Read on to learn all about the great trophy hunting for Waterbuck in South Africa that we provide in Gauteng, Limpopo, and Mpumalanga Provinces.

Waterbuck are a large sized antelope that live across most of South Africa. We hunt Waterbuck on our hunting areas in Gauteng, Limpopo, and Mpumalanga Provinces. However, our hunting for Waterbuck is particularly outstanding on our hunting area in Limpopo Province.

Waterbuck typically weigh around 400-600 pounds and stand over four feet tall at the shoulder. Females are slightly smaller than males. They have shaggy coats colored a reddish brown or grey color and both male and female Waterbuk have a white ring of hair on their rump that looks like a “bulls eye.”

They are primarily grazing animals and are most often found on or near grasslands or lightly wooded areas. Regardless, they are never found far from water and must drink water daily.

Waterbuck are herd animals, with herd size ranging from a handful of Waterbuck to a dozen or more. Females normally live in herds with other females and their calves. Young males usually live in bachelor herds. Mature males are often territorial, and they are known to fight, sometimes to the death, other males who intrude onto their territory.

Best Cartridge For Hunting Waterbuck
The .308 Winchester and .30-06 Springfield (when using premium 180gr bullets) should be considered the minimum cartridge necessary for hunting Waterbuck in South Africa. The .300 Winchester Magnum, the .338 Winchester Magnum, and the 8mm Remington Magnum are also great choices for hunting Waterbuck at longer range.

There is nothing wrong with hunting Waterubck with a larger caliber rifle. The .375 H&H Magnum is a great all around hunting cartridge and there is nothing wrong with using it on Waterbuck. Indeed, our biggest Waterbuck ever was taken with a .375 H&H. As long as you use controlled expansion rounds, medium and big bore rifles will work quite well and cause minimal damage to the meat or cape of the animal.

Waterbuck Shot Placement
Even though they are pretty big animals, no Waterbuck will go far if your shot is placed appropriately. The traditional shoulder shot is usually the best choice for hunting Waterbuck. When the animal is standing broadside, simply aim at the shoulder, about one third of the way up the body.

Make sure you adjust your aiming point accordingly if the Waterbuck is quartering towards or away from you (aim slightly forward if the animal is quartering towards you and slightly to the rear if the Waterbuck is quartering away).

Methods For Hunting Waterbuck
Virtually all of our Waterbuck are hunted via walk and stalk. Since, mature bulls are very territorial, they can usually be found in the same areas each day. Even when a Waterbuck is killed, it usually won’t take long for another one to move in and take over his territory, which means the same areas are often productive for hunting Waterbuck year after year.

Best Time Of Year For Hunting Waterbuck
Waterbuck may be hunted all year long. However, we have found that our best Waterbuck hunting is between January and August, and April through June in particular.

Average Trophy Size
Our average Waterbuck trophy measures 28-29” and we have taken several that broke 30”. The photo below is of our biggest Waterbuck ever, which measured over 32”. He was taken in May 2015 on our hunting area in Gauteng Province and is the biggest Waterbuck ever taken in that province.

If you’re interested in trophy hunting Waterbuck in South Africa, contact us for more information or to book your hunt.