Kudu Bull Over 60 Inches Pictures

The biggest Kudu Alive he is 74"

Hi Tony, can you tell us about that tranquilliser job? I presume he’s been tranquillised. Is it part of a breeding program? What are the costs for a breeder to buy into genes like that? How old is that bull, and what are your thoughts on life longevity? I’ve read conflicting information about kudu longevity.

Yes

BenKK said:

Hi Tony, can you tell us about that tranquilliser job? I presume he’s been tranquillised. Is it part of a breeding program? What are the costs for a breeder to buy into genes like that? How old is that bull, and what are your thoughts on life longevity? I’ve read conflicting information about kudu longevity.

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Our Vet use M99, Kudu bulls take more than a Buffalo, Louis Greef is one of the best in the industry, this bull is about 6 years old and we estimate that he will 74" by the time he is 8 years plus. He lives in a 1000 hectares with a lot of females that he breeds alone. He was seen on a private game preserve a few years ago and he still lives on that same preserve just in a controlled environment. When he was bought he was worth over $1 mil USA and he has made a lot. I am just the sole hunter of Tembani Wildlife. And our clients have the privilege to see and hunt some less than 10% of the animals on this 10 000 acres area. A Kudu like that can live up to 15 years plus but yes they don't do well traveling and holding areas. We Wild Wildebeest Safaris and Tembani move our animals at a age less than a year and then they stay in a Hunting area till they get of hunting age and then are hunted there.

Thank you, Tony. I had heard two different maximum life expectancies: about seven and about fourteen.

62 inch Kudu taken in Zimbabwe

Dox said:

Hi

Could anybody post their pictures of kudu bulls with horns of 60 + inchers

Cheers
Dox

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63 5/8 taken in 2007

50by50 said:

Good points. Most times I wait until that night when everyone all walks down to the skinning shed to admire everyone's trophies for the day. But sometimes I pull it out RIGHT THERE if it looks like an exceptional trophy!

A little background on my story is in order: When I booked the hunt at the SLC show, Werner closed the deal (I was looking at several outfits) by telling me I would only pay for animals that met roland ward. I wasn't really going to hold him to that but when I got out there he was very sensitive about measurements. Werner had been complaining for several days about how much he hates tape measures so when we went down after dinner in a group and I found the tape measure, I think he wanted to take the opportunity to grab it and make it disappear. So he wasn't necessarily trying to make waterbuck bigger than it is- I think he was just trying to make a sensation that would allow him to go burn the tape measure.

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In which case he then should not have insisted that you would pay only for RW animals shot, he should then have to rather provide tape measures for each client, tracker and driver on the hunt.....It is then clear why he hates tape measures as his marketing strategy will burn him period, no matter where he hunts.... you could never guarantee RW for all your clients on all species over a season not even if you do put and take hunting.....

Sounds more like he was just desperate to close the deal...

Red Leg said:

This one is very similar to the one the original poster included. Very tight spirals, but very long, and they turn out significantly in the final curl. I counted coup on him with a camera at Etosha. I think he may just make sixty. If not, he is a damned fine 58 or so.

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I do not often differ with you but here I do. This bull will not make RW after drying period. Very good example how deceptive kudu can be. The only thing that makes him look massive is the tip to tip spread.

He has no depth of curl(take a piece of paper and blank out one horn and only look at the other horn, then do the same for true deep curl 60" kudu and you will see what I mean). Horns are also not very thick.

The inches lie in the depth of the curl and secondly in the thickness of the bases.

He is a fine trophy bull in his prime, but will battle to make RW.

IvW said:

I do not often differ with you but here I do. This bull will not make RW after drying period. Very good example how deceptive kudu can be. The only thing that makes him look massive is the tip to tip spread.

He has no depth of curl(take a piece of paper and blank out one horn and only look at the other horn, then do the same for true deep curl 60" kudu and you will see what I mean). Horns are also not very thick.

The inches lie in the depth of the curl and secondly in the thickness of the bases.

He is a fine trophy bull in his prime, but will battle to make RW.

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I will not argue with an expert. Tried to do the ear-length comparison and kept coming up with a really long straight line that would overcome the tight curls. But, you are likely right.

Great discussion on this! I've learned I have to be really OBJECTIVE and separated from the appeal of the inherent grace and beauty of the kudu, in the moment, to best judge one for length. I've looked at a ton of them and it is still hard to lay aside those subjective and often times aesthetic appearance attributes-- like overall height, multiple tight curls, tips pointing out, width/spread angle of horns overall, etc. to come to grips with the simple parameters that determine the true length. That first 1-2 curls, that are best seen facing, looking head-on at a kudu, IS where most of the length is, or is hidden in plain sight as is often the case. If those 1-2 curls don't appear to be wide and with a "compressed coil spring look"... the chance for real length is usually not present.

I have seen several with that odd looking (subject to me anyway) 2 +/- curl configuration with the wide, compressed coil spring look and tips pointing inward that, at first glance, appear to be maybe 45-50 or less and with, IMO, not much aesthetic appeal turn out to to be really good for length when measured. I never did shoot one or even try, but some were later confirmed to be much longer than I would have guessed. Just a bias that most have. That is the OBJECTIVE part of accurate judging.

I was happy to photograph this one instead of shooting him, with Chris Troskie last September, as we found him while driving. He’s still out there in proper, proper wild and big country in the Waterbergs.









It was incredible to witness a bull of this size, completely natural with no special breeding or intervention from humans or auctions.

Here’s another bull I photographed with Chris. I’m not sure how big it is but to me it has a beautiful aesthetic.

Yes, now we're talking. Both excellent and I would guess the 1st @ 60 or better!

Let’s have some fun...score this Kudu

That one is just plain big! I imagine when seen in the field, there was no question about it being a good one! The tip sections are especially long so that's what separates it, IMO, from similar forms/curls that usually go 54-55". I'd guess over 55 for certain but not quite 60?? Good image to put into the gray matter memory banks for future reference. Thanks for posting.

Here's a very similar one but without the long tips. This one is 54

Wow! Those last two bulls are really spectacular! Which countries / areas / time of year were they hunted?

The 54"- Botswana, Central Kalahari area in April

It’s a great photo! The colours are alive!

The Kalahari is a very very special place, nothing quite like it that time of year... particularly if it has had some rain!! But a brutal place without rain. Hard to imagine how the critters and the San people survived droughts in the past. I think the last year or so has been especially hard on everything- hope the rains spread and keep coming.

Hunting Hitman said:

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Let’s have some fun...score this Kudu

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He is over 56" and I would say as high as 58" but he is not a 60" bull.