LOL luckily most hunters go to Africa in (S. Hemisphere) Winter, when it's Summer in the N. Hemisphere where most reside. I esp. love the waterbuck winter coats...6" like a rocky mtn goat! No, not really. (The waterbuck, nyala, lechwe, sitatunga, etc. are swamp dwellers so many of them have long, musky hair-likely to deal with being submerged in water. So, if their hair is longer, most people are going to get it. But, since that long hair (possibly 2 layers of diff hair in NA-std & hollow/diff lengths) is designed for sub-freezing temps, I'm going to say it's insignificant in most areas...The temps in African winter may occasionally drop slightly below 32F in some higher elevation areas (usually more like 45F, but it quickly rises to 60F or even higher by p.m., so having that significantly longer hair may not pay off considering avg daily temps of 60 in winter and 70 in summer (and of course, it gets much hotter at times of the day as well!) In the much higher elevation mtns (ethiopia, etc.,) it's possible some have more hair (the reedbucks, nyala, and bushbuck i've seen do seem to have longer hair.) I like to have my hair trimmed prior to an African walk and stalk (it's gen. hot in Southern African countries), and yes, Humans ARE Animals! Trackers/Gunbearers/Skinners like wearing hats/gloves in the early a.m. on the back of hunting vehicles, as it's chilly w/ that 40mph windchill while driving (and they do not appear to have long hair at all)! Longest hair ever seen in Africa was that renowned PH from Zim hunting CAR/Cameroon (Guav Johnson.) He's prepared for anything the continental weather throws at him. I'd love to hunt with him oneday for the biggest eland and the smallest buffalo!! He and my son have the same barber.
