Nyala Hunting – All You Need to know about Nyala Hunts

Your Nyala trophy should have an average shoulder height of about 43 inches, weigh about 200 pounds, and have a Horn Length of approximately 24 – 26 inches.

The Safari Club International minimum score for a Nyala is 56.25.

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

Nyala and the sable are considered by many to be the most beautiful African game antelope.

A top sought-after trophy. Nyala will be hunted in a thick bush. As a result, many Nyala bulls are often shot in the last 20 minutes of light.

A Nyala bull stepping out from the bush into an opening and giving you your shot after hours of glassing will be a lasting memory for any hunter.

Nyala often has little or no blood trail when wounded because of their thick coat, which absorbs the blood.

Therefore, an excellent first shot is vital.

Hunting Nyala safari-style calls for quality expanding bullets. The various 30 calibers would be an excellent choice to anchor your Nyala.

Also, we would once again recommend the flat shooting 7mm or 300 magnums as the best calibers.

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

Mounted on the rifles are high-end Swarovski tactical scopes. We have hand-loaded Hornady ELD-X 200-grain ammunition available.

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

A Nyala trophy hunt is spotted in the thick brush from an elevated vantage point and then stalked in the early mornings and late evenings.

Hunt Nyala on sunny days. It can be challenging to find overcast days.

Alternatively,  hunters use ambush techniques at watering holes or as they move back to cover from feeding. Nyala drinks water daily.

As with most African trophies, shot placement should always be in the bottom third of the shoulder. An excellent first Nyala shot is essential.

While most Nyala hunts occur behind high fences in the Eastern Cape, Nick Bowker has access to several free-range herds in the Bedford area.

The Africa Nyala forms part of the Spiral Horned game family and is the most beautiful, consisting of Kudu, Nyala, Bushbuck, and Eland.

Like most spiral horns, a Nyala must have solid bases that go outwards. The tips must be pointing straight up or flaring outwards. It is a must for those hunters interested in collecting the spiral horn family.

The male has a wide chevron mark between the eyes, a white-tipped mane, and iconic orange “socks.” Resulting in a magnificent antelope.

• Nyala is the most sexually dimorphic antelope in the world. And not only does the male look wholly different, but he weighs twice as much as the female.

• The Nyala is a true grazer and browser. Their diet has helped them become widespread across Africa.

• Nyala also strips the bark off trees.

• Nyala is not very fast or strong. Inhabiting deep in woodland or forest, their defense against predators is their camouflage.

• Nyala has a special bond with monkeys and baboons. The antelope eat all the fruit that their primate friends drop.

• Also, they can react to any alarm call made by the primates and other antelope.

• Nyala has exceptional hearing and smell and will give off a striking alarm call; consisting of a sharp, high-pitched sound is almost like a dog bark.

• Most of Africa’s mammals have a clearly defined social structure, such as impala.

• Nyala is the nomad of the antelope world. They live in loose groups of 4 to 8 animals.

• All these groups are temporary. Nyala join other Nyala leave.

• Battles between bulls are dramatic and brutal. Bulls keep fighting until one backs down. Upon defeat, a bull will turn away and wag his tail in submission.

• The victorious bull uses bizarre stuttering movements and will slowly dance with a group of females, raising its head to show off its white underfur.

• The evolutionary line of the Nyala has remained separate for five million years, making them one of the oldest game antelopes.

• Nyala should be taken by any hunter on a trip to Africa.

Description of Your Game Quarry

The Nyala is mainly active in the early morning and late evening at all times of the year. A shy animal, preferring thick cover and will only be seen in open spaces in the early morning or just before sundown.

The Nyala shows no signs of territoriality, and individuals’ areas can overlap.

They are very cautious creatures. Old males tend to live alone, but single-sex or family groups of up to 12 individuals can be found together.

These inhabit thickets within dense and dry savanna woodlands.

The Nyala is a spiral-horned antelope and is between a bushbuck and a kudu in size. 

The male stands up to 47 inches; the female is up to 35 inches tall. Males weigh 180 – 220 pounds, while females weigh 120 – 150 pounds. The life expectancy of the beautiful Nyala is about 19 years.

The coat of females and juveniles is rufous-brown. However, it grows a dark brown or slate gray in adult males, often with a bluish tinge.

Young males and females have at least ten or more white vertical stripes on their sides. Other markings are visible on the face, throat, flanks, and thighs.

Stripes are significantly reduced or absent in older males. But both sexes have a dorsal crest of hair running right from the back of the head to the end of the tail.

Males have an imposing long “beard” along the midline of their chest and belly.

General Information for hunting Nyala

Males begin to lose their stripes as they start to mature. This is because juvenile males disguise themselves as females avoiding any jealous behavior from adult males.

Nyala antelopes have tiny hooves for their body size. As they walk, the hind feet step into the position where the front feet have just been known as registering and reducing the amount of noise made with each step.

The bases of the back of the ears are white, as is the underside of the fluffy tail, which is raised when the animal takes fright.

The fluffy tail acts as a ‘follow me’ symbol to the young.

The whitetail’s flash also provides a stark target to a predator, but as soon as the Nyala stops, the tail is dropped, and the predator’s focus is lost.

The disruptive camouflage markings then come into play, further concealing the curious Nyala from the predator’s view so long as it remains still.

The same applies to the Nyala pursuit, where much patience is required.

The thicket habitat of the Nyala provides an ideal cover for the calves when they are born.

In the first two to three weeks of their lives, they remain hidden to allow them to build up their strength before moving around with the adults.

The mother visits her calf for feeding and grooming. If it becomes threatened, the calf instinctively flattens itself onto the ground. Due to its lack of scent at such a young age, it can easily avoid predators’ attention this way.