Grey Duiker

Grey duiker

  • Average weight male: 20 kg
  • Average weight female: 20 kg
  • Shoulder height male: 50 cm
  • Shoulder height female: 50 cm
  • Mating season: All year

The grey duiker is a small sized animal, normally found on the open woodlands. His legs are longer and better developed, while his back is less rounded than the forest duikers. Unlike most of the other duikers, only the male carries horns, which stand fairly upright. The name ‘duiker’ is derived from the Dutch ‘duik’, meaning, ‘to dive’, descriptive of their low, scooting style of running. The duiker is mostly a browser, and most active during the late afternoon and early evening. He is a predominately solitary antelope and will most often be encountered alone. A duiker is independent of water, as he is able to get sufficient moisture from browsing.

When hunting duiker, trophy evaluation can be difficult, as most often only fleeting glances will be offered – Be ready to shoot when he stops to face you and your PH gives the OK. Horn tips level with the top of the ears are about 4 inches in length and considered a good representative. If the horns extend beyond the ear tips by an inch or more, you are looking at a fairly high scoring trophy. Hunting Duiker can be extremely difficult – He has extremely refined senses, is small in size and a habit of staying in or close to the long grass and thick brush, making it almost impossible to spot him from a distance and make a successful stalk. Most duikers are taken while hunting other game, should the opportunity present it self.

Just about all the hunting calibers, from the .223 to the .375, are used to take the duiker. The rifle that happens to be in hand will become the rifle of choice. When hunting purposely duiker, a shotgun would be an excellent choice, as most shots will be taken at short range on a running target. Place your shot on the side-on target to execute the high heart/lung shot. Aim straight up the foreleg, just below the animal’s midline. Quick expanding bullets placed high on the shoulder will result in a spinal hit and the little antelope should drop to the shot, making him a lot easier to find.