Hi guys, Just got back from SA

Hi all, new to the site but just returned from SA. Had a great time and took eight wonderful animals. Now that I'm back I've been trying to determine how they stack up to the so-called standards. They are all GOLD in my book, but maybe not in the SCI book. Anyway, I took a White Blesbok with quite a long shot, making it my favorite. It measured 18" where it fell (I've been told the shrink as they dry). I'm trying to determine how big that is relative to the standards. Any help on judging Blesbok would be much appreciated. Also, is there any difference between regular and white (beside the color variation)? Cheers!

That is very big white blesbok, any way you want to look at the numbers! You should be very proud of him! 18+ is gigantic in my book.

Hi
Congrats on your hunt. We want the full story and pics...

Welcome to AH!
As A member of SCI let me asure you 18" with a normal base is GOLD!!! Congrats on a fine Trophy

post a report and some pics I want to see him.

we will be looking forward to your report and pictures...

great news that you were as successful as you were...

Being a good shot and making the long shot when it's counts is always a good feeling...

OK, pictures posted...

went in and looked at your pictures and the smile said it all...

Originally Posted by Bobpuckett

Welcome to AH!
As A member of SCI let me asure you 18" with a normal base is GOLD!!! Congrats on a fine Trophy

post a report and some pics I want to see him.

JUST TO LET YOU KNOW the smallest 18" White Blesbok in the book as of today is.

Score Sheet

Length of Horn Left 18" Right 18 1/8" Circumference of Horn Left 6 4/8" Right 6 4/8"

Method of Kill: Rifle
Method Rank: 17
Overall Rank: 18
Highest Method Rank: 13
Highest Overall Rank: 14

Medallion: GOLD

and that not bad at all, to rank around 17 out of 727 entries, Not Bad At All!!!

Welcome to AH robgeisler!

Thanks Bobpuckett. I had no idea! That is amazing. My only indication was when I dropped it off for dip/ship services and the guy said that the Blesbok, and my Gemsbok, were the two that impressed him most. The Gemsbok was 42" so I could see that it was pretty big, but I was surprised that he reacted to the Blesbok. MY PH was most impressed with the 30" Waterbuck. He said that he has only taken one that size. Frankly, I was just blown away to be hunting in SA. I had no idea about scoring and still don't...but its nice to know that the trophies were all good ones. They could have been hornless and I would still have the story and the experience. Every animal had its own story. The Blesbok was a 400m shot. The Kudu took 4 days of humping mountains. The Mountain Reedbuck was a surprise snapshot and wasn't even in the plan, etc, etc. I can't wait to go back and hunt with Wesley again!!

Congrats again I was looking at your photos and you have some fine trophies I couldn't tell by lookin at the horns was your gemsbok male or female? I see you are a member of SCI those really need to go in the Books it won't make the printing for Jan. but the scores will be on the online book for everyone to see.

Welcome to the forum and congrats on some very fine trophies. That blesbok is a monster!

nd

I appreciate all the support...thanks! Bobpuckett, the Gemsbok was an old female, probably 8 or 9 y.o. Her teeth were down to the nubs. The PH said if she had been in the Kalahari, rather than the highveldt, she would have died the previous year. I chased her and two others over a small mountain. At least it seemed like a mountain to me. It was about 6500 ASL so I was huffing and puffing. The trackers were really motoring to keep up and my big butt was holding me back. Plus I was wearing full rain gear (I know, call me stupid!). Once they disappeared over the crest, I thought they were long gone. However, for reasons unknown, they stopped and we blew up on them. I could barely see her in the tall grass and she was quartering hard away...looking back over her shoulder. The PH tossed up the stick and said take her in the same motion. By the time I even found her in the scope, she was starting to turn to leave, increasing the angle. I estimated the off shoulder and let-er-rip. 130 yards slightly downhill. I hit her mid body and exited opposite shoulder. The 300 Win Mag with 180gr Sirroccos did the job with a liver/spleen hit. Tough old girl, she still went about 300 yards before expiring. With the Springbok she made two in the salt by 11am...on my first day hunting SA. Good thing too, because the Kudu eluded my for 4 days and I was thinking I might never get another animal.

Welcome to the forum Robgeisler, and congratulation for you successful hunt.

Welcome to ah..and as mentioned that is a nice white blesbok! My dads was arround 16 inches and ranked 24th. Yours is very impressive. Body looked large as well. Really nice Gemsbuck as well!

Originally Posted by robgeisler

I appreciate all the support...thanks! Bobpuckett, the Gemsbok was an old female, probably 8 or 9 y.o. Her teeth were down to the nubs. The PH said if she had been in the Kalahari, rather than the highveldt, she would have died the previous year. I chased her and two others over a small mountain. At least it seemed like a mountain to me. It was about 6500 ASL so I was huffing and puffing. The trackers were really motoring to keep up and my big butt was holding me back. Plus I was wearing full rain gear (I know, call me stupid!). Once they disappeared over the crest, I thought they were long gone. However, for reasons unknown, they stopped and we blew up on them. I could barely see her in the tall grass and she was quartering hard away...looking back over her shoulder. The PH tossed up the stick and said take her in the same motion. By the time I even found her in the scope, she was starting to turn to leave, increasing the angle. I estimated the off shoulder and let-er-rip. 130 yards slightly downhill. I hit her mid body and exited opposite shoulder. The 300 Win Mag with 180gr Sirroccos did the job with a liver/spleen hit. Tough old girl, she still went about 300 yards before expiring. With the Springbok she made two in the salt by 11am...on my first day hunting SA. Good thing too, because the Kudu eluded my for 4 days and I was thinking I might never get another animal.

Well you did a great Job and at that age She wasn't going to make it much longer and thats a Great First Day to harvest an Old girl like her with great horns and that Springbok too. Congrats

The regular (or coloured) and white blesbok are the same species. The white variation (mutation) is artificially bred basically to sell another "species" to hunters. The same goes for black and white springbok and black impala.

Congratulations!!!
I have to say your PH put you on some very fine animals. 18" Blesbok is the ultimate. Just looking at the body and width and length of head/nose he looks to be on steroids. Huge!!! As a taxidermist and SCI Master measurer I've not seen a Blesbok that size.

Common Blesbok, White and Bontebok are all the same family.

These will all be very nice additions to the trophy room.

Thanks Roger! I just posted another picture including my intrepid trackers and the Blesbok. They were more impressed with the distance of the shot, rather than his size. Biggie's comment was "History has been made in 2011" while Willie (on left) was a bit more subdued saying "Nice shot sir". We had seen this same Blesbok while chasing Kudu the day prior. He was standing on a small mound and acting quite the king of the hill. He was off in the distance, but since he was on a slight rise, he looked pretty big. We didn't want to take a shot then and push the Kudu we were chasing deeper into the brush, so we came back early the next morning hoping he would be in the area. We beat the sun back in, but not the fog. Fortunately, once the sun came up the fog started to lift. We had been glassing from a hill, hoping to see something. When we identified him, the PH asked if we were ok on distance. He was 400m but I had been practicing at that distance at home and thought I could make the shot. However as you know, shooting at the range and in the heat of the moment off sticks, are two different things. I was lucky because I hit him high and he dropped where he was standing. If I can figure out how to edit the language on the video, I will post that too. I highly recommend Wesley at Ultimate Hunting Safaris (www.ultimatehuntingsafaris.co.za). As you correctly point out, he was able to put me on several nice trophies!