Kudu Terminology Curls vs Turns

[TEX84]

I see a lot of conflicting terminology when describing Kudu horns. Here's the way I see it: a kudu will rarely have more than two full curls. A magnificent kudu with tips that point out will have three turns, but only two curls. See the attached picture. Anybody agree?

 

[Gazi]

I'll go with that. Here's the way I see it: That Kudu would look great on my wall...bam! Honestly, I've never fully understood or been able to figure out the curl/turn assessment. Lately, I've been focused on "depth of curl" as the key to long length. Yeah, that's hard to do as well. All in all that's a great picture and description. Thanks!

 

[bluey]

that's how l see it .....

 

[Scott Slough]

The spiral is continuous so the concept of a "turn" doesn't make sense to me. But that is a gorgeous kudu!

 

[Billcollector]

I can not ever figure this out. I always rely on my PH to tell me if it is the one. I have been searching for a big wide Kudu for many years now...looking for something 57 plus that is wide. I have actually turned down something around 60 that was tight. They just do not do it for me.

 

[Adrian]

That's the way I see it too. A curl is the descriptive term for the shape whereas a turn is a more 'technical' way of describing the features of that curl.

For example: A kudu has curly horns as opposed to turny horns.

A curl can be shallow or deep but either one still has a turn to it.

The horn tips turn in or out but no-one I've seen says they curl in or out.

 

[bluey]

l always say the tips point either in or out ,even up

 

[CAustin]

Billcollector if a 60" Kudu steps in front of me tight or wide he is going on my wall. I've got a wide 54 1/4 inch one and he is cool but my son got a 50" bull that was tight and I like him just as well. Maybe one of our resident PHs can educate us all on curl vs turns!

 

[johnnyblues]

All I know is if my PH starts to stutter about shooting a kudu I'm shooting and asking questions later.

 

[TEX84]

CAustin, I would say that your kudu has maybe 1 and 3/4 curls and your son's has 1 and 1/2 curls.

 

[Andrew McLaren]

I will not comment on the use of "curls" at all. Here is how my PH mentor, the late Jan Marais, taught me:

If you draw a line from the start of the horn more or less in the direction of where the start points to, you will see that the line is pointing AWAY from the center-line of the kudu's head. In the photo posted by the OP, just above his rectangle marked "1st Turn" the ridge along the spiral disappears from view. About this is the start of the first turn, because if you just go a bit higher, and again draw a line more or less in the direction of where the horn is pointing, this line now points INWARD, i.e. towards the center-line of the kudu head. The direction in which the horn points has changed from first pointing OUTWARDS to now pointing INWARDS - this change of direction is the " 1st Turn" on the horn.

Again with reference to the kudu picture posted by the OP: Just above the last bit of green of the tree directly behind the left horn the DIRECTION to which the horn is pointing changes to the OUTSIDE of the center-line of the kudu's head. This is the 2nd turn.

Again with reference to the kudu picture posted by the OP: Just below the point where the first very thin twigs of the tree on the left "disappears" behind the left horn, the direction to where the horn points again changes to now point INWARDS, towards the center-line of the kudu's head. This is the 3rd turn on this particular kudu.

Again with reference to the kudu picture posted by the OP: At about the point where two slightly thicker twigs seems to "disappear" behind the left hornthe direction changes again such that the horn now points OUTWARDS away from the center-line of the kudu's head. This is the 4th turn on this kudu's left horn. So this kudu is a 4-Turn kudu! A good well aged specimen of which the horn-tips point decidedly OUTWARDS.

Just for completeness of my reply, please note that both CAustin's kudu, as well as the one shot by his son, are 3-Turn kudu, in which the final horntips point INWARDS.

Summary: The term "turn of a kudu horns" refers to the change of "pointing" direction from towards the OUTSIDE to the INSIDE, and visa versa, of the center-line of the kudu's head.

 

[UKHunter]

Interesting topic and points being made. I guess everyone has their preference on whatever animal they hunt. When I get round to hunting a Kudu I will be looking for one with wide horns, 2 complete curls and ivory tips pointing out at the top. Just like the OP's picture. I have to say the ones that don't fulfil this criteria have no appeal to my preference in horn shape for Kudu.

 

[BRICKBURN]

I'd call it a 2 and half curl Bull.
I figure every "switch back" is a curl (following the outside silhouette of the horn) and the last one is about half way there.

 

[siml]

I agree it is a 2 and half curl bull, yet to see a 3 curl.

 

[Diamondhitch]

2 1/4 curl. If you look at the original picture on the horn that is marked curl, he 2nd curl line cuts across the horn instead of stopping at the inner edge which would match p the inner edge of the base, making it just past 2 full curls or 2 1/4 curls. If it continued around until it was facing directly up away from the base it would be 2 1/2 curls.

Turns is a relative term, since the horn "turns" evenly as it grows in a curl, the appearance of a turn is only an illusion which changes depending on the viewers angle. Assuming a frontal view, I see the original pic as inaccurate since it counts the turn right as it leaves the base as a turn despite the fact that it is also the point of origin.

Waynes pic is also flawed here since on the first 2 outer "turns" he counts the point where the horn intersects the outer limit of its turn as a "turn" yet when the tip interests the same point, it is only counted a 1/2 turn. This point would actually be very near a 3rd turn. The tip would need to point upwards to complete the "turn". Having said that the first "turn is labelled 1 but really only makes half a turn (inside to outside). If Waynes picture was labelled .5 - 1.5 - 2.5 turns it would be more accurate IMO.

If you ignore the base and count each "turn" as it passes the innermost point of the curl, then you get the exact same outcome as counting each true full curl of the horn and could be argued as best.

Andrew brings up a good point, since we are talking "turns" and "turns" are 2 dimensional and subject to perspective, really his method of counting each time the horn appears to change direction as a "turn" is the truest one for this terminology. Since neither the base nor tip "turn", but rather point, they are not include in the count.

That would make this a 4 turn Kudu (3/4 of the way to his 5th) that has 2 1/4 curls.

 

[TEX84]

I'll agree that it is a 2 and 1/4 curls. Revised picture attached.

I think the way to imagine the curls is like a full curl ram. When the horn completes 360 degrees, you get one curl. If you follow the horn of the kudu, you can see how many 360 degree turns the horn makes.

 

[BRICKBURN]

If you get anything like this guy with tips pointing out and decent depth to the curls I think we all know what to do!