Sub-Saharan Africa’s mountainous regions are home to the Mountain reedbuck, a small and reticent antelope.
Their fur is mostly grey, but they have a white underside and a rusty brown on their shoulders and head. The horns of males are ridged and curl forward. A black scent patch can be found in the crease between the ears of both sexes.
There are three distinct ranges where you can find mountain reedbuck, and within those ranges you’ll find three distinct subspecies. The southern mountain reedbuck is found in the eastern Cape Province of South Africa and in south-eastern Botswana.
Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Sudan, and Ethiopia are all home to Chanler’s mountain reedbuck. Only in Cameroon have scientists discovered the Adamawa mountain reedbuck.
These creatures like the protection of trees and bushes and live on ridges and hillsides in rocky areas and highland grasslands.
Mountain reedbuck tend to congregate in groups. They typically gather in small groups of six or fewer animals to eat in the early evening and morning. They take shelter from the sun by napping throughout the middle of the day. One adult male, multiple adult females, and young make up a typical group.
Young males are cast off by the herd and establish their own bachelor pack. Most dominant males will spend the entire year in their territory, marking it with displays, odours, and vocal cues. Whenever they feel endangered, Mountain reedbuck will whistle loudly to alert their flock.
During the mating season, a single male mountain reedbuck will mate with multiple females. All twelve months of the year are used for breeding. After a gestation period of 8 months, females give birth to a single calf.
Mountain reedbuck calves spend their first month of life concealed from view in thick vegetation, emerging only to nurse. Females become sexually active between 9 and 12 months of age and are fully developed between 18 and 24 months. Males can start mating around 27 months of age.
This medium-sized antelope, as its name suggests, lives in the mountains, specifically on dry rocky slopes and hills where there is plenty of grass and cover. In general, the mountain reedbuck will keep away from exposed locations like peaks and instead stick to more forested and shrubby habitats.
Expect some elevation gain if you want to go mountain reedbuck hunting.
Shorter than the horns of the common reedbuck, but still curved forward at the points, the mountain reedbuck is easily distinguished. In general, a set that is longer than the ear lengths is considered a trophy.
This mountain-dweller typically congregates in groups of three to six animals, which are almost entirely made up of females and young. Unless they are looking for a mate, rams will form bachelor herds or be found wandering alone. These males are wary, but curious, which might be used to the hunter’s advantage.
Mountain reedbuck tend to spend long periods of time in the early and late hours of the day. Mountain reedbuck can be challenging to approach on foot, so you’ll likely need to target them from a long distance.
Most of the medium-sized antelope can be taken with a rifle of.270 calibre. Quality expanding bullets in the 130–175 grain range should do the trick. The best way to anchor this top-notch climber is with a shot to the shoulder, so aim carefully or you might find yourself scaling rocks all day.
In South Africa, mountain reedbuck can be hunted at any time of the year. From May to August, this species is most easily hunted in the provinces of Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Free State, and Mpumalanga, where it can be spotted warming itself in the early morning light throughout the winter.
If you’re hunting in the provinces of Limpopo, Northwest, Northern Cape, or Western Cape, you should wait until late in the season, between August and November, because these animals travel down the mountain to the more exposed artificial waterholes at the base of the hills and mountains to drink on a regular basis.
Spend some time glassing the rocky peaks if you’re going hunting in a hilly grassland area. Small changes in motion are often all it takes to alert a hunter to the presence of animals hiding among the rocks.
The next step is to go in close for the kill, whether that means shooting upwards from a low view point or downwards from a high vantage point. Bow hunters have the best luck targeting these animals in the drier parts of the country. The bowhunter can either ambush the prey as it makes its way to the water source or shoot it from a blind situated above the watering hole.
These animals are critically endangered all across the world, and finding them may involve a tough climb. Since they are hard to get close to, taking a shot at them usually involves a significant amount of waiting for the perfect opportunity.
They are awe-inspiring when displayed on a mantle or pedestal. You should never pass up the chance to acquire a magnificent specimen, since they have excellent eyesight and will give a shrill whistle as a warning call before leaping off.
Hunting for mountain reedbuck with Hunt24 is an exceptional experience because the company employs only the most qualified and experienced professional hunters in the most productive regions.
Together, we can plan a hunt for the common reedbuck that will be both exciting and successful, yielding a trophy of exceptional quality. South Africa’s Limpopo, Free State, Western Cape, Eastern Cape, and Zululand provinces are where we regularly go on hunts for the mountain reedbuck.
