Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Good Areas for Kudu?

I hunted in Namibia in 2010 on a great 90,000 acre Farm. The Farm was highly recommended for it's Plains Game and it was excellent, with the exception of Kudu. When we were making Ire plans for the Safari we were lead to believe that Kudu were no problem. After we arrived and started the hunt we never saw any real trophy quality Kudu and were encouraged to pursue other Game. After a lot of negative comments and expressing to the Owner that we felt we were mislead by the main PH, he took us next door to his fathers Farm where he grew up and managed to get a couple of 50" Kudu. After getting home and doing a little research I deduced that there was probably a die off due to rabies and that they were rebuilding the herd.
So here is my question. Where would you go for Greater Southern Kudu?

Louie,
I am sure you will get a lot of answers to that question, so stay tuned.
As for my self, I hunted the Eastern Cape last year, I did get a (what I think) nice Kudu, the horns were only 42 inch, most folks would say "its too small"...but we (my PH & I) looked for 3 days before we found any Kudu,,, for this one I climbed the side of an 800 foot 'mountain'.....that's what they called it, I thought is was a very steep hill. Anyway, I did not see a herd of Kudu, not in the same way I saw Springbok, Wildebeest, Impala, Sable....etc.
However, I am sure folks on the 'fire will get you some ideas.

Thanks for the response. I believe the Eastern Cape Kudu is a smaller variety of Kudu than the Greater Southern Kudu and 42" might be better than you think. Regardless it sounds like a good and challenging hunt which makes it a "Trophy"

Crusader Safaris has unfenced hunting areas, access to Eastern Cape and Southern Greater both. Greg Rodriguez used to book for them. (I miss him very much, BTW.) http://www.crusadersafaris.com/

We have Kudu taken every year in the mid to upper 50's. Over the last ten years several over 60 have been taken. They are here in healthy populations

I've got plenty of references PM me your number. The EC does not have big greater kudu unless farmed or relocated. They are not naturally occurring in that region. There are both EC kudu, a smaller species, and hybrids from cross breeds of greater kudu which have been Transplanted to the region.

The Cape Kudu found in the Eastern Cape was isolated from the rest of the populations over Africa many years ago. We believe that is is due to vegetation that they are lesser in size and trophy quality to the Southern Greater Kudu further North. The urban legend goes that their dark color comes from eating the wild olive leaves, and same goes for our Cape Bushbuck.
So, how can you say they are not naturally occurring here?

Sorry maybe I did not write clearly!

The greater kudu is not indiginous to the EC

The lesser kudu is

Kudu harvested in that region over 50" are likely greater kudu transplants or hybrids. The record books and my school books clearly show the geographical distribution of the different sub species.

I figure DNA is the only way to determine species. I guess I got spoiled in Zim even though I realize things have changed and the last time I hunted kudu was in 05, but a 50" Southern Greater Kudu is pretty mediocre. I hunted what is now part of the Bubye Conservancy in Zimbabwe, but in my opinion big kudu are pretty ubiquitous to the whole area, they key is to find a good outfitter/PH (and JJ and Marius most definitively fit that description!).

Personally I have shot a 52" bull on a low fenced farm, and there are no high fenced areas near there.This was however many years ago, and before the day and age of how serious operations have become with the international markets and introducing game etc.
One of the areas that we use to hunt for fallow deer, they took a 56" bull, also low fenced and in the center of all commercial sheep farms. That bull was not the prettiest bull shape wise, but 56" non-the-less.
Those two bulls were certainly not hybrids or Southern Greater bulls.
We use to hunt a place that was located in the center of 100K acres of conservancy (no hunting) land. This year, I saw a bull that would have given 55" a go and I know for a fact that no Kudu has ever been introduced there. Nature conservation don't take kindly to such things and the owner bought that piece from government. This bull however was impossible to even get a sniff at. It was so thick there, I even checked if my hunter could not get a shot off from out of a tree about 9ft up. When I found him again, he was 600yds, so guess that is why he is that big.

Although I understand the point you are trying to make HACK, I believe that the sizes of these bulls that I mentioned in the post was a direct result of the the size of the areas that they roamed. We all know that no Kudu gets stopped by a fence, even a high fence. This is what made this gem of a place in the center of that conservancy such a great spot. They had this constant feed of bulls chasing after their cows. These are bulls that roam 100K acres and have not been hunted in 10,12 years.
So, my theory is that it depends on the size of the land. I don't argue that our Kudu are smaller in body and in horn, they are prettier though.
My point is just that there are still some big pure Eastern Cape bulls around which clears 50". We don't get to hunt the hybrids, as they are in the same price range as your Northern Kudu where the EC Kudu is quite a bit cheaper.
You spot a Hybrid or Southern Greater Kudu immediately if you are familiar with the Eastern Cape Kudu.

You know Jorge, funny that you should bring up the topic of DNA. I am certainly not going into discussion about sub-species here and everyone has their own opinion, I am merely stating the findings, but the academy here in the Eastern Cape where I did my PH license, did tests the same year as what our group attended the school. Their finding was that the Cape Kudu was indeed a sub-specie to the Southern Greater Kudu. SCI accepts the results of these tests, but not our own measuring system in Rowland Ward. Therefore, you will see that SCI actually has a standard for Cape Kudu. Rowland Ward puts the Cape Kudu and Southern Greater Kudu in the same category so qualification is one standard.

Ethiopia, Kenya and environs for lesser kudu. Consult Safari Classics / Peter Flack's book, "Hunting The Spiral Horns : Kudu" for specifics.

Western greater, Abyssinian greater, East African greater, Southern greater and Eastern Cape greater kudus compose the variants of T. strepsiceros (not T. imberbis).

I agree with Jorge. Southern Zimbabwe would be my choice. I took a 55" in 2001 and having been back three times since, I could have equaled or bettered my first. I'm just holding out now for that 60"+ monster.

Mike

agazain,

Wow you nailed that! it's correct that the name or description is incorrect! I typed Lesser, when the intent was cape Kudu. The terms you point out are actually spot on!

Marius, your are absolutely right that the Cape Kudu are by a wide margin a better looking kudu. The hide quality is much better. Along the lines of a Common eland when compared to a Lord Derby eland

All fascinating stuff and I must admit a LESSER Kudu would be something I would love to hunt one day!
But on the topic at hand, here's my best trophy of my hunting life: 58 3/4" 137 1/8 SCI (I never entered him or any of my trophies, I just pull the trigger when my PH says "shoot" )

That is a helluva bull Jorge. Just love those deep curls.

Thanks! And I hate to admit this, but it was one of my easiest animals to take. Whilst driving a riverbed, he was up on the bank and bolted when he saw us. We slowed down, the Tracker and I bailed and the truck kept going. We climbed up the bank and there he was about 125 yards away quartering away. I put a 300gr Swift A frame "splitting" the front legs, shot went in behind the shoulder and came out his chest. Ran about 40 yards and dropped. It was a GREAT experience!

I shot a nice one, either 54.5 or 55.5, don't remember which in Namibia about 2002 or so. The area has occasional problems with rabies from time to time, so I don't know how it is now.

I have seen a lot of good Kudu in the Northern Transvaal. I took a 55" one near the town of Warm Bath's or what they now call Bella Bella. I've also seen some nice ones up near Potgietersrus.

bb

Can't talk to all of Namibia, but in 2010 the area around Kamanjab (500KM NW of of Windhoek) was hit hard with a strain of rabies that effects mostly old bull Kudu. Seems to leave the cows and young bull alone. Our friend's place (Sebra Hunts) was really hit hard. It was a crying shame to drive by all the dead 55"+ bulls laying around in 2010. A few old granddads seemed to escape the ravages of it though.

My wife shot a 59" (337.5cm) with a monster body (skinned and dressed carcase weight 265KG)in 2012 and I got one 60" (353.0cm) this year. He also had two 55"+ that died fighting each other this year while we were there.

I don't post photos but if someone PM's me with an email, I'll email them photos of each and the NAPHA Fields Gold Medal Certs to post.

So in light of the rabies situation, is Sebra still a good place for big kudu?