Summary
Giraffe Trophy hunting can make for a challenging and exciting stalk.
Hunting Giraffes is often done by spot and stalk or tracking his very distinctive spoor.
There are no seasonal restrictions on trophy Giraffes in Eastern Cape, South Africa. In addition to giraffe, hunters can pursue a wide variety of game species in the region, including eland, impala, kudu, common reedbuck, mountain reedbuck, and Limpopo bushbuck. In Namibia, the hunting season opens on 1 February and closes on 30 November each year.
Bowker Hunting offers Giraffe Africa hunting trips year-round.
Giraffe hunts are typically in thick brush or savanna. You can expect hunts to involve long days on foot, navigating dense terrain and open plains, with varying weather condition.
Giraffe Hunting is only permitted in many countries in Africa, with legal hunting areas being limited and regulated. Giraffe can only be legally hunted in three African countries, namely, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.
Table of Contents
Introduction to Hunt Giraffe
Hunting giraffe, the world’s tallest land mammal, offers a truly unique and exhilarating experience for hunters seeking a remarkable trophy. The giraffe, scientifically known as Giraffa camelopardalis, is the largest ruminant and can be found across a variety of plant habitats in Africa, from dry woodlands to open woodlands. In South Africa, the Cape giraffe—also called the South African giraffe—is a popular subspecies for hunters, thanks to its impressive size and striking appearance.
Giraffes are known for their distinctive spoor, making tracking an exciting challenge for hunters. These animals tend to avoid very dense bush, preferring areas with thorn trees that provide both food and shelter. Understanding giraffe behavior and their preferred habitats is essential for a successful hunt. Conservation is also a key consideration; regulated hunting in South Africa supports local wildlife management and helps maintain healthy giraffe populations. For those looking to hunt giraffe, South Africa offers some of the best opportunities, combining adventure with responsible wildlife stewardship.
Why Participate in Trophy Hunting Giraffe
Trophy hunting giraffe is a highly sought-after pursuit for hunters who value both the challenge and the reward of harvesting one of Africa’s most iconic animals. The dark bull giraffe, with its massive size and distinctive ossicones, is considered a prized trophy and a testament to a hunter’s skill and perseverance. Beyond the excitement of the hunt, trophy hunting giraffe plays a significant role in conservation efforts across South Africa and other parts of Africa.
Revenue generated from trophy hunting giraffe directly benefits local communities and supports vital wildlife conservation initiatives. In South Africa, hunting is strictly regulated, ensuring that only sustainable numbers of giraffes are harvested each year. This approach helps protect giraffe habitats and funds anti-poaching efforts, making hunting an important tool for conservation. By choosing reputable outfitters who prioritize ethical and sustainable practices, hunters can ensure their giraffe hunt contributes positively to both wildlife and local people, making the experience not only thrilling but also meaningful.
Best Locations for Giraffe Hunts
The most successful giraffe hunts take place in regions where giraffes are abundant and the landscape is well-suited to spot and stalk hunting. In South Africa, the Eastern Cape and Northern Cape provinces are renowned for their excellent giraffe hunting opportunities, offering vast expanses of open woodlands and dry woodlands where giraffe herds thrive. These areas are home to the South African giraffe, while the Angolan giraffe can be found in northern Namibia, providing hunters with a chance to pursue different subspecies.
When planning a giraffe hunt, it’s important to consider the quality of the habitat, the density of giraffe populations, and the expertise of the outfitter. Zimbabwe is another destination where giraffe hunting is permitted in select areas, offering a unique African hunting experience. By selecting a reputable outfitter and a location with healthy giraffe populations, hunters can maximize their chances of a successful and memorable giraffe hunt in Africa. In Zimbabwe, the giraffe hunting season runs from April to October.
Types of Giraffe to Hunt
Hunters interested in pursuing giraffe trophies can choose from several subspecies, each with its own unique characteristics. The South African giraffe, commonly found in South Africa, is known for its striking coat pattern and robust build. The Angolan giraffe, native to northern Namibia and parts of southern Africa, features lighter patches and a slightly different ossicone shape. The Masai giraffe, with its jagged, irregular spots, is another notable subspecies, though it is less commonly hunted.
Male giraffes, or bulls, are typically the most coveted trophies due to their impressive size and prominent ossicones. Female giraffes may also be hunted in some regions, often for their meat and hide, but this is usually regulated and requires special permits to ensure sustainability. Understanding the differences between subspecies and the regulations governing their harvest is essential for hunters seeking a responsible and rewarding giraffe hunting experience in Africa.
Planning a Successful Giraffe Hunt
A successful giraffe hunt begins with careful planning and preparation. In South Africa, most giraffe hunts are conducted using spot and stalk techniques or by tracking the animal’s distinctive spoor through open or dry woodlands. Choosing the right rifle caliber is crucial; a .375 is widely recommended for its stopping power and effectiveness on such a large animal. Giraffe have thick, tough skin and require the same bullet selection as elephants.
Shot placement is key to ensuring a clean, ethical harvest. Hunters should aim for a heart or lung shot, targeting the bottom third of the chest just above the prominent shoulder joint. The quartering frontal shot can also be effective, but requires precision and confidence. Neck shots and spine shots are generally discouraged, as they can result in difficult recoveries and unnecessary suffering. Working with an experienced outfitter and professional guide will help hunters navigate the challenges of giraffe hunting, from tracking and stalking to making the perfect shot. With the right preparation and ethical approach, hunters can enjoy a thrilling and successful giraffe hunt in Africa.
Giraffe Trophy Fees in South Africa – 2025
The average price of a Giraffe trophy is around $3500. A giraffe can be added to any of our African hunting trip packages.
Our price for a Giraffe in 2025 is $4000.
The Giraffe trophy includes a licensed hunting guide, a hunting license, and all permits.
Hunting Giraffe in South Africa
Shot placement must be in the bottom third of the animal directly above the front shoulder. This will ensure a heart or lung shot. A well-placed body shot targeting the vital organs, such as the heart, lungs, or spine, is crucial for effective hunting. Avoid head and neck shots, which are high-risk.
Clean kills are essential for ethical hunting, especially considering the giraffe’s massive size and strength.
Your giraffe trophy should weigh about 2,500 pounds and be 8 feet tall.
This stately beast inhabits various plant habitats, from the dry woodlands to the reasonably dense low shrub veld.
But always present will be the thorn trees he feeds throughout the year.
A giraffe’s heart weighs approximately 25 pounds and is the biggest of any land mammal, and is used to pump 60 liters of blood around its body every minute at a blood pressure twice that of an average human.
The giraffe is not territorial and tends to avoid the very dense bush.
He feeds on a 6-foot band of browse, not accessible to all other animals except the elephant, with browsing being mainly during the day.
They can run as fast as 35 miles an hour over short distances or cruise at ten mph over longer distances.
Giraffe only needs to drink once every few days because most of their water comes from all the plants they eat.
Giraffe hunting can make for an extremely interesting and exciting stalk on a plains game hunt for the trophy hunter.Giraffe hunting can be booked as part of a package that lasts 7 to 10 days.
Trophy Judgement and Rifle Caliber for a Giraffe Hunt in Africa
Hunting will most often be done by spot and stalk or tracking his very distinctive spoor.
Hunt Giraffe with a 375 in South Africa.
Nick Bowker has a 375 and ammunition for hunters not wishing to go through the red tape of bringing a rifle to South Africa.
Also, the rifle and ammunition are free of charge in your package.
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service may treat giraffes as endangered. This could result in a ban on importing taxidermy products.
Any ban will achieve the exact opposite impact. Landowners will be forced to shoot out giraffe herds and replace the giraffe with domestic livestock.
A giraffe’s lungs are positioned well forward and high in the chest cavity. At the same time, the brain is tiny and set just below and between the horns.
If you make a spine shot, place it in the center of the neck, where the neck joins the body.
A quartering frontal shot should be aimed to break the prominent shoulder joint; avoid the quartering-away shot; take it only as a last resort! It’s an exciting addition to your game animals in the trophy room.
The Difference Between a Male and a Female for Giraffe Hunting
Males and females have a type of horn called ossicones, made of cartilage covered in skin. The Giraffe bull has larger ossicones used for fighting, causing the fur to rub off, exposing a bald spot on top of them. As a result, bulls will nearly always have these gray bald spots on the top of the ossicones.
Interesting facts about the Giraffe for hunters
- The giraffe species is the tallest mammal in the world, with their legs alone being more elevated than many humans, about 6 feet.
- A giraffe’s neck is too short to reach the ground. As a result, it has to spread its front legs or kneel to reach the ground to drink water.
- Giraffe spends most of their lives standing up; they even sleep and give birth standing up.
- Giraffe young can stand up and walk after an hour, and within a week, it starts to eat some vegetation.
- Calves are often killed in their first few months, although the females attempt to stand over their calves during attacks by lions, spotted hyenas, leopards, and African wild dogs.
- A giraffe species’ spots are much like human fingerprints. As a result, no two individual giraffes have the same pattern.
- Giraffe only needs 5 to 30 minutes of sleep in 24 hours. Achieved in quick naps that can last only a minute.
- It was thought that giraffes do not make any sound. But this is untrue, as giraffe makes low-pitched noises beyond the range of human hearing.
- To protect the giraffe’s brain from sudden changes in blood pressure when it lowers its head to drink, it has valves to stop the backflow of blood.
- A female giraffe gives birth standing up. As a result, their young fall about 2m to the ground and can stand up within an hour of birth. The newborn giraffe is taller than most humans.
- Giraffes are plentiful and available throughout much of South Africa and are not considered endangered. Giraffe hunting takes place throughout South Africa.
About the Giraffe for Hunts
Description for the hunter
Giraffes usually inhabit savannahs and open woodlands. Also, they feed on shrubs, grass, and fruit and eat around 75 pounds of foliage daily.
Fully grown giraffes stand 14.1 – 18.7 feet tall, with males taller than females.
The tallest recorded male was 19.3 feet, and the tallest recorded female was 17 feet tall.
The average weight is 2,628 pounds for an adult male and 1,825 pounds for an adult female. Despite its long neck and legs, the giraffe’s body is short in comparison.
Located at both sides of the head, the giraffe’s large, bulging eyes give it an excellent all-around vision from its great height.
A Giraffe has a perfect sense of hearing and smell and can close its muscular nostrils to protect against sandstorms and ants.
Giraffe hunting, while unusual, is well worthwhile. They have good eyesight.
Male giraffes become darker as they age.
Hunting Information
The giraffe’s prehensile tongue is about 18 inches long. for getting at the most challenging foliage. Also, the tongue is purplish-black, perhaps to protect against sunburn, and helps grasp foliage, as well as for grooming and cleaning the animal’s nose.
The giraffe’s upper lip is also prehensile and useful for foraging and covered in hair to protect against thorns.
Also, the tongue and inside of the mouth have papillae.
The coat has dark patches, which can be orange, chestnut, brown, or nearly black, separated by light hair, usually white or cream.
The skin color and pattern serve as camouflage in the light and shade patterns of savannah woodlands.
Giraffe calves inherit pattern traits from their mothers.
The skin underneath the dark areas helps with thermoregulation.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hunts for a Giraffe Trophy
How much does it cost to hunt a Giraffe in South Africa?
Trophy fees as a standalone Giraffe hunt are $3,000 – $4,000. Daily rates vary between $250 and $500 per day.
Included in the Giraffe trophy fee is a licensed guide. As well as a hunting license and all permits.
How to hunt giraffes in South Africa?
Giraffes are hunted by spot and stalk or tracking their very distinctive spoor. Giraffes have excellent eyesight and are very cautious, making hunting them particularly challenging.
Where do you shoot a Giraffe?
Shot placement must be in the bottom third of the animal directly above the front shoulder. This will ensure a heart or lung shot. Avoid head and neck shots, which are high-risk.
When can you hunt Giraffe in South Africa?
There are no seasonal restrictions on trophy Giraffe hunting in the Eastern Cape of South Africa.
What Caliber is Recommended for Giraffe Hunts?
Hunt Giraffe with a 375 in South Africa.
Giraffe in Pictures
