Common Duiker hunting in South Africa

A member of the pygmy antelope group, also known as the Grey or Bush Duiker. This medium-size Duiker lives in harmony with the other 21 Duiker species in Africa where they occur together. Unlike the other Duiker species, only the male has horns. They are mainly nocturnal and shot as a trophy of opportunity in the early morning or late afternoon. Once disturbed, they dart off in a diving motion from whence they derive their name from the Afrikaans word for “Diver”. They may be hunted across the country and range from grey in Kwazulu-Natal to reddish brown in Limpopo. Being highly territorial animals their densities and trophy quality is not any better from one province to another. Although often found near human settlements, they can be tough to hunt as these wide awake critters do not give you much time to take aim before dashing away. They are not dependent on water so can be encountered anywhere. Classified as a species of least concern by the IUCN, no special hunting permits are required.