Kevin375
AH senior member
Is there someone else who likes to hunt baboons ?
It might be a tricky subject because I met people who refused to shoot them, because they look like to humans, while I met others who absolutely hate them, and even more some farmers living close by. Baboons are crop raiders, goat killers and destroy everything in farms if they have the opportunity, so they don't have a lot of friends in Africa.
I don't like the animal itself but they are great fun to hunt for sure.
In private properties where this no quota, and with farmers shooting them when the opportunity arise, it might be a real big challenge to bag a baboon. I keep in mind the famous Alexander Lake's quote about them :
"If a man wants to test his hunting ability I suggest that he tries chacma baboons. No animal, not even the African buffalo, ever led me such a futile chase as did those grey rascals. To this day I'm not sure that I have more brains than a baboon."
A long time ago, I walked more than 15 km during a day in the thick bush with two incredible trackers behind a group of baboons. These animals were incredible smart and had an awesome eyesight. Everytime my tracker spotted them, they ran away but at the end of the day, the group finished to split and the baboons were as tired as we were because of the heat. At the end, I had the opportunity to shoot a big male in a tree pretty far, and this was definitely a great memory for my first baboon.
Later, I chased them again and I also shot baboons when the opportunity arise, sometimes very far.
A big baboon is an impressive trophy and usually the shooting fee is very small, and it's even free with some outfitters if you don't keep the trophy.
So far, I had the opportunity to shoot a good number of north-western chacma baboons across Namibia, but also 2 grey-footed chacma baboon in the Caprivi strip. In that place, because there is a small quota, they are not as wary as their cousins from the south, but they are definitely not stupid.
I don't know if it's common, but I saw several workers/trackers who absolutely loved to see a dead baboon, more than any other animals. They gave me their cell phone, and asked me to take pictures of them posing with baboons. I used to give them my rifle for the photo and they were extremely happy to hold it for such memory. I'm sure some bragged that they had killed the baboons themselves.
I have killed most of my baboons with my .300 Winchester magnum but I also killed a couple of them with the .30-06, the .338 Lapua magnum and the 6.5 Creedmoor.
They can be extremely tough, and I saw a crossed Labrador wounded to the leg by a baboon that was wounded just before. But fortunately the dog survived.
One of my PH had a crossed boerbull who killed several wounded baboons, but it also carried a lot of scars from its altercations with them. However, I didn't have the opportunity to see that dog in action.
Here are some photos :
The two grey-footed chacma baboons. They are a bit smaller and the hair is more yellow.
It might be a tricky subject because I met people who refused to shoot them, because they look like to humans, while I met others who absolutely hate them, and even more some farmers living close by. Baboons are crop raiders, goat killers and destroy everything in farms if they have the opportunity, so they don't have a lot of friends in Africa.
I don't like the animal itself but they are great fun to hunt for sure.
In private properties where this no quota, and with farmers shooting them when the opportunity arise, it might be a real big challenge to bag a baboon. I keep in mind the famous Alexander Lake's quote about them :
"If a man wants to test his hunting ability I suggest that he tries chacma baboons. No animal, not even the African buffalo, ever led me such a futile chase as did those grey rascals. To this day I'm not sure that I have more brains than a baboon."
A long time ago, I walked more than 15 km during a day in the thick bush with two incredible trackers behind a group of baboons. These animals were incredible smart and had an awesome eyesight. Everytime my tracker spotted them, they ran away but at the end of the day, the group finished to split and the baboons were as tired as we were because of the heat. At the end, I had the opportunity to shoot a big male in a tree pretty far, and this was definitely a great memory for my first baboon.
Later, I chased them again and I also shot baboons when the opportunity arise, sometimes very far.
A big baboon is an impressive trophy and usually the shooting fee is very small, and it's even free with some outfitters if you don't keep the trophy.
So far, I had the opportunity to shoot a good number of north-western chacma baboons across Namibia, but also 2 grey-footed chacma baboon in the Caprivi strip. In that place, because there is a small quota, they are not as wary as their cousins from the south, but they are definitely not stupid.
I don't know if it's common, but I saw several workers/trackers who absolutely loved to see a dead baboon, more than any other animals. They gave me their cell phone, and asked me to take pictures of them posing with baboons. I used to give them my rifle for the photo and they were extremely happy to hold it for such memory. I'm sure some bragged that they had killed the baboons themselves.
I have killed most of my baboons with my .300 Winchester magnum but I also killed a couple of them with the .30-06, the .338 Lapua magnum and the 6.5 Creedmoor.
They can be extremely tough, and I saw a crossed Labrador wounded to the leg by a baboon that was wounded just before. But fortunately the dog survived.
One of my PH had a crossed boerbull who killed several wounded baboons, but it also carried a lot of scars from its altercations with them. However, I didn't have the opportunity to see that dog in action.
Here are some photos :
The two grey-footed chacma baboons. They are a bit smaller and the hair is more yellow.
