Harnessed bushbuck

Scientific name: Tragelaphus scriptus

How weight is recorded: Carcass weight

Field notes

Appearance

Small, stocky antelope with a rich chestnut to dark brown coat; males display white vertical stripes and spots on the body, while females are more uniform in colour. Males carry short, spiral horns (25–35 cm); females are hornless. Sexual dimorphism is pronounced, with males notably darker and more heavily marked.

Size and weight

Males 45–80 kg, body length 70–105 cm; females 30–45 kg, body length 60–90 cm.

Habitat

Bushbuck inhabit dense thickets, riverine woodland, and forest margins across sub-Saharan Africa, typically from sea level to 2,000 m elevation. They favour areas with dense understorey cover and reliable water sources.

Distribution

Found across sub-Saharan Africa from Guinea and Ethiopia southward to South Africa, in fragmented populations within suitable woodland and forest-edge habitat.

Diet

Browse leaves, shoots, and fallen fruit year-round; supplemented seasonally with fungi, roots, and herbaceous plants depending on availability.

Behaviour

Solitary or in pairs, crepuscular and nocturnal, most active at dawn and dusk. Males are territorial and highly alert; both sexes remain within home ranges and are reluctant to leave cover.

Hunting tips

Look for slots (tracks) along game trails and water approaches; scat is small, dark pellets clustered near cover and feeding areas. Approach upwind through thick vegetation, moving slowly and pausing frequently to glass dense patches. Use dawn and dusk light; stalk individuals emerging to feed at forest margins, moving when the animal feeds and stopping when it raises its head.

Carcass weight

This species is logged by carcass weight — the animal weighed dressed, the way hunting teams normally report it.

Where it is hunted

Listed as huntable in 7 countries in Huntify.

Names in other languages

These field notes are general species knowledge, not legal advice. Always check the current seasons, quotas and firearm rules where you hunt.