What are the going prices for a giraffe hunt and where is the best place to hunt then? What do you guys think about about hunting one? It looks like it would be difficult due to them being so high and being able to see everything. The price on the taxidermy seems like it would be high.

It is one animal I have zero desire to shoot. But then again, my last four hunts have been in Tanzania, where they are not on license. They sure seem docile to me.

Not easy to stalk, very tough animal. I shot mine 3 times with 450 Dakota. I am sure he would have been dead after the first shot, but ... I enjoy punishment. And we needed Lion bait.

I'd say they're usually very easy to hunt if hunted correctly in most areas.

However, it's easy to stuff up the shot placement but as with all hunting, the key is to use the right calibre/bullet combo and place the shot right.

Wendell,

That link you posted on the word 'easy' takes me to an ad for I phones...... have you been infected?

I never really considered hunting a giraffe until last summer when I guy in RSA needed to cull a few out as he had too many on his property. I could not resist the really low price he asked for, $1000 when they usually go for $3500 in that area. But what I found is that once you decide to hunt them damn if you can find them. For me it was a very tough hunt, I broke my ankle the day before and it took 6 hours of walking until we finally found a couple. They were in the thickest part of the property. I shot the old of one the two I saw and at the sound of the rifle 6 more just appeared out of the thick stuff. So, they are good at hiding when they need to.

The taxidermy is very expense even just to have the whole cape tanned so I decided just to have a small part of the skin tanned to make pillows out of.

I would recommend the SAVE in Zimbabwe.

I have hunted them and taken two. They were fun to hunt, I killed both with a double rifle, one with a 450 No2, and one with a 9,3x74R.

The wife killed one with a 308 and a head shot.

They are one of my most favorite animals to watch.

Never hunted them, but have been within bow range of a a good bull on each of my two safaris to SA. I got a good look at one being skinned in the skinning shed one evening... talk about a lot of work for the skinners! The skin looked to be 2 inches thick and the question that comes to my mind is, how does the hide hold up during curing and tanning? It seems that with skin that thick it would be hard for salt to effectively dry out the hide before it spoiled and hair slipped. I would hate to kill one and not have a proper hide for rugs, gun cases, etc.

Although I have a perfect spot for a shoulder mount in my home, I'm not sure I would spring for the taxidermy bill.

Lots of fun, very tough - and a beautiful trophy. I've shot 5 or 6 of em, and would hunt more.

I say give it a go!!

I've shot one with my bow, spot and stalk. It is not an easy bowhunt and the above posters are correct, the hide is amazingly thick. I used a dangerous game setup to get the penetration needed. It was a one arrow affair thanks to the homework on shot placement and equipment i did prior to the hunt. It is a neat trophy to have for sure.

sounds like fun. Could I use my smith and wesson .500 or do I need a rifle? Is a scope needed?

quote:

Originally posted by shakari:
Wendell,

That link you posted on the word 'easy' takes me to an ad for I phones...... have you been infected?

That's personal!

I have no idea what you are talking about. Maybe your ISP adds links to words it sees. I didn't add any links. Don't see any links on this side.

Maybe YOU are the one who is infected!

While riding around I've always seen a number of them that would have been easy to hunt.
The one time I spotted a herd not far from camp & decided to stalk them with my camera, never got within 400 yds., once they spotted me I could never fool them.
I think a spot & stalk hunt on foot could be very challenging.
I simply have nowhere to display one properly.

quote:

Originally posted by steel:
sounds like fun. Could I use my smith and wesson .500 or do I need a rifle? Is a scope needed?

A .22 mag in the ear would probably work, but I value my money too much to risk loosing a trophy fee!

When you start getting outside the envelope of "Normally accepted methods", you may see some decrease on effectiveness. Handguns do not possess the perceived power that most people assign to one. Range and energy both are compromised.

A 308 Win would be a better choice. But, guys kill big animals with bows and handguns all the time. Yes, I am sure it would work. But, I like to use big guns on stuff.

Now, a 45-70 would never work on a Geerafff!

quote:

Originally posted by bwana cecil:
While riding around I've always seen a number of them that would have been easy to hunt.

Oh, they always look nice and easy from the truck. You see what happens when you get on foot!

I took a nice old giraffe bull a couple of years ago in the KwaZulu Natal area of RSA while hunting with Crusader Safaris and PH Rad Robertson. It was an awesome experience!

They had a steep valley of about 3 miles across by 20 or so miles long. We climbed up the sides to glass and then dropped down to stalk in the heavy stuff. Really fair chase. The herd had an old stink bull which needed to go for conservation type reason so the younger males could step up and keep the herd healthy.

We stalked up close and moved quickly into an offhand shooting position of 30 to 40 yds. I used my 375 H&H and aimed the irons between the humps in front with a TSX first followed by a sledgehammer solid. The old bull wheeled around and came down like a drilling rig!

Alan Shearing of CMS will be guiding me on my first ele hunt in six weeks. I think I'm ready, or so says Buzz!

Be sure to keep the giraffe shin bones. You will have the knife handle market cornered for the knife makers in your area for sure.

quote:

Originally posted by Wendell Reich:

quote:

Originally posted by bwana cecil:
While riding around I've always seen a number of them that would have been easy to hunt.

Oh, they always look nice and easy from the truck. You see what happens when you get on foot!

They'll just look taller.

Giraffe is very high on my want list--right there with hippo-

hopefully there will be a Next trip and i get a chance at them

those of yall that hunted them, how was your hide when it got home? I hope to hunt one when i go. I never had a desire to hunt one until i went to a friends house and saw his floor pedastal.

A very fun hunt, I have hunted a couple on my friends ranch in South Africa. They see you from 2 stories up and haul ass when they see you. I have hunted them with both 9.3x62 and a 416 Rigby. Tough critters, but put the bullet in the right spot and they go down.

I had a rug done, also a euro mount with carved leg bones...makes a neat trophy.




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bctfGkQtG_U

Ed

I'm worried about the hide preservation. I have heard stories of the hide slipping when tanned. Is their any way to get them to flesh it better? I would be heartbroken to get home and the hide be ruined. Maybe I will bring the S&W .500 and if I can't get close use the .458 lott.

I highly recommend. I was fortunate and took one at Kanana last year. One of my most cherished trophies because of the stalk and the stamina of the big old stink bull. I have never seen such an awkward running animal cover so much ground in a hurry. I was not able to close the distance to make the head/neck shot and ended up putting a few in the body.

They were far from tame where we were at. They would see the cruiser and they were gone. We had to make quite a stalk and not just one, several actually, before sealing the deal.

I absolutely recommend. Make sure you can get one on quota. I know Kanana only takes 3 or 4 old bulls a year.

They are great fun to hunt, and a real challenge on foot. Like someone mentioned before, from that high up they can see forever. They are very difficult to stalk, and run forever when spooked. Lots of eyes in a family group, and you should be looking for a big old stink bull past breeding if you can.

From their unique physical structure, they are one of the most frequently mis-shot animals in Africa. Look at pictures a lot, and some of the Perfect Shot diagrams helps. I took mine with one shot from a 7 Rem Mag, but my son shot his 6 times with a 470 NE and I know others who have done the same with 300 and 338's.

The hide is anywhere from 1-2" thick and the key is to get it skinned and to the tannery as quickly as possible. It was as thick as my elephant! Most outfitters and PH's do not want you shooting one in the afternoon, because of the amount of work required. I had a rug done with mine, and it is perfect. Basically, you have to flesh it down to about 1/4" thick and then slice it to get the salt to really penetrate. It is probably the most work on the ground of any animal.

Have a ball when you hunt one, and enjoy the trophy. A neck mount will fit in an 8 foot ceiling room, or the rug is a nice option too.

In the cheapest areas you are looking at $1500 on the trophy fee and a minimum of $2000 to tan the hide. If you need a lot of lion or leopard bait, giraffe are certainly more cost effective than buffalo or hippo....but for just hunting there are higher priorities for me given the associated costs.

Blank nice giraffe. Do you have a picture of the rug?

I've been to Zim 5 times and have not even seen one and didn't really think about hunting them. But I have a lioness hunt in the Bubye Valley next year and will use one or two for bait. I'm getting excited about seeing and hunting for them. The TF in the BVC is only $800. On a PG hunt($475/d) you can take two. Should be fun.

I've shot a couple.. Cool hunt and I'd do it again if in the right area.

I took mine in SA with a .450 no2 double. One of the most challenging stalks of my life. O kept trying to get close but failed every time until my PH told me the correct way and it worked and I was close enough for a quick right and left in the shoulder. I have the skull, two stands made from the lower front legs, and a full rug. Biggest damn rug I've ever seen! (Tried to sell it at the last gun show with little interest).
Cheers for a good hunt to you.
Cal

Hunting pressure is (as with all species) a large factor but not many areas take large numbers of giraffe over the season & the first thing to remember about giraffe is that despite appearances to the contrary, they're pretty intelligent & the second thing to remember is they're intensely curious.

Stalk them like you'd stalk most other species & you'll often have to work very hard but arouse their curiosity without scaring them & you can almost march up to them with a brass band playing & slap 'em on the arse with a cricket bat.

I was lucky enough to be offered to shoot an old bull for free on my 1st African hunt in Namibia. The ranch owner was donating the meat to the Namibian Defence Forces stationed along the Angolan border, who were running low on rations. I couldnt export it but watched the skinning butchering. Very thick hide that must be "shaved" numerous
times to be able to tan it.

I recently hunted the Bubye Conservancy in Zim. and giraffe were very abundant and only lightly hunted. John Sharp can set you up with a good hunt.

A good trick to remember when skinning is to douse the wet side with a diluted solution of non toxic degreaser as as possible after skinning & prior to salting.

They do look easy to hunt until they see you exit the cruiser. You will never see a giraffe that is not looking at you already. Best to get it tanned locally as they may know best how to shave and tan it. Plus you do not want to pay for dip and pack only to find it is suitable only for the dumpster. Hair slip is a big problem so insist to your PH that you will shoot one only if he can ensure it will be promptly and properly skinned. They look great on our old ladder back chair bottoms.

quote:

Originally posted by steel:
sounds like fun. Could I use my smith and wesson .500 or do I need a rifle? Is a scope needed?

With good shot placement your .500 S&W will do the trick but as someone else said - don't over estimate the power of a handgun.

I just could never shoot a giraffe but have a good hunt.

First animal I ever shot in Africa. He had been caught in a snare and was caught in an old fence and was down. I finished him off for the PH. Have seen many but never since hunted one. Went on several hunts with friends for them and in only one case were they successful. They do blend with the brush. The PH once told me to stand perfectly still. We had walked to within 3 feet of a standing Giraffe and never seen it.

I can handle the everything cost wise but, a shoulder mount cost almost 5,000. And shipping the hide is also crazy pricy.

quote:

Originally posted by steel:
I can handle the everything cost wise but, a shoulder mount cost almost 5,000. And shipping the hide is also crazy pricy.

Sir,

We hunt quite a few of the big old bulls every year.

Our trophy fee is $2,950.00

The work going into the preperation of the trophy is a HUGE job! The skin have to be be cut into small grids nearly all the way the hair line and the skin on the back is very very thick.

The .500 will do the job just fine.

The hunt can be very challening or it can be very easy, it all depends on where you hunt, and if the Giraffe have been hunted before.

I love tracking them big old bulls though, it is great fun.


Life Form taxidermy handles all my trophies, and I would suggest having it mounted in South Africa if you can get some other trophies to help fill up the crate space I stand to be corrected, but I am sure Life Form should be able to do it all for about $5k to your door! IF you are very serious about doing it this year maybe, I can have a word with them, and see what we can come up with!

If not, have it dip and packed to the USA, but as you rightly pointed out, it will be costly!

You are welcome to PM me if this hunt might be of interest to you.

Regards,

Steel,

You can probably hunt them in the BVC cheaper than anywhere else. Trophy fee is $800 I believe and can be hunted on the plainsgame rate. I shot one big black bull there last July and my client shot two more (lion bait). There are loads of them there.




Greg

quote:

It is one animal I have zero desire to shoot.

I was with you there for a long time. Then I went to the BVC. They are literally lousy with them there. Trophy fee is $750.00. So I shot a big old black male. It was a cool experience. I can't say, it's something I'd want to do every time I go, but after many safaris, I've now shot one. I don't know that I'd ever pay $3,500 for one. I shot this one with my .375 I think if I did do another, I'd use my open sighted .470 double, because they can be quite fun and challenging to get up close to.

All of that being said, I do agree they are one of the most regal animals in Africa.

Also ... here's an interesting one that I posted a bit ago. Here is a great bull I photographed one day near one of our leopard baits. The next morning, as happenstance would have it, we found him within 200 yards where the lions had gotten to him. I think the one I shot probably met a more humane end.







Trail cam pics of the perpetrators.

quote:

Originally posted by ChrisTroskie:


With good shot placement your .500 S&W will do the trick but as someone else said - don't over estimate the power of a handgun.

Carhartt overalls, old work boots, a camo ball cap and a black nylon Uncle Mikes shoulder holster for the pistol (Model 29?) Where were you hunting Chris, Mississippi?