Hippo hunt: why?

[Rick Cox]

Hippo hunt - Why?
I've never really had an understanding of why I would want to shoot a hippo in water. I do understand hunting a crop raiding hippo on land is a different game. But here is my question: What can you do with it after the kill? Is it feasible to bring the skull home? Is it worth it? Is the hide useful? No doubt it will be consumed by locals...

 

[Bos en Dal SAFARIS]

Rick

Some of the best leather are from hippo. I am getting some leather products made from mine. Also the tusks are mounted on a plague with replicas of the tusks going back into the scull for a hippo scull glass top table

I thought this would look neat in my Man cave

The options with the leather products are endless

 

[curtism1234]

It doesn't excite me too much either but something like this is a very cool mount. Granted reproductions are available if you just wanted one.

 

[PARA45]

Why not? The same can be said just about on any of the big 5 in Africa. Hunters are hunting elephants or lions that they can not import, but they still do it. A good friend of mine shot a hippo, and he brought the leather back and will be using it to upholster some furniture with the hippo leather. He also brought the skull back. I would hunt one for sure!

 

[JanP]

Shooting a hippo in the water is no big feat indeed , I shot this one for meat for a local festival.
But once you have seen their teeth/tusks you will absolutely want to shoot a trophy bull busy crop raiding!
Technicall: R93 with 458Lott, Norma PH FMJ ammo

 

[NewForester]

Hippo hunt - Why?
I've never really had an understanding of why I would want to shoot a hippo in water. I do understand hunting a crop raiding hippo on land is a different game. But here is my question: What can you do with it after the kill? Is it feasible to bring the skull home? Is it worth it? Is the hide useful? No doubt it will be consumed by locals...

I have never hunted outside England, and I too wondered what the attraction was in shooting a hippo was.

Having read a little bit about dangerous game hunting now, it seems that hunting hippo on land is pretty dangerous and exhilarating. (And now it quite appeals to me.)

I agree that I can't see the point of shooting them in the water.

I will watch the replies with interest.

 

[PeteG]

I have hunted hippo on land and been backup to my father also hunting hippo on land.
we did this on the banks of the luangwa river in the riverine thickets.
it is an amazing experience, superbly thrilling and very dangerous.
the only drawback may be the lack of time to judge a trophy and the lower opportunity of the best trophy possible.

 

[Happy Myles]

Great lion bait

 

[BRICKBURN]

That skull being made into a table is the reason that I have been given the "green light" to hunt a Hippo if I would like to. The inquisitive scientist is the decorator.

 

[375Fox]

I have shot 2 meat hippos both in water. With both, the recovery was biggest part of the experience. I got in the water and was a part of it both times. The first hippo I shot was in Zambia in 2006, it was a really cool experience because we had to wait 3 hours to shoot for 100+ mother and calf elephants to cross the river just above us. I remember it seemed a never ending line. I pulled the trigger as soon as last one reached opposite bank. I don’t know if I will ever see that again. The locals are very glad to have the meat as well. Attached photos are from Caprivi.

 

[PARA45]

@375Fox, any crocks in the area? Was there someone looking out for you guys just in case a curious crock got too close? You are one tough hombre if you got in the water with crocks in the area. LOL!!!!

 

[thriller]

Rick

Some of the best leather are from hippo. I am getting some leather products made from mine. Also the tusks are mounted on a plague with replicas of the tusks going back into the scull for a hippo scull glass top table
View attachment 385944

View attachment 385945

I thought this would look neat in my Man cave

The options with the leather products are endless

that coffee table is amazing

 

[Bos en Dal SAFARIS]

that coffee table is amazing

It does and to me the deciding factor was the fact that it could have replica teeth in there. I think without the tusks it would not look to good

 

[375Fox]

@375Fox, any crocks in the area? Was there someone looking out for you guys just in case a curious crock got too close? You are one tough hombre if you got in the water with crocks in the area. LOL!!!!

That was in oct 2019 in Caprivi. The water was extremely low compared to past years and they’ve actually taken some of the biggest crocs they’ve ever taken because all the outlying areas actually dried up. But we had put the boat on the water to realize it was too shallow to really pull the bull in so we had to push the hippo. My PH said crocs are stealth hunters and with the disturbance we made he thought it would be ok. Bigger thing we found out in the deeper water was some of the blacks couldn’t swim! They were making a bunch of noise and jumping on the hippo in deep water! I only found out after LOL.
The year before was more concerning, I shot a lechwe just before dark far from the truck and all we had were our iPhone flashlights, so we took shortcuts through some neck deep narrow canals to beat the dark. We made it safely both times obviously.
My croc in Zambia in 2006 actually fell off the rock into 10 feet deep water, we found it poking on bottom. My PH there had me shoot in water a couple times and he swam down with a rope. There were 14 crocs (varying sizes) in stretch of river we could count when I shot. Now that would be too much for me! I thought we were going to come back with dragging hooks.
All this just adds to the experience though. Glad I got to be a part of it and witness it each time.

 

[JimP]

I think that a lot can be said about shooting any animal where they live.

How about any African plains game animal that have no idea that you are sitting on a hillside, that is until the bullet hits them.

I have no desire to hunt them but if the opportunity presented itself it would be hard to turn down.

 

[Nyati]

I plan to shoot one on land in September, I will do a coffee table with replica teeth, with the original teeth, this is what I have in mind

 

[Thumper Mcgee]

Hippo hunt - Why?
I've never really had an understanding of why I would want to shoot a hippo in water. I do understand hunting a crop raiding hippo on land is a different game. But here is my question: What can you do with it after the kill? Is it feasible to bring the skull home? Is it worth it? Is the hide useful? No doubt it will be consumed by locals...

im pretty sure some people offer on land hippo hunts

 

[Bos en Dal SAFARIS]

@Nyati The tusks in that picture looks like it was a beast!!! If you look at the thickness of it

 

[Nyati]

@Nyati The tusks in that picture looks like it was a beast!!! If you look at the thickness of it

It was hunted by a well known Spanish Outfitter, father of the lady in the picture.

 

[Rick Cox]

Rick

Some of the best leather are from hippo. I am getting some leather products made from mine. Also the tusks are mounted on a plague with replicas of the tusks going back into the scull for a hippo scull glass top table
View attachment 385944

View attachment 385945

I thought this would look neat in my Man cave

The options with the leather products are endless

That's cool!