Ostriches, as the largest extant bird species, set the bar high. Their feathers are floppy and soft, and as a result ostriches cannot fly.
Ostriches have only two toes, an extremely lengthy neck and legs, and they inhabit most of southern Africa. Fine hairs cover the head and neck, but their legs are exposed.
Males are mostly black, with white on the wings and tail. The female is mostly grey in colour. Both parents are responsible for the care of the young, with eggs laid on the ground. Due to the overall black colouring of the males, they tend to guard their roost at night.
Ostriches come in a wide variety of plumage, leg, and neck colours across Africa’s many subspecies. Outside of breeding season, ostriches can be seen in flocks of 30–40 birds throughout the bushveld and the drier desert areas. They have been seen in extremely dense numbers at desert watering sites.
Males engage in intricate “dances” of wooing in order to mate. Grass, berries, seeds, young plants, small reptiles, and insects make up the bulk of the ostrich’s diet.
Ostriches are typically hunted for their hides and flesh. Ostrich leather is a popular choice for western belts and boots because of its unique appearance and feel. Some people find the ostrich’s meat to be exceptionally tasty, particularly the meat from the bird’s top legs and neck. The “back skin” may be tanned and turned into a variety of stylish leather items.
Shoulder mounts depict the animal flapping its wings as a trophy. Because males tend to be more vividly coloured than females, they are more commonly sought as trophies. Hunting an ostrich would be a terrific addition to your trophy collection.
The best place to aim when hunting ostrich is in the middle of its body; the ostrich is easy to kill and won’t likely travel far if it doesn’t fall at the first shot.
Calibre and bullet choice are both irrelevant for hunting ostriches. A large percentage are killed with whatever gun you happen to be carrying because they are often encountered during the course of hunting for other species.
They’re targeted by hunters who want a break from the more serious business of hunting other animals, but an ostrich hunt involves a genuine test of one’s cunning, stamina, and a whole lot of ammunition. This bird can see and hear exceedingly well and, of course, it is quite fast.
You need to be able to stalk an ostrich stealthily from concealed locations. The ostrich will bolt if it detects your presence – even more so if the ostrich is part of a flock.
Once down, the ostrich may deliver a powerful forward kick, so it’s best to approach from behind like you would any other animal.
Keep in mind that their feathers make up a disproportionately large portion of what you are seeing, and that their bodies are smaller than they appear.
When the animal is standing perpendicular to you, locate the heart by drawing an imaginary line up the foreleg, splitting the body in half, and then in half again; the intersection of the lowermost line with the foreleg line marks the location of the heart. If you use the same method on a front chest shot, you’ll arrive at the same location: the heart.
The head or neck shot are two other possibilities, but they both have small targets and can easily ruin a trophy. The “Texas Heart Shot” also has a high success rate when used on ostrich.
Our experienced Professional Hunters and trackers at Hunt24 will take you on a memorable pursuit of this “Big Bird” of Africa, resulting in a wonderful trophy and a truly unique conversation piece.
