Bontebok: Almost extinct once, now a CITES game animal in RSA

[Gray Ghost Safaris]

For years I had wanted to hunt Bontebok in RSA. As luck would have it, I wound up meeting the family that was directly involved with the Bontebok's survival and reintroduction. Today there are 6,000 Bontebok and growing. I must admit they are no more difficult to hunt than the American Bison, but mostly due to the limited hunting of the species. They require a CITES permit (currently $100 from the USF&W) and an affidavit from the owner of the herd that they are from pure stock. Unscrupulous "outfitters" have been known to interbreed the Bontebok with the Blesbok. Thereby creating larger "Bontebucks". Pure Bontebok will exhibit black horns. Not the blonde, blonde/black vertical "streaked" or earth green with blonde ridged horns of the Blesbok. I would venture (IMHO) half of the current record book Bontebok were in fact hybrid's. A 14" Bontebok is a good trophy. A 16" Bontebok would be an awesome trophy. Unfortunately, high-jinks from the taxidermy world could make it near impossible to distinguish which is which. Horn is easy to dye, paint or stain black. It can be difficult telling them apart by facial coloration alone. The white blaze can be connected or separated on either species. DNA would be the only proof positive. Bontebok do exhibit a number of physical characteristics, but one must be very familiar with both species to define. Here's a pic of my first; a 14.5" ram out of the original surviving herd. This past year one of my clients took a 15.5" ram from another herd. Good hunting, GGS

 

[jjhack]

The difference between Bontebok and Blesbok is for the most part the coloration. I suppose a scientific review of DNA would turn up something more, but from a sportsmans perspective it's a coloration issue.

There are a ton of crossbred blesbok, bontebok in RSA. Many outfitters want to charge Bontebok prices for their blesbok that look like Bontebok. I've seen them offer bontebok for 1000 bucks where a blesbok is 1/3 that much and pure bontebok are far more then that. They also don't require any paperwork as they are listed as Blesbok because they don't have papers. If you're not looking for an SCI entry this is without a doubt the way to go.

If you do want an SCI entry, then you better make 100% certain that the place you're hunting has a paper trail on the history of his animals. Make certain that you will be given proof of blood line certification.

 

[Gray Ghost Safaris]

Blesbok