South Africa animals not contained by high fence

[Rakman]

Which commonly hunted South African animals would not be contained by high fence? Would you consider them fair chase if taken in a fenced South Africa property.

Would steenbok, duiker, warthog, bushpig, civet?

 

[375Fox]

Warthog and bushpig are the only plains game animals not hindered by a fence. I’d consider them free range. Bushbuck and small antelope will get through a fence given time. An eland can jump fence if pushed. Other than that nearly all individual plains game animals will be held in by a high fence. Look for properly managed properties where the fence is used to protect and improve what is inside. That is definitely fair chase for all species and the fence is a positive thing. I’d focus more on management inside the fence than the fence itself to classify it as fair chase, regardless of the property size.

 

[Doug3006]

Check out Crusader Safaris. They hunt large unvented areas and have many species available.

 

[Doug3006]

Unfenced not unvented.

 

[Sarg]

Only Vented once you shoot them Eh ?

I think those animals you listed are considered Free Range as they come & go as they please.

Same Brown/Spotted Hyena & Leopard/Caracal/Honey Badger & the other small cats .

Even Lions slip out & into fenced areas on a occasion, only way to explain them being where they are some times & have seen them pushing under fences near Hoedspruit !

There are also many areas with low cattle fence & even no fences about SA but most tourist hunters never see them as it may take a week to take a trophy animal or two .

 

[MrCreedmoor]

Check out Nick Bowker:

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His operation is free range hunting, all done on sheep and cattle ranch land.
I hunted with Nick this year and saw thousands of free ranging animals, harvesting 9 different species.

 

[slad68]

There are many animals that can be classified under this topic so can a number of animals be cept behind law fence.

The following animals can not be kept behind a regular game fence, unless the fence is covered with mesh or electricity.

Common Duiker
Red Duiker
Steenbok
Klipspringer
Sharpes Grysbok
Cape Grysbok
Blue Duiker
Dik Dik
Suni
Warthog
Bushpig
Porcupine
Baboon
Monkey
Aardwolf
African Civet
African Wild Cat
Caracal
Small Spotted Genet
Large Spotted Genet
Brown Hyena
Black Back Jackal
Serval
Bat Eared Fox
Honey Badger
Spotted Hyena
Side Stripe Jackal
White Tailed Mongoose

It is not uncommon for the following species to go over or through a regular game fence of 1.8m high.
Kudu can go over mostly when spooked or rutting
Eland can go over mostly when spooked
Bushbuck can crawl through any fence when it feels like do so

The following species can never be considered free range even if the fence is low.
Just my opinion and I know most of the so called Free-Range outfitters will disagree with me.

Gemsbok
Zebra
Hartebeest
Blesbok
Buffalo
Giraffe
Sable
Roan
Tsessebe
Black Wildebeest
Blue Wildebeest
Waterbuck

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

I can most certainly assist on low fenced area. We have access to some unbelieve areas from our new camp.

The following species can never be considered free range even if the fence is low.

Just my opinion and I know most of the so called Free-Range outfitters will disagree with me.

Gemsbok
Zebra
Hartebeest
Blesbok
Buffalo
Giraffe
Sable
Roan
Tsessebe
Black Wildebeest
Blue Wildebeest
Waterbuck

Will have to disagree with you my friend. I have personally seen Waterbuck, Blue, Black Wildebeest, Hartebeest, Zebra and Gemsbuck go over the top of a low fence. I agree that on some of the ones I mentioned, this is not their natural style since animals such as Gemsbuck are crawlers, but they will go over the top if they need to.

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

I can most certainly assist on low fenced area. We have access to some unbelieve areas from our new camp.

The following species can never be considered free range even if the fence is low.


Will have to disagree with you my friend. I have personally seen Waterbuck, Blue, Black Wildebeest, Hartebeest, Zebra and Gemsbuck go over the top of a low fence. I agree that on some of the ones I mentioned, this is not their natural style since animals such as Gemsbuck are crawlers, but they will go over the top if they need to.

Not sure why the following sentence was added to my post. That is supposed to be inside the quote.
This is the statement that I do not agree with.
"The following species can never be considered free range even if the fence is low."

 

[slad68]

Not sure why the following sentence was added to my post. That is supposed to be inside the quote.
This is the statement that I do not agree with.
"The following species can never be considered free range even if the fence is low."

Marius you ate right. I have no idea how Waterbuck slipped in without me noticing it.

Waterbuck are well capable to jump a low fence.

 

[slad68]

Not sure why the following sentence was added to my post. That is supposed to be inside the quote.
This is the statement that I do not agree with.
"The following species can never be considered free range even if the fence is low."

Marius, any crawler will crawl a fence it the fence is not properly maintained.

I am sure that any animal will jump, crawl or break through a fence if it's pushed hard enough.

I have seen Eland break a high fence as well as huge bulls clear the top of a 2.4m high fence.

If pushed it will go out but not normally if not pushed to the limit.

 

[Fixfire]

Sort of unrelated - looking for the video to post, I once witnessed a heard of about 300 migrating Elk in Wyoming effortlessly trample a 100yrd section of barbed-wire cattle fence. No wonder the ranchers hate them. Seems to me that the larger bodied African species would have no problem as well.

 

[Mark A Ouellette]

If one hasn't hunted game in a South African 10,000 acre fenced or greater farm, it might be easy to think they are not "fair chase". Any of the farms, ranches, outfitters that are supporters of this site that are not fair chase would get ripped apart by members!

Africa is much, much more populated than it was 100 years ago. Large tracts of habitat and migration routes have been turned into farms and ranches. Desirable properties along waterways now have settlements with substance farms. Where will the wildlife go and not get killed for snacking on a garden that lies on what was their habitat? Then those unfortunate animals become "crop raiders" with a bounty on them!

True unfenced areas in Africa other than conservatories such as the Save in Zimbabwe would not have much wildlife due to poaching. Large "fenced" properties use the fences to not only manage their game but also to keep out poachers!

 

[Mark A Ouellette]

I should follow up on my post above stating there are certainly other places in Africa that offer unfenced hunting. Many of our members hunt them in Zim, Zambia, Tanzania, and so on. Most of us may only dream of hunting such places and live vicariously through their hunt reports.

 

[yarettlopez]

I just got back from South Africa, it's amazing the amount of cattle and farmland outside the hunting areas there is nothing left.

but do not think that because it is a high fence you are hunting cows, those animals are as wild as any I was not able to hunt an impala (and I saw hundreds) but I simply could not get close or walk or in the truck.

hunting is very hard and very satisfying, the only difference is that there are many animals and if you can't hunt impala you just try another species, but it's not easy

 

[Mark A Ouellette]

Zebra was my most elusive species! I told my PH that we were to hunt zebra. If another desirable species came along, which they always did, we would switch...

 

[Frederik]

Fences - This year alone I spent a total of two seperate trips on the same property 5000 acres with 60% mountains and very thick bush.

My no. 1 specie to be hunted was Waterbuck bull I did not see one in total of 8 hunting days they are there but didnt see one.
If I did find a kudu bull in the 55" region and mature he would have been in the crosshair but didnt see one at all also and they are there its a very good area for them.
The farm is not overly hunted but very difficult terrain and with all the rain we had the bush was and even now is thick.

Booked again on same property for next year might have been some bad luck on my side but still it was hunting and a good reason to go back again and then there's another small critter that might get added to my trophies a klipspringer.

Just a note there is unfortunately some outfits and farms that are geared to squeeze as much as possible out of hunters and numbers delivering game a few days in advance and then being led my a ph who can smooth talk.

 

[mark-hunter]

I hunted fenced and unfenced or low fenced areas in Namibia.
No issue for me.

What I noticed with gemsbok, oryx, they dont like jumping. They try to push through low fence, pull head, then get stuck on belly, then push again, then pass.

 

[Cam300]

I hunted fenced and unfenced or low fenced areas in Namibia.
No issue for me.

What I noticed with gemsbok, oryx, they dont like jumping. They try to push through low fence, pull head, then get stuck on belly, then push again, then pass.

I was about to add - I saw a gemsbok slick his horns back and bulldoze right through a 3 ft tall fence. He didn’t get stuck as he was going full throttle!

 

[mark-hunter]

Full throttle is correct word!
Looking at them, I always had a feeling gemsbok is lazy.
I am sure they can jump over low fence, and yet, they choose to push through! Like being too lazy to jump!