Targeting the Western Hartebeest

When considering hartebeest (Alcelaphus buselaphus)

hunting in Africa, hunters are indeed spoilt for choice, with not one but six subspecies of this tough African plains game trophy. The Western hartebeest (Alcelaphus buselaphus major) inhabits West Africa, from Senegal to western Chad.

Its chosen habitats include grasslands, savannas, and wooded grasslands and they normally live in herds of up to 20 members. Still, the size of these herds can grow enormously, sometimes even hitting thousands. This hartebeest can reproduce year-round, with a gestation period of around 240 days. A single calf is born, usually just before the rainy season or as the rainy season commences.

Although they are generally calm, should they be wounded or feel threatened, they can turn quite vicious. Predators of the antelope include crocodiles, lions, leopards, and hyenas, while cheetahs and jackals target the young and infirm.

The Western hartebeest is classified as endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).