Will be hunting in Namibia this coming May. In the area I'll be hunting, Hartmann's Zebra is available.
Do you have to have a permit to bring this trophy into the U.S.A.? Would it be worth the paperwork?
What would worry me is you have all your ducks-in- a-row and some gung ho, Customs Officer refuse my trophy.
Any suggestions would very helpful.
MauserK98

No import permit needed. Namibian export permit needed, but any reputable outfitter will provide that at his end.

Your PH should be able to handle all this for you.

Everyone I know that has hunted Hartmans, including me, says it is a very difficult hunt in terms of stealth and stalk. Good eyes, noses and hearing, and runs in groups. When they run, they don't go over the hill, they leave for the next state!!!

Bring your walking shoes, and be ready to use them.

Hunting and returning to the US with this species is a non-event. Any responsible outfitter will have this wired.

But beyond the admin issues, my experience with this species has been a joyful one. It is a lot like hunting big mule deer in the Southwest. Steep, cragy, sharp-ridged country, with lots of ups and downs. Lots of walking and lots of glassing. Shots taken are typically across the canyon, either up or down, at unknown distances. Getting dialed onto the herd stallion will not be easy. Wind will be a factor.

Don' take this part of your safari for granted. In the right place, with the right outfitter, this can be one of the highlights of your trip.

Good hunting.............!!!!

The local joke on hunting a Mountain Zebra: Question "Where is best place to shoot a Mountain Zebra?" Answer "As close to the road as possible."

Great hunting. Not only are they keen to spot you while stalking them, they are keen to spot you and sound the alarm when you are stalking other game even on the next mountain over. They are also one of the tastiest game out there.

I agree with all of the above comments, including tastiness. Mountian zebra tenderloins over a camelthorn fire...nothing better! The hide from mine covers a good-sized portion of my living room wall-- very impressive-looking.

Never got a chance to eat any of mine as I shot him the last day. Spent a portion of each day hunting them for 10 straight days in Namibia before I finally got him. Tracked a small group for nearly 3 hours before we caught up with them. The only MZ I saw on my entire hunt was through my scope. They are fun, frustrationg and challenging. I wouldn't hestitate to hunt them again.

I didn't realize how big the hide was going to be. It takes up a big hunk of floor.
k

I agree also with the tastiness of the MZ. It really surprised me. I am 62 years old and have eaten a few fine steaks in my life, none of which could possibly compare with the taste of that MZ backstrap. It makes me wonder now if the other zebra I have shot on safari would have tasted as good. I did not try them, but it was never offered either. Hmmmmm.

The rug is gorgeous on my trophy room floor. As mentioned above, the hunt was the best I had in Namibia compared to the other species. It was hard to hunt and that made it enjoyable. I took mine with a 338WM using 275 gr. SAF bullets. I'm sure they can be taken with less, but it was what I brought, and worked just fine.

Be sure to eat some while in camp if you can. However, if you run out of time like P. Jilek did, no worries, just be sure to order it at Joe's Beerhouse in Windhoek.

Hey all, Hartmann's Zebra does fall under CITES for export.

But your operator should handle that for you, or at the every least, the taxidermist whom does the trophy preparation.

It was by far one of the more difficult of the plains game I hunted! The closest the PH dare let us get was 300 yards, as he said they have very good eyesight and smell. They were definitely switched on every time we saw them!

Gorgeous rug!

Pred

PM sent. Email me if you have any specific questions about your areas or trophies. Wishing I was going back at the same time, you will most likely see David there.

I take it he's going with the gang. No worries about permits then!

And I'm jealous, btw.

quote:

Originally posted by Jorge400:
Be sure to eat some while in camp if you can. However, if you run out of time like P. Jilek did, no worries, just be sure to order it at Joe's Beerhouse in Windhoek.

Are Joe's zebra steaks from mountain or plains zebras? I have hunted both in Namibia. I have also eaten both. As long as all of the awful yellow fat is removed, both can be delicious.

I shot this one about 425 yards, uphill.



From spotting them, ranging, dialing and shot in the air, less than 10 seconds. PH called the skinners right away, knew it was DRT.

It took us over 2 hours to climb up there. The skinners finished about 2300 that night.

And the backstraps were great - we took a bunch with us south a couple days later to RSA... where they mysteriously disappeared..... in somebody's belly!!!

This one is destined for a wall pedestal, extra hide using for seats on elephant leg barstools. Details to follow..... someday.

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Robinson:

quote:

Originally posted by Jorge400:
Be sure to eat some while in camp if you can. However, if you run out of time like P. Jilek did, no worries, just be sure to order it at Joe's Beerhouse in Windhoek.

Are Joe's zebra steaks from mountain or plains zebras? I have hunted both in Namibia. I have also eaten both. As long as all of the awful yellow fat is removed, both can be delicious.

Mike,

Good question. I was always under the impression they served mountain zebra and that plains zebra was not as tasty, and Joe's was certainly tasty. However, given that plains zebra are likely far more plentiful I guess I could be wrong.

George

Chased those suckers up and down and over and under rocks for a week. still didn't get one. Hot hard and fun hunting. I remember one of the trackers saying if we shot one that far in we were only taking out the hide and the back straps. You could hear the hooves on the rocks and still not see them. Totally different animal from the Burchells.

quote:

Originally posted by Mauser K98:
Will be hunting in Namibia this coming May. In the area I'll be hunting, Hartmann's Zebra is available.
Do you have to have a permit to bring this trophy into the U.S.A.? Would it be worth the paperwork?
What would worry me is you have all your ducks-in- a-row and some gung ho, Customs Officer refuse my trophy.
Any suggestions would very helpful.
MauserK98

I applied for an import permit for my HZ and got a letter back from USF&WS saying it was NOT necessary, as long as I get a CITES export permit from Namibia. Here's the HZ I shot last year:

The best hunt I did in Namibia was after the mountain zebra

I took one in Namibia in July. Rangefinder said 212 yrds. There were two under a tree on a point of a hill. PH told me where to shoot and one shot later from my 9.3x62 (286 grn. Barnes Triple Shock) and about a 200 yard run from impact I found him piled up in the bush about 25 yards from where I was standing when I shot. He made me track him through all that terrible thornbush as revenge for shooting him I guess.
It was my last animal and the last day of the hunt so I did not get to eat on him. I did have some from Namibia 2000 safari.Being a ranchers kid I had always said it would be a cold day in hell before I would eat a damn referee horse...any of you happen to feel a bit cool on a day in August 2000 ? Yum!
We just got lucky on finding this small herd. My hunting partner in another truck had already given up after chasing them for several hours earlier.
I too agree about the amount of lead they can tote. I have much more respect for them now that I got one. He will be a nice rug in my new office.

Mine was an up-hill facing shot on the second stalk of the same animal, with a .300wm shooting 180gr Swift A-Frames, taken in 2000. The hide is draped over my railing where I see it every day. It was a somewhat difficult shot and although the Zebra reared and I shot it again, it never moved from the spot of the first shot.

One of the harder individual hunts I have ever been on.

Went after one last year as an afterthought--I had gotten my five "priority" animals, had three days left, and went after the Hartmann's. Turned out to be the highlight of my trip, and the hunt that I talk about the most. Got my shot about halfway through the second day, leaning the rifle over my PH's shoulder and taking a fast shot at about 125 yards as the stallion was about to bolt. I now understand why a zebra's stripes make such effective camoflage--put the scope on his shoulder, and got confused for a second, couldn't pick out the right place to hold as the zebra stood quartering to me. Ended up holding a little too high, but still broke the near shoulder. Felt good when the stallion dropped on the shot, then got that sinking feeling as it jumped up and started to run. Fortunately, it went down again in 75 yards or so and stayed there, just as it cleared some bushes and I was getting ready to shoot again. Beautiful, solid herd stallion with, to my surprise, none of the expected scars. The rug is at the taxidermist now; can't wait to get it back; even refinishing the living room floor in anticipation.

I was worried about the CITIES issue, but shouldn't have been. My outfitter and/or shipping agent arranged for the export permit, my customs agent here in the states got everything cleared thorugh USF&W, and life is good. I'd advise anyone heading to Namibia to consider Hartmann's; I'm very glad that I didn't pass up the chance.

I am curious. I was taught that we take the stallions on a Burchells but that a Hartmans should be a mare. What are your thoughts?

I'd always understood (as mentioned in the book The Perfect Shot) that the reason you take a mare of any zebra species is to get an unscarred hide. My PH put me on the herd stallion and told me to take him, so I did, and lucked out with a great skin. Outside of the skin-quality issue, I never heard any reason to take a Hartmann's mare, although that doesn't mean that there isn't a reason out there.

It can be quite difficult, even impossible, under field conditions to differentiate between a Zebra stallion and a mare. I have no problem if the Zebra is found to be a mare after the fact.

If I was given a reason I don't remember it. I am curious as it was pretty specific so I think there has to be more to it. Wish I could remember.

Almost all of the time the stallion brings up the rear of the herd. If you take one out of the middle it is almost always a mare.

+1 on the difficulty of telling the difference between a stallion and mare. Mine turned out to be a mare, much to everyone's surprise as she was acting very much like a stallion (chasing and herding).

We were able to sneak within a mere 347 meters.....but the herd didn't know we were there. Very cool stalk!

I have shot three MZ and one Burchell. I love hunting them in the Khomas Hockland in Namibia. They are bigger than a Burchell and I think better looking. I've shot them with .338 WM, .300 WM, and 7mm Rem. Mag. The Hartmann's is more difficult to hunt than the Burchell, in my opinion. Hartmann's will run to the next country if you are not careful.......Tom