Nyala or Kudu - Which is your favourite?

Since the days of old hunters have always seen Kudu as the antelope species that opitimises Africa, the "Grey Ghosts" of the African bush. The Kudu bull is most certainly magnificent, and has an almost regal bearing, but for me the Nyala is the antelope species that does it for me!

In my slightly biased eyes (as I live in Zululand, the Nyala mecca) Nyala is equally magnificent. Have you ever just sat and watched two bulls displaying and posturing, in their efforts to assert dominance over each other? Their slow, precise movements and raised hair on their backs is a site to behold, almost like a choreographed dance. The Nyala female is equally impressive with their colour, so in cantrast to that of the bull.

If I could only afford to hunt one of these two species, Nyala would be my choice!

What are your thoughts?

My next time over I WILL take a nyala! They are BEAUTIFUL. I would have taken one last time but my $$$ were already over my planning. I would also like to take a better kudu as well...the list goes on & on!

Having only seen 1 Nyala & never hunting them.... I really enjoyed hunting Kudu & the next time I go I plan on hunting Nyala.. They are both beautiful animals it would be hard to pick and not really fair - having never hunting one of them!

Have hunted neither but Nyala would be my first choice by a large margin. I like Kudu a lot as well though, and it might be different if I had an opportunity to hunt the Western Greater Kudu in CAR, for example.

Here is some great footage of what Niel is referring to, Nyala bulls posturing during the rut... and know that this is not in slow motion.

I've taken them both and they are two of my favorite trophies. But as I find the Nyala to be the more beautiful of the two I would have to make it my top choice.
.

My first and only trip so far to Africa was to Namibia and I got a nice Kudu. When I went over I really didn't even know what a Nyala was... Hows that for dumb. Nyala is one of the top two on my list for my next trip. Absolutely beautiful animals. I can hardly wait to go. Its fun being part of this board and having the chance talk about all of the opportunities. Going to make the next trip that much more memorable and fun.

I've taken a couple greater kudu and one nyala. For me, I'd have to say that I prefer to hunt Kudu, but then I really love elk hunting here in the USA, and that probably has something to do with it since kudu might be the African equivalent of elk. I will say that in my limited experience with them, the kudu were a tougher hunt. Nyala were pretty easy, but that view comes from one very short hunt on a single Limpopo property. The kudu were hunted in Deka, Matetsi and the Kalahari, so I have a broader perspective of what they offer in that regard.

They're both great animals, beautiful trophies to have in any room.

Neil i have never hunted either one so i cant say you had better have me out to your place and let me hunt them both and then i can let you know!!

As with DLS, I've taken several good kudu and one nyala, but none thrilled me as much as my sables. They are the continent's most beautiful and regal antelope, in my humble opinion.

I shot one in Zimbabwe in 1983 on my first safari, and another in Zambia in 1994, so I don't need to shoot another, but I could spend days watching these beautiful, glossy black and white horse-like creatures with their spectacular ringed horns and never grow tired of it.

To me, a kudu is ungainly and skinny; a nyala is simply a shaggy beast with orange legs. A gemsbok interests me more than either of them.

Bill Quimby

To me Kudu is a more challenging hunt than Nyala up here in Limpopo where Nyala were introduced at significant cost to the landowners and often are kept in smaller camps where they are fed every day which makes them relatively easy to hunt (or is that "kill")... waiting at the feeding point.

But if you hunt Nyala where they belong the picture changes - especially if you hunt them in the mountains of Natal where they belong. Recovering them after the shot is often as challenging as hunting them...

The Nyala certainly is a beautiful animal and right at the top of my list...

Thanks guys, its looks as though there are many out there who highly rate the Nyala.

Billy; if you are looking to hunt a Nyala at some point in time you need to go no further than us. Have a look at our website and let us know what you think.

Chris (CT Safaris); Our Nyala are endemic to our area (Zululand, Natal) and are as a result just as challenging to hunt as the Kudu. These are natural populations and we have never introduced Nyala for hunting purposes, so are more challanging to hunt than those in the Limpopo.

Happy Hunting.

Originally Posted by Leeukop Safaris

Chris (CT Safaris); Our Nyala are endemic to our area (Zululand, Natal) and are as a result just as challenging to hunt as the Kudu. These are natural populations and we have never introduced Nyala for hunting purposes, so are more challanging to hunt than those in the Limpopo.

Yes Niel I know that Nyala is endemic to your area... In fact, Zululand has some of the best areas for Nyala... And I agree that they can be as chalenging to hunt as Kudu in Natal as per the 2nd part of my post. Like I said, this species is at the top of my list - not only as a challenging animal to hunt in the right circumstances - but also as a beautiful trophy animal - one of the prettiest there are...

I am not knocking those who hunt Nyala in Limpopo. There are outfits up here that offer really good fair chase hunts for this species. Not everyone hunts them at feeding points in small camps... but some do and for me that takes the fun out of hunting.

Well said Chris, Couldn't agree with you more.

I really love them both but for me it's a mixed fellings kind of thing, let me explain:

I you ask me which one do I think is more beautiful and if you were only allowed one of the two in your life, which would you take, I would have to go for Kudu.

But if you asked me and said "Andres, I am going to give you a hunt for christmas this year, it's either Nyala in South Africas Natal o maybe Zululand, or a hunt for Kudu in Namibia" (Which by the way, either sounds very nice, anyone interested?)

I would go for the Nyala! For a number of reasons, first it's range is by far more limited, it's more expensive and more of a specialized hunt, if I hunt Africa a couple of times I will very likely end up with a well earned Kudu, weather it's in Zimbabwe, SA, Zambia, Namibia, etc. But no so with Nyala, it will very possible be one of those animals that if I want to take I will have to make a hunt almost specifically for it, It's possible but unlikely (so I am told) to encounter them in South Zimbabawe, and you may very well kill a record book Nyala in Mozambique, but chaces are slim...so for the Christmas gift, the Nyala please!

Cheers and good hunting!

p.s. Chris, awesome Nyala congrats, also very nice Sako, right?

I would have to say Kudu. I just think they are so beautiful. The spiral horns, stripes and general presence. I do think Nyala are nice, just not as much as a kudu to me.

I guess, I'm a kudu hunter. I think the nyala is a very pretty animal. And would love someday to hunt them in the Natal. But the kudu with it's twisted horns...it's almost mythical to hunt. I have 3 kudu in all different areas and I could hunt them forever!

I agree with Bill Quimby, "the sable" is the king and will ultimately get me back to Africa to hunt some day. And when I say hunt, I mean hopefully get to look over a few animals and do some wildlife viewing before I have to shoot. I would love to take a old mature Sable.

I have to agree with Bill about sable, they are a special animal. I was fortunate to take a fabulous 45" bull in 1983 and have not hunted them on my subsequent safaris. I still regret not having one on license in 1989 in Botswana. Most of the sable I'd heard of being taken in Botswana were not as large as my bull, so I didn't want to spend the money on the off-chance I might see a truly good one. As luch would have it, we found a solitary old bull in the Selinda River country that may have been as big as 48". I can still see him in my mind. Very regal looking.

I would go with neither, and say that the Bushbuck is the nicest of them... To me the bushbuck is a tough hunt, can be dangerous and it is just such a beautiful animal. Dont get me wrong, Kudu and nyala are both very nice too and i have hunted some nice kudu trophies (not had the chance to hunt a nyala yet). but IMHO the bushbuck rates number one for me.

Granted, bushbuck are the most difficult of southern Africa's antelope to hunt, and most of the subspecies are handsome creatures. All that said, my vote still goes to the sable.

Bill Quimby