North American Introduced Nile Lechwe Hunting

Nile Lechwe

(Kobus megaceros)

Current SCI all time record: Score 80 6/8 - Texas, Hondo - 1/96

Description: There is extreme sexual dimorphism in the Nile Lechwe. Both sexes have a shaggy coat with a short throat mane or beard. The undersides are whitish, and the tail has a black tip. The hornless females and young have a yellow-brown coat, with whitish yellow markings around the eyes, muzzle, chin, and throat. The long coat in males turns mahogany or blackish-brown between two and three years of age. There is a conspicuous whitish shoulder harness which stretches into a line on the neck. This saddle remains the tan colour of the females until sexual maturity is reached. White markings include rings around the eyes, the lower lip, ears, and haunches. The hoofs are exceptionally elongated. The ridged horns curve back and down, then up in an "S", growing 45-87 cm / 18-35 inches long.

Other Common Names: Mrs. Gray Lechwe

Size:

Range: Nile (Indigenous to southern Sudan and western Ethiopia where access has not been possible for years): Texas; lightly hunted year around until numbers increase. Other Lechwe hunted in Texas are or could be crosses between Red and Kafue Flats, so SCI (Safari Club International) categorizes them as Southern Lechwe.

Natural History: The Nile Lechwe is particularly adept at wading and swimming, travelling with a series of leaps when the water is too shallow to swim. They are most active during the early morning and late afternoon. During the mating season, bucks mark themselves by bending their horns to the ground as if to jab them into the dirt. They then urinate through their forelegs onto their long throat and cheek hair. Males may utter squeaky grunts when fighting, which they often do in water, submerging their heads in horn-to-horn combat. As a result, these contests are generally short and vigorous. Females are quite vocal, emitting a toad-like croaking when on the move. Old males are presumed to be territorial, though this has not been closely studied.

Hunting Characteristics: