Hunting a trophy red hartebeest
Hunting Red hartebeest (Alcelaphus buselaphus)
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Best recommended caliber to hunt |
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Red hartebeest |
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30-06, 7mm (all), 300 (all), 308, 338, 375 |
Hunting notes when hunting red hartebeest:
Hunting the red hartebeest is as easy or as difficult as the situation allows. Where there is a lot of hunting pressure they become weary in the extreme and are uncommonly difficult to get within shooting distance. The herd has many eyes and ears and they react to other animals being spooked as if they were spooked themselves.
As with other game species, when the hunter moves slow and unhurried with caution, it is possible to select a good speciman. The red color is a dead give away in the bush to the human eye and are easily spotted when in the bush.
The best recommended caliber for hunting red hartebeest is the 300 cal and up.
One should not be fooled when hunting the red hartebeest as these animals are much smarter than what they look like. Hunting the red hartebeest in dense vegetation is a challenge at best. Being gregarious, the large number of ears and eyes contribute to having a memorable hunt.
The average shooting distance when hunting red hartebeest is 80 – 180 yards.
Description:
With shoulders that are much higher than the rump and a long face like that of a horse, this antelope specie must be the “Warthog of the Antelope World”.
The body color is a deep golden brown becoming darker down the shoulders. The rump and hindquarters are lighter in color. A black line occurs down the center of the face and down all four legs.
The medium length tail is light brown at the base and covered with black hair on the rest of it.
Habitat:
Open savanna or bushveld.
Reproduction:
A single calf is born during early summer months of October – November.
General:
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Gestation period |
About 240 days |
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Average shoulder height |
50” |
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Average weight |
Bulls |
320 lbs – 350 lbs |
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Cows |
250 lbs – 280 lbs |
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Horns |
Both bulls and cows have horns |
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