A huge and striking antelope, the sable is a sight to behold. Sable antelope are easily recognisable by their shiny black coats, white undersides, and distinctive white facial markings. The young and mothers of cows are a dark brown colour.
Each sex has a thick black mane that runs around the back of the neck in a rigid fashion. Bulls have a shoulder height of 1.4 m and can reach a weight of 270 kilogrammes.
Long, ridged horns that bend backwards are a distinguishing feature of both sexes. Horns have sharp, polished tips. Adult bulls’ scimitar-shaped horns can reach a length of 1.2 metres or more. The female horn is shorter and more delicate.
The backs of the ears are a bright brick red, and they’re shorter than the ears of the roan antelope. At around two months old, the young start to develop their horns.
The majority of their diet consists of grass. They love speargrass, red grass and several kinds of Brachiaria, Urochloa and Panicum. Sedges of various types are also harvested near sources of water.
The sable often crops grass at a very high elevation, making it an ideal grazer of climax vegetation. To compensate for phosphorus deficiency, many sable in the veld chew on the bones of other death animals.
Cows first reach breeding age at three years, and would drop their first calves at the age of three years. They have a 270-day gestation period and have single calves that weigh 17 kilogrammes at birth.
Sables are most active first thing in the morning and last thing at night, and they stop for the day to refuel on water. The herd sizes of this gregarious antelope are highly variable.
Smaller groups of pregnant cows migrate away from the bigger groupings of young and non-breeding animals during the calving season.
Large herds tend to gather on bunt regions or wet areas in the late winter. Territorial males will remove young bulls from breeding groups when they become sexually mature at the age of three years old.
A calf’s first two weeks are spent buried in long grass, where they are visited by their mothers for suckling and grooming. Calves begin to explore grass at a very young age and are entirely weaned at eight months.
The majestic sable antelope is one of the most beautiful animals in Africa, and every hunter or outdoorsman who has seen one will agree. With that, it is also among the most coveted plains game trophies.
In recent years, South Africa has been the source of some of Africa’s finest sable. Due to the country’s dedication to wildlife preservation, today South Africa boasts the world’s finest Southern Sable gene pool.
In the Eastern Cape of South Africa, Sable Antelope are not subject to any seasonal limitations.
When compared to other African antelope species, including the kudu, the sable bull has the longest horns. One of the most impressive African trophies is a fully developed sable bull that is all black.
It is better to go sable hunting in the early morning or late afternoon, when the animal is most active and most likely to be found grazing in open areas. If you are targeting a sable within a herd, the bull will most likely be found lingering on the outskirts.
Although the sable bull maintains an air of superiority and detachment, it is actually rather approachable despite its haughty demeanour. Play this quality off of his aggressive temperament to your advantage, but be prepared for a charge just in case.
It’s important to come prepared when hunting sable, just like you would for a roan. One may argue that the .270 Win is the bare minimum. Try a 30 calibre with a decent quality expanding bullet that is heavy for the calibre. In this scenario, bigger is better, and the .338 Magnum, the 9.3mm, and the .375 H&H are all great options, especially if you need to put down a charge.
The high heart/lung shot should be aimed straight up the foreleg approximately a third of the way into the body for the side-on presentation. The optimal location for the neck/spinal shot is at the point of articulation between the head and the body.
If your shot is accurate, your sable will succumb immediately. If you want to take a frontal shot, aim for the centre of the chest, just below shoulder level.
Hunting a sable can be exciting due to the large and often aggressive temperament of these gorgeous antelope. Don’t skimp on ammunition and aim well to bring home the prize.
In South Africa, sable hunting first entails tracking down your quarry, and then stalking it on foot until you’re in firing range. When it comes to sable hunting, Hunt24 consistently delivers excellent results.
Our hunting grounds are ideal, and we have skilled guides ready to help you bring home your sable trophy. Sable are stunning antelope, and hunting them can be a thrilling and engaging experience thanks to their size and aggression.
