First SA hunt, father/son, plains game. Ideas? Suggestions?

Enjoy the decision making process. It is part of the fun.

There are few things in life more enjoyable than a good father/son hunt.

All the best.

joester said:

You didn't mention how you & your son feel about hunting inside tall, " game-proof" fenced properties. I've hunted 5x in Africa, my first was on game farm/ranches in Namibia. We shot many animals, but I later learned that some had been bought at faraway auctions and trucked in. All my subsequent hunts were, and will be, on unfenced lands. Zimbabwe, for example, is too costly for many hunters. You can find great unfenced hunts in RSA & Namibia if you look and if that's what you prefer. Crusader Safaris in Rsa is a good one. I have no per$onal affiliation w/them, but I wll be hunting w/them this year. Good hunting to you!

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Those who know me will say I am the biggest proponent of free range hunting. However I think this statement poorly reflects the vast majority of high fence South Africa operations. the logistics of buying game at auctions, hauling it in to be shot does not add up. Auctioned live animals fetch higher prices than hunted animals, not to mention the cost of hauling the animals to the ranch. The animals purchased make money for their owners in the same way cattle make money for ranchers, propagation and the subsequent sale of surplus male animals. Yes they are trucked in but in few cases (Lions, etc) are they brought in to be hunted before a self sustaining population is established.

joester said:

You didn't mention how you & your son feel about hunting inside tall, " game-proof" fenced properties. I've hunted 5x in Africa, my first was on game farm/ranches in Namibia. We shot many animals, but I later learned that some had been bought at faraway auctions and trucked in. All my subsequent hunts were, and will be, on unfenced lands. Zimbabwe, for example, is too costly for many hunters. You can find great unfenced hunts in RSA & Namibia if you look and if that's what you prefer. Crusader Safaris in Rsa is a good one. I have no per$onal affiliation w/them, but I wll be hunting w/them this year. Good hunting to you!

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"Fair Chase" can mean many things in South Africa. Some of the properties are very large - some tens of thousands of acres - and can still sustain animals that are born and die there, without ever being really constrained by a fence. If the animal can run away from me and I might not find it again, then to my way of thinking, that's fair chase. And frankly, given the economics of running a hunting operation in South Africa - of which I admittedly know very little - it seems to me that these sorts of "game preserves" need to be encouraged. In less developed countries - like Zimbabwe - it's much easier to have no fence operations, but that will change with time, I have no doubt.

So I wouldn't focus so much on the fences, but rather the size of the property and the animals you wish to hunt. And by all means ask if animals have been specifically brought in for the hunt. Any reputable outfitter - including those on this site I imagine - will be honest with you about it.

We hunt mainly low fenced ranch land as well as private game reserves that are 30-40 000 acres. That's fair chase in my books. I can't guarantee a particular animal.
SA definitely dies have fair chase and free roaming game to hunt.

LeopardsValleySafaris said:

SA definitely dies have fair chase and free roaming game to hunt.

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No question about it. I have hunted a good portion of my game there wild and free.

Welcome & good luck on your quest! Planning is much fun. Personally, I'm not turned off by high fences. Landowners have to protect their investment & manage. I shot a great 7.5 year old deer that had never been seen on our old place... 5000 acres high fenced with game cams. We spent days looking for a downed fence wondering if he could have gotten in! No such. Big places managed well can have animals born, raised & die....to have never been seen by hunters. Just my 2 cents. Enjoy your journey!

BWH said:

Welcome & good luck on your quest! Planning is much fun. Personally, I'm not turned off by high fences. Landowners have to protect their investment & manage. I shot a great 7.5 year old deer that had never been seen on our old place... 5000 acres high fenced with game cams. We spent days looking for a downed fence wondering if he could have gotten in! No such. Big places managed well can have animals born, raised & die....to have never been seen by hunters. Just my 2 cents. Enjoy your journey!

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Well said BWH. You get better trophies fenced in, than in most areas where animals roam free range. Yes, I'm not referring to a Zoo setup, but rather a couple of thousand hectares fenced with high fencing. Animals are protected, only the biggest gets harvested and the rest have the opportunity to grow old and monster like. In open Free Range areas, they game is every ones animals and as they move from one place to the next they mostly get in the unfortunate position of being in the range of hunters/land owners' rifles whom either don't see any value in them or just want the meat and they get shot. Gone with the thought of large trophies outside fenced areas, however you would still get some but not as many big ones to choose from as inside a fenced area.

my 2 cent contribution...

Tootabi Hunting Safaris said:

Well said BWH. You get better trophies fenced in, than in most areas where animals roam free range. Yes, I'm not referring to a Zoo setup, but rather a couple of thousand hectares fenced with high fencing. Animals are protected, only the biggest gets harvested and the rest have the opportunity to grow old and monster like. In open Free Range areas, they game is every ones animals and as they move from one place to the next they mostly get in the unfortunate position of being in the range of hunters/land owners' rifles whom either don't see any value in them or just want the meat and they get shot. Gone with the thought of large trophies outside fenced areas, however you would still get some but not as many big ones to choose from as inside a fenced area.

my 2 cent contribution...

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Its a matter of perception. Pesonally I will accept lower success rates, smaller trophy size (on average) and a tougher hunt for free range animals, they are harder earned and more satisfying to me. I do hunt high fence and will not discourage others from doing the same but inevitably my "best" trophies tend to come from free range hunts. JMO

I hunted Cruiser Safari's this past April. You can see my post in the review section. I have not hunted Africa before so I can't compare. All I have to say is Cruiser's is a top notch operation from what I experienced.

I notice Crusader states "no HIGH fenced hunting". What about low fences? Does Crusader hunt on low fenced properties? Seems like low fences, (old cattle fencing) is everywhere. So would low fences be an issue for you or for joester? To me "unfenced" means NO fences of any kind. I don't think anyone likes fences, but they are a reality in most of South Africa and one has to either get past that or hunt elsewhere.

http://www.blaauwkrantz.com/content.asp?pageID=67 Hunted with them last year and my Buddy and his son hunted the father/son package. Can recommend them.

Thanks to all who replied and gave ideas and suggestions. My father and I are booked with KMG next June. I don't think either of us can wait that long.

I read the conversation, all I want to add is, enjoy the hunt, and as been said plains game are not tame, your are going to work for your animal. Enjoy.