HUNTING TECHNIQUES | By DANIE GROBLER
HUNTING THE SPIRALHORNED ANTELOPE WITH OPEN SIGHTS T he horned ungulates (Bovidae) are represented by the oxen (Bovini) and the spiral-horned bovines (Tragelaphini). The spiral-horned bovines are medium- to large-sized animals with a deep body and a narrow head, as described in The Kingdon Field Guide to African Mammals (1997).
When to take the shot, and when not to, becomes significantly more important when using open sights.
EVOLUTIONARY HISTORY I find the development of the spiral-horned bovines from earlier, more ancient forms most intriguing. Today, geologists and palaeontologists are using mod-
Rugged hunting terrain on a mountain top.
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ern science to unravel the earth’s history in a way similar to forensic scientists investigating a crime scene. For example, in a recent study on the molecular evolution of the spiral-horned antelopes,
Sandi Willows-Munro (MSc thesis, 2003, University of Stellenbosch) shows that the evolutionary history of the African tribe Tragelaphini is in fact more complicated than initial studies
