I've often wondered why certain species of African game aren't available for hunting here in Texas. The following are all of the species of African game that I know have been hunted here in Texas: Addax, Blesbok, Bongo, Common Eland, Thompson's Gazelle, Grant's Gazelle, Dama Gazelle, Cuvier's Gazelle, Impala, Greater Kudu, Red Lechwe, Kafue Lechwe, Nile Lechwe, Southern Nyala, Gemsbok, Scimitar Horned Oryx, Arabian Oryx, Beisa Oryx, Fringe Eared Oryx, Roan, Sable, Sitatunga, Springbok, Ugandan Kob, Waterbuck, Blue Wildebeest, White Bearded Wildebeest, Black Wildebeest, Aoudad, Nubian Ibex, Watusi, and various species of Zebra. I wonder why we don't have any Bushbuck, Lesser Kudu, Mountain Nyala, Gerenuk, Topi, Puku, Hartebeest, Lord Derby Eland, Warthog, White Blesbok, Black or White Springbok, Bontebok, or any of the pygmy antelopes to hunt here? Any comments?

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I wonder why we don't have any Bushbuck, Lesser Kudu, Mountain Nyala, Gerenuk, Topi, Puku, Hartebeest, Lord Derby Eland, Warthog, White Blesbok, Black or White Springbok, Bontebok, or any of the pygmy antelopes to hunt here? Any comments?

With many of the first animals mentioned, they seem to East African species, so the climate or terrain might be limiting. Others might be difficult to capture or transport, or have little commercial value to hunters.

Also, I'm not sure that introductions are as easy to do now as they were a few years ago due to greenies and various livestock diseases, so any species that were not here at some point in the past might not ever make it.

Blesbok and Bontebok are also available here in Texas. As time goes on more and more become available.

I don't know why some of those are not available, but I would guess the Mt. Nyala and Lord Derby Eland might be a financial answer. Can you imaging what they would cost to import? I think most people that would want to hunt these animals would be experienced African hunters who would not exchange the experience of hunting in Africa even if it could save them money.

In almost all cases it seems that it's actually cheaper to fly to Africa (particularly a place like Namibia) to hunt African species. The only non-native species I would really consider hunting in Texas are those that are unhuntable or extinct in their native habitat. Scimitar Horned Oryx (native to North Africa) and Nilgai (native to India) come to mind.

Best,

John

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Originally posted by JohnTheGreek:
Scimitar Horned Oryx

I want one of those!