Cape Buffalo Cow or Bull Giraffe?

[HSands]

Here's a fun little exercise for an upcoming hunt in South Africa that some friends and I have booked. Besides the usual bag of plains game for the first timers (gemsbok, zebra, wildebeest, blesbok, impala, springbok, etc), I'm looking to add something "different" to my list. I'll be focusing on trophy waterbuck and red hartebeest (which have either escaped me or were not available on previous trips), but have the opportunity to add either a cow cape buffalo or a bull giraffe to my plains game package.
I'd be interested in the opinions of the group as to what you would choose and why? Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

 

[PARA45]

IMHO. I would go with the cow Buffalo. Why? Well, you'll have to get close to the heard to pick up an old dry out cow, and they are not the friendliest in the bunch especially if there any calves in the heard. A Giraffe, well you have to make a good shot or you in for a long walk. Nothing dangerous about it, besides a beautiful skin. My 2 cents. But at the end of the day, it's what fills you as a hunter, not what we think.

Oh, and a wounded cow buffalo can still put a hurting on you if she decides to charge.

 

[CBH Australia]

Buffalo

 

[Hunt anything]

Buffalo hands down, the giraffe I’ve seen in South Africa have been way to trusting, that being said I wasn’t hunting them and game seems to have another sense when being pursued. The giraffe that I’ve seen in wild parts of Africa were a different story. But I wasn’t hunting on that trip.

 

[BJH65]

Hunting a barren cow buffalo can be a very exciting and sometimes challenging hunt. Other than the trophy horns, I can distinguish no difference as far as hunting goes between a Cape buffalo bull and cow. Same excitement, same potential danger, same hunting tactics. Go with the cow buffalo! To me, much more exciting than bull giraffe.

 

[375Fox]

Given those two options I’d take the buffalo cow especially if you haven’t hunted buffalo before. I’d just make sure you are getting the right cow buffalo hunt. The intensity of game farming varies from farm to farm. Hunting from a herd with ear tags in a small area would ruin the entire hunt for me. Make sure you are getting a hunt from a self sustaining herd living mostly wild on the property.
I’ve taken two giraffe, one in a wilderness concession and one in a national park. They are unique trophies especially if you are in an area where you can look over a lot of bulls and choose a old dark bull with lots of battle scars (or a pretty bull to use the skin). However, most game farms don’t have the huge selection and there are only a couple or one suitable bull to take. Giraffe also take up a good part of day once on the ground. They also become very expensive (much more than trophy fee) if you’d like to take them home as a trophy such as a neck mount, leather items, carved leg bones, etc. A cow buffalo skull would be a much better way to go.

If you are looking for something different to add to your hunt, I’d take a bushpig. It’s a unique hunt and unique trophy. The usual method is baited at night but I’ve taken them a few different ways.

 

[Lumaberpat]

I fell in love with the idea of going on safari when I saw a Mark Sullivan video, so I’d pick the buffalo.

My wife became ok with the idea when she saw a picture of someone’s trophy room, because they had a chair made of giraffe skin. (I think the European giraffe mounts are awesome)

So I guess it comes down to personal preference.

 

[Firebird]

I have not taken either-yet. But to my way of thinking, hunting a specific bull giraffe is very exciting. I have a neck/head mount already in mind and the remainder of the skin has many possibilities.

 

[Tanks]

Giraffe, if you are going to hunt a buffalo hunt a bull in a free range hunting country.

 

[Red Leg]

Depending on the game farm, you can hunt a buffalo, but you will shoot a giraffe.