Nomad Safaris with Gerald Conway! We saw 7 shootable bulls in the first evening.

I too hunted with Pieter Loubser with Chamanzi last Sept. (first African safari) I took a nice Nayla at 25" however I saw numerous Bulls that I passed on earlier in the hunt. Some very nice. Had to wait for the hardest shot and the steepest hill I could find first..... Beautiful animal. Had some of the best 8 days hunting that I could remember with Pieter. The trophies are due home this month, unfortunatley I find myself in Iraq and will just have to listen to my wife give descriptions of the mounts. Anyway Go to KwaZula Natal and enjoy the hunt.

Give John LaSalla, African Hunting Adventures a call. He can hook you up with Deon Cilliers. When I was there in April, they were just finishing up their new lodge, looked like a first class set up.

http://www.africanhuntingadventures.com/

Andy - Some of the best Nyala come form Kwazulu Natal and the Eastern Cape area. If you are after 30" + Nyala, you will be hunting on private land most likely. Some of the best genetics come from the area around Ixopo near Pietermaritzburg, however Nyala are widely dispersed around the country. Trophy fees for high quality Nyala can get pretty stiff these days.

Zululand is THE place for big nyala. Start your search there. Trevor Shaw, Zulu Nyala Lodge, has a very good reputation for producing big nyala bulls.

George

KwaZulu-Natal has the best nyala. Besides size or length on the horns the SHAPE of the horns is a big factor in determining trophy quality. A good trophy has a distinct bell. The average trophy size is probably between 26 and 28 inches though larger ones are often taken. I have seen some 30 inch + monsters but they often do not have the correct bell shape.

There is no better time of the year, when ever you want to hunt is good. Most of KZN is subtropical, it is more humid and warmer than most other areas of RSA. Nyala are sensitive to weather fluctuations and die easily in cold wet climates. Major die offs occur when it snows in KZN.

I have a good outfitter if you are shopping. Drop me an email for more information.

aspenhill@triton.net

Andy, I've sent you a PM.

These guys did a great job for me Chamanzi - Pieter Loubser.



As it was stated above, the shape of the horns may be as important as the actual length in determining the beauty of the trophy. I happened to prefer the classic "lyre" shaped (out, in, out) form, so that is what I looked for, and managed to find. Size was less important to me. If you are looking for size, like Kudus, the depth of the bell is an important aspect.



Btw, Nyalas are like Bushbuck in that their capes get a lot thinner with age. The cape of an old Nyala can be borderline (or unusable?) for mounting.



- mike



P.S. September/October is late for Zululand. The rains start earlier down there than they do further north. Rain is a pain in the posterior because it renders many "roads" unpassable.

Zululand is the place to hunt Nyala, this is the area they are native to and have the best genes. I got mine in the Hluhluwe area, 29 1/2 with a bell width of 11" inside width. It is the complete Lyre shape with good ivory tips of 2".

Hi Andy,

I am a hunting outfitter here in Zululand. I am situated between Mkuze and Hluhluwe. As you have read from the other members Zululand is most probably one of the better areas for Nyala. You are welcome to visit me at the show in January in Dortmund or Saltzburg in February.

Kind regards
Dries van Coller
www.mavela.com

Dear ladies and Gentlemen,

I do plan a hunt in South Africa for September / October 2005. Main goal is a good Nyala bull.

What area / outfitter can you recommend?
What is the best time to hunt Nyala?
What trophy size can be expected realistically?
Are the best areas private owned?

Any informations are welcome!

Rgds,
Andy

Thanks for your comments!

What is the average size of a typical game ranch
in Natal which offers Nyala?
Is fencing usual on those ranches?

Andy

You find Nyala on both fenced and unfenced areas - I hunted mostly fenced areas, but happened to take my Nyala on an unfenced area.

With a good operator in SA, fencing is not really that much of an issue. It is a fact of life, as fencing is an important part of the equation of why game ranches can exist and make money - and thus why they have been offering ever expanding game habitat. You see the fence from time to time, but it does not turn the hunting into a "shooting fish in a barrel" proposition.

Good operations have large fenced areas - 2000 Ha (5000 acres) in size and above. I suppose the sky is the limit.

- mike