My first kudu, a 55" Eastern Cape Kudu (yes i know im lucky!) hunted and shot with my 9,3 double on my first safari 2003.


My last kudu so far, hunted and shot with my Ruger RSM 375 shot in Zululand last year. Yes, lucky again.. this one is 55 3/8"


And im wearing Courteney boots ....

POSTED FOR RAC

Killed at Landelani Lodge in South Africa May 2005. PH Jim Hackiewicz.

While nothing like some of the beautiful trophies already posted above, one's own Kudu has special meaning. Taken in the Hoedspruit area of South Africa. PH was Jan Dumon.

quote:

Originally posted by mrlexma:
Bwana, thanks for this thread. I have only killed two kudu, one an East African, too small by any standard, unfortunately, and the other, a Southern, in Namibia.

I will post a photo of the Namibian, which taped at 53.5, but which might as well have been a foot more, for all I cared or care:



He is on top of a high kopje, and behind him is an impassable cliff, which took us a half hour to circumvent and surmount.

This is the most perfect picture I have ever seen taken of any trophy animal. Who ever set it up knew what he was doing.

Wimpie

Thanks for the compliments on the photo.

Although I generally try to claim credit for all of the good ones, honesty compels me to admit that almost all of the best of them have been taken by my wife. She took that kudu photo. One more reason, if any were needed, that I enjoy her company on safari.

I will, however, take credit for the shot that made her shot possible!

My wife and PH Vaughan Fulton, with help from Vaughan's trackers, Elia and Andreas, set up that kudu photo. Setting up a good trophy photo is an art in itself, and one that more PHs should study and get right.

...there are some great tips on AR member JJHACK`s site http://www.huntingadventures.net/ - go to News & Articles - Hunting Photography 101...

quote:

Originally posted by SGraves155:
Question-- when the tips are pointed out, I assume that is a completion of the 3rd curl. How common is this completion, and do most of the highest scoring kudu possess it? Thanks

No, it is not as simple as that. As you can see for yourself here, Kudu come in all different shapes, and one particular shape (on its own) does not necessarily ensure a high score - for the sake of simplicity, let's just stay with horn length as score for now.

The extra turn will add length to a set of horns, but probably not enough to bump up the score from medium to high, say. What normally DOES add length, is a deep curl.

It really comes down to what you prefer, a wide spread or parallel horns. Long, straight tips or curly tips... There are just so many configurations, and you could hunt a lifetime before you found the one you dream of - or you could luck out on the first day of your first hunt...

Check out JJ Hack's article on the subject: Kudu Article by JJ Hack

- mike

quote:

Originally posted by Jeff Alexander:
55" Kudu - 300WM 180G Trophy Bonded
Buffalo Range, Zimbabwe - 2003

56" Kudu - 338WM 225G Triple Shock
Kazuma Forrest, Zimbabwe - 2005

My first African Animal was this 40†Eastern Cape Kudu taken while hunting with Bruce Truter. The stalk on this bull is something I will remember for the rest of my life. Perhaps that is the definition of a Trophy.


I took this 55" Kudu in Namibia with Dirk Rohrmann last September.

Nice Kudu Jeff! Now who could have been the PH for them, hmmmm!

quote:

Originally posted by Widowmaker416:
Nice Kudu Jeff! Now who could have been the PH for them, hmmmm!

hmmmm Brent Leesmay?

You know Jeff, that was going to be my guess!

OK I'll bite,

Here are Kudu 2 & 3 both archery kills the top one is 55" the bottom one 47 or 49" I can't remember now the Taxidermist lost the horns but at least he didn’t lose the big one. I've got the big one on the wall. I shot both of these bulls on the same trip in NT South Africa.

This one was shot at 32 yards my bow is a Matthews Q2 shooting a Carbon Express 6075 tipped with a 125 gr G3 Monotech. I got full penetration after hitting the bull to far forward. The arrow went through the shoulder joint and was just sticking out the off side. Really great arrow performance I thought. the bull went less than 100 yards before dying the arrow hit the top of the heart.



This one was taken at 18 yards from a blind. The arrow exited and went into the dirt on the far side. The bull went less than 20 yards laid down and died. I watched the whole thing. This was my first ever bow kill. This bull was double lunged.



My good friend shot this bull in the Dande with his .308 win using 180gr NPT bullets. I was very happy to be able to share this special moment. It was his first Kudu.



I do enjoy Kudu hunting.

PS I tried to find some pictures of Howard Hill or Fred Bear to pass off as myself with archery kills. But Wynwood/Cats has spoken for all of them.

I'll try and do better next time.

Twelve days ago, with Jochen Hein of Okatjuru Safaris, near Hochfeld, Namibia:



Jochen said he'd be over 50" -- but the only reason I wish we'd measured would be to answer all the people who've asked!

Rifle was (and strangely enough, still is) an Interarms Whitworth in .375 H&H, with 270-gr. TSXs.

Jochen has a 63" bull in his dining room -- his camp manager keeps telling him to take it down, because it gives clients unreasonable expectations!

Good show John,

Post a full report when you get a chance.

Take care,
Kyler

This is probably my favorite photo of my first ever safari - to Namibia in June 2004. Like mrlexma, Vaughan Fulton played a major role in setting up this pose. He also took the photo so my dad could be in it with me.

While not a particularly large kudu, this bull (9 years by Vaughan's estimation) had all the characteristics I wanted in a trophy - nice curls, good spread, nice balance, and those pretty white tips.



Here's another photo of the same kudu. Unfortuantely, he's my only one (so far ).

I figured I'd better throw mine int he mix as well!! Just taken on the first of this month near Messina, SA with a .300 RUM. Right at 56" on the long side and a 54 1/2 on the short..
He's my first but definately not my last..

quote:

Originally posted by Kyler Hamann:
Good show John,

Post a full report when you get a chance.

Thanks -- just posted under "Hunting Reports."

quote:

Originally posted by surestrike:
OK I'll bite,

Here are Kudu 2 & 3 both archery kills the top one is 55" the bottom one 47 or 49" I can't remember now the Taxidermist lost the horns but at least he didn’t lose the big one. I've got the big one on the wall. I shot both of these bulls on the same trip in NT South Africa.

This one was shot at 32 yards my bow is a Matthews Q2 shooting a Carbon Express 6075 tipped with a 125 gr G3 Monotech. I got full penetration after hitting the bull to far forward. The arrow went through the shoulder joint and was just sticking out the off side. Really great arrow performance I thought. the bull went less than 100 yards before dying the arrow hit the top of the heart.


......

Seen this one before.. In the February/March issue of the African Outfitter Magazine, right?
Great bull!!! Thanks for sharing! To all of you others as well..