Giraffe question from newbie

[saswart]

I have had the incredible privilege to have hunted quite a few giraffes amongst others. My dad has a wildlife product business and the size and cost is one of the biggest reasons why they are not hunted. Having said that, for us South Africans, hunting a giraffe offers a great preparation hunt for a dangerous game hunt. Why? Bullet performance - you get to see potentially what your chosen bullet will do. If it works on a big giraffe bull, it will work on a buff.

Seeing a lot of people mention big dark bulls, here is a pic of one I spotted in the KNP, the shade makes him darker though, but he was quite dark to start with.

 

[cajunchefray]

My wife absolutely loves giraffe. We have a neighbor that has a pet giraffe and it is an investment for him.

Gina will be hunting her second giraffe in Africa year. She really wants to get a big old black bull. She readily discusses this with random people and when she gets the inevitable disdainful question as to how she can kill a giraffe, she happily replies "with a high caliber rifle of course!" Then if the offended person (yes usually female) is still within earshot she will spew forth facts about hunting and conservation and ask what they have done to be sure giraffe are still available in viable numbers in the wild

Thank you, I truly understand that in some ecosystems, giraffes will destroy an enormous amount of vegetation, they must be controlled. In some areas,
The hunt must be challenging, and stalking within range must be a real skill.

 

[HookMeUpII]

You can bring them home! View attachment 595947

We just brought my giraffe home to Texas from sitting in a shed in Minnesota. It will remain in the crate for the time being as I'm going to need to round up some help to set it up BTW, something like 13 critters in that crate. The giraffe causing the nearly 13 foot length.

Did the tractor come with the giraffe? lol

If so, I might be tempted to shoot one (giraffe, not tractor).

 

[Nyati]

I would not mind to hunt an old bull, I just don´t any space left to display it.

This would look great.

 

[Tango]

I enjoyed my giraffe hunt, fed a whole village, helped with the game management and made my wife very happy with her giraffe hide that she has coming so A+ all the way around.

This! Took a cull giraffe as an unplanned add-on (price was very right). An old animal the local village wanted for food. The amount of meat was incredible and all the locals were ecstatic. Another hunt where my 375 H&H+Barnes Trip Shock performance really impressed me

 

[Doubleplay]

I have had the incredible privilege to have hunted quite a few giraffes amongst others. My dad has a wildlife product business and the size and cost is one of the biggest reasons why they are not hunted. Having said that, for us South Africans, hunting a giraffe offers a great preparation hunt for a dangerous game hunt. Why? Bullet performance - you get to see potentially what your chosen bullet will do. If it works on a big giraffe bull, it will work on a buff.

Seeing a lot of people mention big dark bulls, here is a pic of one I spotted in the KNP, the shade makes him darker though, but he was quite dark to start with.

Not to mention resident prices for giraffe are a lot cheaper and you can sell the meat.

 

[ActionBob]

Did the tractor come with the giraffe? lol

If so, I might be tempted to shoot one (giraffe, not tractor).

No it just fit on the load We are steadily moving our stuff so trying to make each trip count! I wanted to bring our shooting house but with a few storms to travel through and strong winds. The tractor was the better choice

BTW, that is a JD 330. Very rare and collectable, worth about what the taxidermy in the crate cost....

 

[Randy F]

No it just fit on the load We are steadily moving our stuff so trying to make each trip count! I wanted to bring our shooting house but with a few storms to travel through and strong winds. The tractor was the better choice

BTW, that is a JD 330. Very rare and collectable, worth about what the taxidermy in the crate cost....

I've only ever seen one other 330. Way cool!

 

[CAustin]

My wife absolutely loves giraffe. We have a neighbor that has a pet giraffe and it is an investment for him.

Gina will be hunting her second giraffe in Africa year. She really wants to get a big old black bull. She readily discusses this with random people and when she gets the inevitable disdainful question as to how she can kill a giraffe, she happily replies "with a high caliber rifle of course!" Then if the offended person (yes usually female) is still within earshot she will spew forth facts about hunting and conservation and ask what they have done to be sure giraffe are still available in viable numbers in the wild

Go Gina Go Gina!

 

[Hank2211]

I’ve probably taken at least six giraffe. I enjoy the hunt - it’s not easy to sneak up on them and if badly hit, they can cover some distance. My first was taken with the heart lung shot, but ever since then, I’ve gone for the high neck shot. It really produces a very satisfactory result, and, of course, the giraffe feels no pain.

A farmer’s wife in the Limpopo once prepared oxtail stew (made from buffalo tail) and giraffe tail stew -each on their own side of a large dish. None of us could tell which was which, but we could tell that both were delicious.

As for trophy, I’ve had gun bags made for myself and friends, and they are unique. Mine has the mane of the giraffe on the bottom and gets a lot of favorable attention. I’ve also had a rug made and I’ve used the skin to top off a trunk I had made (Collet’s Taxidermy) from hippo hide.

I agree with those who say that if people stop hunting giraffe, they really will be in trouble. It’s not a coincidence that they’re in trouble in Kenya but not in South Africa or Namibia. But that’s only a matter of time if “conservationists” get their way.

 

[Bert the Turtle]

Africa according to cartoons: goofy giraffe, sassy zebras, majestic elephants, noble lions. Hunt all the tsesebes you want and nobody cares. But a giraffe is Geoffrey from Toys R Us as far as the average American is concerned.

And god help you if the animal had a name.

 

[Andrew62]

I live in a huge hunting community, people love seeing mounted animals, but for sure if I am to hear any negative comments, it is always about my giraffe.

 

[ActionBob]

I've only ever seen one other 330. Way cool!

Randy it goes well with our fleet of 435's

Damned Wisconsin people bid way high today or we would be heading up to pick up a couple more cool JD tractors.....

Well, back to giraffes

P.S. we did bid on a yellow and black JD tractor but didn't want that particular one bad enough to get it... but it would have gone well with a giraffe. LOL

 

[Randy F]

Randy it goes well with our fleet of 435's

Damned Wisconsin people bid way high today or we would be heading up to pick up a couple more cool JD tractors.....

Well, back to giraffes

P.S. we did bid on a yellow and black JD tractor but didn't want that particular one bad enough to get it... but it would have gone well with a giraffe. LOL

Had I known about it I would have been one of those damn Wisconsin people bidding you up.
Congrats!!


Apologies for the slight thread derail.

 

[Stetsonham]

I just hunted a huge dark bull in July. Before going I didn't expect it to be a hard hunt, but I thought it would be a fun experience. The property we went to quickly changed my perspective. We ended up hunting in the Waterberg mountains. When I tell you I have never expected to see a giraffe on the top of a mountain I was truly surprised to see these huge beasts scale up them like they were nothing. We were hunting a specific bull that was old and needed to be taken out of the herd so the younger bulls could start breeding. It took us a day and a half to even find him. After that the hunt was on. They are very alert creatures, but he thought he was hidden behind trees as only the top three feet of his neck was exposed. They are tough, I missed the spine and hit more of his throat area. He took off and ate several rounds of 30-06 and 458 before going down. They are a truly amazing species that I would gladly hunt again.
It is definitely a controversial hunt, but like any other animal they need to be managed. Plus, they are everywhere. We hunted two properties and they both had strong numbers of giraffe.

The bull In your profile photo is super sweet looking

 

[Aixenmemphis]

Thanks for the info.
I’ve always loved reading H Rider Haggard. In chapter 4 of King Solomon’s Mines he recounts a hunt in which a giraffe was taken and writes…
“By the time the "scherm" was finished the moon peeped up, and our dinners of giraffe steaks and roasted marrow-bones were ready. How we enjoyed those marrow-bones, though it was rather a job to crack them! I know of no greater luxury than giraffe marrow, unless it is elephant's heart, and we had that on the morrow.”
This has always stuck in my mind.

 

[Ryan]

Statistics. Yes they are hunted, but overall in much lower numbers. I took one on my first of four hunts in southern Africa. I still know and chat with my first outfitter/PH. They own and run their own farm in Namibia. Only dealing a few hunts a season, but over several years. That said, I am one of few giraffe hunts.
I'd do it again, but few say that.

 

[BruceS]

Why is there very little posted about giraffe hunting on AF? It just doesn’t seem many hunt reports or posts mention giraffe hunting.
I’m sure there is reason l, but being a newbie I just don’t know the reasons.

I very much enjoyed hunting my very old, dark stink bull. Great trophy

 

[HookMeUpII]

No it just fit on the load We are steadily moving our stuff so trying to make each trip count! I wanted to bring our shooting house but with a few storms to travel through and strong winds. The tractor was the better choice

BTW, that is a JD 330. Very rare and collectable, worth about what the taxidermy in the crate cost....

That's definitely cool. You got a pretty cool rig setup there. I assume you crated the giraffe yourself?

 

[ActionBob]

That's definitely cool. You got a pretty cool rig setup there. I assume you crated the giraffe yourself?

No. The taxidermy in that crate was done by Paul of Relive Africa in Port Elizabeth. RSA. I shot that giraffe in 2015 so a long time coming. It was shipped ocean frieght and after many delays including Covid setting it back a couple years, it finally arrived about the time we were buying the house in Texas. However we did not have the deal done and needed to take delivery so had it sent to Minnesota where it has been in one the sheds. So it is all still crated as it was in Africa.

I did take a sheet of plywood off the top and look in and all looked fine but of course I can't be sure until it is unpacked....