A Giraffe hunt was not on my action log and “to do list” at the time of the hunting safari. We were focused and geared for medium to large antelope, such as Cape Eland, Blue Wildebeest and maybe if we got lucky, some Kudu hunting.

Over the years I have learnt, successful African hunts are about being prepared for anything. The majority of the time the hunting safari does not go quite as planned, especially when plains game hunting.

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The African Outfitter

I am a firm believer that a fantastic African hunting adventure is not always about harvesting the trophy antelope (it is a bonus), but spending time out in the bush, enjoying a cold beer or ten, watching the evening sunset, and of course sharing a fire in great company.

This particular African outfitter, Anton is a total rock star willing to move heaven and earth for his clients. I had previously booked a Giraffe hunt with Anton a few years before, but unfortunately we were not successful, only finding cows and their young offspring. I had pretty much given up at this point on harvesting a mature Giraffe bull, and to be honest, a Giraffe hunt was not really high on my list of current priorities.

Anton asked the usual question, so is a giraffe hunt on the list for this safari? I cannot quite remember the answer that I mumbled.

Hunting lodges in South Africa

A hunting safari in South Africa is always one of my favorite hunting destinations. The facilities are always comfortable, clean and aimed at client satisfaction.

Hunting lodges in South Africa cater for non-hunters, observers and companions. A wide range of non-hunting activities are always available from site seeing, game drivers, sundowners and in certain venues, day spas to name but a few.

FAQ: How heavy is a bull Giraffe?

A big mature Giraffe bull can weigh in excess of 4800 pounds.

FAQ: How tall is a giraffe?

The world’s tallest mammal can reach a height of over twenty feet.

FAQ: What predators eat Giraffes?

Adult Giraffes have very few predators due to their size, however a pride of hungry Lions will not hesitate to try make a meal of a Giraffe. Younger Giraffe are vulnerable to Hyena, African Wild Dogs and on occasion, Leopards.

Find out more about hunting Giraffe in Africa

Giraffe Shot Placement

Some advice, if you considering planning Africa hunts and a Giraffe is a consideration, be sure do plenty research on Giraffe shot placement, as I can personally vouch, it is not as easy as one thinks.

The below image shows Giraffe shot placement from the broadside view. The recommended shot would be a well-placed bullet into the heart. A near miss will result in the bullet entering the lungs. Note that a Giraffes heart is slightly forward compared to other antelope.

A neck or brain shot is not recommended when hunting Giraffe.

You can find out more about Giraffe shot placement.

The Plains Game Hunting Safari

Hunt day 1

We set out early in the morning looking for a Kudu Bull on the ridges. This particular ranch is fenced, like most ranches in South Africa. More than 15 000 acres and very mountainous. There is always a continual debate amongst international hunters, fenced or unfenced, but that is a conversation piece for another day. A hunter can walk on a ranch this size for weeks without seeing a fence.

Anyway, to date, after many Kudu hunting safaris I had yet to hunt a Kudu bull over fifty inches. Apparently, judging horning size on a spiral antelope at 200 yards is not one best skills (but I did manage a nice bull of 53 inches a few safaris later). Kudu are great to spot early in the morning as the sun, depending on the angle often reflects off their horns giving away their position, allowing for a possible stalk.

Not finding any Kudu, we did during the day stumble across a few Blue Wildebeest and managed to hunt of approximately 27 inches. Not trophy Blue Wildebeest, but perfect for a meat hunt. With three growing boys, fridges do not remain full for very long.

We may not have found the Kudu Bull, but day one of the hunting safari ended with success.

Hunt Day 2

Anton, myself and Tamlyn headed off early, this time to another side of the ranch to attempt the same strategy, but on the southern facing sides of the ridges.

We ended the day with Keenan not being able to resist another nice Wildebeest bull, using the faithful Remington 700 series 30.06 loaded with 180 Hornady tips.

Hunt Day 3

It began to feel as if we were going to fail again with the Trophy Kudu. Same morning strategy, some result. Kudu Bull 2- Pierre 0

Deciding to head off for an early lunch, feeling a little despondent, we walked down one of the ridges to a flat area of the ranch. I was praying that we would not find any more Blue Wildebeest bulls lurking, as it would seem as if we just could not pass up the opportunities to hunt them.

On a giraffe hunt, one of the major factors in favor of the hunter is the fact that you cannot miss your target.

Turning the corner, in front of us stood an absolutely amazing Giraffe bull, a magnificent trophy. Anton and I looked at each other, not a word was said, but at that moment we knew a giraffe hunt was in progress.

Luckily, I was carrying my Remington .458 which I had planned to use on the Kudu hunt. It seemed like an appropriate choice as I was not planning on spending days possibly tracking a wounded Kudu through this terrain. Plains game hunting can go “pear shaped” in an instant.

The Giraffe bull was standing facing us and I placed the bullet straight into the chest, hitting the sweet spot. A perfect shot, or so I thought. The bull turned and started running. Absolute chaos unfolded. Fact, unless you are Hussein Bolt, the hunter has no possible chance of catching a Giraffe bull in full flight.

We chased after that Giraffe bull until I thought my heart was going to explode. I was huffing and puffing like an old coal train. Every time we got a glimpse of him, Anton threw out the sticks and I fired another shot trying to slow him down.

The problem was, with a Giraffe having such thick skin, these animals tend not to throw blood making tracking exceptionally difficult. We had no choice but to keep running.

Running, throwing sticks out, shooting…. Then repeat, then repeat again.

At last, at what we measured afterwards, the two-mile sprint came to an end. The Giraffe collapsed in an empty shallow dam, and I came close to death right next to him. Honestly, I was absolutely knackered to say the least. I was hurting all over.

Never, ever underestimate the importance of shot placement when not only on a Giraffe hunt, but on any hunting safari. In my excitement, I had pulled the first shot to the right and missed the heart. But the bull was down. Was the hunt pretty? Not at all, but things when safari hunting do not always go according to plan.

The Bull was magnificent, and I was delighted.

Loading the Giraffe trophy for Processing.

When on a giraffe hunt, know that planning in advance is always a requirement. The shear difficulty of loading a bull this size was a challenge. Luckiy for us, the Giraffe had fallen where we could access the trophy with African old faithful trucks, Toyota Land cruisers. Should this bull have fallen in the mountains and ridges, there would have been no other way of recovering him except in pieces.

It is exceptionally difficult to move even just the head of a Giraffe which itself is three and half feet in length. Manpower is definitely a requirement.

As Murphy would have it, the winch cable snapped, and the outfitter did not have 20 staff on standby. We ended up throwing a tow rope over the roof of the trailer and pulling with a second truck. The dead weight of a bull this size is incredible.

With engines screaming and staff wedging with metal poles, at last we managed to drag the carcass onto the trailer.

Trophy preparation of the Giraffe

Because of the size of the animal, being in a position to quickly remove the skin is of vital importance. The skin of a Giraffe is thick, and it can take a while for the salt to start working.

Due to the sheer size of the animal, much like skinning a Hippo, it is constant work and a battle to keep trying to roll the carcass over to access new areas.

Should the salt fail to penetrate the hide in a reasonable time, the result will be hair loss leaving patchy areas on the cape which will certainly ruin the trophy.

As can be seen in the below image, the horns of a male giraffe are free of hair from fighting with other bulls. A female Giraffe’s hair will be visible and appear as tufts. This old bull I am sure could tell a few war stories. The legs of a Giraffe are capable of kicking a full-grown male Lion to death in one kick. Giraffe, while known as gentle giants are exceptionally strong animals when fighting for their lives.

Can you eat Giraffe meat?

When properly prepared and grilled over an open fired, Giraffe meat is highly palatable. The meat has a natural sweet taste.

Tamlyn soaked a portion of the “backstrap” in Coke and made one of her more adventurous dishes, now known as “Girraganof”  a dish prepared like beef stroganoff except the beef was substituted with Giraffe, which was really good!

How much does a Giraffe hunt in South Africa cost?

Giraffe are often included in a total safari hunting package when sold as African Plains Game hunts. If a trophy bull is added to the safari, the Giraffe trophy will cost the hunter between US $3500 and US $4500..

What is the best caliber rifle to use when hunting Giraffe?

In my opinion, when it comes to a giraffe hunt be sure to bring enough gun. Due to the size of the animal, a .375 would be highly recommended. To reiterate, a successful Giraffe hunt is all about shot placement.

In conclusion, while a Giraffe hunt can quickly turn chaotic, be sure to plan ahead and know that you have space in your trophy room for this magnificent animal. It was a privilege to be allowed the opportunity to hunt one of these incredible animals.

Author: PC van Wyk