Safari Animals on the Table

[Lou (Louis)]

First, I apologize if this is in the wrong sub forum.
I wonder if you guys could rank the various African game animals for the table ONLY.

The game animals go in various categories:

1. Your absolute favorite animal to eat.
2. The animal(s) just behind #1.
3. The animal(s) just behind #2. Basically good, but not great.
4. The animal(s) that are inedible ( or darn near it).
Over to you.

 

[mdwest]

1. Zebra
2. Impala
3. Blue wildebeest
4. Crocodile

 

[Andrew62]

Zebra, eland, impala

 

[Hunter-Habib]

First, I apologize if this is in the wrong sub forum.
I wonder if you guys could rank the various African game animals for the table ONLY.

The game animals go in various categories:

1. Your absolute favorite animal to eat.
2. The animal(s) just behind #1.
3. The animal(s) just behind #2. Basically good, but not great.
4. The animal(s) that are inedible ( or darn near it).
Over to you.

1. Impala (particularly meat rams with small horns)
2. Eland (as long as the bulls are not in the rut)
3. Most African plains game
4. Waterbuck

Among birds,
1. Francolin
2. Rock Pigeon
3. Guinea Fowl
4. Spur Wing Goose

 

[Betterinthebush]

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

 

[Firebird]

1. Eland
After that it’s a wash-everything I have eared has been delicious. The manner in which they are prepared or the recipe used is important but I have never had meat I didn’t enjoy in South Africa.

 

[Hoofnit]

1. Zebra
2. Eland
3. Buffalo tenderloin
4. Impala

 

[fourfive8]

A lot has to do with care, prep and the cook. I see few read your question for comprehension

At top for me has been (includes biltong)
Kudu, impala, eland, oryx, reedbuck, springbuck… and really all the antelope.

Good to excellent taste but can be tough given age of some of these:
Elephant and buffalo

Best birds: guinea fowl, francolin, sand grouse

Hands down, worst of any game I’ve tried: ostrich

 

[Rare Breed]

First, I apologize if this is in the wrong sub forum.
I wonder if you guys could rank the various African game animals for the table ONLY.

The game animals go in various categories:

1. Your absolute favorite animal to eat.
2. The animal(s) just behind #1.
3. The animal(s) just behind #2. Basically good, but not great.
4. The animal(s) that are inedible ( or darn near it).
Over to you.

Eland
Zebra
Impala
Water Buck

 

[Sabre]

1) Zebra
2) Eland
3) Most other plains game

4) This isn't because of their taste, but seeing the bait for bush pig made me uninterested in eating Bushpig.

 

[JG26Irish_2]

1) Kudu
2) Sable
3) Impala
4) Cape Buffalo Steak

None of the game animals that I ate which was most of them tasted bad. None had the strong gamey taste of some of the venison I have had. But the selective browser antelope tend to taste better than the selective grazers which eat mostly only the sweet grasses. The non-selective grazers the least tasty in my opinion. I have not yet had the opportunity to try Warthog or Hippo or Croc. The very best things I ate was a Kudu Pot Pie seasoned with Six Gun Grill spice blend, and Impala tenderloin schnitzel with a Jalapeno - cheddar sauce. I agree that how it is prepared makes all the difference. I was not a fan of any of the game meat sausages as the meat is too lean and is like eating sawdust unless fat is added. When I go on safari, I ask my outfitter to feed me game meat with every meal and traditional African recipes as often as practical. I am a very adventurous eater and like to try anything.

One trip the chef made a dish that was a nest of mashed potato filled with seasoned minced antelope (Eland in this case) with gravy and topped with cheese and then baked. It was sort of like a Shepards Pie but upside down. Damnit that was good stuff.

 

[Berettaco]

Gemsbok
Eland
Waterbuck

 

[Boyd Brooks]

Blue wildebeest
Impala
Waterbuck
Favourites in order but all the meat was delicious. Chili bites were a big hit to chew on in the truck (impala jerky), as well as the biltong.

 

[meigsbucks]

Depends how it it is prepared.
Gemsbok is my favorite
Eland and blue wildebeest were a close 2nd (It was terrible on my first hunt, but great on my 2nd)
Impala and Kudu were good but not great
Haven’t had anything that was “inedible”, although did have some biltong (of unknown meat) that made jerky seem like it would melt in your mouth.)

 

[Doug Hamilton]

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

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.

 

[Boyd Brooks]

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.

Waterbuck was my 3rd. I didn’t have zebra which appears at #1 a few times, because our PH’s said it tastes like shit (yellow fat).

 

[358 Norma]

Tsala Hunting Safaris chef Susan made a Sable Stroganoff that may have been the best wild game meals I have ever eaten! I also really enjoyed the impala and wildebeest she prepared!

 

[TSIBINDI]

Young giraffe, zebra and eland.

Everything else is second best.

 

[Red Leg]

Eland and Oryx by a significant margin.

 

[Doug Hamilton]

Waterbuck was my 3rd. I didn’t have zebra which appears at #1 a few times, because our PH’s said it tastes like shit (yellow fat).

Yeah, I heard that too when I shot A zebra on my first trip. I've been surprised at how many times I've heard it wss great since then.