Blesbok Hunting in South Africa

Blesbok hunting is the perfect trophy for the first-time hunter in Africa. Shooting distances are longer on the open plains for blesbok hunting. Once near-extinct, this antelope has been reintroduced. Southern Africa’s game farms boast a population in the hundreds of thousands.

There are no seasonal restrictions on hunting in Eastern Cape, South Africa. Nick Bowker Hunting offers blesbok trophy hunts year-round.

Shot placement should be on the bottom third of the shoulder for Blesbok Hunting.
Shot placement for Blesbok hunting
Blesbok hunt

Table of Contents

  1. Blesbok Hunting Cost
  2. Interesting Facts About Blesbok
  3. Difference between a Male and Female Blesbok
  4. About the Blesbok
  5. Hunting in South Africa
  6. Trophy Judgement and Rifle Calibre
  7. White Blesbok
  8. Difference between a Bontebok and Blesbok
White Blesbok Hunting South Africa | Nick Bowker Hunting
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Blesbok Hunting Cost

The average cost of a Blesbok is $450. African hunting safari packages often include a Blesbok Trophy.

The Blesbok Slam is also an excellent addition to any package, including the common and white Blesbok.

  • $450 Common Blesbok Trophy Cost
  • $650 White Blesbok Trophy Cost 

All-Inclusive $4500 Starter Plains Game Package for seven trophies and eight days hunting. (Inclusive of a Blesbok Trophy)

Included in the Blesbok trophy hunt package is a licensed hunting guide. As well as a hunting license and all permits. Bow hunting blesbok can be extremely difficult.

Africa hunting. Blesbok hunting with Nick Bowker.
Blesbok hunting in South Africa
Blesbok trophy shoulder mount hunted in Africa.

Blesbok in Pictures

Shot placement for blesbok hunting.
Local African names for blesbok.
Blesbok predators include the jackal.
Blesbok gestation is about 8 months.
They are herd animals on the open plains.
Blesbok have a distinct white face.
Blesbok growth period to adulthood.
Blesbok weigh around 140 pounds.
Both the common and the white blesbok make for exellent trophies.
Found in Central South Africa

Interesting facts About Blesbok for Hunting

Africa blesbok hunting with Nick Bowker.
  • The name “blesbok” comes from the Afrikaans word “bles,” which means “blaze,” which refers to the white-colored marking on the face of the blesbok.
  • In English, they are called blesbuck, alternatively common or white blesbuck. Blesbok is plentiful in both national parks and private land.
  • Blesbok has a medium-sized body and short tail, which ends with a black tuft.
  • Males and females have S-shaped, spiral horns that can reach 14 to 20 inches in length, but females have more slender horns.
  • Blesbok can run 43 miles per hour to avoid predators, including cheetahs, leopards, lions, jackals, wild dogs, pythons, and eagles.
  • Blesbok lives in small herds that consist of 10 to 100 animals. Mature males protect females and young animals within the group, and the herd usually inhabits a territory of 2.5 to 6 acres.
White blesbok hunt in 2023.
Client on safari with Nick Bowker.
  • Blesbok hunts are always done on the open plains, especially in the Free State. Male blesbok use piles of dung to mark their territory. The mating season of blesbok takes place from March to May.
  • Blesbok can interbreed with a closely related antelope species called bontebok and create hybrids known as “bontebles.”
  • Female pregnancy lasts about 7.5 to 8 months, after which a single calf is born.
  • Females give birth within the herd, and the young immediately become part of the herd, which is different from many other antelope.
  • Blesbok is born during November and December, the rainy season when food is abundant. The calf is beige-colored, and the “blaze” is dark-colored.
  • Sexual maturity is at the age of 2.5 years, and can survive around 17 years in the wild.
Nick Bowker Hunting

Difference between a male and female

Male Blesbok has thicker and heavier horns than female.

Blesbok male standing in the grasslands. The male has thicker and heavier horns.
Blesbok male standing in the grasslands
Blesbok females with young standing in the grasslands. The female has thinner and lighter horns.
Blesbok females with young

About the Blesbok

Trophy taken in the Eastern Cape South Africa.

Found in the open veld or plains of South Africa, Blesbok’s preferred habitat is open grassland with water.

Physically, rams and ewes are remarkably similar, with a mass of as much as 150 pounds.

The Blesbok has a prominent white blaze on the face and a white patch on the forehead between the horns.

The body is brown with a lighter-colored saddle on the back and the rump an even lighter shade.

Physically, rams and ewes are remarkably similar.
Africa hunting. Blesbok hunting with Nick Bowker.

The legs are brown with a white patch behind the top part of the front legs, and the lower legs are whitish.

The difference from other antelopes of the Blesbok is the distinct white face and forehead. Both males and females carry horns ringed almost to the tip.

The Blesbok shares a common behavioral characteristic with his cousin, the bontebok, standing together with heads facing the sun and down towards the ground. He sometimes shakes his head violently, stamps, and runs in a complete circle, only to take up his original place.

South African blesbok safari.

Blesbok Hunting in South Africa

Blesbok harvested in 2023.

Your blesbuck ram trophy should have an average shoulder height of around 35 inches, weigh 130 pounds, and have a Horn Length of approximately 13 – 15 inches.

The Safari Club International minimum score for a common blesbok is 40, and a white blesbok is 39. Measure the length of each horn and the circumference of the bases and sum the measurements to get your SCI score.

This once near-extinct antelope has been reintroduced across South Africa and boasts hundreds of thousands.

Blesbok live on the open plains of South Africa and are primarily grazers. They form a herd consisting of females (ewes) and juveniles. Males (rams) tend to be solitary.

This changes when single males are disturbed during hunting. As a result, ensure that you take the animal of choice.

African blesbok safari style hunting with Nick Bowker.

As available water is essential to this species, hunting near the approaches to water holes can prove productive.

The best time for Blesbok is when they are grazing in the morning or late afternoon.

Like many other species, Blesbok lays up during the hottest afternoon.

Nick Bowker Hunting has two large herds of Blesbok, well over a hundred strong, including white Blesbok mixed with common Blesbok.

The Blesbok is very wary and difficult to approach. Longer shots will, therefore, be required. This may be one of the few times you will shoot prone.

Blesbok, however, bunch together, and shooting the right one requires careful communication with your professional hunter, Nick Bowker. Hunting is done by setting up ambushes, looking down valleys, and spotting and stalking.

Trophy Judgement and Rifle Caliber

African blesbok safari style hunt with Nick Bowker.

Distances are longer on the open plains, the Blesbok’s home, and we recommend the flat shooting 7mm magnums or even the 300 magnums. 

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

Mounted on the rifle is a Swarovski Z8 tactical scope. We have hand-loaded Hornady ELD-X ammunition. The rifle, including ammunition, is available as part of all hunting packages free of charge.

The Blesbok is one of the fastest breeding plains game species in Southern Africa. Seen by many as the perfect trophy for the first-time hunter to Africa.

The price difference between a common  and a white is now relatively small.

When judging the trophy quality of Common Blesbok, it’s essential to look at the width of the boss, the color of the horn, and the overall length.

Mature males will likely have a whitish tinge about two-thirds of the way up the horn, While females and younger rams have much darker horns.

The neck should be pronounced and stand out against females and young rams.

Also, mature rams will stand out in the herd and be more visible in horn length and shoulder height. The difficulty comes when approaching solitary rams, where you will rely on your professional hunter.

White Blesbok Hunting

White Blesbok trophy

The white Blesbok is a color variant of the common Blesbok and not a subspecies such as the common reedbuck.

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

Although the white gene has proved to be the recessive gene, significant numbers of white Blesbok have been bred throughout South Africa.

Blesbok hunt
Blesbok hunting

The price difference between a common blesbok and a white blesbok is relatively small.

Many hunters opt to shoot the white Blesbok rather than the common Blesbok as their first blesbok trophy.

The method of hunting the white Blesbok is no different from pursuing a normal blesbok.

White blesbok trophy shot with Nick Bowker.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to hunt a Blesbok?

White blesbok hunt in 2023.

The trophy fee for a Blesbok hunt is between $300$600. Daily rates vary between $250 and $500 per day.

Included in the Blesbok trophy fee is a licensed guide. As well as a hunting license and all permits.

Blesbok trophy is often included in a plains game package. Package prices vary from $3,000 to $10,000, depending on location and size. Packages include 5 – 7 trophy animals accommodation, meals, and daily rates.

How much does it cost to hunt a White Blesbok?

White blesbok hunted in Africa.

The trophy fee as a standalone White Blesbok hunt is between $600$900.

How to hunt Blesbok?

Blesbok hunt

Blesbok is hunted on the open plains safari style. The Blesbok is wary and difficult to approach. Longer shots will be required.

Blesbok bunch together. Shooting the right one will need careful communication with your professional hunter.

Where do you shoot a Blesbok?

Africa hunting. Blesbok hunting with Nick Bowker.

Shot placement must be in the bottom third of the animal directly above the front shoulder. This will ensure a heart or lung shot. Avoid head and neck shots which are high-risk.

What is a trophy, Blesbok?

White blesbok hunting in Africa.

Blesbok trophies have a Horn Length of approximately 15 – 18 inches. The minimum qualification score under Safari Club International for a Blesbok is 40. Add the length of each horn and the circumference of the bases to get your SCI score.

Blesbok Trophy hunted with Nick Bowker

Seasonal Restrictions

When can you hunt Blesbok in South Africa?

African blesbok hunt with Nick Bowker.

There are no seasonal restrictions on blesbok hunts in the Eastern Cape of South Africa for most outfitters.

How do you judge a Blesbok trophy?

South African blesbok safari.

Mature males will likely have a whitish tinge about two-thirds of the way up the horn, While females and younger rams tend to have much darker horns.

Also, mature rams will stand out in the herd and be more visible in horn length and shoulder height. The difficulty comes when approaching solitary rams, where you will need to rely on your professional hunter.

What is the difference between a Blesbok and a Bontebok?

African safari bontebok hunt with Nick Bowker.

Bontebok is smaller, with the head flanks and upper legs having a purplish color. Other body parts are darker brown. In addition, the horns are black, while those of the Blesbok are more yellowish.

Difference between Bontebok and Blesbok

Bontebok. Difference between a blesbok and a bontebok.
Bontebok Trophy
Blesbok. Difference between a blesbok and a bontebok.
Common Blesbok Trophy
Bontebok trophy hunt
Bontebok Trophy
Blesbok trophy hunt
Blesbok Trophy
Bontebok hunting in South Africa.
African bontebok trophy hunting.
African safari bontebok with hunt with Nick Bowker.

References:

Smithers RHN – The Mammals of the Southern African Subregion

Deon Furstenburg – Focus on the Blesbok

CR – Blesbok weight loss

Schalk Pienaar Safaris – The Blesbok

Soft schools – Blesbok Facts