Cape Bushbuck:
The Cape bushbuck is a small,
thickset member of the eland, nyala
and kudu family, all known as ‘spiral
horns’. I had always wanted to observe
and hunt these attractive and secretive
antelope.
JJ`s knowledge and respect for all wild
game at Lynedoch was immense and
you could feel his passion as he spoke,
taking care to give insight into the life
and habits of the quarry we were about
to hunt. “Rams are normally solitary
but always in reasonable proximity
to the ewes, which are often in pairs
or small groups” he explained. “If you
see ewes, you can bet a ram is handy.
They’re largely nocturnal so first and
last light is our best bet. We have
beautiful bushbuck here. They need
to drink every day and love hiding
in the dense thickets of bush, dark
ravines and under cliff faces. Although
they’re shy – man – they are known
for their courage! Don’t underestimate
them, hunters have been seriously
injured by attacks from wounded or
cornered bushbucks. Their horns are
like daggers – sheesh!”
In the Cruiser we headed up above the
bush line, intending to glass from vantage
points down into likely bushbuck habitat
till dark. Everywhere we travelled, there
were different animals, birds, unique
plants and new scenes to experience. This
time we came across two tortoises, with
the male showing quite a bit of interest in
the female. After a quick photo stop, we
left them to it.
The sun was starting to drop by the time
we left the vehicle, but it was still very
warm at around 32°C. Leaving the track,
we scrambled over the edge and were
making our way to the kloofs, which
were present in most gully heads. These
bluffs varied from 10-40m in height, often
separating the
steep bush faces
from the more
undulating open
tops, a favourite
haunt for eagles
and baboons.
The baboons
could spot you for
miles and would
repeatedly bark
out a raucous
warning, which
every animal took
notice of.
Trying to get
below these kloofswas often difficult; they could run for
hundreds of metres before we found a
way down and we saw some peaks that
were completely inaccessible. Sitting on
top, the four of us scanned the bush-
clad valley beneath us. Tucked behind
boulders in the lengthening shadows it
was magic, bird call was building in the
valley below where the wildlife took a
reprieve from the hot sun.
JJ was talking to the men causally in
Afrikaans as well as Xhosa. Derick had
spotted a good ivory warthog and was
directing JJ to it through the glasses. “Do
you want to take it Brent? It has some
good hooks man!”
“No thanks.” I had taken a nice hog in
Zimbabwe years previously and I didn’t
want to disrupt the valley. Desmond
jabbered “That’s not him warthog- he is a bushbuck – nah bo!” They
were looking at different animals. JJ
then glimpsed the bushbuck moving in
shadow before it was lost again in the
scrub.
“OK, alright, OK – I think you should
take him, he is a good ram, maybe
14 inches” JJ told me. I couldn’t find
a comfortable place to get set up for
a shot as the kloof fell away vertically
below us and the buck was over 280m
down at about a 40-degree angle. We
moved 100m around the kloof to get
more directly above him. I found a rest
lying down with my head over the edge,
making the best of the few options
available. We were waiting for the ram
to become visible, still at the same steep
angle below us.
He appeared 240m away, gazing
downhill, completely unaware of our
presence. I aimed and squeezed the
trigger. The impact knocked the ram over
in a sideways roll but he sprang to his feet
and leapt through the bush to escape,
disappearing in a flash.
He was hit alright, but how bad?
Desmond pointed high on his shoulder
and thought the ram was down and
out, but Derick indicated low on theDerick overlooks
the bushbuck faceA very pretty Cape
bushbuck ram22 Au-Cape Bushbuck:
The Cape bushbuck is a small,
thickset member of the eland, nyala
and kudu family, all known as ‘spiral
horns’. I had always wanted to observe
and hunt these attractive and secretive
antelope.
JJ`s knowledge and respect for all wild
game at Lynedoch was immense and
you could feel his passion as he spoke,
taking care to give insight into the life
and habits of the quarry we were about
to hunt. “Rams are normally solitary
but always in reasonable proximity
to the ewes, which are often in pairs
or small groups” he explained. “If you
see ewes, you can bet a ram is handy.
They’re largely nocturnal so first and
last light is our best bet. We have
beautiful bushbuck here. They need
to drink every day and love hiding
in the dense thickets of bush, dark
ravines and under cliff faces. Although
they’re shy – man – they are known
for their courage! Don’t underestimate
them, hunters have been seriously
injured by attacks from wounded or
cornered bushbucks. Their horns are
like daggers – sheesh!”
In the Cruiser we headed up above the
bush line, intending to glass from vantage
points down into likely bushbuck habitat
till dark. Everywhere we travelled, there
were different animals, birds, unique
plants and new scenes to experience. This
time we came across two tortoises, with
the male showing quite a bit of interest in
the female. After a quick photo stop, we
left them to it.
The sun was starting to drop by the time
we left the vehicle, but it was still very
warm at around 32°C. Leaving the track,
we scrambled over the edge and were
making our way to the kloofs, which
were present in most gully heads. These
bluffs varied from 10-40m in height, often
separating the
steep bush faces
from the more
undulating open
tops, a favourite
haunt for eagles
and baboons.
The baboons
could spot you for
miles and would
repeatedly bark
out a raucous
warning, which
every animal took
notice of.
Trying to get
below these kloofswas often difficult; they could run for
hundreds of metres before we found a
way down and we saw some peaks that
were completely inaccessible. Sitting on
top, the four of us scanned the bush-
clad valley beneath us. Tucked behind
boulders in the lengthening shadows it
was magic, bird call was building in the
valley below where the wildlife took a
reprieve from the hot sun.
JJ was talking to the men causally in
Afrikaans as well as Xhosa. Derick had
spotted a good ivory warthog and was
directing JJ to it through the glasses. “Do
you want to take it Brent? It has some
good hooks man!”
“No thanks.” I had taken a nice hog in
Zimbabwe years previously and I didn’t
want to disrupt the valley. Desmond
jabbered “That’s not him warthog- he is a bushbuck – nah bo!” They
were looking at different animals. JJ
then glimpsed the bushbuck moving in
shadow before it was lost again in the
scrub.
“OK, alright, OK – I think you should
take him, he is a good ram, maybe
14 inches” JJ told me. I couldn’t find
a comfortable place to get set up for
a shot as the kloof fell away vertically
below us and the buck was over 280m
down at about a 40-degree angle. We
moved 100m around the kloof to get
more directly above him. I found a rest
lying down with my head over the edge,
making the best of the few options
available. We were waiting for the ram
to become visible, still at the same steep
angle below us.
He appeared 240m away, gazing
downhill, completely unaware of our
presence. I aimed and squeezed the
trigger. The impact knocked the ram over
in a sideways roll but he sprang to his feet
and leapt through the bush to escape,
disappearing in a flash.
He was hit alright, but how bad?
Desmond pointed high on his shoulder
and thought the ram was down and
out, but Derick indicated low on theDerick overlooks
the bushbuck faceA very pretty Cape
bushbuck ram22 Au-