Tragelaphus strepsiceros Foto: SA Tourism

Figure1: Spoor and dung pellets - to enlarge click here

Figure 2: The point of aim should be at the top of the crease on the front leg - to enlarge click here

By Cleve Cheney

The greater kudu is arguably one of the most regal and majestic of African animals. Wily and ever alert, it presents one of bowhunting's great challenges. Elegant and imposing, a kudu bull with long spiralling horns is one of the most sought-after trophies for any hunter.

Description
English: Greater Kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros)
Afrikaans: Koedoe
Shangaan: Nohngo
Ndebele: Idubu
Shona: Mbizi Ordhuve

The kudu is a large slender antelope weighing between 190 to 250 kg (males) and 120 to 210 kg (females). The body colour is greyish-brown to rufous. Six to ten vertical white stripes descend, on either side of the body, from the dorsal crest. The head is darker with a white chevron between the eyes and three white spots on the cheek, below the eye. A fringe of hair extends from the chin to the neck. Muzzle and lips are white. The tail is short and bushy with white underside and black tip. Horns, found generally only in the males (rarely in females) are long and diverging, spreading in 2 to 3 open spirals, females are smaller and more slender.

Distribution
Widespread in Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique south of the Zambezi River. In South Africa they are found in the North West Province, Northern Province, Mpumalanga, Swaziland, northeastern Natal and KwaZulu. Also occur in the Griquastad, Kuruman, Vryburg and Kimberley area of the Northern Cape.

Habitat
Kudu prefer savannah woodland and are partial to areas of broken, rocky or hilly terrain, usually in fairly close proximity to a source of water. In arid country they are confined to woodland on the fringes of watercourses, Acacia spp woodland, Terminalia spp thickets or in bush tall enough to provide cover. Kudu are not usually found in open grassland except when crossing it to other suitable habitat.

Habits
Kudu are gregarious, occurring in small herds of 4 to 5 and seldom more than 11. Herd size appears to peak during November to January (just prior to calving) and again between June to July during the rut. Adult bulls are usually associated with female herds but can be found alone or in small bull herds of up to six, between August to May. Kudu are mainly active in the early morning or later afternoon. They rest up in dense cover or woodland during the heat of the day. In areas where they are harassed they may become nocturnal in their habits. They are shy antelope, always alert and cautious. They will take a few steps at a time, then stop, look and listen with large, radar-like ears pivoting this way and that, nostrils shiny and quivering, testing the air. If suspicious or disturbed in open areas they will immediately take flight to the nearest cover, tails raised, white and fluffy in warning and indicating the direction of flight to those following. Once spooked they will seldom look back or stop to determine the cause of their fright. They are less nervous when standing in dense cover and will often "freeze" whilst observing an intruder. When standing still, they are sometimes very difficult to spot. Kudu are accomplished jumpers and clear a two metre high fence with consummate ease. When alarmed they emit a loud and hoarse bark which is deeper than a similar sound by bushbuck.

Feeding
Kudu are predominantly browsers and utilize a wider range of species than any other antelope. They prefer leaves and young shoots but will also eat seedpods such as Acacia tortillus (haak-en-steek), leaves of Aloe species and other plants that are poisonous (e.g. Solanum spp) or avoided by other browsers. Kudu prefer forbs to woody plants.

Reproduction
Most calves are born between January to March but can also be born at other times of the year. The breeding season is June to July. Gestation is 210 days after which a single calf weighing between 15 to 17 kg is born. Calves are born after midsummer when grass is at its tallest. Cows leave the herds to give birth, taking cover in long grass. The calf will be hidden in the long grass for a few days after birth until it is strong enough to travel with the mother.

Hunting the Kudu

• Trophy
The first turn of the spiral horns are completed at about the age of 21 months and the second at about 30 months. The horns grow throughout life and begin the third turn at about the age of 8 years. A bull with three turns is generally past breeding prime. If you are looking for record book trophy horns the minimum for Rowland Ward recognition is 53 7/8" (137 cm) or an SCI score of 121.

• Signs to look for
Apart from visual sighting the bowhunter can be alert to other signs, which will indicate the presence of kudu.

Spoor (see figure 1): The hoof is cloven, typically oval in shape, and 55 - 80 mm long. The forefeet of the males are relatively broader than that of the females.

Scats or dung (see figure 1): dung pellets are usually about 20 mm in length, slightly shorter and narrower than eland and giraffe but larger than impala. Accumulation of pellets may be found in favourite feeding spots.

Debarking: during periods of shortage kudu will use bark as a source of food, using the incisors of the lower jaw to scrape it off.

Horning: kudu bulls use their horns to break off branches to gain access to leaves normally out of reach. Ground horning, when the horns and face are rubbed in mud or dry ground is form of territorial behaviour found in kudu as well as in nyala, bushbuck and wildebeest.

Browse lines: in areas where there are large populations of kudu and/or other browsers or if browse is in short supply a distinct "browse line" becomes visible in the tree foliage. This is the vertical distance form ground level to which animals can extend their necks to reach food which result in a clearly defined line referred to as a "browse line".

Vocal sign: the bowhunter must listen for the guttural alarm bark of kudu as an indication of their whereabouts.

• Hunting techniques
Typical habitat was described earlier on in the article. Concentrate your efforts in these areas and look for relevant signs. It is usually easier to hunt lone bulls. When they are associating with breeding herds or other bulls there are more eyes to see you, ears to hear you, and noses to smell you and apart from being extremely alert, kudu are blessed with excellent sight, hearing and olfactory (smell) senses. These animals are therefore difficult to hunt with a bow and the best techniques are those that require the animal to come to you whilst you wait in an ambush. To stalk up to kudu, although quite possible when the odds are stacked heavily in your favour, can be very difficult, indeed. The hunter must be well camouflaged, always stay downwind and move as little as possible.

Spot and stalk technique: Due to the fact that kudu often frequent hilly terrain one technique is to sit on a high vantage point and glass a wide area. Once kudu are spotted a careful stalk can be planned. Although you will know the approximate whereabouts of the animals the final approach is usually tricky and difficult and should be painstakingly low. If you are lucky and patient and apply good stalking techniques you might be able to get within effective bow range. Alternatively you may be able to lie in wait along their line of approach if this can be established.

Blinds, tree stands or platforms: A thorough reconnaissance of an area will sometimes give you a good idea of where kudu are likely to be found. Signs such as fresh spoor and scat on a well-used game path (especially in the vicinity of a waterhole) are a good sign. Another good indication is accumulations of dung pellets in an area, which would indicate it to be a favourite spot for feeding or resting. Once such an area has been identified a suitable ambush site can be selected (such as, for example, at well utilized and converging game paths.) Find suitable cover or erect a blind/treestand downwind and within 25 m from the likely ambush point and wait patiently, immobile and quiet. If a kudu approaches, exercise restraint and wait until the correct shot presents itself before loosing off an arrow.

Waterhole hides: A favourite technique, used by some bowhunters (although not approved by some) is to wait in a hide overlooking a waterhole and shooting when the animals come to drink.

Walk and stalk: Using this technique the bowhunter moves very slowly and quietly through the bush, stopping frequently to look and listen for signs of kudu. This technique can work reasonably well in dense bush or woodland provided the hunter does more observing and waiting in good cover, than walking or moving about. It is sometimes possible with careful observation to establish patterns of movements or specific habits which the hunter can then put to good advantage by setting up ambush sites at points where the kudu are likely.

Shot placement and equipment
Equipment: A bow of 70-pound draw weight should be used on kudu with an arrow of between 450 to 500 grains. Well-constructed two or three-blade broadheads will work well – remembering that penetration is usually better with a two-blade broadhead. Suitable broadheads would be 125 grain, Thunderheads, Muzzy or Zwickeys.

Easton A/C/C, and aluminium shafts such as Easton XX75 or XX78's correctly matched to your bow will do a good job in combination with an appropriate broadhead. Shafts of 2117, 2216, 2219 and 2315 for example would all be good choices.

Fletches should be 4 or 5 inches to stabilize broadhead flight.

Shot placement:

There are three acceptable shots for kudu with bowhunting equipment.
1. The broadside heart/lung shot is the safest and the one that offers the greatest margin of error for shot placement error. A well-placed arrow will cause maximum haemorrhage and double lung collapse, with rapid death. The point of aim should be at the top of the crease on the front leg (see figure 2). A shot slightly high, even if it misses the heart will puncture the lungs and possibly sever major blood vessels like the aorta. A shot slightly low will hit the end of the heart and the lower lobes of the lungs. There is also a small margin of error anterior and posterior to this point of aim. A shot slightly backward of the intended point can cut through the liver and possibly the spleen. Be careful of putting the shot too far back as this will result in a "gut shot" animal (rumen, reticulum omasum, abomasum or intestinal perforation). Whereas a heart/lung shot will result in the animal going down within seconds usually not further than 100 to 200 m from where it was shot, a gut shot animal will run a long way and will necessitate a long and difficult follow-up.

2. A quartering away shot with the arrow passing into the gap between the ribs and pelvis is very effective and will penetrate the liver (possibly), spleen (possibly), diaphragm, lungs (one or perhaps both), heart, major blood vessels and gut. The hunter must aim for the opposite leg.

3. A third possibility, which can sometimes be a little tricky, is from an elevated hide or stand. Here the hunter must aim slightly back (with the animal facing away) and next to the spine so that the arrow is angled forward to end up in the vitals.

Do not attempt shots when the animal is looking at you. Shoot only when the animal is looking away or its vision is obscured. Do not attempt frontal, quartering on, or tail end shots. In frontal and tail end shots there are rather heavy bones (pelvic bones, femur, scapula and humerus), which could either deflect arrow flight or result in poor penetration. Although rear end shots sometimes result in quick death when femoral arteries are severed, this shot is ill-advised.

Arrows generally penetrate easily into kudu with quartering away shots and frequently pass right through on broadside shots. Kudu are slender animals and do not have much breadth across the chest. Ribs are not very thick and arrows pass through them with relative ease. Kudu are not very tough and will go down quickly with a well-placed heart/lung shot. Kudu have a total blood volume of approximately 14 to 16 litre and will die if they lose one third of this volume.

When hit kudu will bound off and head for the nearest cover. Remember to wait for at least 30 minutes before following up on the animal.