Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Gemsbok Rug

Headed to Namibia to hunt with Kowas Adventure Safaris in 9 Days!!

Like most people, the biggest worry about my hunt is related to taxidermy.

This is my first African hunt and as such I really want to bring home some mounts. The HQ and I are house hunting right now, and my current home is somewhat limited on taller wall space. The wife is totally up for me bringing stuff home, including pointing out in potential houses where I could hang my animals. (She is a keeper).

As I really don't know where i will be living when the loot shows up in roughly a year, I'm thinking of shoulder mounting a kudu (hopefully), maybe a springbok and an impala, and possibly euro mounting a gemsbok (again, hopefully) and making a rug with the hide.

I've heard that gemsbok don't make a durable rug, but it sure seems that hide would be beautiful on the floor. Does anyone have any input?

Thanks.

Timeoff2fish

FWIW, My PH told me that was not the hide I wanted to use for a rug. I believe he said the hair was too brittle to hold up well. I'm sure there are others who can chime in here.

Don't walk on it, and get it properly stretched if you go the flatskin route. Ours is wavy and the hair breaks along the ridges...

Pedestal mounts may be the ticket for you. I have pedestal mounts of zebra, kudu, oryx, and hartebeest- all taken at Kowas and have no issues with 8 foot ceilings. You will have a great time with Danie and Ansie. Don't overlook the small antelope- Kowas has some outstanding steenbok.

+1 on outstanding steenbok at Kowas. I was with Larry Kolek when he took a very nice trophy, please see below:

http://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/1821043/m/4081053471?r=9381091571#9381091571

I've been to Kowas twice and you can be rest assured that Danie and Ansie always do their utmost to please their guests.
Another gent who goes by the moniker of Biebs was with us and we all had a great time. I'm confident that you are the rest of your party will enjoy your stay.
Best of luck on your hunt!

Got one...Hair too brittle.....

Yeah, they don't last nearly like blue wildebeest.

I have a tanned gemsbok hide but use it strictly for photo backgrounds. Otherwise it's hung up where it won't get walked on.

My "Hemsbok" uses a pedistal mount but it's attached to the wall......and the backskin adorns the back of my couch.

If you're going to Africa by all means the first time get the taxidermy done.....you might not ever go again.....but will always want to

Exactamundo. Blue Wildebeest make a cool rug as do Hartebeest.

We have a zebra run in the living room that gets walked on daily and it holds up great although the tail is positioned under the sofa and and the mane is outside the normal walk path. We also have a springbok hide in the high traffic bathroom that has held up very well but it did loose its tail to a vacuum incident. I shot the zebra but purchased on the springbok from the Namibian market.

Have the Gemsbok done as a pedestal mount and have the back skin tanned to drape over a sofa or love seat. I have seen a Cape Buffalo mount done on a pedestal with Gemsbok hide on the pedestal itself. Very handsome indeed. We have 12 back skins from the PG animals we took on 2 trips to RSA. Each has a place over an end table, a sofa, a love seat, in a window well on so on. The skins are trophies also and regarded as such. You will not be sorry. MTG

I second this. My blue wildebeest holds up well as a rug, and my gemsbok back skin is awfully fragile.

gemsbok is very similar to pronghorn antelope in regard to hair -- short, brittle, hollow hairs that break and slip easily.

keep it stationary and off the ground!

I used emsbok backskin on the back of my easy chair but found it made me itchy in the summer. I do love the shoulder mount though. My daughters say the eyes follow you as you walk around the room. I would not be surprised.

Alternate idea have hides tanned into leather and make a briefcase. Out of one gemsbok! one kudu, one eland came 3 briefcase one purse and other bits.

Just a thought.

Same as others have mentioned - Gemsbok hairs are to brittle for rugs. Can be used for tossing over the backs of chairs/couches but the hair will just not stand up for long. Another way the Europeans display them is as flat skins with no backing as wall hangings.

The coolest/nicest feeling on bare feet are Red Heartebeast flat skins with no backing next the bed. Soft on the toes and hold up very well. Same goes for Blue Wildebeast. Those need to be in a place of good lighting so you can clearly see the "Brindle".

I'll find out about Black Wildebeast flat skins when I bring this years back with us next year.

Edited to Add: The same brittle hair problem also seems to occur with the Scimitar Horn Oryx tanned flat skins. I shot two of them (culls for the meat) in TX two years ago. The hair doesn't "slip" it just brakes off at/near skin level. This might just be a trait of the Oryx species.

I agree on the fragility of the hair on the gemsbok. As someone said, it is exactly like a pronghorn. Hollow and brittle, not the best combo for the floor.

Yes, do the shoulder mount. They are a beautiful animal and in the grand scheme of things, what's another $500 on top of a hunt, flight, and shipping of trophies?

I had throw pillows made out of my Gemsbok backskins, but they are used in a way that they are seen, but don't get any real use. I really like blue wildebeest and blesbok skins for rugs. Impala and springbok make great throws over the backs of leather chairs.

On a side note, the wife says if anyone breaks in she could use the Gemsbok horns as a weapon. They are sharp!!

That was the original purpose for them after all.