What's your favorite plains game to hunt in Africa and why?

[BRICKBURN]

Bow hunting walk and stalk: Bushbuck in the thick stuff and Vaal Rhebok in the high wide open mountains.

Tracking - Eland, hands down. Giraffe a very close second.

I love Kudu hunting. The big guys are sneaky and are a real challenge in their native cover.

Sitatunga, I can only imagine.

 

[PeteG]

Sitatunga, I can only imagine.

I know a place or two...


Bushbuck and Duiker in the thickets area always fun to go after.
Eland and Roan at tondwa were challenging to get close to for pics last year. The roan seemed to have around a 500m safe zone once they see you!
Warthog at Takeri drive me ... next time

 

[Nyati]

Eland. First to find a really old bluebull, then track him down.

Took me three and a half days to get mine.

 

[akeate]

Lion. By far. Being on the ground and finding a fresh kill is sure knowledge that you aren't the only apex predator in the bush.

Having said that, Springbok is my favorite PG. Accurate shooting at distance and watching those little guys run is just a ton of fun.

 

[BRICKBURN]

I know a place or two...
.....

You're just about as sneaky.

 

[wesheltonj]

Nothing screams RSA like Springbok and nothing screams Africa like Kudu. That said the coloring on Zebra and Gembok make for great mounts. However if money was no object theses bad boys would be at the top of my list:

 

[Ryan]

I have to give another vote for all of them. Since you don't typically hunt a single species when PG hunting (except maybe sable) I'll narrow it to four if I could to only do it once. Kudu, red hartebeest, zebra and eland. The last I never got, so spooky in last years drought conditions im Namibia. I might trade out black wildebeest for red hartebeest, their spook and run antics are unforgettable.
Given the opportunity I suggest being open to a couple-three more.

 

[ack]

Gemsbok...They are beautiful,,numerous,,challenging and I think the best tasting of all..For a pure challenge try zebra which is also very tasty and you can't beat a zebra rug !

 

[Adrian]

All of them if I'm honest. Just to be on foot in the African bush is enjoyable and my favourite experience, it makes no difference what animal I'm hunting, I just enjoy the time doing it.
If I had to pick an animal that has been the most challenging it would be the Red Hartebeest.
I've spent more time indulging in my favourite activity chasing them than any other and had more failed stalks than with other animals but the memories I have hunting Red Hartebeest and the resulting trophies are my favourite.
My first bull was a loner down on a dry river bed at last light after following a herd most of the day and always being one step behind them. It was the longest shot I've ever made and I can clearly see him standing there almost challenging me to take the shot.
My second was again, another bull that we crept up to after a difficult stalk down a steep cliff and he was aware of us but kept moving and that meant we had to keep moving with him.
My other was a cow from a herd that I made a poor shot on and she ran and ran but I finished her with a long and difficult shot after a long chase.
This doesn't include the many hours stalking herds and other small groups that ended in failure but those occasions only made my success rewarding and more satisfying.
They might look a bit dopey and an easy hunt but a group of Hartebeest is a real challenge and if you're into hunting and not all about the killing, then these animals are my favourite.

 

[Mark Urbanczyk]

All of them if I'm honest. Just to be on foot in the African bush is enjoyable and my favourite experience, it makes no difference what animal I'm hunting, I just enjoy the time doing it.
If I had to pick an animal that has been the most challenging it would be the Red Hartebeest.
I've spent more time indulging in my favourite activity chasing them than any other and had more failed stalks than with other animals but the memories I have hunting Red Hartebeest and the resulting trophies are my favourite.
My first bull was a loner down on a dry river bed at last light after following a herd most of the day and always being one step behind them. It was the longest shot I've ever made and I can clearly see him standing there almost challenging me to take the shot.
My second was again, another bull that we crept up to after a difficult stalk down a steep cliff and he was aware of us but kept moving and that meant we had to keep moving with him.
My other was a cow from a herd that I made a poor shot on and she ran and ran but I finished her with a long and difficult shot after a long chase.
This doesn't include the many hours stalking herds and other small groups that ended in failure but those occasions only made my success rewarding and more satisfying.
They might look a bit dopey and an easy hunt but a group of Hartebeest is a real challenge and if you're into hunting and not all about the killing, then these animals are my favourite.

I agree whole heartedly. Any PG you are stalking in the African veldt is exciting and as challenging as you want to make it.

 

[greyfox]

My favorite is Mountain Reedbuck. I like the open spaces, glassing the hills and terrain and the stalk. It's a lot like Coues Whitetail, and very delicious!

I suggest you choose animals based on how and where you plan to display them, trophy fees, and have some extra $$ in case there's something that, when you see it in the wild, it just strikes your fancy!!

Animals that scream AFRICA (plains game): Springbuck, warthog, zebra, kudu...

 

[Philip Glass]

My favorite plains game might be mountain zebra in Namibia. Tough and very cunning they are in a class of their own.
Regards,
Philip

 

[Mike B]

Love reading everyone's "why"! Keep them coming! I don't think I would have ever picked hartebeest off a list, at least not to start, but I love the idea of a great hunt and not just showing up at a water hole and going Bang.

 

[Arthur Morta]

Eland - purely, if hunted on a 50/50 fair chase, cunning and evasive that a true hunter will savour for years, this animal has no lack of energy and will make You crisscross your own footprints for days on end.
Followed by a decent aged Red Haartebeest Bull that will alert and spook the very Eland Bull you let up of a few hours before...

 

[RolandtheHeadless]

I enjoyed the kudu, sable, and buffalo hunts the most. All were very spooky and difficult to hunt. The kudu and sable took three days of hard hunting to kill. Buffalo were the only DG I hunted, and they were very spooky also, though I managed to get one on the first day of hunting them.

 

[Longwalker]

A very inexperienced answer here, but from my one plains game hunt so far I'd have to say Kudu. It was the one trophy I wanted the most, they are beautiful, we saw a lot of them, and at the same time they were very elusive and we had many failed stalks. The one I got was wonderful but somehow the experience just made me want to go back to try for another one. I also was pleasantly surprised by the fun I had hunting mountain reedbuck, an animal I had almost no knowledge of before the hunt. They remind me a lot of hunting whitetails. And zebra were more interesting to hunt than I expected too, they are very expert at using other animals as sentries.

 

[James Cook]

Any of them for the experience of being in Africa, but if forced to pick - the Grey ghost - kudu.

 

[Andrew Jones]

Sneaking up on Kudu in socks with archery gear is hard to beat. Those ears miss nothing. Had two big bulls fighting at twenty yards one day. What a show!

The shear size of eland take my breath away when they step out of the bush. Nice big target for the arrow to find though!

Crawling up on a herd of zebra is as challenging as anything else. They are smart. Love seeing that arrow disappear through the sergeant stripes.

 

[Safari Dave]

I would have to choose the kudu.

They are not everywhere like impala, gazelle or blue wildebeest can be, but they are a magnificent animal.



I saw a a legitimate 50"+++ free-range in Mozambique last August, but didn't have a permit.

 

[Bert the Turtle]

Zebra.
Zebra hide rugs are great and make a great gift.