As a time filler at the end of the trip this year I think I am going to inquire about harvesting a baboon. I noticed on another web site they stated that baboons were a CITES animal. Is this correct??? Just want to get all my ducks in a row.

For some reason this year I'm more excited about shooting Hogs, Jackals and possibly a baboon then anything else

No Cities, just brought one back this year. There are special handling for Monkeys. It had to be in a seperate box than our other trophies. This caused problems so I have about $700.00 shipping for a Baboon!
good luck

Mike

Ouch! $700 in shipping may just sour me to this idea Might just have to take the pictures and just bring the skull back. I'd assume the skull can be shipped with everything else? So much for the full sized Baboon mount to hold the cue sticks.

Here is the web site that indicated a sites was required: http://zwsafaris.com/kuduland.htm

[ 02-24-2003, 21:08: Message edited by: GMaxson ]

Baboons (actually, all primates) are considered possible vectors for disease transmission to humans.

I've brought back baboon skulls before, and there are specific requirements for packing. It must be in two plastic bags (one inside the other) and if you are bringing back hides, they too must be double wrapped.

They do not have to be in a separate crate; they just have to be individually wrapped (only swine are supposed to be crated separately).

You can call the CDC in Atlanta, and they will FAX or send you the instructions which you can then forward to the people preparing your trophies for shipment.
Ask for the Biosafety Division, 404-639-3235.

George

[ 02-24-2003, 21:11: Message edited by: GeorgeS ]

I have a collection of bobo skulls which would make Jeffrey Dahmer blush. Waste every single one of them you can.

I had two baboon skulls and a bushpig mount shipped in the same crate with no problems . . . did I get lucky?
I think the primates did require a CITES export permit but not an import permit.

JohnTheGreek

[ 02-24-2003, 21:20: Message edited by: JohnTheGreek ]

Alright,people like ZeroDrift are bringing my anticipation to an even higher level! So what do I need to know about hunting Baboon? I think I've read before that quite a bit is done at citrus farms?

According to the Taxidermist in South Africa, Game & Fish/CDC in Miami, A Customs Broker, and my Taxidermist Monkeys must be in a separate container. If unmounted Monkeys/Pigs must go to a Taxidermist that is registered to quarantine them for the allotted time. I specifically asked this question of all the above. My friend went last year to Tanzania and their Monkeys and Pigs also where packed separate. The only other ones I imported where already mounted and then it does not matter. I believe they Issued a Export Permit from South Africa, but no Import Permit was needed from the US. I brought backa Bontebuck in 2000 and needed both permits.

It does kind of make since because the Monkeys and Pigs are supposed to be quarantined.

My shipping got expensive because they where shipped as two separate shipments. This all started because the Taxidermist in South Africa filled out two vet certificates and other paperwork. Rather than all in one person�s name. One box came in over the Holidays and they really ripped us on storage charges. Virgin Atlantic basically held them for ransom. Either pay or you do not get your trophies. I would have told them to keep them but my Customs Broker had already paid the Airline. I have used him for 8 trips and it was not worth fitting over $1,000.00 to me.

Tradewinds,

Call the number I gave you. The woman who helped me is named Lynn Myers. She knows this stuff cold and get you the correct information.

The 'separate package' containing the primate parts can be inside the other crate.

Check with CDC in Atlanta if you don't believe me.

George

You will find bobos all over RSA and Zim. They are very wary of man. Most of the time you will be faced with running shots and they can scoot over very rough terrain. Their downfall is curiosity, they generally will get out of harms way (so they think) and turn around and raise hell. This is when the lead starts flying. Don�t think, just shoot - a lot.

GMaxon,
If you have the hides tanned in Africa they can and will be shipped in the same grate as your other trophies. They will be handled as "processed goods".
If any primate or swine are not tanned and only salted and dipped, they will also have to be processed thru FDA and then sent to a certified taxidermist for processing again and within 24 hours of him recieving them. Extra cost for each step.
Having them tanned is the way to go.
Good luck!

GMaxson,

The trick to hunting baboons is to wait until you catch them in a vulnerable position.
This guy was masturbating behind a bush when I hit him with a 400 grian bullet from my .416. At least he died happy.



Regards,

JohnTheGreek

[ 02-24-2003, 22:31: Message edited by: JohnTheGreek ]

As a one time hunter in Africa ( Zimbabwe, some years ago for a month) I have to say that I passed up many shots at animals after I had my buff but baboons always made my trigger finger "itch". I am happy to say that I finally yielded to temptation and shot what I guess was an "alpha male" with my PH's Colt Python (357Mag) at close range as we had a staring contest while he was snapping his teeth at me and I slept like a baby that night. i really despise those critters! I watched a pack descend on a newborn impala at about 200 yards distance once.. (Yes, I know all about Nature's laws. I don't have to like some predators and baboons are one such that I don't like. Oh, yeah, hyenas and crocs are some others)

Ahhh yes, the more I read the more I envison a full body mount baboon sitting on the floor with his hand out holding my pool cue Especially since according to Greorge it can be shipped in the same box with everything else. I can see the dog's face now when he see's it for the first time Father in-law's Russian Brown Bear doesn't phase him in the least bit, but I think this will send the dog over the edge

So, how common are Baboons anyway? I haven't seen one while hunting before so was it my location(Limpopo)?

GMaxson,

If he is mounted you do not have to worry about quarantine or FDA and can ship with anything else you had mounted. They do make great looking mounts and I like the ideal of him holding a Pool que. I did not see many my first couple of trips. Saw hundreds last year in the Eastern Cape. I only had one good shot. They did not stick around too long. After I shot mine my partner lost interest in shooting one, I think it was its hands that freaked him out a little.

Good Luck,

The Limpopo River runs through some of the best baboon habitat. They can be found in the cliffs near Thabazimbi in pestilential numbers, as well as other parts of Northern and Mpumalanga provinces. There were baboons in the Northern Cape, too.

Zim has plenty of them; hell, ZANU-PF is full of them.

They're pretty much everywhere in southern Africa (Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, et al.), as well as east Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania).

George

The excitement is getting to be to much to bare! My wife is finding it very strange that I don't go to bed dreaming of 60" Kudu anymore but am busy thinking about how to mount a Baboon! Is there something wrong with me?

Anyway, I'd imagine in a .300wthby that a 180gr Nosler Partition is fine? How far are shots? If over 300yds would a ballistic tip suffice?

I had never thought twice about a Baboon until my outfitter sent us a new brochure a couple months ago and they had a picture of a hunter with one. Ever since then it is eating away at me to have one.

Maxson,
It is a kindred spirit, one of your relitives came back to earth as a Baboon, any Shona or Zulu knows that!!...They tell me you can tell as the spirit bothers you and you cannot get the monkey off your back so to speak, without a blood sacrifice, so kill the cat and you won't be bothered by dreams anymore, probably because your wife will shoot your goat smelling a$$.....

Having hunted and shot my fair share of these pests I have concluded the following:

You don't need much more than a 25-06 or a 270 in a light mountain rifle. If you can put a shot inside a 6" circle at 300m off a dead rest or a bipod first time every time you have a good baboon rifle.

I stress light rifle because you will be doing a lot of climbing if you are in a mountainous area.
At the first sign of trouble the baboons always head for the hills. The Remington synthetic ADL rifles are the berries for this kind of work, cause the stock will get dinged and scratched.

Take about 20 rounds of ammo, in a 270 the most accurate bullet in 130gr is the way to go. I use a 120gr in my 7X64.

Optics I'd choose either a 3-9X40 or a 4-12X40 in a good clear scope. Baboon hunting is a daylight business so you don't need the 50mm objectives.

Fit a levelling bipod like the B-Square or Harris. It is worth the weight.

Carry a rangefinder. Even if you can't range the animal, a rock nearby will generally reflect.

Understand your rifles trajectory, at various angles of elevation/depression and distances. A baboon ranging 300m away 45 deg down in a valley is not 300m away, ballistically he is 200m away.

Tape a table to the stock. Use a 200m zero. Do not fiddle with target knobs.

Look carefully for the lookout or guard baboon. They are usually posted either in a tree or prominent rock outcrop. They can see you way before you can see them.

Good Hitec shoes, a drab hat and clothing, plenty water and a cell phone rounds out the kit. Don't burden yourself with first aid kits, skinning knives etc.

Just some pointers

Cheers

Pete

I shot 10 of them this year. They are great fun especially the ones up in the trees. My farthest was just over 300 yards. I shot two of them together at that distance using a 300 Wby mag with 168 gr Matchking. Matchkings are a great hunting bullet (do a search there is a good thread that will tell you more about them than you can imagine .

[ 02-25-2003, 10:10: Message edited by: LV Eric ]

Gentlemen,

Some of you might not have seen this one.

Baboon with a 270 Ackley

Can a Alpha male Baboon really take on a Leapord?
When I was little I saw on M. of Omha Dan put out a stuffed Leapord and while Marlin watched from a safe distance a male Olive Baboon opened up a 12oz can a whipass and did not show one bit fear. Wold this really happen in the wild?

PH - A tribe of Baboons have been known to drive a leopard off a kill. However, one on one, leopards kill and eat baboons quite often. Bobos are about the nastiest critters on the Planet in my opinion. You cannot kill enough of them and I laugh at the folks who think they are cute. There is nothing cute about them unless their head is smashed in by a bullet - then they are simply adorable.

Gmaxson,

Baboons are usually targets of opportunity taken while hunting other things. I've never hunted baboons specifically, but have shot quite a few, including a couple last sesson in Zimbabwe. They like hanging around kopjes and rocky cliffs and they can often be found around water early in the morning or late evening. Setting up an ambush for a troop could be a challenge and would be fun. When spooked, the alpha male will often hang back as the troop runs for cover. I don't hate them as much as Zero Drift does, but I try never to miss an opportunity to throw some lead at them. Plus, I get a kick out some of the reactions you get from the trackers when they have to handle them. It definitely hits pretty close to home with some of them.

While in the Selous this past October, we were constantly going under a tree that a lot of Baboons were at. We did not have them on our ticket so they were safe until.......One day Tye was sitting on the back of the truck when they went under said tree. He felt this moist spray falling down on him. He got pissed quickly and went for his rifle to dispense Justice. About that time, everyone in the back knew what he was doing. They has realized that the PH had sprayed his windshield to clean it off and that there had been an 'over spray'. They had a tense moment getting Tye calmed down and to believe what had happened. They we all able to have a good laugh over that one. I was sorry that I wasn't on his truck to have witnessed it.

My next trip will surely include a Baboon. Just gotta have one.

SAM

I was in Madikwe in RSA in '98. The troop came in for a drink as we hid about 60 yards off. The PH said wait as the big one always comes in last. I was all set up with the video camera and my brother was waiting with the .300 Win Mag. Sure enough the big one comes, takes a drink, then sits there for a few seconds. I waited for the shot, expecting it to bowl him over or flip him a few times. Instead, at the shot, he just laid over on his side. Very anti-climatic, but it did make an awsome full mount.

David W,

"Plus, I get a kick out some of the reactions you get from the trackers when they have to handle them. It definitely hits pretty close to home with some of them."

And your point is?

Marv

Eric, I'm LOL at your tag line. Mind if I steal it for occasional use?
Regards Drakeslayer

Marv,

My point is just what I said. Some trackers I've hunted with don't like handling baboons and their reactions at having to recover them can be funny. You're free to infer anything else from my statement you'd like.

David,

I agree that it sounds so much different in your reply where you left off the final phrase from your original quote: "It definitely hits pretty close to home with some of them." The inclusion of this phrase is the part being challenged and is subject to scrutiny.

Marv

Marv

At the end of my first hunt I shot a baboon and because I was due to leave to catch a flight home that morning we took the baboon to the farm house even though I only wanted the skull. The native woman in charge of the garden came out with my PH's wife to see the baboon as baboons are rare in this area and mine was the first one killed on this farm. The native gal turned the baboon's hand over and recoiled upon seeing the palm. She then shook her head and laughed nervously. My PH explained that the blacks think of the baboon as "near human".

I must admit I felt remorse killing my first baboon(I had always said I would not shoot primates) but I did it as the landowner asked me to as they were causing trouble. I got over my remorse and took two more this year. A skull mount of an alpha male baboon is more impressive than a skull mount of a leopard.

Jason

[ 02-26-2003, 11:13: Message edited by: J Brown ]

I took this one in Nov 02. After watching them make their way back up the clifs to bed down, this one was feeling a little frisky. We were at the top of the mountian glassing straight down. My ph said take him it is a male, he was trying to play whoose your daddy when I shoot him. Once the baboon was retrieved, we realized it was a female. It will make a cool mount anyway.

Marv, I don't think David was making any kind of racial slur as your implying.

[ 02-27-2003, 03:47: Message edited by: GMaxson ]

Marv,

It's becasue they are so superstitous. It pains them to touch them, and I have known some guys who refused to skin a Baboon. I'm sure it was not a racist comment.

No racial slur was intended by my original post. I appreciate J Brown and Greg for adding their thoughts, particularly since their observations are based on experience. And I appreciate Mr. Maxson's comment.

I generally don't post here unless I have something helpful or constructive to say. In this case, I thought Mr. Maxson might like to know that the alpha male often hangs back toward the rear of the troop and that baboons favor rocky terrain and water holes. He also might like to know that certain of the PH's staff might not look kindly upon shooting baboons FOR WHATEVER REASON, which can lead to some good natured ribbing between the PH and his crew. Sometimnes this is funny. This information is based on my EXPERIENCE and was hopefully of some use to Mr. Maxson.

Marv, you might want to dismount your PC highhorse long enough to reflect on what YOU may be able to contribute to this particular topic other than "challenge and scrutiny". How much time have you spent among rural African Blacks? One ten day hunt in RSA? You might have noticed that your tracker's world view was not exactly the same as folks in Ferndale, Washington. Five safaris and nearly 100 days in the field in southern Africa does not make me an expert - not even among the regular posters on this forum, but I have made some observations and gained some useful knowledge as a result.

Last time I checked, this was a HUNTING and SHOOTING forum - not exactly PC these days, where people, including you, are free to say what they think. If you don't like what I have to say, you don't have to read it. Go ahead and appoint yourself sheriff and issue those "challenge and scrutiny" citations. But like we say down here, "Don't forget your lunch..."

I want 3 - 2 females and one male. The male full body standing with a sign "Hi I'm Bill" and one female with a sign "Hi I'm Hillary" the other female in a blue dress with sign "Guess who I am?"

You guys are great! The best thing about this forum is when people post pictures!

The best is Sunday night when getting to camp and sighting in my PH says, "Gene, you are shooting about 2.5" high" and I reply "Yes Richard, that should put me dead on at 300 for baboons" Nothing like sighting the gun in for $100 baboons and knowingly being high shooting at $800+ plains game. Priorities I guess

Baboons look like kaffirs that�s way we shoot them. Gee, I hope I didn�t offend anyone. Ease up a little guys...

One reason why many of the trackers do not like to play with dead baboons is not because they look like them or even smell like them. It�s because the hands of baboons and other monkeys are used in black magic - no pun intended. They are powerful symbols for witch doctors. Just getting a tracker to cut off the hand of a baboon is almost impossible. Bad juju...

I would like to know what gives Marv the right to subject anyone to scrutiny.