The Nyala is considered to be one of Africa’s most beautiful antelope species.
The Nyala is a beautifull, medium sized antelope with long spiral horns. They are somewhat bigger than the Bushbuck but still much smaller than the Eland and Kudu. Hunting Nyala in Namibia is one of our many specialities and you can be sure to experience a hunting trip to remember.
A mature male normally weighs 200-300 pounds and females often weigh 100-150 pounds. Along with Bushbuck, Eland, and Kudu, Nyala are one of the four spiral horned antelope species that inhabit Namibia. Nyala normally live in thickly wooded bushveld areas. They are very shy and cautious animals and are not often encountered in open terrain.
Male and female Nyala are very easy to tell apart when hunting Nyala. They look very different, and you could be excused if you didn’t even think that they were the same species.
Nyala have a shaggy brown or grey coat. Females and immature males will also have a series of white vertical stripes on the sides of their bodies. Both males and females also have a single white chevron on their face between their eyes and to go with a bushy crest of hair running down their back.
Nyala are not particularly tough animals, but they are often hunted in pretty thick brush. Due to this, we recommend the .308 as a minimum cartridge for Nyala hunting to make sure you hit him hard enough that he does not go far after the shot.
Like with Kudu, shot placement on Nyala is also very important. The Nyala aren’t extremely tough, and won’t go far if hit hard. The traditional shoulder shot on the side will we good enough. When the animal is standing broadside, simply aim at the center of the shoulder. Due to their shaggy hair, it can be difficult to precisely judge exactly where the bottom of their chest is. When in doubt, aim slightly high, as opposed to slightly low.
