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Plains game preferences?

We are talking Africa, we are talking non DG, we are talking bush, valley or veld, whatever you wish, leaving out the exotics for now.

Following four groups of animal and you are allowed one per group and lets assume trophy quality is good on all of them. What 4 would you choose?

A/ kudu, waterbuck, eland, Nyala

B/ Zebra, wildi (either), oryx, hartebeest

C/ impala, springbok, blesbok, grey diiker

D/ warthog, jackal, baboon,


Thought that this may interest the package deal PHs and what they are offering as well as be of general interest.

Ps feel free to comment, add / mix, whatever. No hard fast rules.

Me - I would go eland, blue wildi, springbok and pig!

Cheers

.

Why stick with four?

I will shoot anything on license!

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Some people have budgets


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I would go with:

Eland, Waterbuck, Warthog and Bushbuck

Mike
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First, you should shoot anything you haven't shot before. But if you've never taken any, here would be my choices:

A. Kudu -- it's the quintessential African trophy and even a skull mount is beautiful.

B. Black wildebeest is the most limited, so I would go for it if available. But all are great trophies. If you have a place for it and yearn for a zebra rug, then you might swap.

C. Springbok has the prettiest coloration; Impala has the nicest horns; blesbok is usually a little more challenging to hunt. So take your pick according to your priorities.

D. Warthog is a "trophy". But baboons make entertaining targets and most places will allow you to shoot unlimited baboons if you're paying trophy fees on a reasonable number of other animals. A jackal is just an underweight coyote.

Sable and Oryx. Kudu next up.

Consider that Nyala is not as common as the other animals and can be more difficult to get than the others. Not in harder to hunt, just less of them around

To the OP, to answer your question, I'd pick A.

quote:

Originally posted by JGRaider:
To the OP, to answer your question, I'd pick A.

Same here.

I've been skunked three times on eland so:

Eland - I've got kudu and Nyala and don't care for waterbuck
Zebra - I have blue and black wildebeest, a bunch of Oryx and don't care for hartebeest.
Impala - Still need a good one,
Warthog - Have all three but I like warthogs

If I were going with these options I would pick group A. Best of the displayable trophies, for me anyway, in the options given. I would also like a Black Wildebeest which I would try to trade for or add to.

I go with A but D makes a good budget hunt and if you can substitute hyena for jackal that would make it an even more desirable option,IMO.Option A would provide the tastiest meat.I shot one Zebra and for some reason don't want to shoot another-but hunting them was good in the hills of Makuti..

Based on 40 years in the business off and on and mostly on, A will be your answer if for no other reason than the Kudu is the Holy Grail of African Plains game, followed by the Gemsbok, a distant second..

I would agree with the replies from Saeed, Charlie64, and Stonecreek.

Just getting to Africa is a big cost and undertaking, so I feel that the more animals I take on any trip reduces the travel pain and cost per animal. But you also have to leave a few animals so you'll have a reason to come back.


Then, like Charlie64's second post, many of us have limited budgets for each trip and we have to draw the line on the number of animals that we shoot on each trip. On my first African hunt I had 5 animals that I wanted to shoot. After my 9th animal I finally told my PH "no more." Then on the last day we spotted a Red Hartebeest that my PH said was really good and that I should shoot it. I stuck to my decision and didn't shoot it, but it was one of the top animals on my list on my next trip.

And finally, like Stonecreek posted, with my limited budget and limited wall space, I decided to only hunt animals that I hadn't shot before. I have been pretty good on this decision, however I have "upgraded" several animals.

So to answer the original question, on my first African hunt I went with a Kudu, Waterbuck, Impala, and Blue Wildebeest, then added a Gemsbok, Blesbok, and a Limpopo Bushbuck.

In subsequent hunts, I completed Charlie64's list plus a few more.

A.

The first Plains Game I took were Kudu,Gemsbok,Black Wildebeest,Zebra and Impala. As long as you can add animals or substitute them it doesn't really matter?

Selection A

Plains game preferences?

A/ Lord Derby Eland or Mountain Nyala

B/ Coke or Swayne hartebeest

C/ Mountain or Bohor Reedbuck

D/ Giant forest hog

A. and A.

Budget minded always (as I do not have great money} I would pick Kudu ,Gemsbok ,impala ,Baboon add on a warthog if possible. Save the boons and pigs till last you may can shoot a few of each. Best of luck and most important Enjoy the adventure. As a side note many of us thought we might get 3 or 4 heads on the first trip and ended up taking over 10 in 5 days.

I would pick kudu, zebra, impala and warthog. But I am always open to whatever Africa offers.

Safe travels...…...LL

Every first time safari hunter will want "A" if it's in his budget.

Depends on where.

Of group A, the Nyala is the one I don’t have a good example of- but both Kudu and Eland hunting is my favorite typical plains game. I’d probably do Eland as Kudu hunting is a lot like elk hunting to me at this point.

Group B, if it’s a wild hunt, I love hunting waterbuck- and you run into unusual animals (lion, rhino, elephant etc) in the same habitat that would be my personal option. Wildebeest are fun to hunt, but not much of a trophy. For a newbie, the oryx (i’m Assuming it’s gemsbok from context here) is the most impressive on the wall per dollar of these. Zebra are a fun hunt as well, if wild, and iconic, but I’ve shot so many of them as bait that it’s not really on my radar anymore unless it’s an imperial zebra- which isn’t huntable anymore. IMO, the TF on zebra is too high for what they are, generally. If it was a first time hunt on a game ranch, zebra would probably get the nod, but gemsbok are right there, AFAIC.

Group C, again if it’s wild hunting, it’s duiker or impala. Impala is the classic African animal, so that’s also the first time on a budget choice. The duiker is probably the more difficult hunt though.

Group D. Warthog. Jackals are an easy baited hunt. Baboon? Meh. I have my war with them, but they started it. Not much of a trophy IMO, and while they can be a fun hunt, both baboon and jackal are varmints in SA ranch country,(where this looks like it is going) and unless you want it on the wall, should be free targets of opportunity.

I would say that you could add a Kudu to "C" and still be under the other packages as far as price. I had that very same package (C+Kudu) and it was under $11,000.00 including airfare for two, 9 days, taxidermy (Head & Shoulders) and Shipping.

O'k, I think I understand now. It's kudu, oryx, impala and warthog. I don't have a hartebeest, dang it!

A, and then pay trophy fees for the rest!

A for me. I've taken a kudu, but just decent, and none of the others. So for me, that's the ticket. I would sure want to add impala and warthog though, since even after two safaris the hunting gods shined dimly on me for those and I've taken neither, despite their prevalence.

See there, I told you so, the Kudu is the Holy grail, and rightly so, all else is twiddle!

IMO, speaking only for myself and Ive shot many of all the PG animals, I would always pick Kudu Gemsbok, Nyala, Eland..but push comes to shove Im a dyed in the wool buffalo hunter, I love to hunt buffalo..

Sable would be first for me, but they just got to expensive to shoot these days and Ive shot my shard of them early on... I have a film I took of probably 300 to 400 sable in an open plain of fresh grass, awesome sight.

kudu, blue wildebeest, springbok, warthog

To be honest if I am going all the way to Africa I would add a plains game hunt to the tail end of a DG hunt rather than go just for a plains game hunt.

It just seems a waste otherwise.

On my upcoming Leopard/Buffalo hunt I also have Kudu, Hyena, Impala, Waterbuck, Zebra on the menu either as bait or after the 14 day hunt where I convert to a plains game hunt for a few days while waiting for a girlfriend to join me at Victoria Falls.

Kudu, zebra, springbok and baboon.

I have never killed an eland. But I know I like hunting the other four.

Baboons and Zebras are the smartest game in Africa.

They are all desirable, but I wouldn't go to Africa, if Buffalo is not on license.
......…......…………. MacD37

quote:

Originally posted by Charlie64:
.

Some people have budgets


.

Yup

quote:

Originally posted by Charlie64:
.
Plains game preferences?

We are talking Africa, we are talking non DG, we are talking bush, valley or veld, whatever you wish, leaving out the exotics for now.

Following four groups of animal and you are allowed one per group and lets assume trophy quality is good on all of them. What 4 would you choose?

A/ kudu, waterbuck, eland, Nyala

B/ Zebra, wildi (either), oryx, hartebeest

C/ impala, springbok, blesbok, grey diiker

D/ warthog, jackal, baboon,


Thought that this may interest the package deal PHs and what they are offering as well as be of general interest.

Ps feel free to comment, add / mix, whatever. No hard fast rules.



Cheers

.

I would like to have a Waterbuck, a PUKU, another Zebra, I have two zebra rugs, but would like another for a shoulder mount. I also have an Eland but would like a better one.
However I would likely take just about anything that I don't have if a good one was available.
All this is simply a dream, because at age 83 I doubt I'll ever get back to Africa. If I could I would take just about anything on the menu, including as many buffalo bulls as I could find.
……………………………………………… But alas AIN"t gonna happen! MacD37