Just wanted to try posting a pic. This is my waterbuck taken in RSA last fall.

Nice one, Fred, how about some details!

Nice trophy Fred!

Very nice Fred! Fill us in with details. Caliber, bullet used, where he was shot and so on.

John

Good Waterbuck Fred! I'm still trying to corner mine. I think their one of the prettiest animals in Africa...

Details??

I've always thought that a good Kudu trophy and a good Waterbuck trophy on my wall would would make some of the most handsome trophies a big game hunter could possess. I still don't have my Waterbuck and I envy you.

Jawohl! Beautiful. The "Royal Animal" of Botswana, protected there. How was the meat? Hope the chef whipped up a fresh filet o' waterbuck while you were there. Not that I am an inch counter, but what does he measure in horn length? And how much did he weigh by estimate? .404 Jeffery?

I hunted on a concession near Kruger for (3) days w/ my friend Willem Koch of Lynzx Safaris. We settled in after the long drive from the airport & just sighted the .404 jeffery in. We headed out early the next morning in the hilux, looking to spot some bulls &/or tracks.
We saw good waterbuck every day. The country there is thick & we would often catch a glimps while driving the track, if the wind was right, off we set w/ Petey the tracker out in front. We repeated this for most of (2) days & I actually got a shot, off sticks @ a better bull, walking through the bush on a ridge 200yds away. Well it was either buck fever or shooting from the sticks or my lack of an offering to the hunting gods, but I missed over his back (the .404 shoots flatter than I though). The chase was on & we didn't see another really good bull until last light of the last day.
We spotted a small herd of cows & young bulls in a small clearing just before sunset. We were about 1/4 mile away coming over a slight rise. A quick check & Willem spotted a good bull, "this has got to be the one & we have 15min. to do this". We took off on a short, crouching run & got to within 120yds or so. It's now getting very dark & I can just make out his shoulder through the brush in the VXIII 1.5x5. Sticks on the ground, rifle on the sticks & one shot throught both shoulders. The bull turns & goes down w/o taking more than a couple of steps. Much back slapping, a very happy tracker (he was visibly disappointed in my earlier miss, Petey worked his butt off for me) & one very happy hunter.
The 380gr NF showed good expansion & went through the both shoulders, low, taking out the heart along the way. We actually didn't tape him, he just looked so good after (3) long days hunting I didn't really care. We saw several bulls quite a bit better than this one. It's a good area for big Waterbuck. It was a good side trip to my buffalo hunt in Moz. That's another story though.

fredj338

Great waterbuck, I have hunted them in RSA and Zim and have not found a nice one yet. From the 26 inchers we saw last June, I will say that one will go 28.

RIP

You now can hunt them in Botswana I am booked for one along with my other animals.

CFA

CFA, my PH thinks btwn. 28-29" Like I said, I saw bigger bulls in this concession, the place was crawling w/ them,
We sat in a very hot sun for 2-3 hours watching a big bull & some lady friends, out on a sandbar in the middle of the croc. infested river. We were hoping he would cross to our side so I could attempt a shot. He was BIG, over 30", just beautifull. I could have tried a shot there, about 250yds, but was worried about him crossing back into Kruger or flopping down in the river for croc. food. To much risk in that shot.

CFA,
Thanks for the correction. I had some bad poop from the Tuli Block PH, or I misunderstood. Maybe they were protected in the past in Botswana, or just the exalted animal pictured on the seal of Botswana, correction noted.