Hunting Blesbok in Africa

The blesbok (Damaliscus pygargus phillipsi) is native to South Africa and remains a popular choice for Africa plainsgame hunting. Although years ago, the blesbok was nearly extinct, but their numbers are steadily climbing, and they have been successfully introduced into Namibia, where they are thriving. Their current status with the International Union of Conversation of Nature (IUCN) is “least concern.”

The blesbok is a medium-sized antelope, found throughout most of South Africa, including the Eastern Cape, Free State, North West, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal. They prefer a habitat of open grasslands with access to water available. They dislike wooded areas.

There are three different social structures within a blesbok herd, namely territorial males, female herds, and bachelor groups. These bucks are diurnal and active during the early morning and late afternoon, with their activity dropping during the heat of the day.

Female blesbok gestates for 9-10 months, giving birth to one calf. Births peak annually in November and December.

Unlike many other antelope species, the blesbok newborn stays with the mother in the herd and is not hidden from danger or predators.

They are herbivorous grazers, consuming grass as their main food source, as well as herbs. They migrate to follow the rains and the fresh, newly grown grasses.

There are many predators, apart from man, hunting the blesbok in South Africa. Their main predators include lions, leopards, African wild dogs, spotted hyenas, and cheetahs. Calves may be attacked by jackals and eagles.