I have not hunted Africa, so I cannot comment based on personal experience. From what I read, many of the HFs in Africa are very large concessions, especially outside of South Africa. SA is becoming more and more a "game farm" destination (similar to much of Texas). So, personally, if I ever go I plan to focus on areas outside of SA and ask a lot of questions about the nature of the operation(s) I am considering. Certainly a huge concession fenced primarily to deal with poaching and other issues is much different than a 1000 acre "put and take" operation.

Africa is a complex and unique place. The evolution of sport hunting in Africa has been beset by a whole raft of issues (corrupt governments, rampant poaching, etc.) that do not apply here in America. And certainly don't apply to hunting whitetails in Texas-where population and availability is not an issue.

I don't know any more, have you seen all the threads this year with poachers on GC, GW note posts, holes in fences etc?

Why did the guy go to specific places looking for one over 50?

Yeah, but the issues in Africa are on a whole nother scale. Poaching is widespread and systemic in many areas over there.

I too have hunted both HF in Texas (2,300 ac)and once in Africa. We hunted 2 farms one that was a little over 6,000 ac and one that was 9,400 ac. I will tell you I did not feel any of those hunts were canned, on the African trip we worked very hard to get the Kudu,and Eland "in the salt". Guys any brush country over 1000 ac is a pretty big place. The smallest place in Africa I hunted was close to10 square miles. Most of the animals range is a lot less than that. Did I see fences...yes! Did I think the hunt was "canned"...No. I hunted on open consession too--around 200,000 ac. Where did we hunt? Well we hunted different areas, for different stuff. We hunted waterbuck on about 2,000 ac...why? Because that's where they liked to hang out. I can tell you there are many positives about hunting a HF ranch. Most limiting factor most of us have is time. We cannot book a hunt for 20 days, we have at most half that time. We also want to have a good chance at success...that's what we pay for...right? The animals are there. That does not mean we will take it. I had a friend go 2 trips to take a good kudu " over 50". He hunted 4 really good HF places. I know the Kudu were there...but he was not successful. Could you have baited them...yes. But it would not have been near as "sporting". I think the focus should be more on baiting and less on the HF...just my opinion.

Ed

50" is kind of the threshold of "respectable".

50" is kind of the threshold of "respectable".

Where is the line in the sand on "canned". To the anti's and some THF members it's any and all HF no matter the size it carries the label "Canned".

I eat canned salmon... but I have also fished a stream for salmon.

To me if you have it cornered it's canned. If it keeps escaping and it takes you a few days not canned.

I have not hunted Africa, so I cannot comment based on personal experience. From what I read, many of the HFs in Africa are very large concessions, especially outside of South Africa. SA is becoming more and more a "game farm" destination (similar to much of Texas). So, personally, if I ever go I plan to focus on areas outside of SA and ask a lot of questions about the nature of the operation(s) I am considering. Certainly a huge concession fenced primarily to deal with poaching and other issues is much different than a 1000 acre "put and take" operation.

Africa is a complex and unique place. The evolution of sport hunting in Africa has been beset by a whole raft of issues (corrupt governments, rampant poaching, etc.) that do not apply here in America. And certainly don't apply to hunting whitetails in Texas-where population and availability is not an issue.

I've hunted in Africa twice and I've been on 2 high fence hunts here in Texas. Comparing the two, I find a lot more things that are similar to them, then what I can think of that is different. I went to those places looking for specific animals and I enjoyed the entire experience tremendously. For me, it's all about enjoying myself. I can't say that for some of the guided hunts I've been on in the Rocky Mountains states. Comparing some of those operations to a high fence hunt is night and day. On every high fence hunt, I was treated like family. On the bad guided hunts, I felt like I was intruding or not wanted. Guides who wanted to get back to camp early, didn't want to get off the horses and actually walk, poor quality food, or going out in a group with the hope of being used to push animals to some old timer who had been hunting with the outfitter for the last ten years. I took my wife to South Africa this past August for her first out of state out of the country hunting trip. She shot two springbucks. A common outside a fence, and a black inside a fence. The common was an easy hunt. It pretty much walked right past us as we sat under some trees and she make an easy 50 yard shot. The black where very nervous and it was an all day hunt on foot trying to get ahead of them for a shot on a 3,000 acre ranch. I can tell you that the HF springbuck is the one she appreciated the most!!!

Our hunt was based out of the outfitters home on a 4,000 acre high fenced property. I shot a black wildebeest there. That's all we shot on his place. We hunted duiker on another HF property that also had buffalo and rhino on it. We saw a few of them, but they would go through the fence into Oranje River bottoms faster then I could get a shot off. That was the coldest morning there. I couldn't feel my fingers and was nervous I wouldn't be able to make the shot if we ever found one standing still for more then five seconds. My eland was on a 10,000 acre HF property. We had made arrangements to hunt there previously, so that morning, the manager of the ranch and a dozen of the locals who work there where up at first light scouting for a good eland bull. When we got there, they took us to the ridge where we could see where he was bedded down and then we spent a couple hours climbing and crawling around him to get into position. It was an exciting stalk that I thoroughly enjoyed. The other HF animal that I got was a red Lechwe that had gotten out of the fence and was wondering on the owners land outside the fence. He took a grand off the price of the animal if I would come shoot it before he went to a neighbors land. I hadn't booked a red Lechwe, and I didn't have the money, but my outfitter told me I could pay him for it after I got home and had it. The rest of my animals where shot on low fence sheep farms and cattle ranches in different areas. I shot nine different animals, and every one of them was in a different area, in different terrain. I don't know how anybody wouldn't enjoy an experience like that.

Eddie

I've hunted in Africa twice and I've been on 2 high fence hunts here in Texas. Comparing the two, I find a lot more things that are similar to them, then what I can think of that is different. I went to those places looking for specific animals and I enjoyed the entire experience tremendously. For me, it's all about enjoying myself. I can't say that for some of the guided hunts I've been on in the Rocky Mountains states. Comparing some of those operations to a high fence hunt is night and day. On every high fence hunt, I was treated like family. On the bad guided hunts, I felt like I was intruding or not wanted. Guides who wanted to get back to camp early, didn't want to get off the horses and actually walk, poor quality food, or going out in a group with the hope of being used to push animals to some old timer who had been hunting with the outfitter for the last ten years. I took my wife to South Africa this past August for her first out of state out of the country hunting trip. She shot two springbucks. A common outside a fence, and a black inside a fence. The common was an easy hunt. It pretty much walked right past us as we sat under some trees and she make an easy 50 yard shot. The black where very nervous and it was an all day hunt on foot trying to get ahead of them for a shot on a 3,000 acre ranch. I can tell you that the HF springbuck is the one she appreciated the most!!!

Our hunt was based out of the outfitters home on a 4,000 acre high fenced property. I shot a black wildebeest there. That's all we shot on his place. We hunted duiker on another HF property that also had buffalo and rhino on it. We saw a few of them, but they would go through the fence into Oranje River bottoms faster then I could get a shot off. That was the coldest morning there. I couldn't feel my fingers and was nervous I wouldn't be able to make the shot if we ever found one standing still for more then five seconds. My eland was on a 10,000 acre HF property. We had made arrangements to hunt there previously, so that morning, the manager of the ranch and a dozen of the locals who work there where up at first light scouting for a good eland bull. When we got there, they took us to the ridge where we could see where he was bedded down and then we spent a couple hours climbing and crawling around him to get into position. It was an exciting stalk that I thoroughly enjoyed. The other HF animal that I got was a red Lechwe that had gotten out of the fence and was wondering on the owners land outside the fence. He took a grand off the price of the animal if I would come shoot it before he went to a neighbors land. I hadn't booked a red Lechwe, and I didn't have the money, but my outfitter told me I could pay him for it after I got home and had it. The rest of my animals where shot on low fence sheep farms and cattle ranches in different areas. I shot nine different animals, and every one of them was in a different area, in different terrain. I don't know how anybody wouldn't enjoy an experience like that.

Eddie

I've been to Africa once, it was a low/no fence place in Southern Zimbabwe. I had access to 50,000 of the 500,000+ acres. I loved it and the people and experience was just as cool as the hunt. After 4 hip replacements I walk with a cane and my arthritis has the rest of my body a wreck. So do I quit hunting because I can't walk all over? No, I go out to enjoy my self. I've hunted twice with Donk and liked it a lot. He put me in a stand and I shot deer. Both are on my wall, trophies to me. Because I can't walk far, anything beyond the stand I'm in is future area to explore. I know my limitations and I just like a place that can accommodate me. Would it be great to trek all over, yes but I'm just happy with what I can do. If you want to hunt hf, lf, no fence I support you. Just get out and enjoy.

I've been to Africa once, it was a low/no fence place in Southern Zimbabwe. I had access to 50,000 of the 500,000+ acres. I loved it and the people and experience was just as cool as the hunt. After 4 hip replacements I walk with a cane and my arthritis has the rest of my body a wreck. So do I quit hunting because I can't walk all over? No, I go out to enjoy my self. I've hunted twice with Donk and liked it a lot. He put me in a stand and I shot deer. Both are on my wall, trophies to me. Because I can't walk far, anything beyond the stand I'm in is future area to explore. I know my limitations and I just like a place that can accommodate me. Would it be great to trek all over, yes but I'm just happy with what I can do. If you want to hunt hf, lf, no fence I support you. Just get out and enjoy.

"If you want to hunt hf, lf, no fence I support you. Just get out and enjoy."

Perfect. Just remember, there are lots of people like our own NP who would outlaw HF hunting. Regardless of who it hurts.

Glad you guys had a good time and have a good relationship.

But I thought the size of the fence made no difference in the hunting. So, tell me how it hurts this situation?

See, when you say whatever you can whenever you can, you catch yourself coming and going.

For the record, I would be fine with an exception for places that catered only to those with disabilities. Problem solved.