Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa How much for a plains game safari

Not all are fenced - I have excellent free-range outfitters in Namibia and South Africa who hunt big tracts of unfenced ground. In Botswana, our outfitter's area is fenced, but it's 264,000 acres.

Having hunted small (3,000 acres) larger (12,000 acre) and free range plains game I can say that there is a great deal of mis-information about 'fenced hunting'. The more I hear, the more I suspect that a lot of this is generated by outfitters who supply 'free range hunting' (whatever that is) and clients who have paid obscene amounts of money for it or who know no better.

It all comes down to what ethics you are prepared to discipline yourself to follow. I won't shoot from a truck (much to the horror of some PH's) and only on foot. The smaller the fenced area, the harder this becomes as the animals are wise to what is going on. This creates an artificial experience in my book. Hunting this way has given me the least amount of success and the most angst.

If you have ever hunted a population of game animals that has not been shot over or hunted, then you will know how placid and quiet that population can be. Through sheer luck and personal contacts I have just hunted Red Stag on an un-fenced working sheep farm in NZ where I was only the third trophy hunter in three years allowed there. Here in Oz, it is not unusual to find vast areas of native animals undisturbed by shooters as they are protected and with a lot of time and effort you can almost walk up to these animals.

The big give away to me is when someone posts a report saying they got 12 trophy animals in 10 days (or similar). This to me is supermarket shooting, no doubt done from a truck in an enclosed area. The antlers are usually nice and clean and the skins immaculate. The hunters wear clean, fresh clothing unsullied by sweat or dust.I have no problem with this as some people have the money but not the time to do anything else and there are massive preservation benefits for some species.

The crime is when these clients come home and claim to have been hard arsed big game hunters in the wilds of Africa. That, is BS. Ethics is always going to be a compromise on paid hunts except for the miniscule number of 'hard core' hunters so many pretend to emulate.

I never had much interest in Africa but after 4 years here, it looks like an interesting place to hunt. But there is much to do here in the lower 48 and Alaska. Good luck to you out there! Get it booked before the economy gets any worse. Keep those photos coming.

I will hunt with Huntersgame.co.za next month near Barkley West in RSA. It is a fenced area of 25,000 hectares. If I am correct a hectare is approx. 2.4 acres. We hunted same PH/outfitter in '09 on an 8 day hunt. I never saw the fence once. We spent 6-9 hours a day in the field. Very little time in the truck. I up front told the PH that I would not, in any case, shoot from the truck. This made him smile. My wife accompanied me on the first trip and will do so again this early May. There will another couple that accompany us on their 1st RSA trip. We are looking forward to our adventure. The PH/outfitter does the salt and dry. Then the trophies will go to Red Dune taxidermy in Kimberley for dip and pack. From there to Seattle on to Arlee, MT to my taxidermist. Spendy, perhaps. But, this is my choice and the taxidermist in the U.S. will benefit from mounts done here at home. I believe in doing business locally with local merchants and taxidermist. Besides, I can see the progress as he is merely 30 minutes south. If I am not in total compliance with his work. He will change as I see fit. Cannot do that if your mounts are done overseas. Anyway, go for it! This ain't no dress rehearsal. MTG

you can see the fence behind me.....the smallest area we hunted (10 day hunt) was about 3500 acres....the largest was about 20,000 acres and everything was fenced because the land owners OWN the game and it is valuble. I did not feel that the fences gave me much of an advantage. I did shoot one animal from the truck. I walked alot for the others. It is all up to you but just about all of RSA is game fenced.

There are some big ranches in the Karoo of RSA that are unfenced, and some areas along bigger rivers in other places. I killed my first kudu 20 years ago on a ranch along the Limpopo River where it forms the border with Botswana. The animals were free to go back and forth across the river, and often did, especially during the dry season.

The smaller the fenced area, the more likely some or all of the hunting is put-and-take--meaning the animals are raised on another ranch and shipped in. A lot depends on the species, though. Many ranches in the Eastern Cape have lots of free-range bushbuck and kudu, but also put-and-take animals that aren't native to the area.

Similarly, Namibia has some big unfenced ranches with plenty of free-range kudu, gemsbok and red haartebeest, but even then some part of the ranch may be fenced, either to contain animals like blue wildebeest or to protect re-introduced (though native) species from predation by cheetahs or leopards.

As for shooting from the truck, theres a lot of that that goes on. One of my first trips to Namibia my pard was asking the PHs father about things in general and the father remarked "We get about 80% of our Kudu from the truck..." I pulled the PH close enough to whisper in his ear.." no, we don't..." which actually seemed to please him...

80%. That's the figure I've been quoted too for truck shooting in RSA. Again, I'll say I have no problem with that in this day and age for those happy to go down that route.

I'd just love to be able to afford a 28 days foot safari through the Selous in TZN but I know the 'Minister for War and Finance' wouldn't release the funds and 'The Man' wouldn't give me that much leave. Oh well, I can still dream and live vicariously till I return.

Even with the good food at night I lost thirty pounds in 10 days. Now I admit I'm pretty heavy, but that is a lot of walking and not much riding. In the morning we would drive until we cut tracks or spotted the actual animal and then stalk until they spotted us The open plains stuff was hard for me as I hunt the bush, and the bush animals I understood so there was little need for guidance in stalking. We walked 5 miles one day for an average blesbok. We got busted numerous times by hartebeast that he was staying with.

After the failed stalk the PH told me we should go back and set up a hide in a gully beside where we first saw him as the old males are territorial and he may return. About an hour before dark he returned and I took him at 200 yds. 10 miles to get him within a hundred yards off where he was first spotted. I slept well every night except the day I messed up the first shot on my black wildebeast. He traveled 5 or 6 miles after the shot and then I finished him. I was pretty ashamed of myself that day so sleep did not come easy.

The PH is not there to butcher livestock, so if you want to hunt they are happy.

Big part of hunting farms in RSA are former or today partly working cattle areas. This is main reason for fences. Also Owners like to protect them assets (plain game). In last trip to Rsa this spring I was hunting in area where together with plain game was hundreds of sheep's and goats. Story that of 80% trophy kudu's hunted by tourist are shoot from truck seems like street legend. At least my experience can't uphold that legend. The reason is simple...animals get quickly smart about fact that truck is treat and run away when they saw or heard truck. But this story can partly be right when we are talking about local guy's calling hunts what they carry out night time with lights. Have experience to take part on such kind small hunt and also shoot kudu (nice 45 inc horns) and duiker this time. But honestly this was not fun. To shoot standing and stupidly looking kudu bull from 100yrd is not difficult task. Also to pay for such "small fun" 1000 $ is not reasonable. But what is done it's done. I more valuated other kudu (much smaller) what took from 280yrds after half day walking. But this is question of taste.

Thanks all for the information. It'll be a one time thing as i'm 70 yrs old and a cancer surviver

Dude...its NEVER a one time thing....

reddnek

All the more reason to go and celebrate life. My first was after a cardiac stint operation. My next is planned when I get back on my feet after a work place knee injury. Celebrate life man. My next will be buff and I will have to stand and shoot because I can no longer run. Greg R and Ingwe have sent photos of buff and they are printed and when the physio is most painful they motivate me to push on.

Congrats on beating the cancer.

Respecfully

Randy

Whatever you plan to do and how you do it, will be unique to you. That makes it special.

You can get some cheaper hunts ($4-6K for smaller game or cull animals) if you ask around. Enjoy your planning and please keep us informed.

Interesting Randy, I did a plains game hunt after recuperating from an accident than damn near left me not walking again, and followed up by booking a buffalo hunt literally on the day after my best freind died...
It is indeed one of the best ways to celebrate being alive...

Redneck, we will leave for RSA Tuesday. This our 2nd trip to RSA. Yet, I am planning my 3rd trip for my 70th birthday. Perhaps to Namibia or Tanzinia. I have a desire to take a leopard, cape buffalo and an antelope sable. My health has been good other than age related aches, pains and a mild bit of asthma. I whole heartedly agree that you should celebrate life and give into your desire for an african adventure. Go for it! MTG

I recently took out a gentleman of 68 for some good fun and experience 10 days 8 full hunting days and 14 animals for $8000.00 all included.

5 impala females
5 impala rams non trophy
2 Blue wildebeest cows
2 Kudu cows.

Not one of the animals was shot from the truck all properly walked and stalked. He added a nice red hartebeest trophy to the package and will be the only animal he will take home although he could have gone home with quite a few nice flatskins.

Here are some pics.













The property is 12 000 acres and thick with some good hills as you can see. With it being so green we had to work very hard but shot our last animal only on the last afternoon.

It wasnt a cull hunt sitting in a hide or spotlighting but real hutning not just trophy hunting.