African Game Animals

Page Updated: June 2020

Hunting African game animals successfully requires skill, hard work and knowledge. Some visiting hunters believe that they pay their Professional Hunter for these attributes and they are only the 'trigger men'. They sometimes don't even know or want to know, what a particular animal looks like, let alone it's habitat and social behaviour.

"It's pleasant to work with men who know what trophies they want, bag them, and do no other killing except for food. They stalk game carefully, often expertly, and try not to merely wound a beast. Usually they give the animals more than an even break and are happiest when their trophies are won with all odds in favour of the animals." Alexander Lake

Hunters are often surprised at the wariness and toughness of African animals compared to their home species. All African plains game are constantly predated upon so are extremely aware of their surroundings and react instantly to any perceived threat, thus highly skilled stalking methods are required. The zebra and wildebeest, for example, will fight for life to the bitter end, often taking a lot of lead before succumbing. The predator species, such as crocodile or leopard, are super wary - being at the top of the food chain means they cannot put themselves at risk of injury.

Knowing a few simple facts about the animal you are hunting will truly enhance your African hunt - not only will you really enjoy the hunting experience, you can confidently contribute your own hunting ideas and your hunt will become a true team effort.

These pages are tailored for African hunters, so in addition to details about animal appearance and behaviour that you can read anywhere, there are sections about...

  • Where to go to hunt the animal species - the choices with pros and cons for various hunting destinations.
  • Information on the approximate hunting prices to expect with advice on what to look out for when booking a hunt for that particular animal.
  • A quick table guide to the Rowland Ward and SCI trophy minimums and records for the animal. Some SCI minimums and records may be outdated now (2020) as only SCI members have access to their online records.
  • The hunting methods commonly used to successfully hunt the animal.
  • What to look for to determine good trophy quality.
  • Advice on shot placement for that species.
  • There are images to illustrate the differences between males and females, good or otherwise trophy examples.
  • The issues regarding trophy CITES permits and other special requirements to import this animal into the USA, EU or Australia.
  • Taxidermy pointers for the specific animal with images.
  • Historical facts about the animal's discovery and name. Not essential reading but interesting to some hunters.
  • There are a few recommended books and DVDs for those hunters who really want to get the flavour of hunting the animal.

All African Game Animals

Big Five Hunting

Waterside Hunting

Other Plains Game Hunting

Spiral Horned Antelope Hunting

Large Antelope Hunting

Medium Antelope Hunting

Small Antelope Hunting

African Pig Hunting

Other Cat Hunting

Animals Of Opportunity

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