Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa In praise of the bushbuck

My first African hunt was back in 2000, and I hunted several properties in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. A bushbuck was one of the animals that I wanted to hunt.

My PH took me to a property along the Limpopo river, and I was able to get this Limpopo bushbuck.



In 2005 I booked a Buffalo hunt in Zimbabwe, and the number two animal that I wanted was a Chobe bushbuck. I got this ram on the morning of the last day of my hunt.



In 2007 I hunted the Eastern and Southern Cape of South Africa, and again a bushbuck was high on my "want" list. I was able to get this old Cape Bushbuck.

I wish I could say the hunt for my cape bushbuck was an epic one, but in all actuality it was not. Bushbuck weren't even on my list. Andre Renton and I were setting up to kill a mountain reedbok and he said monster bushbuck, you must kill him. I asked him how much, decided I could do that and set up for the shot. It being my first African animal, Andrew was very selective with the shot he would let me take. At 200 yards, I put the 168 TTSX from my 300 wsm right through the boiler room and the bushbuck never moved a muscle. Went straight down and was dead instantly.

Here's my story from my 2003 RSA hunt:

We drug the pig a short distance to a farm road I was unaware even existed. It was nice of Numbie to hunt the farm in such a way to minimize my exposure to the roads.

The sun had already set when we reached Numbie�s house where Georg was waiting for us. He was excited and said a nice Bushbuck had been spotted on the other side of the bridge. Numbie the tracker and I had spent all day in the bush and the buck is spotted within a couple of hundred yards of the bridge, isn�t that the way it usually goes? But there is a problem the buck is on another farm. Georg informs me Tuffy also owns this farm but we don�t have permission to hunt there. So we sped off to his house to gain permission and after a short discussion we head back again to Numbie�s and begin our stalk up the river.

We can see the buck, along with several pigs, feeding in an open grassy area. Moving into the brush along side the river conceals our approach but I am concerned with the crowd of onlookers who have gathered on the bridge to watch my stalk. The last time I look back there are no fewer than five people stand on the bridge but both Numbie and I are both focused on the area ahead of us. The buck having been last spotted about 700 yards from the bridge.

It is getting dark quickly and we are about 30 minutes past sunset. My �shooting clock� said we had reached legal shooting time but be continued our stalk moving up from the brush into the edge of the open field. It was a cultivated hay field, no wonder the buck was here feeding.

We last saw the buck moving in front of us along the same edge of the field but he had moved our of sight as he grazed closer to the field edge. Numbie was in the lead with me closely behind and Georg taking up the rear when he froze and very slowly crouched down while pointing to his right into the brush. I immediately made out the movement and identified the Bushbuck. It was another Bushbuck but I was unable to determine the length of the horns before Georg stumbled up asking loudly what we saw. This flushed the buck into the brush but Numbie assured me the buck was smaller than the one ahead of us.

It was during this time the first buck had feed out into the field. Numbie pointed and said there�s your buck. It only took a second to move from my crouched position into a sitting position with my rifle up and the buck in my sights. It was too dark to determine the length of the horns so I returned to my binoculars and could clearly make out the horns with the 8X32 Lieca�s binoculars. I double-checked the area to make certain there was not a second animal in close proximity prior to raising my rifle. Both Numbie and Georg agreed this was a very good buck so I decided to take the shot.

I couldn�t locate the animal at 14X so I cranked my scope down, found the buck, then turned it back up while holding the animal in view. He was feeding broadside going right to left at less than 200 yards. The flash from the muzzle caused me to loose sight of the buck but the celebration by Numbie and Georg informed me the shot was good. There was also a solid whump of a bullet impact to assure me the buck was mine. We later measured the shot at 176 paces. I did not have a camera at this time and waited with my buck until Georg and Numbie returned with the truck after swinging over and picking up my pig. As I sat waiting for the return of the truck I felt both excitement and remorse for having shot such a beautiful specimen.

Love the bushbuck.

Beautiful animal.

Here's mine from last year in Zim, hoping to add another in November.

Some really nice ones pictured already, nice work guys!

The bushbuck, that was one animal I really wanted to take, but in two trips never got one.. Maybe someday.. Beautiful bucks..

Got this one on my 5th try finally

Shot this one with John Sharp my first afternoon on Malangani in Zim in 2007. We spooked him from the cruiser and he ran around one of the many granite outcrops they have there. We climbed over the top and looked for him on the other side. John's tracker (name escapes me...not Kevin...help me Jorge1) spotted him watching his back trail for us. I sniped him with my 9.3x62.

"Finished product"..

He's HUGE! Tracker's name is Isaac, he's been with John over 25 years..

Awesome!

Amen..

Amen..........+1!

I've got to go for one of those!

Guy

Looks like our Fire members have some some nice Bushbuck! Here's the best I have taken, not a giant, but a good specimen and a really fun and challenging hunt.

Zimbabwe 2012



Mike

Bowhunr, that is a VERY respectable buck, looks like a 16" for sure! congratulations!

Spent a few days chasing them along the Limpopo. Sadly this is all I have of the great ram I shot in 2005. A worthless taxidermist by the name of Ron Newman either still has him, or got rid of him. Can't find the DB Ron, no response on calls, emails etc. So if anyone runs across him punch out his [bleep] teeth if you see him. I and many others would surely appreciate it. 17.5"x6"

Thanks Jorge. Just shy of 16 on each side.

@Bambistew Holy $hit man, now that's a bushbuck!! I'm sorry to hear that you lost him. What a trophy!!

Mike

Awesome pictures guys. I watched my buddy shoot one when we were in the Eastern Cape back in 2011. I've been longing for one ever since. Well I just booked my return trip and made sure bushbuck was in my package.

Great thread. This makes me want to hunt Africa even more!

Eric

Jorge is quite correct. The Cape Bushbuck is much darker than the Limpopo bushbuck.
Dark chocolate to even almost black is the norm. Congratulations to all you fellas who posted photos. Some fine bushbuck on display!
Certainly a favorite of mine!