Reedbuck Hunting

Be ready to shoot quickly and accurately if you are reedbuck hunting. They often suddenly jump up out of the grass and run but they do tend to stop to check what is happening.

Reedbucks fall into 3 groups throughout Africa - the southern or common reedbuck, the mountain reedbucks and the Bohor reedbucks. Then within these groups are various reedbuck subspecies.

Reedbuck Trophy Minimums

Redunca arundinum (Southern/Common Reedbuck)

RW Minimum	RW Record	RW Measurement Method	SCI Minimum	SCI Record	SCI Measurement Method
13"	19¹/₂"	7	21"	38¹/₈"	1

Redunca redunca bohor (Abyssinian Bohor Reedbuck)

RW Minimum	RW Record	RW Measurement Method	SCI Minimum	SCI Record	SCI Measurement Method
8"	12³/₄"	7	13"	26²/₈"	1

Redunca redunca cottoni (Sudan or Nile Bohor Reedbuck)

RW Minimum	RW Record	RW Measurement Method	SCI Minimum	SCI Record	SCI Measurement Method
12"	16³/₄"	7	19"	31³/₈"	1

Redunca redunca nigeriensis (Nigerian Bohor Reedbuck)

RW Minimum	RW Record	RW Measurement Method	SCI Minimum	SCI Record	SCI Measurement Method
8"	13"	7	16"	24⁷/₈"	1

Redunca redunca wardi (Eastern Bohor Reedbuck)

RW Minimum	RW Record	RW Measurement Method	SCI Minimum	SCI Record	SCI Measurement Method
9"	14³/₄"	7	14"	27⁴/₈"	1

Redunca redunca redunca (Nagor Bohor Reedbuck)

RW Minimum	RW Record	RW Measurement Method	SCI Minimum	SCI Record	SCI Measurement Method
11"	11⁷/₈"	7	13"	21³/₈"	1

Redunca fulvorufula fulvorufula (Southern Mountain Reedbuck)

RW Minimum	RW Record	RW Measurement Method	SCI Minimum	SCI Record	SCI Measurement Method
6"	10"	7	11"	18²/₈"	1

Redunca fulvorufula chanleri (Chanler's Mountain Reedbuck)

RW Minimum	RW Record	RW Measurement Method	SCI Minimum	SCI Record	SCI Measurement Method
9"	9⁵/₈"	7	8"	15⁴/₈"	1

Redunca fulvorufula adamauae (Western Mountain Reedbuck)

RW Minimum	RW Record	RW Measurement Method	SCI Minimum	SCI Record	SCI Measurement Method
N/A	3¹/₄"	7	0	13⁵/₈"	1

Where To Hunt A Reedbuck

You can hunt the southern or common reedbuck in Mozambique, the far north-east of Namibia, north-east South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. This is the largest of the reedbuck antelopes.

Bohor reedbucks occur in a coast-to-coast swathe across central Africa.

You can hunt a Nagor Bohor Reedbuck in Benin and Burkina Faso. It is the smallest of the Bohor reedbucks.

The Nigerian Bohor reedbuck can be hunted on a savanna hunt in Cameroon and in the Central African Republic (CAR).

The Abyssinian Bohor reedbuck can be hunted in Ethiopia.

The Sudan Bohor reedbuck may be hunted in Uganda. It is the largest of the Bohor reedbucks.

The eastern Bohor reedbuck can be hunted in Tanzania and Uganda.

The mountain reedbucks occur in isolated populations acoss Africa.

You can really only hunt a southern mountain reedbuck in South Africa.

Chanler's mountain reedbuck can be hunted in Ethiopia, northern Tanzania, and eastern Uganda.

The western mountain reedbuck can only be found in the western mountains of Cameroon where it cannot be hunted.

WHICH REEDBUCK IS WHICH?

Reedbuck Hunting Prices (For Informative Use Only)

Hunt outfitters don't always specify which reedbuck subspecies is available to hunt on their trophy list. You will need to check with them if you want to hunt a specific reedbuck.

In Benin, the trophy fee for a Nagor reedbuck is about 800 Euros to 1500 Euros.

In Burkina Faso, the trophy fee for a Nagor reedbuck is between 290 Euros and 350 Euros.

In Cameroon, the Nigerian Bohor reedbuck is a Group B savanna animal with a trophy fee of between 300 Euros and 1300 Euros.

In Central African Republic, the Nigerian Bohor reedbuck is hunted as a savanna animal with a trophy fee of US$500.

In Ethiopia, the Chanler's mountain reedbuck has a trophy fee of US$1000. The Abyssinian Bohor reedbuck carries a trophy fee of between US$350 and US$770.

In Mozambique, you can hunt a common/southern reedbuck for a Government licence fee of between US$200 and US$350 with a trophy fee of US$700 to US$1000.

In Namibia, you can hunt a common/reedbuck on a Caprivi hunt but there is usually a limited quota. The trophy fee will be between US$1500 and US$3950.

In South Africa the common/southern reedbuck is a TOPS animal so only may be hunted with a special permit obtained before the hunt for a specific client. The trophy fee for a common/southern reedbuck varies between US$1200 and US$1500. The southern mountain reedbuck is not a TOPS animal and comes with a trophy fee anywhere between US$300 and US$1100. In some hunt areas female mountain reedbuck can be hunted for US$100. Beware that some agents are mis-selling Vaal rhebok as Vaal reedbucks - they are not reedbucks or even similar.

In Tanzania, the Government trophy fee for all the reedbucks is US$450 and they are only huntable on 16 & 21 day licences. With the additional Community Development/anti-poaching fees, the full trophy fee will be US$550 to US$1200 for a common/southern reedbuck, US$570 to US$850 for an eastern Bohor reedbuck and US$570 to US$850 for a Chanler's mountain reedbuck.

In Uganda, the trophy fee for the eastern Bohor reedbuck, Sudan Bohor reedbuck and the Chanler's mountain reedbuck are all generally US$850 each.

In Zambia, the common/southern reedbuck trophy fee is between US$600 and US$1400.

In Zimbabwe, the common/southern reedbuck trophy fee is between US$800 and US$1650.

Reedbuck Hunting Methods

Be prepared for a quick shot if you are hunting a common or Bohor reedbuck. If startled, these reedbuck take flight and generally stop after a short distance to look back. They frequently bed down in tall grass or reeds during the heat of the day and seem to allow quite a close approach before suddenly springing up and heading for the hills. Hunting near water in the early morning or late evening when they feed, is the ideal time for success with a reedbuck.

If you are hunting the mountain reedbuck, as the name suggests, you will probably be doing a bit of rock climbing. These small reedbuck are harder to approach and may require a fairly long shot. Early mornings or late evening is when the mountain reedbuck is more active, feeding on the rocky slopes.

A Good Reedbuck Trophy

Look for solid bases and good horn length on all reedbucks.

At the base of reedbuck horns is the basal pulp or pad. This must be included in any horn measurement if it is present - it can disintegrate when the skull is cleaned or dried out.

Reedbuck Hunting Shot Placement

Reedbuck antelope shot placement is similar to other antelope plains game species. (Look at Impala)

Reedbuck Male Vital Statistics

	Common/Southern Reedbuck	Bohor Reedbuck	Mountain Reedbuck
Shoulder Height	31-59" 80-150cm	25-35" 65-89cm	25-29" 65-76cm
Weight	132-209lb 60-95kg	95-143lb 43-65kg	48-83lb 22-38kg

Reedbuck Habitat and Requirements

The common and Bohor reedbucks favour open grassy marshland or areas of riverine reeds where there is cover to hide within. The mountain reedbuck prefers grassy hills and rocky slopes.

Although they live in close proximity to water, reedbucks rarely enter it.

Reedbuck Social Structure

The Common reedbuck live in monogamous pairs.

Bohor reedbuck live loosely in small groups. As long as there is cover in which to hide, they live solitary lives only banding together if cover is lost.

Mountain reedbuck are sociable living in small herds of 3 to 8 females and young.

Reedbuck Gestation Period

After a gestation period of around 7 months, one offspring is born.

Reedbuck Gender Identification

Only male reedbuck have horns which are strongly ridged, curve backwards, upwards and finally forwards, forming a 'V' when viewed from the front.

Reedbuck Trophy Permits (2015)

CITES	USF&W	EU	AUS
N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

Reedbuck Trophy Taxidermy

If your budget can stretch to it, any one of these reedbucks make a beautiful full mount display. If a full mount is not possible, they make a great shoulder mount or skull mount.

Don't forget to tell your taxidermist not to blacken and polish the horns, if you want the horns to look natural.

TAXIDERMIST

So What About The Reedbuck Names?

Obviously the name 'reedbuck' refers to it's preferred habitat or long grass or reeds.

The common/southern reedbuck Redunca arundinumscientific name refers to 'horns bent back' (redunca) and latin for 'reed' (arundo).

Chanler's Mountain Reedbuck

The mountain reedbuck Redunca fulvorufularefers to it's colour of fulvous red. Chanler's mountain reedbuck Redunca fulvorufula chanleri is named after William Astor Chanler who was an American lawyer. In 1889 he travelled in to Mount Kenya with Austrian Ludwig von Hohnel. The then unknown antelope was found near the Tana river, Kenya and then named Cervicapra chanleri by Chanler. It was renamed Redunca fulvorufula chanleri later in 1895.

The name 'bohor' was the local Amharic vernacular for this antelope and referred originally to the northern Abyssinian reedbuck, then applied to all the similar reedbuck of other regions of Africa.

The Sudan bohor reedbuck Redunca redunca cottoniwas named after Percy Powell-Cotton who explored and hunted in Africa and Asia between 1887 and 1939. His claim to fame was that he shot the largest tusker ever killed by a white man. He found his reedbuck in the Kordofan area of Sudan.

The Nagor reedbuck name possibly comes from the French naturalist, Comte de Buffon, who refers to the reedbuck in the mainland area opposite Gori Island, Senegal.

The eastern bohor reedbuck Redunca redunca wardiwas named after James Rowland Ward, the taxidermist.

The other reedbucks were named for their country of location.

HUNTING OTHER AFRICAN ANIMALS

Lion Hunting

Trophy Animals

Wildebeest Hunting

Bubye Valley

Reedbuck Trophy Minimums

Where To Hunt A Reedbuck

WHICH REEDBUCK IS WHICH?

Reedbuck Hunting Prices (For Informative Use Only)

Reedbuck Hunting Methods

A Good Reedbuck Trophy

Reedbuck Hunting Shot Placement

Reedbuck Male Vital Statistics

Reedbuck Habitat and Requirements

Reedbuck Social Structure

Reedbuck Gestation Period

Reedbuck Gender Identification

Reedbuck Trophy Permits (2015)

Reedbuck Trophy Taxidermy

TAXIDERMIST

So What About The Reedbuck Names?

HUNTING OTHER AFRICAN ANIMALS

Big Five Hunting

Waterside Hunting

Other Plains Game Hunting

Spiral Horned Antelope Hunting

Large Antelope Hunting

Medium Antelope Hunting

Small Antelope Hunting

African Pig Hunting

Other Cat Hunting

Animals Of Opportunity