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Hunting The Mountain Nyala

The Mountain Nyala is an African plains game antelope renowned for its cautious and elusive nature

In a terrain marked by steep wet and slippery slopes, stinging nettles, and biting insects; the mountain nyala will certainly make you work for your chance at taking your shot at a true prized trophy of your hunting safari. The mountain Nyala (Tragelaphus buxtoni), or balbok, is a large antelope found in the woodlands of central Ethiopia at 9,800–11,200 feet, providing hunters with a definite safari hunting challenge of note!

Mountain nyala are traditionally herbivorous browsers, feeding on leaves, woody plants, shrubs, ferns, and aquatic plants. The nyala will turn to grazing on grasses and bushes if necessary during the drier season. Males are not territorial and roam ranges of 5.8–7.7 square miles. Roaming areas in the dry season tend to be much larger than in the wet season.

The female’s gestation is 8–9 months, and cows birth a single calf. Breeding is year-round but usually peaks around September – November. The young calf remains with the mother for up to two years. Mountain nyala typically live around 15–20 years. Predators of this majestic antelope are the lion, leopard, and spotted hyena.

AT A GLANCE

Name:
Tragelaphus Buxtoni

Weight:
400–660 pounds

Shoulder Height:
47–53 inches

Range:
Central Ethiopia

Mating Season:
Year-round

Life span:
15–20 years

Hunting Mountain Nyala

The Mountain Nyala requires hunters to bring their A-game to hunt it.

Size and Appearance

The male antelope stands at 47–53 inches at the shoulder and weighs 400–600 pounds, while the female mountain nyala stands 35–39 inches at the shoulder and weighs 330–400 pounds. Their coat is grey to brown, with a bushy tail measuring 7-10 inches in length. It has two to five abstract stripes stretching from the back to the belly, and 6–10 white dots found alongside these markings. Similar patches and markings in white adorn the face, throat, and legs. Only males have horns and feature a crest of darker hair around 4 inches in height, running down the length of their backs.

Hunting Methods

The mountain nyala, like many African plains game species, is shy and even considered elusive. They commonly move around their forest territory at night, carefully venturing out in the morning and late afternoons to feed. They are extremely wary, and this cautious behavior makes hunting and stalking them even more challenging. Great planning and teamwork are key to some of the best hunting in Africa, and when it comes to the mountain nyala it's most certainly the truth! Hunting mountain nyala is considered a team effort needing multiple trackers, scouts, and spotters. The hunts cover large distances, and setting up overnight camps is common. Once a nyala is spotted, it’s followed by a fast stalk to prevent losing the target in the forest.

Challenges and Rewards

As one of the more challenging African safari hunting targets, the mountain nyala will make you work for your reward. But if you’re brave enough to tackle the elements involved, a successful hunt will be a favorite memory for years to come.

Rifles and Requirements

There is not always a perfect plains game rifle when it comes to hunting Nyala, but the rifle needs to be perfect for you. When hunting Nyala, a well placed bullet from the lighter caliber .243 or .270 will most certainly work. Bigger calibers like a .308, 30.06 loaded with 165 grain will bring down this medium sized antelope. Depending on the terrain, a .375 loaded with solids or a 7mm will get the job done.