Common Reedbuck

Overview

The common or southern reedbuck is the largest of the reedbucks, a graceful antelope of tall grass and reedbeds hunted along floodplains and marsh edges across southern Africa. Secretive and quick to whistle and bolt, a good ram is a rewarding plains-game trophy.

Identification & Appearance

Reedbuck are light to greyish brown with white underparts, a white underside to the short bushy tail, whitish rings around the eyes and dark lines down the front of the forelegs and lower hind legs. A small, black, bare patch sits at the base of each ear. Rams carry forward-curving ridged horns with a band of pale, rubbery tissue at the base; ewes are hornless. They are slim and long-legged, built for the tall grass.

Range & Habitat

They live in reedbeds, tall grass, vleis and floodplain margins near permanent water across eastern and southern Africa.

Behavior & Sign

Reedbuck live alone or in pairs and only sometimes in herds. They lie in grass or reedbeds through the heat of the day and feed around sunrise and sunset, using regular paths to reach grazing and water. An old ram keeps a permanent territory, usually with a single ewe. Flushed animals break out with a shrill whistle and a rocking-horse run. Sign includes flattened forms in the grass, worn paths and tracks along water.

Hunting Seasons & Timing

Hunted on the plains-game calendar, with the best odds early and late when rams edge out of cover to feed near water.

Hunting Methods

Still-hunting and glassing the grass and reed edges, and walking up rams from cover, with quick shots as they break.

Gear & Optics

A handy medium rifle in .270 to .30 caliber suits the moderate ranges; bright glass helps in the low light of dawn and dusk.

Shot Placement & Field Care

Take the broadside lung shot when the ram clears the grass; do not shoot into cover. A full cape makes a fine mount.

Meat & Eating Quality

Reedbuck venison is tender and mild, among the better-eating plains game.

Mistakes That Cost a Shot

Hunting the heat of the day when rams are bedded and shooting at movement in the grass.

Regulations & Conservation

Common where water and cover meet, hunted under standard licensing. Confirm import paperwork. This is a reading guide, not legal advice.

FAQ

Where do I find them? Tall grass and reeds near permanent water.

What is the whistle? Their alarm call as they flush - often the first sign one is there.

Sources

• Wikipedia, "Southern reedbuck" (read 12 October 2026): size among the reedbucks, markings, horns, daily routine and territories.