Differences in trophy quality of Hippo bull & cow?

[Therack]

Reading hunt offers on Hippo some don’t specify bull or cow. I’m looking at doing a European mount. Is there a difference in the trophy quality or tusk size between bull and cow? Do I need to specify bull or cow in the contract?

Along the same lines is there a difference in bull and cow giraffe?

 

[spekieries]

Hippo I don't know , however giraffe bulls get way bigger than giraffe cows. Some bulls also become very dark. I shot a huge bull that had lite coloration.

 

[IvW]

Male hippo have much larger tusks then females reaching 24 - 28 inches long , due to the extreme size of these lower tusks they would push up against the top jaw and lips forming a large bulge or bumps next to the nostrils. The tusks of the cow hippo are not nearly as long as that of the bull and therefore do not have the same effect on the upper lip. On average a third of the tusk of a bull hippo can be seen in the mouth whilst two thirds are located inside of the jaw bone.

Bulls are larger and usually darker. The bony growth resembling short horns on their heads are actually hair growth. The horns of Bulls are more symmetrical and much thicker than cows. Bulls usually has no tufts or hardly any compared to cows that have tufts of hair on the horns. Old bulls also develop a "roman nose".

Bull on the left, calf and cow on the right.

Old Black bull showing the roman nose.

With Giraffe as well as Hippo for throphy's it is better to shoot bulls unless you get the cows at a good price.

 

[BRICKBURN]

............
Along the same lines is there a difference in bull and cow giraffe?

 

[CAustin]

Reading hunt offers on Hippo some don’t specify bull or cow. I’m looking at doing a European mount. Is there a difference in the trophy quality or tusk size between bull and cow? Do I need to specify bull or cow in the contract?

Along the same lines is there a difference in bull and cow giraffe?

You thinking about hippo this year? I’m going back to give it another try.

 

[BRICKBURN]

As @IvW said the difference in teeth can be seen in those bumps.
(Male, Female, Male.)

 

[CAustin]

As @IvW said the difference in teeth can be seen in those bumps.
(Male, Female, Male.)

View attachment 222025 View attachment 222026 View attachment 222027

Bottom bull looks like a real shooter!

 

[Red Leg]

Middle one looks like my sister-in-law's aunt.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Middle one looks like my sister-in-law's aunt.

That's scary.

 

[IvW]

Middle one looks like my sister-in-law's aunt.

 

[Shootist43]

IvW, thanks for sharing your knowledge of how to identify bull and cow hippos while they are in the water. Previously I've wondered how that was done.

 

[billc]

That last of the 3 hippo pictures is one great action shot. What a monster he is and a look only a mother could love.

 

[IvW]

IvW, thanks for sharing your knowledge of how to identify bull and cow hippos while they are in the water. Previously I've wondered how that was done.

You are welcome. A few other pointers would be:

Bulls are often found a short distance away from the pod.(Highly territorial and protective of the pod).
Bulkier more thickset neck with bulges(more muscle) behind the ears at the start of the neck.(easily visible in the pictures Brickburn posted).
Often the bulges or ridges above the eye are bigger, more pronounced and are duller in colour than the cows.
A bulls head is larger (longer and broader) in comparison to its body size than that of cows.
Scarred up body with cuts and marks from fighting.
Yawning is part of the bulls territorial and dominance display. Cows also yawn but not as frequently as bulls.
Presence of young calf. Young calves stay away from the dominant bull and are always close to the mother.

 

[Therack]

You thinking about hippo this year? I’m going back to give it another try.

Always thinking!!!!!