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Caracal Hunting in Africa

Hunt the Extremely Athletic and Agile African Cat. Perfect for a Night Hunt.

The Caracal is an extremely agile, powerfully built cat with an amazing jumping ability of up to 10ft. Although caracal hunting in Africa is usually not the main reason for a hunting safari, these cats do form part of South African hunting packages.

The caracal is a medium-sized cat that is native to Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and some areas of Pakistan and northwestern India. In South Africa, the caracal (Caracal caracal) is often referred to as a “lynx” or “rooikat” (red cat in the local Afrikaans language).

Caracals are known for their proficiency in hunting flying birds and can just upwards from a sitting position and catch prey up to 10ft in the air. A caracal’s diet is varied and includes birds, insects, snakes, rodents, and monkeys and they are even known to prey on local livestock, much to the farmers’ annoyance and why they are seen as being vermin.

Caracals call several habitats home including woodlands, savannahs, and scrub forests. In southern Africa, they usually live in upland areas but prefer not to live in desert areas. Although mainly nocturnal, the caracal will come out to hunt during cloudy weather or at dusk.

AT A GLANCE

Name:
Caracal Caracal

Male Weight:
15.5 – 40 Pounds

Male Shoulder Height:
16-20 inches

Range:
Southern and West Africa

Habitat:
Woodlands, Savannahs, and Scrub Forests

Mating Season:
All year around

Life span:
12 years

Hunting African Wildcats

Pursuing the Agile, Athletic Caracal

Size and Appearance

When on a game hunting safari searching for a caracal, look for a medium-sized wild cat with powerfully built, long legs, broad front legs, short tails, and pointed ears with long tufts of fur. Caracals are very striking cats, with elf-like pointed ears long tufts of fur, long legs, and a short tail. They have short, reddish-brown fur on their back and flanks, with white fur on their chin, throat, and underbelly. Most notably, long tufts of black fur top the caracal's ears, which are long and slender and have more than 20 muscles in each ear which allows it to move in various directions to listen for prey or predators. This feline is known for its agility and speed and is capable of reaching speeds of up to 50 miles per hour. Caracal’s predators include lions, leopards, and the hyena. They escape detection by lying flat on their bellies and having their brownish-red fur blend in with the surrounding vegetation.

Hunting Methods

Your game hunting safari encounter with a caracal is more than likely going to be a chance one while out hunting for your actual target, so take full advantage of it. Caracal hunting in Africa can take place at night, where it is legal to undertake it. A spotlight is hung over bait to entice the animal closer. A blind is built and the wait then commences for the caracal to appear. However, they have extremely good hearing so you have a word of caution here to be extremely quiet. A negative of this type of bait hunting is that caracal do prefer to catch their own prey and might not be lured to the area. Predator calls can also be employed and can be an effective way of getting the caracal to show itself. This feline can be hunted with dogs in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal only, where it is legal to do so.

Challenges and Rewards

The challenge with hunting caracal is to find the animal! They have large territories and may be difficult to target, should your PH not be aware of which sections of the territory the animal prefers. Caracal will be an opportunistic extra to your main hunt but well worth the effort in securing this agile feline as a game hunting trophy.

Rifles and Requirements

Large caliber rifles can be utilized when caracal hunting in Africa, as long as non-expanding bullets are used as the trophy may be ruined. 20 caliber right up to a .257 Weatherby is ideal but headshots must be avoided when hunting this stunning African cat. A lower gauge shotgun can also be a consideration.