Hippo Hunts In Africa

Size and Appearance

When preparing for a game hunting safari, it is important to remember that most of the time your target will be in the water, with only the top of their head visible. Hippos have a large barrel-shaped body, with short, stubby legs and tails. Its body color is a mixture of greyish to muddy-brown colors, with a pale pink underbelly. The hippo has a large head, which at times is all you can see when it lies submerged in water and this makes it very difficult to differentiate between a male and female hippo. When game hunting in Africa, and you are at the stage of needing to identify the target’s gender, remember that male hippos are larger and their teeth and tusks are larger than females, which makes identification a bit easier when only the head is visible! Hippos have large tusks in both jaws, representing the upper incisors and the lower canines, with 36 teeth in total. Their sharp tusks can grow up to a foot long and actually never stop growing. They are used by hippos to fight other males and used in defence when attacked. They are strong swimmers and as adults can stay submerged for up to five minutes at a time before having to surface for air. They even can sleep underwater, using a reflex that allows them to bob up, take a breath, and sink back down without waking up.

Challenges & Rewards

Any game hunting in Africa comes with its own set of challenges but hippo hunting can be very difficult. The reason is that hippos spend most of their lives in the water, submerged with only their eyes keeping a watchful lookout. This makes it difficult to gather information on the animal and differentiate in terms of male or female or the actual size of the hippo. And then…just when you have it in your sights…it will disappear beneath the water and either sink away for a while or literally walk under the water on the bottom of the river or dam, to a quieter, more peaceful area away from any disturbances.

Hunting Hippos: Techniques and Strategies

Hippos remain a popular species for dangerous game hunting in Africa and they are hunted in three main methods. The first way is by quietly sneaking along the water’s edge until you spot a suitable trophy bull and then an accurate shot is needed to harvest it. Keep in mind that the hippo will sink and hunters will be required to wait for the hippo to rise and return to the surface, which may take up to an hour or two. The second method is much the same as the first, but this time the hunter will be in a boat and not on foot. The added adrenaline and danger come with the knowledge that hippos are not only very aggressive and dangerous but also fully capable of capsizing the vessel. The last option for harvesting a hippo is to try to intercept it while it travels from its water-based habitat to dry land for feeding. They leave their resting waters, where they spend close to 80% of their time, near dusk, and return in the morning, which would result in a night hunting opportunity.

Essential Gear for Hippo Hunts

A minimum caliber of a .375 is a legal requirement when it comes to hunting hippo in Africa. In this caliber use a minimum of 300 grain bullet. This member of the dangerous seven has exceptionally thick skin and thick skull bone. A solid bullet is required to ensure penetration. Out of water and up close taking a broad side shot, a .416 Rigby or 500NE is suggested to enter the heart for an accurate kill shot. Hunting in Africa is not a walk in the park as they say, but to be able to return home after some game hunting with the trophy of a hippo bull is well worth the blood, sweat, and tears that are needed to hunt one.