The most important fact of shot placement is to remember that you are not shooting at a target on the animal, but rather a target inside the animal. As their name indicate, waterbuck are seldom very far from a permanent water hole. "Prompted by the need to understand the population dynamics of wildlife in the Queen Elizabeth National Park of western Uganda, now the Rwenzori Park, the author of this book, during the years 1964-1967, undertook a comprehensive investigation of the biology and social organisation of the Ugandan waterbuck. The common waterbuck is slightly taller, generally has slightly longer horns and is usually a grey-brown colour. Copyright © 2008-2021. Ships from and sold by -New Chapter-. Cull animals cannot be exchanged for trophy animals and are hunted in addition to your booked package hunt. If the defessa and common waterbucks have bordering ranges, then they often interbreed; as a result, some scientists consider the two groups as a single species. Prefers grassland for grazing adjacent to woodland. Waterbuck 150 REM 50 yds to shot, 1 shot, 50 yds to recovery, Heart shot Addax 150 WIN 80 yds to shot, 1 shot, 70 yds to recovery, bullet exited Bull Elk 150 WIN 45 yds to shot, 3 shots, 100 yds to recovery, Heart shot, no exits Red Deer 160 HORNADY 50 yds to shot, 1 shot, 44 yards to recovery, bullet exited Only bulls sport horns. After a gestation period of around 8-9 months, one offspring is born. African Hunter Shot Placement for waterbuck, A Territorial Antelope: The Uganda Waterbuck, African Rainforest Hunting Clothes & Gear, CITES, ESA, EU Appendices & Hunting Quota Table, Jet-Lag Remedies & Longhaul Flight Survival, David Whyman's African Crystal Engravings, Dr Enrique Lacuesta's African Watercolor Art, Kobus ellipsiprymnus (Common, Ringed Waterbuck), Kobus defassa unctuosus (Sing-Sing Waterbuck), Kobus defassa defassa (Typical, East African Waterbuck), Kobus defassa ugandae (Ugandan Defassa Waterbuck), Kobus defassa crawshayi (Rhodesian, Crawshay's Defassa Waterbuck), Kobus defassa penricei (Angolan Defassa Waterbuck), At the CAR/South Sudan border, the Sing-sing defassa changes into the, The waterbuck you can hunt in most of Zambia is likely to be a. This beautifully illustrated guide offers the hunter/user the following: - Shot Placement and Formatted Data images depicting vitals and skeleton, detailed information, hunting records and hunting notes and tips for 20 of Africa's popular animals (Blesbok, … The traditional shoulder shot is usually the best choice for hunting Waterbuck. The shot should be placed on the shoulder of the waterbuck, in line with the front leg. When wounded, they can be aggressive, so care is needed when approaching the animal. Waterbuck Shot Placement - Bruce Watson African Safaris | Helping Mother Nature Preserve our Wildlife The best time of year to hunt waterbuck in South Africa is: We can and do hunt eland from January to December. Back to Top. The most distinguishing factor would be the large white ring round the rear of the animals. On a quartering to shot, aim for the back of the opposite side shoulder of the waterbuck at the same height as for a broadside shot. This could lead to a wounded animal when the projectile is stopped in the stomach content. Next trip, I’ll take the .375 but it will have a .300 H&H or … The persue after a special old Waterbuck Bull with only 1 horn was the target for Morne Marais from Tau Taxidermy in Namibia. Barnes TTSX 150 gr at a muzzle velocity of 2 750 feet per second (fps), Federal 165 gr Nosler Partition at a muzzle velocity of 2 830 fps, Norma 180 gr Oryx at a muzzle velocity of 2 700 fps. Waterbuck is a much sought after large plains game antelope found in most parts of Africa. The average expected shooting distance when hunting waterbuck in South Africa is 50 to 150 yards depending on the terrain you are hunting in. The common and defassa waterbucks are quite similar in appearance. Shot height to be one third of the way up from the bottom of the brisket to the top of the back. They do work and they will continue to work. Shot distances on Waterbuck can vary. As waterbuck antelope shot placement is similar to other antelope plains game species, go to Shot Placement On Plains Game. Waterbuck cull hunting prices: it happens occasionally we come across waterbuck cow cull hunts. Shot Placement Guide ... vitals Red Hartebeest Shot placement Warthog Click to see vitals Warthog Shot placement Waterbuck Click to see vitals Waterbuck Shot placement Zebra Click to see vitals Zebra Shot placement Game Identification and Shot Placement Shot placement is a key element in hunting African animals. What is your average trophy size of Waterbuck taken in South Africa when hunting with you? Archery hunting waterbuck is on the increase and in such a case you can bow hunt a waterbuck from a hide or blind. Be safe and know where your rifle shoots. High velocity calibers many times have a deflection from small branches, whereas slower calibers with heavier bullets tend to chug along and still hit the intended target. Distances are not great & moderately powered scopes and ammo facilitate good shot placement and humanely taken game. This keeps them away from the hustle and bustle at the edge of the drinking facility. The Perfect Shot, North America: Shot Placement for North American Big Game by Craig Boddington Hardcover $64.13 Only 1 left in stock - order soon. He loves the abnormal and old bulls to hunt. They feed during the early morning and in the evenings, so this the best time to hunt waterbuck. Any sudden movements and not releasing the safety catch under control will attract the attention of any weary waterbuck. However, good shot placement on waterbuck is relatively simple, when the animal is standing broadside, aim at the center of the shoulder, about one third of the way up the body. Waterbuck use their large rounded ears to good effect in detecting any possible approaching danger. Shot Placement. Cape Buffalo Eland Gemsbok Hartebeest Impala Leopard Ostrich Sable Steenbok Waterbuck Zebra Crocodile Elephant Giraffe Hippopotamus Kudu Nyala Rhinoceros Springbok Warthog Wildebeest All shot placement images courtesy of AfricaHunting.com. This shot should lead to a high heart shot, low lung shot. Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress, Best time of year for waterbuck hunting South Africa, South African plains game hunting packages, Best caliber for hunting big game in Africa, Bow hunting African dangerous game packages, List of animals you can bow hunt in South Africa, Federal 150 gr Nosler Partition ammunition at a muzzle velocity of 2 840 feet per second (fps), Remington 165 gr AccuTip Boat Tail ammunition at a muzzle velocity of 2 700 fps, Norma 180 gr Nosler Partition at a muzzle velocity of 2 612 fps. Horn length, thick bases and symmetry will all go to make a good trophy. These predators would include spotted hyena and lions. Use a medium bore rifle that you can shoot accurately and feel comfortable using. Speer 300 gr at 2 550 fps muzzle velocity, Federal 300 gr Sledgehammer at 2 530 fps muzzle velocity and, Barnes TSX 300 gr at 2 490 fps muzzle velocity, from late May to end October when the bush has receded most making visibility easier. Feel free to experience the excitement with us! Larger waterbuck herds are more difficult to stalk due to many eyes and ears. Be extra cautious when approaching a possibly wounded waterbuck as they can be very aggressive. From June to August the bush starts to recede rather quickly. The hunt took place at … Waterbuck prefer to live close to waterholes or rivers. They have a shaggy gray and hairy coat with longer hair down the throat. Though they aren’t extremely tough animals, shot placement is still very important when Waterbuck hunting, as a wounded Waterbuck can really make … Marko Sibold Hunting Safaris. Waterbuck do not mind stepping into a waterhole to drink from the center of a water hole. Shot placement: Neck... Taxidermy to mount the Trophy: Tau Taxidermy in Namibia. In the event we are on such a property you are welcome to cull a cow waterbuck or two. A Territorial Antelope: The Uganda Waterbuck by Clive A Spinage (1982) is a scientific study on waterbuck territories. Home However, if you do have another caliber, please use it. Place your aim at the same height as the broadside shot, on the inside shoulder. The heavily ridged horns are found only in males and sweep in an arc backwards and upwards, with the tips pointing forwards. Browse the Bookshelf mini-site for thousands of African hunting books and much more.... Shakari Connection is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. They have a very oily skin that leaves your hands dirty after handling the trophy. Bisect the angle formed by the front legs of the waterbuck and place the shot at the same height as a broadside shot. Solitary bulls can become extremely wily and are hard to hunt. Select from premium Waterbuck of the highest quality. However, Rowland Ward and SCI maintain records for the common waterbuck and the various defassa waterbuck found in specific locations. The cost to hunt waterbuck in South Africa for the 2021 hunting season is     $ 2 150. We consider the following as the best calibers for waterbuck hunting South Africa: Follow this link for a comprehensive list of caliber recommendations. 2020-2-25 - Explore sherio's board "africa hunting" on Pinterest. All the subspecies of defassa waterbuck are roughly the same shoulder height and weight. On approaching a waterhole, the large and older bulls will walk in the back of the herd patiently. The Angolan waterbuck is no longer huntable. I was born in 1968 in the small farming community of Bedford in the Eastern Cape where my grandparents farmed apricots and peaches on our family farm, so I was privileged to have been exposed to, and to get to love, the great outdoors from a very young … Gestation period is nine months after which calves are hidden for the first 4 – 6 weeks before being introduced to the herd. They become extremely wily and will even change their drinking patterns to avoid hunters. I … Furthermore, archers should know the anatomy of African game as shot placement is everything. Also, don’t forget to adjust your shot placement if the animal is presenting a quartering shot. The traditional shoulder shot on a Blue Wildebeest is almost always the best shot placement. Waterbuck bulls can draw the scale down for an average body weight of 570 lb. If you are going to use a fullskin or back skin as a rug, place it in a low traffic area as the hollow waterbuck hair is quite brittle and will easily fall out with lots of use. Waterbuck Hunting On average, waterbuck herds will comprise of up to 10 cows, their juvenile offspring and the dominant herd bull. As with most African animals, shot placement should always be in the bottom third of the shoulder. Due to the relative high velocity of these two calibers, they are not considered to be bushveld hunting calibers. Waterbuck hunting – trophy shot with Nick Bowker Hunting. Bulls will actively defend their harems during the rut that will leave many opponents wounded. Texas is home to more nilgai antelope than their native country of India. (260 kg) and an average shoulder height of 55”       (1,4 m). Waterbuck hunting South Africa is hunting for the fourth largest antelope in South Africa. When the animal is standing broadside, simply aim at the shoulder, about one third of … Batchelor herds of between 5 and 40 males are often found associating with female herds. Alternatively, a very good shot placement area is right behind the shoulder of the waterbuck approximately midway between the brisket and the back. Nor would the majestic Waterbuck or Kudu be wildly different, from a hunting perpective, from Rocky Mountain or Roosevelt elk. The name 'defassa' is Amharic for 'antelope'. Hint - Drag slider to reveal vital areas. Big Five - South Africa. The shot should be placed on the shoulder of the waterbuck, in line with the front leg. Walking and stalking in the likely waterbuck habitat, which is as the name suggests, in bush close to waterholes or rivers. Shot Placement With broadside presentation, place your shot one third up, right in line with the front leg. All rights reserved. Contrary to popular belief, if care is taken during the skinning process not to allow the musk to come into contact with the meat, the meat makes tasty dishes. As the name indicates, this rather stocky antelope can be found close to a permanent water source. Waterbuck are included in many of our South African Hunting Safari Packages. Buy the best gun scope you can afford and leave some room to hunt additional animals on your African hunting safari. They will wait to see if any form of danger is lurking while allowing the younger animals to warn of any possible danger. > Waterbuck bulls are also heavier and taller than the cows. Hunting Waterbuck Shot Placement View More Hunting Hartebeest Shot Placement View More Hunting Gemsbok Shot Placement View More ... Mountain Lion Hunting Shot Placement View More Post Views: 116. We can argue calibers from now till chickens grow teeth and still disagree. For these two calibers use 150 gr or 165 gr anywhere between 3 150 fps and 3 300 fps. A .300 magnum with 180 grain, or heavier, bullets will do the job, but shot placement is critical with either caliber. Solitary waterbuck bulls often have a broken horn tip from defending their territory against other waterbuck bulls. Other hunters in camp shot small to medium-size animals like wildebeests, which are comparable in size to a mature mule deer buck, with the 6.5 Creedmoor, making clean kills with pass-through shots. When the animal is standing broadside, simply aim at the center of the shoulder, about one third of … Find the perfect Waterbuck stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. This is hunting the most wanted plains game animal, with the world’s best caliber using the world’s best ammunition. A good choice of caliber for hunting defassa waterbuck in Africa is the .375 H&H. Yet, rumpshooting is not part of good shot placement. The best caliber for hunting waterbuck South Africa is the one you know best. We can and do hunt waterbuck from January to December. Before you take the shot, be sure of the angle the animal is facing at that time, this will count in your favour. Last year, I purchased a Browning X-Bolt Pro in .28 Nosler. Mating is during the rut from mid-April to the end of May with a single calf born during summer time from October to end November. A good idea when out waterbuck hunting South Africa will be to start your hunt close to known water sources. Nilgai Antelope . See More. Why try and fix something that is not broke? Traditionally the bush is rather dense during our summer months from November to April. African Hunter Shot Placement for waterbuck; Waterbuck Bull Vital Statistics. Often the heart-lung area is situated much lower and farther forward than in game animals of other parts of the world. Bulls become solitary after the rut, or join bachelor herds with some sub-adult males in the group. Originally stocked on the King Ranch in the 1930’s, these sporty game animals quickly took hold and are currently on a handful of large private properties in lower South Texas. > I wanted it to be my “hunt the world” gun that I could use for hunting everything from wild hog and deer up to elk, wildebeest, waterbuck, and other large-bodied game. Modern science has since decided all waterbuck (defassa and common) are the same species, frequently interbreeding where ranges overlap such as in Zambia, Kenya and Tanzania. The 'Sing-sing' defassa is the native name and the scientific name. The waterbuck does not reach adult weight until about 3-1/2 years old. Do not attempt this shot placement if using light calibers with light-weight ammunition. Waterbuck are known to emit a strong musky odor when bedding down, or passing through shrub in the early mornings and late afternoons. Waterbuck cows can only be cull hunted from April to June. I … The main difference is the rump ring on the common waterbuck and the solid white patch on the rump of the defassa waterbuck. With its variety and abundance of game, Africa is a great proving ground for rifles, cartridges and bullets. Waterbuck Hunting Shot Placement. The scope you currently have on your rifle is likely good enough for waterbuck hunting South Africa. There is a strict ranking between the males, though the herd changes with frequent comings and goings. During September and October the daily temperatures start rising while the bush recedes to a minimum. The defassa waterbuck colour varies from a dark black-brown to a light sand colour depending on the location. This will be a good lung shot. Waterbuck is a member of the kob antelope family with originally over 37 recognised subspecies - nearly every early African explorer or hunter found a different coloured waterbuck and thought it was a new subspecies. Females mate again soon after bearing young (within two to five weeks). Always given good shot placement, I learned that many combinations worked well, but nothing stands out as working better than the great old .30-06. 2013-07-27: Oppel Myburgh shot this Waterbuck cow out of a pop-up blind at about 30m with his Hoyt Carbon Element and Rage broadhead. Always given good shot placement, I learned that many combinations worked well, but nothing stands out as working better than the great old .30-06. Waterbuck hunting South Africa is hunting for one of the top 10 most wanted antelopes to hunt. The single most important issue is the scope must be able to withstand the recoil once you squeeze the trigger. All the subspecies of defassa waterbuck are roughly the same shoulder height and weight. The 7mm’s and 30 calibers are the preferred selection. Waterbuck facing on shot placement: place the shot where the bottom of the throat meets the chest. Enjoy your hunt. Only use premium grade ammunition like Barnes, Nosler Partition, Federal Premium and others. Distance between the centre of the eye and the centre of the nostril in inches is equivalent to total length in feet. Place the shot right behind the shoulder of the waterbuck in line with the front leg, one third of the way up from the bottom of the chest to the top of the back. If you're presented with a quartering to shot, place it at the spot that bisects the angle formed by the front legs. However, that distance can increase to over 150 yards if they are encountered in an open grassy area. This will result in walking back to camp. As a rule of thumb and with all other factors being equal, the quickest reference for shot placement on an animal standing in a broadside position is to go up on the front leg of the animal with the crosshair and to stop and take aim approximately one third up from the bottom of the animals chest. The waterbuck makes a splendid trophy in all taxidermy mount styles. During the waterbuck rut (end of May through end June roughly) waterbuck bulls join cow herds and fight to death for breeding rights. A good 2 – 12 X 50 gun scope is sufficient for waterbuck hunting South Africa. As waterbuck antelope shot placement is similar to other antelope plains game species, go to. With its variety and abundance of game, Africa is a great proving ground for rifles, cartridges and bullets. Waterbuck have a rather large area covering the vital organs for adequate shot placement. Shot height to be one third of the way up from the bottom of the brisket to the top of the back. I’ve enjoyed great success with Barnes bullets, usually 1 shot kills. Waterbuck Shot Placement Even though they are pretty big animals, no Waterbuck will go far if your shot is placed appropriately. The common waterbuck has a large elliptical ring around the rump while the defassa subspecies have a solid white rump patch. Craig Boddington conducted two surveys of licensed African professional hunters, one in 1989 and the second in 2007. Horn length can only really be judged from side view of the animal when you look for a long straight horn length before it curves forward. No part of this website may be reproduced for publication without written permission. The best trophy quality is generally found in solitary old bulls. Shoot on the point of the 'smile' to break the spine. Waterbuck are part of the forward curve family of antelope (Kobus), making it almost as difficult to hunt as its cousin black- and red lechwe. When encountered in thick brush, shots can be as close as 50 yards. Biltong (South African version of jerky, or dried meat) is a popular form of processing waterbuck meat. This shot should lead to a high heart shot, low lung shot. Waterbuck cull hunt prices: $ 400 per animal. The book is directed at both professional and amateur zoologists, particularly those interested in social organisation and animal behaviour". Be sure. Make sure you are prepared for numerous situations with regards to taking a quick shot: shooting from shooting sticks, lying down while taking a shot, taking a shot from a tree and even from the tracker’s shoulder. The African Hunter Shot Placement Guide is a very useful tool for any hunter around the world regardless of the weapon of choice. Leopard tend to feed on juvenile waterbuck. The two species often interbreed. There are numerous gun scopes and gun scope brands available on the market. Predators have to be of the larger kind to hunt adult waterbuck. African Game Animals Contact Us.