Blesbok
-
Damaliscus
dorcas phillipsi
Blesbok were
an easy source of meat to the early settlers and were hunted
close to extermination by the turn of the century. Today,
they have been widely re-introduced and their range has
been extended into Zimbabwe and Namibia by game farmers.
Blesbok are
meduim-sized antelope with short, fairly straight, ringed
horns carried by both males and females. They have a brown
neck and back which becomes darker towards the middle and
back of the body. They have a typical white blaze on their
muzzle and small dash of white between their horns.
| habits
Blesbok form small herds of females and young with
males holding and defending territories through which
these herds pass. They are more common to the open
plains of the Free State, the Karoo areas and the
Northern Cape where they graze in the mornings and
late afternoons and lie down in the heat of the day.
They
have the funny trait of walking in single file and
shaking their heads as if nodding acceptance (at being
shot at). They also have a sharp snorting alarm call
when spooked.
hunting
tips - the hunt
Blesbok are mostly
hunted on the open plains of the Free State and in
the Karoo but they are found everywhere in South Africa
and most hunters will shoot one. They are not overly
nervous and are quite easily shot, sometimes at quite
a distance on the plains. |
 |
hunting
tips - the calibre
Any good long shooting calibre
like the .270s, 30.06s. 7mm & .300 Magnums are good
choices primarily for the distance aspect of the shot. They
are also shot with .243's, 22-250's and even .22 Hornets
if you can get close enough.
hunting
tips - the trophy
Blesbok have two horn variations; one representing an upside
down bell shape with long points flaring out towards the
tips and the other has wide flared horns. Good rams have
very heavy, ringed bases which are best judged from the
side. These rings appear white and nicely worn on older
males.
hunting
tips - where
Blesbok are unique to South Africa but have been introduced
to Namibia and Zimbabwe. However the best regions for good
blesbok are the plains and highlands of the Free State and
the expanse of the great Karoo which makes up most of the
eastern Cape.
| THE
BLESBOK is the package King, included in almost every
hunting safari package deal in South Africa. You will
find the lowley Blesbok sometimes even given away
free of charge, always a steady contender amongst
the more glamorous likes of Kudu & Gemsbok.
However
the Blesbok is one of the most tasty of all South
African species and could also lay claim to being
one of the most numerous throughout the country. I've
even seen them as back-yard pets, that's how common
they are.
Of
course, being a South African staple, means you have
also had your genes tempered and tested and there
are many variations of the true form, mostly there
to try and tempt you to spend more money on another
species. Variations include the White Blesbok, the
Yellow Blesbok and the Curly Coated Blesbok (which
look like a normal Blesbok back from the Salon!) |
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