Baboons?

[SilentT]

I just got back from Botswana where i shot a large male.  After seeing him chasing all the small baboons around and eventually smacking the snot out of the little one i didn't have any problem shooting one.

[SilentT]

The skull of my baboon.  

   

[Wary Buck]

A fascinating thread.  In '94 at Humani, we saw quite a few.  I got the distinct impression that not only are baboons extremely wary, they don't like being tricked.  I had one kinda come strolling in to drink while in a pit blind that extended maybe a few feet from the riverbed.  He was cruising by at maybe 5 yards when he sneaked a peek into my blind and caught movement and he freaked out.  Literally, he was pi**ed that he'd almost been had.  At least that's the impression I got.

Another time I was in an open tree stand and no way you're escaping detection that way.  When they saw me they started hollering, "Wahoo" and I knew my hunt was severely compromised.  After 15-20 minutes of this, I finally decided what the heck...and I got out of the tree and chased the whole troop on foot for maybe 1/2 mi. and then jogged back to my waterhole and climbed back up.  Those ba*tards were still hollering "Wahoo" incessently, but at least they were now about a mile away.  After reading some of the previous stories, that may not have been such a wise move.

If I recall the Mush or Cuon at Humani said one way they tried to kill the things was to locate where a whole bunch had "roosted" in a big old tree, then return to that tree before first light, with numerous persons each with shotguns loaded with buckshot.  When the baboons sounded the alarm call, all heck broke loose and it was a war zone.  They had to be very careful of not only shooting another person accidently but also of wounded baboons retaliating.  That would make for quite a scene.

Seems like I recall also that Humani had a mounted fullbody baboon in camp and that someone put the thing in the outdoor, open-air restroom one night and one of my hunting partners bumped into it in the night and about freaked.

As I recall, the largest canines on the African continent.  I'd kill one in a second.

[BTH]

I saw quite a few on my trip when I sat in a dome blind on Smokey Mountain. There was a fairly large troop stealing the alfalfa and sitting around the waterhole making targets of themselves. I took a few pictures and was tempted but I remembered reading this thread. They only allowed us four arrows in the blind when we were sitting alone. Easier to count that way and keep us honest, I guess. When I showed my pictures that night the PH's asked why I didn't shoot one. I said "you allowed me only four arrows. I didn't want to start a war with only four arrows!"

[8th Dwarf]

Meanest, nastiest, dirtiest critter there is.  I have taken probably a dozen gnarley old boars. Fun to watch, but when two huge boars are fighting on top of your blind and pissing down through the log roof, you kind of learn to hate them.  My 14 year old grandson just got his first animal with his recurve three weeks ago...a huge old boar Baboon.

Too Short

[BUFF]

how about a picture????

[Sylvicapra]

Having worked with a troop of wild baboons for two years, as well as working with baboons in a wildlife rehabilitation environment, I will say the following: I seriously challenge the information in some of the posts in this thread.  In the time I worked with baboons, I have never even remotely been close to being attacked, nor have I even felt threatened, nor has anyone else I know been attacked or threatened, and these are people who have spent months on end, traveling with baboon troops.  That is not to say humans aren't attacked by baboons, it does happen, but not all that frequently.  With a little bit of reading, one can get a good idea of why baboons do what they do.  If anyone really wants a good in-depth read on baboons, I recommend a book by Dr. Shirley Strum titled: "Almost Human - A Journey Into the World of Baboons".  This woman has been studying baboons since the 1970s, and her book is one of the best sources for an introduction to baboons.  Or you can wait for my book to come out, but that's probably a year or two away.

Cheers!

[JesseS]

I lived in East Africa for 4 years as a young boy a baboon walked right up to me wraped its arms around my leg and sat on my foot. I thought it was great and so did my parents. My sister got scared and screamed and the baboon just walked away. Hardly a dangerous animal. Dogs have a worse track record lol.    Jesse

[chrisg]

There are baboons in the wild and then habituated, problem animals. There is a gulf between the two. Baboons that become accustomed to humans and identify them as a source of easy food are a massive nuisance and potential danger. orchards, open kitchens doors,  food left out in fruit bowls on a veranda is asking for trouble. I worked in a lodge where the guests had the stupid habit of feeding the monkeys and birds from their room verandahs. The baboon sitting further out would wait until the coast was clear and then trash the room, I mean TRASH the room.The smell meant we would redo the entire room after that. Inevitably come monday the 'rangers' ie us guides were out with the 243 and shot them. In a more remote camp I ran we lived pretty peacably alongside a large troop that roosted in a big nyala berry tree 50 metres from camp every few nights. We were careful to put all food away and still had a few raids but they were never threatening unless you caught one in the kitchen - a panicking animal will bite - you choose an animal.

Interestingly those baboons travelled around their home range between three main roosts. They only spent two or three nights in one spot, thereby avoiding buildups of fleas, dung and flies below their roost. They were intriguing neighbours, if a little like scoundrels. We never tried to 'tame' them and we jointly maintained a polite, respectful distance.
chrisg

[S Meyer]

Don’t ever get between a troop and a baby baboon. This happened to an acquaintance of my father once. He was out looking for a wounded animal when he landed in such a situation. The little one started to scream and the whole troop tried to come to its defense. Much pain and suffering followed. The baboons killed his dog and if he did not happen to have his Berretta with him he too would also have been injured. As it was he shot four baboons before he could flee to a safe distance. Regrettable but necessary.  His scoped rifle would have been useless at such close range. I’ll keep my distance from baboons and I hope they do the same for me.