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IF, in the end you decide to go to Namibia and the particular region within it, you can actually take two of the zebra sub-species - mountain (Hartmann's) and plains (Burchell's). The two are distinguished by their striping and habitat. The mountain zebra is adapted to living in the mountains. One of its adaptations is it's hoofs grow very fast due to the very rocky terrain causing very high wear. They only have black and white stripes and because of this they are sometimes considered the "true" zebra. The planes zebra's, live in the more open and flatter areas and have a slight light brown shadow stripe in the white stripes on the rump.
The mountain zebra is CURRENTLY a CITES appendix II species and the plains zebra is appendix III. What this means to you is, when you take a mountain zebra, your PH will take a photo of your zebra's face with you sitting next to it. Each zebra's facial stripes is unique like a human finger print. This photo becomes part of the export permit and import permit document packages. If you export it and import it, it is actually registered to you personally and it is illegal to sell it. You can give it to someone but, you are supposed to notify USF&W in writing the name and address of the person you gave it too and it is then "registered" to them. The common plains zebra has no such restrictions. You can even buy tanned flat skins at the Out of Africa gift/souvenir store in the Jberg airport and legally bring it back with you on the plane. You still have to "declare" it with US Customs, you just have to show them the receipt and supporting documents they give you. You can legally buy and sell plains zebra all day. Can find them on fleabay.
Next thing for you to consider is do you want a stallion or a mare or what is known as a "queen mare". The stallion skins will tend to have a lot more scaring on the necks/shoulders and rumps from fighting. Some prefer this as it adds "character" . The mares will have much less scaring than stallions. Then we have the "queen mare". The mountain zebras tend to live in smaller family herds of maybe a dozen or less. Sometimes these family herds have a dominant mare instead of a stallion. Over time as this mare ages she'll even develop a dewlap like a stallion. They will also generally have the bigger overall body size than a stallion. So, you'll need to decide which you're targeting and let your PH know.
Mountain zebra are a challenging hunt if you want to really "hunt" them spot and stalk up in the mountains instead of sitting in a blind near a waterhole. They always have the "high ground" and they run up those slopes like Carl Lewis!!!
Nearly the final thing to think over is when you have the tanning and taxidermy done, do you want felt backing attached to the back of the flat skin. The intended purpose of the felt backing is if you intend to use the skin as a rug that will have a good bit of foot traffic. The backing helps protect/cushion the hairs. We've got some both ways and over 10+ years use, can't really tell any difference but, they are not walked on everyday either.
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IF you decide to go to Namibia, a foreign hunter can take 2x trophies of most common game species per license, and unlimited cull animals (landowner still has to have a culling permit to sell the cull meat) or game for "camp meat" as the landowner allows.
Also, IF you go to Namibia, think about adding on springbok and gemsbok and IF you get an opportunity at a mid 50's kudu, take it! The springbok in Namibia are generally known as having bigger bodies than their RSA cousins and depending on where you go in Namibia, you have a good chance of finding a 40"+ gemsbok. IF you decide to do European mounts, when the skulls dry, the outside horn sheaths slip off the underlying bone on the gemsbok and kudu. The taxidermist will then cut the bone off and leave maybe 6" of the bone at the base of the skull. When your trophies arrive you just slip the horn sheaths over the bone stub. Be SURE to ask the taxidermist to give you the bones they cut from your kudu. They can be left in their natural state or be polished. They will actually twist together and make a GREAT coffee table, fireplace or shelf display.
Also, be sure to ask your outfitter how they do the initial de-fleshing of the skulls - do they boil them or do maceration. Boiling is the quick way but, if they are boiled to hot, to fast or to long, the bone gets brittle and chalky. Maceration is just leaving the skulls soak in water over the top of the skull and letting the flesh just rot away. This can take 30-45 days depending on the outside air temps, stinks to high heaven while it's going on BUT, gives the absolute BEST bone when it's done.
Also, ask to spend at LEAST one night out near a water hole. The first time you hear jackal, hyena call or maybe even a lion will be memorable!!!
Test1 - I've already offered up a Namibian operator and two Bots operators in this forum. I'm sure others here can offer up a lot more. I've met and sometimes shared a few sundowners with maybe a dozen or so PH's/landowners in Namibia. I've hunted on about that many different properties, but only up in the NW mountains between Oujo and Kamanjab. But, I only met them socially and may have hunted on their property, I never hunted with them or stayed in their facilities so I can't really personally vouch for them like I can the guys I've mentioned in other forum posts. I've also met a few that I would not prefer to hunt or do business with. I've also posted the two operators I can personally vouch for in Botswana.
I've also hunted in RSA at a place called.
Tautona Hunting Adventures Was only there for a couple of days. Great owners, both good solid PH's, very nice facilities and a lot of fun/good stories around the braai with sundowners. But, it is a smaller high fence, put and take only, except for the crocs. The property is located on the RSA side of the Limpopo river. When the rains come and the river floods the crocs can move from the river to the various waterholes on the property and naturally replenish. It's only about 3500 acers or so and we covered most of it in 3-days. It's also run as an open camp.
This is where I did the PH school in Natal -
Goss Game Farm Sadly, the PH school ended when Ian Goss passed away in Jan 2018. I consider myself to be exceptionally blessed to have met him, spend several months with him, shared too much good scotch (is that possible) and listened to his GREAT stories and learning everything I could from him in that short time. We stayed in touch up to his passing. I truly miss that ol' bugger!! The website shows they run two separate "camps". The homestead camp is where the school was based and across the main road is the hilltop camp. Both sides are high fence and about 7500 acres total. Ian's two grandsons are pretty much running it now. I met them when they were only 8-10 yo, Other than to say "I was there", "I know the property" (very well) I don't have any first hand current knowledge. It is mostly put/take with the exception of nyala. The Natal province is the heart of the nyala home range. At the time I was there, the natural nyala population was so good, he was selling several hundred a year to other game farms. Hardly a day goes by that I don't think of Ian.....damn. Quick story on him, for his 70th birthday he went buffalo hunting a stood the charge of two buffalo. He was also the first and longest serving President of PHAZA (Professional Hunters Association of South Africa) and spent a LOT of time in Texas helping the Texas Exotic Game Association and the industry itself get started back in the 70's. Anyway........
There are a lot of guys on this forum who've hunted all over Africa a LOT and I'm sure they can provide the names of the PH's/Outfitters they've used over the years. Lord knows there are several thousand in RSA and virtually EVERY farm in Namibia has at least some level of hunting on it as well as the communal land and government concessions. Botswana probably has the fewest in total number of operations. Partly because about 8-9 years ago the govt shut down all hunting on govt owned/controlled land. Only private landowners could still offer PG hunting. The majority of the land is owned by the govt and the rest is owned by a few hundred individuals who have seen PG hunting as mostly a side business to their main endeavors. The balance of the communal lands are in the hands of small basically subsistence farmers.
A little "gogglefoo" just using the search words "hunting in Namibia" or Botswana or South Africa or Tanzania etc will turn up dozens and hundreds of operations. It's pretty easy to see who are small family run and which ones are generally booking agents. One key is if they are offering hunts in multiple countries. While they "might" actually own land or have bona fide concession rights in multiple countries, it's more likely they just have an agreement with the outfitters in those countries and book for them.
