Judge my trophy scores

[Cam Moon]

Reading through some of the responses I got the feeling that @Chago was being unduly chastised and I didn't see why. I totally "like" the comments @Tbitty posted. I've read through Chago's hunting report and didn't get the feeling that he's hung up on size or inches at all. He seemed to me to really respect the true aspect of the hunt. Quite noticably when I read about his experience with his Sable. I feel that he's excited to have received his mounts, and is trying to educate himself more than anything. I for one find nothing wrong with that. I get the vibe that he is a hunter who respects the animals and respects the hunt. Does he want to know how his "measures up"? Yup. Who doesn't? I mean REALLY? Who doesn't care at all, one single bit? And be honest with yourself. For me, the most important is always the hunt itself, but all things equal (fair chase, patience, hard work, clean shot, age, etc) I'd be happier with one that scores higher than lower. I get the feeling that he's the same way. And I think most everyone else is too. My2©

 

[Cam Moon]

Just watched the video. That's as close to 30" as shit is to swearing!

 

[IvW]

Ok I made a video alone. Harder then I thought. I used a piece of scotch tape so no one would say that while going around the spiral with a measuring tape. That maybe my hand slipped or whatever. So I used a piece of tape. It didn't stick very well, but enough to hold for me to maneuver the horn in the cameras view. So based on that measurement were at 29 15/16. But I think we can agree I left a 16th at the forehead end. So I think we are closer to 30 then not. So I can't explain why it's 30. I can't explain where the inches come from. But I've now measured it more times then I would like to admit. I'm 6'4. So maybe in the field pictures your not giving the overall length enough credit because I'm tall. Video attached.

https://amico.box.com/s/1degd0lgw3lkfe8s72bboq3362923zln

Strange way of measuring horns...I use a steel cable with lock slider and a steel tape....I ques the white sticky tape is non stretch....

 

[Chago]

Strange way of measuring horns...I use a steel cable with lock slider and a steel tape....I ques the white sticky tape is non stretch....

Ya I have seen professional Boone and Crockett scorers do that on my deer. On all my other animals I am never worried about being that accurate. I'll take a lower number by a quarter of a inch I don't care. The flexible tape you see in the video is normally what I use on all animals. It's good enough for th girls I date.... Lol

I just used actual scotch tape. To show that I wasn't doing any funny business. I didn't want the camera angle to change and people question if my hand may have moved etc. So I took a piece of tape and stuck it along the spiral. That way it would be very visible from start to finish. Then just measure the tape. Again if I'm off by a 8th or a 16th, I'll take the lower score. I'm not that hung up on it. But I think we can agree. That's classified as a 30" nyala. Or a 29 and 15/16th for the purists.

 

[Chago]

I agree with Chago's thought process here and offer the following analogy.

In sports, we compete for a championship trophy and to compare our stats against others. There are winners and losers and evaluations of better or worse. Some are praised for "doing it the right way" and others are shamed as cheaters.

Hunting is a sport. There are trophies animals, and we judge them as better or worse based on tangible assets (age and size in inches and mass). We praise hunters that embrace the idea of the sport to fair chase their dream animal. We despise poachers or those who give hunting a bad name for any variety of reasons.

There is no shame in asking what defines above or below average, nor in wanting to learn how an animal stacks up. I am also an Africa novice, and have no idea if my animals were "big or small." I trust my PH did me right, and I enjoyed the hunt of each and every animal I took, with no regrets or disappointment. But you can bet that I will absolutely take my own tape measure to them when I pick them up from the taxidermist and get them home. My blesbuck was one of the greatest hunts of my life (read about it in my hunt review thread), and that wont change if he is considered small.

In summary, wanting to know what the inches mean, and using the word trophy, does not mean a hunter should be looked down upon.

I 100% agree on the blesbuck. I had zero intention of hunting them prior to Africa. As a matter of fact, I thought they were very ugly lol. But when I was in the mountains hunting kudu. I kept seeing the herd way up at the top like a mountain goat hunt. And I was like I got to chase these guys. So I ended my hunt with going to the top of that mountain to hunt them. And for sure one of the highlights of my trip. And I even mounted his ugly ass just so I can share the hunting story with those who come over and see the mount. Hands down I would strongly suggest it to anyone who loves mountain hunts.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Interesting how the terrain played such a great part of your Blesbok hunt. Typically, they are running around in lower ground grass fields.
Guess it just depends on the farm/concession you hunt.
Good memory for you.

 

[Red Leg]

Interesting how the terrain played such a great part of your Blesbok hunt. Typically, they are running around in lower ground grass fields.
Guess it just depends on the farm/concession you hunt.
Good memory for you.

More often standing around stupidly in grassy fields.

 

[sestoppelman]

More often standing around stupidly in grassy fields.

Unless the wind is blowing, then they act more like gnu!

 

[buck wild]

I'll answer the question you have asked. IMO these would be low fence WT equivalents in a quality WT area

Sable – 170

Kudu – 115

Nyala- 180

Impala- 165

Blesbok- 170

Gemsbok- 140

And as someone already noted, the wildebeast can be measured albeit it slightly different way.

 

[Tbitty]

I 100% agree on the blesbuck. I had zero intention of hunting them prior to Africa. As a matter of fact, I thought they were very ugly lol. But when I was in the mountains hunting kudu. I kept seeing the herd way up at the top like a mountain goat hunt. And I was like I got to chase these guys. So I ended my hunt with going to the top of that mountain to hunt them. And for sure one of the highlights of my trip. And I even mounted his ugly ass just so I can share the hunting story with those who come over and see the mount. Hands down I would strongly suggest it to anyone who loves mountain hunts.

This is one of the great things about Africa. I actually really like the way the blesbuck looks, while you consider them ugly. Mine was a "dumb plains animal" but it was the hunt with my brother and how it played out that made it so fun. I've added the link to my post if you care to read it.

https://www.africahunting.com/threa...safari-the-experience-things-i-learned.54136/

12th post if I counted correctly. Look for the pic of blesbuck.

 

[Tally-Ho HUNTING SAFARIS]

hey all

so all the animals barring the kudu and oryx are great trophies
the oryx and kudu i am sure were great hunts and thats all that really counts

photos are extrememly deceptive and what may be average looking in one pic can look great in another pic
its all about how you position the animal, the horns, and the camera

so while your nyala may not look so long on the photo i can believe its a 30", from experience.

looks like you had a fantastic hunt that time around, time to get back and add a few more species

regards

 

[Chago]

Interesting how the terrain played such a great part of your Blesbok hunt. Typically, they are running around in lower ground grass fields.
Guess it just depends on the farm/concession you hunt.
Good memory for you.

Yes again. This was my first exposure to Africa. And prior to going Africa was never really on my list of things to do. So I never really knew a whole lot about the animals and how they live.
I think I had said in my trip review. I only went because a big group of guys I hunt with decided to go. And because of that it was a really good price. So I said sure the hell with it. It wasn't until I got there that I was hooked and realized this is a place I love to hunt.

So going into this with zero knowledge. I was literally googling each specie that was apart of my package. To even see what they were. Of course I knew the major ones like Impala and kudu. But everything else I have never seen. Other than in lion king hahaha. So everything I saw on that trip determined my opinion on certain species. A lot of times on this forum I'll put in brackets (my experience) because I'm fully aware I could have experienced something that was not the norm. It's just what I experienced in my short first trip. For example my Sable being no different then hunting a farm cow. But then like I said. My blesbuck being an entire day at the top of these rugged mountains. Truly like hunting a mountain goat or a ibex. It was a blast.