The Black Wildebeest is an iconic South African species with its dark brown skin and characteristic horns that curl forward.
Wildebeest biltong is highly prized, although when fresh the Wildebeest venison is said to be tough and dry. Long journeys in teams of friends to hunt Wildebeest for biltong is an old tradition of South Africans. The indigenous hunters-gatherers track and stalk it or sit over waterholes with their primitive bows and arrows.
The skin is the source for high-quality leather, and the tail of the black wildebeest, long and flowing, is used for traditional fly-whisks. And for the international hunter, the hornswill be a long-lasting memento of the outlandish experience of hunting in Africa.
HUNTING METHODS
Wildebeest typically stick to savannah type habitat, and by far the most popular way of hunting the Black Wildebeest it is the traditional spot-and-stalk. The hunter and the PH cover the ground (often in vehicles) trying to find the herd with a good bull in it. Usually the quest is to find a small bachelor group rather than that huge herd from TV screens, because in a big herd it could be easy to lose track of the bull of your dream as the animals move about. Wildebeest is a tough animal, nicknamed “a poor man’s buffalo”, and most PHs advise a rifle of the 7 mm – .300 Magnum class to hunt it. Hump on the shoulder makes hunters unaccustomed to this animal aim too high.
WHEN TO HUNT BLACK WILDEBEEST
Typically for Africa, Black Wildebeest hunting opportunities exist pretty much year round. December to February, however, are usually too hot for most African countries. Like with many other ungulates, the best time for hunting is the rut, when bulls display themselves on their small mating territories and fight with other bulls for them. The rut usually happens in May to July.
WHAT IS THE COST TO HUNT BLACK WILDEBEEST IN AFRICA?
You can find a cull Wildebeest hunt for under $1,000, but usually the trophy fee alone costs $850-$1,100. With daily rates, and a few other species (few hunters travel as far as Africa to hunt just one antelope), a complete plains game hunt will cost from $2,500-$3,000, or more, depending on the hunter’s budget and desires. The most expensive Black Wildebeest hunting offers are usually combination hunts that also include a dangerous game species or a rare and expensive color variant.