Safari Animals on the Table

[Lou (Louis)]

You are probably right. A lot of people who should know seem to hate it and they didn't want to use the meat from the only one I ever shot. I was okay with that as we had plenty of great eating in the camp without it.

Your take on it reminds me of pronghorns over here. My cousin, who is fairly fussy about how animals are handled, killed a buck and later said they weren't, "fit to feed to the dogs." Later, I went to Wyoming with another buddy. He started working in a slaughter house killing and skinning. He then became a meat cutter, and eventually the head meat cutter for a large grocery store chain. I killed a big old buck and a fawn, he killed a younger buck and a nature doe. Pretty much covered the bases. I was amazed to see what he did with my old buck. We found an old barn that was mostly falling down but still had a good beam. He skinned the buck without getting a single one of those brittle, loose hairs on the carcass. I couldn't have done that. All four of the animals were delicious. My wife still asks occasionally why I don't "go kill another antelope, at least they're good to eat."

I’ll go with you!

 

[HookMeUpII]

Top of the line: Zebra, Eland, Kudu, Impala
Great: Wildebeest, Blesbok, Gemsbok

That was all we really had there. Everything I listed I would eat again in a heartbeat.

The ones I've heard, but can't confirm are not great:

Warthog - My PH said they turn most of it into sausage for the trackers and locals. I suppose sort of like a wild boar here.

Waterbuck - Heard this from time to time.

Giraffe - Our PH said it's incredibly tough and sinewy.

 

[HookMeUpII]

Had lion kebabs as snacks in Tanzania many many years ago...but only to try...( my brotherloved them)..wouldn't again due to feline aids etc ....Leopard fillet had couple times not bad....but in African countries not much in the way of leopard maneaters.....and the lion was shot in the middle of the selous back when there was even less chance of a lion finding someone to eat than now....

Interesting and definitely good to know.

I know the shocking delicacy here is mountain lion in the USA. They say it's described as a "even better pork."

 

[HookMeUpII]

Your take on it reminds me of pronghorns over here. My cousin, who is fairly fussy about how animals are handled, killed a buck and later said they weren't, "fit to feed to the dogs." Later, I went to Wyoming with another buddy. He started working in a slaughter house killing and skinning. He then became a meat cutter, and eventually the head meat cutter for a large grocery store chain. I killed a big old buck and a fawn, he killed a younger buck and a nature doe. Pretty much covered the bases. I was amazed to see what he did with my old buck. We found an old barn that was mostly falling down but still had a good beam. He skinned the buck without getting a single one of those brittle, loose hairs on the carcass. I couldn't have done that. All four of the animals were delicious. My wife still asks occasionally why I don't "go kill another antelope, at least they're good to eat."

Your cousin is outside the norm of what I've heard. Pronghorn is super high on my list. I've heard they are delicious. The backstraps are supposedly out of this world.

I haven't killed one yet but I'm with you...can't wait to get after one.

 

[Mountainshadows]

Pronghorn, my next favorite behind elk.

 

[Wiley64]

+ 1 for Eland and oryx

 

[Lou (Louis)]

Your cousin is outside the norm of what I've heard. Pronghorn is super high on my list. I've heard they are delicious. The backstraps are supposedly out of this world.

I haven't killed one yet but I'm with you...can't wait to get after one.

Any plans to so soon, sir? On my to bag list…

 

[Hombre]

1. Hippo inner filets
2. Eland, med rare
3. Wildebeast
4. croc
Eland used to be my favorite but got bumped by hippo on last trip. Concession owner told me hippo was served at his son's wedding as main course. He did say every other part of hippo was stringy and too fat.

 

[Happy Myles]

gerenuk followed by eland. Weirdest was hyena backstrap, it tasted like, well, hyena. Sauce was not bad

 

[Hedge774]

As many of you have said:
Eland filets
Chicken fried zebra with mushroom sauce
Nyala backstrap marinaded and slow cooked over coals
Whole impala rotisserie over the coals with vinegrette marinade.
I haven't eaten anything in RSA that wasn't delicious. That includes chicken livers and baked beans at 06:00 @ City Lodge!

 

[Hedge774]

I can't leave this jewel out. We had blue wildebeest hot pots one night with pop. It was absolutely incredible in every way. I love the way you cook your own pot in front of you any way you want!

 

[Hunt anything]

I can't leave this jewel out. We had blue wildebeest hot pots one night with pop. It was absolutely incredible in every way. I love the way you cook your own pot in front of you any way you want!View attachment 776711

How do you describe pop to someone that’s never had it before? I’ve been asked a couple of times and can’t find adequate words.

 

[Hedge774]

How do you describe pop to someone that’s never had it before? I’ve been asked a couple of times and can’t find adequate words.

It's a heartier form of American grits that are very akin to our hominy in texture. The thing is, pop is better than both our dishes in my opinion. This comes from a man born and raised in East Tennessee that still eats grits and hominy. South Africans are rightfully proud of this dish and love to see American hunters ask for seconds. Which I always do. Shown below is pop and Eland liver with mushroom gravy. I'd fight a honey badger for some right now..

 

[Doug Hamilton]

Your cousin is outside the norm of what I've heard. Pronghorn is super high on my list. I've heard they are delicious. The backstraps are supposedly out of this world.

I haven't killed one yet but I'm with you...can't wait to get after one.

Yeah. My buddy, I and our wives all thought that the pronghorns were absolutely great eating. The only thing I will say though is that some people that have killed a lot more of them then I have say that the meat makes them nervous as it can be awful on occasion. May have something to do with the timing of the rut? Based on my experience it is tasty and tender. First rate mest.

 

[Hunt anything]

It's a heartier form of American grits that are very akin to our hominy in texture. The thing is, pop is better than both our dishes in my opinion. This comes from a man born and raised in East Tennessee that still eats grits and hominy. South Africans are rightfully proud of this dish and love to see American hunters ask for seconds. Which I always do. Shown below is pop and Eland liver with mushroom gravy. I'd fight a honey badger for some right now..
View attachment 776715

That’s a pretty good description, the pop I’ve had was a finer grind than our grits and stiff enough to sop up anything left on the plate.

 

[Lou (Louis)]

Yeah. My buddy, I and our wives all thought that the pronghorns were absolutely great eating. The only thing I will say though is that some people that have killed a lot more of them then I have say that the meat makes them nervous as it can be awful on occasion. May have something to do with the timing of the rut? Based on my experience it is tasty and tender. First rate mest.

I’ve heard that if they get spooked and race off, that taints the meat.

 

[Doug Hamilton]

I’ve heard that if they get spooked and race off, that taints the meat.

I've heard that too. Don't know how true it is, but it sounds plausible.

 

[mark-hunter]

4. The animal(s) that are inedible ( or darn near it).

Jackal, baboon, lion, leopard, cheetah, caracal, vervet monkey etc

Some did eat, some of them.
But it is not in our culture to eat predators or primates