Hunting giraffe
Hunting a giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis)
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Best recommended caliber to hunt |
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Giraffe |
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300 WM with premium grade ammunition, 338, 375 and bigger |
Hunting notes when hunting giraffe:
Hopefully the hunter will never be fooled by the docile looking giraffe. It packs a massive kick that can, and has killed humans before. Approaching the giraffe in a vehicle is completely different to approaching it on foot. These street poles of the bush can see a hunter approach from a long way off and with a few gentle strides can create a lot of distance between itself and the hunter.
The skin on top of the nech at the shoulders is approximately an inch thick. Giraffe prefer Acacia trees as food above all other trees, thereby localizing itself to areas where there are trees.
If spooked giraffe will run a short distance and curiosity takes care of the rest.
The best recommended caliber to hunt giraffe with is the 300 cal and up. Do not attempt brain shots and many times hunters miss the neck vertebrae leading to a wounded animal. It is recommended to go for the heart-lung area.
The average shooting distance when hunting giraffe is 30 – 50 yards.
Hunting giraffe is by no means as easy as it looks. Giraffe can be posed in a number of modes to suit your trophy room. Many times the neck is mounted as a pedestal mount, standing on the floor. These mounts take up the least amount of space and are about 7 feet tall.
Description:
The color of the hide can change with age. Older animals become dark brown to almost colorless to almost black. The skin is almost a half-inch thick giving it the thickest skin of all the African animals. When bulls become very old they have a bad body odor that also affects the quality of the meat.
Habitat:
They occur in a wide spectrum of dry, to semi-dry sub-tropical areas. Habitat where the Acacia tree is dominant is preferred.
Reproduction:
A single calf is born on average every 18 – 20 months from the same cow. Twins are not uncommon. Cows calve in an upright position that severs the umbilical chord due to the 4,5 ft fall when the calf is born.
General:
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Gestation period |
15 months |
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Average shoulder height |
Bulls |
7 ft – 10 ft |
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Cows |
6 ft – 9 ft |
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Average weight |
Bulls |
1 900 lbs – 3 000 lbs |
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Cows |
1 400 – 1 900 lbs |
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Horns
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Both bulls and cows have what seems to be horns. These protrusions are calcium related growths covered with skin, so strictly spoke they do not qualify as horns, even though people generally refer to them as horns. |
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