Trophy Hunting Waterbuck in South Africa

Overview of this species and the hunt

If you are going after waterbuck, know that you are going to get wet as he is almost always near water. This animal lives in a smallish herd and since he lives near water, he is a grazer rather than a browser. Only the males will have horns and it is the large ring of white fur around the rump of both the male and female that helps identify it. The meat is not really for eating, in fact, most predators don’t hunt this animal unless they are desperate. The antelope is covered in sweat glands, which makes its coat waterproof but it spoils the meat. Waterbuck are territorial and will swing their heads from side to side when threatened. Waterbuck live on open plains as well as flood plains.

Trophy Hunting Waterbuck in South Africa normally requires a bit of well-practised long range shooting as well as a pair of binoculars. They have good senses but not so remarkable that they are difficult to approach. As this is a large animal, be sure you are shooting with the right rifle and the right bullets. A .270 with a 150-grain expanding bullet along with a 7mm or 30 calibres rifle are all good choices.

The heart/lung region, about a third of the way up the foreleg, is where you should aim. Since you will probably be looking at a shoulder mount trophy, you don’t want to shoot the neck. Aiming high for the shoulder or spine, or shooting directly in the centre of the chest should bring the animal down. Hunting Waterbuck can be a great experience and it will certainly yield a stunning trophy!