Hunting a trophy bontebuck
Hunting the trophy Bontebuck (Damaliscus pygargus pygargus)
|
Go to: |
||
|
|
||
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
|
Best recommended caliber to hunt |
||
|
Bontebok |
|
270, 30-06, 308, 7mm (all), 300 WSM |
Hunting notes when hunting bontebuck:
Hunting the bontebuck in South Africa is almost to the T the same as hunting blesbuck. Bontebuck prefer wide open spaces, typical of the Cape region of South Africa. They have been introduced to other areas in the country and have adapted admirably. The US Fish and Wildlife Services have decided to ban importing bontebuck to the USA. Very similar to blesbuck it is rather easy to make a mistake in identifying the difference between the two. A CITES tag is required for export purposes to most countries.
The best suggested caliber for hunting bontebuck is from a 243 and up. Average shooting distance is from 150 – 200 yards in open country, and up to 120 yards and closer in the bushveld.
Walk-and-stalking these gregarious animals is always a severe challenge due to the amount of eyes and ears present, and the more open terrain they frequent.
Another interesting aspect is they are hosts of the Nasal Botfly, a relative of the common house fly. The nasal bot fly survives in the nasal passage in a larvae form until ready to be excreted when the animal sneezes. The larvae find their way into soft soil where they submerge and move on to become pupae. When the fly emerges it flies to find another host to complete the life cycle. Other South African game animals that are hosts to the bot flies are black wildebeest, red hartebeest, blue wildebeest, Lichtensteins hartebeest, blesbuck and tsessebe.
Description:
The bontebuck has the same general build as a blesbuck, but is 15 – 20% smaller than the blesbuck.
Differences between the bontebuck and the blesbuck
|
Bontebuck |
Blesbuck |
||
|
1 |
Color of the upper body is a bright dark brown |
1 |
Color of the upper body is reddish-brown |
|
2 |
Flanks, head, upper legs is a purple-black-plum color |
2 |
Flanks are dull brown |
|
3 |
White facial marking is uninterrupted to the forehead |
3 |
White facial marking is interrupted by a thin brown line at the eyes |
|
4 |
The rump and area surrounding the tail is white |
4 |
The rump is a light dull brown |
|
5 |
Legs beneath the knees are predominantly white |
5 |
Lower legs are predominantly dark brown |
|
6 |
Horns are black |
6 |
Front of the horns tend to have a yellow-brown color |
Habitat:
Bontebuck are much less resistant to climate changes than blesbuck. Open, short-grass fields are required and any fields where the grass is taller than 10” is avoided. They must have sufficient feed throughout the year and plenty of water. There must be hills/mountains where they can find shelter against rain and cold.
Reproduction:
Mating is between January and April and lambs are born from September onwards peaking in November and December.
General:
|
Gestation period |
After 230 – 254 days a single lamb is born |
|
|
Average shoulder height |
Males / rams |
34” – 39” |
|
|
Females / ewes |
31” – 36” |
|
Average weight |
Males / rams |
120 lbs – 140 lbs |
|
|
Females / ewes |
100 lbs – 120 lbs |
|
Horns |
Both rams and ewes have horns |
|
