Plains Game is a term that dates back to the earliest days of African safaris. The name is a little misleading because the species belonging to ‘plains game’ are found not only on the plains, but also in the mountains, jungle, swampy riverbeds, on the Platos, and in fact in every habitat known in Africa. Roughly speaking, plains game is everything that is in between small game (birds, rodents, and such) and the Dangerous 7 (Elephant, Rhino, Buffalo, Lion, Leopard, Crocodile and Hippo).
Plains Game refers to antelope in sub-Saharan Africa and includes, firstly, all species of antelope, although some of them may be further categorized into categories like “spiral horn”, “tiny ten”, and so on. Then there are other creatures that belong to other families of mammals – Giraffes, pigs (Bushpig, Warthog), Baboon, and even birds, most notably Ostrich.
Most species of plains game are common and affordable to hunt. Impala, Springbuck, Wildebeest and Warthog are must-have trophies for every African safari. The more desirable, such as Oryx, Kudu, Sable, Nyala and Eland may cost a bit more, and the rarer kinds may require weeks of dedicated hunting to harvest. Plains game is a common gateway drug to the addiction of African hunting.
The vast majority of all hunts in Africa are plains game hunting safaris. Southern Africa has an incredible variety and density of wild game that is unmatched by any other place in the world. This incredible abundance of game, particularly antelope, makes this part of the world a paradise for hunters.
Fortunately, an African plains game hunting safari is incredibly reasonably priced. A hunter can go to Africa to hunt 5-6 (or more) species of plains game while staying in very comfortable accommodations at a price comparable to (or less than) a guided elk hunt in the United States.
Typically, plains game is harvested by the spot-and-stalk method. The hunter and the guide (called a PH or professional hunter) walks on foot or drives in a safari vehicle, and to spot plains game. When a suitable animal is found, they approach it to within hunting range. If this approach doesn’t work for a particular hunt, we start a fresh stalk and very often success is only a stalk or 2 away.
Below is a list of all the plains game that we can hunt. Click on an image for more info…