Plains Game Hunts
Hunting with Hatari Big Game Hunting Safaris
Hunting Plains Game
With over forty different species available to our hunters, we have found the need to establish luxury accommodation to allow for extended stays. This often allows our hunters to enjoy the variety of a multi-species hunt on the same hunting safari, while ensuring we achieve the very best in trophy quality.
Available Species
COMMON BLESBUCK
When judging the trophy quality of Common Blesbuck it’s important to look at the width of the boss and the color and length of the horn. Mature rams will stand out in herds with their shoulder height and chest width, often turning a richer color in their prime.
WHITE BLESBUCK
They are a collector's trophy to complete the trio of the three, with the Common Blesbuck and the Bontebuck.
YELLOW BLESBUCK
The Yellow Blesbok is simply a colour mutation of the Common Blesbok. When judging the trophy quality it’s important to look at the width of the boss and the color and length of the horn.
WATERBUCK
When judging the trophy quality of a Waterbuck the first sign of maturity is thick heavy darkened neck. Look at the basses and ensure ridges are prominent and rough, not smooth indicating immaturity. The hook in the horns is where the hidden length lies.
WARTHOG
When judging the trophy quality of Warthogs, one must always consider that on most occasions there is at least 2-3 inches of tusk inside the lip.
MOUNTAIN REEDBUCK
To judge the trophy quality of the Mountain Reedbuck one must look for signs of maturity like the the size and darkness of the neck. Always look to hunt a male which horns are in line with the tips of the ears or greater.
COMMON REEDBUCK
The Reedbuck is often stalked in steep terrain once pursued. Hunters can expect shots to be long and the smaller body size of the Reedbuck to make for a difficult target for hunters looking for a challenge.
KUDU
When judging the trophy quality of Kudu bulls always ensure the horns are of a mature shape with good white tips. Consider the spread of the first curl in comparison to the tips of the ears; look at the depth of the curl as this is where the hidden length lies.
COMMON SPRINGBUCK
The trophy quality lies within the width of the basses, the overall length and the hooks on the tips. A great trophy to hunt and a must for any collector interested in collecting all four Springbuck colour variations.
WHITE SPRINGBUCK
The White Springbuck usually has the smallest horns and body of the four variations. The trophy quality lies within the width of the basses, the overall length and the hooks on the tips
COPPER SPRINGBUCK
The Copper Springbuck usually ranks # 3, behind the Common Springbuck, in body and horns of the four variations. It is the newest color phase and a very sought after trophy for the serious collectors.
BLACK SPRINGBUCK
The Black Springbuck usually ranks # 2, behind the Common Springbuck, in body and horns of the four variations. The tips should always point straight upwards or flare out, the best indication of a mature ram.
KALAHARI SPRINGBUCK
Kalahari Springbuck look like Common Springbuck but are about fifty percent larger and lighter in colour than a common Springbok.
RED LECHWE
The Lechwe male is usually of trophy quality at +/- 5 years. When selecting a male to hunt, take note of the spread of the horns backwards and outwards and tips have opened and hooked forward. Horns will wear down dramatically with age.
RED HARTEBEEST
When judging the trophy quality of Hartebeest, look for a heavy boss with very little or no gap between the horns, a good rise into a heart shape before bending straight back or slightly upwards with decent tips.
GEMSBUCK
Always look at the horn itself and not so much the length, as the length is usually very impressive at first sight. Ensure the horns ridges at the basses are hard and dark black, shinning in the sun. The horns should have no signs of peeling towards the tips.
BLUE WILDEBEEST
When judging the trophy quality of the Blue Wildebeest it's important to look at the size of the boss, the hardness of the boss and the curl of the horn beyond the tip of the ears. Mature bulls will display black hair between their bosses.
GOLDEN WILDEBEEST
Anatomically golden wildebeest do not differ from blue wildebeest and king wildebeest. General trophy size of golden wildebeest is slightly smaller than blue wildebeest on average.
BLACK WILDEBEEST
With Black Wildebeest, it's important to look at the size of the boss, the drop on the curl and the height of the rise of the tips. Mature bulls will display black hair between their bosses and not brown hair, the sign of immaturity. Very tough animal to bring down.
KING WILDEBEEST
The very rare South African King Wildebeest are a colour variant originating from a Blue Wildebeest. Hunting kings wildebeest can be most exciting and we would recommended it to any hunter visiting Africa.
BUSHBUCK
Males make for extremely good trophies with thick black necks, shiny coats and very majestic horns. Very impressive animals offering excellent walk & stalk hunting opportunities.
GIRAFFE
A very tough animal to bring down unless an opportunity of a clean brain shot presents itself. The heart/lung shot is much higher up on the shoulder than expected; hunters should always consider the angle of the shot due to the height of the Giraffe.
SABLE ANTELOPE
#1 African Plains Game trophy, ensure the bull is a jet black colour and not a tanned chocolate colour indicating immaturity. Look for dominant ridges on the horn, the climb from the base, the hook backwards and lastly the length of the tips.
FALLOW DEER
An extremely interesting animal to hunt especially during the rut, when stags can be heard calling and one can detect and stalk stags by the sound of crashing antlers.
IMPALA
A very alert animal to approach when stalking often indicating danger by repeated snorts. The tips of the horn should always point straight upwards or flare out, the best indication of a mature ram.
BLACK IMPALA
The Black Impala is not a subspecies, but a color phase of the Southern Impala. The tips of the horn should always point straight upwards or flare out, the best indication of a mature ram.
WHITE FLANK IMPALA
White-flanked Impala is a new colour variant making it a rare species of Impala to hunt. This White Flank Impala can be found in South Africa only.
OSTRICH
A very interesting trophy to hunt, very tough and extremely difficult to bring down. A great addition to any trophy room or just to have your own tanned Ostrich leather.
ELAND
When judging the trophy quality of Eland look at the size of the ridge on the boss, the color of the dewlap and skin leading up to the head from the shoulders. The emphasis is not always on the length of the horn but the age of the animal.
BARBARY SHEEP
Barbary Sheep are hunted in the mountainous regions of the Free State. Like all sheep hunting, some long shots may be required and some effort is involved in getting to the animal.
BUFFALO
#1 Dangerous Game trophy. The trophy quality in a Buffalo lies with its base, a hard rough and solid boss is the #1 sign of a great trophy.
CARACAL / LYNX
An extremely exciting hunt and a unique trophy to harvest. Both males and females make for great trophies, with males being slightly heavier and studier than females.
BABOON
They have an almost vermin status in farming areas of South Africa. They are often the hunter’s worst enemy, giving away ones position with their loud two syllable “ Bog-Gom!” alarm calls.
STEENBUCK
The Steenbuck forms part of the "Tiny 10" and is one of the most beautiful of the ten. A hugely underrated trophy, mainly due to its size or the fact that so few people notice them or have the time to study them before they disappear over the horizon.
BURCHELL'S ZEBRA
Judging the trophy quality of a Zebra, lies with its skin and overall size. Males often fight, leaving wounds which usually scar. Study the Zebras to ensure the Zebra you are after has a clean smooth skin.
ROAN
Roan, after Eland and Greater Kudu are Africa’s largest antelope and is a true collectors species. Caliber and shot placement are both very important, as Roan are large, tough and tenacious of life.
GREY DUIKER
Hunting these Duikers is usually done in the early morning, late afternoon or by spotlight at night. The Grey Duiker forms part of the Tiny 10, and hunting one is a must for any hunter wishing to complete his selection of the small antelope species.
NYALA
The trophy quality of a bull is determined by good basses, a steep rise forming a “bell” and tips either pointing straight up or flaring outwards. The classic Nyala trophy is a flaring bull with solid white tips.
BLACK RHINO
Hunting Black Rhino can be very exciting although their eyesight is poor, never under estimate their sheer size, their speed and that they are more aggressive than the White Rhino.
WHITE RHINO
White Rhino form part of the Big 5. Hunting White Rhino can be very exciting although their eyesight is poor, never under estimate their sheer size, the speed at which they can move and their incredible sense of sight and smell.
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