Kudu Bull Over 60 Inches

Skyline and Frederik. . . Again, I think the challenge and enjoyment of looking for that ‘big boy’ is what it’s all about.

At 53” my Kudu is also something less than a true ‘big boy’. But to me his character is unmatched. He’s very old with great mass, he had a hardened nub on his forehead which appeared to be the beginning of a small third horn and he’s a bit more than 50” between his ivory tips which as you know makes him quite wide.

I shot him many years ago on my very first safari while following buffalo spoor in the Chewore area of Zimbabwe. We simply looked up and there he was across the riverbed browsing under a tree. I can still see him plain as day. We watched him browse and waited for the better part of an hour before he gave me a clear shot through the trees and foliage. I’ve remained happy with him for many years now and I still wouldn’t trade him.

Best of all, and I’m sure you both know what I mean, he’s given me cause to go on many more safaris since that time in search of a true ‘big boy’ Kudu. To date I’ve come across a few that were approaching the 60” mark but for one reason or the other it was not to be. Broken horn, unsuccessful stalk, or whatever. You guys know the drill.

Anyway, I’m happy with mine, but I’ll also gladly keep looking!

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Originally Posted by Bosveld

Hi Gents, I'm new to the forum, still plenty of big kudu in South Africa and the Eastern Cape is catching up with the rest of South Africa and producing some >55" kudu's and the occasional 60". Here is a picture of a possible South African record kudu bull taken earlier this year on a farm in the Limpopo province.

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Bosveld, I'm not picking a fight but the only reason why the Eastern Cape are producing bigger kudu is because of outfits like Johnny Viviers Safaris who are importing and buying big trophy bulls from up north and dropping them in the eastern Cape to be hunted by clients.

If this keeps on we will eventually loose the cape kudu even if it not a subspecies. Or maybe not, time will tell.

Hi there everyone I can say that I have hunted in the Cape as well and I know that this is what they do so yes Frederik your are on the money.

There is no way in hell that the Cape Kudu can even be compared with the ones we got in Limpopo.

I have nothing against moving kudu around. But Frederik is right that is not a Cape Kudu....it a thing of beauty though. John X Safari is doing that in the East Cape. What pisses me off is they are passing it off as a East Cape Kudu! Browningbbr has a very beautiful kudu....look it up under his pictures in his photo gallery....that is a East Cape Kudu.

I don't mind that people are happy with there 50 inch kudu that was shot in the wild or free range....you should be. There is nothing wrong with a 50". I hate comparing inches...for me I like a old kudu....full curls and tips....that to me is a good kudu...inches are just measurement.

For the people that are interested in inches there are plenty of ranches being managed for that....you'll pay for it too.

I can understand people going crazy over Kudu...it is the king of plains game. When you think years ago there were not to many...Hemingway was obsessed with them. And now thanks to game ranching there are tons of them. It's really a great conservation story. And they are cheap to hunt compared to the elite animals of Africa.

Hi Frederik,

Like you said we're not picking fights, but in the areas we hunt, we hunt on livestock farms with 1.2m fencing and the farmers in that region can definitely not afford to loose a Bushveld bull the same day it arrives on the farm. The only reason for the increase in the size of the horns at the moment is the abundance of food, most livestock farmers in the Eastern Cape are also dairy farmers and then they obviously plant lucern for the dairy herds and who can keep a kudu out of that? I doubt it the Cape Kudu will ever disappear, there are just to many and because of the livestock fences they move from one farm to the next untill they found a save place and in those mountains there are plenty hiding spots

Hi Bosveld I can understand what you are saying and it is not everyone who is doing this but at the end of the day a Kudu is a Kudu and if you think about it there is no such thing as a bad one.

The only problem I have here is that people are being lead under a misconception on the matter of Kudu in the Cape they just don't get as big as the ones in Limpopo and that is a fact so it would just be great if we can clear this one up by saying that there are deferent habitats for deferent species in RSA and if you want a good trophy you would have to hunt them in that certain habitat. Here is a good example for you if I were to go and shoot a Black Wildebeest I would go and hunt it in the Cape but if I were to look for a big Kudu I would go to the Limpopo province it is as simple as that.

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Originally Posted by Frederik

Bosveld, I'm not picking a fight but the only reason why the Eastern Cape are producing bigger kudu is because of outfits like Johnny Viviers Safaris who are importing and buying big trophy bulls from up north and dropping them in the eastern Cape to be hunted by clients.

If this keeps on we will eventually loose the cape kudu even if it not a subspecies. Or maybe not, time will tell.

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Ladies and Gents,

Charl van Rooyen, Managing Director of Infinito Safaris here.

We have to apologise unconditionally for implicating Johnny Viviers Safaris in a put and take operation for Big Kudu Bulls. Johnny and Wiaan operate a clean as they come hunting operation from Wintershoek in the Northern Cape of South Africa.

Frederik got this reputable outfitter mixed up with someone else from the Eastern Cape.

Please take note that Johnny Viviers Safaris is one of South Africa's best operators and pride themselves in fair chase hunting ethics as per our PHASA code of ethics.

Johnny and Wiaan, Sorry for Frederiks slip up boys, I hope this will rectify the bad publicity you got on this forum!

Regards,

Charl van Rooyen
Infinito Safaris

Here's a very big Kudu shot in Namibia, free range in the early eighties, when as I understand, there were not many fenced land.

I don't recall the exact measurements, but if it's not 60+, it's pretty darn close!

http://www.africahunting.com/attachm...-kudu-papa.jpg

Andres, that's a kick ass Kudu! I'm a big fan of nostalgic and vintage safari photos. I posted a bunch in my photo gallery.

Thank you Safari Hunter!! Yeah it's a monster of a kudu shoot probably in 1984 or 85 at the most by my father. If I recall correctly it was with Jan Oelofse hunting safaris, that Kudu was the biggest kudu shoot by a Mexican hunter for a long long time and for all I know it still is, at least till a few years back, this cause I have not bought the SCI record book for quite some time, but the last one I have It was still the biggest Kudu by a Mexican, and best of all it was completly free range on unfenced land, when Namibia was barely a hunting destination, not the huge indusltry it is today, which only goes to show, that Namibia has always produced monster kudu!

Yeah, by the way I also love nostalgic safari fotos, I have posted already some of my fathers, but I'll try to scan some more soon!

Cheers and happy hunting!

...All these pictures of Kudu are absolute Monsters! I hope that some day when I get back to Africa I may encounter one - even close to these guys ize for a chance at one of the true trophies of Africa!

Calhoun, I'm sure someday you'll shoot a monster! I myself am heading to the Eastern Cape next Summer and even though I know there are no huge kudu there, I hope I get an old boy, a good mature male is what I'm interested first and foremost, if it comes with a huge set of horns so be it, but first old and worn then size for me, I think in most honest hunting, the size is a matter of luck, but who doesen't like to shoot record book animals!

So my point is: first the quality of the hunt and the matureness of animals, then size right?!?
I've heard that those Eastern Cape Kudus have awesome manes, so really looking forward to hunting them and adding a nex sub species of kudu to the trophy room!

Cheers and good hunting to y'all!!!

AndresRam, Having been to the East Cape, you are going to have fun trying to spot a big Kudu in that think brush down there. You can spot them from a long distance and then they just disappear in the thick green brush as you try to cut the distance to make a shot. The bushbuck hunting is terribly exciting too there. It's a unique hunting Kudu in the hills of the East Cape.

And I too love the classic safari photos. That kudu from Namibia is very beautiful!

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Originally Posted by Frederik

Bosveld, I'm not picking a fight but the only reason why the Eastern Cape are producing bigger kudu is because of outfits like Johnny Viviers Safaris who are importing and buying big trophy bulls from up north and dropping them in the eastern Cape to be hunted by clients.

If this keeps on we will eventually loose the cape kudu even if it not a subspecies. Or maybe not, time will tell.

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Frederik,
The East Cape Kudu is actually a Sub specie. It just has not been recognised yet. I've been to the farm where the tests were done and proven that the East Cape Kudu is a sub specie to the Southern Greater Kudu. Blood dont lie... but for some reason Roland Ward do not want to accept this... little bit of useless information , I guess

Here's a 70 incher... Need I say more?
74 and 1/2 inches actually...

http://www.africahunting.com/hunting...e=25562&size=1

http://www.africahunting.com/hunting...php?file=25379

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Originally Posted by Spiral Horn Safaris

Hi there everyone I can say that I have hunted in the Cape as well and I know that this is what they do so yes Frederik your are on the money.

There is no way in hell that the Cape Kudu can even be compared with the ones we got in Limpopo.

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Agreed 100%, but my coolest hunt in the cape was for Kudu and we were hunting and orange grove, it was cool watching their horns through the trees as they came in to eat, but the best part was when I shot the Kudu it dropped right there on top of a monkey that had to struggle to get out, Priceless!!! Plus pretty cool watching them swallow oranges whole.

Here is a picture of a Kudu bull I shot in Namibia two weeks ago. It measured 591/2 and 62. I paid $1300 trophy fee and was taken on a 50,000 acrea ranch in the south on Namibia near the Botswana border. My PH will check But he thinks it may be one of the largest taken south o Windoke in the Kalahari.

Great animal, congratulations !

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Originally Posted by lwaters

Here is a picture of a Kudu bull I shot in Namibia two weeks ago. It measured 591/2 and 62. I paid $1300 trophy fee and was taken on a 50,000 acrea ranch in the south on Namibia near the Botswana border. My PH will check But he thinks it may be one of the largest taken south o Windoke in the Kalahari.

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He is GIANT for sure!!!

Congrats with a great looking animal! :)