The word Klipspringer is directly translated from Afrikaans to the word “rock Jumper”. These shifty little guys are extremely agile and inhabit areas of steep cliffs and rocky outcrops. The klipspringer is very unique, their hooves are no bigger than a dime, and are completely round. This allows for all four legs to be positioned on the tiniest of rocks. Klipspringers thrive in the areas they occur. A mature klipspringer weighs a mere 40 pounds, and has an average shoulder height of 25inches.
Klipspringer are available for hunting in South Africa, Tanzania, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. They occur mostly in mountainous areas, cliffs and rocky outcrops which contain dense bush where they hide away. Klipspringer have adapted to these areas and everything about them from their colour to the way the walk is designed to live in the mountains. Klipspringers have a grey to light olive coloured coat and blend in extremely well with any background. They stand extremely still on mountain tops and are a real challenge to spot when hunting them.
Only the male klipspringer carries short pointy horns which reach an average length of 3 inches. Look for a male with thick bases and sharp horns, he will then score well. The male and female are generally the same in body size and height. Klipspringer are usually always found in pairs, they stay with the same partner for the majority of their lives, should nothing happen to one of them, they will however take on a new partner should it be necessary.
Hunting Klipspringer is not for the faint hearted. Climbing mountains and glassing hill tops is how a typical klipspringer hunt starts. They may be spotted from a long way out but majority of the time they have also spotted you, and trying to get in close will be almost impossible. Sitting and waiting in an area where good klipspringer males have been spotted can also be very successful, as these animals are relatively territorial and will remain in the same areas unless bothered. The most successful method of hunting klipspringer is by physically being in the mountains or in an area where they occur before the sun comes out. Position yourself in a spot where you will be able to shoot the animal when it comes out to catch the first morning rays. Klipspringer will come out early morning and bask in the sun to warm up. If they do not know you are there you will have more than enough time to take the shot on the animal should it be within shooting distance.
The shots on Klipspringer can be long; a good long range calibre which you are comfortable with at fairly long distances will be your best friend on a klipspringer hunt. Mind you, not all Klipspringer hunting needs to be done at long range. In some areas the animal might be bumped while feeding on new growth lower down or while they are moving from one rocky outcrop to another. In such an instance the hunter will be able to take a close by shot.
Interestingly out of all African animals the klipspringer is the animal which- its hair starts to slip the quickest. PHs will generally ensure that they get to the downed animal as soon as possible after being shot and either remove the skin or cape right away to prevent the trophy from getting hair slip. Depending on the situation the entire animal may also be kept cool, within a cooler or mobile fridge on the truck. It is a common mishap amongst African PHs that a Klipspringer cape gets damaged due to not being able to retrieve the animal in time
If you are looking for a great Klipspringer hunt, give us a call or fill out the form below and let us help you find the perfect klipspringer hunt for you.
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