Hunting Zebra in Africa

Jul 9, 2021 | Hunting Stories, News

Burchell’s Zebra

The Burchell’s zebra Equus burchelli, is a southern subspecies of the plains zebra. It differs from that zebra by a number of features, most prominent being shadow stripes which are overlaid on the white stripes on the African zebra’s hindquarters. The dewlap that is common on other zebras is missing. Burchell’s zebra stands around 52 inches at the shoulder and stallions will weigh between 550 to 600 pounds. Each Burchell’s zebra has a unique stripe pattern. When seen at a distance the stripes run together and the animal appears light brown.

Wow Africa Safaris

Burchell’s zebra has the longest migration pattern of any land animal in Africa. They travel from the Chobe River in Namibia to Nxai Pan National Park in Botswana – a distance of 160 miles each way. Its habitat is open woodlands and grass-filled savannah close to water and has to drink regularly while grazing. Usually they travel in small herds of 10 animals consisting of the stallion and a number of mares and foals.  Excess males are booted out of the herd and form bachelor herds. A single 12-15 pound foal is born between November and January after a gestation period of approximately one year. Foals are weaned at 11 months.

Burchell’s zebra mother and foal in Rietvlei Nature Reserve, South Africa

Stallions and mares are almost the same size, so determining sex can be difficult. Listen to your PH as he’s had a lot of experience doing this. More than one hunter has shot a stallion only to see a sex change before reaching the animal.

Their major predators include lions, leopards, wild dogs, cheetahs and hyenas.  During migration, Nile crocodiles will hunt them during river crossings. Sometimes baboons will take a foal – however adults are safe from them. The Burchell’s zebra is a very formidable fighter with a nasty bite and a kick that can kill predators. They will stand their ground with smaller predators, but will try to outrun the larger ones.

Burchell’s zebra herds mix with other species such as wildebeest. They act as early warning devices for the highly skittish wildebeest. At night they will relocate to open grassy areas where visibility is good. While the herd sleeps, one zebra will be on guard, barking or snorting if danger is detected.

Burchell’s zebra drinking at a waterhole at Etosha National Park, Namibia

Hunting Burchell’s zebra in Africa will require patience and skill as they have incredible eyesight and will run if they sense danger. Their eyesight is excellent and whole the herd watches their surroundings. Approaching a herd without being seen requires the hunter to only move when there are no eyes on him. Even then, hunting Burchell’s zebra means you have to outwit them. As difficult as sex determination is, there are some hints as to which one is the stallion. When grazing, it will stay away from the herd.  When moving, the mare will lead and the stallion will take up the rear guard.

Should the herd be spooked and run, watch for the stallion to run for a bit, then stop and look back. There will be a few seconds when a shot can be made. Depending on what kind of trophy is preferred, different types could be hunted. The herd stallion’s hide will show battle scars and be worn. The young stallion or mare will make a better rug.

As with other large plains game, the .30 caliber guns with good bullets of 170-200 grains work well. However, there’s been a number of them hunted with the .30s that decided to run instead of go down. They gave the hunter a number of hours to appreciate the African scenery while tracking the wounded animal. A better choice would be the trusty .375 with 270 or 300-grain bullets.

Burchell’s zebra running in grassland, Khwai concession, Okavango delta, Botswana

Seven Burchell’s Zebra Facts

1. Scientific name: Equus burchelli
2. Male weight: 550-600 pounds
3. Male height: 52 inches at shoulder
4. Shooting distance: 80-200 yards
5. Mating: year round
6. Gestation: one year
7. Life span: 20-22 years

Mountain Zebra in Namibia

The Namibian Hartmann’s mountain zebra Equus zebra hartmannae, is one of two species of mountain zebra. The other is the Cape mountain zebra found in provinces of Western and Eastern Cape in South Africa. The Hartmann’s is located in Namibia and Angola. Specifically, its habitat is the broken terrain east of the Namib Desert and the western parts of Etosha National Park.

Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra

It has black and white stripes on every part of its body except the belly. Mountain zebra hooves are hard, but wear fast on the rocky terrain, but grow rapidly to compensate for the extreme wear. On the Hartmann’s mountain zebra the white stripes are wide and the black between is narrow, just the opposite of the Burchell’s zebra. The mountain zebra is the smallest of the various species. Stallions stand three to four feet at the shoulder, and weigh anywhere from 500 to 750 pounds. Females are larger than the males.

Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra

Hartmann’s mountain zebras are grazers and consume leaves, bark, roots, grasses, fruits and similar. Their water intake is quite high, so they stay near sources of liquid.  They use their hooves to dig for water when necessary. Should the food supply dwindle, or water become scarce, they will migrate to find what is needed. They usually don’t form large herds, except near water where it’s not uncommon to see 200-250 zebras gathered together.

Herds number four to six animals: stallion, mares and foals. Mountain zebras sleep standing up with one of the herd always on guard duty. If bothered, they will run, capable of speeds over 40 miles per hour. They try to lose a predator by dodging through the rocks, or climbing which they are very good at, even up at high altitudes.

The average lifespan of a Hartmann’s mountain zebra is 23-25 years. Mares mature after two years; stallions usually take six years. The mare produces one foal after a year’s gestation. Foals can stand and run shortly after birth. The male foal is weaned away from the herd after 10 months, staying alone, or joining a bachelor herd.

Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra

To hunt the Hartmann’s mountain zebra, the hunter has to be in excellent shape. The terrain is rough, walking is difficult, and air can get a bit thin. The best chance to hunt one is to go along well-travelled paths to water holes early in the morning, or at last light. During the day the zebra will melt into in the shade and be difficult to find.

As with other zebras, the Hartmann’s mountain zebra is a tough animal. Minimum caliber recommended is .30, with preference to the Magnums and 180-200-grain bullets.  Larger calibers are better at anchoring a large male. Something in the .338 family, say a .338 Winchester Magnum whose 250-grain bullet is still cooking along over 2,000 feet per second at 300 yards, should put the zebra in the salt. The rifle should be zeroed to 200 yards.  Mountain zebras have excellent senses and closing on one to a sub-100 yard range is very hard.  Here, shot placement is all-important. Considering the terrain, doing a tail chase on a wounded zebra would be a great way to check out your heart’s stamina.

For a frontal shot, place the cross hairs in the middle of the neck equidistant from the forelegs. Side shots need to be placed one-third up the body and behind the foreleg.  Any higher than that could produce a wound, but not a fatal result.

Seven Mountain Zebra Facts

1. Scientific name: Equus zebra hartmannae
2. Male weight: 500-750 pounds
3. Male height: 3-4 feet shoulder
4. Longevity: 22-25 year
5. Gestation: one year
6. Birth: one
7. Birth weight: 70-75 pounds
   

   Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra

   

   Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra

First African Adventure

Jul 8, 2021 | Hunting Stories, News

It starts like most adventures start – a thought in the back of your mind, a vision of adventure, the experience of a new culture, new people, and a different perspective of a sunset in a remote continent and different hemisphere.

Such was the case when I began thinking and dreaming of an African hunt. I had always dreamed of such an adventure, but could I make it a reality? The expense, the travel complications, firearm permits, work responsibilities, locating an outfitter and an area to hunt -the list of excuses can be endless.

When I finally came to terms with the excuses, I began to talk to myself and communicate with others, with a feeling that this could happen. The planning and researching phase of the adventure can be overwhelming, but luckily it took little effort to convince two of my close friends and former work colleagues to join forces and make it happen. As luck would have it, my friends were both already veterans of several previous trips to Africa which decreased my anxiety and gave me confidence. The pathway to my first African adventure had begun!

Kudu

The next step was to stick a flag in the ground and propose a date. At that time we could not have possibly imagined that a global pandemic had a different trajectory. Unfortunately, the flag we placed in the ground was squarely in the middle of that trajectory. We assumed there would be obstacles and barriers to overcome, but this was beyond our expectations.

Having decided on dates, we searched for an outfitter, but with so many options, who to choose? In the end, even with my two companions with previous African experience, we employed a professional booking agent, the best which turned out to be an ideal solution.

After several months of evaluating many possibilities, we were all finally in agreement with the outfitter, dates, and targeted species. We made the final decision, signed our hunt contracts, and paid a deposit to secure the schedule. The professional booking agent did his job, the dates were secure. The hunt, still 12 months away, we went off to make our flight reservations. All major obstacles and barriers appeared to be in our rear-view mirror. What could go wrong at this point!

We have all lived through the pandemic and subsequent Covid restrictions, so I will not re-hash the obvious, except to say our May 2020 hunt was cancelled and re-booked a year later. The frustrations, sadness and disappointments extend far beyond a pre-scheduled African hunt.

Kudu

But nearly two years and eight months from the initial vision of my Africa adventure, I found myself sitting on an airplane with a three-letter destination airport on my ticket – JNB (Johannesburg, South Africa)! It seemed nearly impossible to believe, but we were on our way.

I will not even attempt to sugarcoat the travel frustrations in a world that was trying to recover from a pandemic: The frustrations with rifle permits, covid testing requirements and ever-changing flights were now behind us as we sat on the first leg of our journey.

Arriving in Johannesburg after 36+ hours of travel we were exhausted. Thankfully, and as recommended by my hunting companions, we had already decided to spend two nights at the Afton Safari Lodge in Johannesburg to give us adequate recovery time before traveling on to our destination. The additional time even allowed the opportunity to tour the city which was a real bonus. The Afton Safari Lodge not only turned out to be a bit of an oasis, they also handled all our rifle permits, met us at the airport and walked us right through the customs process.

Witfontein Safaris

The area we intended to hunt was in the northeast province of Limpopo, and the four-hour drive to Witfontein Safaris gave us ample opportunity to take in the countryside.

Upon arrival were greeted by our host and our PH. After a quick introduction, a review of our hunting strategy and schedule, we were off to dinner and bed. The next morning we were to be cast into the wilds on our adventure! We were up at sunrise, and after a quick breakfast, zero checking our rifles at the range, we teamed up with our assigned PHs and were off for the day.

My PH, Herman, was a retired South African police officer and had decades of experience guiding all over southern Africa. I was immediately impressed and in awe of his depth of experience and local knowledge. I felt incredibly lucky to have been teamed up with such a skilled professional. Unlike in most American big-game hunting, one of the most compelling aspects of hunting in Africa is the targeting of many species on a single hunt. This was my first trip to this beautiful, game-rich land, so after months of revisions I had finally decided on four: kudu, sable, nyala and oryx.

Nyala

I quickly learned on my first day out that South Africa is about opportunity, which forces the hunter to be flexible and ready. We could be hunting kudu when a nyala unexpectedly steps out of the brush. This is exactly what happened many times, which is all part of the excitement of South Africa. After four days of hiking, glassing, and passing on a few animals, in the end, I took my sable and kudu within a few hours of each other.

The nyala was next on the list if there was an opportunity. The nyala, a cousin to the kudu, which is often referred to as the Gray Ghost, proved just as elusive. Even with the rut in full swing, these animals prefer heavy thick brush and have little interest in venturing out of their comfort zone. Finally, on the second-last day of the hunt and after exhausting multiple tactics, I took a beautiful nyala bull as we sneaked our way through the brush.

Witfontein Safaris

This adventure had already become epic – the culture, endless wildlife, and the sunsets are what hunting novels are written about, and I was living it. Time was running out, as it always seems to do. The idea of still having an opportunity at an oryx with only one day remaining seemed unrealistic. I had only seen one oryx, and it was running ass over tea kettle as they say, in the other direction. Herman, my ever confident PH, seemed to have no worries. He simply grinned and looked at me like a tenured professor would eye an unconfident student.

“I have a plan, now let’s get a good night’s rest and we will attack this in the morning.”

After a somewhat restless night, sunrise of the last day finally came, and after a quick breakfast I was anxious to hear “the plan” as we headed out for the last day in the field.

Witfontein Safaris

We started the morning by glassing a large expanse where Herman had previously located a small herd, hoping they would still be in the area. It was not long before we had our first glimpse of these amazing animals. Not unlike the pronghorns of the west, they are also equipped with amazing eyesight and being herd animals, there were lots of eyes to be concerned about. I was excited, but a few minutes later we were spotted, and they quickly turned and disappeared over the ridgeline. My heart sank as I tried not to look at my watch in desperation as the day clicked forward. Unshaken, Herman with his same confident professor expression, simply said, “Alright let’s go get ‘em,” as if the disappearance over the far ridge was part of the plan.

We quickly got off the top of the truck, shouldered the shooting sticks, and off we went on foot. Samuel, our highly experienced and trusty tracker went off in another direction, obviously part of some plan that at this point I no longer questioned. After about an hour of tracking and worming our way through the trees and underbrush, I was becoming slightly lost when Herman once again looked over at me intently as he quietly deployed the sticks.

“OK, get ready, and take the one on the right.” Right? How far out is he? I had not yet spotted anything, let alone the one on the right. After calming my nerves and getting organized I was on the sticks and finally spotted the oryx. At the same time Herman whispered, this time with a bit more anxiety in his voice, “Hit him now – he is at 142.” I squeezed off the .308 and the unmistakable sound of the thump echoed back at us. I knew he was hit good, and after a short track (thank you, Samuel) we had him, and I was immediately overcome with emotion. It was now the afternoon of my last day of hunting and I had taken all four of my target species and participated in one of the most incredible experiences of my life.

Sable

As we gathered around the fire that last evening enjoying a drink, I had an opportunity to reflect. It is interesting how the mind works: The covid frustrations, scheduling trauma and unending flight changes seemed irrelevant as the warm glow of the final sunset disappeared behind the hills. I had just experienced a culture and an adventure that many dream of, but only a small percentage have realized. I was incredibly grateful.

If I have learned anything about this experience it can be summed up about perseverance and long-term planning. Too often we subject ourselves to the daily frustrations and struggles within our own professional and personal life, not allowing ourselves to dream big – in the end a decade will slip by, and our experiences remain routine. This trip had dozens of opportunities to fail, or for any of us to simply say – “not now, this is too hard”. But we did not. As this trip fades into photos and long-distant memories, I will always be grateful for not giving up and making this incredible and epic adventure a reality.

What is your next adventure? Make it happen!

About the author
Dave Irvin is a commercial backcountry pilot, avid hunter, aviation and outdoor writer and wilderness enthusiast. He currently calls Western Montana home where he and his family reside on their small ranch.

A West African Hunting Story

Jul 8, 2021 | Hunting Stories, News

Suspicions arose when my French representative took me aside at Ouamou, our hunting camp in eastern Burkina Faso, strongly advising me to keep my firearm within reach at all times. I had just arrived with my last group of hunters after two months of back-to-back safaris in Burkina Faso (formally known as Upper Volta). Some background. Terrorist attacks escalated during the past few years in Burkina Faso. On 2 March 2018, at least eight heavily armed militants launched an assault on key locations throughout Ouagadougou, the capital city of Burkina Faso. Targets included the French Embassy and the headquarters of Burkina Faso’s military. ISIS fighters infiltrated the Sahel region (northern Burkina Faso, western Niger and southern Mali) from the north and established strongholds in this arid and religious-diverse area. The Sahel region forms the southern frontier of the Sahara Desert.

Colourful garments decorate the road between the camp and the hunting zone

Splinter ISIS groups moved into the countryside of eastern Burkina Faso – directly into our beloved hunting grounds. For nearly a decade, African Echo has conducted successful hunting safaris in association with our local partner during the months of January through to the end of March. In Singou, not far from where I was busy hunting savannah buffalo with an American client, a French outfitter and his hunting clients spotted two armed men at a distance who immediately opened fire on the French group, but luckily no-one was hit (very bad shots). The French picked up 34 AK-47 cases after the two men ran off. The news spread like a veldfire among the camp staff, and we were all on high alert. Not initially wanting to alarm the clients, we started hunting more to the south in the concession and added a few extra armed scouts to our party. We all spoke French, except my clients.

We added a few extra armed scouts to our party

My tracker Oually normally goes off on his own just before arrival at our lunch-time picnic spot, to shoot a few guinea fowl which very tastefully paired with our packed pasta, Moroccan sardines and a few cold ones.

After the first shot from his old Russian single-barrel shotgun, and very much to his surprise, he was surrounded by half of Burkina Faso’s armed forces. Luckily the heavily armed convoy was led by Michel, a good friend and local hunting guide, showing the military where the previous attack took place. I remember being quite proud as Michel was wearing his African Echo hunting cap (he often helped me out when I had double bookings). By now the clients realised that this was not a standard anti-poaching exercise.

Fighting ISIS in the beautiful hunting blocks of Burkina Faso

We had a meeting back in camp and decided to stop all hunting. The plan was to wait for the military to clear the area. After sitting in camp for two days and slowly running out of hunting days, I contacted my local partner in Ouagadougou and he organised another concession in the Pama region, very close to the Benin border. This was my last safari that season – little did I know that it sadly would also be my last safari since then. We quickly packed, and after lunch the whole crew drove down to Pama, roughly 200 km southwest by road. Trust me, 200km is not a two-hour drive in West Africa. We arrived at last light, regrouped and settled in.

Arriving at last light, African Echo crew move camp 200 km southwest towards the Benin border

After losing a few hunting days and confronted by a whole new area, we were very fortunate to obtain most of the animals on the clients’ wish list. We were all on the same Air France flight from Ouagadougou to Paris from where my clients caught their connecting flight back to the States, and I flew back to South Africa. Saying our last good-byes at Charles De Gaulle Airport, I sensed a mutual awareness of what just happened to us. It was more than just a hunt. The past ten days of compact and intense adventure will provide a lifetime of memories.

A Proud Member of Craig Boddington Endorsed Outfitters.
Registered ACP (Confirmé) & PHASA. SCI member & Global Rescue partner.

Please contact us if you are interested in hunting West and Central Africa (Chad & Central African Republic) or Southern Africa (Mozambique, Zambia & South Africa).
www.africanecho.co.za
glaeser@africanecho.co.za
Mobile: +27-83 456 1934

YouTube URL-link below of last short film made in Burkina Faso: https://youtu.be/nzMMI7RRAkU