Botswana Question... planning a possible hunt...

[TakeMeLord]

I just read a great hunting report by MontanaPat about his hunt with NKWE Safaris. I truly enjoyed reading the post! Thank you.

In his report, MontanaPat states that the ranches he hunted in Botswana were fenced with three stranded barb wire fences for cattle.

My question: I thought the Botswana government required all hunting areas either be communal (dangerous game) or that the area be high fenced.

Please forgive me if my information is wrong. I am very serious in my post. I want to get information.

I have NO desire to enter into arguments, etc.

Quite simply, if Botswana allows plains game hunting on "ranches" that do not require high, game proof fencing, then it will impact my hunt planning.

I have hunted Africa on six occasions, and wish to return.

I am simply looking for information.

God Bless.

 

[dchum]

I to have been curious as well.
I will follow along and try and learn.

I did inquire via email when planning my first safari

Seems like a main camp/ranch is high fenced to have zebra, wildebeest ect then they hunt kudu on low fence ranches around the area. This was from when I inquired.

I guess Kudu are the only ones that move freely from high fences and free range? Because I was curious why there wasnt much else to hunt free range besides the kudu based on the answer I was given.


Love hearing everyone’s reports on NKWE. Seems like fun times

 

[WAB]

My understanding mirrors yours. I have hunted both government concessions and ranches in Botswana.

 

[lfdgodfather]

I just returned from Botswana and all the ranches we hunted had high fence perimeters but did have sectioned off plots within the high fence area, that were barb wire only.

 

[375Fox]

I guess Kudu are the only ones that move freely from high fences and free range? Because I was curious why there wasnt much else to hunt free range besides the kudu based on the answer I was given.


Love hearing everyone’s reports on NKWE. Seems like fun times

Most kudu are held in by a high fence. They can’t move freely between high fence and low fence. I think the species common outside the high fence has more to do with low fencing than high fencing. Species like wildebeest and gemsbok can be contained inside a well maintained low fence. They can get through a lot of low fences but not all, so it hinders their movement especially if a drought occurs or a particular landowner shoots a lot for meat. Kudu can move easily across any low fence to find better food or repopulate areas. In Namibia you’ll find kudu most anywhere, other species are a lot more localized and where introduced, so the available species low fence in Botswana makes sense to me especially if they were never reintroduced to low fence areas.

 

[MontanaPat]

I just read a great hunting report by MontanaPat about his hunt with NKWE Safaris. I truly enjoyed reading the post! Thank you.

In his report, MontanaPat states that the ranches he hunted in Botswana were fenced with three stranded barb wire fences for cattle.

My question: I thought the Botswana government required all hunting areas either be communal (dangerous game) or that the area be high fenced.

Please forgive me if my information is wrong. I am very serious in my post. I want to get information.

I have NO desire to enter into arguments, etc.

Quite simply, if Botswana allows plains game hunting on "ranches" that do not require high, game proof fencing, then it will impact my hunt planning.

I have hunted Africa on six occasions, and wish to return.

I am simply looking for information.

God Bless.

Just saw your comments from my hunt report about fencing. As I think about it, we were hunting kudu most of the time and they were all on low fenced cattle ranches and ranged freely. We also saw/hunted warthogs on these same properties. But all of the other game we hunted and took were on Jaco’s high fence property, which is a big tract itself with just perimeter fencing

 

[CamoManJ]

On my trip with NKWE, I had gotten my kudu on a very large high fence property about a hour away. I’m not sure exactly how big, I would guess 100,000+ acres or so, plus an additional 40,000+ across the road. I was focusing on hunting, not size. Once we drove in, I never saw the fence again until leaving. The low fence property next Jaco’s place was also very large, the cattle ranch had lots of kudus.

 

[Aaron.F]

When we hunted with Jaco, both types of properties were hunted, some with high fence and some with low fences. It somewhat depended on the species hunted, a lot of the kudu are free range, with many of the other animals being high fenced. The high fenced properties are huge, just so you know.

 

[fourfive8]

Chances are good when inquiring with outfitters they will describe possibilities on both high fence and cattle ranch/low fence (free range) areas. Don’t automatically discount high fence areas as some are VERY large, as has been already been described in this thread. You may find any combination of private, leased private and government or San “concession” areas. Some of the low. cattle ranch fencing is Snell type smooth wire, high tension. My largest kudu was from a low fence cattle ranch, free range area in Botswana.

Surprising but a big headache for both land owners and wildlife land managers in some parts of Botswana are wandering elephants occasionally taking out all manner of fencing making cattle and wildlife management difficult at times.