Category: African Hunting

Your mountain reedbuck trophy should have an average shoulder height of around 29 inches, weigh about 65 pounds, and have a Horn Length of approximately 5 inches.

The minimum Safari Club International score for a mountain reedbuck is 11. Add the length of each horn and the bases’ circumference to get your SCI score.

Trophy Reedbuck hunting can be a more complex animal to hunt than the other Reedbuck species in South Africa. However, the Bedford area’s population density is unusual and makes life much more accessible than in other parts of the country.

As a result, the hunter will find these animals much warier and live on more challenging terrain. Also, its smaller body size makes it a difficult target.

Hunting Mountain Reedbucks are spotted and stalked from high points such as steep slopes and canyon entrances.

Stalks are often long, and a good pair of boots is needed.

Hunters often find the female lying in the grass or under a tree. The male will most likely be lying a little away from the female.

The trick is to avoid being spotted by his harem. The best scenario is to find a bachelor ram on his own.

Warthog is often a hindrance when hunting mountain reedbuck as they share the same areas.

The focus is on the mountain reedbuck; a sleeping warthog under a bush will not be spotted and give the game away and blow your planned stalk.

Trophy Judgement

The Mountain Reedbuck’s horns tend to be shorter than the common reedbuck but still have the characteristic curve forward at the horns’ tips.

Any set that goes past the ear lengths will be a good trophy.

They are wary but often inquisitive – a trait the hunter can use to his advantage.

They graze and drink early in the morning, late afternoon, or even at night, usually resting in the shady spaces of their habitat during midday.

Mountain Reedbuck hunters can expect shots to be longer.

To judge the Mountain Reedbuck trophy quality, one must always look at the neck’s size: a thick, darkened, well-set neck is the first sign of a mature animal.

The horns are shaped like hooks, hooking forward with a good base. Therefore, always look to harvest a male with horns in line with the ears’ tips or greater.

Rifle caliber

The Eastern Cape region of South Africa is probably the best area to hunt these mountain dwellers, where hunters will enjoy great numbers and exciting hunting.

Often spotted on the slopes of valleys and draws while glassing for kudu or eland.

For those hunters who wish to avoid going through the red tape of bringing a rifle into South Africa, Nick Bowker has 300 Magnums fitted with suppressors.

Mounted on the guns are Swarovski Z8 tactical scopes. Guides operate the distance adjustments for you.

We have hand-loaded Hornady ELD-X ammunition for your safari in Africa.

The rifle, including ammunition, is available as part of all hunting packages free of charge.

Include Mountain Reedbuck Trophy hunting in your African hunting safari; you won’t regret the decision.

• Mountain reedbuck are active throughout the day and night, showing the most activity around dawn and dusk, and frequently rest when temperatures are high.

• Although the species is social (usually females are found in small herds), groups are unstable: individuals may switch groups regularly. Females occupy home ranges of around half a mile, which overlap several smaller male territories.

• The male use of body posturing and vocalizations is to maintain boundaries between neighboring males.

• Females prefer territories with steep slopes to escape predators, irrespective of the presence of food or water. As a rule, population densities are 5-9 animals per half a mile in South Africa.

• Males are solitary and territorial but associate with females as they pass through their territory. Immature males live in small bachelor groups.

• Where conditions are favorable, breeding occurs year-round. Whereas in South African regions with harsh winters, most births happen in the austral summer (mostly November and December).

• Lambs are tucked away in dense vegetation by their mothers for at least one month when they will visit to nurse them.

• One lamb is born after a gestation period of approximately eight months. Weaning occurs after about a year.

• Females reach sexual maturity as early as 9-12 months, though they are not fully mature until 18-24 months.

• In the East Cape South Africa, males will reach full maturity at around twenty-seven months of age.

• Mountain Reedbuck hunts differ significantly from the common Reedbuck due to the habitat difference.

The mountain reedbuck averages 30 inches at the shoulder and weighs around 65 pounds.

It has a gray coat, white underbelly, reddish-brown head, and shoulders.

The male has ridged horns of about 6 inches, which curve forward. The male and the female have a dark scent patch beneath the ears.

This medium-sized antelope is found in the Cape province of South Africa and on the Free State on rocky slopes.

The ears’ points are rounded, and the most noticeable feature is their big, white, bushy tails.

A typical group is several adult females and juveniles and one nomad male. Adolescent males are forced out of their herds and form small bachelor herds.

Mountain Reedbuck is a hugely underrated hunt experience in Africa.

The Mountain Reedbuck is different from the Common and Bohor Reedbuck.

Your Zebra trophy should have an average shoulder height of around 50 inches and weigh about 800 pounds.

Zebras have been reintroduced into the Eastern Cape but are not genuinely free-ranging. Standard cattle and sheep fences impede zebras’ movement.

Zebra are relatively widely spread across the Eastern Cape. Hunts mainly use an ambush method in open country and walk and stalk techniques.

Zebra can be challenging to approach and very wild.

We offer the opportunity to hunt Zebra in several plains game packages.

Hunting Trophy Zebra can prove difficult, as judging stallions from mares can be challenging. Hunting is done by spot and stalk.

Although the mares choose the dominant stallion, the stallion will assume his position at the back of a retreating herd, thus being closer to the point of danger, often stopping to look back.

Zebra is very resilient and tough and likely will require a follow-up shot.

Zebra provides the ideal add-on to one of our packages for the hunter, such as the kudu- Nyala Game Hunts package.

Zebra is a remarkably tough animal. Shot placement is vital; a poorly placed shot will result in a long hunt.

We recommend the 7mm or 300 Magnum calibers for your hunt.

For those who do not wish to go through the red tape of bringing a rifle into South Africa to hunt with, Nick Bowker has 300 Winchester Magnums fitted with suppressors.

We have high-end Swarovski tactical optics mounted on the rifles. We have hand-loaded Hornady ELD-X 200-grain ammunition for hunters.

This setup, including ammunition, is free of charge as part of all hunting packages. Hunt methods are mainly spot and stalk.

Zebra form small herds, usually 8 to 10 in number, consisting of a stallion, several mares, and their foals. Excess males leave the herd and form bachelor herds. These make for ideal hunting targets.

Good glassing is essential in trophy assessment when hunting.

If it is the flat skin you are after, the hunter should be advised that the old stallions will most likely be battle-scarred and worn and not a suitable trophy for your Zebra rug.

Zebra hunters look for a younger male or a mare if an excellent hide is what they seek. As often with African animals, hunting zebra is best in the early morning or late afternoon. They are regular drinkers.

• Every zebra has a unique pattern. Scientists can use patterns like bar codes to identify individuals in a herd and keep track of them over time.

• For a long time, scientists have wondered why zebras have stripes. According to one theory, it confuses predators, making it harder for a lion to pick out an individual zebra from a stampeding herd.

• Recently, some scientists have believed that stripes keep zebras cooler. The dark bars soak up more sunlight than the light ones, which stirs up eddies of wind that swirl heat away.

• Researchers have also discovered that biting flies avoid striped patterns.
• The two theories might be linked as biting flies prefer hot temperatures, making them less likely to bite a cooler zebra.

• One of the three zebra species, the mountain zebra, was nearly extinct in South Africa but was saved by a farmer’s group.

• Mountain zebra have incredibly hard, sharp hooves that help them negotiate in difficult, rugged terrain.

• And while this wild critter can’t grow a mountain man beard, it does have a bizarre, prominent neck flap called a dewlap.

• A distinctive subspecies of the plains zebra, the quagga was mostly yellow-brown and un-striped below its shoulders.

• Native to South Africa, it was driven to extinction by European settlers and hunters. The last quagga died at the Amsterdam Zoo in 1883.

• Zebras can breed with the horses. The offspring come in a fantastic variety of semi-striped patterns and are usually infertile.

• Burchell Zebra safari-style hunting can be done across South Africa.

• Zebra often associate with blue wildebeest.

Description of Zebra

The unique stripes of zebras make them one of the animals most familiar to people. They occur in various habitats, such as grasslands, savannas, woodlands, thorny scrublands, mountains, and coastal hills.

Zebras have excellent eyesight. The Zebra’s eyes are on the sides of its head, giving it a wide field of view.

They also have night vision but are not as advanced as most of their predators.

Zebras have excellent hearing due to large, rounded ears and can turn their ears in almost any direction.

In addition to superb eyesight and hearing, zebras also have an acute sense of smell.

The eyesight of Zebra can make zebra hunting very challenging.

Highly social, Zebra live in groups called a dazzle, herd, or zeal. Stallions keep harems and their foals up to six mares.

Bachelor males live alone or form bachelors until they are old enough to challenge a breeding stallion.

Information for Zebra hunting

The common plains zebra species is about 47 – 51 inches at the shoulder. It can weigh up to 700 – 900 pounds, males slightly more significant than females.

• Plains zebras are the smallest, most abundant, of the horse family’s wild members. They roam across much of southeastern Africa.

• Zebra comes in all sorts of subspecies and coat variations. For example, the further south you travel across Africa, the plains zebras will have fewer stripes on their legs. Nobody is sure why, but it may have something to do with the temperature or populations of those biting flies.

• Found in Kenya and Ethiopia, Grevys zebras have a more donkey-like shape, with huge round ears. The Grevy’s zebra species is the largest wild horse family member and can weigh up to 990 pounds.

The Hartmann zebra is a sub-specie of the Mountain Zebra and is found only in Nambia and can be hunted.

South African Licensed Outfitter and Guide License

The South African guide is the person who physically guides a client in the hunting area. The guide performs the following functions:

• The guide sees the welfare of his client while in the hunting camp.

• He oversees the hunting camp and its personnel.

• The guide ensures that his client has the necessary permits before he allows him to hunt.

• He sees that his client’s trophies are skinned and prepared according to the correct methods.

• The guide is responsible for his client’s safety while in the camp and the hunting area.

The South African guide sees that his client does not hunt, contrary to South African law.

The South African guide does not receive any remuneration from the client for services, but rather the outfitter pays the guide.

He does not recruit clients or offer his services to a client directly but instead works for a hunting outfitter who recruits and presents services to the client.

Often a South African licensed outfitter and guide are the same people.

The client remunerates the hunting outfitter for services and trophies.

South African Outfitter Responsibilities

The licensed South African Outfitter recruits the client. The outfitter has the following responsibilities:

• Arrange and organize the client’s hunt from start to finish.

• The outfitter enters into a written agreement with the client. The agreement specifies the nature of the hunting and accommodation.

• He is directly remunerated by the client for his services.

• The outfitter provides the provision of the hunting area. As well as the camp with all its conveniences and services.

• Supplies the camp personnel and pays them.

• He supplies the camp with provisions and stores.

• Sees to it that the client is guided by qualified licensed professional hunters.

• Obtains the necessary permits enabling his client to hunt legally.

• He is responsible for obtaining the necessary permits to convey and export his client’s trophies and to see that they are delivered in good shape and order.

Source

Professional Hunters Association of South Africa

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1. CONFIRMATION OF RESERVATION

• 1.1. The Parties agree that the Client has reserved the following dates for a safari experience as detailed hereinbelow with NBH: –
  [Enter dates once airline tickets are booked]

2. PACKAGE DETAILS

• 2.1. The cost of the Safari is [Enter total cost of Safari]
• 2.2. Included in the Safari Cost is the following:
  • A registered Professional Hunter
  • Skinners, trackers, and dogs for the retrieval of wounded animals, if necessary
  • Transport for pick-up and drop off at Port Elizabeth Airport
  • 4X4 vehicles equipped for hunting for the duration of the Safari
  • Use of high-end rifles (SAKO), scopes (SWAROVSKI), and ammunition, if required
  • Accommodation (inclusive of food and beverages and laundry)
  • Field preparation of trophies and delivery to selected taxidermists
  • All taxes and permit fees applicable to your Safari, excluding foreign taxes and any taxes associated with your travel and taxidermy
  • The Game listed in 3.3 below
     

2. PACKAGE DETAILS (continued)

• 2.3. The Safari Cost is specifically for trophy animals listed below [List agreed trophies]
• 2.4. Any animals hunted over and above those provided in the list above must be paid for at either a negotiated price or at the NBH price for a trophy of that animal if no price is negotiated.
• 2.5. All flights and related travel costs are excluded.
• 2.6. Taxidermy costs are excluded. The delivery cost of trophies to selected Taxidermists is included.

3. RESPONSIBLE PERSON

• 3.1. The Client shall be responsible for payment of the package cost in full, at the end of the hunt via card or cash.

4. APPLICABLE LAW

• 4.1. The Laws of the Republic of South Africa shall be applicable in the enforcement of this agreement. The parties consent to the jurisdiction of the relevant court, depending on the quantum, having jurisdiction over the district of Bedford for the resolution of all disputes relating to this agreement.

NICHOLAS BOWKER OBO NBH
Date:

THE CLIENT
Date:

General terms & conditions

As a general rule, Nick Bowker Hunting does not require a deposit for package hunts.

Payment will be at the end of the hunt via card or cash. The agreement is via email correspondence.

Attached above is a sample contract for clients wishing to enter into a written agreement.

The contract sets out the terms and conditions of the African hunting safari. Bookings are confirmed when clients have reserved airline tickets to Port Elizabeth.

Nick Bowker reserves the right to charge a deposit in specific circumstances. Deposits, if charged, are non-refundable.

Credit on hunting packages – terms and conditions

If you book one of our hunting packages and only take some of the trophies included. A credit of 75% of the list price of the trophies you did not shoot is refundable. Refunds should rarely be necessary.

Liability – terms and conditions

Nick Bowker Hunting, its agents, and employees shall not be held liable for any damage, losses, and expenses suffered by any client. As a result of circumstances outside of the control of Nick Bowker Hunting.

Client responsibility – terms and conditions

Clients at all times shall follow the instructions of the Professional Hunter in attendance. Clients need to observe rifle safety precautions at all times.

Jurisdiction – terms and conditions

The Laws of the Republic of South Africa shall be applicable in the enforcement of this agreement. The parties consent to the jurisdiction of the relevant court.

Depending on the quantum, having jurisdiction over the district of Bedford for the resolution of all disputes relating to this agreement.

Your Gemsbok trophy should have an average shoulder height of around 46 inches, weigh about 500 pounds, and have a Horn length of approximately 36 and 38 inches. A record class is Gemsbok, which is over 40 inches.

The minimum score under Safari Club International for Gemsbok is 81. Add the length of each horn and the circumference of the bases to get your SCI score for your Gemsbok trophy.

Males and females make spectacular trophies. Both sexes carry long spear-like horns. Gemsbok can be highly aggressive and dangerous when injured or threatened.

Gemsbok Oryx has been introduced into the Eastern Cape and is not genuinely free-ranging. We have an outstanding herd available on the Hopewell hunting ranch.

Standard cattle and sheep fences are a partial impediment to the movement of a gemsbok.

Warthog holes provide the ideal escape plan for the Gemsbok. They flatten their horns and go through the warthog hole.

Gemsbuck hunting is standard across the Eastern Cape. Hunt Gemsbok using ambush techniques in the open country and spot and stalk techniques.

Rifle Calibre for Gemsbok Antelope Hunts

This open country will demand one of the flat shooting rifle calibers and scope combinations. Gemsbok is alert with excellent eyesight, hearing, and smell; your stalk needs to be carefully planned and executed.

For those hunters who wish to avoid going through the red tape of bringing a rifle into South Africa, Nick Bowker Hunting has 300 Winchester Magnums fitted with suppressors.

Mounted on the rifles are high-end Swarovski optics. We have hand-loaded Hornady ELD-X 200-grain ammunition. The rifles, including shells, are free of charge as part of all hunting packages.

Trophy Judgement for Hunting Gemsbok

The humped shoulder can result in a high shot. Therefore, follow the front leg’s backline to about one-third into the body.

Never shoot above the horizontal midline of this beautiful antelope unless you require a good hike.

Remember that the cow’s horns tend to be long and often out-score the bull when assessing the trophy. Remember that the body size differs remarkably from one Gemsbok to another.

A Gemsbok hunt will provide a fabulous trophy; its meat is one of the most delicious on the African continent.

• The straight, rapier-like horns are used in territorial combat and as lethal weapons against predators.

• Moreover, they can kill lions.

• Gemsbok minimizes water loss through sweat by increasing their body temperature to an astonishing 45°C and dissipating the stored heat at night.

• Consequently, overheating is averted by a filigree of blood vessels in the nose, known as the carotid, through which all the blood that passes to the brain is circulated and cooled.

• Hunting Gemsbok can be undertaken in the Texas hill country as well as other US states, but it is indigenous to Africa.

• A slow metabolism allows these antelopes to survive the year without drinking in the Kalahari desert.

• They get the moisture they need from their food, for example, the desert melons that they dig up in drought times.

• After giving birth, a female hides her calf for three to six weeks, remaining nearby and visiting a few times a day to nurse.

• The calf’s pale brown lighter colors works as camouflage.

• Oryx hunting in Southern Africa’s arid regions was conducted by bow and arrow and was an important food source. Gemsbok is hunted safari style in Africa.

Description of the Gemsbok Species

Widely hunted safari style for its spectacular horns that average 33 inches in length.

They use their horns to defend themselves and their young from predators. The males use their horns to protect their territories from other males.

Unusually, gemsbok hunting is one of the few antelope species where female trophies are sometimes more desirable than male ones.

Gemsbok is light brownish-grey to tan in color, with lighter patches toward the rump’s bottom rear. Their tails are long and black.

A blackish stripe extends from the chin down the lower edge of the neck and through the juncture of the shoulder and leg along the lower flank of each side to the rear leg.

The Gemsbok has very muscular necks and shoulders, and their legs have white ‘socks’ with a black patch on both front legs.

The face is black with white marks, and the tail is long and black.

A rough coat with coarse hair, predominantly khaki.

Gemsbok stands about 47 inches at the shoulder. Male Gemsbok can weigh between 400 and 530 pounds, while females weigh 220 and 440 pounds.

Females isolate themselves from the herd before giving birth. After giving birth, a mother gemsbok hides her calf.

Information for Gemsbok Game hunts

This differs from most antelope species, whose young travel with the herd almost immediately.

The mother remains close to her concealed offspring and visits them daily for her calf to suckle.

New-born are colored in an inconspicuous brown, blending with their environment.

Their black and white face markings won’t appear until it is ready to join the mother’s herd. The calf will continue suckling until it is six to nine months old.

The social structure of the Gemsbok is different from most other antelope species.

Other antelope in the area, like blesbok, employ a harem system where one dominant breeding male controls a group of females and young. Bachelor males form separate herds or hold a particular area.

On the other hand, gemsbok form mixed herds of both males and females.

Sparring contests that may escalate into fights serve to maintain the hierarchy in the herds.

These fights will likely start due to competition for resources, such as females in estrus or drinking at a water hole.

Our packages include Gemsbok hunts and other trophies such as sable antelope, nyala, kudu, and the black wildebeest.

Your springbok ram trophy should have an average shoulder height of around 28 inches, weigh about 50 pounds, and have a Horn Length of approximately 12 inches. Recently a world record springbok of 20 inches has been found.

The Safari Club International minimum score for a springbok is 30, white springbok 28, black springbok 30.5, and copper springbok 25.

The trophy is measured by adding the length of each horn and the circumference of the bases.

The Springbok is the national emblem of the Republic of South Africa.

The name of the antelope originates from the early Dutch settlers in South Africa and the word “spring,” meaning jump.

Its unique trait of “prancing” will make you understand why our ancestors gave it this name.

The Springbok is graceful and handsomely patterned, with a long fold of skin on its back.

The skin fold on the back is closed, and when the animal becomes excited, it opens, fanning a length of stiff white hair.

It is believed that after rains, particularly in the Kalahari, for the joy of living, the animals jump up and down like bouncing balls, stretching their front and rear legs simultaneously and bending their heads down (called ‘prancing’).

Springbok is shot mainly in the open plains, and stalks can be tricky. Sometimes, a long shot will be required, especially on the open plains.

Springbok are hunted by spot and stalk and are suitable trophies for the first-time hunter.

Come and join us for the hunt of a lifetime at our safari hunt lodge in the Eastern Cape of South Africa.

If you can approach within 250 yards, you are doing well, and it is best to take your shot. The flat-shooters will be the right rifle when hunting Springbok.  

For those hunters who do not wish to go through the red tape of bringing a rifle into South Africa, Nick Bowker has 300 Magnums fitted with suppressors.

The rifles are mounted with a Swarovski Z8 tactical scopes. We have hand-loaded Hornady ELD-X 200 grain ammunition.

The rifle, including ammunition, is available as part of all hunting packages free of charge.

Hunting springbok can be a challenge due to its size and excellent senses. Stalk carefully while keeping the wind in your favor, and get as close as possible.

The trophy quality lies in the bases’ width, the overall length, and the curls on the horns’ tips.

It’s a great trophy to hunt while on safari. It is necessary for any collector interested in collecting the springbok color variations.

Springbok is included in nearly all of our hunting packages, along with kudu, sable antelope, gemsbok, impala, blesbok, warthog, and mountain reedbuck.

• One of the fastest animals on the planet. Springbok can reach a speed of up to 60 miles per hour.

• They have a pocket-like flap of skin on the rump, which conceals a white crest. When Springbok detects predators, the crest is visible. The white crest sends a message to other members of the group.

• Springbok has long, pointed ears, a long neck, and a slender body. Lyre-shaped horns can be seen in males and females (they are longer and thicker in males).

• Springbok is a herbivore (plant-eater). The springbok’s diet is grasses, leaves, roots, and tubers.

• Natural enemies of springboks are cheetahs, leopards, hyenas, lions, wild dogs, jackals, and lynxes.

• Springbok form a few herds: mixed herds (one dominant male with numerous females and their offspring) and bachelor herds.

• Springbok (antidorcas marsupialis) can mate all year round. Young are born at the start of the rainy season in summer when food is abundant.

• Pregnancy in females lasts 5 to 6 months and ends with one baby hidden in the bush or tall grass during the first few days of life. At 3 to 4 weeks, young springbok joins a nursery herd with its mother.

• Springbok depends on the milk of the mother until the age of about six months. Females often stay within their native herds, while males leave them at 6 to 12 months to join bachelor herds.

• Females reach sexual maturity at one year and males at two years.

• Springbok can survive up to 10 years in the wild.

• Springbok hunting is very similar to blesbok hunting as they share the same characteristics.

Springbok is primarily active around dawn and dusk.

The weather influences activity; Springbok can feed at night in hot weather and midday in colder months.

They rest in the shade of trees or bushes and often lie in the open when the weather is cooler.

The mixed-sex herds or harems have a roughly 3:1 sex ratio; bachelor individuals are also observed in these herds.

The Springbok is a medium-sized, slender antelope with long legs. Both sexes reach 28 inches at the shoulder with a head-and-body length typically between 47 and 59 inches. The weights for both sexes range between 45 and 55 pounds. Both sexes have a pair of black, 10 – 15-inch-long horns that curve backward.

They have a white face and a dark stripe from the eyes to the mouth. A light-brown coat marked by a reddish-brown line that runs from the upper foreleg to the buttocks.

Your warthog boar trophy should have an average shoulder height of around 25 inches, weigh about 180 pounds, and have a Tusk Length of approximately 10 inches.

The Safari Club International minimum score for a warthog is 29. The trophy is measured by adding the length of each tusk and the circumference of the tusks.

Only the upper tusks are considered for the trophy measurement.

Warthogs in South Africa are great hunting, and a big boar is not an everyday occurrence.

Although the warthog is now one of the most widely spread animals in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, high-quality boars are still challenging to find.

Sheep and cattle fences are little or no impediment to freedom of movement when hunting. Warthog is found in all provinces, including Limpopo.

The goal for hunting warthog ranges from trophy tusks and hide to delicious meat. The adult boar, one of the most challenging African games, can weigh over 250 pounds.

They are not territorial, and he wanders all over the show. Big boars will not flee from dogs but rather turn and fight. The bottom tusks can be lethal for the dog. Hunting methods are mainly spot and stalk.

Warthogs are found in small family groups called “sounders,” where the mother and piglets stay together for up to three years. The boar will only join the group for mating.

A Warthogs’s favorite pastime is wallowing in the mud, which aids in skin protection.

Warthog is included in nearly all our big game hunting offers. They can be a real nuisance when hunting other species, such as eland, due to getting up in front of hunters during a stalk and spooking the intended quarry.

Hunt Warthog with 7 mm and 30 calibers works well for Warthog hunts. For those hunters who wish to avoid going through the red tape of bringing a rifle into South Africa, Nick Bowker has 300 Magnums fitted with suppressors.

Mounted on the rifles are Swarovski Z8 tactical scopes. Also, we have hand-loaded Hornady ELD-X ammunition.

The rifle, including ammunition, is free of charge as part of all South African hunting offers.

The warthogs’ natural skin color is gray but can appear reddish or yellow due to their constant mud bathing activities.

The snout is broader than a domestic pig’s, and long canine teeth (tusks) curl over the snout.

Tails are upright and erect when they are on the move.

Always approach from downwind when game hunting Warthog. The Warthog has poor eyesight but a good sense of smell and hearing; thus, warthogs are often shot at close distances.

Boars are often double the size of sows in body weight, displaying two dominant warts on both sides of the head, while sows have much smaller warts.

Judging the trophy quality from a distance can be difficult as the tusks are not always easy to see.

Boars will display darkened skin below their eyes due to scent glands leaking a secretion that stains the skin, making boar identification more straightforward.

Consider at least 2-3 inches of tusk inside the lip while hunting. Warthogs occur in all provinces of South Africa and all types of terrain. Join us at our hunt lodge, Hopewell.

• Their name comes from the warts or protrusions on their face; these protrusions combine bone and cartilage. It protects their face when they fight.

• Warthog sleeps underground at night or in burrows when it is cold. Warthog and other animals like the steenbok take over these burrows from other animals, such as the aardvark or anteater in English.

• Warthogs mainly eat grass but dig for roots and bulbs, especially when dry. They also scavenge meat as they are omnivorous.

• They like to roll in the mud to protect their skin from the sun and parasites.

• Looking for Warthog around water is a good strategy.

• Surprisingly, warthog can live for up to 17 years of age.

• These game animals have a litter of two to four piglets; however, their mortality rate is relatively high due to predators.

• Two or three female Warthogs sometimes form small sounders with their young to assist with looking after each other’s young piglets.

• Warthog let their young go into their burrows first, then back into the burrow themselves so they can protect them if any threat comes.

• They have tusks like elephants on their upper and lower jaws. Warthogs use these to fight and defend themselves against predators.

• When dry and the ground is hard, they can kneel on their writs and use their snouts and tusks to lift the soil to extract roots and bulbs.

Description of Warthog for your hunt

The Warthog is the only pig species adapted to grazing in savanna habitats.

Warthog has calloused pads that protect the wrists. These pads are from quite early in the fetus’s development. While feeding, they often kneel and move around on their wrists.

Although they can dig their burrows, they commonly occupy abandoned burrows of aardvarks and other animals. The Warthog reverses into burrows, ready to burst out and defend if necessary.

Warthogs love to wallow in mud to cope with high temperatures and protect themselves from biting flies and insects.

They also huddle together to share heat in low temperatures.

Information for hunting Warthogs

The Warthog is a medium-sized species, with shoulder height from 20 to 30 inches. At 100 to 150 pounds, females are typically slightly smaller and lighter than males, that weigh 130 to 250 pounds. 

A warthog has two pairs of tusks protruding from the mouth and curving upwards. The shorter lower pair gets sharpened by friction against the upper pair when the Warthog is feeding.

The upper canine teeth can grow to 10 inches long and have a broad elliptical cross-section. A tusk will curve 90° or more from the root and will not lie flat on a table, as it bends somewhat backward as it grows.

In addition to finding food, the tusks are also used for defense against predators.

Your Eland should have an average shoulder height of around 67 inches, weigh about 1500 pounds, and have a Horn length of approximately 30 – 33 inches.

The minimum Safari Club International score for an Eland is 77 and is measured by adding the length of each horn and the circumference of the bases.

Eland is the largest species of the spiral-horned family in South Africa.

Bulls can weigh up to one ton and be very difficult to bring down.

Hunt Eland using spot and stalk techniques on ranches in the mountains.

It is found in the Bedford mountains, where the Eland is free-ranging amongst the sheep, cattle, and other game. However, high-quality bulls to hunt are scarce.

If you want to hunt an outstanding bull, you may have to consider going into one of the high-fenced reserves.

If you listen closely, you’ll hear a distinct clicking sound as the herd approaches.

The Eland’s hooves, which splay apart and click back together under the animals’ great weight, cause the clicking sound.

As with most African animals, shot placement should always be in the bottom third of the shoulder.

Hunting with 7mm or 30 caliber rifles would be the minimum recommended caliber. Loading the Eland always proves to be a fun exercise.

For those hunters who wish to avoid going through the red tape of bringing a rifle into South Africa, Nick Bowker Hunting has 300 Winchester Magnums fitted with suppressors.

Mounted on the guns are Swarovski tactical scopes.

We have hand-loaded Hornady ELD-X 200-grain ammunition.

The rifle, including ammunition, is available as part of all hunting packages free of charge.

Exotic hunts in Texas for Eland and many other African animals, red stag, and whitetail deer are available.

The cost of the African antelope is fivefold higher in Texas compared to South Africa, where they are indigenous.

When judging the trophy quality of Eland, it’s essential to look at the size of the ridge on the boss and the color of the dewlap.

Mature bulls will display a black/darkened fringe on the forehead, with the emphasis not always on the horn’s length but on the animal’s age.

Hunting Eland should always be considered for any African hunting safari.

Combat

• The word eland originates from the Dutch for elk.

• Eland will often stay and face predators rather than run away..

• They will group with the calves in the center and present the offending animal with a wall of kicking legs.

• Eland will rarely fight. They avoid combat by weighing each other up, with the smaller one conceding its ground immediately.

• If they do not, the more dominant male will give the inferior male a stare, which should move it on.

• Adults like their own space and do not tolerate others coming within six feet.

• Eland conserves water by not sweating to keep cool. Instead, they allow their body temperature to rise during the day and lose the heat during the cooler nights.

• This practice can save 500kg eland five liters of water.

• It was food and spiritual inspiration to the prehistoric hunter-gatherer peoples of southern Africa.

Species and Meat farming

• It features prominently in rock- and cave art across the region.

• Today’s names such as “Elands fountain” and surnames such as Mpofu (‘eland’ in Zulu) suggest how central this game antelope was to the region’s culture.

• The giant eland is also called ‘Lord Derby’s eland’ in honor of Edward Smith-Stanley, 13th Earl of Derby.

• Lord Derby sent botanist Joseph Burke to South Africa to collect animals for his museum.

• The Livingstone eland species is found in Angola, Northern Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique.

• The Eland is much better adapted than cattle to the African environment and is easily domesticated.

• Eland game is farmed for its meat and milk in South Africa and Russia.

• A female can produce up to 7kg of milk daily, which is richer in fat than cow’s milk.

• Eland is a great experience, and hunts can be with buffalo.

Description

Eland prefers to live in semi-arid areas with low bushes and often inhabits grasslands, woodlands, sub-deserts, bush, and mountaintops.

They do, however, avoid forests, swamps, and deserts. Eland form herds of up to 500 animals but are not territorial.

Eland hunts will result in a larger trophy than kudu and roan antelope.

They are spiral-horned antelopes. Females are smaller than males. Females weigh 660 – 1,320 pounds and stand 49 – 60 inches at the shoulder.

Bulls weigh 1,500 – 2,077 pounds and stand 59 – 72 inches at the shoulder. Eland bulls can weigh up to 2,200 pounds.

Apart from the course mane, the coat is relatively smooth. Females have tan skin, while the coats of males are darker, with a blueish tinge.

Bulls can also have vertical white stripes on their sides. As males age, their coat becomes darker.

Males have dense fur on their foreheads and a large dewlap on their throats.

Both males and females have horns with a steady spiral ridge (resembling that of the bushbuck). The horns of males are thicker and shorter than those of females.

During rutting season, males use their horns to fend off and butt heads with rivals, while females use their horns to protect their calves from predators.

General Information

The Eland is the slowest antelope, with a peak speed of 25 miles per hour.

However, they can maintain 14 miles per hour trot indefinitely.

They can jump up 8 feet from a standing start when startled. Eland is the largest antelope in the world.

Eland’s life expectancy is between 14 and 22 years.

Eland also has a nursery in their herds for their calves.

They migrate widely in search of grazing, and therefore, the dominant bulls are not territorial or defensive of their land areas.

During the females’ estrus cycles, bulls become possessive and territorial.

Living in regions with little surface water, the Eland, a nocturnal animal, feeds on vegetation that absorbs atmospheric moisture at night.

This provides the Eland with sufficient fluid sustenance. The Eland is a browser that feeds on a variety of plants.

They can go long periods without water but then need “tsama” fruits and gemsbok cucumbers for their water requirements.

Eland safari-style hunts make for a fantastic day in the African bushveld.

Your Impala ram trophy should have an average shoulder height of around 46 inches, weigh about 130 pounds, and have a Horn Length of approximately 22 inches.

The minimum Safari Club International score for an impala is 52. Add the length of each horn and the circumference of the bases to get your SCI score.

A trophy most hunters want to take on their first African hunt. The smooth skin and two-tone red coloration make for a unique trophy.

They easily jump sheep and cattle fences and are free-ranging outside the high-fenced areas.

Impala is widespread across the Eastern Cape. Impala lives in open woodland with sufficient water and denser woodland areas.

A lot of glassing from a high point to identify a trophy to start with.

The stalk will likely be through scrub and brush in quite dense woodland. Pick your line carefully and take the wind into account. Move slowly from thicket to thicket until a suitable range is achieved.

A vigilant Plains game animal. Several stalks can be required. Impala snorts loudly whenever they sense danger. At this point, the game is up.

A 7mm, right on up to the 30 calibers, is the best choice of caliber. The bottom third of the animal up the front leg is where you should aim.

For those hunters who wish to avoid going through the red tape of bringing a rifle into South Africa, Nick Bowker Hunting has 300 Magnums fitted with suppressors.

Mounted on the rifles are Swarovski tactical optics. We have hand-loaded Hornady ELD-X ammunition.

An excellent safari-style hunting adventure.

This graceful, medium-sized antelope is a sociable herd animal that frequents open woodlands and bushveld.

A browser and a grazer will never venture far from water, as he must drink daily.

The rams only carry lyre-shaped horns, but the herd’s propensity to bunch together in the dense brush while not still can make it easy to make a mistake.

The hunter should look for the ram that stands out in the bachelor groups.

• Impala can leap up to 10 feet in the air and travel as far as 33 feet in one bound. For an animal with an average height of 3 feet and a length of around 4 feet, this is a considerable distance.

• This agility makes maneuvering over and around obstacles easy for the impala. This comes in handy when they need to escape predators such as lions.

• Impala undertakes mutual grooming. One impala will groom a herd member. Who will return the favor by grooming in precisely the same spot for the same time.

• Impala is a synchronous breeder. This means they tend to mate and give birth around the same time each year.

• Impala breeding usually corresponds with the wet season. They typically mate in May, at the end of the wet season. Giving birth in November during the rainy season.

• That predictable breeding schedule usually gives impala calves their best shot at survival in summer.

• Impalas and other prey face more risk in the dry season when dwindling food and water supplies force predators and prey toward the exact geographic locations.

• Three of the main prey animals on the southern African savanna (impala, zebra, and wildebeest) can recognize one another’s warning cries.

• That works to everyone’s advantage if a predator is close. If a zebra, for instance, sounds like a warning call, then any nearby zebra, wildebeest, or impala know to flee.

• Rumor has it pregnant impalas can delay giving birth for up to a month if the wet season is late.

• That belief is probably a fallacy.

• Impala can look similar to the red lechwe to the untrained eye and can’t be mistaken for the “Harley-Davidson” (the colloquial name for the red hartebeest).

• Impala are often hunted along with Blue Wildebeest.

Description of impala

The Impala or Southern Impala is found in woodlands and sometimes on the interface between forests and savannahs; it inhabits places close to water.

The Impala is active mainly during the day. Activity tends to cease during the hot midday hours; they feed at night.

Three distinct social groups exist. Territorial males, bachelor herds, and family herds.

The territorial males hold territories where they may form harems of females. Regions are demarcated with urine and feces and defended against male intruders.

The glossy coat of the Impala shows two-tone coloration. The reddish-brown back and the tan flanks. This is in sharp contrast to the white underbelly.

Additional features include white rings around the eyes and a lighter chin and snout.

Information for impala hunting

Males grow slender, lyre-shaped horns 18 – 26 inches long. The horns are strongly ridged and circular.

Their arch-like structure allows the interlocking of horns, helping a male throw off his opponent during fights. Horns also protect the skull from damage.

Male impalas typically only become territorial for about four months of the year. During this time, they’ll jealously protect their harems of female Impala and young.

If one male impala loses a fight to another, they’ll be forced to surrender their herd and join a bachelor herd instead.

Impala males who fail to mate form bachelor herds of 2 to 20 individuals.

Defending a territory requires so much time and effort that the Impala ram loses condition so much that they can only hold a region for 8 days.