What one animal from Africa, finally pushed you to hunt in Africa?

For me it was the Southern Greater Kudu! Don't get me wrong there are lots of great animals in Africa...that are beyond what words can truly express! But for me, I love the spiral horn antelopes. I would definitely like to hunt for some of the "Big 5"...but my true love is hunting animals like the bushbuck, eland and kudu. Nyala are very great to hunt too but is not found everywhere is Africa. I was going to list sable...but the price is high compared to the kudu....I have yet to hunt sable....down the road .

So my vote again is the Kudu!

Good question but a very tough one! Kudu is definitely towards the top of the list. Cape Buffalo and Lion are as well though. And leopard and elephant....and....and....

I don't know which is my favorite!!!!!

Hi Enysse and Tom. The reason that got me to hunt in Africa was definitely the enormous variety, and the amount of animals in Africa. In Sweden we are very happy, if we can hunt for a full day, and bag 1-2 animals. Sometimes, we hunt for days, and have nothing. Even if hunting is not based on how many animals you bag, but the experience and adventure of being out in the nature, it is 100% more to it, when we see all these animals as we see in Africa. However, now after done some hunts in Africa, my favourite animal to hunt will be crocodile. Tracking, stalking and waiting.....and finally see the crocodile, is an fantastic feeling. Also have to say that, night hunt in moonlight, for hippo on land is an adventure that gives you a thrill of life time.

I respect Kudu, but i like to shot Sable (any body don't want it?)))))
we saw one day so big Kudu in Namibia, we even stop breathing, but my Azeri hunters say....tomorow we will shot thii Kudu))))) and as you understnd we don't see it any more))))

guys! what about Royal Sable in Angola? any body want to shoot it???)))))

I'm with you on Kudu, it was the one on the top of my list. But it is this guy that makes me want to go back as soon as I can. My PH called this the "You owe me money look."

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For me it is THE BONGO and buffalo and lion and leopard and giant eland and bushbuck and kudu and elephant and sable and lesser kudu and grant gazelle and roan and hippo and duikers and warthog and red river hog and zebra and waterbuck and and and and..... all of them as long as I am hunting!!!!

I went in June to SA for kudu. nyala, waterbuck & gemsbok, all fantastic animals. I worked my butt off to get there and it was the kudu that drove me.I got my bull in the last hour of the last hunting day...really...and he went 58&3/8 inches. A magnificent animal. I will go back in 2012 for buff and Sable but I think I would go for kudu again. They are a thing of real beauty.

Originally Posted by christophe morio

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For me it is THE BONGO and buffalo and lion and leopard and giant eland and bushbuck and kudu and elephant and sable and lesser kudu and grant gazelle and roan and hippo and duikers and warthog and red river hog and zebra and waterbuck and and and and..... all of them as long as I am hunting!!!!

Those beautiful BONGO almost seem impossible for me to even dream about, perhaps someday I'll hunt with you Christophe. I'm still trying to finish up Mr. Flack's "Hunting Icons of Africa". I bought it on your recommendation.

No one animal drew me to Africa - it was the opportunity to hunt the wide variety of game that was the big attraction. Hunting each one of them was a wonderful experience.

Well im from Africa (South africa to be exact) and have hunted my fair share of plains game but the animal that will draw me out into the heart of africa (if i could afford it) would have to be the Mountain Nyala

It was not any one animal, but a friend that had been there and convinced me to return with him. I will admit I didnt really have any interest in going at the time and didnt expect to care much for hunting in Africa. I was wrong.

After having been there quite a few times and hunting most species, I would say there are a few I would go back to hunt every year.
Bushbuck certainly is #1, and Nyala, sitatunga, Bongo etc come in close. These spiral horn animals are beautifull and have a great narrow face. I also may be wrong, but I dont know of any breeding projects for Bushbuck. They are all wild, at least where I have always been.
Another great animal is the Impala. Talk about an animal that is so weary it can jump a string! They are beautifull, gracefull and I swear they can change directions in the air. I enjoyed the big five, but honestly after having done it, I love hunting Bushbuck and Impala more.

Like I said the spiral horn antelopes are my favorite...I don't think I will be able to hunt bongo or mountain nyala or lord derby eland...definitely beautiful and very highly attractive! The Bongo is my all time favorite! Situanga is getting expensive too. But yes I would like to hunt for some of the other bushbucks. Countries like Benin and Burkina Faso have somewhat affordable hunting for different antelope. Frankly, I won't rule anything out..who knows what the future holds.

I picked the kudu...based a on price, huge horns, and availability. Messmate, I'm so jeolous..a kudu close 58 1/2 inches!!!

OK enysse I agree the Kudu is right there at the top of the list, and the one I got was a Doozy and I'm quite proud of him but one of the driving factors of me going to Africa wasn't one but how many I could hunt at the same price of one guided hunt here in the USA but to get back on the subject the one animal if there was just one and don't laugh to loud it was the Warthog I didn't get the one I wanted on my trip so I'm going back. Bob

Originally Posted by Bobpuckett

OK enysse I agree the Kudu is right there at the top of the list, and the one I got was a Doozy and I'm quite proud of him but one of the driving factors of me going to Africa wasn't one but how many I could hunt at the same price of one guided hunt here in the USA but to get back on the subject the one animal if there was just one and don't laugh to loud it was the Warthog I didn't get the one I wanted on my trip so I'm going back. Bob

The warthog is no laughing matter. I think they might be one of my favourite animals....

It was the kudu. I read "Green Hills of Africa" in high school in the seventies and everything I could find thereafter on the gray ghost. Finally made it to Africa in '08 and took a beautiful bull. I like European skull mounts and have only one shoulder mount in the house - that kudu. (Did do a full body mount on my leopard). Took another great one last year and kudu will be the focal point of our trip to Namibia this summer. I expect it will be buffalo which will keep me going back to Africa, but I will always be looking for another kudu.

Originally Posted by Bobpuckett

OK enysse I agree the Kudu is right there at the top of the list, and the one I got was a Doozy and I'm quite proud of him but one of the driving factors of me going to Africa wasn't one but how many I could hunt at the same price of one guided hunt here in the USA but to get back on the subject the one animal if there was just one and don't laugh to loud it was the Warthog I didn't get the one I wanted on my trip so I'm going back. Bob

One of the main reason I hunted Africa is because of the variety of animals! I really love zebra hunting....so will my wife. And it is affordable to hunt Africa...despite what you hear in the USA. More guy send money on whitetails every year that I ever will in my lifetime....and they will never understand the joy of going to a different place, and meeting new people and seeing different things. They are wired in the head to hunt North America.

When I see pictures posted by Tom of his hunt with Spiral Horn Safari....how can you not get excited looking at the huge horns on the kudu and gembok....Frederik, has posted a lot of monster kudu....for the dollar it's the best hunt in the world to me to hunt kudu!

Bob...getting back to your warthog dilemma....I suffer the same disease...wanted a warthog bad...never got one...it bothered me pretty bad too....if I was hunting in Africa...and warthog was legal...I'd shoot ever monster warthog I saw....but it would have to be huge....the trophy fees are cheap and european mounts look great....though I do want a half mount in my house...just because like you there is some thing about them that is unique. I know taxidermist cringe at half mounts...but full mounts need a lot of space...and they cost more....I like hunting more than mounts.

The gemsbuck was #1 for me. When I got mine earlier this year, it was worth the wait.

nd

Nyati!

For me it was Lion. In fact, he first shot I fired on he African Continent was to make sure my gun was sighted in. THe Second shot I fired in Africa was into the shoulder, heart and lungs of a gorgrous full-maned icon of Africa - I would attach a picture if I knew how. I love kudu, bushbuck are awesome, I loved every minute of my time elephant hunting and as I said earlier today, I have become a certified Leopard nut. I will meet up with Christopher somdeday for Bongo, but Simba is doubtlessly what drew me and is a big part of why I go back. Just hearing them roaring at night from camp, or catching a glimpse as a pride follows a herd of Buffalo - just enough so that I know they are there, is what makes hunting in Africa better than anyplace else in the world.

At the top of my wish-list african animals there are bongo and cape buffalo... i read the book of Count Zsigmond Szechenyi, and the tale about Bongo make me fall in love with it! i guess that there is nothing of more exciting than hunting bongo into the pluvial central forest... a dream, hope one day i'll hunt it!