Safari Animals on the Table

[Hunt anything]

1) eland
2) gemsbok
3) warthog sausage
4) boiled bushpig stomach, I wouldn’t have touched it but the trackers offered and I didn’t want to offend them. It was horrendous!

 

[RichD]

1 Zebra
2 Eland
3 Kudu or Oryx
4 Haven't had it yet.

 

[375Fox]

The (good) problem in Africa is you usually have a very well trained camp cook or chef. I think if we were limited to salt and choosing rare, medium, or well done there would be some different answers here.

My favorite is eland followed closely by springbuck. Most of the antelopes are very good especially compared to deer. I wouldn’t be disappointed if I never ate bushbuck, warthog, elephant, or buffalo ever again, especially buffalo I’ve had enough. I have no interest in eating croc or ostrich.

 

[375Fox]

Waterbuck was your favorite to eat? Really? I haven't eaten it but I killed one one my last safari. The PH and camp staff wanted nothing to do with cooking it and the meat was used among locals. I was told that the meat was next to inedible. That seems to be the opinion of just about everyone from Ruark on. The camp chef was wonderful with everything she fixed from eland of the previous hunter to the ox tail that she made from my buffalo. Even the buffalo liver was delicious.

It needs skinned properly to keep the oil off the skin. It’s difficult to do, but it’s not bad if it’s skinned right.

 

[Doug Hamilton]

The (good) problem in Africa is you usually have a very well trained camp cook or chef. I think if we were limited to salt and choosing rare, medium, or well done there would be some different answers here.

My favorite is eland followed closely by springbuck. Most of the antelopes are very good especially compared to deer. I wouldn’t be disappointed if I never ate bushbuck, warthog, elephant, or buffalo ever again, especially buffalo I’ve had enough. I have no interest in eating croc or ostrich.

I thought eland was a lot like really good beef. I liked it. I did try croc steak in a restaurant. I like to try different things and croc steak was on the menu. It was okay, but I don't think.I'd order it again. I've eaten ostrich several times in the US. I loved it. but these are farm raised birds. I've heard nothing but terrible reports from those that have killed and eaten them on safari.

 

[BryceM]

Blue wildebeest is number one, hands down. After that, there's a bunch that are roughly in the same "excellent" category. These include duiker (maybe almost as good as blue wildebeest), kudu, gemsbok, and eland. Buffalo might also make the list. I'm told young giraffe is excellent. Old bull giraffe wasn't even edible when I tried it. Warthog sausage is pretty good. Crocodile is OK.

I'm told steenbok and klipspringer aren't so great. I'm told elephant isn't that good.

Mention anything about eating a baboon, and you'll be kicked out of the hunting camp.

 

[matt vejar]

1. Sable
2. Eland
3. Gemsbok
4. Bushbuck

 

[wesheltonj]

Grant's Gazelle
Sable

Frankly, Zebra was awful.

 

[375Fox]

I thought eland was a lot like really good beef. I liked it. I did try croc steak in a restaurant. I like to try different things and croc steak was on the menu. It was okay, but I don't think.I'd order it again. I've eaten ostrich several times in the US. I loved it. but these are farm raised birds. I've heard nothing but terrible reports from those that have killed and eaten them on safari.

I shot an ostrich in community conservancy in NW Namibia. You know it’s bad when none of the camp staff want to take it to their village, only the oldest man said he’d take it. The locals would not eat any of the croc I shot in Zambia. They said it had bad spirits. I assume it has something to do with once they’ve reached that size and age they are probably all man eaters.

 

[Doug Hamilton]

I shot an ostrich in community conservancy in NW Namibia. You know it’s bad when none of the camp staff want to take it to their village, only the oldest man said he’d take it. The locals would not eat any of the croc I shot in Zambia. They said it had bad spirits. I assume it has something to do with once they’ve reached that size and age they are probably all man eaters.

They may be right. I assumed the steak I ate came from a farm where they are raised for leather, but I really don't know.

Definitely not going to order it again now.

 

[Green Chile]

Some of my favs are eland, sable, and zebra filet (but trim the yellow fat). I also love oxtail prepared with cape buff or eland.

If you want capital T tender, consider the duikers…but some think they are gamey. I like them.

 

[Lou (Louis)]

1) Waterbuck
2) Blue wildebeest
3) Impala
4) Kudu

Kudu??

 

[steve white]

1 Impala liver--a real surprise
2 sand grouse
3 Gemsbok
4 oxtail
the COOK is the most important factor

 

[Hunt anything]

To me once you get past your favorite 2 or 3 the antelope all pretty much taste the same. There’s so many variables on animals age, diet, condition, if it was a clean kill or if the animal was stressed and got its adrenaline up.

 

[steve white]

I will say that when the critters are eating the flowers when they bloom in the desert, it makes a positive difference.
One gentleman from Germany used to go to Namibia at that time, as eating the meat then provided regression of his multiple sclerosis!! Perhaps doctors should investigate why?

 

[ThinusS]

Waterbuck has a reputation of being inedible. This is an old wife's tale. True, it needs to be skinned properly but if that is done, it is excellent.
I regularly eat it, our staff regularly eat it, and we regularly serve it to clients from all over the world.
On the last night of every hunt, we braai tenderloins and backstraps of the animals that were harvested on that hunt and serve it directly from the braai, without telling the guests what they are eating.
They need to rate it and guess what it is.
Waterbuck almost always rate in the top three, served with other species, including gemsbok, kudu, eland sable, wildebeest, buffalo, red hartebeest, tsessebe and zebra. Zebra is also highly rated by most everyone who tries it.
The way it was killed, skinned, handled and prepared has a major influence on the taste of any meat.

My personal favorites are springbok backstrap, zebra fillet and then a tie between gemsbok, waterbuck and eland. But the only meat I consider inedible would be an old warthog boar.

 

[Sabre]

1) eland
2) gemsbok
3) warthog sausage
4) boiled bushpig stomach, I wouldn’t have touched it but the trackers offered and I didn’t want to offend them. It was horrendous!

The trackers could have begged me, paid me, or beaten me, and I can't see a time I would agree to eating that. . You are braver than me.

I have no interest in eating croc.

I have never tried it, but it would be interesting to try it and compare it to alligator. I have had incredibly good alligator and downright terrible. Like so many things on these lists it comes down to how it was cooked, seasonings, etc. Are you uninterested in alligator because of the taste or because the bad spirits?

 

[Betterinthebush]

Waterbuck was your favorite to eat? Really? I haven't eaten it but I killed one one my last safari. The PH and camp staff wanted nothing to do with cooking it and the meat was used among locals. I was told that the meat was next to inedible. That seems to be the opinion of just about everyone from Ruark on. The camp chef was wonderful with everything she fixed from eland of the previous hunter to the ox tail that she made from my buffalo. Even the buffalo liver was delicious.

I had been told the same thing from every Africa hunter I ever met. I did a very similar thread to this a year ago and the overwhelming response was; “bullshit”. @375Fox is 100% correct. Meat care and preparation are the two most important aspects that are out of the hunter’s control that will affect the enjoyment of the flesh.

My personal experience was that waterbuck was exquisite. Far and away my favorite I had in two weeks in Namibia. Giraffe was not good one bit, but I didn’t kill one in camp, I had it in town. My kudu was my least liked.

And Namibian beef (while not a game animal) I tried three different cuts three times, was only just OK.

 

[Betterinthebush]

Kudu??

Tough when compared against all the other meats we enjoyed. Also, it had a heavy finish I wasn’t expecting or fond of. But,! I’m willing to hunt down another, just to make sure!

 

[375Fox]

I have never tried it, but it would be interesting to try it and compare it to alligator. I have had incredibly good alligator and downright terrible. Like so many things on these lists it comes down to how it was cooked, seasonings, etc. Are you uninterested in alligator because of the taste or because the bad spirits?

I don’t have an interest in the eating any carnivore or reptile in Africa. There should be plenty of other choices even if I have to eat buffalo again.