Gerenuk hunts are conducted on 21‑day licences in Tanzania from July through December and in Ethiopia from October through June. Because these antelope are shy and skittish, hunters employ walk‑and‑stalk techniques at dawn and dusk when gerenuk emerge to feed. Guides look for fresh tracks in open thornveld, then approach slowly to locate a mature ram, sometimes watching as the animal stands on hind legs to reach foliage. Waterholes are unproductive since gerenuk seldom drink, so hunters focus on browsing areas and drainage lines after recent rains.

Gerenuk populations have declined by about 25 % over the last 14 years due to habitat loss and fragmentation. Although they tolerate some hunting pressure, increasing human settlement and agriculture have reduced their thornbush habitat and pushed them toward uplisting to vulnerable. Conservation organisations collaborate with governments to plan wildlife corridors and develop conservation tourism that benefits local communities and protects critical habitat. Well‑regulated trophy hunts in Tanzania and Ethiopia operate under strict quotas and licence requirements, with revenues reinvested into community projects and anti‑poaching, providing incentives for habitat preservation.