Hunting Hippo in Namibia

More About Namibia Hippo Hunting

Weighing over 3,200 pounds, the hippo is a mighty adversary for big game hunting in Namibia. It spends over 16 hours a day wallowing in the water, keeping its almost skinless body moist and protected from the harsh African sun. When targeting your prize hippo bull, look out for two bumps on either side of the nostrils, where the bottom tusks push up when the hippo’s mouth is closed.

Shot Placement while Hippo Hunting in Namibia

While hippo hunting in Namibia, you will target your sought-after game hunting trophy in a couple of ways: Walk-and-stalk. Firstly, getting closer to the herd in a mokoro (traditional canoe), followed by a walk-and-stalk. Target the hippo on land as it leaves the water around dusk to feed on land and makes its way back to the water before daybreak. All options have their own challenges, as hippos are extremely aggressive and territorial. In a mokoro, you stand the chance of your vessel being capsized, whereas you stand the chance of being chased on land. This is extremely hazardous, as the hippo will take out anything (or anyone) that stands in its way as it heads to the water.

Accurate shot placement when targeting dangerous game, is critical. There are a couple of options open to the hunter: The Frontal Brain Shot When mentally preparing for your big game hunting safari, be ready to consider this shot. If you are hunting during the rainy season, it may be the only one presented by the hippo, as its body will be submerged in water. The Frontal Heart Shot While hippo hunting in Namibia, a well-placed bullet from a high-caliber rifle designed for penetration will drop a bull hippo in its tracks. Practically and realistically the big game hunter will very rarely be presented with this frontal heart shot. Broadside Brain Headshot (Hippo in the Water) When hunting a hippo while it’s in the water, the hunter will need to execute a brain shot, if the head is facing at an angle away from the hunter. This shot will be recommended by your professional hunter should, there be no other available options. Headshot Facing Away from the Hunter While on a hippo game hunting safari, this shot is not often taken by big game hunters or recommended by professional hunters. The Fleeting Shot On land, while hippo hunting the initial shot placement may not have been executed with perfection. The urgent need for quick follow-up shots can happen during any big game hunting safari. If the hippo chooses not to charge the hunter, he will dash for the safety of the water, smashing everything in his path. This fleeing action may present the hunter with two possible shot placements, namely the spine or the hop joint. The Heart and Lung Shot The broadside heart and lung shots are the preferred option when on a hippo hunting safari and can only be executed when the hippo is out of the water. The odds of finding the hippo out of the water on the game hunting safari will seldom favor the hunter. The Neck Shot This will not be an ideal first choice for shot placement and will not be recommended by your professional hunter.

What Caliber Rifle can I use when Hippo Hunting in Namibia?

Dangerous big game hunting in Namibia calls for the minimum caliber of .375 as a legal requirement, with a minimum of a 300-grain bullet. Hippos are renowned for having thick skin, skulls, and vertebrae, requiring a solid bullet for proper penetration. When the hippo is targeted out of the water and is up close with the hunter taking a broadside shot, a suggested rifle would be a .416 Rigby or 500NE, to enter the heart for an accurate kill shot. Bow hunting for dangerous game is not legal in Namibia.