My head PH, Nick took this photo through his spotting scope while out hunting. Photo is a little bit blurry. Shoot or pass on this Common Duiker?

Shoot!

I have shot worse situations.

Without a doubt shoot now.

Hi Marius,

It depends on how far the animal is away and what the weather is.

With a spotting scope, this animal could be a ways off, the blurry ness indicated that your PH has his spotting scope zoomed to a high end of the magnification range. This guy could be any where from 1/2 mile to a mile away and i would have to say pass on taking the shot.

I would like to work closer to within 200 yards, to take the shot.

Very distorted picture and no one is shooting at that range

Marius, please save him until I get there in April. Dale

Let's focus on the animal, and try not to overthink it.

quote:

Originally posted by Dale:
Marius, please save him until I get there in April. Dale

Haha....they're not tied up my friend.

I’m not sure I’m even seeing horns here.

At first glance they look like huge horns, but with expanding the photo, they don’t look right on the head, and could well be vegetation behind it.

If that’s all the better image you are getting off a spotting scope, it’s way too far to shoot anyhow.

It’s worth the effort to have a better look, for sure!

Marius,

Horns are above the ears. Shoot!

Mark

Oops! Dr. Butler may be right.

quote:

Originally posted by crbutler:
I’m not sure I’m even seeing horns here.

At first glance they look like huge horns, but with expanding the photo, they don’t look right on the head, and could well be vegetation behind it.

If that’s all the better image you are getting off a spotting scope, it’s way too far to shoot anyhow.

It’s worth the effort to have a better look, for sure!

Dr. Butler, I can confirm that the vegetation you refer to, is indeed the horns.
So, knowing this, you think he's good enough?

Then he is an exceptional specimen.

I’d still want to get closer to shoot.

Damn those horns are huge! Shoot.. shoot now!!!

Shoot before my wife does....

ain't gonna try judgng the animal.

but if that's what I see through my scope the bullet is heading for the off side shoulder.

Well, Gentlemen, thank you for playing along. This is indeed an unbelievable specimen. He managed to win this round. He was simply in an area where you would either be 25 yards or 250 yards with a bad wind for an approach.
Our estimation was between 6-6.5" which is a once in a life time animal for this species.

Bang!!!!!

.

Bang!-For sure! Back in 2002 on my very first hunt to South Africa with PH Lieb du Raan we came across a Common Grey Duiker that immediately freaked Lieb out. We both saw it for just a few seconds and then it was gone. I didn't know the significance of the sighting, but Lieb claimed that it had to have been a world record. He literally didn't stop talking about it for days, and we spent some significant time back in the area trying to spot it again and never did. Yes, monsters like that do exist for sure!

So what was the range estimate, nobody using a range finder?
A sitting animal is good for long range shooting as it is not going to move quickly like a standing animal that is alert or just grazing.
I would be taking the shot even if out to 500+m provided it was ranged and I had a prone bipod rest or set up a solid rest over a log, NOT a rest off the normal African sticks. Obviously also provided I was using a long ranging rifle.

Ground check it…
It’s a Duiker… trophy fee of $400 hinging on a one inch guess maybe on horn length
These mental gymnastics are always interesting
Get a good shot and shoot.worst case is someone is distraught over a 4.5” horn length vs 5.5 or 6?
This is like the fake what caliber is best bullshit

quote:

Originally posted by eagle27:
So what was the range estimate, nobody using a range finder?
A sitting animal is good for long range shooting as it is not going to move quickly like a standing animal that is alert or just grazing.
I would be taking the shot even if out to 500+m provided it was ranged and I had a prone bipod rest or set up a solid rest over a log, NOT a rest off the normal African sticks. Obviously also provided I was using a long ranging rifle.

On a specimen such as this, I agree 100%. Take a chance. As I mentioned, the only way to get an opportunity on this ram was at 25 yards or 250 yards, and the first option was off the table due to a bad wind for an approach.
PH even had him up in a tree onto shooting sticks from 170 yards. Luckily he was young enough.
Hunter took a chance off the bipod at 248 yards, but could not connect.
He lives to tell the tale for another day.

quote:

Originally posted by KMG Hunting Safaris:

quote:

Originally posted by eagle27:
So what was the range estimate, nobody using a range finder?
A sitting animal is good for long range shooting as it is not going to move quickly like a standing animal that is alert or just grazing.
I would be taking the shot even if out to 500+m provided it was ranged and I had a prone bipod rest or set up a solid rest over a log, NOT a rest off the normal African sticks. Obviously also provided I was using a long ranging rifle.

On a specimen such as this, I agree 100%. Take a chance. As I mentioned, the only way to get an opportunity on this ram was at 25 yards or 250 yards, and the first option was off the table due to a bad wind for an approach.
PH even had him up in a tree onto shooting sticks from 170 yards. Luckily he was young enough.
Hunter took a chance off the bipod at 248 yards, but could not connect.
He lives to tell the tale for another day.

That's a bummer, 248 yards should have been a sitter. Was it a sticks bipod or one attached to the rifle? For that range and small animal target you need to lock down the butt of the rifle not just have it held in midair off sticks. That range would be a dead on hold for any deer rifle, just got to get that lock down steadiness.

Shame we'll never know the horn size now

quote:

Originally posted by eagle27:

quote:

Originally posted by KMG Hunting Safaris:

quote:

Originally posted by eagle27:
So what was the range estimate, nobody using a range finder?
A sitting animal is good for long range shooting as it is not going to move quickly like a standing animal that is alert or just grazing.
I would be taking the shot even if out to 500+m provided it was ranged and I had a prone bipod rest or set up a solid rest over a log, NOT a rest off the normal African sticks. Obviously also provided I was using a long ranging rifle.

On a specimen such as this, I agree 100%. Take a chance. As I mentioned, the only way to get an opportunity on this ram was at 25 yards or 250 yards, and the first option was off the table due to a bad wind for an approach.
PH even had him up in a tree onto shooting sticks from 170 yards. Luckily he was young enough.
Hunter took a chance off the bipod at 248 yards, but could not connect.
He lives to tell the tale for another day.

That's a bummer, 248 yards should have been a sitter. Was it a sticks bipod or one attached to the rifle? For that range and small animal target you need to lock down the butt of the rifle not just have it held in midair off sticks. That range would be a dead on hold for any deer rifle, just got to get that lock down steadiness.

Shame we'll never know the horn size now

Lying down, off the bipod attached to the rifle. These things happen.

Worst is, we'll probably run into him feeding at 60 yards, and get told by the hunter that he already has a Duiker....lol.

Ha ha yes shit happens sometimes. I guess it could be an incentive for someone to book a hunt especially to get that big ram although I don't suppose they necessarily hang around one area all the time. Their home range maybe quite large.

Good luck.

quote:

Originally posted by eagle27:
Ha ha yes shit happens sometimes. I guess it could be an incentive for someone to book a hunt especially to get that big ram although I don't suppose they necessarily hang around one area all the time. Their home range maybe quite large.

Good luck.

I guess so. They don't have a big home range at all and I actually think one would have a decent chance of finding him again, but its a long way over and not sure if the odds makes it worth it. It's one thing saying no one has shot him, but what about the predators? A person coming over here just to target him, I would say is pretty committed....