Another vote for the Zimbabwe Lowveldt. During my two hunts there, I saw very many and as some here have said, don't get wrapped up too much on horn length. It's practically impossible to discern how big the horns will be. Mine went 58.5" but with very tight curls. I shot him in the same place as Steve's (AKA). jorge

I'm not a lot into measurements.....but holy cow man.....there's some great Kudu on this thread!!!!

The Zambezi valley isn't known for its big numbers of Kudu but there are some lovely ones there.
One of Ian Gibsons clients shot one last season that went 66".
Of the monster Kudu I have seen, they all have very big curls. I must admit I prefer the look of the tighter curled hornes with outward pointing tips found on animals in the mid 50" size.
Jorges and Anns Kudu's look great {moohe}.

Kudus, great trophies. I just hung my 55.5 inch bull on the living room wall today. Bush Africa Safaris got me within 125 yards of this big guy on the next to last day of our safari, and I was sweating it out. Saw lots of Kudu bulls the previous 7 days, but had not shot. This one was well worth the wait. Cannot say enough good about Bush Africa, except that I am going back again in 2007.
LLS
Mannlicher Collector

I just received an e-mail from my PH, Thorsten Meier of Ndandi Safaris with a report and photo of a 61/63-inch kudu a client of his killed in Namibia this past season. Truly a magnificent animal.

quote:

Originally posted by Jorge400:
I just received an e-mail from my PH, Thorsten Meier of Ndandi Safaris with a report and photo of a 61/63-inch kudu a client of his killed in Namibia this past season. Truly a magnificent animal.

Email the photo and I will post it here.



Thanks,

Terry

Eland Slayer,



I was certainly happy w the kudu that my PH preseneted me. They were all 52 - 54 inches or more. I particularily liked this one due to his deep curl. So many longer Kudu have very straight horns. The ones in Dande were true examples of the breed w a deep curl but still long enough to brag about.

Thats my kudu in the photo gallery lower right of their home page.

Best wishes, Andy

http://www.cmsafaris.com/

WOW!!! Some super bulls here

Since everyone else is sharing... I shot this bull last Sept in RSA along the Limpopo river. We hunted pretty hard for 4 days for a 'good' bull and when we finally found one in range I decided I had better shoot or I probaly wasn't going to get one since the trip was nearing an end... My PH and the tracker figured him to be about 52" or plenty good enough for my first... When we got down too him I rememarked that I think he's a touch bigger than that, and we all agreed. We speculated and 'hand' measureed and all came up with a more than 52"... When we got him back to the shed we put a tape on him and discovered that he was 58"x 56.5"... He was the second biggest bull they had killed in 22 years of hunting the biggest was a mear half an inch longer on the shorter side but still only 58" on the longest, the biggest was killed earlier that year.

The length was just icing on the cake for me! I was more than happy to get to hunt one and having a "52 incher" in range was all it took for me to pull the trigger.



I hunted with Samaria Safaries and had a fabulous time. I also took a 17.5 bushbuck the same day as the kudu. The hunting gods where smiling on me that day!!! We went on the hunt not expecting more than average trophies and came home with above average and then some! I think I'm going back in 2007 to chase kudu again, and depending on how much lunch money I save... maybe bush buck too... we'll see!

Some great kudus here.

Ivan, was your Kudu very old? It is the first time that I see ribs so clearly on a kudu.

Cheers,
CL

Dan Hunsaker's kudu taken with a bow.

I don't know where.

I hunted with Mbalabala Safaris, PH and outfitter Charlie Stanton in Zimbabwe. We hunted in the lowveld for plains game , freerange and saw dozens of big bulls most days. Mine went 52", while another hunter in camp took a 59" and his wife a 54".
Photo of my kudu 52"

Eland Slayer
I have an outfitter in Namibia thats hunts the eastern side of Namibia for really good quality Greater Kudu. They take most of the bulls over 50 and 2 over 60" last season. I personally videoed a bull 58 1/2 getting taken. I also saw personally a 60" + bull and they have lots of Kudu in the area. Plan a few days to focus on kudu, May during the rut would be my choice and I am sure you will be happy. They are priced very well and if your interested get back with me off the form. This PH will be state side January 17 to Feb 7 so if you would like to talk with him in person at Reno or Dallas it can be arranged.
Don

quote:

Ivan, was your Kudu very old? It is the first time that I see ribs so clearly on a kudu.

Yes he was very old and suffreing from the drought.

HI THER

I must admit there is some great kudu photos, so I just want too add some of mine,

I am trying to scan some of the alst months photos, as we are ahving a drought and the big bulls started showing themselves some more

Some was hunted by clients and the live ones are still out there

Damn

My fingers and this keyboard does not connect where I want them too, the first kudu is a frienf of mine we shot the first and last kudu 9mine)plus one who's picture is missing on the same day as management hunt bulls !!!

Oh yeah

The first one is a friend of mine, he shot two in one day I will try and find the picture of the second one

Kwan, I really like the your buddy? and the bull in the third picture. That is a beautiful bull!!! The others are very nice as well.

Do you run a hunting operation? If so do you have a website?

I returned from Namibia on Nov. 18th of 2005 after having hunted with two friends at the Waterburg Big Game Lodge. Their web site is under WABI. I took a 58.5 inch Kudu, and one friend took a 63". (As green scored by our PH) We saw many Kudu bulls, including one much bigger than the ones we took. WABI is a top notch outfit, great accomadations and some really great trophies available. Best of trip was a Waterbuck our third hunter took. Great bull.

quote:

Originally posted by jbderunz:
Dan Hunsaker's kudu taken with a bow.

I don't know where.

Dan's response :
JB,
He was taken near Thabazimbe, RSA.
A great area for BIG Kudu.
This bull is 58.5, but my largest is 59.5.
We (wife /daughter) have taken 7 Kudu over 58" all with a bow.
A great story, when I shot mine it was #5 in the world with a bow. Two years later it is #3 in my FAMILY. Daughter has a 59 15/16, wife shot a true 60' bull last year.
Big Kudu bulls are like cocaine or big bull Elk, very addictive.
Merry Christmas to all,
Dan

WHAT A FAMILY

Jean,

How old is this daughter?????

So, that's my problem ...

I didn't know I was supposed to use a pointer to "point" the kudu...

quote:

Originally posted by Don_G:
Jean,

How old is this daughter?????

Hi Don,

I don't know. This splendid fellow has always something kept hiden. Have a look at the FOB fletching website, there he is everywhere.
500 grains sent me a couple of VCR Videos. Guess who was the guy who shot an ele bull with a Mathews : our Dan Hunsaker. Sure a discreet guy. I think more can be learnt.
In any cases, that's some kudus.

In 3 weeks I'll be in the CAR. The 82# Bowtech is breaking my back almost every day and I suffered from a lumbago for 14 days. Could be the Mathews LX revenge. It doesn't accept to be lleft home.
Good luck, Merry Christmas and Happy new year

quote:

Originally posted by Eland Slayer:
Hello everyone. I think I've given up on Hunters Namibia Safaris. Joof just raised his prices too much for us. Oh well. I've got a new question for ya'll. My parents and I really want to center our safari around BIG Kudu. I won't even shoot one under 52" and I would really prefer one around 55". We want to either go to Namibia or South Africa. Anybody know of some places that have an abundance of this quality of Kudu at a reasonable price. Let me know yall's thoughts. I would really appreciate it!

Contact Schalk Van Heerden at http://www.bushafricasafaris.co.za/. I shot a 54" and stupidly passed on a 58"+ a couple of days later. I will never make that mistake again!

He was the SA PH Of The Year a couple of years back. I am going again in 2007 with him.

I wonder where my bull fits in the record books? He was 61 3/4 on the long side and taken with archery equipment.

quote:

Originally posted by Aspen Hill Adventures:
I wonder where my bull fits in the record books? He was 61 3/4 on the long side and taken with archery equipment.

Ann,

I think You are in the very first places, no doubt. Please check. I'd be over-pleased that You be in the first 3.
Merry Christmas

I really saw some magnificent bulls. Congratulations guys these are really trophies to be proud of. There are just something about these magestic kudu bulls.

Here is one we took with a Parker bow set at 62# earlier in the season. He measured 58.5 "

I will post this picture later - PHOTOBUCKET is down.


Merry Christmas to you all!

quote:

Originally posted by Zingeli_Safaris:
I really saw some magnificent bulls. Congratulations guys these are really trophies to be proud of. There are just something about these magestic kudu bulls.

Here is one we took with a Parker bow set at 62# earlier in the season. He measured 58.5 "

I will post this picture later - PHOTOBUCKET is down.


Merry Christmas to you all!

They are up and running again

I think we're getting ready to book with Dirk Rohrmann of Okanduka Seibe in Namibia. Atticus highly recommended him and we have talked to several references and no one had anything but praise for Dirk. We'll be going in late June, early July of 2007 for 14 days. I'll be after Kudu, Gemsbok, Hartebeest, Mtn. Zebra, Burchell's Zebra, Impala, Blesbok, Springbok, Warthog, Klipspringer, Duiker, Steenbok, and maybe some more. I can't wait! Ya'll have been tons of help. Without Atticus' report, I would have never even found out about Dirk and Okanduka Seibe.

Hunt in Lydenburg / Ohrigstad RSA and make a Free Range Kudu hunt without bloody Fences you will by totally satisfied even is only 53 ´´ Kudu.

Regards
seloushunter1

Kudu and eland are not contained by game fences, they routinely jump them when ever they want.

I have to agree with Ann, especially when Kudu are concerned. In fact, I saw two kudu jump (break through) a game fence onto an adjoining property. The first one simply hit it head on and three strands of wire broke. The second one followed the first. We were just driving around taking photos when this occurred.

Eland, like any large animal can break through or jump fences on occassion.

I have been in S-A and i have been so lucky to get a 55"+ eastern cape kudu.

let me know if you want to know where!

http://www.sluttstykket.com/portal/index.php?option=com...ge=viewtopic&t=13084

Gentlemen,

Shooting a big kudu is rather simple. Here is the formula:

1. Book a hunt on Roger Whittall's Humani ranch during in Sept or Oct when the leaves are off.

2. Hunt hard every day.

The 60 inch kudu above took me a total of 45 minutes of hunting. We saw at least two 55"+ kudu every day even when we were not hunting them.

I shot my 60 1/2" x 59 1/2" kudu in Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa on the Fugitives Drift Game Reserve just a few kilometers from the famous Rorkes Drift battlefield while hunting with Coenraad Vermaak Safaris

You should try Bushafricasafaris, Elisras, RSA, that is in the extreme NW portion of the RSA near the Limpopo River. They have a lot of nice Kudu mostly behind high fences, which don't stop a kudu if it wants to cross the fence. In my party, I took a 56 inch, and there were two 54s. The PH is very picky about what you shoot, so don't expect a shot at a trophy kudu right away, and when the shot does come, be ready for a fast one because the bushvelde is dense, like parts of the Texas Hill Country. Took mine with an offhand 125 yard snap shot with a .30-06 and handloads. One other comment, you need a lot of room to get a kudu on the wall. Mine protrudes three and a half feet, as done by Mike Simpson's Conroe Taxidermy in Conroe, Texas.
LLS
Mannlicher Collector

I took a 56 1/2" Kudu in Zimbabwe.

Neil Summers

sent me his catalog. Hunt N°05-72 is in Sout Africa in MELORANI , a privately owned reserve. The current world record greater Kudu was harvested at Melorani (64 inches)..

look at NEIL
- choose South Africa
- click on " Click here for a sample hunt"

The Limpopo Province of RSA has some very impressive Kudu Bulls. The outfitter that I hunt with is Bertus Gerhardt of Dumukwa Safaris www.dumukwa.com Took a 57 1/2 inch Bull, and most that go with him take 53+, with many going over 55. While I hunted there after taking my bull, saw a bigger one, and blew the stalk (that's bow hunting).

53 but not 52, hopefully 55...blah blah, getting a good tophy is great and its fun to work for it, for sure, but so what if its 51 not 53???
Kudu bulls are amazing to hunt and a great experience even if they (God forbid) are 49"!!

I am with Mac and Steve-Shakari....try your best for a booner bull but leave the tape measure at home. Sure its nice to get an award at a formal dinner and think chicks dig you because your horn (sorry the kudu's horn) is bigger than the next guys.

Say what you like, at 17 you should be getting out there learning...and absorbing as much as you can about where you are and the ecology, geography etc etc...no matter how old you are in fact, enjoying the essence of it. I love to chase trophies if I can but chasing the ultimate end of the numerical score, I feel, belongs on the silhouette or hunting rifle competition range...

Just the sentiments from a young 30 year old!

Another reason for not worrying about the amount of inches too much is shown in this thread......take a careful read through it and not how many times there's mention of misjudged trophy size and how often people comment on things like deep curls when they aren't particularly deep........ most people can't tell the difference between average and good trophy quality without a tape measure anyway.

As with most if not all hunting the quality of the hunt is the thing you'll remember long after you've forgotten the measurement in inches.