In North America we have a "blooding"; for the first kill. Has anyone else heard of an African first kill tradition? Specifically eating certain parts of a kudu bull.

I'm asking this to figure out if my PH was having a little bit of fun at the American's expense. Being a Texan it really didn't phase me at all, but "fries" do taste better when they are actually fried and not grilled.

cable68

If your PH is from the eastern Cape, some of them down there do have the nasty habit of expecting you to eat a piece of raw, ( an usually still hot ) liver of the kudu you shoot.

Brad

This was in Namibia, and it was the testicles. At least they were cooked.

Glad it wasn't an elephant.

In Zimbabwe I ate Eland testicles that had been sliced, breaded, and fried. They were quite good.

Best,

John

I was told that it is traditional to eat some raw liver of your first buffalo.

I also have had cooked buffalo testicles in Africa. Not as good as the calf fries my momma used to make. You knew it was going to be feast when Peewee showed up at the house with a bucket of raw calf fries. I had a friend who was a meat inspector, we got all the sweetbreads we could eat. Sourdough biscuits, gravy and fried sweetbreads. Man, now that was some good eating.

Regards,

Terry

Dang this post reminds me of sooooo many good jokes! Most of the Aussie/Kiwi variety!

In Namibia, I ate the tip of my Kudu's heart raw, followed by a shot of peach schnappes.

Cable68’s posting, and the responses thereto, sure made me think about what should be regarded as the proper “tradition†on a first kill in South Africa? Do we have what can in all honesty say a set tradition about the behavior of the mentors of any youngster (or adult) who has just made his/her first kill?

On my first springbok kill in 1958 my father showed me how to field dress the carcass and remove the liver without soiling it. Then we carried the carcass to a place a bit sheltered from the bitterly cold wind, washed hands from a water bottle and made a fire. This action to warm our freezing hands and bodies. Then the cold-driven hunger ‘suggested’ grilling the liver there and then on the open fire. A wonderful experience for me, then a 13 yo, boy. But it can hardly be called a true “traditionâ€.

In my wanderings and hunting I’ve often seen fathers/uncles/grandfathers or other mentors smear a streak of the animal’s blood on the forehead of the proud youngster. It sure gives pleasure to see such a youngster proudly remove his/her hat/cap, to better show the blood, when walking into the camp! But can it be regarded as a “tradition� I unfortunately think not!

The eating of strange bits of animal, usually raw, is IMHO "instant traditions" invented on the spur of the moment by the beer guzzling or brandy-‘n-coke swigging hunting buddies of the adult first time killer! Pure leg-pulling, and not true tradition at all!

If I compare the typical behavior of the South African hunters towards the dead animal with the set traditions that would apply in Germany and other European countries, I feel really sorry that we simply don’t have any true traditions. Pity! More a pity that we don’t have a standard method whereby a youngster who has made a first kill could be welcomed into the brotherhood of hunters. To force a youngster to eat a piece of raw this or that IMHO is not the right thing to do to someone who may be still very unsure of the emotions arising from the fact the he/she has actually KILLED an animal!

Let us do our homework and find out what the traditions of the country’s original inhabitants were, and see if we can adopt or adapt these to a tradition that will be socially acceptable to modern hunters!

In good hunting.

Andrew McLaren

American plains Indians regularly cut out the liver even before starting to butcher the carcass. Then they ate the liver raw. Apparently they liked raw liver.

In one of the Buffalo Bill Wild West shows there was an Indian who once killed a buffalo then ripped the liver out and ate it raw, which made his European audience slightly ill. The Indian said he just wanted some raw liver because he hadn't had it for a long time.

Personally if anyone expects me to do anything like this they will be disappointed.

No calf fries for me either.

Such suggestions would drive me to violence upon my fellow man.

Richard

Last year we had a black chef in Camp that we promised an impala and a warthog, he said himself that he should eat the Impala balls raw when he shot it, things did not go in the planned order so he shot his warthog first and ate one raww ball.....

The big group of spectators then forced the PH to follow and at least he gave it a try.+

Myself I prefer them fried, but boiled are also fine to use on sandwishes. I have tried Kudu (best), Eland, Gemsbock and Impala.

The streak of blood on the forehead, I've seen many times, including in RSA.

Nothing new under the sunshine, I think.

I did not have any African first kill tradition "activity" this year in Namibia, I had a ritual beaten in Hungary for my first Roe deer some years ago....

Well I am not against traditions, and I would be sorry if I missed some.

However in my wild boar hunting equipe is absolutely normal to eat wild boar balls breaded and fried, the heart, sliced, cooked in olive oil with a little of garlic and putting on it minced parsley. Don't cook it too much, it becames hard and rubbery; the liver, sliced very thin, and cooked in a frying pan where a lot of sliced onion has already coocked in olive oil until it has taken a golden blond colour (the fire must be at minimum is possible). Again don't coock it too much it became bitter.

Ohh, maybe I should be on the Recipes for hunters forum

When my son took his first African game (waterbuck)the PH said that he should partake of it's testicles.They were taken and at supper that night they were fried in garlic and butter after slicing in thin portions.There was hardly enough to go around but we all had to sample it.It was actually quite good.

Several years ago in Zim my PH broke out a flask of Wiskey and 2 shot glasses for a quick toast. I have never enjoyed a better shot in my life. Last year the same guy waited until the last day of the hunt to start drinking....he said it was in celebration of me going home

The European Waidmannsheil is also used, particularly in Namibia. A sprig of leaves is placed in the animals mouth signifying its last meal and giving respect to the beast. Another sprig is inserted into the hunter's cap signifying his success.

A sShot glass (each) of whiskey are downed by the hunters, PH, companions, held in the left hand. The companion (or PH) says "Waidmannsheil" to the hunter (Hail the Hunter), and the hunter replies "Waidmannsdank" (thank you).

Some variations on this of course.

My first blooding was in Africa on an impala. My PH would've made me eat a sliver of the raw liver, but I'd hit the critter a bit too far back and had turned the liver into pulp. Too bad, as I would've liked to have participated in the ritual.

When I shot my Cape buffalo, I put a sprig in its mouth as a gesture of respect.

In North America, we have always blooded a new hunter with a small streak of the animals blood on the forehead.

In Namibia, I participated in the Waidmannsheil/Waidmannsdank tradition as described by NitroX. This tradition I liked as it respected the animal and the accomplishment of the hunter. It is one I will carry on.

T Carr: You wouldn´t have a recipe for sourdough biscuits lying around? How about cornbread?

Sometimes I miss the US.

In Namibia we also did the Waidmannsheil/Waidmannsdank tradition, I enjoyed that as well. It has led to some of the more Disneyfied people who've seen my pictures say "you shot him while he was eating"?