Results from 2012 Zimbabwe hunt

[Rob]

The PH's are amazing and can usually tell a male from a female zebra.  It is based on size, and if you can see genitalia (I assume you can see the genitalia on a zebra...  I might be wrong on that).

These are short haired animals so it is easier to see that.  But They do study them for a while before they tell you to take the shot.

I have not seen anyone charge a different rate for male vs female on Zebra.  often folks are really looking for either a perfect pelt, or  a scared up pelt from fights/lions, etc.  That is usually the bigger question people have over male/female.  and each hunter is looking for a different thing.

I cannot imagine why anyone would charge a different price for gender on a zebra, unless they are trying to manage a small herd.  that is possible in South Africa since most if not all of the land is high fence areas.  it is possible he had a smaller herd and did not want to take out the breeders.

If I was the hunter in that situation, I would tell the PH, you tell me which one is a male and I will shoot that one.  If I shoot the one you tell me to, and it turns out to be a female, then I expect to pay the lower male rate!

Burchells zebra are gregarious herd animlas and found in large herds.  Mixed with males and females.  Hartman's zebra on the other hand travel in small family groups.  The Hartman's I shot a few years back was with a mare and foal.  IT was clear which one was the male as he was much larger.  This could be another situation where they are charging more for a male.  Ifthey have a harder to find type of zebra, they might be trying to limit what is taken.

[Rob]

Just went through all the zebra photos from the last two trips.  I am not seeing prominent Genitalia on any of the animals.  and with all the stripes it is hard to see what is going on down there.  An experience PH can probably tell, but I don't think I could.  not like a typical horse!

here is the only photo I could find and it is pretty blurry.

[DeerThug]

Intersting .. thanks  Not sure what the deal was with this guy but from what you said i am guessing a smaller operation.

So back to the meat.  what do they do with all of the meat.  does it get used  some of it must be good stuff.

[Rob]

The meat was mostly taken and eaten by the locals.  The politics of stuff like that is complicated, but with the indigenization that is going on in Zim, I believe the villagers have some kind of right for the meat. 

We shot several animals (at no charge) for meat for the village and for the trackers and skinners.  We kept some of the meat for the camp, and we used some of the meat for bait (Hyena, leopard, etc)

It all eats very well.  Here is one of the buff's up on the skinning rack.

[DeerThug]

that looks like some goed meat there andenough to feed quite a few ..

[fvh40]

It is very difficult to identify a male zebra when they are in herd, with good bino's and patience you will get it eventually.

As Rob said, the males are a bit bigger than the females. I try to see testicles from an angel and I look at the legs, head and the neck, they are bigger and thicker than the female's.

Regarding eating a Baboon,     

[Austrian Hunter]

Wow!!!!!

[Austrian Hunter]

I have been looking at your pics now several times.  It's soo cool!!  I can't get over the Baboon..... Man these things are freaky!!!  No, maybe scary is the better word.  Can you imagine ten of them decide to have you for lunch? Nasty critters!  The small monkey is cool but his teeth are still amazing.  I can't wait to go over there for my 40th 

[Rob]

You are going to have a GREAT hunt.  It is quite an experience!

I am really looking forward to seeing the skulls from the Baboon and Vervet. 

Thanks for weighing in Ferdi, I thought it would be easy to tell, but as I went through all my photos I saw that it was much harder than I thought it would be.

I have a lot of respect for folks like Ferdi and the other PH's I have met.  The number of animals they need to be experts in is pretty amazing.  it's not like they need to know a good whitetail, mule deer, elk, bear and perhaps moose or some other less common animal like we do here in the states.

They need to be experts on things like Klipspringers, Impala, Hartebeest, Zebra, Wildebeest, Duiker, Steenbok, Springbok, Kudu, warthog, Gemsbok, Bushbuck, and I am sure there are others.  And that is just plains game.  Then there are DG hunts like Buffalo, Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Croc, Hippo, etc.

It gets really tough (at least for me) with straight horned animals like Steenbok, Klipspringer, and Gemsbok.  no reference points.  The gemsbok are especially tough as both males and females have horns, the females horns are longer, but the males are thicker.  And they grow more or less in relation to body size.  So at a distance, they all kinda look the same.