then again, they also have a couple 500K to 1 million acre conservancies. Is that enough for you? One friend of mine has a ranch of over 200K acres that is fenced to keep in the lions and elephants, but most of the animals have never seen the fence anyway. Just for your info, litle guys, warthogs, and leopard go under at will and a kudu or eland bull can jump the fence anyway, if they want. | |||
|
| One of Us |
Should have been more specific. Basic plains game for kudu, oryx, wildebeast, zebra, impala, blesbok, hartebeast, etc. Blank, what's the purpose of the fence if animals and people can range freely through it? | |||
|
One of Us |
Hunted completely free range animals with Trophy Safaris Africa in KwaZulu Natal in 2009.Of course, you will not find the variety or numbers of animals in a free range area as you will in a put and take fenced area. However, they had excellant nyala, kudu,bushbuck, impala, warthog. Really enjoyed it. | |||
|
one of us |
My youngest son and I hunted with Crusader Safaris June 2011. Chris and Andrew hunt fair chase on large concessions (100,000 to 500,000 acres) that are completely free-range. | |||
|
| one of us |
JGR: Just mentioning that the fences are deterrants and not "game-proof all the time. Only as good as the maintenance and the determination of whatever animals wants to come and go. My friends have about 100 black and white rhino, 20 elephants, 5-600 giraffes, and several prides of lions which they do seem to work on. I have hunted on the Chaparral WMA down in Texas and seen several of Jack Brittinghams sable from the Rancho Encantado next door roaming around during the whitetail hunts. If any animal should be high fenced, I would think those would be, but obviously they don't pay attention either.  | |||
|
| One of Us |
@blank Could you give me the name of that ranch, pls. | |||
|
One of Us |
No, that's not true. If you hunt Jackel, Baboon or Bushpig it's all free range. If you hunt Grysbok in the vinyards that's also free range. I also hunted an 85,000 acre reserve for Klipspringer; technically not free range but I think 85,000 acres to run in gave the animals a fair chance. | |||
|
One of Us |
Check out www.blaauwkrantz.com and www.kanana.info. They are both high fence but very large properties. I had an unreal safari at both. In Namibia check put Nic and Corne Kruger. Top notch. Omujeve safaris. | |||
|
| One of Us |
Blank..I would be interested in knowing more about that property as well..Thanks | |||
|
| one of us |
All: My friends with Omujeve Hunting Safaris have many good properties to hunt that are all fairly large. For the true open free range areas, they hunt both the Omatendeka and Doro Nawas conservancies (hundreds of thousands of acres) plus a new concession in the Caprivi for DG.  This picture is from just one ranch where everything you see over to and including the far hills is prime kudu habitat. The large fenced ranch I referred to with rhino and lions is Erindi Game Reserve, which is now primarily a 5-star photo safari and eco-tourism destination. They still have to conduct limited hunting or game capture occasionally, for game population control. | |||
|
| One of Us |
JG After 14 safaris I hope this bit of a recommendation is at least checked out. Please contact Danie Strauss at Kowas Adventure I Namibia. The whole family will be in Dallas for the convention. One of the best places in Namibia to hunt, with a great outstanding family. Believe me you won't regret it. Thanks Larry | |||
|
| One of Us |
You should consider Zimbabwe. Specificslly the Bubye Valley Conservancy. 900,000 acres, outstanding plains game populations plus hunting amongst the big four. | |||
|
| One of Us |
Check out Madubula Safaris in South Africa. I hunted two concessions, one west of Kimberly and one northwest of Alldays. Both were over 100,000 acres. Both were leased from DeBeers, the diamond folks. I never saw a fence, except the entrance. | |||
|
one of us |
I hunted with Kei River Safaris in 2010. We hunted about 75% free range areas. Of the places we hunted that were behind a fence, the smallest was 10K ha, which is 25,000 acres. But, once you figure in all the hills and canyons from a 3 dimentional stand point the properties were probably twice that size. You won't go wrong hunting with Andrew and Sharyn. As a matter of fact, we're headed back in 2014!!! PM me if you would like further details or have questions. Graybird "Make no mistake, it's not revenge he's after ... it's the reckoning." | |||
|
| One of Us |
You guys are great! I have lots of work ahead of me to figure it out that's for sure. I know I'm headed to DSC for a couple of days at the show. I'll check these people out that you guys recommend, and maybe I'll get to meet some of ya'll there as well. | |||
|
One of Us |
I will second Jan Dumon and Shumba Safaris for a Greater Kruger hunt. I've known Jan for a long time and consider him a friend. His reputation is very good. He is usually at DSC (but doesn't have his own booth) and will be in the Hunting Consortium booth this year. _________________________________ AR, where the hopeless, hysterical hypochondriacs of history become the nattering nabobs of negativisim. | |||
|
| One of Us |
As mentioned Crusader Safaris in RSA is well known now as totally free-range hunting, they establish conservancies on low-fence agricultural land. I hunted with them in KZN last year. http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6591012351 Quite a few other AR members have hunted with Crusader... They are represented in the USA by AR member Greg Rodriguez... but this true free-range hunting is very popular and I know it is getting hard to find a place with them at some venues 12 months out. Check with Greg... High fences are high fences, no matter where they are. Oh - the stories you hear.... A day spent in the bush is a day added to your life Hunt Australia - Website Hunt Australia - Facebook Hunt Australia - TV | |||
|
| One of Us |
Ditto what Matt said about Crusader Safaris. My family had a great hunt with them in Eastern Cape and KwaZulu Natal last year. JGRaider - find Greg Rodriguez - Global Adventure Outfitters - at DSC or at our West Texas SCI banquet here in Midland next Feb 9th. Awesome true free range hunting in the RSA. Jack Hood DRSS | |||
|
One of Us |
Fellas: In 2003 I hunted nyala about 30 miles outside of Greytown. It was open, wooded, hills, and as free as any hunt in Zim. No villages, fences, etc... Truly a great SA experience. Shot a nice bull with my .450-400 ble. Cheers, Cal _______________________________ Cal Pappas, Willow, Alaska www.CalPappas.com www.CalPappas.blogspot.com 1994 Zimbabwe 1997 Zimbabwe 1998 Zimbabwe 1999 Zimbabwe 1999 Namibia, Botswana, Zambia--vacation 2000 Australia 2002 South Africa 2003 South Africa 2003 Zimbabwe 2005 South Africa 2005 Zimbabwe 2006 Tanzania 2006 Zimbabwe--vacation 2007 Zimbabwe--vacation 2008 Zimbabwe 2012 Australia 2013 South Africa 2013 Zimbabwe 2013 Australia 2016 Zimbabwe 2017 Zimbabwe 2018 South Africa 2018 Zimbabwe--vacation 2019 South Africa 2019 Botswana 2019 Zimbabwe vacation 2021 South Africa 2021 South Africa (2nd hunt a month later) ______________________________ | |||
|
| One of Us |
did you do that hunt with an outfitter Cal? That is very close to where I killed my blue Wilde last year I guess. A day spent in the bush is a day added to your life Hunt Australia - Website Hunt Australia - Facebook Hunt Australia - TV | |||
|
One of Us |
Definitely lowfenced (for sheep and cattle) hunting in the Karoo and Eastern Cape. The only high fences on my ranch are to keep the kudu out of the rose garden and alfalfa fields. | |||
|
| One of Us |
that is very good to hear!!!  A day spent in the bush is a day added to your life Hunt Australia - Website Hunt Australia - Facebook Hunt Australia - TV | |||
|
| One of Us |
Sadly there is no such thing as free range blesbok (or bontebok). Low fences work for them. I don't think there are any free range black wildebeeste either. The best you can do with these, and it can be good, is finding a place in their natural range that is hunted on a sustained yield basis. Much easier to find put and take operations. Enjoy the search and the hunt that comes from it! Dean ...I say that hunters go into Paradise when they die, and live in this world more joyfully than any other men. -Edward, Duke of York | |||
|
One of Us |
Hi JG Good question, and the answer is a very varied one. Most of the perception of canned hunts has developed from outfits that have bought in species at great cost to satisfy a species specific need. This is as a result of hunters wanting all the species on their list without any travel or time constraints. Basically the industry has a slant towards trophy collecting rather than just spending time out in the field hunting. If you are willing to give the time and effort required to hunt true free ranging animals then you are able to do that with most every species, but they dont all live in the same area. You need to be willing to travel great distances and spend a lot more time per species than most are willing to. Species that I know of that can be hunted under the same conditions they were 100 years ago before the dawn of trophy hunting and high fences are as follows. Reedbuck (Common and Mountain) Oribi Duiker (Red, Blue Common) Suni Vaal Rhebuck Eland Springbuck Blesbuck Kudu Nyala Bushbuck Bushpig Warthog Hippo Water Buck Klipspringer If you expand that to areas bordering game reserves or the large parks made up of joined private land you can basically offer every species So then you have Big 5 Bushveld Plains game Now if these appeal to you you can hunt them. But it will only be done during the seasons that nature conservation allows them to be hunted and you will need to spend far more time in the field to get what you are after. You must also be prepared to walk away empty handed as there are generally less chances to take game this way due to the fact that you will effectively be hunting a giant range area where they are free to travel at will and out of the hunting area you are allowed to traverse. One more thing you will need is fitness. The populations that do best are generally doing well outside of reserves due to the fact that they live in areas that are difficult to acess i.e. people don't go there often and in areas where they can evade hunters and poachers through the use of the tough topography etc. If you have a wish list let me know what it is and I can give you an idea of how you can take a 100% free range selection of the game you want. Looking forward to hearing from you. Ian Specialist Outfitters and Big Game Hounds An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last. - Winston Churchill | |||
|
One of Us |
I'm so tired of these free roaming, free ranging debates when it comes to South Africa. No fence, unless electrified or diamond meshed, keeps ANY wild animal in if he wants out. Ask any serious game ranch owner about: The jumpers (Kudu,Eland, Waterbuck), the "Domkrag" (jacklift) which is Wildbeest, Red HArtebeest and Gemsbok. Nyala that sail under the tightest game fence as if it is not there. Zebra in the full moon that go crazy and in a territorial fight just run through the fences, breaking it as if it was a thin thread! These Game ranch owners will tell you to no end about the countless hours they spend fighting with their neighbours about animals that come and go, fences that have to be fixed, and so forth. Game Farms and international trophy hunting saved the wildlife in South Africa. Stop supporting it and it will all disappear. So why are these fences there? To fence the poor beasties in to make them easy to shoot for the rich American trophy hunter (famous anti-hunting chant). No, it is because the pioneers in Nature Conservation (Dr. Ian Player, and many others)in South Africa, private and government, realised that if they give private ownership of game to the land owners, there will be more incentive from the land owner to look after, and manage these animals. Thus entered the "Exemption permit" system, whereby a landowner can fence his property, then get inspected by NAture Conservation for approval, then buy game to introduce into the area from a game auction (private of government), and hunt the species listed on the exemption certificate to his own discretion. Thus the wildlife spread across the country and the hunting industry took shape in the 70's and 80's. Of course there was, and still is, many bad apples, like any industry, that offers semi tame, trophy bred animals to hunt in small (200 acre)electrified fenced areas....is this the norm of Plains Game hunting in South Africa. NO! I respect those of you that do not wish to hunt Plains Game with a fence in sight. We have our own hunting area in Mozambique, so I can speak for both sides of this controversial coin. Be prepared however, to spend real money in hunting these fantastic wild places. Our two main areas in South Africa are 20,000 and 30,000 acres big respectively. One close to Dwaalboom in Thabazimbi and the other close to Stoffberg on the Limpopo/Mpumalanga border. We also hunt smaller ranches in the area. As long as the animal population is FREE ROAMING (no fences to restrict their free movement) and self-sustaining, it is a real hunt in my book. I'm not soap boxing from Angelic heights...I have hunted in small fenced camps (roughly 300-600acres), with clients and myself. I have learned over years to steer away from it, and it does leave a bitter taste sometimes, in the guide, and/or the client’s mouth. So we imposed a self-limit of 2,500 acres (1,000ha's) as the min. size of land we hunt on, as long as the hunting quota adhere to the other criteria listed above. This is not for cosmetic purposes in a borchure (or AR for that matter)....we realised this works and clients leave happy, so we stick to this rule. I know many serious outfitters in S.A. have the same viewpoint on size of land. I further think it is short sighted generalisation, and puts a bad twist on hunting in general, to shoot Plains Game Hunting down in South Africa as a canned, fenced affair. I wish many more of the hundreds of AR members that have hunted S.A. game ranches, and enjoyed the HUNTING part of it, will come out a little bit more in defence of, what is, a fantastic African hunting experience, if done right! Sorry for the rant, but this is just one of those little things that get on my nerves.....Botswana closing, Tanzania, Zambia and Mozambique government fees sky rocketing to the dizzy heights of greedy African politicians, and out of reach of blue collar hunters. That leaves South Africa, Zim and Namibia as the only three destinations in reach of avg. Jo hunter....Zim with it's own political roller coaster problems as far as land use/allocations goes.....who knows how long that wonderfull Safari destination will remain what it (thankfully) still is today? Do the homework, get ref. and book with someone that will give you a good hunting experience and good trophies for the buck you want to spend....and forget about the Bullshit! Charl van Rooyen Owner Infinito Travel Group www.infinito-safaris.com charl@infinito-safaris.com Cell: +27 78 444 7661 Tel: +27 13 262 4077 Fax:+27 13 262 3845 Hereford Street 28A Groblersdal 0470 Limpopo R.S.A. "For the Infinite adventure" Plains Game Dangerous Game Bucket List Specialists Wing-Shooting In House Taxidermy Studio In House Dip and Pack Facility In House Shipping Service Non-Hunting Tours and Safaris Flight bookings "I promise every hunter visiting us our personal attention from the moment we meet you, until your trophies hang on your wall. Our all inclusive service chain means you work with one person (me) taking responsibility during the whole process. Affordable and reputable Hunting Safaris is our game! With a our all inclusive door to door service, who else do you want to have fun with?" South Africa Tanzania Uganda | |||
|
| One of Us |
Charl, You are getting on a roll here on AR. I'll have a glass of wine with you at the DSC and you can vent. By the way--you make some very relevant points in your post. Looking forward to seeing you and being back in SA in August. Don Trust only those who stand to lose as much as you do when things go wrong. | |||
|
| One of Us |
Chased poachers earlier this evening so cannot sleep and am still pretty worked up....and then this post....hehehe....pitty those high fences do not keep those basterds in...got 1 of their dogs with the .308 though! Don, looking forward to another adventure with you. See you next week! Charl van Rooyen Owner Infinito Travel Group www.infinito-safaris.com charl@infinito-safaris.com Cell: +27 78 444 7661 Tel: +27 13 262 4077 Fax:+27 13 262 3845 Hereford Street 28A Groblersdal 0470 Limpopo R.S.A. "For the Infinite adventure" Plains Game Dangerous Game Bucket List Specialists Wing-Shooting In House Taxidermy Studio In House Dip and Pack Facility In House Shipping Service Non-Hunting Tours and Safaris Flight bookings "I promise every hunter visiting us our personal attention from the moment we meet you, until your trophies hang on your wall. Our all inclusive service chain means you work with one person (me) taking responsibility during the whole process. Affordable and reputable Hunting Safaris is our game! With a our all inclusive door to door service, who else do you want to have fun with?" South Africa Tanzania Uganda | |||
|
| One of Us |
JGR- Great question, you posted it before I could...I agree that the Bubye in Zim. is a viable option, although fenced, I believe its bigger than the US state of Rhode Island. It is still fenced though, and cats that hunt the edges use the fence to chase prey into...I too am looking for no-fence or cattle-barbed wire that stops no critters. When I want a fenced meat hunt in the US, I go to Texas. The King Ranch is, I believe , larger than any single holding in Africa. Strange, ain't it? | |||
|
| One of Us |
I hear you joester. I'm not traveling half way around the world to hunt in a 2000 acre pen. | |||
|
| One of Us |
Bullshit is the word... there seems to me an aweful lot of RSA outfitters who make up all sorts of stories to make their high-fence, put-and-take hunt sound like free-ranging hunting. I have heard every story under the sun!! There are quite a lot of hunters who want no part in high-fence hunts - AT ALL... for their own reasons. We run some high-fence hunts too - for the right reasons - but I would never hunt behind wire myself.. A day spent in the bush is a day added to your life Hunt Australia - Website Hunt Australia - Facebook Hunt Australia - TV | |||
|
| One of Us |
Matt: I hunted with a free lance PH who knew where to take me for the critters I was after. He charged me $100 per day and the trophy fee was $1600. One of my best hunts in Africa. Cheers, Cal _______________________________ Cal Pappas, Willow, Alaska www.CalPappas.com www.CalPappas.blogspot.com 1994 Zimbabwe 1997 Zimbabwe 1998 Zimbabwe 1999 Zimbabwe 1999 Namibia, Botswana, Zambia--vacation 2000 Australia 2002 South Africa 2003 South Africa 2003 Zimbabwe 2005 South Africa 2005 Zimbabwe 2006 Tanzania 2006 Zimbabwe--vacation 2007 Zimbabwe--vacation 2008 Zimbabwe 2012 Australia 2013 South Africa 2013 Zimbabwe 2013 Australia 2016 Zimbabwe 2017 Zimbabwe 2018 South Africa 2018 Zimbabwe--vacation 2019 South Africa 2019 Botswana 2019 Zimbabwe vacation 2021 South Africa 2021 South Africa (2nd hunt a month later) ______________________________ | |||
|
| One of Us |
Sounds great mate!! A day spent in the bush is a day added to your life Hunt Australia - Website Hunt Australia - Facebook Hunt Australia - TV | |||
|
| One of Us |
Respected. Try Namibia or Zimbabwe then as an alternative option. This post was not aimed at your request for info so BTW. Charl van Rooyen Owner Infinito Travel Group www.infinito-safaris.com charl@infinito-safaris.com Cell: +27 78 444 7661 Tel: +27 13 262 4077 Fax:+27 13 262 3845 Hereford Street 28A Groblersdal 0470 Limpopo R.S.A. "For the Infinite adventure" Plains Game Dangerous Game Bucket List Specialists Wing-Shooting In House Taxidermy Studio In House Dip and Pack Facility In House Shipping Service Non-Hunting Tours and Safaris Flight bookings "I promise every hunter visiting us our personal attention from the moment we meet you, until your trophies hang on your wall. Our all inclusive service chain means you work with one person (me) taking responsibility during the whole process. Affordable and reputable Hunting Safaris is our game! With a our all inclusive door to door service, who else do you want to have fun with?" South Africa Tanzania Uganda | |||
|
| One of Us |
Hi All While I do agree with your sentiments about some outfitters blatantly buying in animals to shoot, they are few and far between and generally very easy to spot. That said, they only make up about 1% of the hunting in the country. To paint the whole country with a tar brush is a bit excessive. The idea that game is all pen raised and hand fed is not even remotely truthful, the entire income from hunting safaris could not support all the game inside fences for even a week, let alone all year long in anticipation of the hunters. Charl works hard to provide an honest service. He sources all the best and biggest areas he can and sells as many hunts as he can to ensure that he can pay the land owners enough to be able to buy the rights to good areas. When comments fly about all fenced hunting being canned then you can understand that a person on the ground here knowing the truth of the matter may be slightly worried. I would like to close off in saying that if we as hunters continue to bash each other publicly and continue to make gross generalizations without any real facts, we are indirectly supporting the anti hunting drive. You may choose where you wish to hunt, how you wish to hunt and why you wish to hunt. But you may not piss on another mans choices and expect him to like it, after all that is what anti hunters do all day. I always say to anti hunters, come and spend a week with me in Africa and I will change your mind on the subject. This holds true for the fences issue. I will take you to ranches from 150ha to 150 000ha and you can make your mind up on the realities of the situation. Eiether way, lets try and be civil and enjoy our sport together whilst supporting the true goal of hunting... conservation Specialist Outfitters and Big Game Hounds An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last. - Winston Churchill | |||
|
| One of Us |
Matt, where would you be in Dallas? I would like to come and meet you in person. Charl van Rooyen Owner Infinito Travel Group www.infinito-safaris.com charl@infinito-safaris.com Cell: +27 78 444 7661 Tel: +27 13 262 4077 Fax:+27 13 262 3845 Hereford Street 28A Groblersdal 0470 Limpopo R.S.A. "For the Infinite adventure" Plains Game Dangerous Game Bucket List Specialists Wing-Shooting In House Taxidermy Studio In House Dip and Pack Facility In House Shipping Service Non-Hunting Tours and Safaris Flight bookings "I promise every hunter visiting us our personal attention from the moment we meet you, until your trophies hang on your wall. Our all inclusive service chain means you work with one person (me) taking responsibility during the whole process. Affordable and reputable Hunting Safaris is our game! With a our all inclusive door to door service, who else do you want to have fun with?" South Africa Tanzania Uganda | |||
|
| Powered by Social Strata | Page 1 2 3 |
 | Please Wait. Your request is being processed... |
|
The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Hunting Outfitters - Offered and Discounted Hunts South Africa----Any True Free Range
Visit our on-line store for AR Memorabilia