Burchell’s Zebra is definitely a horse-family animal. Of the two separate species that live in South Africa’s wildlife habitat, the Burchell’s is the largest. The Burchell’s Zebra and the Cape Mountain Zebra each have distinct ranges.
The Burchell’s Zebra lives in woodlands and grassy plains, while the Cape mountain Zebra is restricted to the mountainous areas of the Cape. The preferred habitat consists of short grassland regions within savanna forest and grassland plains.
The Burchell’s Zebra cannot stray more than ten to twelve kilometres from water due to their reliance on it. Areas with a lot of vegetation are avoided.
A stallion and a mare with their babies normally make up the Burchell’s Zebra’s small family groups. In bachelor groups, non-breeding stallions might be found. Stallions for the herd range in age from four to twelve. Families come together in huge numbers to gather around water holes and preferred grazing locations.
They frequently coexist closely with wildebeest, other antelope from the plains, and baboons.
Compared to the Cape Mountain Zebra, the body stripes are fewer and wider, and they go around the belly. Less obvious leg striping is present.
The Burchell’s zebra weighs between 300 and 320 kg and has a shoulder height of 1.3 to 1.4 metres. Their rounded ears measure 160–170 mm in length. Between the ears, the front section of the mane creates a black tuft.
The Burchell’s Zebra is a grazer who prefers to feed in locations with short grass. Zebras have a robust, sensitive upper lip that they use to collect plants by snagging grass between it and their lower incisors before harvesting it.
Hunting permits frequently do not specify a Burchell’s zebra’s sex since it is difficult to determine. You may choose which zebra to shoot at by being aware of their behaviour.
One of the mares will take the lead whenever they take flight. At the back will be the dominant stallion. He’ll pause multiple times to turn around, making himself an easy mark. The lead stallion will typically go ahead as they approach the water.
Older males can often be identified by their old battle wounds. Choose one of the younger mares or stallions in the herd if you want a skin that is smooth and lovely.
Aside from that, stay away from shooting herd stallions when they are at their best because young males often kill the foals to make the mares go into heat. They do this to pass their genes to the mares during conception. The mares’ acceptance of a new herd stallion, however, can take years. It’s best to wait till the lead mare and stallion are extremely old before hunting them.
Zebras can be hunted most successfully at the watering holes first thing in the morning or late in the afternoon. As they have excellent vision, you will typically need to hunt from a distance of 200 yards or more.
When hunting Burchell’s zebra, a 30 calibre or greater rifle with heavy, expanding soft-points is suggested, however a .270 is adequate. The Burchell’s zebra is quite tough, so go with the largest rifle you’re comfortable with. A .375 H&H has proven to be a reliable calibre for many hunters.
If your aim is off, you could spend all day on the African savannah and end up losing your trophy to a lion or, even worse, to maggots.
Sighting up the middle of the front leg and placing your shot just over one-third up the upper torso on a broadside presentation is the ideal approach to secure your Burchell’s zebra, as it is with most other trophies.
To aim for the spinal column, move your aim forward and up via the shoulder blade’s centre. When shooting a zebra from the front, aim for its central chest, close to the nape of its neck.
Our hunting areas are top notch, and our experienced hunters will guide you on a successful Burchell’s zebra hunt. We offer first-rate Burchell’s zebra hunts in ideal settings, such as huge public wildlife reserves.
We take great pride in providing not only the highest quality trophies but also a genuine hunting experience. Standing zebras can be used for trophy hunts or as decorative rugs.
