Judging Sable

I received a picture of a sable from my ph and I am now wondering what exactly makes a trophy sable. I've always wanted a sable with long horns and a pitch black coat. I've always heard that as a sable bull gets older that their coats get darker and darker.

This picture seems to be a picture of a very mature bull with large horns but he doesn't have a black coat. I know this is definitely a large sable and horn wise a lot of people would like to shoot him but I would have to pass on him. If I'm going to spend the money on a sable I want a true trophy. To me a true trophy has to be 41 inches or larger, be a very old bull, and be pitch black. To me a pitch black coat is just as important as horn size.

My question to you guys is this. What is wrong with this picture. Why does this sable have such large horns yet he doesn't have a black coat? can someone please give me some information that I'm obviously lacking?

Thanks in advance

Maturity makes a good trophy in my eyes.
Cant quite see on this one but a good indication of mature age is secondary growth (smooth or wrinkled ) on the bases of the horns.

That sable is over 42", but may not be old enough yet...I have heard they get black with old age but then again I've see picture of some that never get black. You can still see the rings on the sable pretty distinctly. But he is smooth on the bottom. I would have to see more views.

I know the one Patsy from Zambia posted a while back was very long and jet black! Definitely a dream sable!

Originally Posted by tap

My question to you guys is this. What is wrong with this picture.

Tap, In my opinion, what is wrong, is the fact that there IS even a picture. What type of Trophy hunting constitutes you receiving a photo of the animal that you are about to hunt?
Have you asked your PH how big the area is, that you will be hunting(see shooting) this bull?
Hope that I'm not offending you, but fair chase should be as high on your list as coat colour and horn length.

Best Regards
Marius Goosen

I wonder if time of year as anything to do with coat color.Look how our animals her in the states get darker as winter comes into season.Hair gets thicker and darker from summer till fall or winter.That sable looks like it is in its summer coat now maybe he will get darker.As for hunting an animal in a picture.Well that animal could be on 10,000 acres or more that is just the one they would like to try for.I would bet his PH has just found what his client wants and plans to hunt that animal in know way does that mean they will be getting the animal.Better then the ph taking him to a ranch that only has sable 40" and under and the client never having a chance at what he wants.The picture to me just shows what animal they would like to try for and who knows maybe a bigger one could even walk out in front of them.

That's just a sable he's seen in the area. He's seen one he says is much bigger but didn't get a picture. After we hunt sable we are going to south Africa to hunt on a cattle ranch for nyala. That place is not high fenced and the ph i am hunting with there has been seeing 30 inch nyala. He sent me pics of one he saw but we both know we may never see him. The point is that the pictures I am getting are only pictures of what type of genes are typically being taken in that area.

As for the sable, I have wondered about season affecting hide color as well. Can anyone confirm this?

Lets see a pic of that nyala please.

tap

I honestly can't tell from that thumbnail how dark that sable really is. My experience though in seeing quite a few sable is that the big herd bull will always appear black. If horn length is very important to you a very old bull is not what you want. The smooth tips of his horns could be worn back several inches making a bull that was over 40" at his prime a 36" specimen now. Also some areas in fact a lot of areas do not have the genetics to produce those over 40" bulls regularly. The Delta area in Mozambique has amazing numbers of sable but you had better not turn down a 38 incher there.

I'm hopeing that the sable in the picture is just an example and not a sable that your PH has on his property to be shot. I say that not because I have anything against hunting on a fence property but because the sable I have seen on game farms are about as wary as a domestic cow and offer not much of a hunt where kudu, eland impala etc act the same on 5,000 acres as they do on 100,000.

Finally if you cannot be satisfied with a sable under 41" you need be prepared to go home without one because even the wildest places with the best genetics cannot guarantee you 41" plus.

tap, Here is an article on Sable by Dr. Rolf Baldus that you may want to read: Sable Antelope Subspecies.

I remember reading that the Royal or Giant Sable had been cross breeding with Roan in Angola. And they were a brown mix. And I have heard the Roosevelt Sable being brown in color too. And I have heard they are doing a lot of genetic research on the sable in Africa...when they have the funding to see how seperate the species...really are?

Anyway in the lastest's Peterson Hunting Magazine you will see Boddington's huge Roosevelt Sable! Taken in Tanzania.

Now that I have a better look at the huge picture of sable...he is black in the front by his head.

the picture shows a nice sable...now picture quality is another issue.

The direction of sun light on the sable is one item to consider.

The picture shows very little shadows. either we have over head bright sun or we have cloud cover.

I will opt for the bright over head sun.

The bright sun will bled color away in your pictures.

Look close and you will see the the coat is darker on it underside out of direct sun.

I think James is right about the light. Regardless the color, anyone who would turn down a head like that is a fool.