Hunting Ethics Of Taking Female Animals In Africa

[Frederik]

Firstly a buffalo cow cannot be called a dagga boy!!
Sure it can get dangerous and also not easy to identify an old dry cow and get a chance with so many eyes, noses and ears around but it's not a DAGGABOY!

Secondly them bitches sure is more tasty than them bulls!

My fridge is filled with more female animals if I have the opportunity than male animals.

 

[Malambo]

I have no problem on hunting females.
I did hunt female deer in my country for meat.
In Africa I did take two female zebras. When I'll go to Namibia I want to take a couple of Gemboks one of each gender.
On one hunting trip in SA, I was not sure of an impala. My PH said it was a shooter, I took long to decide. That was my first Impala, I realize that is not a proper trophy to be in the books, but I did an european mount, I kept the hide, and braai the meat.

Besides that, I do have a problem on bragging on somerthing for trophy, when is not. Or lying about anything

 

[Hyde Hunter]

I've actually thought about shooting a cape cow. I keep getting people trying to get me shoot a bull. I'm a Tragelaphus guy at heart and I have a lot of those subspecies that are higher on my list. I want to shoot a bull in the future but the Spirals come first. So I thought that a cow might make a nice icebreaker into DG without taking my eyes off the prize...Sitatunga, Bongo, and all the Kudu, Nyala and Bushbuck that you can shake a stick at!

Oh yeah Eland too!!!

you should go after a Cow Buffalo, the experience is great you will love it. I took a mgt. bull 2 years ago and last month took a Cow Buff and the adrenalin rush was great. The cow I shot in the chest made it into very thick brush with the 2 tracker dogs on it's heels and came out at the PH and I at about 25 feet and charged. With the help of the dogs on it we were able to put 3 shots each in her and stopped her at about 7 feet from me. Would I do this again? You bet. I would love to shoot a big Bull but I do not have a place to put the trophy so why not hunt 4 Cows for the price of one Bull?

 

[crackerman]

Having just gotten back from my hunt and having shot a Buff cow gives me perspective.

I have been told I hunt like a German because I wanted old boys past their prime and did not care about general trophy quality. I had fun chasing the old boys and I am sure I was shooting management animals but the skull on the wall was not my driving choice.

As far as females overall, I am a chemist not a wildlife manager. If my style of hunting works within the framework that the biologist came up with I will happily hunt whatever is on the menu.

I picked a cow Buff because it fit into my budget. I would love a scrum cap but for 1/5th the price my PH and I chased the cow for a large portion of the day and came up empty. The second day we switched places and cruised for tracks and hopped off the truck. We tracked for a bit and busted them at 100 yards. Found them again and we stalked to within 60 yards playing the wind and brush. We found the small herd with a bull and a number of cows with calves. Danger was certainly there and it was the experience I wanted. Lined up and dropped the target cow with 1 shot. We moved up and paid insurance after pushing off some pissed off Buff.

Is it a trophy to get me a sash (y'all get the sarcasm ), not but its a trophy to me and I am getting a skull mount because its the achievement of a multi-decade dream.

 

[BGGMKLR]

Having just gotten back from my hunt and having shot a Buff cow gives me perspective.

I have been told I hunt like a German because I wanted old boys past their prime and did not care about general trophy quality. I had fun chasing the old boys and I am sure I was shooting management animals but the skull on the wall was not my driving choice.

As far as females overall, I am a chemist not a wildlife manager. If my style of hunting works within the framework that the biologist came up with I will happily hunt whatever is on the menu.

I picked a cow Buff because it fit into my budget. I would love a scrum cap but for 1/5th the price my PH and I chased the cow for a large portion of the day and came up empty. The second day we switched places and cruised for tracks and hopped off the truck. We tracked for a bit and busted them at 100 yards. Found them again and we stalked to within 60 yards playing the wind and brush. We found the small herd with a bull and a number of cows with calves. Danger was certainly there and it was the experience I wanted. Lined up and dropped the target cow with 1 shot. We moved up and paid insurance after pushing off some pissed off Buff.

Is it a trophy to get me a sash (y'all get the sarcasm ), not but its a trophy to me and I am getting a skull mount because its the achievement of a multi-decade dream.

View attachment 684963

Well done.
Congrats.
There is absolutely nothing wrong about that line of thinking.
Spike

 

[EPIC SAFARIS]

My perspective is that it's fine to shoot whatever one thinks they need to shoot for ethical management purposes in an area they control. My experience is that this situation generally applies the vast majority of times to game ranch situations - all over the world, not just Africa. My experience also is that it's rare to find female tags available from government owned/controlled hunting areas except in the rarest of occasions when the government knows there are too many animals relative to the amount of habitat but again this is a very rare situation.

 

[Frederik]

Having just gotten back from my hunt and having shot a Buff cow gives me perspective.

I have been told I hunt like a German because I wanted old boys past their prime and did not care about general trophy quality. I had fun chasing the old boys and I am sure I was shooting management animals but the skull on the wall was not my driving choice.

As far as females overall, I am a chemist not a wildlife manager. If my style of hunting works within the framework that the biologist came up with I will happily hunt whatever is on the menu.

I picked a cow Buff because it fit into my budget. I would love a scrum cap but for 1/5th the price my PH and I chased the cow for a large portion of the day and came up empty. The second day we switched places and cruised for tracks and hopped off the truck. We tracked for a bit and busted them at 100 yards. Found them again and we stalked to within 60 yards playing the wind and brush. We found the small herd with a bull and a number of cows with calves. Danger was certainly there and it was the experience I wanted. Lined up and dropped the target cow with 1 shot. We moved up and paid insurance after pushing off some pissed off Buff.

Is it a trophy to get me a sash (y'all get the sarcasm ), not but its a trophy to me and I am getting a skull mount because its the achievement of a multi-decade dream.

View attachment 684963

Took us 6 days two trips many miles before I finally connected with this old cow my first buffalo.
They get very weary when being hunted by humans and large predators.
Her skull is part of my trophies.

 

[Mark Biggerstaff]

I have no objection to shooting females as part of management. I have taken 4 buff cows and the hunt was challenging. I also have taken blue wildebeest cows and Impala females as management animals.
Gemsbok, I have no issues if someone takes a Female as a trophy. I took two females on a hunt in the Kalahari, 43 and 46 inch. I had them both mounted in a stacked wall mount by our own @gizmo.

 

[BGGMKLR]

Having just gotten back from my hunt and having shot a Buff cow gives me perspective.

I have been told I hunt like a German because I wanted old boys past their prime and did not care about general trophy quality. I had fun chasing the old boys and I am sure I was shooting management animals but the skull on the wall was not my driving choice.

As far as females overall, I am a chemist not a wildlife manager. If my style of hunting works within the framework that the biologist came up with I will happily hunt whatever is on the menu.

I picked a cow Buff because it fit into my budget. I would love a scrum cap but for 1/5th the price my PH and I chased the cow for a large portion of the day and came up empty. The second day we switched places and cruised for tracks and hopped off the truck. We tracked for a bit and busted them at 100 yards. Found them again and we stalked to within 60 yards playing the wind and brush. We found the small herd with a bull and a number of cows with calves. Danger was certainly there and it was the experience I wanted. Lined up and dropped the target cow with 1 shot. We moved up and paid insurance after pushing off some pissed off Buff.

Is it a trophy to get me a sash (y'all get the sarcasm ), not but its a trophy to me and I am getting a skull mount because its the achievement of a multi-decade dream.

View attachment 684963

Sincere inquiry.
..."hunt like a German"...
What does that mean?
My German ancestry and US provenance dates to 1724 and I, in all sincerity, have no idea what that term means. Would you mind sharing?
Kind Regards
Spike

 

[mark-hunter]

Would you mind sharing?

European way of hunting.
There are two traditions:
British, and German.
Old continent is under German traditional influence.

Shoot the oldest animal possible.
If possible shoot behind the shoulder. (not in the shoulder)

There is more, but this is related to shooting only. For example:

The last bite: put the bloodied green branch of a local tree in the mouth of killed animal.
Dead animal is positioned on its right side. (for predators different rules)

Put the other bloodied branch, on right side of hunters hat, after a kill.
Put the green branch on left side of hunters hat during a funeral of other hunter.
etc.

 

[grand veneur]

European way of hunting.
There are two traditions:
British, and German.
Old continent is under German traditional influence.

Shoot the oldest animal possible.
If possible shoot behind the shoulder. (not in the shoulder)

There is more, but this is related to shooting only. For example:

The last bite: put the bloodied green branch of a local tree in the mouth of killed animal.
Dead animal is positioned on its right side. (for predators different rules)

Put the other bloodied branch, on right side of hunters hat, after a kill.
Put the green branch on left side of hunters hat during a funeral of other hunter.
etc.

Who told you that, or where did you read that?

Every European country has its traditions, which can be very different. The German hunting tradition is particularly characteristic of some German-speaking countries, although not all of them, and perhaps some countries in Central Europe. In eastern France, hunting is carried out according to German traditions, but in the rest of France, completely different rules prevail, as do in some cantons in Switzerland. Spain is completely unaffected in this regard, and so are also for many other European countries.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Who told you that, or where did you read that?

Every European country has its traditions, which can be very different. The German hunting tradition is particularly characteristic of some German-speaking countries, although not all of them, and perhaps some countries in Central Europe. In eastern France, hunting is carried out according to German traditions, but in the rest of France, completely different rules prevail, as do in some cantons in Switzerland. Spain is completely unaffected in this regard, and so are also for many European countries.

Seems drinking booze while in the field hunting is something of a European tradition. Not legal here! I don't even keep any alcohol in camp. Rarely have a beer at dinner in Africa. Screws up my sleep pattern and I don't need that when hunting.

 

[grand veneur]

Seems drinking booze while in the field hunting is something of a European tradition. Not legal here! I don't even keep any alcohol in camp. Rarely have a beer at dinner in Africa. Screws up my sleep pattern and I don't need that when hunting.

It is prohibited during hunting nowadays in Germany and also France. In France, the police even carry out temporary checks.

 

[mark-hunter]

Indeed, alcohol is prohibited by law while handling firearms.
Not only hunting. If they stop a driver, with a firearm in a car, and they detect alcohol, there will be fine and confisication of gun (and driver license)
But old habits die hard.
In last ten years I became very particular who I hunt with and reduced this to 3 or 4 hunting buddies who dont drink. Driven hunts (social event) I rarely attend.

 

[EarlsSon]

From Day one of my Africa adventures the taking of females and immature males is /was strictly taboo. I now notice some species, Cape Buffalo, hunting companies are offering female Capes for 1/3 the cost of a trophy Bull. It seems the market is there from USA Hunters.
How do you feel about this kind of hunting?
I recently experienced a hunter who shot across a small canyon made a good one shot kill, and now says he has taken a Daggaboy! How do others feel about this?

Shoot whatever makes "YOU" happy and let others decide what's best for them. We all have a moral compass but they often differ quite differently from each other !!!

 

[crackerman]

Sincere inquiry.
..."hunt like a German"...
What does that mean?
My German ancestry and US provenance dates to 1724 and I, in all sincerity, have no idea what that term means. Would you mind sharing?
Kind Regards
Spike

I think you’ve gotten better historical responses than I can give Spike, but in relation to me specifically when I spoke to my PH and some others at DSC and SCI about the hunt I dreamed of:

I specifically wanted old animals that were past their prime.

I wanted to get close to the animals, none of the current pseudo influencer 1000yard shots on animals.

“You’re not the typical American after horns” because I didn’t require a huge rack.

One of my favorite parts was the social aspect of the lodge and talking about everybody's day.

The “uniform” per se and one of the best days a PH’s wife thought I was the PH and not the client. I like to be part of the experience, not have a flashing sign that screams AMERICAN CLIENT

The location and environment we just as much a part of the joy as the hunting. One of my favorite pictures is below and not a game animal or gun in sight.

To me the trigger pull is about 10% of the experience.

https://www.africahunting.com/attachments/img_0442-jpeg.685066/

View attachment IMG_0442.jpeg

 

[HankBuck]

From Day one of my Africa adventures the taking of females and immature males is /was strictly taboo. I now notice some species, Cape Buffalo, hunting companies are offering female Capes for 1/3 the cost of a trophy Bull. It seems the market is there from USA Hunters.
How do you feel about this kind of hunting?
I recently experienced a hunter who shot across a small canyon made a good one shot kill, and now says he has taken a Daggaboy! How do others feel about this?

@Still Hunting - I think it needs to be determined by sound Wildlife Management practices and NOT emotion….the same way deer herds are Now managed in the U.S. (in the 1960’s+ taking a Doe was frowned upon by many deer hunters- some older deer hunters still frown upon it). Natural Predators do Not differentiate between prey animals based on Male, Female, or age —- they take whatever is easiest or what an opportunity presents….starvation & disease also do Not affect only one sex AND “Poachers” seem to target trophy males.
I would prefer each Country & area determine “what’s appropriate” based on what is best for the overall Wildlife population.

 

[BGGMKLR]

European way of hunting.
There are two traditions:
British, and German.
Old continent is under German traditional influence.

Shoot the oldest animal possible.
If possible shoot behind the shoulder. (not in the shoulder)

There is more, but this is related to shooting only. For example:

The last bite: put the bloodied green branch of a local tree in the mouth of killed animal.
Dead animal is positioned on its right side. (for predators different rules)

Put the other bloodied branch, on right side of hunters hat, after a kill.
Put the green branch on left side of hunters hat during a funeral of other hunter.
etc.

Ahhh. I'm familiar with the European traditions... just didn't make the connection.
Thanks for that.
Spike

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I think you’ve gotten better historical responses than I can give Spike, but in relation to me specifically when I spoke to my PH and some others at DSC and SCI about the hunt I dreamed of:

I specifically wanted old animals that were past their prime.

I wanted to get close to the animals, none of the current pseudo influencer 1000yard shots on animals.

“You’re not the typical American after horns” because I didn’t require a huge rack.

One of my favorite parts was the social aspect of the lodge and talking about everybody's day.

The “uniform” per se and one of the best days a PH’s wife thought I was the PH and not the client. I like to be part of the experience, not have a flashing sign that screams AMERICAN CLIENT

The location and environment we just as much a part of the joy as the hunting. One of my favorite pictures is below and not a game animal or gun in sight.

To me the trigger pull is about 10% of the experience.

https://www.africahunting.com/attachments/img_0442-jpeg.685066/

View attachment 685066

I think we would have no problems hunting together ... and that's saying something! Usually I prefer to hunt alone. However, I'm not real big on the evening campfire scene, especially if there's a lot of people. Best times were staying with property owners and their families. Accommodations sometimes aren't 5-star but I live very modestly at home so no big deal to me. Been a widowed empty nester for fifteen years now so the family atmosphere is a nice change from talking to the walls. Therapeutic. If it's available, I strongly recommend you try staying at the farm rather than commuting to the lodge. I think you would enjoy it.

It's been a very long time since I field dressed anything but male animals. Took an old dry doe whitetail last fall with my Jimmy and she was barely damaged so I salvaged her. Almost couldn't remember how to dress a doe, it's been so long. My first gemsbuck was a very old cow (almost two inches compression rings) that had escaped the breeding herd. No hope of getting her back so I took her. A very fine trophy and exciting hunt (had to shoot or be run over). But I would have taken her even if she'd had a broken horn (but not for trophy price of course). She was wasting valuable range during a drought. Where I hunt deer it never takes me more than two days to harvest a good buck (public land too). Doe tags are available but not to non-residents like me (either sex for salvage tags and they are available for everyone ... who wants to wreck their car). During the drought two years ago one property owner begged us to shoot the does. "They'll just die this winter anyway." Would have obliged but no doe tags for me.

 

[trperk1]

I was on a hunt last year with some disabled veterans. One wanted to add a buff but not at the price point of a mature bull. The outfitter found a concession with a over abundance of cows and needed some culled. Everyone won!

Happy disabled vet. Was told a year before this hunt that he may never walk again. Rachero's Safari and Magnus Crossberg donated the hunt, I arranged to pay for travel and came along for support.