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Is it a bull, a buck or a ram?
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What determines whether a male animal is a bull, a ram or a buck? A lot of larger male animals like elephant, hippo, etc. are called bulls but so are smaller ones. A male deer is called a buck but a male moose which is a member of the deer family is called a bull.

I'm think that if I shoot a male rabbit or groundhog, I should be able to call it a bull or ram if I want to. It would be much more impressive if I could speak of a bull groundhog.

Inquiring minds want to know.
 
Posts: 2911 | Location: Ohio, U.S.A. | Registered: 31 March 2006Reply With Quote
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A rabbit is a buck, don't know about a whistle pig.
 
Posts: 5338 | Location: Bedford, Pa. USA | Registered: 23 February 2002Reply With Quote
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A frog is a bull, I think.


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Posts: 7046 | Location: Rambouillet, France | Registered: 25 June 2004Reply With Quote
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In terms of South African game;

My understanding is in antelope species larger than an Nyala +/- 120 kg or 265 lbs), males are known as bulls and females as cows. For species smaller than Nyala, the males are known as rams and the females are ewes. Interestingly, a Nyala male is referred to as a bull, and the female is a ewe.

(Introduced) Fallow deer are generally referred to as stags and does.

Not sure why the other herbivores such as elephant, hippo, rhino and giraffe are referred to as bull & cow.
 
Posts: 392 | Location: Pretoria, South Africa | Registered: 30 March 2009Reply With Quote
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I certainly don't know if I'm right but this is what I do.

Nyala and bigger species the males are called bulls.

Smaller than Nyala male animals are called bucks or rams. I don't know what the differentiation is, if any. I have heard male impala referred to as bucks or rams interchangeably by PHs and Tour guides. I suspect it's an Afrikaans to English thing.

In Afrikaans I hear male impala's called Rooibok Rams (Literal translation: Redbuck Ram). In English I've heard both Impala Buck and Impala Ram. If one is more correct than the other I don't know. Since I know what is meant in either case I don't guess it really matters.

Still it would be interesting if someone could shed some light on it.
 
Posts: 1282 | Registered: 17 September 2004Reply With Quote
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i believe it follows the logic why we have johns, & joes, & petes & freds
 
Posts: 13463 | Location: faribault mn | Registered: 16 November 2004Reply With Quote
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I have heard male duikers refered to as bulls, go figure. I still don't know what a male ground hog is called. Could it be a boar?
 
Posts: 5338 | Location: Bedford, Pa. USA | Registered: 23 February 2002Reply With Quote
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I have a wild bull chipmunk in my backyard!

So is a Waterbuck female a buck??? Is he a Ram or a Bull??
 
Posts: 696 | Location: Soddy Daisy, TN USA | Registered: 05 February 2008Reply With Quote
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quote:
Originally posted by Grumulkin:
What determines whether a male animal is a bull, a ram or a buck? A lot of larger male animals like elephant, hippo, etc. are called bulls but so are smaller ones. A male deer is called a buck but a male moose which is a member of the deer family is called a bull.

I'm think that if I shoot a male rabbit or groundhog, I should be able to call it a bull or ram if I want to. It would be much more impressive if I could speak of a bull groundhog.

Inquiring minds want to know.


#1. I believe the answer here is simply tradition.

#2. (traditionally) A male rabbit is a buck and a male groundhog is a boar! ...a male raccoon is a boar a female is a sow but a baby is a kit (kitten)! If you're looking for some hard rule with logical background you're going to be disappointed.


An old man sleeps with his conscience, a young man sleeps with his dreams.
 
Posts: 777 | Location: United States | Registered: 06 March 2006Reply With Quote
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OK so why is it SpringBOK and not BushBOK?


Jerry Huffaker
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Posts: 2017 | Registered: 27 February 2002Reply With Quote
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quote:
Originally posted by oupa:
quote:
Originally posted by Grumulkin:
What determines whether a male animal is a bull, a ram or a buck? A lot of larger male animals like elephant, hippo, etc. are called bulls but so are smaller ones. A male deer is called a buck but a male moose which is a member of the deer family is called a bull.

I'm think that if I shoot a male rabbit or groundhog, I should be able to call it a bull or ram if I want to. It would be much more impressive if I could speak of a bull groundhog.

Inquiring minds want to know.


#1. I believe the answer here is simply tradition.

#2. (traditionally) A male rabbit is a buck and a male groundhog is a boar! ...a male raccoon is a boar a female is a sow but a baby is a kit (kitten)! If you're looking for some hard rule with logical background you're going to be disappointed.



That is my understanding of the situation also

SSR
 
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A lamb is a ram and a donkey's an ass but a ram in the ass is a goose Big Grin

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Posts: 2013 | Location: Crossville, IL 62827 USA | Registered: 07 February 2001Reply With Quote
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quote:
Originally posted by umshiniwam:
In terms of South African game;



(Introduced) Fallow deer are generally referred to as stags and does.



In NZ Fallow are a BUCK and a Doe. It is the Red deer that is a Stag with a Hind and the Wapiti is a Bull and a Cow. All deer but with different names.

Von Gruff.


Von Gruff.

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Exodus 20:1-17

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Posts: 2693 | Location: South Otago New Zealand. | Registered: 08 February 2009Reply With Quote
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As I understand it, a South African who goes out to shoot an antelope will be hunting "buck," no matter the type, size, age or sex of the antelope.

Antelope smaller than nyala are rams, ewes, and lambs; antelope the size of nyala and larger, along with buffaloes and elephants, are bulls, cows and calves. Fallow deer will be called stags and hinds in much of Europe, but bucks, does and fawns in southern Africa and the USA.

What I have trouble with is calling the meat from any game animal, including elephant, warthog and ostrich, "venison" in Africa.

Bill Quimby
 
Posts: 2633 | Location: tucson and greer arizona | Registered: 02 February 2006Reply With Quote
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quote:
Originally posted by Rich Elliott:
A lamb is a ram and a donkey's an ass but a ram in the ass is a goose Big Grin

Rich Elliott


Big Grin

And mares eat oats and does eat oats, and little lambs eat ivy. A kid'll eat ivy too; wouldn't you?

Cool


Mike

Wilderness is my cathedral, and hunting is my prayer.
 
Posts: 13699 | Location: New England | Registered: 06 June 2003Reply With Quote
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Fallow deer will be called stags and hinds in much of Europe


When I hunted woodland caribou in Newfoundland in 1996, the newfies called the male caribou stags.

In 2000 in Nunavut hunting caribou the folks there cxalled the males bulls.


Even the rocks don't last forever.



 
Posts: 31014 | Location: Olney, Texas | Registered: 27 March 2006Reply With Quote
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Since there is apparently no hard and fast rule about what to call what, I'm going to start calling the male groundhogs I shoot bulls and the females cows. I will call it the official Central Ohio nomenclature. With time, I believe others will come around to my way.
 
Posts: 2911 | Location: Ohio, U.S.A. | Registered: 31 March 2006Reply With Quote
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Originally posted by Jerry Huffaker:
OK so why is it SpringBOK and not BushBOK?


We call then springbok because the "spring" part is Afrikaans which, in the context of this animal's name is translated to "jump", and it is customary [or maybe even a language rule?] to not mix languages in one word. So in proper English the whole of the Afrikaans word has been assimilated into the language as springbok. Similarly a steenbok is so named because at the time of first encounter with this animal its colour resembled closely the bolour of a typical brick of the day, and a brick is called a "steen" in Afrikaans. In the case of a bushbuck both parts of the Afrikaans name bosbok was translated bos = bush and bok = buck. Another one in which the entire name was kept is gemsbok, which is proper English, and is also proper Afrikaans. Just to show how closely related English and Afrikaans [in fact also Flemish and Dutch] really is try telling me in which language the following sentence is written: "My pen is in my hand." Big Grin

I don't think there is any rules to this, but that is simply how a language evolves. Sometinges the whole original Afrikaans or Dutch name was assimilated into the later arrivals in the southern parts of Africa's English language. Sometimes the two parts of the name were both translated. Bushbuck, reedbuck, waterbuck are a few examples of the later case, while blesbok, gemsbok and springbok are better known examples of the former case. There is no rule - only tradition!

In good hunting.

Andrew McLaren


Andrew McLaren
Professional Hunter and Hunting Outfitter since 1974.

http://www.mclarensafaris.com The home page to go to for custom planning of ethical and affordable hunting of plains game in South Africa!
Enquire about any South African hunting directly from andrew@mclarensafaris.com


After a few years of participation on forums, I have learned that:

One can cure:

Lack of knowledge – by instruction. Lack of skills – by practice. Lack of experience – by time doing it.


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Posts: 1799 | Location: Soutpan, Free State, South Africa | Registered: 19 January 2004Reply With Quote
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quote:
Originally posted by Grumulkin:
Since there is apparently no hard and fast rule about what to call what, I'm going to start calling the male groundhogs I shoot bulls and the females cows. I will call it the official Central Ohio nomenclature. With time, I believe others will come around to my way.


Will this apply to marmots also?

popcorn

SSR
 
Posts: 6725 | Location: central Texas | Registered: 05 August 2010Reply With Quote
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The original British term for male deer was Stag - red, fallow, etc. but Roe buck. The introduced species such as Sika are stags but a Muntjack male may be a ram in some circles. I have heard it referred to as a ram in India (where some local languages refer to them as a "wild goat").

I have read of a male ibex called bucks while wild sheep are rams.

The Himalayan tahr is a type of goat & the male should be a billy but here in NZ we call it a bull but the female is a nanny (goat). A male chamois is a buck.

In NZ we call red, sika & sambar males as stags but Wapiti are bulls and white tail & fallow deer are bucks.

The Nilghai male is called a bull as its English name is Blue Bull - Ghai in Hindi is cow.


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I know my cat is a Tom.
 
Posts: 2767 | Location: The Peach State | Registered: 03 March 2010Reply With Quote
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Rich,
That was hilarious!!!


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Posts: 4781 | Location: Story, WY / San Carlos, Sonora, MX | Registered: 29 May 2002Reply With Quote
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Call it what you will, just hurry up and shoot straight. Big Grin


SUSTAINABLY HUNTING THE BLUE PLANET!
"Political language is designed to make lies sound truthful, murder respectable and to give an appearence of solidity to pure wind." Dr J A du Plessis






 
Posts: 3297 | Location: South of the Equator. | Registered: 02 August 2009Reply With Quote
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Personally I believe the single ( actually two ) issue that dictates if a bull or a buck or a stag is - TESTICLES


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Posts: 4471 | Location: Eltham , New Zealand | Registered: 13 May 2002Reply With Quote
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quote:
Originally posted by Cross L:
quote:
Originally posted by Grumulkin:
Since there is apparently no hard and fast rule about what to call what, I'm going to start calling the male groundhogs I shoot bulls and the females cows. I will call it the official Central Ohio nomenclature. With time, I believe others will come around to my way.


Will this apply to marmots also?


Definitely; it will apply to marmots.
 
Posts: 2911 | Location: Ohio, U.S.A. | Registered: 31 March 2006Reply With Quote
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So let us progress to Rooihartebees, Rooibok,Swartwildebees,Blouwildebees, Blesbokke,
Bontebok,Swart Springbok,Buffel and of course the mighty Renoster!
I need a Renoster!!
 
Posts: 696 | Location: Soddy Daisy, TN USA | Registered: 05 February 2008Reply With Quote
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Originally posted by Tom In Tennessee:
So let us progress to Rooihartebees, Rooibok,Swartwildebees,Blouwildebees, Blesbokke,
Bontebok,Swart Springbok,Buffel and of course the mighty Renoster!
I need a Renoster!!

Put your billfold and both your moneybelts on the table. Big Grin Cool


SUSTAINABLY HUNTING THE BLUE PLANET!
"Political language is designed to make lies sound truthful, murder respectable and to give an appearence of solidity to pure wind." Dr J A du Plessis






 
Posts: 3297 | Location: South of the Equator. | Registered: 02 August 2009Reply With Quote
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I was baffled by the bull/cow, ram/ewe thing when I was hunting. Nice to finally know the way it is sorted out.
Just for the record. Although we always called groundhogs boars and sows. We call them grundsows in PA Dutch. The correct biologic descriptive name is he-chuck for a male and she chuck for a female. Can't say that I ever heard them called that by regular people, just by book biologists.
Bfly


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Posts: 1195 | Location: Lake Nice, VA | Registered: 15 March 2005Reply With Quote
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I just like to call them "DEAD" chucks or maybe "chucketts".
 
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