Fences

[Nyati]

I love to hunt a certain property in limpopo province in rsa bordering Botswana, I can step across fence along river but the lateral and frontal fences are huge and well maintained. Animals are wild as hell and make a bee line to Botswana with pressure, just like elk on fringes of Yellowstone. Keep an eye out for hunts like this

I´ve hunted in two similar properties, my bushbuck comes from one of them.

 

[Tgood1]

Just out of curiosity is ine owned by a well known veterinarian

 

[JimP]

I would really love to hunt Mt. Lion/Cougar here in NA but go back and forth in my mind whether using dogs to shoot a lion in a tree is sport?!?!? I know there’s a tradition and practicality to that way of hunting, but it still may bother me. Sorry to go off track. Funny, would also never hunt baited bears, but see nothing wrong with Leopard hunting!!!!! I know, I’m confused!

The odds of finding a mountain lion without dogs is about the same as winning the lottery.

In all my years of hunting I have seen exactly 4 lions during the deer and elk seasons here in the west and two of those were mating. I've seen 4 or 5 while scouting or while I was working in areas that they are found.

A more elusive cat is the bobcat. I've seen 3 of them in the wilds without dogs.

 

[Nyati]

Just out of curiosity is ine owned by a well known veterinarian

One of the farms is named Serengeti, the other, I don´t have the name but it is quite close, next to the border crossing at Stockpoort.

Both are at the Botswana border, that was in August 2013, the river was almost dry and you could just cross the border, as most of the barbed wire was gone.

 

[1dirthawker]

regarding the fences of south africa, my impression:

where i hunted, in the zulu/natal region in zulu land, the fences were a necessary evil. the place i hunted was pretty large, had a high fence around it for a purpose. the land on the other side of the fence was denuded by domestic animals, goats, cows, etc. on the inside of the fence it was regular bush africa.

without the fences, there is no doubt in my mind that the grazing would encroach onto the ranch/farm and also, the locals would poach many of the animals on the edges away from the lodge. as it was on two separate occasions we had incursions of poachers on the property, with their dogs.

so, i suspect the density of the human population and proximity to the game animals on the farm has something to do with the need for fences. they say fences make good neighbors and i would agree with that statement regarding fences in SA. i suspect hunting truly wild places is different but similar. i saw fences on the place i hunted, but did not feel like it detracted from the hunt at all and did not feel like the animals were "penned up" for shooting.

one property we hunted on the Pongola reservoir was huge and was comprised of 10 properties adjacent to each other with ele, hippo, rhino, buffalo etc. on it. it felt like wild country to me and i never saw a fence. we had to have a rep of the farm with us to make sure we stayed on our side of the property when hunting wart hogs.

anyway, i suspect owners of said properties would not have them unless absolutely needed because of the high cost of fencing, electricity and upkeep. my 2 cents.

 

[SFRanger7GP]

Every hunt is what you make out of it. I get amused reading threads of this type. Even 1000 acres is a huge piece of property if you only use your LPC's (Leather Personnel Carriers) for transportation. I know of self-proclaimed wild Africa big game hunters that do more shooting from the truck than an East Texas Redneck. But they will be the first to scream "canned hunt" if there is a fence of any type in the area. Of course, some of these same guys have no limits during their pursuit of the tiny 10, medium 8, welterweight 9 or the coveted SCI/FIFA/NCAA/NBA/NHL/DSC/NFL slam.

If it's legal, let your own ethics and morals be your compass. At the end of the day, you know what you did (or didn't) do. It is a very slippery slope categorizing legal hunting as "canned' or "unethical". We shouldn't help the Greenies by adding additional parameters based on our personal opinions. Have fun and hunt to the best of your ability.

Safe hunting

 

[Mark A Ouellette]

I know of self-proclaimed wild Africa big game hunters that do more shooting from the truck than an East Texas Redneck.

Now that's funny!!!

 

[Dewald]

regarding the fences of south africa, my impression:

where i hunted, in the zulu/natal region in zulu land, the fences were a necessary evil. the place i hunted was pretty large, had a high fence around it for a purpose. the land on the other side of the fence was denuded by domestic animals, goats, cows, etc. on the inside of the fence it was regular bush africa.

without the fences, there is no doubt in my mind that the grazing would encroach onto the ranch/farm and also, the locals would poach many of the animals on the edges away from the lodge. as it was on two separate occasions we had incursions of poachers on the property, with their dogs.

so, i suspect the density of the human population and proximity to the game animals on the farm has something to do with the need for fences. they say fences make good neighbors and i would agree with that statement regarding fences in SA. i suspect hunting truly wild places is different but similar. i saw fences on the place i hunted, but did not feel like it detracted from the hunt at all and did not feel like the animals were "penned up" for shooting.

one property we hunted on the Pongola reservoir was huge and was comprised of 10 properties adjacent to each other with ele, hippo, rhino, buffalo etc. on it. it felt like wild country to me and i never saw a fence. we had to have a rep of the farm with us to make sure we stayed on our side of the property when hunting wart hogs.

anyway, i suspect owners of said properties would not have them unless absolutely needed because of the high cost of fencing, electricity and upkeep. my 2 cents.

Summed it up perfectly