Researching dik dik hunts…

[Green Chile]

Who has been successful hunting them and with which operators? I’m researching for a future hunt to finish my T10. Stories and photos? Did you use a small rifle or load solids in your main rifle? Looking for any experiences with them. Thanks!

 

[375Fox]

I haven’t hunted them myself and don’t think I will. Just not a lot of interest. However, I saw a lot of damara dik dik in Namibia near Otavi. They came to the water while we hunted warthogs. I also saw them daily in massailand south of Arusha while hunting other species. There’s an interesting subspecies in Uganda too.

 

[Green Chile]

Were you close to the rocky steep country when you saw them at water? I would have thought they stayed up in the rocks mostly since anything could take them out as prey. It always strikes me funny how the little antelope walk under short stuff without ducking down.

@Philip Glass...I figured you had taken at least one of them?

 

[375Fox]

Were you close to the rocky steep country when you saw them at water? I would have thought they stayed up in the rocks mostly since anything could take them out as prey. It always strikes me funny how the little antelope walk under short stuff without ducking down.

@Philip Glass...I figured you had taken at least one of them?

Very flat both areas but very thick

 

[wildwilderness]

I saw a bunch in Namibia about an 1.5 hrs north of Windhoek. Unfortunately the property didn't have permits for them (they are limited) because the Mother-in-Law who was part owner of the ranch, thought they were so cute and didn't want any killed They were in a rocky hilly area with thick brush. I plan to go back next year and will arrange to shoot one with my bow! (either that property or the neighbors)

Very reasonable place to hunt, can do a couple days etc.. Free range property, good prices on Oryx and Kudu. Also impala, springbok, steinbok, warthog. You would have to arrange the dik dik to make sure its set and permits etc. but no doubt you will find them there. Send me a PM if you want the info.

They are cute and make a steinbok look big!

 

[Razorback]

I hunted them in Namibia in 2013 with Westfalen Hunting Safaris. They had large population of trophy dik dik. Shot mine with a solid in a 375 HH. Worked well. Great family run operation and we had a blast. I’ll find some pictures and post when I get home.

Hunting Namibia

Hunting Namibia with Westfalen Hunting Safaris. Namibia’s finest free range hunting offering hunting in Namibia for over 20 years.

namibianhuntingsafaris.com

 

[Green Chile]

Thanks for the replies. Dik dik with a bow would be a great accomplishment. You rarely see them in any trophy room much less a bowhunter's room. They truly are tiny and I look forward sometime to having one life size mounted next to red and blue duikers. Challenging little critters that are ultra sensitive to their surroundings. Someone (Peter Flack?) wrote that they look like they are crossing a graveyard...super skittish!

 

[Green Chile]

I hunted them in Namibia in 2013 with Westfalen Hunting Safaris. They had large population of trophy dik dik. Shot mine with a solid in a 375 HH. Worked well. Great family run operation and we had a blast. I’ll find some pictures and post when I get home.

Hunting Namibia

Hunting Namibia with Westfalen Hunting Safaris. Namibia’s finest free range hunting offering hunting in Namibia for over 20 years.

namibianhuntingsafaris.com

I look forward to your photos. What other game are you seeing around them...Hartmann's zebra...gemsbok?

 

[abnhog]

I took mine in Namibia a couple of hours west of Etosha. We were out looking for leopard bait and saw him in the bush. The PH had his .22 mag with him and that is what I used. Had the back straps that night as a “starter” and they were very good.

 

[dogcat1]

I have taken 3 of the dik disks. One in Namibia and two in Ethiopia. Fun hunts, tough to find. Had great fun doing it.

 

[dchum]

I know you just saw my recent hunt report of my Damara Dik Dik. But still wanted to comment for others!

I shot my Damara Dik Dik near Karibib Namibia. My pal and sight sponsor Philip Hennings arranged the hunt for me. @KHOMAS HIGHLAND HUNTING SAFARIS

I used a .22 hornet with little FMJ’s. Full body penetration from rest to chest. They are so small. It’s crazy how much smaller on the ground they looked than say a steenbok.

Hope I can help out!

 

[Osama Mahdi]

Following

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

I took a Damara Dik-Dik northeast of Grootfontein in Namibia. I used a .375 H&H Woodleigh Solid on mine. It’s the only of my Tiny 10 that the 375 did some damage to because I caught the back leg due to the shot angle. The damage looked a lot worse than it was.

Spent 3.5 days of hunting for them in the mornings and afternoons between chasing elephants. Saw LOTS of females and several young rams, but only a couple shooter rams. All but the one I shot were too quick or moved into tall grass/cover. The one I shot was in some pretty thick stuff.

Sent you a text with some photos and video from the hunt to give you an idea. A buddy of mine hunting a few hours away lost one with a .22 Hornet or .22 Mag the same week. Another member of this forum (on their first Safari) was hunting with him at the time.

 

[Philip Glass]

Were you close to the rocky steep country when you saw them at water? I would have thought they stayed up in the rocks mostly since anything could take them out as prey. It always strikes me funny how the little antelope walk under short stuff without ducking down.

@Philip Glass...I figured you had taken at least one of them?

Yes I have taken one very nice one. They live in the flat bushy areas of northern Namibia. You see them and then they are gone. Never to be seen again!

 

[Philip Glass]

I hunted them in Namibia in 2013 with Westfalen Hunting Safaris. They had large population of trophy dik dik. Shot mine with a solid in a 375 HH. Worked well. Great family run operation and we had a blast. I’ll find some pictures and post when I get home.

Hunting Namibia

Hunting Namibia with Westfalen Hunting Safaris. Namibia’s finest free range hunting offering hunting in Namibia for over 20 years.

namibianhuntingsafaris.com

I also took mine with Westfalen. Jerome helped me organize that one.

 

[Green Chile]

I have taken 3 of the dik disks. One in Namibia and two in Ethiopia. Fun hunts, tough to find. Had great fun doing it.

What gun/load for yours?

 

[Green Chile]

Love this photo from Westfalen Safaris...

 

[dchum]

Were you close to the rocky steep country when you saw them at water? I would have thought they stayed up in the rocks mostly since anything could take them out as prey. It always strikes me funny how the little antelope walk under short stuff without ducking down.

@Philip Glass...I figured you had taken at least one of them?

We hunted drove the river bottoms where it was very thick and had more vegetation. You could tell we were driving the river bottoms slowly to try and jump one up during the heat of the day. This area had some steep and rocky area, but you would only see Klippies there.

 

[Green Chile]

For some reason, I thought the Dik Dik were up in the rocks like klippies but they way it sounds, it's a lot more like red/blue duiker...little zoomies in the weeds. That makes it hard for evaluating age/sex.

 

[dchum]

They have these “huge” dung piles that they make over time. This reminded me of Nilgai antelope if you have seen that.

Very territorial!