Explain this to me...

04 May 2009, 09:19

Idaho Sharpshooter

I bought a nearly complete set of African Hunter. Great reading and lots of good pictures. But, can somebody explain the thrill shooting some silly little antelope about the size of a chihuahua with 5-6" horns that look like toothpicks? Especially the extreme version where someone feels compelled to list the horns at 8/16ths of an inch instead of just saying 1/2", listing each horn; ie, 7/16ths and 8/16ths as if the difference matters. I hunt Rockchucks here in Idaho, but have never had a notion to post a report about stalking a bull 'chuck for three hours and finally harvesting one with fangs 3/4" long weighing over 8 pounds and 20 5/16ths OAL. I get a deer and an elk most years, but I would be embarrassed to show pictures of a spike or such.

IMHO, only a mentally-challenged person would spend the time and $$$ to go to Africa and shoot anything smaller than a whitetail deer.
Somebody explain the gonad enhancement of small game. I would be beyond embarrassed, to the point of mortification.

thanking you in advance,

Rich
Buff Killer

"If you’re innocent why are you taking the Fifth Amendment?”- Donald Trump

04 May 2009, 09:30

Saeed

Rich,

I agree with you on the horn size bit.

But, these little animals are absolutely great for a BBQ.

I have shot quite a number of them, but they have always been targets of opportunity. We normally coem across one as we are coming back after shooting something else.

Having said that, I think there are a few "collectors" who strive to shoot these to add to their collection.

I don't see anything wrong with that. It is their money, and their time.

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04 May 2009, 10:20

craig boddington

To each their own. Generally speaking, hunting the pygmy antelopes is an "acquired taste." Many will be taken incidentally (like, while hunting something else and an opportunity occurs). They are interesting little trophies, different from anything we have in the U.S., or even Europe, but just seeing one and shooting it isn't a big deal--especially if you don't appreciate how lucky you were! Ah, but if you don't take them incidentally and you decide you WANT one, well, that's different. To hunt them on purpose is difficult and frustrating. Just identifying males is difficult, judging actual trophy quality near impossible. And of course it doesn't take much cover to hide them. I was on the Weatherby award selection committee for some years, and all of us had our "hot buttons." Personally, I admit I'd rather hunt buffalo (over and over again!), but my friend Rex Baker was always firm: "Ain't nobody gonna win the Weatherby without a large selection of the pygmy antelopes, 'cause those are the hardest things of all to hunt." He's right--but they aren't of interest to everyone.

04 May 2009, 10:51

Equinsu Ocha

I love some of the pygmy antelope as much as the biggest stuff over there..

Ive hunted a fair bit of them, and I plan on taking ALOT more!! Next trip to Zim I plan on hunting Klipies and Sharpes grysbok.. Next trip to Namibia will include a Damara Dikdik.. One of these days I will hunt in Moz and a Livingston Suni will most definately be on the wish list. And should I ever get the opportunity to hunt northern Tanzania one of these days, a Cordeaux Dikdik will most def. be on the wish list!!!

Don't knock 'em just because you don't enjoy hunting 'em!! There are alot of us out there who find them a pure joy and pleasure to hunt and will AWLAYS include them on the wish list, no matter where on the continent we hunt!!

04 May 2009, 11:55

Colin Castelli

quote:
Somebody explain the gonad enhancement of small game. I would be beyond embarrassed, to the point of mortification.

I love hunting the pigmies; as others have said, they're easy if you're not looking for them. My opinion is that if you only hunt for 'gonad enhancement' then you are going about it all wrong.

In my opinion, stalking pigmies is much harder than stalking the big stuff. I hunted a single Common Duiker for about seven days before we finally got a shot. He's now on my table as a pedestal mount.

04 May 2009, 12:20

tendrams

Rex Baker's words are absolutely correct. Decide that you consciously want to take 20 different pygmy antelope and you might spend the next 20 years trying to do it. Of course, just hunt other big stuff in their habitat and you will probably take all 20 little guys in short order. Such is the nature of our sport.

One of the best stalks I have had in Africa was for an Oribi.

tendrams

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04 May 2009, 17:27

Black Fly

I speak from very limited experience, only one trip.
I loved sneaking around in the brush and tall grass hunting steinbok and duiker. Ranges were short, time to judge and shoot was quick, game was spookie. It was a familiar kind of hunting for me. Like sneaking through laurel thickets for whitetails. In the end, I was not successful, but it was fun and got my adrenaline pumping. OK, not like hearing and smelling an elephant that you cannot see, but still fun, and I had these guys on license. I'll be trying it again if I get back.
Bfly

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04 May 2009, 18:03

talentrec

I had no desire to hunt pygmy antelope when I went to Africa the first time. One the second or third day, my PH hit the brakes and told me to grab my 375 and put a solid in. After a stalk of about 20 minutes through a bunch of brush, I finally saw what we were chasing. A steenbok.

The shot was only about a hundred yards, and the big solid punched through him like a pencil. When we got up to him and I got to really take a look at him, my whole perspective on the little guys changed. For the rest of the trip, I had my eyes focused on finding the little guys. The duiker gave me fits, as I missed several of them because my shots were deflected by brush or the jumped as I was squeezing the tripper. Hunting klipspringers tested both my eyesight and shooting ability. It reminded me a lot of hunting coues deer in Mexico.

To be honest, I think I had more fun chasing the little guys than hunting the bigger stuff!

Pete

04 May 2009, 18:51

MacD37

quote:
Originally posted by Idaho Sharpshooter:
I bought a nearly complete set of African Hunter. Great reading and lots of good pictures. But, can somebody explain the thrill shooting some silly little antelope about the size of a chihuahua with 5-6" horns that look like toothpicks? Especially the extreme version where someone feels compelled to list the horns at 8/16ths of an inch instead of just saying 1/2", listing each horn; ie, 7/16ths and 8/16ths as if the difference matters. I hunt Rockchucks here in Idaho, but have never had a notion to post a report about stalking a bull 'chuck for three hours and finally harvesting one with fangs 3/4" long weighing over 8 pounds and 20 5/16ths OAL. I get a deer and an elk most years, but I would be embarrassed to show pictures of a spike or such.

IMHO, only a mentally-challenged person would spend the time and $$$ to go to Africa and shoot anything smaller than a whitetail deer.
Somebody explain the gonad enhancement of small game. I would be beyond embarrassed, to the point of mortification.

thanking you in advance,

Rich
Buff Killer

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04 May 2009, 19:08

MARK H. YOUNG

Buff killer,

I could n't agree more with Craig. These little guys are equally as challenging as any of the big antelope if not more so. I have several of these litte fellas and I'm specifically hunting 3 more in Mozambique this year.

I had the "Are you kidding me attitude" about these pygmy antelope early on but I discovered as time went on that these small animals offer some of the very best hunting in Africa.

Mark

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04 May 2009, 19:25

Bwana Moja

Bwana Mingi Risasi:

Well I guess based on what Rex says, that rules me out of ever winning the Weatherby! Shame that one day it might come down to a couple "little" things. On second thought now I'll probably start collecting the little guys. With Ryan now starting to join me on safari, I'm assured of a .270 now being in the landcruiser, when the steenbok, and dik-dik types present themselves.

Moja

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04 May 2009, 19:46

nkonka

I love the little fellas. Quick shooting, small targets, and calling in some of them is a real treat.

My daughter, 16, is joining me this summer for the first time. On her list is a bush buck,a duiker and a klippie. I asked he why? She said because they are so cute!

Her brother, 10, is also coming and he just wants wart hogs and baboons. Why? Because they are so ugly!

Dan Donarski
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04 May 2009, 20:01

SDhunter

quote:
IMHO, only a mentally-challenged person would spend the time and $$$ to go to Africa and shoot anything smaller than a whitetail deer.

quote:
I get a deer and an elk most years, but I would be embarrassed to show pictures of a spike or such.

Gonad enhancement?? I think the above statements pretty much sum up true gonad enhancement.

Embarrassed to show a picture of an animal legally taken under fair chase?

That is absolutely pitiful,

I have a bigger problem with the mentality that only "trophy" animals are worthy.

Every species in the world represents it's own unique challenges. Every hunt has it's own gratifying expierences. It's up to the individual hunter to get what they want out of it.

If you measure your succes in size and inches, see above statement, I refer you to comments about gonad anhancement.

I hunt, not to kill, but in order not to have played golf....

DRSS

04 May 2009, 20:48

Idaho Sharpshooter

Ok-Ok, I stand corrected.

As most of you know, I am a working-class stiff (or was until I retired). For me, a trip to Africa takes a year or two to fund. I may be able to go two, perhaps three more times before I die. I just see/saw no reason to "waste" time on small things. A saying we had in Vietnam, "...don't sweat the small shit, and unless somebody is shooting at you it's all small shit...". I see Africa as the place to hunt "Big Game". These days that (again to me) is Buff, Elephant, Leopard, and some of the big horned antelope. Kudu, Gemsbok, Oryx, Sable, Eland, that sort of game. And the psychedelic horse, Zebra.

The small ones seem to have the most value to those making a collection. Me, mine represent what my "essence" of Africa.

So, thanks for correcting me gently, I see your points.

Rich
Buff Killer

Note: what I meant by embarrassed to show a small horned trophy, my 6x6 bulls or 28inch plus deer get a picture in the paper. My meat hunt ones don't.

JudgeG ... just counting time 'til I am again finding balm in Gilead chilled out somewhere in the Selous.

04 May 2009, 21:42

Crazyhorseconsulting

I believe it is all in the eye and mind of the person doing the hunt.

If I ever got to go to Africa, it would not be purposely for any of the little stuff, but if the shot was presented I would not turn it down.

The only things I would actual want to hunt would be Cape Buffalo, Eland, Greater Kudu, and Gemsbok.

Just as the original poster asked about shooting the smaller stuff, I can not understand why anyone would want to shoot a Zebra.

I do not believe that I have talked to one single person that has been to Aftica at least once, that has not shot a Zebra.

Also on some critters for some folks there is that "Collector" aspect, such as taking each subspecies of Dik Dik or Greater Kudu or Zebra, to the average person or hunter, they all appear pretty much to be the same animal, to the collector they are however unique.

Even the rocks don't last forever.

04 May 2009, 21:57

Tim Carney

Good on the open mind. Funny. You go first for the big and dangerous stuff and you keep the desire to hunt them. But, your vision expands and the smaller antelope become more interesting and what a challenge to hunt them rather than take them opportunistically.

Reminds me of first going to game parks when all I wanted to do was get my binoculars/camera long lens on buff and ele and giraffe. Over a very few visits I began to learn about the birds and the smaller wildlife.

Finally, and these voices aren't likely regularly on this board, some hunters actually give up shooting animals altogether...

Regards

04 May 2009, 21:59

MAC

I used to think the same thing, but after hunting Vaal Rhebok, Blue Duiker, Steenbok, Oribi and a few others, I now dance to a different tune. The little guys are some of the most challenging of all animals to hunt.

They may not be as impressive as a buffalo or a kudu, but you have to kep the animal in context. You can not compare 2 entirely differnt species using the same criteria. That would be the same as comparing a Key Deer to an Alasan Moose. Both are technically deer, but the similarity ends there.

All game is spectacular in their own rights. After all, the biggest Coues Deer pales when compared to side by side to one of the big Canagian Bucks from Sask.

04 May 2009, 22:17

L. David Keith

I've taken a number of pygmy antelope and find them very challenging to pursue. One of the most difficult has been the Sharp's Grysbok. They will put the most seasoned Coues Whitetail hunter to the supreme test. Taking one by chance (and luck) is a feat within itself. Trophy hunting specifically for a few of these diminutive Gnats is a true hunt IMHO. I treasure each and every one.
Cheers,
David
PS: and yes....size does matter

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04 May 2009, 22:25

465H&H

On my first trip to Africa, I was only interested in the bigger antelope kudu and sable specificaly. But I also shot warthog, duiker, steenbuck and impala. The smaller citters hold a charm all of their own. I still wouldn't plan a trip just for them but will hunt and take them after the elephants are down. The exception to that is the vaal rhehuck. Hunting them is the ultimate African mountain hunt in my mind. Imagine a critter that blends in perfectly with it's habitat, weighs no more than 50 lbs., has better eyes than a big horn sheep or antelope and will see you and run at 600 or 700 yards. That is a challenge. Rich, try hunting them sometime and I will bet you will be hooked.

465H&H

04 May 2009, 23:05

LionHunter

I have seven species of the little guys. The first were taken as opportunity while hunting "big game", but then I discovered they could be difficult to acquire, fun and frustrating to hunt. I started using handguns to up the difficulty and challenge and have taken some world records with that method. Judging them, if they give you the chance, can be difficult as well. While they don't match my Big 5, they can be a great hunt.

For a real hunt, go after Blue Duiker.

Mike
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05 May 2009, 07:58

SDhunter

Rich,

I too will probably only be able to make a couple trips to Africa, and like you I won't actively pursue any of the pygmy antelope.

I will need to make the most of my limited time on my dream animals.

But I would never begrudge anyone the enjoyment of hunting whatever is available and they desire.

I watched Jim Shockey hunting little pygmy antelope and thought it was a very interesting method and the trip looked to be full of adventure.

05 May 2009, 08:59

Karamojo Bill

I just went to a local SCI function at the house of a Weatherby winner. He had a whole wall of the little guys. I was amazed that there were so many species of all types of African (& world wide) critters. I love to shoot sage rats AKA Beldings ground squirrel. I don't really want to mount one or aspire to ever being an award winning anything but I'd love any of the little antelope in my humble trophy room.

Karamojo Bill

At then end of my time here, I want to come skidding through the Pearly Gates & hear God say, "Whoa Boy, that was a hell of a ride!"

08 May 2009, 23:34

Jack D Bold

Seems the folks posting here do NOT underrate the little guys. I am definitely part of the group that appreciates these guys for the challenge and rewards of the hunt.

A few years ago while hunting zim, I was fortunate enough to tag a 40" buff, and the next day took a very nice klippie. The hunts were different, but I can honestly say I enjoyed them equally.