Impala

Impala

  • Average weight male: 60 kg
  • Average weight female: 45 kg
  • Shoulder height male: 90 cm
  • Shoulder height female: 80 cm
  • Mating season: April, May

Hunting impala is the most sought after trophy in South Africa, and on the agenda for just about every hunter who sets foot here or anywhere on the continent. The rooibok (red buck), as he is known in Afrikaans, is the bread and butter antelope of Southern Africa. He is commonly used for camp meat, bait for leopard, and just to ‘cut the teeth’ of the new African hunter. This graceful, medium-sized antelope is a sociable herd animal that frequents open woodlands and the bushveld. Both a browser and a grazer, he will never venture far from water, as he must drink daily. The lyre-shaped horns are only carried by the rams, but the herd’s propensity to bunch together in the dense brush can make it easy to make a mistake.

Hunting impala is best accomplished in the autumn rut when the best rams are usually found within the breeding herds. Be aware of the impala´s keen sense of hearing and smell, not to mention his superb eyesight which all account for the need to make cautious and calculated stalks, if you intend to “close the deal” on this clever antelope. He is also most active during the cooler times of the day (early morning and later in the afternoon). Consider an ambush near known feeding areas. Exercise great caution when hunting impala, as when alarmed, they will herd tightly together, making it easy to shoot more than one with a single shot.

The 6-7mm, right on up to the 30 calibers are probably a far better choice if you are not interested in tracking wounded impala for the better part of the day. Impala´s is actually tough animals, and shot placement is critical. The high heart/lung shot is going to be your best bet when hunting impala. If you are shooting for meat, the high lung shot will spoil less meat. Aim your shot directly up the fore-leg about one third or a bit higher and just a ‘tad’ to the rear if you are going for the lungs. Hunting impala is always a challenge and can make for a wonderful first hunt for the newly initiated African hunter, as well as a great “refresher” for the experienced hunter.

Recommended calibers: .243, 6,5×55, .270, 7mm, .308, 30-06