I have been facinated by wildebeest(blue & black)forever and would like to know how you field judge them.

AND... How are measured - outside spread, length, bases?

I have found that all the trophy photos I see seem to look alot alike.

Hope some educated hunters can fill me in.

For blue wildebeest you compare the spread to the ears. If it reaches the end of the ears before hooking up and back, it is representative. A true trophy has an inch or more past each ear. Any wildebeest over 27 is great, with 28.5 inches constituting the minimum for the Rowland Ward record book.
Most hunters also check that the horn bases are well developed and thick and not too worn down.
A fully mature bull will have a pretty much pitch black face while younger animals have brown hair at the base of the horns.
Good Hunting!

big horns

A nice brindle hide looks good too.

Boghosian is right on the money. You actually measure for the SCI record book exactly like you do a buffalo. Heavy bosses are important as well as the total measurement from horn tip down around the curve across the boss and up the other side. So bosses, length of tips, width and drop are all contributing factors.

Mark

Thank you for the Info - Is it the same for both Black & Blue Wildebeest?

To field judge a Black you want to look for good mass and deep sweep that drops below the level of the eye and good length beyond the bottom of the sweep.

I knew he was good but didn't realize how good till reading this thread. 29 1/2" spread and a nice big body. He's a skull mount and rug trimmed in black leather now.

IMHO, the Nyasa variety is the absolutely most beautiful, even more beautiful than many of the more highly prized antelope.

My wife's photo in this thread is worth more than 10,000 of my words:

Nyasa Wildebeest

As to how to measure them, Boghossian has hammered the nail on that.

KevinNY:

That is a monster, what subspecies is it? Is it a Blue?

mrlexma:

I think that is one of the most perfect tropy photos ever taken! A beautiful animal!!


Thanks for the training.

I appreciate it.

Just for comparison sake, this blue is about 26 inches.



I have no idea what this black measures.



Kyler

Riodot,

That is a blue from Limpopo Province RSA.

Kyler,

That Black is a Hog.

MR,

That's the one 'Beest I would shoulder mount with it's nice facial blaze.

quote:

Originally posted by KevinNY:
I knew he was good but didn't realize how good till reading this thread. 29 1/2" spread and a nice big body. He's a skull mount and rug trimmed in black leather now

That's a shame, Kevin, if an animal ever deserved a shoulder mount it is your Willie!

I have a 28" Cookson's with giaganic bosses, and a deep drop in the horns, one of my best trophies! He is on the wall next to a big Cape Buffalo, and is almost as big!

Kyler , that is a very good Black, and I'm enveous, as the black is one trophy I do not have, and have always wanted. The Black Wildebeast is not found in the places I hunt, but I have been thinking about takeing a all plains game hunt, down south so I can include him in the bag, along with some other species, like the Gemsbok, I have had no oppertunity to take. I can't seem to leave the Buffalo alone long enough to get those RSA, Namibia species!

I have trouble posting pics here. Could I e mail to somebody to post a nice wildebeest pic for me.

thanks

quote:

Originally posted by hikerbum:
I have trouble posting pics here. Could I e mail to somebody to post a nice wildebeest pic for me.

thanks

You could send it to me, but it may be tonight before I can post it. My email address is in my profile.

.

Mac,

I kind of like him as a skull mount, I'll do a shoulder mount 'beest when I get myself to Tanzania for Nyasa. I plan on putting a Black 'beest skull on the same wall next trip. The gemsbok was pretty good for Limpopo at 36" for a bull but I saved my shoulder mount dollars for a namibian gemsbok. Thanks for your compliments.

According to the SCI entry form that was used with a blue wildebeest I shot two years ago, you measure the horns tip-to-tip and then add in the circumference of each boss. FWIW, tip-to-tip mine measured 50" even, and one boss was 12 3/4" while the other was 12 1/2". The outside spread was 29 1/8. This gave it an SCI score of 75 1/4". The minimum for SCI is 70".

29.5 inches, but the mass was what decided his fate.

Posting for Hikerbum:



Link to full-sized picture



Link to full sized picture

Very nice!

Boghossian,

Those are huge bosses. I am going to be in Edinburgh this Sunday through Wednesday, maybe we can have a pint.

I also have trouble posting pics. Would someone be kind enough to post for me?

I had a great trip to Namibia this past May and was fortunate to have collected both a Blue and a Black Wildebeest.

Thanks

How would you all rate this old boy? Though I haven't yet posted my report, he was taken in SA hunting with Andrew McLaren.

Mine from namibia last year. 29 5/8" wide, with 15" bases. measured 57" on the curve.

You got yourself a hog 'beest Blank.

Posting for Bearhunter:



Link to full-sized picture



Link to full-sized picture

Nice pictures!

This guy was still young, but when I saw the length, both my buddy and I figured it was in the 28-29 inch range. He measures 31 3/8 dry.

A true monster black, shot by one of our clients this year. Almost 27inches. Can't wait to measure this one dried!

A little over 32" spread, probably a top 20 Nyasaland Wildebeest.


Regards,

Terry

Increditable Terry!

That is some beest!!!

Blank:

That is a Beauty! Great hide color too.

Bearhunter:

That is the kind of combo I'm lookin' for !!

Congrats!!

hhmag:

What a black beest!!!!!!!!

I'll see that one in my dreams.

The white-bearded wildebeest look great, too. Here's one my son shot:

Now that's a neat lookin' critter!

Thanks for compliments. I absolutely love the color of my finished WB rear skin; it is a gun-metal gray with nice shine to it and everyone comments on it. The cape came out great also, and will probably be the next one to be mounted. It has such a distinctive high/low shag carpet appearance, and long mane and beard! We finished my springbok, blesbok, and impala so far and have the 2 kudu, gemsbok, hartebeest, and WB to finish thru the winter.

To the three "gentlemen" that emailed me to say I was full of crap on the blue's size, He was 32 1/8 when shot and dried to 31 3/8. He has a MASSIVE body, and we hung 450 pounds of meat from him. You will note that I am not sitting 4 or 5 feet behind him. My knee is in his neck and I am holding him up. I'm 6'-4" and weigh in at 300 pounds, so I'm definitely not a little guy!

My original basis for thinking he was 28-29 is based on the ears. The tips of the ears come to the inside of the curve of the horn-completely normal for a 28-29 inch southern blue.


Same bull in camp. Remington 700-28" Pac Nor bbl in 338 Lapua. Bull shot at over 385meters.


Appeared in this mag.

BTW, Terry- truly exceptional wildebeest man. I am humbled. These are my favorite animals to hunt!

Hey Rob, i believe you man, Lets see if we cant find one or two to top that next week!

Ed B.

That black wildebeest was shot on the concession you will be hunting on. Effing monsters there. Also took 2 18" plus blesboks there and a 37" waterbuck. Don't say the name of the place...my secret

Most of you guys have seen a few of my pics in the hunting section. I find blue wildebeest relatively easy to field judge but for the life of me I cant judge a black wildebeest at all. I can tell if the horns are longer only if it is a significant difference. As far as mass goes I am just plain lousy. I have found the black wildebeest to be the most difficult animal to field judge out of all the plains game I have hunted.