Bushbuck

Scientific name: Tragelaphus sylvaticus

How weight is recorded: Carcass weight

Field notes

Appearance

Small antelope with a stocky build; males are dark brown to blackish with white spots and stripes, females lighter tan-brown with more prominent markings. Males carry short, spiralled horns; females are hornless.

Size and weight

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

Habitat

Bushbuck favour dense thickets, riverine woodland, and rocky escarpments from sea level to 2,000 m elevation. They prefer areas with thick cover and access to water.

Distribution

Found throughout sub-Saharan Africa in suitable habitat, from Guinea to South Africa. Prefer well-watered woodland and forest-edge terrain.

Diet

Browse on leaves, shoots, and fallen fruits; supplement with grasses and herbs, especially green growth after rain.

Behaviour

Solitary or in pairs; strictly crepuscular and nocturnal, lying up in dense cover during daylight. Highly territorial males mark ranges with dung middens and rubs; both sexes use alarm barks.

Hunting tips

Glass edges of thickets at dawn and dusk; look for fresh tracks in soft ground and distinctive pellet groups near bedding sites. Stalk slowly into wind along likely routes between water and cover, using terrain folds and vegetation for concealment. Approach quietly; bushbuck bolt explosively when alarmed, so be ready for a sudden flush.

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 5 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.