I completed my first African Plains game hunt this past July - I took a Kudu, impala, blue wildebeest, and gemsbok. To say the least, I thoroughly enjoyed the hunting.

I plan to go back soon as I can, which got me thinking about which animals I would like to target on the next trip. I know for sure I would like to take a nice waterbuck and certainly a zebra, but still undecided on the other 2 or 3 animals.

To you guys who have hunted there - "What is your favorite plains game animal to hunt and why?"

A tracking hunt for Eland. Nyala would also be high on my list. Of course, if the budget permits, a Sable.

quote:

Originally posted by HUNTER10:
To you guys who have hunted there multiple times - "What is your favorite plains game animal to hunt and why?"

I have only been one time.....

But inside of my ten days I killed 11 different species of game

The most fun.....Rock Hyrax

The most challenging.....Bushbuck

Post edited.

Would like to hear from all who have been. Especially those fortunate enough to have hunted several times.

The funnest hunt:

1- Eland- Tracking
2- Kudu! Challenge, the excitement when you see them.
3- Zebra- Exciting, fun, challenging

I have shot most plains game (in RSA). These are my favorite!

I've been to Africa twice, but the only plains game animal I hunted adn successully killed on both trips was springbok, so I guess I'd have to say "springbok." That's not a bad choice, because I found hunting them to be very similar to hunting pronghorn in the US, which I very much like. I also like hunting mule deer and elk, thus mountain reedbuck and kudu also caught my interest.

Thanks for the input thus far guys. Exactly the type of discussion I was hoping for.

Jason,

My kudu was my most favorite hunt from my last trip. I sincerely enjoyed the challenge and hunting the terrain in which they live. Of all the animals I took on that trip - I am most proud of my kudu.

It is the one animal I'm seriously considering trying for the repeat.

Making a second trip.

everything depends on your pocket book and what you are wiling to do.

A 10 to 14 day safari. Some great packages being offered right now before the conventions. Especially for Dangerous game if you are looking for excitement.

Consider going after some different plains game animals.
1. Eland
2. waterbuck
3. Nyala
4. Impala
5. Blesbuck
6. Warthog
7. Bush Pig
8. Bush Buck
9. Zebra
10. Black Wildebeest
11. Red/Cape hartebeest
12. Duiker
13. Southern Reedbuck
14. Mountain Reedbuck
15. Spotted Hyena
16. Ratel - honey badger

Or if you want to step up a notch.
1. Elephant - not trophy
2. cape buffalo
3. Hippo
4. Crocodile
5. Sable
6. Roan
7. Leopard
8. Lioness

Have a good planning process.

Vaal rhebok by a large amount. Eyes better than eagles, extremely wairy and very small bodied. A real challenge to hunt in the hills. Of course none of them are boring to hunt.

465H&H

You haven`t hunted warthogs. I will probably never go to africa without trying for one. Next time I am also going for a bushbuck. Really want one

I agree with Vaal rhebok, with steenbok a close second. I've done all the big stuff plus the other plains game mentioned, but the vallie and steenbok are special. Hunted at 7000 feet, 40 degrees, 20 mph winds. Froze my buns off, but what fun and challenge. Plus I did them with my handguns.

Going back this year for Eland and Nyala, so I guess they top my list for plains game at the moment. Also love Kudu and Waterbuck, both of which I already have, but not against taking again.

My 2 favorites that I have hunted thus far are bushbuck & zebra.
Bushbuck simply because they intrigue me.
Zebra because they can be a real challenge, lots of eyes, ears & noses searching for danger.

I really like bush buck, eland and zebra. They are always turned on. One mistake, or a shift in the wind and they are gone.

1.Baboons!!!!
2. baboons!!!!
3. Baboons!!!
4. kudu
5. Eland
6. Red hartebeast

1. Bushbuck -- They are smarter than I am.
2. Warthog -- I am smarter than they are.
Bill Quimby

My favorite probably is the Bushbuck for its difficulty and beauty. Last year got spanked hunting Vaal reedbuck so they will probably get a lot more attention next time. I also had a great time hunting Blue Duiker with hounds, pretty exciting stuff.

KUDU. They are beautiful, elusive and delicious. Here's my kudu from 2012 in Namibia:

Trying to collect a BIG Greater Southern kudu.

Eastern Cape Kudu.

Bushbuck along the Limpopo.

Nyala in Zululand.

Gemsbok in the Kalahari in Namibia. Also Springbuck there too.

Mountain Zebra in the Khomas Hochland, a terrific hunt.

Vaal Rhebok/Mountain Reedbuck in the Drakensberg Mountains.

The duikers......even getting a big common grey duiker is a challenge. Blue and red Duiker in Zululand.

A good Common Reedbuck anywhere as well as a big Impala, as they are a herd animal, hard to do.

And Red Hartebeest.....ugly but fun.

And shooting baboons is always appreciated and they are a lot of fun

It's a great question and topic. There are just so many great options in Africa and so much variety. There is literally a lifetime of infinite hunting to be had just in Plainsgame with.

There is SO much variety based on Size, Geography, Habitat, Habits, Horns, and hunting style.

I've taken most all of the "common" plains game over the last decade and 6 safaris in S.A., Zim, Namibia, and Zambia and love it all.

I love the Spiral Horns in general as tops in the Common Plainsgame (I hold the Sable and Roan and things like Sitatunga and Lechwe as more of Plainsgame 501 when hunted in their native habitat in places like Zambia)

Number one for me is the Kudu. I always want to hunt kudu where I can and I'll never " have enough" of the Grey Ghost. Classic, regal, big animal, big horns....

As others stated, tracking Eland is a wonderful experience and should be high on anyone's list

Hunting Bushbuck in riverine areas is fantastic and they are beautiful, diminutive, and elusive. The Nyala is a magnificent mid size spiral horn.

Hunting some of the little ones like others have stated starting with Val Rheebuck, and Mountain Reedbuck up high is special and there's many other tiny ten animals with big variety

Classic Africa .... Zebras and never pass up a $1,500 Bull Giraffe if you get the opportunity and do we ever have enough Zebra rugs (i always take one or two as bait animals for cats). I especially enjoyed the Hartmans Zebra.

Is there anything more regal and special as a Sable or a Roan? I've been lucky enough to hunt both..

As one person stated... Warthogs! Love em' and will never pass a nice boar. Anyone in their right mind ever pass a 12"+ pig?

Is there anything more specialized and cool than Sitatunga or Lechwe in the swamps? Great specialized hunt....

I stopped counting Impala and never will... Love them! Bait..trophy..whatever..Classic Africa

The classics like wildebeest, Gemsbuck, hartebeest, Waterbuck, and so forth are typically under appreciated for their toughness and beauty...

The list can go on and on and on without even getting into all the "East African Plainsgame " which I have not yet done, nor the super high end specialties like Bongo, Lord Derby Eland, Mountain Nyala, etc etc

On all my safaris to Zimbabwe I took at least one Kudu. To me it symbolizes Africa and is a very worthy adversary. They are just plain sneeky. Of all the plains game I have taken I believe the most impressive in both size,looks and performance would have to be the Eland. To me they are a fascinating animal.Their size is awesome and the way they run and jump borders on the fictional. A VERY worthy adversary indeed.

A close second to kudu would be gemsbok. Here's a 41" cow from Namibia:

Another Gemsbok cow.........

And a springbuck worht having!

I have bow hunted RSA twice and have killed kudu, blue wildebeest, warthog, nyala, zebra, impala, blesbok, duiker and bushbuck. I have to say the zebra was the most challenging, see more and only having one shot opportunity. Every stallion I saw was wilder than a March hair.
That being said, for me, one of my top animals has been gemsbok and I have not had a chance at one, cow or bull. A big eland would be next for me followed by a red hartebeest.
Oh, I almost forgot about those dad gum male baboons.... I drew on one big guy three times and but never had a shot.

Nyala is my favorite. I prefer brush hunting to open areas with long shots.

quote:

Originally posted by Labman:
A tracking hunt for Eland. Nyala would also be high on my list. Of course, if the budget permits, a Sable.

+1
I could not have said it any better.

Eland. Definitely Eland.

Having said that the Monkey I shot was just so damn satisfying. Next time I go I am not returning with any ammo...

PS: try and count all the game in this picture...



and this was a very heavy head.

1. Kudu- they are addicting
2. Mtn Zebra-no picnic.
3. Ory- they're so Africa and just so cool.

I have hunted nearly everything in relation to plains game, and some multiple times, and my short list would be:
1. Vaal Rhebok
2. Wild sable in the Zambezi Valley
3. Bushbuck
4. Eland
All of these are wary and tough to hunt. Some of the little stuff can also be extremely wary and challenging to hunt as well, such as:
1. Blue Duiker
2. Livingstone's Suni
3. Sharpe's Grysbok
4. Honey Badger

A tracking hunt for eland. No other plains game hunt comes close.

All the animals one can track are fun to hunt.

We have tracked zebra, sable, kudu, eland etc.

All are fun to hunt

For the more common plains game. I would put a tracking hunt for Eland as first.

Kudu would be second.

Third would be Zebra.

They all are fun, and once you learn a bit about them, they all are a bit different.

So far for me, the most difficult PG animal to hunt was the Roan. They can really run and are pretty turned on, but that is probably a more expensive hunt than buffalo.

Off the bigger animals an Eland tracking hunt is very hard to beat. Make sure you Tell your guide you want an old blue bull instead of a young bull with long horns.
Grey Rhebok is by far the most challenging and fun of the smaller guys. I hunt them in real mountains and foot hills which reminds me a bit of the swan valley in Idaho.
Also, you have probably become good friends with your current PH
Tell him to take you somewhere else for the hunt. South Africa is a massive diverse hunting destination!

The absolute most challenging hunt I ever had was for a wounded Eland. I had been on several safaris and been quite successful and on this trip I wanted an old Blue Bull. My PH finally found one and at about 9am one morn we set up for the shot. It was facing slightly away at about 60 yards. I decided to try a quartering rear shot in the ribs on left side and into heart lungs area. Rifle was a 375 H&H with 260gr Nosler Partition. The Partition hit a small mopani about 3/4" about 3 ft from Eland. As a result the Partition broke the left rear leg about 8"-9" from the hip joint (we later found the bullet embedded in the bone) I didn't know till then that Eland bones are solid. The Eland took off and we of course followed. ALL day and over all types of terrain and thru herds of tracks. This was the most remarkable bit of tracking I have ever witnessed. You could always tell when we got a clear track that we were following the proper bull as the left rear hoof was turned sideways. We followed till it was so dark we could no longer follow by flashlight - about 9PM. We returned to camp and started again at first light. After picking up tracks we continued to follow till we came up on the Bull laying up under a tree about 9am whereupon I finished him off. He was a very nice old Blue Bull with very worn horns. I was most pleased that the chase ended well.

I still need to hunt an East Cape bushbuck, a common reedbuck, and a vaal rhebok. Kudu are always beautiful and on the list. My tracking hunt for eland was exceptional, and my bull was ancient. It's not always about the horns!

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
All the animals one can track are fun to hunt.

unbeatable

Sitatunga and lechwe - Surreal environment.
Southern Roan - Often tracked and difficult.
Croc - Wary

I have followed elephants for weeks on end.
I have followed lions for miles and miles until they got into the next concession.

I have followed buffalo for God only know how long.

But, the only hunt I have been on where I said to myself "I will get him, or I would drop dead trying".


WE saw a herd of eland below us in a valley in Chete.

The bull was about to disappear into the bush, at about 300 yards away.

He was walking, and I fired a shot at him.

He jumped up, and took off with the rest of them!!

We went to have a look, and found a tiny spot of blood, and we followed them.

Roy said he knew where they will pass, and we have to hurry.

WE ran. And we ran. And we ran. In that Chete hilly country.

I kept thinking that I might not make to the next ridge1

Eventually we got ahead of them, and waited in some thicket they were in.

Our bull passed by a few yards away, and I dropped him.

It seems my first bullet had hit him in the neck, from above, but too far to the side to break any bone.

Saaed,

You were younger and fitter then.