Hunting Hyena - How many have hunted one?

I'll be hunting them in Zim in 3 short months.. Can't wait!

I too had wanted to hunt for a hyena for soome time. I had only seen them from a distance during the day, and then only rarely. I had tried baiting a tree and then arriving just before first light, but while hyena had eaten at the bait, they had always left before we got there.

On a leopard hunt this summer in Zimbabwe I had gotten my leopard, but we had a second leopard hitting another bait as well. We decided to be a bit greedy and see if it was bigger than the one I had taken. While sitting in the blind one afternoon we saw a hyena come in and stand under the tree looking at the bait. From where I sat (55 yards away), he looked enormous. I wanted to shoot, but my PH was worried I'd scare away a leopard that might be about. So regretfully I let it go.

Shortly after the hyena left we heard a number of lion roaring not far away, and were starting to conclude that if there was a leopard in the area, he wouldn't be coming to the bait that evening. But we waited nonetheless. At about 6.15, with 15 minutes of legal shooting light left, the hyena came back. This time, I made enough hand signals to let my PH know I really wanted to take the shot. He agreed (or seemed to . . . ) and I took aim on the shoulder, and fired (.300 Win. Mag.). The hyena took off and from the blind I couldn't see where he went, but we immediately ran out. We found the blood, and tracked for about 10 yards, and then saw him piled up against a bush.

As I said, I had only seen these guys from a distance before, so I was surprised when we tried to pick him up and get him away from the blind area - he was enormous or, in the words of my PH, "an effin monsta".

Moral of the story, opportunity sometimes strikes twice!

On our recent trip to Namibia while in the leopard blind we had a huge brown hyena come in, but being we cannot import them we passed. Our PH was the PH for the #1 sci and said the one we were looking at was definitely larger. He said it shouldn't bother a leopard the size of the one that was hitting the bait, but he never showed while we were there so maybe it was the big brown that was keeping him away.

It's great that this thread has had so much mileage!! It seems that this type of predator hunting while seldom thought of, is thoroughly enjoyed!
Saving for the next safari - and after many attempts, I'm determined to take a Brown Hyena on this trip!

I am off to Zim. in 58 days talked to my PH yesterday and he said the I should put hyena on my list as they are a good possibility. I didn't ask if they were brown or spotted because I didn't know there would be a legal difference

Is it correct that brown can not be imported to the US and spotted can? My PH wasn't sure as most of his clients are from Europe and Canada.

JamieD,

I am off to Zim also but in 10 days and yes spotted hyena is on my list as well. Its something I have been trying to connect with my last 3 trips only to find when I got to my destination that it wasnt really in the cards. This time going with Touch Africa and besides a very reasonable trophy fee of 400US, it sounds like there is a very good chance of taking one. Who are you hunting with this time?

sestoppelman

My PH is Danie Combrink, we will be hunting just east of Hwange park. I assume that it is legal to import spotted hyena as they are on your list. Am I correct that the brown is not?

I wish you a GREAT TRIP and a AWESOME ADVENTURE!!!!!!!

Spotted yes, not sure about brown but they are usually a lot more money and perhaps more paperwork. Good luck to you on your trip as well!

I just love hunting them.

Neat pics Adam.

Originally Posted by TOM

I'm in final prep mode for a trip to Zim in August. In addition to buff, i would like a hyena. I have spoken with several people and have been told that intentional hunts for hyena are difficult. Most hyena taken are through random encounters.

Has anyone here taken a hyena? Was it purposeful or opportunity?

Tom I have been successful on hyena a number of times by predator calling them. I also have had them come in on lion baits. akguide

Some pictures of Brown Hyenas in Namibia...

Awesome to see that Badger up the tree!

Thanks J

I'm off to hunt elephant in August and my #2 and #3 species on this hunt will be the Brown Hyena and the Spotted Hyena. Fingers crossed we can make it happen!!

Gentlemen,

Goodluck to all of you. Have fun, enjoy the bush.

My next trip over, the Spotted is near the top of my list !! I have always wanted to hunt one.
We just had a client return from Africa a few months ago. He shot a Brown but he did know before hand that he cound not import it into the states, so no big surprise for him.

Ran across this old thread and had to respond:

By no means a expert on this topic, I still feel as though the spotted hyena is the most underrated trophy in Africa today. While they can and do get taken by chance, to target them specifically, is not much different than hunting leopard or lion. Bait and wait. Make no mistake, the spotted hyena is a worthy advisary when deploying this method. Smart, cunning and almost strictly nocturnal, they will test your patience.

In 2007, my best friend, his wife and my wife and I went to Chirisa in Zim, mainly for Buffalo. On my list was also a spotted hyena. After being extremely lucky and taking a bull and a cow within the first three days, we set out hyena baits at several locations using the buffalo rib cages. One of the locations was within a few clicks of the camps, where all of the bones from the trophies are taken. We actually chained a side of the rib cage to a old elephants pelvic bone to keep them from dragging it away. The first night they came and pretty much "demolished" the entire rib cage, bones and all. With this we chained an additional rib cage to the pelvic bone and built a make-shift blind up on a bluff overlooking the "grave yard" clearing, about 135 yds away. When we finished, the trackers cleared a path away from the clearing for about a kilometer. The trap was set for the next morning! I really wanted my wife to experience this so I convinced her to go with us the next morning. 4:00am came early, but we needed a early start to be able to get to the blind well before daylight after a 3K walk in. The walk into to the blind remains one of my best memories. Pitch black with no moon, Scott, the PH leading the way with a small, dim, LED light so we would be undetected. A male lion, grunting his warning to any other male intruders pierced the blackness the entire way in. With each grunt, he seemed closer and my wifes grip on my hand grew tighter. As we grew close to the blind, the faint "laugh" of a hyena was heard and adrenaline began to kick in. "This just might work" I thought to myself. We arrived and all assumed their place behind the wall of brush that was our blind. The long wait for shooting light had begun. The next 45 minutes were amazing. Pitch black, you could not see a thing past the end of your nose. But with all of the sounds of hyenas moving and communicating, the lion steadily getting closer as he grunted every few minutes painted a picture in my mind that was as vivid as anything seen with my eyes. The wait was long but fascinating! As the very first hint of light orange started edging into the horizon, I noticed Scott easing up to look over the blind wall with his Zeiss binoculars. After a few minutes he motioned for me to stand. It was so dark that looking thru the scope, I could only make out the hyena when he moved. Once he stopped, the form melted into the morning darkness. After trying to get the crosshairs on this "ghost", and not doing a very good job, Scott whispered " he's about to leave", take him now! Well, the form was moving toward the bait (which I could see fairly well since it was a side of ribs chained to a 300lbs bleached white pelvic bone!). I was following the "ghost" toward the bait when it stopped moving I stopped the crosshairs and squezzed the trigger. The muzzel blast from the 7mag was blinding because it was so dark! I couldn't see a thing! Then Scott whispered....you missed. What?? Crap! I thought. I was thoroughly dejected! Scott then whispered "be very quite, maybe they will come back out" Fat chance I thought. I just woke up every thing in Africa in a 5 kilometer radius with a 7mag blast, but hey, I'm game. As the minutes ticked by, the morning light started to get better and better. Just then, I saw a hyena sneaking toward the white pelvic bone. As I settled the crosshairs on this now, pretty visable, hyena, I noticed a much larger one moving into view 50 yds farther away. Before Scott could say anything I shifted the crosshairs to this larger one and squeezed off. This time I didn't miss. Amazing what you can do with shooting light! One of the problems was that once we got off the bluff and down to the hyena, we realized that during the night, the hyena's had dragged the 300lbs pelvic bone with the rib cage another 100yds away from where we originally had it. So instead of shooting at 135yds like we thought, it was over 200yds away. With plenty of light, no problem. With very little light, big problem! All in all, a great exciting hunt. One other side note. The "boys" didn't seem too excited about this killing a hyena thing. No smiles, or customary handshakes. As we where setting it up for pictures I asked Scott what was up? He said that the boys didn't like hyenas. They believe that "witches" use them, by riding them, as transportation to get around and they were evil. Everyone that see's my trophy room says that their favorite mount is the lifesize hyena!

8-12-2007-196.jpg8-12-2007-198.jpg

Good story.
You almost have me convinced!

How's your hand?
Any broken bones from being squeezed to hard?

Hey Brick,
Ha! Ha! Seriously, she was scared to death, but that was one of her favorite stories of that trip. You should her the story of the rhino running us up a tree in Kwa Zulu Natal after she made a 190yd shot accross a canyon on a great Kudu!!!! I am still laughing about that one!

OK Buff-Buster,

Let us in on this story too.

Originally Posted by Buff-Buster

Hey Brick,
Ha! Ha! Seriously, she was scared to death, but that was one of her favorite stories of that trip. You should her the story of the rhino running us up a tree in Kwa Zulu Natal after she made a 190yd shot accross a canyon on a great Kudu!!!! I am still laughing about that one!