Hunting the Blue Wildebeest

When we consider African game hunting in Africa, one of the popular choices for hunters is the blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus). The blue wildebeest is scattered across the African continent and found in Botswana, Tanzania, South Africa, Mozambique, Angola, and Kenya. It has also been successfully reintroduced in Namibia, where it was previously extinct. It is listed as an animal of “least concern” by the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

They can be found in various habitats, from overgrazed areas with dense bush, to open woodlands and floodplains in south, central, and eastern Africa. Their preferred habitat is short-grassed plains that border savannas, in areas that are neither too wet nor too arid. They are one of the most widely distributed species, as well as the most commonly targeted antelopes for hunters on an African plains game hunting safari. They do migrate, which seems to depend on the rainfall pattern and grass available for consumption. 

The blue wildebeest travels in herds, ranging in size from a couple to thousands of animals. This makes targeting a specific blue wildebeest bull quite a challenge on a hunting safari and careful concentration is required.

These big game antelopes breed towards the end of the rainy season, with the female gestating for 8.5 months. The female gives birth to one calf in the middle of the herd and the offspring is usually born in the middle of the day and can stand within minutes. The calf stays with its mother until leaving her to join a juvenile herd when it is around eight months old.

The blue wildebeest is an herbivorous grazer and prefers sweet grasses, although they will also follow other antelopes that consume the drier, longer variants of grasses.   They are most active early in the day and later in the afternoon while resting during the hotter section of the day. 

They are preyed on by numerous carnivores, including Nile crocodiles, lions, and hyenas, while wild dogs are also known to target calves, elderly, and sick animals in the herd. These African plains game antelopes can reach impressive speeds of up to 80 miles an hour to outrun their attackers.