Hyena Hunting

Hyena are quite popular trophies with African hunters. Hyenas are well known as scavengers but in reality they fully utilise prey they find or hunt down themselves.

If you are going to hunt a hyena, be nice to your PH and hunting companions...shoot your hyena close to camp or late in the hunting day so they do not have to sit for a long time near the particularly noxious hyena carcass in the hunting truck.

Hyena Trophy Minimums

Only SCI include hyena records which are judged in the same way as the big cats, with the sum of the skull measurements.

Where To Hunt A Hyena

• You can hunt a spotted hyena in most African hunting countries except those in west Africa.
• The brown hyena may only be hunted in Namibia, Zimbabwe and central and northern South Africa.
• The striped hyena may only be hunted in central and northern Tanzania and Uganda.

Hyena Hunting Prices

• In Cameroon the spotted hyena can be hunted on a savanna hunt for a trophy fee of about 350 Euros.
• In Ethiopia, the spotted hyena can be hunted on a highland hunt for a trophy fee of about US$180.
• In Mozambique, the spotted hyena carries a non-refundable licence fee of between US$350 to US$385 and a trophy fee between US$1000 and US$1800.
• In Namibia you can hunt both a brown and spotted hyena but US hunters may not import a brown hyena trophy in the USA. The trophy fee for a brown hyena ranges from US$1500 to US4250. The spotted hyena trophy fee will be from US$1150 to US$3500.
• In South Africa, both the brown and spotted hyena can only be hunted with a TOPS permit, the cost of which may appear separately or may be included in the trophy fee. The brown hyena has a trophy fee of between US$850 to US$1950. The spotted hyena trophy fee ranges from US$1250 to US$2950. If you are intending to hunt both hyenas on one safari it will likely be necessary to move hunt areas.
• In Tanzania you can hunt a striped hyena on a 21 day licence only and spotted hyena on a 16 & 21 day licence. The Government trophy fee for both hyenas is US$550. When anti-poaching/Community Development fees are added, the spotted hyena trophy fee can range between US$550 to US$1800. The striped hyena trophy fee is around US$1000.
• In Uganda the spotted and striped hyena trophy fee is from US$240 to US$800.
• In Zambia, the spotted hyena trophy fee ranges from US$640 to US$1000.
• In Zimbabwe, a brown hyena trophy fee is US$1000 but requires a special permit costing US$1500. US hunters may not import a brown hyena trophy in the USA. The spotted hyena trophy fee ranges from US$550 to US$800.

Hyena Hunting Methods

• You can be lucky and bump into a hyena while hunting something else, get a good shot off ... and job done!
• Spotting, walking and stalking the likely habitats. In wilderness areas like Tanzania, you often need only to stake out the spot where the skinners throw out the bones after skinning trophies. If you watch for vulture activity, hyena are also likely to be around.
• More productive in some areas is using a bait and blind technique as for cats.

A Good Hyena Trophy

• Hyena trophies are judged on skull measurements so just take the largest you can find.
• A large bodied hyena that will hopefully be male.

Hyena Shot Placement

• As hyena shot placement is similar to other plains game species, go to Shot Placement On Plains Game.

Hyena Vital Statistics

Hyena Habitat and Requirements

• The spotted hyena is the largest of the hyenas occuring in many different habitats, from extremely hot and arid lowland areas in its northern and southern ranges, to cold, mountainous terrains.
• Brown hyenas are found in the southern savannas, semi-deserts, deserts, grasslands, coast and woodlands.
• The striped hyena lives in the tropical savanna, grasslands, semi-desert, scrub forest, and woodland.

Hyena Social Structure

• The striped hyena is generally considered solitary, rarely seen in groups.
• The brown hyena is also solitary when foraging but they live in small clans ranging from a breeding pair and their young to groups of several mature males and females.
• Spotted hyena live in groups of up to 90 members which is led by a single alpha female.

Hyena Gestation Period

• After a gestation period of 3 months, these hyenas produce between 1 - 4 offspring.

Hyena Gender Identification

• Identifying the sex of a hyena is very difficult due to the genitalia of the female looking very similar to that of a male.
• This is one of few species where you can get away with shooting a female in a country that prohibits the shooting of females.
• If you have other hyenas around with which to compare, a large one is likely to be a male...except a female spotted hyena may be larger than the male.

Hyena Image Gallery

Hyena Trophy Permits (2015)

Hyena Trophy Taxidermy

Known for it's incredibly powerful jaws, a hyena skull mount makes an impressive trophy, if you don't want to go for a full mount.

Hyena Hunting Recommended Reading

Hyenas In My Bedroom by Jack Mohr (1969) is the story of an soldier stationed in Africa who stayed after service to hunt and travel in Ethiopia, elsewhere in East Africa and Sudan. A trip with stories to rival many professional hunters.

Hunting Other African Animals

Big Five Hunting

• African Buffalo
• African Lion
• African Leopard
• African Elephant
• Rhino

Waterside Hunting

• Hippo
• Crocodile

Other Plains Game Hunting

• Giraffe
• Zebra

Spiral Horned Antelope Hunting

• Bushbuck
• Kudu
• Nyala
• Mountain Nyala
• Sitatunga
• Bongo
• Eland

Large Antelope Hunting

• Sable
• Roan
• Waterbuck
• Kob
• Lechwe
• Oryx / Gemsbuck
• Wildebeest
• Hartebeest
• Tsessebe / Topi

Medium Antelope Hunting

• Blesbok
• Bontebok
• Reedbuck
• Impala
• Gerenuk
• Springbok
• Rhebok
• Puku

Small Antelope Hunting

• Gazelle
• Duiker
• Dik-Dik
• Steinbok
• Grysbok
• Oribi
• Klipspringer
• Suni
• Bate's Pygmy Antelope

African Pig Hunting

• Warthog
• Bushpig
• Forest Hogs

Other Cat Hunting

• Cheetah
• Serval
• Caracal
• African Wildcat

Animals Of Opportunity

• Baboon
• Civet
• Genet
• Honey Badger (Ratel)
• Hyena
• Jackal
• Ostrich
• Porcupine
• African Fox
• Monkey