Top 5 plains game?

[AZDAVE]

This will subjective as everyone has different tastes.

Mine:
1. Roan I love the look on their face and their ears, they move through the bush like they own it without the attitude of a sable.

2. Kudu They just have the look of Africa, and they earned the moniker of Grey Ghost for a reason.

3. Bushbuck Dynamite in a small package.

4. Zebra A iconic animal of Africa.

5. Suni and warthog tie. Suni as it is my favorite of the tiny 10. and a BIG warthog should always be on the list of what Africa gives you.

 

[HookMeUpII]

Highly subjective based on what you find enjoyable, where you are hunting them, how you are hunting, etc. I can speak on what I've hunted.

Kudu - This is going to make most people's top list. Challenging to hunt, no matter how or where you are hunting them. Free range, high fence, it doesn't seem to matter. Very difficult to close the deal on. Even more so in free-range. For as big as they are, they can disappear in the blink of an eye.

Warthog - Can be a very challenging hunt. Many times you can do nothing other than wait for them to come to you at the water. Finding a good shooter male is very challenging. Their noses will find you before you even see them.

Wildebeest - Very tough animals and surprisingly smart. It's another animal I could see myself hunting again, just for the enjoyability of it, even though I have a trophy on the way.

On what I've not hunted but have seen.

Bushbuck - Very secretive and challenging to put a good stalk on.

Eland and zebra - I put these at a tie. Both can lead you on miles and miles worth of stalking. Zebra are tougher pound for pound but the size of eland makes them formidable.

 

[Deepfork]

Nyala, Mountain Zebra, Kudu, Eland and Warthog....My wishlist for our hunt in August. Did not take any of these on my first trip to SA.

 

[Trogon]

@wildfowler.250, I like your four choices of Kudu, Springbok, Zebra and Impala for iconic African animals. My fifth pick would be Warthog. My first trip to Africa was to the Eastern Cape. I hunted all of these above animals except Zebra, had Black Wildebeest instead, plus Blesbuck and Mountain Reedbuck (and Nyala added on).

 

[illini]

Kudu, Eland, Bushbuck,Nyala,
Waterbuck, Gemsbok, Warthog,
I know you said 5 but you can't have just five.

 

[Aaron.F]

Kudu Gemsbok, Impala, Blue Wildebeest, and Warthog.

 

[ryno111]

1. Kudu
2. Warthog
3. Zebra
4. Oryx
5. Ostrich

 

[coreydb]

I'm gonna break the mold here with Blue Wildebeest, Gemsbok, Black Wildebeest, Impala, Kudu.
To me, these are the quintessential South African plains animals

 

[280AI]

Heading over in a 38 days (no I'm not counting) for my first trip on a 10 day Kudu package. These are the animals on the add list....
Gemsbok
Black Wildebeest
Red Hartebeest
Bushbuck
Reedbuck
Duiker
Steenbok
Impala

 

[549]

I am in the early planning for my first safari.

My 5 would be Gemsbok, Blue and Black Wildebeest, Red Hartebeest and either an Impala or Hartmann’s Zebra.

I guess I’m odd in that I have zero interest in Kudu, Eland or Warthog.

 

[kpoynter]

Depending on budget, I would tell you this
1) your first 4 are excellent choices and we can all tell you that if you want and have a budget you can easily take more than 5 in a South African Safari if you wish
2) After those 4… next might be Gemsbuck as they are a striking animal and budget friendly. Eland is highly underrated by many and is a wonderful hunt. Wildebeest is a classic and would try and add. Warthog is inexpensive and a great animal
3) next tier as many have stated…Bushbuck is a classic and beautiful animal and great hunt. Nyala is maybe the most beautiful of them all (a bit more expensive). Then you have the Sable…the Prince of Plains Game. A bit more expensive still but prices have come way way down. Incredible trophy.
Honestly you have tons of choices. If you have the budget most would recommend taking at least a couple more of the above…then there are Many others besides these
Good Luck

 

[NIGHTHAWK]

First List:

1. Sable
2. Eland
3. Waterbuck
4. Kudu
5. Gemsbok

Second List:

1. Nyala
2. Wildebeest
3. Bushbuck
4. Zebra
5. Impala

 

[FlyGuy]

As a local, I’ve hunted most of them multiple times, but I never get tired of hunting kudu, impala, springbok, oryx, the two wildebeest species and eland.
I’m also full of it! Won’t hunt a species that isn’t native to the area I’m hunting.

 

[dhoover]

Sable, Kudu, Roan, Eland and Nyala.

 

[wildfowler.250]

As a local, I’ve hunted most of them multiple times, but I never get tired of hunting kudu, impala, springbok, oryx, the two wildebeest species and eland.
I’m also full of it! Won’t hunt a species that isn’t native to the area I’m hunting.

Interesting replies folks, keep them coming! To be honest, I’m hoping to add a couple of other species but I wanted to see what folk would really choose as a core group..

Out of interest, where do you draw the line with non natives? In the UK for example, I believe it was just roe deer and red deer originally. Fallow deer were introduced around the 11th or 12th century,(from having a search). Sika are starting to spread everywhere, as are muntjac. South of England also now has a healthy water deer population.

This is where I’m torn with the introduced species. I’d be reasonably happy hunting say, a lechwe in South Africa,(I won’t get them in Botswana I don’t think). I wouldn’t want the animal to have been released in its lifetime. But if they’ve been self sustaining for 20-30 years, maybe that’s reasonable? Really need outfitter transparency there. I think they’ve been in the free state for a while?

Anyway, I’m rambling to say it’s hard to draw the line at when something is introduced but if they’ve been self sustaining for a while, that seems okay?

 

[Scott CWO]

Oh how I love plains game! I’ve concentrated on plains game in their indigenous areas/countries. It’s a much different way of hunting them.

I will be in South Africa in July for blesbuck, springbok, bontebok and black wildebeest. Also darting a rhino to complete my Big 5. These species are indigenous to South Africa. If I were you @wildfowler.250 those species would be heavily considered, especially if you are not planning to go back to South Africa.

 

[375Fox]

Folks why does everyone rate bushbuck so highly? Not just on this thread but they always come up. I think nyala are way better looking. Bushbuck do make a cool euro though. But there must be something in it!


Interesting to read the replies!

The hunt for a lot of species is very similar to me. Spot, stalk in, and take shot. I’ve taken a few Nyala but they don’t rank as my most memorable hunts. I’ve never had two bushbuck hunts the same. I’ve waited at edge of agricultural field at last light. I’ve stalked spring to spring in hills. I’ve had one pushed out to me from a small patch of thick brush we saw it run into. I’ve glassed small openings and edge of brush hoping one will step out. I’ve sat all day in 105 degree heat waiting for 2 nice rams at a waterhole no one knew were in concession until I put trail camera out. I’ve stalked along rivers. Bushbuck always ranks as a memorable hunt to me if you’re lucky enough to get one. Each area is a different hunting method.

 

[UKHunter]

Kudu, Bushbuck, Warthog, Impala and a Wildebeest would be a good introduction for your first hunt

 

[ftrovato]

I think the answer varies based on what's available in the area that one is hunting.

In the event you could have access to hunt an animal that is only available in the specific area your hunting, it goes on my top 5 list.

 

[375Fox]

Out of interest, where do you draw the line with non natives? In the UK for example, I believe it was just roe deer and red deer originally. Fallow deer were introduced around the 11th or 12th century,(from having a search). Sika are starting to spread everywhere, as are muntjac. South of England also now has a healthy water deer population.

This is where I’m torn with the introduced species. I’d be reasonably happy hunting say, a lechwe in South Africa,(I won’t get them in Botswana I don’t think). I wouldn’t want the animal to have been released in its lifetime. But if they’ve been self sustaining for 20-30 years, maybe that’s reasonable? Really need outfitter transparency there. I think they’ve been in the free state for a while?

Anyway, I’m rambling to say it’s hard to draw the line at when something is introduced but if they’ve been self sustaining for a while, that seems okay?

For me it would depend on their availability in their native range and the level of management on property where they’ve been introduced to make a decision. There is a lot of flexibility in the term self sustaining in South Africa. Many trophies are marketed as self sustaining that don’t meet my definition. I’ve been lucky enough to hunt Lechwe in Caprivi so I’ve never really given a lot of thought to lechwe in South Africa, but I’ve been on one property I’d have been happy to take one.