Hi all,

Where in Namibia, South Africa or Botswana would one have the best bet of hunting a fantastic Gemsbok bull?

I am planning a game viewing/hunting trip for my folks and my dad is interested in hunting Gemsbok.

Maggie and I hunted near Kuruman in So Africa last year and saw some good bulls and hunted some AWESOME Springbuck. Kudu was hunted near Burgersfort.

If a great Gemsbok were the main objective, where would you go?

Thanks!
mv

Hunters Namibia with Joof Lamprecht.
I've taken 2 magnificent bulls with him.
He has LOTS of gemsbok on his property.

Damaraland if you want a free-range animal. Totally wild up there. Several concessions with huge populations of Gemsbok.

A really great bull will go over 40", but where to find them is the big question.
I've shot only bulls and my best is 39", all in SA's Limpopo region adjacent to Bots. It's become a passion to sort out forgotten properties and hunt exclusively for Gemsbok. On my last hunt I passed 13 bulls, all in the mid thirties on one ranch that had been closed for several years.
I think the strategy of finding the keeper bull on out of the way concessions in Namibia is the best bet.

Finding a bull at 40+ inches will always be a challenge. Best I ever took was 45" bull at Rooipoort in the early 90's when it was run by De Beers. Not sure what it is like now but was a wonderful place when I last visited.

http://www.cvsafaris.co.za/?pa...poort+Nature+Reserve

Let me toss my opinion here, I 2nd brain, with Damaraland. Northwestern Namibia...Omujeve Safaris has very large free ranging concessions, where you will see 1000's of gemsbok, and I was there last year for over 4 months, and saw them take many incredible gemsbok, with mass that is just insane...

Check them out, I'm a big fan of theirs, as are many on this website. But I've had many people, look at the pics,and ask, where did those come from!?!?

I also agree with Brain 1 on Damaraland. The Kunene Province in northwestern Namibia has many conservancies. Find an outfitter who has a concession on these conservancies.

40+" gemsbok are very available in that region. Good sightseeing if the family will also be with you. If you have difficulty locating/contacting an outfitter for that area, please drop me a PM. I will be hunting in Namibia starting this Sat. and may not be able to respond promptly.

If you want to have comfortable facilities and hunt on a farm. I know of a farm near Gobabis that must take out an excess of 50 gembok this year. You can have lots of practice in shooting and sizing before taking the exportable trophy.

Geoff

I shot a very nice Gemsbock in teh karoo area of SA last year with Jules of the Karoo safaris Jules of the Karoo and they are fantastic hosts on top of everything else.

However for teh true monsters probably Namabis is your best bet.

and take something more powerful than a Race Gun.

I certainly don't have the experience or expertise of many other posters, but I wanted to hunt gemsbok more than anything else when I went on my one safari. The more I learn about them, the more they intrigue me. I studied the record books and read all I could find. That led me to the area around Damara land and was a big factor in selecting Trophy Trackings to hunt with. I ended up hunting on ranches next to Damara land and saw some amazing gemsbok. Danie at Trophy Trackings owned that ranch and his father owned several more adjacent to his. His brother now also has one in the area. I wound up with at 38 incher, but we put on a lot of stalks on good ones. I don't like to take long shots, so passed on some opportunities. To be truthful, I got buck fever so bad for a couple days, that I couldn't have made anything over a 150 yard shot, but I get excited and it was Africa afterall. It was a couple years ago, so things might have changed.
Bfly

quote:

Originally posted by geoff:
I also agree with Brain 1 on Damaraland. The Kunene Province in northwestern Namibia has many conservancies. Find an outfitter who has a concession on these conservancies...

+1 If you can find out who has Ehirovipuka Conservancy you will be on the right track. I shot a 39" bull there with heavy, heavy bases. With a little work I think one could find a 40 incher as well as a springbok that would place high in the record book.

quote:

Originally posted by Jorge400:
+1 If you can find out who has Ehirovipuka Conservancy you will be on the right track. I shot a 39" bull there with heavy, heavy bases. With a little work I think one could find a 40 incher as well as a springbok that would place high in the record book.

Don't know if they still do, but Thormählen & Cochran did and still have it on their website.

I killed a real nice 38 incher on Ehirovipuka with Vaughan Fulton in 2004. That after the fellow before me shot a 42 incher. As said, good springbok there too, mine went just a hair shy of 17 inches.

big Gemsbok are were you find them. i shot this one in Botswana on a hig/low fence game ranch( high fence bordering the game reserve, low fence in other areas) bordering the Central Kalahari Game reserve. i was on a leopard hunt but after shooting a leopard the second day, decided to shot some plains game. saw 2 others of similar size after i shot him. 44 1/2 inches with 9 inch bases.

Sumbitch, Jerry! That thing is a TOAD!

I've still not taken a gemsbok. Still holding off until I decide to go to Namibia. I've had lots of opportunity in RSA, but have held off to have a reason to go to Namibia.

Great bull!

Good grief that is a superb specimen. Well done.

quote:

Originally posted by Scottyboy:
Sumbitch, Jerry! That thing is a TOAD!

I've still not taken a gemsbok. Still holding off until I decide to go to Namibia. I've had lots of opportunity in RSA, but have held off to have a reason to go to Namibia.

Great bull!

i have a 39 inch cow mounted on the wall next to him from a previous hunt in RSA. kind of looks like a baby.

You are all the BEST!!

Thank you for some great ideas in record time.
I will do some internet digging and get emails and phone calls going to these outfitters you have mentioned.

Thank you all!!
MV

Hi Hasher,
I keep "race guns" on the range and take serious rifles to the fields. Don't worry I have a couple of rifles that help put trophies on the ground in a hurry ;-)

I've only hunted Gemsbok in South Africa's north western corner close to both Botswana and southern Namibia.

Yes, a 40" plus BULL will be very hard to find, but as you have seen it can be done. In 6 or 7 trips I've managed a 39.5", found a 40" (probably below after drying) for a friend, a 39" for my girlfriend a few weeks ago and my hunting buddy managed an awesome 43". These are all bulls. 40" Plus cows are far more common and should be quite achievable.

These were trips of about 3-5 hunting days each and were all on foot. Whilst the areas were fenced, they ranged from 10 000-20 000 plus hectares in extent (I think that's 25 000-50 000 acres if my maths is correct).

In short, I'd recommend the Kalahari in South Africa or you can do it in Southern Namibia. Price may be the determining factor.

By the way, in my experience most of the animals with extreme horn length are smaller bodied than those that measure shorter. I'm talking 20% less slaughtered bodyweight. I guess that as the animals mature and grow in body size the large dominant animals wear their horns down with displays of aggression and dominance.

Hi Mike

The best gemsbuck is hunting it withh a funny crooked leg guy.Jokes apart there great gemsbuck in limpopo mpumalanga area 37 to 42 inches but you know my take about hunting animals that have driven trucks.Best bet still the craziest guy monta i got a 44 inch bull and a 46 inch cow with him in the kalahari.

Do the research and get a great place only remember im going to sidetrack you and your folks for a few days.

Luan

+1 on Damaraland. I would call John and Juliana at http://www.westfalenhuntnamibia.com/ . Great game and great people. You will see hundreds if not thousands of Gemsbok and they absolutely know how to hunt them. I shot a big 39" cow and had a big bull elude me on my last day.

Based on my one whole hunt in Namibia I will echo some others on here and suggest somewhere in the Northern part. We hunted with Sebra Safaris and Jan du Plessis and my wife took one pushing 40 inches. Jan has a lot of fans on AR, including me, but I'm sure there are lots of other great outfits in that area too. I do know there are tons of very nice Gemsbok. Good luck.

Regards,

Don

quote:

Based on my one whole hunt in Namibia I will echo some others on here and suggest somewhere in the Northern part. We hunted with Sebra Safaris and Jan du Plessis and my wife took one pushing 40 inches. Jan has a lot of fans on AR, including me, but I'm sure there are lots of other great outfits in that area too. I do know there are tons of very nice Gemsbok. Good luck.

Another vote for Sebra/Jan du Plessis.

Beautiful area, lots of big gemsbok, free range conservancy, close to Etosha so would be good for the sight seeing part of the trip too....hard to beat.

I shot a 42" per side gemsbok bull with Lieb DuRaan of Ingwe Safaris outside of Douglas, South Africa a few years ago. Lieb tells me that he still has gemsbok 40 inches and above in his hunting concessions. Bwanna took a female that was 43" with Lieb and also shot a 40" male on another hunt there.

That's one hell of a bull jdollar!! I shot this bull in the NW Province of SA near the Botswana border in 2006. 42" x 42 6/8" with 8 7/8" bases.

Mike

Nice bulls all!

Matswane safaris up in limpopo have some great plases for big oryx..... shot this nice bull 41 incher with 8 inc bosses with them

quote:

Originally posted by Grafton:

quote:

Based on my one whole hunt in Namibia I will echo some others on here and suggest somewhere in the Northern part. We hunted with Sebra Safaris and Jan du Plessis and my wife took one pushing 40 inches. Jan has a lot of fans on AR, including me, but I'm sure there are lots of other great outfits in that area too. I do know there are tons of very nice Gemsbok. Good luck.

Another vote for Sebra/Jan du Plessis.

Beautiful area, lots of big gemsbok, free range conservancy, close to Etosha so would be good for the sight seeing part of the trip too....hard to beat.

Here is one I took with Jan in May of 2007. Bull 41"long with 8.5" bases. Sot was taken from just felow the top of that hill behind him.

OK, you guys are making me hungry. All I can think about now is a gemsbok steak sizzling over some hot coals.

for sure, gemsbok is damn fine eating!!

Damaraland North of Namíbia, free range hunting.
I am not a tape mensure Hunter, but last year, year my PH comments were "What a wonderfull Gold Medal you have got here"
It is worth to contact them. Vieranas Safaris.
Will be there again end of June.

That is the biggest gemsbok bull I've ever seen, Jdollar. Simply stunning!

Some other fantastic bulls as well.

I have to agree with Ann,gemsbok are very tasty...wherever they are found

Eardley, how big are the Gemsbok on your we concession?

Hello Mike, really enjoyed your pictures from South Africa.

I highly recommend Zingela Safaris. Excellent hunting for most plains game and especially for gemsbok and wildebeest.
http://www.zingelasafaris.com/

Simone and I hunted there in 2008 with Roy & Suzi Huntington. Suzi and I both shot male gemsbok 39+" and later saw others as big or bigger. I shot a second one near the end of the hunt, an old-timer around 36"+. Saw a female certainly over 42".

The ranch is located a couple hours south of Windhoek. They have another facility in the Kalahari region, we didn't go but they say the gemsbok tend to run bigger there.

Excellent facilities in every aspect, I'm going back someday but not sure when. Last I heard they had a cull promotion on for gemsbok and springbok.

I would agree about Namibia. I shot the first gemsbok that I saw come through the brush. The PH was off about ten yards to my side watching them come to us with binoculars, and said the first one is a big one, so hammer him. I did and it went 42.5 inches.

Luan,
There is no one that I would rather hunt and joke with! Dont worry, I'm not cheating on you...

Dave,
Good to hear from you! Glad to see that you and Simone are having a great time around the globe.

Thank you again to everyone that contributed. The wealth of information here is amazing.

MV

I should have included this with my previous post, a short video with some views of the Gras Ranch where we hunted with Zingela Safaris.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...uUsZnYA&feature=plcp

www.zingelasafaris.com

Mike, certainly agree this is an excellent forum, in fact it was here I first read about Zingela Safaris and it led to arranging a hunt with them. I saw Errol Lambrechts (one of the two professional hunters) at the SHOT Show recently.

Justin,mid thirties is a very respectable gemsbok for us.

Hey Mike buddy, I would highly recommend Johan Kotze, his e-mail is omatakoranch@iway.na
Good seeing you in Vegas again.Cheers Pete

I also hunted with Leib in South Africa. I passed several bulls around 39" and two cows around 44" before leib hooked me up with a 41" gemsbok bull. He also got me a 17" kalahari springbok. He has some giant gemsbok and lots of them.