Top rated plains game hunting outfitters in the eastern cape

Dear All,

Could someone please give a list of the the top five plains game hunting ourtfitters in the eastern cape

This should be very interesting

Top 5 based on what? Access to free range areas including conservancies,size of property,trophy quality,fair chase hunting,prices and skill of PH and Outfitter?

My priorities are as listed below :-

1.Quality of service provided by PH & Outfitter
2.Access to free range and game density
3.Quality of lodging & boarding

Thanks in advance

hunthardsafaris said:

This should be very interesting

Top 5 based on what? Access to free range areas including conservancies,size of property,trophy quality,fair chase hunting,prices and skill of PH and Outfitter?

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I think there's going to be some as well.

R.

A whole lot off too.

Have a look at @Kingsview_safaris,Joni is new in the trade but has done enough homework and has a spectacular lodge with the best of both worlds.

Marius @KMG Hunting Safaris also delivers year after year.

Beans @Tootabi Valley Safaris is a old hand in the EC and knows the ins and outs pretty well too.

I personally hunt with Swaershoek Safaris each year and am happy to do so again next year,but I do work for them so I am not neutral there.

Many other good Outfitts in the EC but I have not hunted with them.

BlaauKranz safaris is also a solid bet.

Here we go

Ferdi Venter is Great as is Hunterhill Just my id. John

My regular PH who lives in the EC, speaks very highly of Beans at Tootabi Valley Safaris. Be careful, there are two with Tootabi in their names.

I would tell you go look at the hunt reports of outfitters from the east cape. Most guys have not hunted with 5 different guys from the east cape so everyone will be guessing on who they say about some. Let the facts give you the true answers as how you read them.

And here we go....

Bill I have hunted with way more than just 5
Gentleman wants the ones we recommend

Its impossible to make a top list as everyone has their own opinions and so on. Make a list of all your wants and find an outfitter who fits your needs and check references.

Would this be like asking what brand pick-up is best? Or what the best 5 cartridges are and the bullet brand/weight? Or the best brand beer or type/brand of hard booze is?
I only had one Africa hunt but had a fantastic one with Iliwa Safaris. I did 3 years of research before I booked with them. It was worth it and I made the right choice FOR MYSELF and my daughter who is an excellent hunter/shot. The other fellow who was in camp part of our hunt was also very happy. So were the people who I spoke with that were on the reference list. I would go back and hunt with them. I am sure others have outfitters they would go back to also. Do your homework with what you are realistically looking for. I wanted spot and stalk. I get bored in a blind fast. I wanted to be able to hunt all day not stop for a morning/afternoon break and such. Ours was real hunting with many blown stalks due to changing wind and my inability to crawl and be super quiet walking due to disabilities. However my PH worked with us and we brought home a number of record book animals. We were treated like kings the whole time.
South Africa is mostly fenced hunting. Look for a place that 1) has a large property without much(any) internal fences 2) does not just buy their animals and truck them in for the hunt.

My point is it is all subjective to the individual who is the hunter. A better list would be the worst outfitters/brokers/PH's!

Ok well hear is my feedback.
I have talked with kmg would say he would be great to hunt with but have no proof because I did not hunt with him. Plenty who have. Look at what the people say who have hunted with him.
hunterhill again the same as above.
swaershoek- same as above but I may give them a try because of area.
Fred venter- talked but prices changed after wanting better springbuck from first quote.
Tootabi valley- some guys love beans I have a history of being on the other side so my comments would not be fair on how the hunt would be. My comments would be based on how I see him as a person and that maybe different then you so I would not say them here.
Tootabi hunting safaris- had a great treat trip there with my son. Have 5 or so guys who I would say are friends also go so i take there word on it as it was told to me. One friend who had some problems with policy not being honored. He called him out on it and a war started on here. I was not happy with how it all got handled by both sides.(also both sides were told by me they handled it wrong.) It was handled in the end and all will need to decide if that is enough or not.Now guys form there ideas based on what they have read not because they hunted there. You decide what is fair or not about that.

So the fact is one honest hunt report with even the bad details coming out and was posted. If I did not use some common sense I guess I could believe all the other places have never had a problem or issue come up. So I will stick to my comment of read some hunt reports talk with the outfitters you like and see. All because someone liked there hunt with anyone does not mean you will like it the same. Also because someone has emailed or even talked on the phone with a outfitter does not make them able to give a honest report on how the hunting will be. To many people start telling people how great a hunt would be without really knowing because they guess it would be. Everyone wants to back the people who they feel are there friends and trash those that have hurt there friends in there eyes. What ever you decide have a fun hunt in the cape it is one awesome place to hunt.

There is many other places in the cape but the above I have talked with to the point of getting a quote on a hunt.

hunthardsafaris said:

Bill I have hunted with way more than just 5
Gentleman wants the ones we recommend

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Feel free to tell him about the best 5 in the east cape that you liked then. I just may try one of the places you have hunted. I talked to them at a show earlier this year even before the problems popped up here

Bill,you will really enjoy it with your son if you decide to go. Heading back next year and the year after and the year ....

hunthardsafaris said:

Bill,you will really enjoy it with your son if you decide to go. Heading back next year and the year after and the year ....

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I talked to a ph named schalk from there and he was honest and friendly. Told him How i felt about the pricing of the springbucks going up and how i felt when he told me why. He listed and thought I made some good points. So that kept him on my list because he did hear my side and said he would do what he could to make it right. It will be if I have time to hunt the cape after my trip with pieter next year. doing a few areas again with him so plans are not set yet.

Schalk has a passion for hunting top quality trophies,he seems to deliver some stunners each year. Nice area with plenty of low fence and no fence areas. If you do go please let me know so I can send you a box of ammo,I owe the baboons a few rounds.

Wide open question with a lot of answers.

You are going to have to decide on what you want out of a hunt. On my safari this last May there were no sitting in blinds or over water holes to bag a animal, even the one hunter that was using a stick and string. When I first saw where we were hunting I thought that we were hunting elk in the western US, it was all spot and stalk for all of us hunters. The only animal that I shot that didn't require a stalk was the springbuck and we were sitting on a hill above them as they paraded past us at 350 yards when I took my shot. Other than that it was a lot of glassing and then hiking and crawling through the bush or open country to get close enough for a shot.
My PH was exceptional at telling what animal was worth shooting and which ones to let go. On my last day of hunting I was after a kudu and the safari operator wanted me to shoot a different one than the one that I did end up shooting and my PH and him argued a little over that. Even the one that they both decided that I should shoot was smaller than the one that I got, it was a good thing that he laid down where there was no shot. Then the one in my avatar came out chasing some cows and they both agreed that it was the one to take.

But that type of hunting isn't for everyone. It fit what I wanted to do and I enjoyed every minute of it, even the few days that all we did was glass or have blown stalks.

Just to let every one know I was hunting with Zungah Safari's and Tours in the Eastern Cape north of Port Elizabeth.

Based on the reports and praise here on AH, I would definitely put Marius Goosen/KMG Safaris among the top 5.

Hormese said:

My priorities are as listed below :-

1.Quality of service provided by PH & Outfitter
2.Access to free range and game density
3.Quality of lodging & boarding

Thanks in advance

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I am not sure what you are looking for other than recommendations on PH AH members have hunted with in South Africa.
Using your 3 Criteria i suggest that you look at or check out Trevor Lake owner of Lake Safaris.

www.lakesafaris.co.za

He has your 3 items covered.