Kudu are almost as difficult as Oryx The bottom bull is the 58 incher, he has more length in his tops.

Wow, that is a big dad-gum Kudu!

Hmmm. He has tremendously deep curls. I am going to say 58". He is big enough that I wouldn't have to think about it much, that's for sure!

quote:

Originally posted by DC Roxby:
Hmmm. He has tremendously deep curls. I am going to say 58". He is big enough that I wouldn't have to think about it much, that's for sure!

I wouldn't have to think about it at all...

I have zero experience with African game...

But a friend of mine always says when talking about trophies.

When they are big, you know they are big. No decisions need to be made.

I have seen enough Kudu pics to know that one is big.

click, boom

quote:

Originally posted by DC Roxby:
Hmmm. He has tremendously deep curls. I am going to say 58". He is big enough that I wouldn't have to think about it much, that's for sure!

Well the first curl is long and the animal is a hog; he weighed nearly 900 pounds.

But the tops let him down, only went 54" My PH Mike Kibble was pissed with himself, as I had told him I had a 56 incher from Zim'. He busted his arse for the rest of the hunt and we eventually shot a 58" :

quote:

Originally posted by Wendell Reich:
Wow, that is a big dad-gum Kudu!

Thanks Wendell.

Interesting, I have guided on two bulls almost identical to that bull, both went 55".

quote:

Originally posted by Shangaan:
Interesting, I have guided on two bulls almost identical to that bull, both went 55".

Your sig line is right. Especially with this bull......

I shot him with a 14XLC from a 264 WinMag (not enough gun)........he went down, but was thrashing around, I wanted to shoot again and as we approached, he got up and buggered off with a broken shoulder. He played cat and mouse with us for a few minutes, even backing into thornbush at one stage! I spined him as he bolted almost directly away at 100 yards..........

Typically, Kibble told me I shot running animals better than stationary ones.

Blair,
The symmetry on your Kudu is excellent. Not too narrow and not too wide. That is really a nice Kudu! Of course a 58" is always nice too!!

Thanks bluefin. He was an interesting hunt to say the least

please post photo of the 58'' along with this bull so we can look at the side by side.
Thanks
JD

quote:

Originally posted by Blair338/378:
... only went 54" My PH Mike Kibble was pissed with himself

That goes to show just how difficult these animals are to judge. Kibble is no newbie to this game, and this animals fooled him. Fooled me to. I was going to guess 55" but only because I was going to try to guess low, so as not make a fool of myself.

I passed a Kudu in Botswana last year. I took a picture of him after we came right up on him. A quick judge by me, and 2 very experienced ph's told us that he was not the one I was looking for. (wanted something 55" or better)

You tell me how big he was. (I know because he was shot the next week at the same water hole.)

I'm gonna say 56

Wendell,

His tops are still turned "In" and while he has two full curls they are tight, not that long.....I'd say 54" . Nice looking bull.

58-61. Really deep and narrow, not pretty but huge.

Wendell,

I'm sure you are going to tell us he was bigger than 55", but if I saw him in the field I would have guessed no more than 54".

If you think about the way a Kudu's horns grow, it seems that the deeper the curl, the longer it takes for the tips to make the final turn.The result is that in soem cases a kudu carries alot of length before making the final turn out in the tips.

I figured this out with a piece of wire bent to look like a kudu's horns. The deeper the coils in the wire, the longer it takes the tips to rotate around when turned to simulate growth.

Don

Bull taken on same hunt.........very wide. What length?

Wendell, with my limited experience I will guess it at 53-54.

56" those norrow horns is always deceptive

quote:

Originally posted by D99:
58-61. Really deep and narrow, not pretty but huge.

Wendell said in a PM to me that the bull that was shot a week later went over 60" They swear it was the same bull.........he still can't believe it.........but D99, the prize goes to you

quote:

Originally posted by Blair338/378:


Bull taken on same hunt.........very wide. What length?

And what about this one guys???

The width really throws me off on this one. I'm going to say 59.

The width sure makes it difficult, it was the guys's first kudu and it went a shade over 55"

They are really nice.