I am going to do a plains game hunt in Namibia this July (thank you Wendell Reich for setting it up). One animal I really want is a Hartmann's zebra. Can you guys give me an idea of the hunting situation for this particular animal? Of course I think I will be hiking hilly terrain. What kind of shots will I expect to take (uphill, downhill, prone shooting, sticks, how long?). What is the stalk like? Thanks in advance.

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Originally posted by Paul D:
I am going to do a plains game hunt in Namibia this July (thank you Wendell Reich for setting it up). One animal I really want is a Hartmann's zebra. Can you guys give me an idea of the hunting situation for this particular animal? Of course I think I will be hiking hilly terrain. What kind of shots will I expect to take (uphill, downhill, prone shooting, sticks, how long?). What is the stalk like? Thanks in advance.

Prepare to:
-Climb kopies all day in the Namibian sun.
-Watch herd after herd of Hartmans zebra run over hill and dale after a blown stalk.
-Watch Gemsbok blow stalks for you.
-Watch your PH fume after you blow a stalk by dislodging a rock after you have closed within 1km of a herd.
-Shoot your zebra as it mills around in front of you 25 yards away at sunset.

The hunts can be physically tough with long shots. I know a couple of guys who have wounded these Zebra and the follow up about killed them.

Mark

Nothing with more speed and determination than a three legged zebra!

quote:

Prepare to:
-Climb kopies all day in the Namibian sun.
-Watch herd after herd of Hartmans zebra run over hill and dale after a blown stalk.
-Watch Gemsbok blow stalks for you.
-Watch your PH fume after you blow a stalk by dislodging a rock after you have closed within 1km of a herd.
-Shoot your zebra as it mills around in front of you 25 yards away at sunset.

Man that sounds about right!

.

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Originally posted by tendrams:
Nothing with more speed and determination than a three legged zebra!

Except perhaps a three legged or one lunged (as in with only one functioning lung) wildebeest!

More seriously, know how your rifle shoots at longer ranges and be prepared to shoot at a fair distance. Be sure to use a good, flat shooting calibre of sufficient size and with a good quality bullet........ these animals are helluva tough!

Also place your shot carefully and if you want to take an active part in the hunt rather than just be a triggerman, learn about zebra behaviour so you can at take part in identifying the stallions.

Look for fighting scars and expect the stallions to (repeatedly) run and then stop and turn at (more or less) right angles to you for a momentary pause whilst he lets the wives and kids etc to get away. Those pauses will often give you your chance and if you get the opportunity of a second or subsequent shot, take it without hesitation. - Don't let anyone tell you to save your ammo because he's hit hard!

Also you might find it interesting to watch the others after the shot. It's very common for them to cluster around the stricken male and try to help him stay on his feet and get away. When he goes down, they'll often hang around until your approach pushes them off and even after that, they'll usually be calling like billy oh for a shortish while.

Hope you have a great hunt and don't underestimate our stripey friend. He's a right tough bugger and usually a very challenging hunt.

Expect to see them spook at 1000yds or better or hear them running off without even seeing them.
The ones I've hunted are spooky-spooky-spooky!

I spent three days hunting for mine before he was down and I only have one, so I don't have a wealth of experience. What has been said does square with my experience. There was a lot of cruising very open terrain looking for fresh spoor and/or zebras in the distance. Once a fresh track or a herd was spotted, we piled out of the car and started walking. Even for a flat-lander like me, the hiking was not at all difficult: not too steep nor very high elevation, nor was it too hot, even at mid-day in September.
Several stalks were blown for one reason or another before we finally found a herd just over a low ridge, bunched up in the shade of a hill about 125 yds away. We waited several minutes for them to spread out a little, the male presenting me with a quartering-on shot about 80 feet lower than me. My shot was a little too far back (though going through the liver it ultimately would have been fatal.) I then fired off about half a box of shells as it ran across my field of view at about 400 yds before stopping a couple hundred yards off and giving me a chance to drop him.
I would very much agree that you should be prepared for longer shooting; over 200 yds is probably a reasonable expectation. You likely will be shooting up or downhill as I was, though it isn't like elk hunting. Getting close will very much depend on the vegetation where you are hunting. I was on the edge of the Namib so there was almost no vegetation to speak of, just rocks.

I have been on H zebra hunts where they would not let me shoot a stallion !!! Said that the other stallions would fight ... Never had that problem with guides on the RB zebras ...