Ostrich, giraffe, waterbuck and sable; they just don't interest me. No cheetah, either. The Dessie's, fox, they're safe, too.

Other than that, a good hunt with good companions, for quality animals is all I need.

Ostrich, black bear in the US, and any animal not on tag--i.e. such as shooting coyotes or paraire dogs just to kill something.

Once, I thought giraffe was not on my list of animals. But after taking one and stalking two others I must say they must be one of the most difficult animals to hunt due to their height. I now enjoy my full giraffe rug, two front feet with small table tops, and a skull. They were well earned and a challenge to hunt.
Cal

Mule Deer- Doe
Swan
Giraffe
Baboon- maybe
Duiker (one was enough)
Steinbuck (one was enough)
Lion

Jason:

Swans Are damn good to eat.

No.

never had interest in shooting a ele. on my last trip to africa ph ask me if i would be interested in shooting a giraffe told me it was a old bull that was pushing over road signs for some reason. i really had no place to put in my house so i pass.i did shoot a steinbok. we saw it one day it would get up and go just a few feet and lay down. ph told it wouldn't last long and it was very old steinbok. i only had my 300 wm with me so i pass on it the first time. the 2nd time we saw it the next day the ph had bought his smallest rifle and ask me to take it so i did. i was ok with until i walk up to it. it was so little. the horns score well. but it was still little to me. felt like shooting a fawn deer. which i would never do here at home. so that will the only steinbok i will shoot. i do have it mounted here at my home and get many coments how could i shoot something so little. don't have any trouble shooting just about any thing else. has long its can be use for something. just not into shooting things for the hell of it.

quote:

Originally posted by JBoutfishn:
If it is not going to be eaten, I am not going to shoot it.

I've never seen anything shot in Africa that wasn't eaten. They don't waste much over there.

I was always under the impression that hunting/killing of game was conducted in accordance to set quotas aimed at maintaining their numbers and conserving the species and not really considered as "shooting things for the hell of it".

quote:

Originally posted by Texas Blue Devil:

quote:

Originally posted by JBoutfishn:
If it is not going to be eaten, I am not going to shoot it.

I've never seen anything shot in Africa that wasn't eaten. They don't waste much over there.

I shot my Elephant in Botswana's NG41, it was 2006. I was in the Mababe Depression just off the Chobe Park cutline road. The village of Mababe was only about 5 miles, maybe even less.

Exactly ZERO people showed up for the meat. What a tremendous waste of protein. The PH I had called it, he told me none would show, as they had just received their diamond money and weren't hungry.

Me, personally, If I don't want the trophy, I don't pull the trigger. Not saying anyone else motive are wrong, that's just my personal feelings. My father would kick my ass if he were alive and he knew I killed something to simply take its picture.

quote:

Originally posted by fulvio:
I was always under the impression that hunting/killing of game was conducted in accordance to set quotas aimed at maintaining their numbers and conserving the species and not really considered as "shooting things for the hell of it".

Thanks Fulvio, my feelings exactly.

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Ahrenberg:

quote:

Originally posted by Texas Blue Devil:

quote:

Originally posted by JBoutfishn:
If it is not going to be eaten, I am not going to shoot it.

I've never seen anything shot in Africa that wasn't eaten. They don't waste much over there.

I shot my Elephant in Botswana's NG41, it was 2006. I was in the Mababe Depression just off the Chobe Park cutline road. The village of Mababe was only about 5 miles, maybe even less.

Exactly ZERO people showed up for the meat. What a tremendous waste of protein. The PH I had called it, he told me none would show, as they had just received their diamond money and weren't hungry.

Me, personally, If I don't want the trophy, I don't pull the trigger. Not saying anyone else motive are wrong, that's just my personal feelings. My father would kick my ass if he were alive and he knew I killed something to simply take its picture.

Steve:

I shot a couple of bulls in Botswana in 2012. They brought in a trailer and took the meat away for distribution. Definitely different than what I had seen in Zim where a mass number of people show up. Did they haul the meat away in this fashion?

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Ahrenberg:

quote:

Originally posted by Texas Blue Devil:

quote:

Originally posted by JBoutfishn:
If it is not going to be eaten, I am not going to shoot it.

I've never seen anything shot in Africa that wasn't eaten. They don't waste much over there.

I shot my Elephant in Botswana's NG41, it was 2006. I was in the Mababe Depression just off the Chobe Park cutline road. The village of Mababe was only about 5 miles, maybe even less.

Exactly ZERO people showed up for the meat. What a tremendous waste of protein. The PH I had called it, he told me none would show, as they had just received their diamond money and weren't hungry.

Me, personally, If I don't want the trophy, I don't pull the trigger. Not saying anyone else motive are wrong, that's just my personal feelings. My father would kick my ass if he were alive and he knew I killed something to simply take its picture.

Steve:

I shot a couple of bulls in Botswana in 2012. They brought in a trailer and took the meat away for distribution. Definitely different than what I had seen in Zim where a mass number of people show up. Did they haul the meat away in this fashion?

Nope, there was a huge, rotting pile of meat there for the remainder of my time. I shot my Hyaena there and could have killed an entire quota of Lions. Shame.

While I've walked among them stalking other animals, I've never felt the need or desire to shoot a Giraffe.

I thought I would not shoot a giraffe, and ended up shooting one.

I thought I would not shoot an ostrich, and ended up shooting one.

I was hunting on a farm ion South Africa, and the farmer asked if I would mind shooting some stray bulls that had run away into the Forrest, I said I would, as long as I do not have to pay for them.

The giraffe was actually shot by a friend, who hit him far too high despite us explaining to him where to shoot.

The giraffe ran off, and all we could see was his head above and between the trees.

We ran after him, and my friend soon was left behind, as he could not run very far.

Eventually we reached the road that separates the concessions, and I put a bullet into his spine from behind, which dropped him right on the road separating the two concession.

We were in South Africa, and saw an ostrich, which I did not feel like shooting.

We asked Walter if he wanted to shoot one.

We also had my friend Horst with us - Horst was a zoo keeper.

We were discussing where to actually shoot an ostrich, when Horst said "Do you really want to shoot an over grown chicken?"

I said "I love eating chickens"

And the conversation deteriorated from then on, between Walter and Horst, the rest of us in the truck were laughing our heads off.

End result was Walter did not want to shoot an over grown chicken.

Something he greatly regretted later on.

After our hunt, we had a day in Pretoria, and went to one of the malls shopping, the three of us.

I found a nice hand bag made from ostrich skin and bought it for my wife.

Walter's jaw dropped as he saw the price.

He turned to Horst - who is from Austria - and said, very loudly "Hey you, Mr. Ostrich. Look at how expensive ostrich skin is! If I had not listened to you, I would have shot an ostrich, and have had so much skin I could have made several hand bags, and even a suit case. And made some money too."

There were two ladies in the shop, and they were not sure what was going on.

Anyway, a heated argument went on between the two of them, while I tried to explain to the two ladies that those two nuts were actually friends, and no violence is going to erupt between them!

We were hunting in North Tanzania, and kept seeing ostriches all the time.

Towards our end of safari, we saw one male waddling along not far from us.

We thought it was a good idea to shoot him for the pot.

It was quite an open area, with some trees.

We got out of the truck, put the shooting sticks up, but there was no ostrich!

The bloody thing has taken off running at an angle, and somehow managed to put every tree between us and him.

We had a bit of a job moving around to keep him in sight.

Eventually he appeared running away at a slight angle at over 300 yards.

I fired a shot at him, and he dropped in his tracks.

And very nice eating he was too.

We solved another problem for Walter, as we have found the best place to shoot an ostrich was in the rear end.

I probably would not shoot a cheetah, as we have a number of them here, and they feel more like pets than game animals to me.

I was away for a while, and yesterday went to see some of ours.

I spent about an hour with them, and it was fascinating how much like dogs they are.

I had a job keeping them off me. I was sitting against the fence, two were lying on my lap, one was trying to sit on my head and shoulders, and two were busy chewing on my toes.

When I wanted to leave, they were actually trying to trip me, by grapping my legs and lying down.

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Ahrenberg:

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Ahrenberg:

quote:

Originally posted by Texas Blue Devil:

quote:

Originally posted by JBoutfishn:
If it is not going to be eaten, I am not going to shoot it.

I've never seen anything shot in Africa that wasn't eaten. They don't waste much over there.

I shot my Elephant in Botswana's NG41, it was 2006. I was in the Mababe Depression just off the Chobe Park cutline road. The village of Mababe was only about 5 miles, maybe even less.

Exactly ZERO people showed up for the meat. What a tremendous waste of protein. The PH I had called it, he told me none would show, as they had just received their diamond money and weren't hungry.

Me, personally, If I don't want the trophy, I don't pull the trigger. Not saying anyone else motive are wrong, that's just my personal feelings. My father would kick my ass if he were alive and he knew I killed something to simply take its picture.

Steve:

I shot a couple of bulls in Botswana in 2012. They brought in a trailer and took the meat away for distribution. Definitely different than what I had seen in Zim where a mass number of people show up. Did they haul the meat away in this fashion?

Nope, there was a huge, rotting pile of meat there for the remainder of my time. I shot my Hyaena there and could have killed an entire quota of Lions. Shame.

I have not seen a single animal wasted in Africa. I don't hunts cats, so I've never needed to shoot bait animals. Between me and the family members that I have brought to Africa, we have probably taken a couple hundred animals from steenboks to elephants. All these animals were butchered and either used as camp meat, sold by the ranch owner meat processors (Namibia), used to feed conservancy staff (BVC) or given to the community (Caprivi). I've just never seen an animal wasted in Africa. I've shot several elephants in the Caprivi. Each time the PH would call the villages that were assigned the meat from the elephant. It is basically a party for the community. They show up with homemade beer and every imaginable cutting tool,...knives, machetes, hatchets, and axes. On three or four occasions fingers have been accidentally chopped off, but the party doesn't stop. Homemade beer and sharp objects are not a healthy combination. In the end, nothing is wasted.

There are lots of them I won't shoot.

But all bets are off if I'm hungry.

quote:

In the end, nothing is wasted.

Even the fingers?

Probably not a giraffe or a cheetah. At home I never will shoot a fox. Too many have come into camp during our annual elk hunt looking for a handout or to just sit and watch.

We shot an elephant just before sunset.

We left it till morning to process.

Early next morning, we came back and started the job.

I sat and watched.

By lunch time, there was only the gut content left for the vultures.

They took everything!

Not one tiny piece of what one might call meat was left behind.

The poor vultures were not very happy.

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
Jason:

Swans Are damn good to eat.

That is one game animal I have not eaten. Ducks up
here are terrible. Geese are ok. I thought that
swan would be bad. Guess I'll have to try one!

Tough question.

There are many animals that I have no interest in hunting but I would shoot if it were an exceptional trophy.

None of the tiny antelope interest me although I shot a steenbok when we stumbled across a big one. I've never wanted to shoot a waterbuck, hippo or crocodile and neither Cow elephant nor cow buffalo interest me.

quote:

Originally posted by Jason P:

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
Jason:

Swans Are damn good to eat.

That is one game animal I have not eaten. Ducks up
here are terrible. Geese are ok. I thought that
swan would be bad. Guess I'll have to try one!

You can eat any bird, it all depends on how hungry you are, and how you cook it.

We used to eat seagulls, of all type.

And every land bird one can find, from sparrows upwards.

Only bird I remember we were told not to eat was a crow.

Predators and monogamous animals + animals that show domestic behaviour i.e. not fleeing or attacking when confronted.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

quote:

Originally posted by Jason P:

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
Jason:

Swans Are damn good to eat.

That is one game animal I have not eaten. Ducks up
here are terrible. Geese are ok. I thought that
swan would be bad. Guess I'll have to try one!

You can eat any bird, it all depends on how hungry you are, and how you cook it.

We used to eat seagulls, of all type.

And every land bird one can find, from sparrows upwards.

Only bird I remember we were told not to eat was a crow.

Or your dad's falcon...

Out of my price range but lion and rhino. And probably leopard.

quote:

Originally posted by fulvio:
I was always under the impression that hunting/killing of game was conducted in accordance to set quotas aimed at maintaining their numbers and conserving the species and not really considered as "shooting things for the hell of it".

Now, gentlemen the above is a man who understands REAL conservation!
.......................................................................

I won't shoot a giraffe. there are a number of other things that I'm not interested in shooting but would if the circumstance was right. I shot an ostrich in Botswana many years ago, so not likely I'd ever shoot another.

As for Jason P, who doesn't like ducks and geese, I wasn't surprised to see you're from Utah. Most of the Utahans I know don't like waterfowl. Must be a Utard thing . I took a buddy from Richfield duck hunting out here in California about 8 years ago and he discovered how good ducks are to eat, besides being damn good fun to hunt. He and another buddy from Dallas have made it into an annual event. They'll be here next week for a 3 day hunt...

And they'll take home every duck and goose we shoot!

I love them Magnum Chickens. We take 3 or 4 a year plus a bunch of eggs for morning omelets. As far as bird goes, Ostrich is wonderful on the braai.

Bigfoot, Yeti, Tocoloach.

Pretty much everything else on license is in danger.

Funny, I would probably leave the giraffes alone as well. I got my fill of giraffe hunting just reading Gordon Cumming's "A Hunter's Life in South Africa." Also have little to no interest in the small antelopes.
Baboons weren't on my list either, but after being shrieked at and cursed at by the buggers every day in Namibia, I finally popped an old boar between the shoulder blades. He was so old he had only one canine left. Our tracker found the baboon absolutely hilarious. This was on a hunt with Johann Veldsmann up on the Huab.

Last year my son and I were hunting with Mark Vallaro in Nuanetsi.

We were eating lunch by the truck when this one old baboon walked by about 50 yards away and really gave us the stink-eye. I mean he had a real attitude of contempt.

Mark told my son Will to "shoot that son of a bitch" so Will put down his sandwich, picked up his rifle and shot the baboon. Big old toothless devil.

quote:

Originally posted by DLS:
I won't shoot a giraffe. there are a number of other things that I'm not interested in shooting but would if the circumstance was right. I shot an ostrich in Botswana many years ago, so not likely I'd ever shoot another.

As for Jason P, who doesn't like ducks and geese, I wasn't surprised to see you're from Utah. Most of the Utahans I know don't like waterfowl. Must be a Utard thing . I took a buddy from Richfield duck hunting out here in California about 8 years ago and he discovered how good ducks are to eat, besides being damn good fun to hunt. He and another buddy from Dallas have made it into an annual event. They'll be here next week for a 3 day hunt...

And they'll take home every duck and goose we shoot!

Funny how that goes with Utards and ducks (as someone who lived in Utah from age two until last spring, I think I'm PC enough to use the term). I love eating the ducks I shoot in Utah, but I don't shoot shovelers, goldeneyes, and a couple other species either. Duck is like a fine woman, treat her right and it will change your life!

As for animals I "will not shoot" I don't know if that extreme of a statement applies to me. But, I don't really have an interest in hunting lion, but the other big cats across the continents I do. Lions just don't trigger "it" for me, but that could change when I eventually make it over to Africa to hunt.

There are only a handful of plains game I'm interested in taking: kudu (all species), LDE, gemsbok, black wildebeest, sable, giraffe, zebra, warthog, impala, springbuck. The rest don't really pique my interest. Croc, hippo, elephant, buffalo, they all have me very interested. Rhino, I'm unsure of and luckily for the foreseeable future my financial picture removes it from consideration!

I don't criticize those who have differing views than mine, but at the very top of my list of "wouldn't shoot" are elephants. I flat don't understand why and how people can justify it but that's me. Add in all cats, bears, tiny antelopes, giraffes, and I'm sure there are plenty I've forgotten. It goes without saying that if I or someone was in a threatening situation, then it is not optional hunting but self defense. OTOH I love shooting impalas, their fees are usually cheap, and there isn't a shortage of them.

quote:

Originally posted by Gatogordo:
I flat don't understand why and how people can justify it but that's me.

Ummmm....population control and the conservation of the species and the habitat they call home! Of all the species hunted in Africa, it's likely the easiest to justify!

Go argue with someone who gives a shit. The question was asked and I answered it from my POV.

Was just trying to help you understand the role of hunting in conservation

quote:

Originally posted by Gatogordo:
I don't criticize those who have differing views than mine, but at the very top of my list of "wouldn't shoot" are elephants. I flat don't understand why and how people can justify it but that's me. Add in all cats, bears, tiny antelopes, giraffes, and I'm sure there are plenty I've forgotten. It goes without saying that if I or someone was in a threatening situation, then it is not optional hunting but self defense. OTOH I love shooting impalas, their fees are usually cheap, and there isn't a shortage of them.

If you can't see the contradiction in what you said, you have trouble.

I have no problem with you not wanting to shoot cats, bears, elephant, etc.

I am glad that you don't feel you have to impose your views on others.

However, if you cannot understand the scientific basis that others are quoting or just don't agree without any refuting evidence, you need to think on your logic for a while.

Again, not a problem with you having the personal view that for you it is wrong, but rather the "can't understand why and how..." one is moral, the other is logic and science.

The way you come across with the comment is the same way the antis work. Maybe you are just misstating what you meant, but since so many insist that what they write is what they mean, maybe you can clarify it.

All of these African animals let you experience hunting in the wonderful African bush and at the same time help in their conservation.They also provide meat for camp and villages and make good taxidermy mounts.If I shot the animal or animals I was after and had a few days left in camp I would prefer to spend a day in the bush hunting an animal such as a baboon or a hyena.

Almost everything is now on my "do not shoot" list. After hunting for 58 years now if it's not fairly local and I don't want it for the freezer, probably not going to take it. Predators are a different lot. Really getting into big game fishing, local fishing and sporting clay shooting. Going with a couple of good friends on a Coues Deer hunt in Arizona next week. Will be carrying my Canon camera and a video cam. Happy New Year everyone.

A lot of folks on here say they are not into taking a Giraffe. I pretty much, felt the same way but really could not articulate why, maybe it was ToysRUs syndrome! Several years ago, while at DSC, I took the opportunity to visit Willoughby & McCabe in Big D to satisfy my unrelenting lust for English guns , Bought a Jeffery's boxlock. Their shop is nicely done in hardwood and leather and I noticed that they had a gorgeous dark old giraffe bull rug on the floor. It was stunning and my wife was quite taken by it and for the first time I considered taking a old Bull. I got the chance a year later and I will tell you that, like most African animals, they know when you are hunting them and if you can sneak up on one of them under those conditions, you are luckier than I. We finally got a shot and a 300 grain A-frame to the heart started what has been described as similar to watching a controlled building demolition! The ground shook when he hit, my wife was several hundred yards away and felt it! I took a 59 1/2 " Kudu and my wife took a 57.5" Kudu on the same trip, but I have to tell you that when I walk into my home office, I enjoy most, the dang near wall to wall rug , and while everybody loves the side by side Kudu shoulder mounts, the next thing they comment on is the rug. The old bull I shot was a known problem child and apparently objected to and interfered with, younger bulls that had defeated him, when they were trying to mate. Just like all African game, there is a balance to be maintained, I got to help out and have a beautiful trophy to boot! Sometimes we just don't think about why we are not interested in a particular animal, I used to be this way about elephants, but in modern Africa with space and food at a premium, a balance has to be struck. I now have a more open mind about game than I used to. If it's legal, there is a reason its on the list and I am all for legal hunters.