Eland

[Rare Breed]

I think you are confused lol. Here’s my personal best eland and personal best kudu. I’ll pick the eland every time if standing next to each other.
View attachment 449322View attachment 449323

Both exceptional animals @buckwild

 

[Rare Breed]

Sorry @375Fox.

 

[Ryan]

I'll look into some of those other bullets and maybe pick up a few if I can find any, but I've had really good luck with the Noslers. I usually shoot 210g partitions for most everything but have used the 250's a few times. My wife shot a 1600 lb B&C WY buffalo in '99 that died quickly with one shot. We've also shot a number of moose and a bunch of elk with that gun. I use 210's on the elk.

Elk, moose and a bison proves those Nosler Partitions out of that rig will do the job very well on an eland. And you bring up a point everyone keeps missing when you said " If I can find any". Supply of those other bullets is sparce at best right now.

 

[WAB]

Elk, moose and a bison proves those Nosler Partitions out of that rig will do the job very well on an eland. And you bring up a point everyone keeps missing when you said " If I can find any". Supply of those other bullets is sparce at best right now.

Having shot elk, moose and eland, I would rate eland as much tougher animals. I don’t disagree with your conclusion, if all you can get is NP, go with them. However, if you can get a tougher bullet, I would go that route.

 

[Rell]

Guys …. The NP set the standard for premium expanding bullets before I was born. There are tougher bullets out there but Eland is not DG and they get killed every year with 243s.

 

[fourfive8]

Guys …. The NP set the standard for premium expanding bullets before I was born. There are tougher bullets out there but Eland is not DG and they get killed every year with 243s.

Set the standard compared to what?- conventional, fragmenting cup and core bullets. I'm sure every year there are all manner of large game killed by homemade muzzleloaders shooting pieces of rebar- so there's a recommendation.

 

[Bullthrower338]

@DaveL remember this old dude. Couldn’t be happier with this old warrior!

 

[Trophyhunter01]

 

[DaveL]

View attachment 449650
@DaveL remember this old dude. Couldn’t be happier with this old warrior!

Ah, I remember this with fond memories! Great hunt!

 

[MAdcox]

Who did you hunt with in Namibia, I haven’t been yet and would love a true tracking hunt for eland there?

@Kowas Adventure Safaris and I can’t recommend them highly enough.

 

[Jaegger]

Big Fan of Eland - I spied my 1st big ole bruiser bull lumbering across the savannah in S. Africa (2009) & it was as IF he knew … I didn’t have the trophy fee $ in the shoe box that trip! A Big Fan on what it takes to locate Eland that blend well to their surroundings, then track a big animal that is very elusive & smart about how they navigate the bush … they never seem to wanna stop!

Allot of quality feedback in this thread for your 1st Eland hunt … big ole warriors will have that bluish hue across the shoulders which is skin tone due to thinning hair, look for thick base, predominant ridges & older bulls tend to have worn down horns in the 32”- 34” … that’s a trophy vs. inches.

I‘ve been outwitted/outplayed by all the ole warriors tracked but enjoyed a Livingston (top) Zim & a Cape (bottom) Namibia. Next stop Botswana. Good luck …

 

[crs]

Observation on terrain; In most of the preceding photos, the land and vegetation look like west Texas in a dry year-dead and ugly. That is no greenery. Dry vegetation, leafless trees, dry dead grass, etc equals little to no cover, especially for an animal as large as an eland. Why hunt places like that, surely not by choice.

My only Eland experience was with Limcroma Safaries where there were three rivers with plenty of cover and vegetation (even crocs and hippos). My hunting partner borrowed my Ruger 77 .338 to take his Eland bull in a green and woodsy environment and shot it at close range- no fuss or muss, it just settled to the ground DEAD. It did take 12 people to load into a truck while I took photos.

I had a shot at one of several that we saw, but did not want it. It occurs to me that we were hunting in the right place and many others were not.

 

[Rell]

Observation on terrain; In most of the preceding photos, the land and vegetation look like west Texas in a dry year-dead and ugly. That is no greenery. Dry vegetation, leafless trees, dry dead grass, etc equals little to no cover, especially for an animal as large as an eland. Why hunt places like that, surely not by choice.

My only Eland experience was with Limcroma Safaries where there were three rivers with plenty of cover and vegetation (even crocs and hippos). My hunting partner borrowed my Ruger 77 .338 to take his Eland bull in a green and woodsy environment and shot it at close range- no fuss or muss, it just settled to the ground DEAD. It did take 12 people to load into a truck while I took photos.

I had a shot at one of several that we saw, but did not want it. It occurs to me that we were hunting in the right place and many others were not.

No.
No no no.
You track in the dry season … the bulls come to waterholes and that’s where you pick up tracks. They are to dispersed most of the year, they get killed as targets of opportunity not tracked.

 

[375Fox]

Observation on terrain; In most of the preceding photos, the land and vegetation look like west Texas in a dry year-dead and ugly. That is no greenery. Dry vegetation, leafless trees, dry dead grass, etc equals little to no cover, especially for an animal as large as an eland. Why hunt places like that, surely not by choice.

My only Eland experience was with Limcroma Safaries where there were three rivers with plenty of cover and vegetation (even crocs and hippos). My hunting partner borrowed my Ruger 77 .338 to take his Eland bull in a green and woodsy environment and shot it at close range- no fuss or muss, it just settled to the ground DEAD. It did take 12 people to load into a truck while I took photos.

I had a shot at one of several that we saw, but did not want it. It occurs to me that we were hunting in the right place and many others were not.

As someone who hates the midland/Odessa landscape. It is not like that west Texas at all. The cover may look sparse, but you have to get out and actually hunt eland. I’ve shot every kudu with a short stalk from the truck, but eland required effort every time. The properties in Namibia are also huge compared to South Africa and gives a better experience in most situations. My eland hunted in Zimbabwe was my best hunt, but not because of the vegetation or landscape, simply the best tracking experience. If there was an eland around every corner that I could just shoot from truck I would be disappointed.

 

[crs]

Rell,
Thank you for the explanation.
Interesting that bulls were not widely dispersed at Limcroma. But then why would they be, with plenty of water, cover, and food?

 

[Red Leg]

Observation on terrain; In most of the preceding photos, the land and vegetation look like west Texas in a dry year-dead and ugly. That is no greenery. Dry vegetation, leafless trees, dry dead grass, etc equals little to no cover, especially for an animal as large as an eland. Why hunt places like that, surely not by choice.

My only Eland experience was with Limcroma Safaries where there were three rivers with plenty of cover and vegetation (even crocs and hippos). My hunting partner borrowed my Ruger 77 .338 to take his Eland bull in a green and woodsy environment and shot it at close range- no fuss or muss, it just settled to the ground DEAD. It did take 12 people to load into a truck while I took photos.

I had a shot at one of several that we saw, but did not want it. It occurs to me that we were hunting in the right place and many others were not.

Lol. You need to get out a little more in the rest of Southern Africa.

 

[375Fox]

Rell,
Thank you for the explanation.
Interesting that bulls were not widely dispersed at Limcroma. But then why would they be, with plenty of water, cover, and food?

Not trying to turn this into a discussion on fences, but there really is a big difference between true free range eland and eland on a fenced property. I don’t see the distinction with many other species on properly managed properties, but eland I do. Free range eland will travel huge distances at different times of the year and can travel huge distances in a day.

 

[Rell]

Is Limcroma high fenced?

You can get really good hunting in a large high fenced area for some species. I would argue, in a large fenced area, you can hunt kudu, bushbuck, maybe nyala and a bunch of others, as well as a free range area.

I would also argue that hunting anything in a a small area is unethical. Hunting eland in a fenced area just isn’t that interesting or particularly fun.

Each his own and we are all responsible for our preferences and choices.

I’ll get off this douche some box now. Go shoot some stuff!

 

[dchum]

Is Limcroma high fenced?

You can get really good hunting in a large high fenced area for some species. I would argue, in a large fenced area, you can hunt kudu, bushbuck, maybe nyala and a bunch of others, as well as a free range area.

I would also argue that hunting anything in a a small area is unethical. Hunting eland in a fenced area just isn’t that interesting or particularly fun.

Each his own and we are all responsible for our preferences and choices.

I’ll get off this douche some box now. Go shoot some stuff!

Limcroma is all SA style high fence; But it has trees with leaves... Apparently that makes all the difference

 

[crs]

"Lol. You need to get out a little more in the rest of Southern Africa. "

That would be fun!
However, I have seen enough of the dry barren land in Texas, New Mexico, Kansas, SE Colorado, Kansas, the desert southwest, etc that I have no interest in travelling halfway around the world to see more of the same. Been down under, New Zealand and a few other places and as elsewhere there are places that are better to be than others. I despise deserts and land becoming deserts.
To each his own, I reckon.