Howdy y'all,

I just found out that I was offered to hunt Eland (not included in the package hunt in South Africa)because the owner/ph had one quota left. This is my first time to South Africa. He offered it to me before he would go to someone else. They are expensive! (yes, you assumed correctly, I'm not rich). What is it like to hunt an Eland? Can some of y'all post pictures of the one you harvested? I would appreciate it. I need to decide on whether to take up on that or not.

Thanks in advance.

Here's a pic of my eland from last May. He would be considered pretty good size with horns measuring over 38"
He was in a herd of 11 eland that were moving and feeding. We snuck up on them using a creek bed until we got about 200 yds off. One shot from my .338 tipped him over. Loading a 2000+ animal was the hard part.

To me it felt like antelope hunting out west in that there was no cover, and we used the creek bed like a coulee to get into position.

It's an expensive steak, but the eland filets my wife and I had off this old boy were better than any steak I've had here in the states!

Brad

[ 07-25-2003, 05:20: Message edited by: SnakeLover ]

Thanks for the story, but you pic didn't show up. I'm real anxious to see some pics.

Cutter: I enjoy Eland as much or more than any other animal. They travel in groups, and they're very wary. They can travel a lot of miles in a hurry. I would post a picture of mine, but I'm currently out in the Gulf Of Mexico, and I can't remember the address for my website. Mine took a 350 Gr. X bullet from my 416 Rem in the shoulder, and he refused to go down.

I've shot many Eland, average price is about $1500. Worlds largest Antelope, I love to hunt them...A 30-06 with premium bullet will work fine but keep the shot off the heavy shoulder bone....best eating of all wild game IMO.

The are very large animals. They take up a little wall space but well worth it. Like Ray said and 30 cal with premium bullets should do fine. I got a complete pass through with the 300WM with the bullet stopping just under the skin on the off side. It is amazing that you can get a complete pass through on an animal that size as well as a one shot kill with a 30 but you can. Like ray said take it behind the shoulder so you stay off the heavy bone. Makes an impressive trophy. One morning after I had taken mine we were hunting black wildebeest and bleesbuck and saw a herd of about 150 to 200 eland on the far ridge. Pretty impressive.

[ 07-25-2003, 04:38: Message edited by: Mike Smith ]

Shot all you can and worry about the money later! I have only wished I would have taken asn animal. Never regreted taking an animal. I took this Eland last year. I used an 300 RUM 200 gr. partitions. First shot was broadside at 195 yds (Rangefinder) He fell like he was struck by lightning. Broke both shoulders, went through top of the heart and both lungs. Came to rest just under the skin. (Bullet below) As we are walking up he gets up and starts running. Second shot quartering away. Bullet entered rear of rib cage and we never recovered that bullet.

I took this one in Zim in 2001. used a .416 Rem Mag with 400 grain X-bullets. He just stood around the herd after being hit, got wobbly, and fell over. The bullet was just under the skin of the opposite shoulder. Eland are neat as hell and fun to hunt (as mentioned, thay can cover a lot of ground in a hurry). Take the Eland and make a plan to pay the outfitter when you get home or try to save as much money as possible before you set off to Africa. If this is a once in a lifetime trip, don't hesitate to shoot. If you think you will be back someday. . . well, the trophy fees aren't going down are they? Shoot the thing either way.



Best,

JohnTheGreek

Here's mine, 33" horns, taken in Namibia. My PH Janie on the right, me on the left. I used a Ruger in .416Rigby with 400gr. TBBC.

You won't believe how fast these things can run until you see it for yourself.

I love eland hunting. I worked hard at it, tracking a pair of mails for almost four hours until I was able to take a shot at about 175 yards with my 375 H&H. I'm sure a 300 is fine, but I was glad I had the 375 and 300 grain Swifts! jorge

go here: www.Lavikinga.com ( under the "general")



[ 07-25-2003, 16:56: Message edited by: jorge ]

I say "Go for it!" and don't look back. Eland was high on my list when I returned for my second African hunt in 2002. This one only made 20 yards after being hit with a 300-grain .375" Woodleigh SPPP in the top of the heart.

Take it - then economise! If I knew how to post pix, it would help. Mine was taken just before sunset after long afternoon hunt. About 100 yds (paced) in group of females. RWS 375 went straight through, dropping him after about 10 secs. Getting him onto the truck was quite an experience.
The fillet was simply the best meat I have eaten anywhere.
Regards
Robert

Eland are definately on my wish list. I haven't taken one yet. I've seen them in Namibia and not only can they run, but they take a six foot cattle fence in stride. A guy I was hunting with took a very nice eland with his 338 Win Mag and 250 Patitions. Hit it right where the neck and spine kind of meet, and droppped it on the spot. He waited at a waterhole for them to come in. A group of 3 or 4 bulls came in and he tookm the largest one. It unbelievable the gacefullenss of these huge beasts. Some very nice eland trophies posted here fellows.

BigBullet

Cutter,

You should take one if you get the chance. They're a tough animal so be ready to put in a second shot if necessary. An interesting point about Eland is that if they get wounded, you will often see tears running down their face when you approach them........ weird huh!

There is also no quota system in RSA. The owner has probably just decided that he has a few too many on the property........ either that or he just wants more dollars.

Either way, its unimportant.........what is important, is that you have a great time and I lookf forward to seeing your photographs!

If there is a quota, he may be hunting a park where he was given a quota. Any good outfitter with property set's a quota for how many of each animal he'd like to take off it and still maintain a healthy population for the next year, otherwise they'd be trucking more animals in every year.

Cutter,

I say take it. Hunting eland is fun, especially in thick brush. I shot this one just before dark, and it was all the six of us could do to load it. We had to dig holes for the rear wheels of the Land Rover to lower the bed enough to get him in. It was a very late dinner that night, but it was worth it .

Jim

G Max,

If it were a park or controlled hunting area the outfitter buys a hunt pack (ie 1 Buff, 2 Impala, 2 Warthog etc)at auction, so he would have a package of animals which the client could shoot.

Almost all (RSA) game farm owners go to the game auctions on a regular basis and buy whatever they need, and proper quota systems only really exist in the true wilderness areas.

The quota thing in RSA (sadly) is just a sales gimmick to make the deal look more attractive to the overseas hunter........ sad, but true.

Eland hunting was absolutely the highlight of my trip. After I satisfy my dream of hunting cape buffalo, I would seriously consider going back to Africa with eland as the #1 priority.

This is what got me hooked....





Canuck

Shakari,

I disagree with you. I do believe that the things you propose(buying animals to fill pens, and false quotas as a sales gimmick) do happen. But, to say that everybody does it, or that it's normal practice is wrong.

I personnally hunted on a 100,000 acre tract, where my wife shot the last Kudu on quota. I was not allowed to shoot a bull on this property, and we were still seeing lots of Kudu. Neither my wife or I were allowed to shoot warthog on this property. The landowner said that the quotas were filled, and no more shooting.We traveled about twenty miles to another property where we were allowed to hunt these animals.

I hunted another property the year before , where the landowner had stopped the shooting of Steinbok. It seems that he had a quota on the numbers shot on his place as well, and two Germans had shot a bunch of Steinbok before we arrived. This same landowner would not allow the shooting of Tsessebe, although we saw them everywhere.

What you say about RSA hunting properties may be true to some extent, but my experience, has seen people that manage their properties and game well. That includes quotas at times.

I suggest that this PH has one Eland left on quota at the property where he intends to hunt this fellow. But, if it were me, I'd wait until I was in the bush before I committed to taking one. Granted if his story is true, someone else may take this Eland. But, surely the PH has other properties that he can move the man to and hunt an Eland if he so desires. I'd wait till I was there and consider the trophy quality first. You should be able to hunt anything you want for additional trophy fees, and the selection should include far more than just Eland.

Toby,
I was interpreting the word quota to mean government quota, but I take your (and my wifes!) point that it could also mean a personal quota that might be set by a landowner.

I also acknowledge your point that a landowner might set firm limits for some species, steinbuck for example don't often feature at the game auctions, so a landowner might try to regulate their hunting......... but the point I was trying to make is that there is no government quota system in RSA and a lot of landowners like to pretend there is as part of a sales gimmick. If I caused any misunderstanding I apologise.

However the point of the original subject was should someone hunt an Eland....... I've gotta say yes. They're such a great animal to hunt, and if the price is reasonable then I wouldn't hesitate for a second.

....... incidentally, can I ask how big that C. Reedbuck is?

[ 07-26-2003, 19:12: Message edited by: shakari ]

Now, here's me Eland story and a photo.

I've only taken one Eland. I took him in the year 2000 at Silent Valley, in the Northern Transvaal, near Thabazimbi. We were in some extremely flat ground and thick with thorn bush. We were making a practice of marking the truck with a GPS unit, as it was easy to loose the truck for awhile. We saw a herd of Eland up ahead in a road, so we parked the truck, marked our possition, and began the stalk. The Eland didn't have a clue that we were there. But, those damn things can walk and browse faster than this old man can trot to keep up with them. We were really running at one point, and it looked as though they would get away from us. Then the group slowed and began to feed a bit, giving us time to catch our breath and ease a little closer. The wind was perfect, right into our faces, then suddenly we hear a loud grunt from behind us. A Blue Wildebeast bull had smelled us and was actually stalking us. He was an unhappy camper, and was really in a pissy mood. He pawed the ground like an old Spanish fighting bull and was actively looking for us. We melted into the grass and my PH asked me several times if I was sure that I didn't want to shoot this Wildebeast. After a few tense minutes, the Wildebeast gave up the chase and just wandered off. But he did wander to within thirty yards of us. The big five might be the kings of danger, but that old Wildebeast Bull sure had my hackles up. We had been almost within shooting possition, before the Wildebeast encounter, and now the Eland had gained quite a lead on us. So it was back to the trot to try and make up some lost distance. After another half hour of bad knees, low oxygen, and just general old age problems associated with a near running gait, the Eland suddenly turned there course and we saw that our paths would cross just up ahead. We sped up and gained a little more distance then made our stand, waiting on the Eland to do their part. The Eland fed by at about 100 yards and I finally found the old Bull that we'd picked out an hour or so before. He was old with almost no white stripes, and really almost no hair at all for that part. He had a huge tuft of hair on his forehead, and thick horns that actually weren't very sharp on the tips anymore. It was clear that he was the senior of the group. I stuck a 200 grain, Swift A Frame just a bit low and right behind the foreleg, in what some people call the sweet spot. He made about three hops and piled up under a thorn bush. We checked the GPS unit, to find that we were three miles from the truck. As there were no other roads close by, it took half a day to get him out of the thornbush and to the cooler. It was a very good hunt.

I apologize for not having a picture of this old bull here. But, I've searched my files and I don't have a copy of this bull in my system. So, here's a photo of an Eland Bull that my son took on that same Safari.

[url= http://"http://www.hunt101.com/?p=53071&c=500&z=1"] [/url]

Shakari,

I think we are both right on this matter, to some extent.

The Reedbuck is a story unto himself, and I think that I've posted his story here already in the past. He was certainly one of those unforgetable hunts. I'm not a real inch hunter, although I really like big trophies as much as anybody. In other words, my memory fails me on the size of the Reedbuck. He's at the Taxidermist now, or I'd go measure him. My memory says that he is 21 inches, but somewhere back in there I've got a little voice telling me he was only 19 inches. But, that's as close as I can get you to the actual size.

I wish I'd only had to track my eland for four hours! Mine was more like three days. By noon on the third day it had become downright personal, both for me and for the trackers. The PH thought we were nuts. In the end, I had a bronze medal eland and a taste of the best meat that walks. I'd quit a buffalo stalk in mid-stride for another eland. I just love'em.

C'mon sarge, quit a Buff for an Eland, criminal thinking, you need professional help, or maybe i do!!

If all I could hunt the rest of my life was Buff and Elephant, I'd be a happy camper...

Well Ray, you may be right. Anyone know a good shrink who can cure a food fixation? Buff taste good, too, and are really exciting to hunt but the flavor of inch thick eland steaks over a mopane wood fire overrules my adrenal glands. Every time I see a picture of an eland I start to salivate. Pathetic!

Sarge and Ray,
I don't know if I like eland as much as buff but....I really LIKE hunting eland. A tracking game that can wear some serious leather off the old brogans! I've been fortunate enough to shoot three and none came easy and all were memorable. In 1994 in Zimbabwe, I hunted eland every day for five days before getting my bull, never saw him in the six miles of tracking until ol' Monduwana pointed him out after setting the sticks up for the shot.
In the East cape in 2000, we actually found solitary old bulls up in the mountains, up with the mountain reedbuck! I shot my bull at 350 yards (not well, but effective) on the last day at Santa Sana Reserve.


In the Northern Province of the RSA, hunting with Numzaan Safaris, I caught up with this bull. Shot him in the evening and tracked him the next morning to find him dead a half-mile from where I shot him the evening before. .338 WM with a 210 Nosler Partition abit too far back but eventually lethal.


They have all been fun and challenging!

Canuck,
Your story of your eland hunt and the wonderful trophy that resulted realy turned me on to eland when you wrote it last year.

Bwanamrm,
Stef does seem to come up with some very nice eland, I am hunting with him next april and eland is on my list.

Kevin,
Stef and the gang at Numzaan are alot of fun to hunt with. And I took some really nice trophies including that eland. I took that bull on the Zengela property near Atherston. The Thamazimbi area grows 'em big, I saw some monster southern impala and took a 39.5" gemsbok as well as some other great animals. Tell Stef, Russell from Texas said "hello". Best of luck and have fun!

By the way, Kevin. The bull Toby posted above is a Numzaan eland as well. I see ol' Eugene Visagie, the PH I hunted with, sitting there with a grin from ear-to-ear with Toby and his reedbuck.

Eland hunting can be one of the most rewarding, pain in the ass hunts there is. The sense of accomplishment after finally taking your bull, after days and days, and countless miles tracking is something that you'll cherish forever. Don't pass up the chance.

This Eland was shot by my client Jade clay on his first hunt ot Africa. It was 35" and he loved it. If you can affird it GO for it.
Chris Brand
Njiri Lodge

Yes Bwanamrm,

I took those animals with NumZaan. In fact, I've hunted with them twice. I'm a firm believer that if you've something that works for you, don't go looking for something else. Stef and his crew have really put 110% into both hunts that I've had with them.I'll be hunting in Zimbabwe next July(2004), and I'm planning on stopping over in RSA and hunt a few more days with NumZaan.

Here's another story that goes with the area that we were using the GPS unit on. Jean Louis was guiding my son, on this same property, and as my son was only 16 years old at the time, we were hunting within a few miles of each other. We get a call on the radio, that they need help as an Ostrich has attacked them and they've taken refuge under a big thorn bush. Jean Louis gives us the GPS coordinates and we're off to find them. Ordinarily, I'd of suggested shooting the Ostrich, but the landowner had them off quota as he was attempting to build the numbers up. We finally found them an hour or so later, and I was regretting not having the video camera handy. We found the PH and my son under a thorn bush in a relatively open area. They had two choices, either to shoot this stupid bird or wait for help. There was no way to outrun or hide from this thing out where they were. The Ostrich was giving Jean Louis hell, and he was swinging the shooting sticks at it like Babe Ruth trying to knock one out of the park. It was pretty comical, and we really just sat in the distance a bit and laughed at them. Finally we drove the truck up and pushed the Ostrich away. My son didn't know what the hell to think, and the bush had chewed on him a bit. Jean Louis looked as though he was ready for a sit down. It made for good camp fire fodder, and we didn't let them forget it for several days.

My Eland hunt was accomplished in Ibanda Camp on the river's edge of Tanzania/Uganda/Rwanda. Both my husband and I considered this one of the most exciting hunts of our 21 days safari. I'm pictured here with our accountant, we took her along to find tax loop holes She didn't find any, but it taught us a lesson about taking non-hunters hunting!!!

D. Nelson,
That a beautiful old E.A. Eland bull! Congratulations!

Here are a couple more old "blue bulls" I shot in Pilanesberg National Park with Coenraad Vermaak Safaris in 2001.

They both had the thick, dark tuft of hair on their foreheads that only the really old bulls have and they were both covered with lion claw scars. They may have been tough old guys while alive, but they were sure wonderful grilled over an open fire!

The first one.


Close-up.


The second one.


Close-up.