The Kob Antelope inhabit wetland and flood plain areas. They resemble the impala but are heavier and slightly larger than Impala. The coat on a kob is typically golden brown, with white patches around their eyes, throat and inner ear. Male Kob reach an average weight of 200 pounds while females average at 140 pounds. Only the males carry lyre-shaped horns. The kob is closely related to the puku, Lechwe and waterbuck. There are three recognized Kob species which can be in Africa, Namely: The Ugandan Kob, the white Eared Kob and the western/central African or Buffons Kob.
The western Kob can be taken in Benin, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic and Cameroon. Safari club international has two separate categories for this sub specie. Western Kob taken in the Central African Republic or northern Cameroon will be categorized as central African Kob. The animals which are hunted in these areas tend to have larger horns but are genetically identical so therefore still the same sub species.
Ugandan Kob can be taken in Uganda. They occur in large numbers and are involved in a yearly migration.
The white eared Kob can unfortunately no longer be hunted on license but occurs in Areas of south-west Ethiopia. Kob are found in small herds of 5 to 15 animals, herds are made up of females and their young while the males will stay in the vicinity but not generally with the herd. During the breeding season, Kob form a breeding arena, better known as a lek. In such a lek, hundreds of animals congregate formatting opportunities. This also forms a migration to an extent, as animals from all over move towards these lek areas to participate in breeding activity.
Kob prefer habitats which have plenty of water such as wide-open flood plains, savannahs and woodland edges. They graze on short grasses and are dependent on larger animals such as Elephant hippo, hartebeest and buffalo. These animals tend to graze on longer grass, which then shortens it for the kob, making feeding a lot easier. Kob also tends to develop attachments t feeding areas, returning to the same grazing areas and watering places day after day, season after season. Kob females tend to avoid areas with dense tee cover like woodlands and forest. They prefer wide-open spaces where visibility is good, and spotting predators is easier.
Kob are mostly diurnal, thus active during the day. They forage early morning and late afternoon, Outside of the breeding season herds contain females and adolescent males. Male behavior varies outside of the breeding season. Some males form small herds, and some are solitary. As the breeding season arrives, the males move to lekking grounds and establish territories.
The most successful method to target kob is to walk and stalk. Outfitters generally have good ideas of where Kob congregate and feed. Walking through these areas will most of the time produce an opportunity to take a good male. Female herds within the d=same area can make the stalk quite challenging but persistence will pay off when hunting Kob.
Choose a calibre you are comfortable with, anything from the .270 calibre shooting 150gr. + bullets and up will do. When hunting these animals the shots may be from 50 to 200 yards depending on the type of terrain that the kob are found. In the wide-open flood plains it may be a better choice to sit and wait for the animals to feed towards you, or come closer to the water point to drink as trying to stalk these animals without any cover to hide behind is pointless.
If you are looking for a great Kob hunt in Africa, give us a call or fill out the form below and let us help you find the perfect kob hunt for you.
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