About the Steenbok
General Information
The steenbok is a petite, agile antelope native to the open savannahs and plains of southern and eastern Africa. Recognizable by its brick-red or golden-brown coat, large ears, and bright white belly. Only the males feature short, sharp, and straight horns.
Despite living in regions with intense dry seasons, the steenbok is highly adapted to survive without drinking open water. It meets its moisture needs entirely through its herbivorous diet, which consists of leaves, flowers, shoots, and roots dug up with its sharp hooves. To avoid becoming prey for predators like leopards, caracals, and eagles, the steenbok relies on excellent camouflage and an impressive survival tactic: it will lie perfectly still in the tall grass until the last possible second before dashing away in a rapid, zig-zag pattern.
These antelopes have a fascinating solitary lifestyle. Though pairs typically mate for life, they maintain separate, independent territories, coming together primarily only to breed. The steenbok is also known for its unique hygiene and territorial habits, as males and females frequently scrape the ground to bury their dung and hide their scent from potential threats.
Description of the Steenbok
- Size: They stand 16 to 24 inches tall at the shoulder, measure 27 to 37 inches in length, and weigh between 15 to 35 lbs.
- Coloration: Their coat is short and sleek, ranging in color from fawn and sandy-tan to a rich, glossy, reddish-brown. This heavily contrasts with a stark white chin, throat, and belly.
- Face & Ears: They are easily recognized by their disproportionately large, white-lined ears, which often feature distinct black “finger marks” inside. They have dark brown eyes encircled by white rings and very noticeable black pre-orbital scent glands situated on the face just in front of the eyes. A dark “Y” or crescent marking is often present on the forehead, stretching down to a glossy black nose.
- Horns: Only males (rams) possess horns. These are slender, vertical, smooth, and straight, growing to a length of about 2.8 to 7.5 inches.
- Tail: Their tail is incredibly short and stumpy (about 1 to 2 inches long), usually camouflaged by the coat and rarely visible
Suitable Weapons
The ideal rifle to hunt a Steenbok is a flat-shooting, small-bore centerfire, such as a .223 Remington, .22 Hornet, or .243 Winchester, loaded with 45 to 55-grain non-expanding monolithic solid bullets.
Hunting Area
Steenbok hunting takes place in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, and Tanzania.
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