I'm wondering what is hunting Giraffe all about? Are they a trophy? Hard to hunt? What calibers are good? Bullet placement? Thanks and Be Well, Rustyzipper

While hunting in Namibia last October I was offered the opportunity to hunt giraffe. I had previously had no interest in hunting giraffe, ever. But I was there, and the opportunity was there, so I started asking questions. The giraffe on this property were descendants of individuals that moved in on their own a couple decades ago when the property was converted from cattle ranch to game. They had flourished, unlike giraffe in many "unregulated" areas of their African range where poaching is a problem. Soon the herd increased to the point where the property was able to offer trophy bull giraffe hunts. A few clients took them up on that, and the giraffe trophy fees helped make the property profitable, paid some of the staff wages, and helped the entire operation become more viable. Then more recently a terrible drought occurred, the worst in recorded history. There were about 85-90 giraffe on land that could only support 25-30 of them long term, and maybe not even that many in the drought. So many giraffe had to be culled. Culled carcasses were being sold by the landowner to a local butcher for meat, mostly sausage and biltong. It was under this circumstance that I was offered a cull giraffe hunt for a low fee.
So we went giraffe hunting. I got a surprise right off the start. It was quite easy to find some giraffe, they stood out in the thin bushland if you searched with binoculars from a high hill. But finding the right old barren cow or young bull and then stalking into sure range for my scope equipped .450-400 3" Nitro express double rifle was not at all easy. We hunted from early morning to late afternoon, and tried about 5 or 6 unsuccessful stalks. The small groups of giraffe were very skilled at spotting us approach, and once alerted, we found it impossible to close the gap as they moved off. I eventually swapped my big double for a more precise 9.3x62 that I was confident shooting at 200 M or more. In late afternoon, we tried another unsuccessful stalk on a very old cow. Busted. Again. As they moved off, a young bull just moving between locations happened to come up behind us. "Bird in the hand, better than one in the bush" and all that, I quickly got on him and made a good shot at about 170M.
It was a interesting and satisfying experience. I helped out the game managers, and took nothing home but the memories, which was good enough for me. Whether a giraffe is a "trophy" or not is in the eye of the beholder. But I enjoyed my hunt and would recommend you consider hunting giraffe with an open mind. Depending on the situation, a giraffe hunt may or may not be for you.

If you do decide to hunt giraffe first study a good publication on shot placement like Robertson's "The perfect Shot" I have a degree in Animal science, have studied Veterinary anatomy, and come from several generations of butchers. I had to adjust my thinking. Giraffe are not built like other critters and the location of the heart and lungs is much higher in the chest and much farther forward than I would have otherwise thought. You also need a substantial cartridge if not precisely placing a bullet in the brain or neck. My 9.3x62 was a sensible choice, as was the .450-400 3" that I carried at first. Think cartridges like .375, .338, or perhaps .300 mag with very good expanding bullets or solids. Their skin is the thickest of any animal I've ever seen. They weigh more than a cape buffalo.

They make good lion bait......

...and young giraffe are excellent table fare.

Both of the outfits with which I hunted in Namibia offered giraffe among the animals available for harvest.. I had absolutely no interest, and they said that was pretty much the norm for hunters from the U.S. Apparently, most of their giraffe hunters were Spaniards. They said that in some parts of Spain, a vertical mount of a giraffe shoulder, neck and head on a wooden plaque on the floor was regarded as a desirable item for display in the main entry hallway of a trophy hunter's house.

I was thinking about a rifle case and a rug from the hide. I think it is the hip bone or thigh bone isn't it, that makes knife handles? Or even a handgun grip if large enough. Be Well and thanks, Rustyzipper.

I've been on several giraffe "hunts" just as a back up gun, but like some others, I never had a particular interest in shooting one myself as a trophy. They just always reminded me of "Melman" from the Disney cartoon. I did shoot an old cull "stink bull" last year in Botswana. He truly was on his "last legs" so to speak. He was an old bachelor that Gerhard knew had been kicked out of his small herd a few months earlier and was still healing from battle damage. We were able to close to within 100m on the old boy and could see that he was absolutely covered in ticks from his anus all the way under/between his legs and underbelly all the way over his penal sheath. Sure sign an animal, any animal is in serous decline. Once he was down, his teeth were pretty much gone as well. He still had not lost much muscle but it was inevitable and was at the perfect time to taken as a cull.

Giraffe hunts can be really challenging on foot. For one, they always have the high ground. Second, they really do camouflage well in the tall acacia thorn trees. Their legs actually blend in well with the tree trunks and their bodies are up high and well covered/protected by the tree vegetation. Sometimes the only thing you can see/look for are their heads and it is so unusual to have to look UP to spot them as well as DOWN to make sure you're not bumping other game that might alert them. And as I mentioned, they always have the high ground.

As Castnblast mentioned, their hide and underlying protective tissue is astonishingly thick. Has to be when you see them running full tilt thru the thorn trees like there is nothing there. The hide/tissue from maybe the middle of their rib cage forward and up can be as much as 4" thick. The hide/tissue at the rump/hind quarters is thick as well to protect them from the head/horn blows when they fight. This is also one reason their vital organs are farther forward and up higher in the chest cavity. That thick hide/tissue is one reason the tanning process can be kind of pricey. A LOT of de-fleshing has to be done before the tanning can even begin.

Caliber/bullets - that thick hide/tissue in combination of the large chest cavity means you really have to have a combo that will drive deep. A 375 with 270gr TSX will get the bullet to the vitals while a 375 mono-metal solid will completely pass thru broadside. I've seen three taken with 375 H&H with 270 and 300gr TSX that got to the vitals but didn't pass thru. I used a 375 Ruger with 300gr, CEB solids and did pass thru. A 9.3x62 was mentioned above and would likely work as well but I would have to recommend a mono-metal solid. That hide/skin is no joke.

Common trophies from giraffe are flat rugs, head mounts, European head mounts and even full shoulder mounts. The leg bones are extremely dense and prized for knife or handgun scales. Gerhard offered to give me the leg bones or skull if I wanted them for free but, I declined his gracious offer as I had taken the animal as a cull.

All that said above, I don't know if I will shoot another. I know personally, I won't take one as a "trophy" but, IF a similar animal in a similar state of decline and facing a protracted and suffering end (no predators in the area), I probably would. As in this case the meat was fully recovered and all the remaining parts were utilized to some economic benefit and it was a challenging hunt.

Giraffe's are fascinating animals to watch. We were able to see quite a few in Namibia, and they offered some to our group, but there were no takers.

I personally have no desire, just like elephants and lions.

Last year the Conservancy asked us to shoot a giraffe for a Pow-Wow they were having. They actually asked for a young one, but since they didn't ask until 4:00 PM on the day before their meeting, we just went out looking for whatever we could find.

We ended up with an old, scarred up, skin and bones, one "horn" knocked off bachelor bull. One 416 A-Frame and he started falling. They're so tall and gangly it seemed to take a while to collapse! Took some quick photos and called the Conservancy to come pick it up.

I can't help but feel they are probably still boiling the meat trying to tender it up!

I would shoot another for rations or bait but there isn't a trophy there. Disney emotions aside, they are a big chunk of protein in a protein starved continent.

Given the opportunity, I’d pass on shooting a giraffe.

My wife says no elephants or giraffes. I'm ok with that.

Giraffe is quite exciting if you do a proper hunt on foot.

I was able to hunt one in Zimbabwe, just before some of the ranches were taken over by the squatters.

I wanted a nice old stink bull as you would say. Old with a a dark to black spots. Well we could find them, however it was another thing getting up on them for a decent shot. We had a limited window to take a nice trophy, as i wanted the skin for a rug. which later became rifle cases and purses. Giraffe take a considerable time to skin and process in the field so i had to have my giraffe down before 8 AM,

Proper rifle and bullet are in order 338 WM - 375 H&H with good bullets.

The first one was a cull bull that the PH had been wanting to shoot for over a year, it had a snare on it one leg, and we were heading back to camp for lunch and it was near the road and one shot under the chin put it down. the 5 hour skinning and butchering job was all afternoon with all the camp staff.

After most of my hunt was fading away, i had been passing on a lone bull every day. This bull was not the herd bull and was usually in the same area daily as we drove out of camp. So my standards changed and we decided to go after him. Well he moved to a place where we could not cut a trail for recovery. and do not shoot something you cannot recover, and giraffe is not something you want to back pack out.

Second to last day he was were access was available, and when we started to stalk him he moved into an open field, and what a stroke of luck to be able to shoot him and just made my 8 AM cut off time. It took 6 hours to get him out of the field, and we had 8 camp staff working on him.

On my last day i had the opportunity to take another one for a tribal wedding, however we did not find what they wanted close to the road.

Would i take one again, maybe. (color pattern as there are different varieties available) I am now trying to limit repeat on animals taken over the years.

I nearly bought the farm with a mob of giraffe running out of the nyika in Tanzania. How we never hit one I don’t know. A few Zebra with them too! When I was stopped they were running around my 4wd.

They weren’t being chased. Pondoro Taylor wrote when motor vehicles were just becoming popular in Africa that you had to be careful of Giraffe as they like to plat “last across the road like chickens”. He was so right!

Glad to see people hunting them😉

I had the opportunity and could have killed one in RSA in 2006. But the trophy fee was high and what the heck do you mount that will fit in my house? A lady later killed one with the same PH and said she was going to cover a whole side of a room with the hide (probably isn't big enough).

I have not hunted them yet but after seeing a giraffe hide, high back chair at a store in Capetown, it makes me want one. I will look for photos of the chair but it was simply stunning. My wife even said go get one after seeing the chair!

I would never hunt them but I sure will eat them, especially grilled over a camel thorn fire. The ribs look like the Flintstones sized portions.

Can you imagine having a giraffe "tomahawk" rib-eye?!

Giraffe bone soup. Delicious fare.

I did so, pass on shooting one.
Was in a waterhole blind in Zimbabwe. Had several come in and drink. I was Bowhunting.
I had then and still don’t have interest in shooting one. But if some people do, that’s fine with me.

I’d love to try a giraffe T Bone!

My two favorite cartridges! What is your .450-400 in?

I never really had a desire to bag a giraffe. I figure out how to mount the trophy that would suit my home. Watching them feed kinda disarms any enthusiasm I have for the chase. Not that I'm against taking one, (and would for rations) but not on my bucket list.

I’ve never had a desire to shoot a giraffe, but I do enjoy trying to see how close I can get to them. It’s almost like stalking a Brontosaurus. I’ve had a good number of stalks on Eland ruined by giraffes who almost acted as lookouts for the Eland.

I have killed 3 of them on different safaris. All with a .416 Rigby and 400 grain A-Frames. Two went down quickly and the 3rd was a not so merry chase. Cat bait and food for the camp staff. Had we come across buff cows I would have shot them instead.

The Giraffe was the only animal I have ever killed that gave me hunter's regret. Beautiful, graceful creatures that cause no harm.

Study their anatomy and use enough gun!

Giraffe are no different than kudu, wildebeest, impala, buffalo, etc as far as being available on license by the safari operator. All wildlife listed on the game price list is for animals available to be hunted. The quota for each animal indicates there is a surplus of that particular animal. If a species is not on the list, then, obviously that animal can't be taken. In Zim, I've shot two giraffe that were dragging snares, and virtually were walking on three legs and were in poor condition. I've also shot half dozen giraffe for rations, and one old stink bull for a trophy. Occasionally, there will be some left-over animals that will be taken by the safari operator. As likely as not, these animals don't carry over to the next season, and have to be taken. Hence, ration shooting. As an aside: The two snared were brain shot with .30-06, and DRT. One shot with a .375H&H .300gr Trophy Bonded Bear Claw. Six with a .416 Taylor 400gr A-Frames. None moved more than twenty feet from where they were shot. If I were to return to Africa for another hunt, giraffe wouldn't be on my short list.

Not a big desire. However, I have considered giraffe, especially after an opportunity for 2 giraffe was offered at auction. No bid, could have had them for the starting bid of $800.
Should have bought them.

I had never considered it until my wife and I went to Willoughby/McCabe in Dallas and saw a huge rug on the hardwood floor and it was gorgeous! Mama thought that would look great in the front room, so the die was cast. On our second safari, we went after an old dark stinkbull that had been run out of the herd but was causing problems. After we spotted him, it took about an hour of stalking to finally get a shot, they know when you are after them and get into the thick stuff. One 300 grain 375 Swift A-frame to the heart and the collapse was impressive! Mama was right, it looks great on the floor and the rifle slip that has a full length mane down the back is very nice.

One of the people in our group wanted a giraffe to taxidermy as h e is a taxidermist. Attached is a photo of the thickness of the hide a n d a mate of mine holding a giraffe heart that was shot with a 375H&H note the cup of the projectile stuck to the heart without penetrating it

I’ve been fortunate to have shot 5-6 giraffes. Most as meat for the workforce where I was hunting. 2 were real old, black trophy bulls.

All were sporting, fair chase, in places where they were overpopulated, but different conditions. The meat ones were brought down with a 300 WSM with neck or head shots. The 2 trophy bulls were shot with 404-375 Ruger and a trusted 375 H&H Win M-70.

Don’t know if I will shoot another, unless needed for meat. BTW, a giraffe stew is quite a treat. Tough and interesting pachyderm plains game, not to be underestimated.

A bloke who used to be in our club shot a giraffe. He was planning to get a full shoulder mount. ????

I guess he must have had 20 foot high ceilings at home.

I don't know, do know they're cool looking creatures lumbering around checking you out as you walk by, I have no desire to kill one, now another Buffalo in the thorn thickets?!..YES!

I like a deer neck with onion soup mix and sliced onion in the crock pot till tender.

Would love to put a Giraffe neck in the crockpot!

Now THAT would be some crock pot!

IMHO a giraffe takes too long to hit the ground. If I had to, that would be different.

I would not kill a Giraffe unless I was starving , and then it would be a last resort..

I'd take the opportunity. Doesn't seem any different than taking a cow elk or a doe...just managing the herd.