I have been to Africa twice. I hunted the usual culprits and had a ball. THe most fun was sneaking up on Steenbok. I have taken 2 but were both on the small side - 4" plus or minus 1/8".

Anyone out there hunted hard for a big one at 5" +?

I think this one is.....but I never measured it.....and it's still at the taxidermist.

Darn it! That was the one I was looking for. What a monster!!!

This one wasn't too bad. He only Measured 6 and 6 1/8. I am going to try for a bigger one, one day, but for now, I guess I will have to be satisfied with this one.



I should get him officially scored, he probably would make book, I just haven't had the time.

Mine was 5 1/4" on one horn and just over 5 on the other one. They are really great to hunt more than one time!

You all seem quite excited about hunting these critters. I'll be in Namibia in 17 months (but whose counting). I really haven't planned on hunting them, but I could be persuaded otherwise. Tell me the story on hunting these little guys.

I havent taken one, but I sure missed one, the first one I had ever seen. I had never even laid eyes on one, but I knew he was a monster, I got steenbok fever real bad.

After I missed the PH and the ranch mgr told me I just missed the largest Steenbok they had ever laid eyes on.............oh well....it wasnt like I missed something as big as an Eland.

The one I shot was a whopping 2 inches on each side. Not because he was young and immature... quite the contrary. He was old as the hills! He was broke off on both sides from fighting. I thought I had shot a youngster, but when I opened his mouth, his rear molars were worn almost to the gumline. And for a little steinbok, thats a pretty hard thing to do when everything is trying to eat you!
I saw plenty of 5 inchers while I was over there, but seeing and shooting are two totally diff challanges. They are some sneaky little dudes.

They are certainly an animal of opportunity. If you ever have a chance at one over the 5" mark you shoot first and ask questions later. Mine is just at the 51/4" mark. Sierrabravo's is truly amazing. I will shoot another if the opportunity presents itself.

I agree about "animal of opportunity." I've shot only one steenbok and it was on the Rooipoort Estate near Kimberley SA about 1985 or so. I was waiting for a friend to return from a failed stalk on a kudu. I looked out our truck's window and saw the little guy and asked my PH/friend how big a steenbok needed to be to be a trophy. When he said "horns longer than the ears," I stepped out, leaned over the hood and shot it. I can't remember how long its horns were, but it would have easily made the SCI top ten at the time. I was editing the SCI book and felt it would be unethical to enter my own trophies. Still do.

I think the "little guys" offer the best hunting for the money in Africa.

In Namibia in 2004, my first trip, I didn't even give them a glance when looking at the price list of animals available. Once I got there, we would occasionally see the little buggers scamper into the tall grass while riding in the hunting truck. I started asking my PH about them, and he told me how elusive they are, etc and that they were the only animals he allowed to be shot from the road, since they were almost impossible to stalk.

I got the itch for them bad. We'd see one while driving along, and I'd beat on the roof to signal a stop. We glassed several, but they were always gone after a split second. We had one area that we kept seeing one almost every day, that looked bigger than the rest. Towards the end, I started carrying my 375 H&H with 300 gr Failsafes, thinking it wouldn't make much of a hole so I could get a full mount.

The next to last day, we were tooling along not really hunting anything, when I spotted him. I banged on the roof, then stood up in the truck with the little guy about 75 yards away. I saw dust fly as the bullet went right over his back. I was surprised that he just stood there looking at us. I think he was stunned by the jetstream! I racked another round in and sent it right over his back again. I cycled the winchester again, but (I thought) short stroked it. I brought the bolt back, and, to my dismay, saw the (last) round go flying through the air. It was like slow motion as the big silver cartridge arched through the air, coming to rest in a dusty *thumpth* in the sandy track. I only had 300 RUM ammo in my belt, so I went over the cage that was mounted on the top of the truck bed like an Impala, dug the shell out of the sand, blew the sand off, and chambered it.

I was surprised to find the little bastard still in the same spot, but this time looking over his shoulder with his rump toward me. I didn't want to take that shot because I knew it would wreck the cape, so I waiting until he turned to run, steadied my breath, and concentrated on the trigger sqeeze and sight picture.

You should have seen Pente, our tracker, laughing! My PH had been obscured by a bush the whole time, and didn't know what I was shooting at, and didn't dare get out of the cab with all the shooting going on. The Steenbok only went 4", barely making the Namibia minimum, but he was one of my favorite trophies.

The big bullet still blew a softball-sized hole in the off side, so I had to do a pedestal mount. If/when I get back, I'll certainly hunt any Steenbok, Klipspringer, Duiker, etc. that's available.

Hello dogcat

I got one in Namibia that measured close to 6 inches


Regards
Aziz

quote:

Originally posted by sierrabravo45:
This one wasn't too bad. He only Measured 6 and 6 1/8. I am going to try for a bigger one, one day, but for now, I guess I will have to be satisfied with this one.



I should get him officially scored, he probably would make book, I just haven't had the time.

Here is the Story to go with the Picture.

I was in RSA in 2004, and having trouble getting a good Cape Kudu, either they saw us first, disapeared when spotted or to small. On day 3 of hunting Kudu, my father was in the truck in front on a concession road (If you could call it that) and we were driving down the road in the next vechicle. I saw this Steenbok, about 75 yards away behind some brush, just as I spotted it, the truck in front slammed on its breaks and so did my PH who spotted it about the same time I did. I was out of the truck before it was fully stopped and he was shouting words saying if I don't hurry up and shoot it since it was the biggest Fing Steenbok he has every seen, He was going too. My father hopped out of the truck in front and motioned me to go after it. The steenbok walked behind some brush, and I circled around looking for it with the PH. I was in front, and spotted it and motioned him to come over slow with the shooting sticks. The shot was about 75 yards away and the steenbok was still there eating a bit on grass. I got the gun into the sticks, and fired. The shot was dead on perfect and busted the little thing through the shoulders. Now when I look back on it, I probably should have shot it in the chest. But he still went down hard. (I was using a .300Win mag with 180 Grain Accubonds) everyone was thrilled with the shot, and that little steenbok was the best trophy taken that trip. The bullet split the skin on the off side in about 3 places in vertical lines from the energy of the bullet. It's a darn good trophy or at least thats what I have been told.

Here is the Full Mount I got of Him.

Very Nice Mount ans story!

Who were you hunting with?

Just had a look in Rowland Ward. At 6 1/8' for the longest horn there are only 33 specimens listed as longer. Its on pg 169 of RW's Records of Big Game Volume One of the Twenty Sixth Edition (2002) if you are interested in checking it out.

It should score very well in SCI but their ranking is also based on circumference. The number 1 Steenbok actually has horns just under 6" but has very thick bases. What are the circ's of the bases? Have you measured the length after they were dry?

If it were mine I would put it in RW. I feel like RW respects the animal while SCI is more for the hunter, just my perception.

Very Cool!

Like Scotty, I shot an old warrior. One of this old boy's horns was broken, but as I recall the other was 5.25". I think I remember the RW minimum as 5". Is that the case?

quote:

Originally posted by sierrabravo45:

quote:

Originally posted by sierrabravo45:
This one wasn't too bad. He only Measured 6 and 6 1/8. I am going to try for a bigger one, one day, but for now, I guess I will have to be satisfied with this one.



I should get him officially scored, he probably would make book, I just haven't had the time.

Here is the Story to go with the Picture.

I was in RSA in 2004, and having trouble getting a good Cape Kudu, either they saw us first, disapeared when spotted or to small. On day 3 of hunting Kudu, my father was in the truck in front on a concession road (If you could call it that) and we were driving down the road in the next vechicle. I saw this Steenbok, about 75 yards away behind some brush, just as I spotted it, the truck in front slammed on its breaks and so did my PH who spotted it about the same time I did. I was out of the truck before it was fully stopped and he was shouting words saying if I don't hurry up and shoot it since it was the biggest Fing Steenbok he has every seen, He was going too. My father hopped out of the truck in front and motioned me to go after it. The steenbok walked behind some brush, and I circled around looking for it with the PH. I was in front, and spotted it and motioned him to come over slow with the shooting sticks. The shot was about 75 yards away and the steenbok was still there eating a bit on grass. I got the gun into the sticks, and fired. The shot was dead on perfect and busted the little thing through the shoulders. Now when I look back on it, I probably should have shot it in the chest. But he still went down hard. (I was using a .300Win mag with 180 Grain Accubonds) everyone was thrilled with the shot, and that little steenbok was the best trophy taken that trip. The bullet split the skin on the off side in about 3 places in vertical lines from the energy of the bullet. It's a darn good trophy or at least thats what I have been told.

Here is the Full Mount I got of Him.

Stunning, absolutely stunning Steenbok!!!
If given the choice of a 6" Steenbok or 55" Kudu, I would take the Steenbok everytime.

Anyone with monster Klipspringer out there?

Sierra

Great steenbok and a beautiful mount. I agree with dogcat about taking a big steenbok rather than a big kudu. A big kudu on the right property could be fairly easy but a steenbok like that one is very rare. I'm particularly envious as I don't have a good steenbok yet myself.

Congrats!

Mark

I was tremendously lucky to have taken a six inch steenbok in Namibia in 2002. It was late afternoon near Gobabis on a dairy farm. We were going out for guinea fowl when a trophy steenbok presented itself broadside about 30 yards from the moving truck. I had a Beretta 303 in my hands loaded with 32 grams of British 7s. I fired at his shoulder. He went down, but not out. PH Jannie Spangenberg got out and administered the coup de grace with a knife to the base of his skull, but not without the little guy drawing blood from Jannie's hand first.

After Trophiedienste got it, Jannie told me it was top ten Namibia. Sorry I don't have a photo to post. Due to various personal circumstances, my mounts are still at Gras. They are finally being shipped to me at my request. They way they move though, I hope it will be this year.