If there is one antelope that hunters love to hunt, then it’s the wildebeest. Wildebeest are exceptionally tough Africa plains game species and are NEVER to be underestimated. In Africa, we often refer to the wildebeest as “The Clown of the Bush,” a worthy name for this gawky-looking animal. They really are exceptional antelopes, but I must admit that their appearance often makes me think that God built them “out of spare parts!”

Few people have not seen the famous wildebeest migrations, in their hundreds and thousands, on TV and or in magazines. There are also those fortunate enough to have witnessed the wildebeest migrations, in real-time in Kenya and Tanzania from hot air balloons. A spectacular sight still on my “bucket list” to enjoy!

Wildebeest are, in fact, not endangered and are listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as being a species of “least concern.”

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Blue Wildebeest

Blue wildebeest are “humped back,” stubborn-looking, and are covered in a dark-colored fur that glistens in the sunlight. The name “wildebeest” stemmed from the Dutch settlers as the antelope reminded them of their own domestic cattle back home. Wildebeest are also called “Gnu,” emanating from local African languages and it is said the name resembles the bark, or the sound that the wildebeest makes when the animal is distressed and are sounds of a warning to others in the herd.

Besides being known as a Gnu, blue wildebeest are also called:

• The Poor Man’s Buffalo
• Black Bearded Wildebeest

The blue wildebeest is a favorite antelope to target for any Africa plains game hunting safari. Be warned that this antelope is exceptionally tough, remarkably like a Cape Buffalo. Shot placement must be spot on the money. I have seen a blue wildebeest, shot through the heart with a 30.06 caliber rifle continue running for hundreds of yards, alive still thirty minutes later and in need of more lead. It is also important to note that a blue wildebeest, again just like a Cape buffalo, is exceptionally dangerous when wounded. They will not hesitate to attack.

Many hunters, while blue wildebeest hunting underestimate this tough quarry. A blue wildebeest, with a double lung shot, can keep going for days. Out of all our African plains game hunting safaris (and there have been plenty!) where hunters have lost their trophies, even after finding big blood trails, the species that account for the most unrecovered animals, would be the blue wildebeest. The blue wildebeest is the only antelope that I will not shoot late afternoon on the last day of my game hunting safari!

A mature bull wildebeest can weigh up to 600 pounds with a shoulder height of five feet, while cows (females) are smaller, but can still reach a weight of 550 pounds.

I have three sons: Keenan, Slade, and Logan, and all my boys absolutely love wildebeest hunting. I cannot even begin to confirm the actual numbers we have harvested. Not only are they a tough hunting adversary, but they make for exceptional eating.

Perfect Blue Wildebeest Burger Recipe: Process some of the tender meat cubes into patties. Grill on the open fire with some barbeque sauce, on a fresh bun, with some pan-fried sugar-glazed onions, gherkins, and tomatoes covered in blue cheese sauce. Organic and the best burger worldwide, by a mile!

Black Wildebeest

These antelope have uniquely shaped horns that curl forward and are magnificent. The black wildebeest has dark brown skin (actually not really black at all). These antelope are targeted as game hunting trophies and by locals for their meat.

When black wildebeest hunting, the hunter will notice that herds often occupy large open areas. When hunting in areas such as the Eastern Cape, it gets “tricky” as often the shooting distance can be anything from 250 yards to 400 yards. What makes the hunting more challenging, is that the herd often bunches together when under threat, and the black wildebeest will run around in circles, much like a school of fish. This makes it difficult to select trophy animals. The option will then be to “hide out” for a while until the herd settles. It really is quite a sight to see.

Black wildebeest hunting in the Northern territories is a little different due to the terrain. The ranches in the Northern Cape and Kalahari areas, while still fenced in, can be 100,000 acres in size. Black wildebeest males tend to often be a little more spread out and in smaller herds which could possibly be a result of the wildebeest having to spread out in terms of sourcing food supplies. Black wildebeest are primarily grazers and in the dry season, grasses can be in short supply.

The below black wildebeest we hunted during the winter a few years in Harrismith, which is the Free State Province of South Africa. It was bitterly cold and at these heights, there was an exceptional wind chill factor. The average shooting distance was about 250 yards. Note the uniqueness and turn of the horns along with the beautiful tuft of black fur on the face of the wildebeest.

Wildebeest and Sub-Species

The blue wildebeest is also subdivided into sub-subspecies (some separately recognized and inhabit various areas of Africa). In South Africa, wildebeest are also being cross-bred into different “color variants” making it quite a challenge to keep up with all the different names!

On our ranch in South Africa, we have blue wildebeest and golden wildebeest. Although they often “walk together,” they never crossbreed.

Nyasa Wildebeest (also spelled Niassa Wildebeest)

The Niassa Wildebeest has a distinct white “chevron” across its face which cannot be missed. With regards to the colors of the rest of its anatomy, it looks the same as a blue wildebeest, with stripes shown on its side that are very distinct when the sun reflects off its coat. The horns, beard, mane, and tail are also identical to a blue wildebeest. Niassa wildebeest hunting takes place in the southern parts of Tanzania, in and around the Selous Reserve as well as in the northern areas of Mozambique.

In Tanzania, this wildebeest can be hunted on a minimum of a 7-day hunting license and is classified as a species of least concern by the IUCN.

The Golden Wildebeest

There is much debate as to whether this remarkable antelope was bred in South Africa by game farmers or not. The golden wildebeest was also well-documented by early European settlers.

In South Africa, for a few years ending around 2020, there was a “hype “in terms of color variants, not only limited to golden wildebeest, including golden gemsbuck (Oryx), black impala, and a variety of “saddleback” back antelope. Many ranch owners lost hundreds and thousands of dollars. By way of example:

In 2018, a ranch owner (at an exchange rate of R15 to one US dollar) for an average golden wildebeest cow would buy the animal on auction and would be quite happy to pay an amount equivalent to 20,000.

By 2020, the very same animal could be bought on auction for US $1000. This was a very dark time for ranch owners who bought entire herds, and suddenly the value of the animals plummeted to five percent of the original investment. In some instances, golden wildebeest with a horn spread of 29 inches to 30 inches were sold at US $ 100,000. Losses were huge when the entire color variant industry crashed.

Logan hunted this blue wildebeest with my wife Tamlyn’s 300 Win Mag back in 2017. Note the big “bump” on the back of this wildebeest. It turned out to be an abscess filled with the worse-smelling green “toothpaste” texture gunk.

The White-Bearded Wildebeest

The white-bearded wildebeest is split into two species, namely the western and eastern wildebeest, and these wildebeest are hunted in Tanzania.  There is very little difference between these two species, but the western white-bearded wildebeest is said to have a slightly darker color and bigger horns. As the same implies, the wildebeest has a white or lighter-colored beard.

The Cookson’s Wildebeest

Hunting in Zambia is often focused on the sub-species of blue wildebeest as they are only endemic to the Luangwa area. 

The Cookson’s wildebeest have the following characteristics:

• Horn shape and dimension are very similar to those of a blue wildebeest.
• Cookson’s Wildebeest have similar migratory patterns to blue wildebeest.
• They have a bluish-grey coat, like the blue wildebeest, and have darker vertical stripes.

Legal and well-managed Trophy hunting for Cookson’s wildebeest greatly assists with wildlife conservation in these remote areas of Africa. Proceeds from these game hunting safaris are used to protect the species against poachers and ensure that there is a financial value placed against the species. Cooksons’s wildebeest populations are healthy, and it is estimated that numbers range from 5000 to 10000 in the valley. Interestingly enough, Cookson’s wildebeest are the largest of all the wildebeest species.

The Kings Wildebeest

The Kings wildebeest is not a sub-species of the Blue Wildebeest, but a color variant. Kings wildebeest are rare and in South Africa ranch owners pay a fortune to purchase and introduce these genetics into their herds. Kings wildebeest can be hunted on a 7-day African game hunting safari and the trophy fee will cost the hunter between US $ 4000 and US $7000 depending, of course, on the size of the horns.

The Royal Wildebeest

Of all the color variants, the royal wildebeest is the rarest. It is thought that there are only between thirty and forty of these unique-looking wildebeest worldwide. The royal wildebeest is also known as the “Ghost Wildebeest”.

It has a white tail, beard, and mane. Their unique colors are caused by a recessive gene and like all wildebeest, they prefer safety in numbers. Due to the limited numbers of this color variant, they are not commonly found on hunting ranches in South Africa.

Royal Wildebeest hunting will have a trophy cost of between US $ 14500 and US $ 17500.

Slade shot this stunning blue wildebeest bull back in 2021. You can see how beautiful the vertical stripes are when the sun reflects off the skin.

As can be seen, this was a young bull, measuring about 23 inches and not fully black in the face, but heavy in the body making this blue wildebeest a perfect “meat” bull.

Wildebeest Hunting and Safari Club International

Africa plains game hunting safaris are usually focused on trophy hunting.  As such, Safari Club International (SCI), recognizes four sub-species of the Blue Wildebeest, namely:

• White-bearded wildebeest: SCI Minimum 68 (Method 6)
• Nyasa (Niassa) wildebeest: SCI Minimum 64 (Method 5)
• Blue wildebeest (also known as the Common Wildebeest): SCI Minimum: 70 (Method 5)
• Cookson’s wildebeest: SCI Minimum: 70 (Method 5)

Black wildebeest are not a sub-species of the Blue Wildebeest: SCI Minimum 72 (Method 6).

Blue wildebeest are the most common, and population estimates are estimated at between 1,3 million and 1,5 million.  

Wildebeest Hunting Methods

There are many different methods of hunting wildebeest and methods often depend on the habitat of the individual hunting grounds.

Wildebeest hunting using the “ambush” method, i.e. hiding in a blind near a watering point is an option. Some hunters do not consider this method as “fair.”

The most common method would be the spot, then walk and stalk once finding a suitable herd. The challenge would be to select the trophy male from the herd and not shoot another animal.

The risk, purely based on the number of wildebeest that would be on high alert, would be that of being spotted. Crawling through the scrub will work the best.

Best Cartridges to use when Wildebeest Hunting

Seasoned hunters will know all too well just have tough these antelope are.  Wildebeest are very similar to Cape Buffalo and a wildebeest can take a lot of punishment before finally going down.

The minimum that I would suggest, assuming the hunter is a good marksman, is a .308 loaded with expanding 180-grain good-quality tips. As wildebeest are often shot at a distance where the areas are open, a rifle with “plenty” of punch is going to be required. My suggestion would be a 7mm, 30.06, or my favorite a 300 Win Mag loaded with 200-grain expanding bullets. When it comes to wildebeest hunting, I like finding my trophy animals.

Again, and it cannot be underestimated, do not worry about “too much gun.” A .375 can also be used and will get the job done.

Logan shot this blue wildebeest in South Africa’s North West Province. Note the height of the hump at the shoulder, do not let this deceive you when aiming 1/3 up on the shoulder. Vitals will be missed.

Shot Placement: Much needed Knowledge when Wildebeest Hunting

Like with any animal we as hunters have the privilege of hunting, ethical hunting is about the result of a well-executed shot with the intent that the animal dies a quick and humane death. Correct shot placement is critical.

For those that have hunted many of these animals, they have a common saying: “Wildebeest are born sick. With each lead pill you give them, they run farther and get stronger!”

A wounded wildebeest will quite happily charge and take on the hunter, so never drop your guard. Hunters need to use quality ammunition capable of breaking the shoulder and penetrating the animal.

If the wildebeest does not go down and stay down after the first shot, be prepared to quickly take a second follow-up shot, and possibly a third or however many are needed to anchor the wildebeest.

The recommended shot is when the wildebeest is standing broadside and the hunter will have access to the vitals, namely the heart, and lungs. A neck, or spine shot is not recommended as the margin for error is too great. A heart from the front is also recommended. A near miss, to the left or the right, will run inside the wildebeest’s shoulders and no vital organs will be penetrated.

A brain shot, from the side or front, is also not recommended. The target area is small and a near miss will not be fatal. Additionally, the trophy may possibly be ruined.

When is the Best Time to go Wildebeest Hunting?

• In countries such as South Africa, wildebeest can be hunted all year round. In Zambia, the season runs from June to late October, and in Tanzania from July to December.
• When planning your Africa plains game hunting safari, most importantly check the temperatures. Extremely high temperatures can result in unpleasant hunting conditions due to an abundance of critters and other unpleasant challenges such as heat stroke, etc.
• Also, check for which months in what destination have the highest precipitation. High water levels can make it impossible to reach the Wildebeest hunting grounds.

Wildebeest hunting, for whichever species or sub-species, is action-packed and a lot of fun. No trophy room should exclude this iconic Africa plain game antelope.

The dangerous 7 in Africa are also hunted in the same habitat as wildebeest. To add an Africa plains game addition to your dangerous game safari is always an option to consider.

Author: PC van Wyk