Top 5 plains game?

[Happy Myles]

I too enjoy bushbuck and have taken all the recognized subspecies. I have a difficult time picking favorites as long as they are wild and free ranging

 

[FlyGuy]

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?

My personal cut-off is historic range.
E.g. Historically, sable antelope only occurred in small areas of Limpopo and Mpumalanga. Therefore I won’t hunt one in the Northern Cape.
It would be like hunting a Dik Dik in the Eastern Cape.
With regard to Oryx, they are native to the Northern Cape, North West and the far western areas of Limpopo in S.A.

 

[Big guns]

In May 2014, my kid and I hunted plains game in South Africa. 300WBY for both. While I have 200 grn Nosler PT, he has 200 grn Nosler AB. Reloading materials was more difficult in 2014 than it is currently. One shot kill, 200 PT, huge zebra. One shot kill, 200 AB, huge red hartebeest. I could have used smaller for anything else.
180 Nosler AB/PT ought to function without any issues. They used to manufacture the Weatherby bullets, but I don't know Norma. I don't have any grounds to question their performance. Whatever you decide on should work, in my opinion.
Last but not least, speak with your host. Of them all, he will have the most experience.

 

[HookMeUpII]

Lots of gemsbok / oryx votes coming through. Would that still be the case if it was South Africa or purely a Namibia appeal?

I absolutely love gemsbok and will without a doubt take one at some point. With that being said, it loses a bit of it's appeal knowing it's been introduced widely to areas in RSA. The problem is, hunting the Kalahari and Namib can be really pricey. In a perfect world, that would be your target species for an authentic Kalahari hunt, among a few others.

They are one of those species that can still be a challenge to hunt even in introduced areas. I watched a group of them come to water from a blind I was in. They are absolute bruisers. Beautiful animals too. Tough as nails. I almost came back with one instead of a kudu on my last hunt. I almost watched them for too long and they became appealing.

Watching them fight with those horns is something else too. They can also go under a cattle fence like nothing you would ever imagine.

 

[WyoBull]

Bushbuck, Kudu, Red Hartebeest, Blue Wildebeest, Gemsbok. I would add Zebra but the OP wanted just five.

 

[375Fox]

I absolutely love gemsbok and will without a doubt take one at some point. With that being said, it loses a bit of it's appeal knowing it's been introduced widely to areas in RSA. The problem is, hunting the Kalahari and Namib can be really pricey. In a perfect world, that would be your target species for an authentic Kalahari hunt, among a few others.

They are one of those species that can still be a challenge to hunt even in introduced areas. I watched a group of them come to water from a blind I was in. They are absolute bruisers. Beautiful animals too. Tough as nails. I almost came back with one instead of a kudu on my last hunt. I almost watched them for too long and they became appealing.

Watching them fight with those horns is something else too. They can also go under a cattle fence like nothing you would ever imagine.

There are a couple very large DG reserves in the Kalahari in South Africa that are expensive to hunt, but Kalahari covers a huge area over 3 counties. There are a lot of other farms you can hunt some will even border parks. Normal daily rates in Namibia are around $400-$500 per day and trophy fees on gemsbok around $850, not that pricey. Some outfitters will offer packages as well for better pricing.

 

[dogcat1]

1. Lord Derby Eland
2. Bongo
3. Sable
4. Patterson or Livingston Eland
5. Mountain Nyala

 

[Sarg]

Of these all the Gemsbok & Bushbuck (sometimes Sable & small antelope) could be considered DG, Bushbuck have injured a lot & killed a few (lots of dogs) & Gemsbok/Giant Oryx are extremely dangerous lucky most are hunted in open country but in the Bushvelt it can be close.

I almost lost my best tracker when tracking a wounded Gemsbok Bull, he was just in front of me & pointed to shoot but I couldn’t see anything to shoot at & in that instant the wounded Bull exploded out of a Warthog hole he had backed into, luckily I was sort of looking at that spot & shot him just as he cleared the hole, lots of laughing after that !!!

They are a bargain, magnificent looking animals, near a Sable in looks at a fraction of the TF, taste great to, unfortunately Sable look great but are not that difficult to hunt, maybe too arrogant, must say the Roan has won me over the more I see & hunt them, second largest Antelope, expensive other than West Africa & limited quota, pity his horns are a bit short.

But I do love hunting Bushbuck & Pigs not sure why but I think they win !

 

[eyedok]

Lord Derby Eland
Bushbuck
Kudu
Any of the Lechwe
Any of the Hartebeest

 

[Kharn]

Bongo
Kudu
Giraffe
Zebra
Sable

 

[318AE]

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!

I hope I never tire of hunting bushbuck. I’ve still hunted Masai bushbuck in the misty mountains of Tanzania, stalked riverine thickets for Limpopo bushbuck, and have even hunted them with my treasured 318 WR drop lock double.

They are sneaky and sly. They can be aggressive. On the old trophies, the skin is bare around the neck. In the RSA, they seem to be much more rarely auctioned and stocked than other species. They often go through fences, and even on fenced properties, the owners are not likely to really know what bushbuck they have. I’ve never seen one priced by the inch (which is often the case with kudu or sable).

 

[mark-hunter]

My list: Kudu, blue wildebeest, impala, oryx, warthog.

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

Sable, kudu, eland, nyala, bushbuck.

I reckon it’s going to take me 3-4 hunts to complete my list. I’m fine with that.

..being optimistic here, of course. If it takes me 10 I’m fine with that as well.

You should be able to complete this in 1 maybe 2 hunts even if you only want to hunt them in endemic areas.

Example - Sable, Nyala, Bushbuck, and Eland all in Coutada 11. Take a side trip (day or 2) to pursue a Kudu.

 

[3chunter]

Kudu
Bushbuck
Sable
Eland
Springbok

 

[Drywaller44]

Kudu- When you see a nice bull it’s hard to look away from even if you’ve already taken one. They will always be on my list.

Bushbuck- They are a challenging hunt. It was one of the few animals I had a hard time spotting.

Waterbuck- Before I went to SA I didn’t have a waterbuck on my list. As soon as I saw a big bull in person I had to add it.

Eland- Another animal that just did it for me when I saw it in person. They may look like a cow in photos but they sure don’t move like one.

Baboon- The baboons were the first thing I heard the morning I stepped out of the truck to start hunting and they are unlike anything else we have in the states. To me it’s an iconic African animal and was fun to hunt.

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

For me the list is going to change based on location. I personally prefer to hunt species where they're endemic and because of this I've found myself traveling to a lot of different countries. It's also going to depend on the method of hunting.

1) Kudu - there's just something about hunting them no matter the location. I personally put them on a pedestal because they scream Africa, but finding a big mature bull can prove challenging and they live up to their Grey Ghost nickname
2) Eland - tracking a big Blue Bull is right there with hunting the Grey Ghost. I personally really enjoy tracking style hunts and have a LDE on my bucket list for this reason
3) Bushbuck - Just like others have said, they're a blast to chase. Hunt them during the day by walking known areas and avoid spot lighting them like some PH's like to do
4) Waterbuck - I personally think waterbuck are one of the most underrated Plains Game animals to hunt/chase
5) Sable - in my opinion they're one of the most impressive and majestic animals and definitely earned the "Prince of the Antelope" nickname.

Honorable mentions go to the Tiny 10 Species and Warthog spot and stalk on foot rather than at a waterhole.

 

[DLSJR]

1. Lord Derby Eland
2. Bongo
3. Sable
4. Patterson or Livingston Eland
5. Mountain Nyala

I’ve got to agree about Lord Derby Eland. That may be the single most meaningful animal I’ve ever shot anywhere in Africa.

 

[Red Leg]

As others have suggested, it depends where you are hunting and under what conditions.

In a free range environment, I think trying to walk down an eland is the most difficult and rewarding plains game experience in Southern Africa (note that I did not say South Africa). Both my Cape Eland in Namibia and Livingstone from Mozambique are two of my most satisfying achievements. On the other hand, shooting one at a waterhole (or anything else for that matter) is a very different thing. Some extremely large South African game farms can offer such traditional opportunities.

A mountain zebra in its native range in the mountains of central Namibia is a very challenging and memorable hunt. Oryx in the same native range are equally so.

A mature sable from its free range environment is a difficult and worthy objective. Trying to work the edges of alert free range herds to get a look at a bull is a very different hunting experience than jumping off the truck to shoot a lone bull on a South African game farm.

Kudu and bushbuck, whether free range or within the confines of a game fence, are challenging animals. They instinctively use whatever cover is available to escape. Taking a quality older animal of either species is worth any amount of effort.

Finally, a trophy quality warthog is never a wrong selection regardless of the environment in which he is hunted. Like the kudu and bushbuck, he will make the most of his escape options.

 

[HookMeUpII]

There are a couple very large DG reserves in the Kalahari in South Africa that are expensive to hunt, but Kalahari covers a huge area over 3 counties. There are a lot of other farms you can hunt some will even border parks. Normal daily rates in Namibia are around $400-$500 per day and trophy fees on gemsbok around $850, not that pricey. Some outfitters will offer packages as well for better pricing.

Are there free-range areas to be hunted there? Hunting the Kalahari I always envisioned would be some free-range opportunities.

 

[TXhunter65]

All of Africa:

1-3 Any order: Lord Derby, Bongo, Mountain Nyala
4. Lesser kudu
5. Roan

South Africa:
1. Sable
2. Kudu
3. Eland
4. Nyala
5. Bushbuck