Hyena Hunting

Hyena are quite popular trophies for African hunters. Hyenas are well known as scavengers but in reality they fully utilise prey they find or hunt down themselves.

Hyena Trophy Minimums

Crocuta crocuta (Spotted Hyena)
RW Minimum	RW Record	RW Measurement Method	SCI Minimum	SCI Record	SCI Measurement Method
N/A	N/A	N/A	15"	18/"	15

Hyaena hyaena (Striped Hyena)
RW Minimum	RW Record	RW Measurement Method	SCI Minimum	SCI Record	SCI Measurement Method
N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	12¹²/₁₆"	15

Hyaena brunnea (Brown Hyena)
RW Minimum	RW Record	RW Measurement Method	SCI Minimum	SCI Record	SCI Measurement Method
N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	14⁵/₁₆"	15

Hyena Facts

Habitat and Requirements

The spotted hyena is the largest of the hyenas occuring in many different habitats, from extremely hot and arid lowland areas in its northern and southern ranges, to cold, mountainous terrains.
Brown hyenas are found in the southern savannas, semi-deserts, deserts, grasslands, coast and woodlands.
The striped hyena lives in the tropical savanna, grasslands, semi-desert, scrub forest, and woodland.

Social Structure

The striped hyena is generally considered solitary, rarely seen in groups.
The brown hyena is also solitary when foraging but they live in small clans ranging from a breeding pair and their young to groups of several mature males and females.
Spotted hyena live in groups of up to 90 members which is led by a single alpha female.

Gestation Period

After a gestation period of 3 months, these species produce between 1 - 4 offspring.

Hyena Gender Identification

Identifying the sex of a hyena is very difficult due to the genitalia of the female looking like that of a male.
This is one of few species where you can get away with shooting a female in a country that prohibits the shooting of females.
If you have other hyena around with which to compare, a large one is likely to be a male.

Hyena Hunting Methods

Spotting, walking and stalking the likely habitats. If you watch for vulture activity, hyena are also likely to be around.
More productive is using a bait and blind technique as for cats.

A Good Hyena Trophy

Trophies are judged on skull measurements so just take the largest you can find.
A large bodied hyena that will hopefully be male.

Hyena Hunting Shot Placement

As hyena shot placement is similar to other antelope plains game species, go to Shot Placement On Plains Game.

Hyena Pictures

(Place cursor over photographs to enlarge)

hyena 2

hyena 3

hyena 1

Recommended Reading

Hyenas In My Bedroom

Hyenas In My Bedroom by Jack Mohr is the story of an soldier stationed in Africa who stayed after service to hunt and travel in Ethiopia, elsewhere in East Africa and Sudan. A trip with stories to rival many professional hunters.

More African Game Animals

Cape Buffalo | Lion | Leopard | Elephant | Rhino

Hippo | Crocodile

Bushbuck | Kudu | Nyala | Eland | Sitatunga | Bongo

Waterbuck | Kob | Lechwe | Oryx | Wildebeest | Hartebeest | Tsessebe/Topi

Blesbok | Reedbuck | Impala | Gerenuk | Springbok | Rhebok | Puku

Gazelle | Duiker | Dik-Dik | Steinbok | Grysbok | Oribi | Suni | Klipspringer | Bate's Pygmy Antelope

Baboon | Warthog | Bushpig | Forest Hogs | Cheetah | African Small Cats | Civet/Genet/Ratel | Hyena | Jackal | Ostrich | Porcupine/Fox/Hyrax | Monkey

Giraffe | Zebra

Return From Hyena Hunting To African Game Animals | Back to Top