Red deer are magnificent trophies and can be hunted in many parts of the world.

The European red deer is one of the world’s only game animals that can be found on every continent (except Antarctica). This big, beautiful deer is native to Europe and Asia, and various races are widespread on both continents. Less known, the Barbary red deer is native to North Africa. Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia still have populations of this native African deer.

Red deer have been widely introduced all over the place. Best-known introductions are Argentina and New Zealand, but there are also free-range populations in Australia and Chile. Red deer are relative common on hunting ranches in Texas, and there have been other introductions in North America.

So, if you want to hunt red stag, almost the entire world is your oyster. That makes it complicated! Probably best start with some basic questions. Is it important to hunt native range? How about free range? Want a big stag, or a good hunt for a nice stag? What about timing? Personally, I hate reality, but budget must always be part of the discussion.

NATIVE RANGE/FREE RANGE

Native range is simple: Throughout most of Europe, and into western Asia. The majority of red stag hunting in Eurasia is free range, but this issue is more complicated. The red deer has been farmed, ranched, and bred for so long that no region is completely free of high fences. In large areas, the experience suffers little, but if you insist on “wild and free,” then you must ask the hard questions.

Outside of Europe, Argentina and New Zealand are the primary destinations. Both have free range red deer in vast areas, but both countries have active deer breeding and game ranching industries, so the hunting is a mix. You can have either, even both, but it’s important to know. These days, there are some excellent red deer in Texas and elsewhere in North America, but free-range opportunities are unlikely.

HOW BIG A STAG?

The biggest European stags are probably in Eastern Europe. Bulgaria, Romania, and Hungary are especially famous for big stags. Spain has excellent red deer hunting, but the Spanish subspecies is smaller. Scotland also has fantastic stag hunting, but Scottish stags are also smaller.

In Europe, animals—especially large specimens—are traditionally priced by size (using the European CIC system that Americans don’t understand). Big stags of medal quality are expensive. Europeans are used to this; Americans are not. For us, the best situation is to find a “package” that puts allows a stag up to a certain size for a fixed price, as in bronze or silver medal. These can be good deals, but you must accept the gamekeeper or guide’s judgment; you may see stags bigger than you’re allowed to take (or willing to pay for).

Stalking stags in the Scottish Highlands is a matchless experience and generally free-range. Breeding of bigger stags is ongoing, but native “hill stags” are not large, and the hunt is really a harvest, where stalking on foot is an all-important art form. Stalking stags in Scotland is not expensive, but the “sports” are absolutely expected to go with the program. Expect to see magnificent “breeding stags” that are off-limits.

New Zealand is famous for producing the world’s largest red stags. Yes, but understand that deer farming (for venison and antler velvet) has been an industry in New Zealand for generations. In the 19^th Century, red deer were introduced in the rugged hills above the farmed valleys. Finding an ideal environment absent predators, they bred up to nuisance numbers. Original stock was of poor antler quality and didn’t magically improve. To this day, genuine free-range New Zealand stags have modest antlers.

Deer farmers brought in superior genetics and are producing magnificent stags, but New Zealand’s biggest stags are behind wire and, sad to say, the really big ones are typically in small pastures because of their value. This picture is changing. Between escapees and purposeful releases, New Zealand now has excellent unfenced stags in the hills above the deer farms, and on large fenced estates. However, in the back country, “genuine” free-range New Zealand stags still have modest antlers.

Red deer were introduced in Argentina’s Patagonia and La Pampa regions a century ago. They flourished and, unlike New Zealand, original releases came from good stock that produced. As a combination of antler quality, experience, and cost, Argentina probably offers the world’s best free-range red stag hunting. Free-range stags are rarely huge, but can be good. Typically, the hunting is on horseback with gauchos, and is a wonderful experience.

Argentina also has an active deer breeding industry, working hard to catch up with the Kiwis. So, as with New Zealand, there is a mix of free range and otherwise. Same-same, the biggest stags are behind wire. In both countries, hunts for “take ‘em as they come” stags, up to potentially excellent, are reasonable, usually less than a medium elk hunt in the Rockies. Want a really big stag? Doesn’t matter where, it will cost you. 

TIMING IS EVERYTHING

A big red stag is an amazing creature, with multi-tined crowns, thick beams, and a forest of points on each side. This may surprise you, but I’ve never shot a really big stag. I avoid fences as much as possible, and genuine free range is unusual for the biggest stags. Also, different strokes for different folks. It’s just not an animal I’ve been compelled to invest that heavily in.

That said, I’ve done a lot of stag hunting: Austria, eastern Europe, western Asia, England, Scotland, Spain; multiple times in Argentina and New Zealand. I’ve been beaten, of course, but I’ve also gotten lucky. I’ve missed the rut, too early and too late. That isn’t necessarily the kiss of death; it depends on terrain and vegetation. If you can see ‘em, you can hunt ‘em, but if the rut isn’t on, you won’t hear ‘em…and you’ll miss the real magic of hunting red deer.

They call it the “roar.” The first time I heard it, with Ricardo Medem in Spain, I had no idea what I was hearing. Honest, I thought it was a domestic cow calling to her calf. Wapiti bulls challenge with their lilting three-note bugle. European red deer roar. A deep, guttural, frightening sound that couldn’t possibly come from the throat of a deer. But it does. This is odd because our wapiti and their red deer are genetically close and interbreed freely, but the vocal challenge of mating males is altogether different. It is said that the “bugle” carries better and farther in open country, remembering that our wapiti were creatures of the Great Plains. The same theory suggests that the red stag’s “roar” carries better in European forests. Both sounds are fantastic…and altogether different.

With elk, catching the bugling is a matter of seasonality; in some states, only the bowhunters get a crack at it, and they are richer for the experience. With red deer, because of limited pressure and, often, privatization of wildlife, if you plan properly, you can catch the roar.

This could be a matter of restricted hunting pressure almost throughout the red deer’s range, but in my experience the red deer is more aggressive than the wapiti. Can’t tell you how many times (or places) I’ve been in the middle of them, stags roaring like lions. Maybe the best-ever wasn’t my stag. Donna’s turn, a horseback hunt up into the Andes above Bariloche, a deep-throated stag going crazy on an impossibly thick hillside. I stayed back with the horses while her guide carried on a conversation, drawing the stag in. Just feet, hidden gray body, and antlers through a screen of foliage at forty yards. How she found a hole to shoot through I have no idea. Antlers were thick and unusually long. Points could have been better, but it was the biggest-bodied red deer I’ve ever seen…and, to my eye, the best hundred-percent free-range stag in my experience. 

Because he is so widespread, the red deer offers a weird advantage: There are two “roars.” Yeah, only one per customer (or stag), but one in the Northern Hemisphere; another in the Southern.

It varies with area, but in Eurasia the red deer roar in late September and early October (likewise North America’s introduced stags). In South America and the South Pacific, the roar and antler cycle are opposite. Again, it varies by specific area and depends on weather, but figure late March through April. Sure, with luck and hard hunting, you can miss the roar and get a great stag, but you’re also missing hearing them screaming. So, as a North American, if I wanted a red stag, I’d first decide whether I wanted to hunt in our autumn or spring. In autumn, Scotland, Spain, eastern Europe; in spring, Argentina or South Pacific.

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Boddington noticed some interesting shifts in the equipment hunters chose to use on safaris in Africa in 2022.

In June 2022, I shared campfires in South Africa with a dozen-plus first-time African hunters. Being in camp with African newbies is fantastic, because I know no other way to almost recapture the wonder and magic of a first sojourn in Africa.

Initially, I joined a half-dozen friends at Carl van Zyl’s John X Safaris, then two groups of SCI auction hunt winners at the Burchell family’s Frontier Safaris. Both operations are in the Eastern Cape, but the areas have very different topographies. All of the hunters were on plains game safaris.

“Plains game” is a bit of a misnomer because not all African game lives on open plains. Many species prefer thick bush, others mountains. Most are antelopes, but don’t forget warthogs, bushpigs, and zebras. Variety is Africa’s greatest treasure and, in Southern Africa, the somewhat misnamed “plains game safari” is the best deal in the hunting world!

The first group of hunters consisted of experienced Midwest whitetail hunters; the second camp was mostly folks from the Rocky Mountain West, experienced elk hunters. Everybody wanted a kudu, and had other recognizable species like impala and warthog on their agendas, but most kept their options open. My first safari was long ago, but I guess I was obsessed by Africa before I got there; my early safari “wish lists” were detailed.  These hunters probably approached it correctly: See it, get a taste, decide what looks interesting. As in: “Oh, so that’s a hartebeest, cool!”

Beau Hammon was the lone bowhunter and the only guy who started with a sable on his wish list. At John X, Beau got his archery sable, a gorgeous bull. In fact, he did wonderfully with his bow by stalking, only using a rifle for his kudu. At Frontier, engineering professor Hamid Saadatmanesh, SCI auction hunt winner, hadn’t considered hunting a sable. I was with him when we glassed a fine bull; he hesitated about five seconds, and a stalk was on.

I did little hunting for myself, usually tagging along with one party or another. Thing is, there’s not much I need in Southern Africa, but it’s still a delight to enjoy the wildlife and share the excitement. And, I’m a gun guy. I like to see what’s being used, and what works.

Among these hunters, I observed two trends that, perhaps, reflect a shift in thinking on rifles and cartridges for African plains game. First, in both camps, the majority of the hunters opted to use camp rifles. This was usually because traveling with firearms adds to the hassle. As far as cost, it is kind of a wash. Rifles and ammo are costly in Africa, so expect a rental fee. On the other hand, airlines now charge extra for firearms, and all charge for excess baggage. There may be gun permit or clearance fees and, with a big, heavy gun case, you’ll incur some extra tips. For me, these are costs of doing business; I prefer to bring guns I can write about. This doesn’t apply to most hunters, so a sensible decision can be made whether to bring or borrow.

Because more hunters prefer not to travel with firearms, outfitters are stepping up and investing in better guns. Just always be sure to check to find out what’s available. In Southern Africa, it’s a piece of cake: Almost all outfitters have suitable guns. So it’s your choice: Enjoy the satisfaction of using your favorites, or save the hassle and probably some cost, and use camp guns.

Some of the hunters did bring their own firearms, of course. At John X Safaris, Steve Molter brought a pristine, vintage Belgian Browning, Mauser bolt-action, in .30-06. His old-fashioned .30-06 served him well (just like I’ve always said it would) both on big animals like kudu and zebra and on smaller, nervous animals like springbok and impala. He and I could find agreement on his near-perfect choice. Similarly, at Frontier, a father-son team rented a .308 Winchester. Okay, I’m more of a .30-06 guy, but the .308 is a good and traditional choice.

But those were exceptions, and that’s the second trend I noticed: At least among these hunters, faster cartridges in modern platforms were “in,” bringing greater range capability than I’m used to seeing. Historically, long-range shooting has been uncommon in Africa, probably because of a combination of good stalking and the traditional African rule that one drop of blood spilled equals a license filled.   

I usually prefer traditional calibers, but for this hunt I went off the reservation, making non-traditional (and thus uncharacteristic) choices. Wanting to spend time afield with new stuff, I took a new Gunwerks Nexus in .300 PRC and a LAW M704 in 6.8 Western. I thought the guys would laugh at me, but my choices fit right in! 

Hamid had a Gunwerks 7mm Remington Magnum, so did John Macones (also an auction hunt winner). My buddy John Stucker had his Christensen in 6.5 PRC. And at John X, outfitter Carl van Zyl had several Gunwerks rifles on hand (pretty fancy camp rifles). These were chambered to 7mm Long Range Magnum (LRM), a proprietary based on the shortened Remington Ultra Magnum case, so similar to the PRCs and Nosler cartridges, good velocity, fast twists for heavy-for-caliber bullets.

At Frontier, except for that .308 (which performed just fine), the camp rifles were .300 Winchester Magnums, plus a .300 Jarrett. Rifles in the faster, flatter-shooting cartridges (including mine), mostly wore bigger scopes than I have typically used in Africa, up to 3-18X and 5-25X. Almost all were dialed in for longer-range shooting.

Traditional African shooting rarely exceeds 300 yards. With good equipment and preparation, I saw this expanded to well beyond 400 yards, with some exceptional shooting. I made the two longest shots I have attempted in Africa, not “extreme,” but to 500 yards. I made a spectacular miss when, mysteriously overnight, my .300 PRC shifted enough that I missed an entire eland. Stuff happens, you just re-zero and go back to work. The rifle must have taken a tremendous knock; who knows how.

Most mess-ups were standard and predictable. On their first safari together, PH Harry Selby soothed Robert Ruark’s by saying, “Everybody misses at first; it’s the light.” No, it’s first-safari jitters; my first safari also started with bad shooting. Let’s not name names, but the majority of hunters in both camps missed their first opportunities. Expect this. Deal with it and try again! 

Since the modern “long range rig” was predominant, a lot of hunters brought bipods, intending to rely on them. Much of the Eastern Cape is open enough for shooting prone-with-bipod, and there are also lots of rocks where bipods might be employed. However, there’s also a lot of thick, thorny brush, where flopping down isn’t the best idea. Traditional African shooting sticks thus remain useful. I was disappointed that some hunters complained about initial misses because of unfamiliarity with sticks. It made me feel like I’ve been talking to an empty room for forty years! I’m guessing this is a product of American long-range courses, which stress bipods. They offer great stability, but it’s foolish to end up in Africa with no “stickology” practice. Surely I’ve written about this before?

Interestingly, rather than traditional three-legged African shooting sticks, most PHs in both camps had switched to modern sticks that stabilize both the butt and fore-end, notably the French-designed “4 Stable Sticks.” Like all else, using these takes practice, but stabilizing both butt and fore-end increases stability and thus range, making them very effective in areas (like Eastern Cape), where average shooting distances are farther than in thick thornbush. 

I was a bit disturbed by the frequent use of match or “long-range” bullets, rather than hunting bullets designed to provide penetration on a wide variety of game. Despite my concerns, things worked well. After a day or so (and some embarrassment), all hunters got their sea legs and finished with good bags. Wounded animals were few, unrecovered animals were almost nil. However, as animal size and distance increased, we had some lively discussions about bullets, calibers, cartridges, hitting power, and shot placement.

There were two more sub-trends worth noting. Virtually all of the “camp rifles” were fitted with suppressors. Easily accessible to South African hunters, they made my role as “observer” painless. On my unsuppressed rifles, one with a muzzle brake, I needed to remember earmuffs and remind my team to plug their ears when I prepared to shoot. Also, spotting scopes. Once rare in Africa, good scopes were carried by most PHs, and employed constantly.  

Another lesson was just for me: It’s no secret my taste in rifles run toward walnut and blue. Out with Steve Molter one day, Carl and I glassed from a valley while Steve and his PH stalked an impala on a steep ridge above us. It was late morning and the sun was bright; I was horrified by the glint and glare coming off Steve’s Browning, a gorgeous, but with high-gloss stock and bright blue metal. I doubt my preferences will change, but there’s something to be said for Cerakote, matte, and carbon fiber!

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Choosing the right destination for your Cape buffalo hunt.

There are two big differences between hunting in Africa and the rest of the world. First is the variety. A typical hunting area in Africa will hold ten or a dozen varieties of antelopes. This occurs naturally almost nowhere else on the planet.

Second is the opportunity to pursue dangerous game: the traditional Big Five or the newer Dangerous Seven (adding crocodile and hippo). Costs vary, but Africa’s full suite of dangerous game remains huntable. In the fifty years that I’ve been obsessed with African hunting I’ve seen opportunities ebb and flow. In the 1970s, Americans couldn’t import leopard trophies, and hunting a Southern white rhino was unimaginable. In the 1980s, it was widely held that elephant hunting was finished. On the other hand, lion hunting was still readily available.

Throughout it all, the African buffalo has been the constant, easily the most numerous, widespread, and available of Africa’s dangerous beasts. Today, many hunters have little interest in pursuing pachyderms and the great cats, even if they could afford to. The buffalo is a different deal. Most hunters who dream of Africa long for a face-to-face encounter with Africa’s “black death.” As iconic as his fearsome fellows, no one considers the African buffalo threatened. In hunting areas, he is an important meat source, and also marvelous fun to hunt. He is an affordable dream, on par with a decent elk hunt.

Where, across the vastness of Africa, are the best places to fulfill that dream? This, too, has changed. In the 1970s, the short, inexpensive “plains game safari” didn’t exist, and ten-day buffalo safaris were unusual. Typical safaris were three weeks, including opportunity for two or three of the Big Five. Back then, little was going on in Namibia or South Africa. The most common destinations were Botswana, Kenya, Tanzania, and Zambia. All held plenty of buffalo.

The closure of Kenya in 1977 changed the game. Sleepy Namibia and South Africa came to life and game ranching industries grew. Inexpensive and productive, Namibia and South Africa became hubs for the emerging short plains game safaris, but buffalo were scarce and expensive there.

In 1981, Rhodesia became Zimbabwe and the long, brutal bush war ended. This opened up the buffalo-rich Zambezi Valley and another “new” safari emerged: The ten-day buffalo safari. Zimbabwe was the leader, but she had competition. Buffalo were plentiful in many areas, with larger quotas than for other dangerous game and key antelopes. Botswana, Tanzania, and Zambia competed directly with Zimbabwe in the growing “buffalo safari” market. Costs were higher than “plains game only,” but a fraction the cost of full-bag safaris in the same areas, from the same camps.

Things changed again. With burgeoning herds, Botswana reopened elephant hunting. Since then, and now, hunting in Botswana is an “elephant economy.” In truth, all other species in Botswana are depressed from competition with overpopulated elephants. She has excellent buffalo, but nothing like the numbers I saw in the 1980s, and Botswana hunting is not inexpensive.

Let’s take a look at a few notable places to hunt buffalo today.

TANZANIA AND ZAMBIA

Tanzania has a huge buffalo population, especially in the Selous Reserve and the central Rungwa region. With multiple buffalo on a seven-day license, she remains a good destination for a shorter buffalo safari. However, operating costs are high, and air charters are usually needed. Tanzania offers wonderful buffalo hunting, but is more expensive than other current options.

Zambia is similar. Although still a primary destination for full-bag safaris, she has fantastic buffalo. Two of my “top three” buffalo came from Zambia, and I was pleasantly amazed at the numbers of buffalo—and quality of bulls—I saw in the Luangwa in July ’21. Zambia is also a costly country to hunt but excellent for buffalo.

SOUTH AFRICA

By the early twentieth century, South Africa’s buffalo were nearly eradicated because of bovine diseases. Using scarce and precious disease-free stock, South African game ranchers have been breeding buffalo for decades. Genetics are superb, but building up the numbers took many years. For most of my career, surplus bulls in South Africa have been scarce. And, despite horn quality, so expensive that I discounted them. It happened so gradually that I just plain missed the sea change. Today, huntable private herds exist all over South Africa.

Supply finally matched demand, and prices plummeted. Trophy fees will be high for exceptional bulls (which South Africa definitely has), but daily rates are Africa’s lowest, and average horn quality excellent. Roads are good, along with an effective network of internal flights.

Put it all together, and South Africa now offers the least expensive buffalo hunting on the continent. There is one catch: Most of her buffalo are behind fences. Some “buffalo properties” are large, others not. Bush tends to be thick, and my experience with these buffalo is they tend to be unusually aggressive. Also, they know their ground, so hunting them often isn’t easy. Most of the time, hunters are unaware that there’s a fence out there somewhere, but its presence is a fact one must be aware of when considering a buffalo safari.

ZIMBABWE

Zimbabwe remains a fine buffalo destination. With good numbers and resultant quotas, Zimbabwe probably offers Africa’s least expensive free-range buffalo hunting. The “ten-day buffalo safari” is Zimbabwe’s most popular hunt, bread and butter for her outfitters. Buffalo are found all around her periphery: Zambezi Valley to the north; Matetsi to the northwest; the entire Hwange Park corridor to the west; and on the huge conservancies to the south and southeast. Areas vary, depending largely on management. Zimbabwe is not known for huge bulls, but this is misleading. Zimbabwe’s buffalo country tends to be thick. This makes it difficult to identify the best bulls, but they’re there. I’ve taken a few great Zimbabwe bulls—and seen more taken. Zimbabwe is solid for buffalo, with hunting usually done by the classic tracking method.

MOZAMBIQUE

In Portuguese days, Mozambique was known for legions of buffalo. She wasn’t hunted during her long civil war (1975—1992), and in its wake little wildlife remained. Hunting resumed thirty-some years ago. In that time her wildlife has recovered, at least in well-managed areas.

Mozambique offers relatively inexpensive buffalo safaris. Prices are similar to Zimbabwe, a primary difference being that Mozambique is a huge country with poor roads, so charter flights are usually needed. Without question her greatest concentration of buffalo is found in the Marromeu complex south of the mouth of the Zambezi. From perhaps 1200 surviving buffalo in 1992, the current count is 30,000, one of Africa’s greatest concentrations. In recent years, Marromeu buffalo have been captured and moved to less fortunate areas, including around Gorongosa National Park.

I love the swamp buffalo hunting in the Zambezi Delta, but it is not Mozambique’s only good buffalo area. The north, in and around huge Nyasa Reserve, doesn’t have as many buffalo, but produces outstanding bulls. Likewise, the Lower Zambezi, where Mozambique, Zambia, and Zimbabwe join. Mozambique’s long Kruger Park boundary also holds big bulls.

NAMIBIA

Much of Namibia is just too dry for buffalo. More importantly, because of bovine disease concerns, her game ranchers have not been allowed to breed up buffalo like their South African counterparts. As a result, Namibia’s buffalo country is limited, primarily to the Caprivi in the far north, and isolated reserves, such as Waterberg in the northeast. As a result, quotas are low and prices for Namibian buffalo hunts are high. Against this, management is superb and, wherever found, quality is outstanding.

UGANDA

Before Idi Amin came to power, much of Uganda was overrun with buffalo, with up to five on license. Like Mozambique, little was left when the dust settled. The difference: Hunting resumed in Uganda just a dozen years ago, and only in isolated pockets. Those pockets are good and have gotten better, with recovery ongoing. Uganda’s hotspot for buffalo is the famous Karamoja region in the far north. On the South Sudan border, Kidepo National Park holds more than 10,000 buffaloes, with hunting areas to the south.

Northern Uganda buffalo are classed as Nile buffalo, a bit smaller than Cape buffalo, with flatter horns. Realistically, Kenya lies just over the ridge from Karamoja, and Kenya was famous for big bulls. Karamoja’s buffaloes are unquestionably a mix, but she produces good bulls. Maybe not the biggest in either body or horn, but for those who crave a “40-inch” bull, Karamoja is one of the best places I’ve seen. It’s important to time it when the grass is short. In March, I’ve never seen a place where I could look over more bachelor groups. Many bulls are flat and narrow but in the mix are gorgeous bulls with spreads into the low forties.

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The “gray ghost” is widespread in Africa, but some regions are better than others.

With attractive gray hide, bright white vertical body stripes, and those magnificent spiraling horns, the greater kudu is among Africa’s most striking antelopes, and perhaps the most eagerly sought. Everybody who goes on safari wants a greater kudu!

First, you must seek them where they live. After the bushbuck, the greater kudu is the most widespread of the spiral-horned antelopes. Except for an isolated pocket where CAR, Chad, and Sudan meet, the greater kudu is primarily an animal of East and Southern Africa. It is found from Eritrea and Ethiopia down through Kenya, Tanzania, and Mozambique; then on west through Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Namibia, and down through much of South Africa. Even in parts of this region where the kudu is not native, it has been widely introduced.

There are many choices for a kudu safari. However, kudu densities vary widely. Although they need water, they do fine in arid country but, as browsers, they are primarily creatures of thornbush and woodland. They love hilly country, are rarely found in open grasslands, and never in swamps.

The several races of greater kudu are visually identical, but there are size differences. Rowland Ward recognizes four regional groupings: Western, Abyssinian, East African, and Southern greater kudu. SCI echoes these, but adds Eastern Cape greater kudu because the kudus of South Africa’s Eastern Cape region are shorter in horn, and this population is geographically isolated.

The Western greater kudu, also isolated, is the smallest. I hunted this kudu in southeastern Chad. I saw my bull silhouetted on a skyline and he looked like a giant. When I walked up to him, I wondered where the rest of the animal had gone! He was a third smaller than all other kudus.

The Southern greater kudu grows the largest horns. RW’s Top 10 Southern greater kudus are alllarger than the current world record for any other greater kudu! Most African hunters desire a kudu and, of course, everybody wants a big kudu. If you peruse RW’s listings, you will instantly note that seven of the Top 10 southern greater kudus were taken in South Africa. More on this in a moment.

Kudu populations have changed, and African hunting has changed. In his landmark work Big Game Shooting in Africa (1932), Major H.C. Maydon wrote that Eritrea was “the best kudu grounds” in Africa. Maydon took an awesome 55-incher in 1927. Obviously, he found kudus plentiful then, but no longer. Greater kudus are on license in Ethiopia, but populations are scattered and thin on the ground. Today, an Abyssinian greater kudu is harder to come by than a mountain nyala.

When we read older accounts, we get the idea that kudu hunting is difficult and chancy, the kudu often described as the “gray ghost.” On his 1933 safari in Tanganyika (now Tanzania), Ernest Hemingway struggled for a greater kudu, and finally prevailed. Twenty years later, also in Tanganyika, Robert Ruark struggled harder, and never got his kudu. Most safaris before 1970 took place in East Africa. Both Kenya and Tanzania produced some fine heads, but the greater kudu was never a common antelope in either country.

In 1988, hunting with Michel Mantheakis in Tanzania’s Masailand, I shot a beautiful 52-inch kudu; the way the trackers carried on, you’d have thought it was a hundred-pound tusker! Twenty years later, also with Mantheakis on Tanzania’s southern border, we saw lots of greater kudus, and I took one of my best. There are kudu hotspots in East Africa. However, the primary reason the old accounts make kudu hunting seem so difficult is that they were hunting them in the wrong parts of Africa.

The Southern greater kudu is far the most numerous and, in much of Southern Africa it is the most common large antelope. It’s still the gray ghost, never easy to hunt, but your chances are better if you hunt where there are lots of them!

So, let’s take a little tour around Southern Africa. The current world record, an astonishing bull, 73 inches around the curl, was picked up in Mozambique by Dr. Carlo Caldesi. Must be a great place for kudu, right? Yes…but not everywhere. Most of my Mozambique hunting has been near the mouth of the Zambezi. Kudus are on license, but the area is too wet; I’ve never seen a kudu there. Farther inland, on the Kruger boundary, around Gorongosa National Park, up the Zambezi, and north around the Nyasa Reserve, kudus are fairly plentiful and quality is good. A kudu is a normal part of a safari bag for hunters willing to put in the time.

Pretty much the same applies to Zambia, although I’ve never taken a kudu there. My sense is that kudus, though widespread in Zambia, are rarely plentiful, but quality is good. In 1996 in the Kafue, campmate Gary Williams took a monster 58-incher, one of the biggest kudu bulls I’ve ever seen on the ground. In July 2021, in Luangwa North, son-in-law Brad Jannenga got a nice bull without extreme effort. We saw quite a few kudus, including a bigger bull that gave us the slip. Although I’ve done six safaris in Zambia, I’ve never invested time in hunting kudu because, like most people who hunt that country, other game was a higher priority. Make kudu a priority, put in the time, and Zambia should produce.

Botswana is a sleeper destination for kudu, with ideal habitat except in the depths of the Kalahari. In the 1980s, when elephant hunting was closed, Botswana competed with Zimbabwe in the “buffalo-and-plains game” market. A nice kudu was routinely part of the bag.

In the Okavango in 1985, PH Ronnie MacFarlane announced one morning: “We’re going to go to a river I know of and get your kudu.” We arrived at midday and the area was teeming with kudus. I think I saw fifty bulls!

Today, with hunting in Botswana reopened, overpopulated elephants are the biggest draw, but don’t overlook the excellent plains game hunting, especially on some of the huge private ranches. 

Zimbabwe is a small country, but awesome for kudu. I shot my first kudu there in 1979, in the southeastern Lowveld with Barrie Duckworth. Zimbabwe also showed me the biggest kudu I have ever seen. Brittany and I were hunting buffalo with Andrew Dawson along the Chewore River in the Zambezi Valley. This monster was casually browsing along the far bank. He was over the magical 60-inch mark, just a question of by how much. But neither of us had a kudu on our licenses!

The Zambezi Valley produces big kudu bulls, but that’s not where I would look because all antelopes are fairly thin on the ground. Instead, I’d consider the Matetsi blocks, or the big conservancies in the south, where densities are higher. Mugabe’s land grab ruined a lot of carefully nurtured habitat, but much remains, and a good kudu is probably Zimbabwe’s top specialty.

In Namibia, the Southern greater kudu is the most widespread large antelope. Most of Namibia is arid, but densities are probably highest in central Namibia and the north, which is better-watered and with the dense thornbush that kudus love. With limited dangerous game, Namibia is primarily a plains game destination, with a good kudu routinely a part of the bag.

Unfortunately, Namibia has been periodically hit by a disease that especially impacts kudu and eland. Often called “rabies,” scientifically it may not be, but kudu populations in some areas have been seriously reduced. The kudu is one of the slowest-maturing antelopes, requiring twelve years for maximum horn growth. Recovery takes time and, in some areas, numbers and selection are not what they might have been a few years back.

As with any pandemic, some areas have been hit harder than others. Namibia has plenty of kudus, and good bulls. On a ten-day plains game safari, I still expect hunters to take a good kudu, but in some areas they might have to hunt harder.

Let’s return to South Africa, which dominates RW’s Top 10…and accounts for a shocking thirty-one of the Top 50 RW Southern greater kudus. This suggests South Africa must be the best place, especially if you’re looking for an exceptional bull. Maybe. South Africa has the genetics. And the country has not had the same problems as its neighbors: no disease like Namibia; no long civil war like Mozambique; no land grab like Zimbabwe.

There is a fly in the ointment, caused by the great game-ranching industry that, in my lifetime, took South Africa’s wildlife from rags to riches, and made the country Africa’s top safari destination. Prices for big kudu bulls have skyrocketed, not only among hunters, but for breeding stock. When discovered, big kudu bulls are often captured and taken to auction. This happens mostly in the north, where the biggest kudus live, and where game ranching is most intensive. This does not apply to all areas and operators, but it’s widespread enough to be a concern.

Northern South Africa remains excellent for big kudu bulls—at higher prices—but don’t overlook the Eastern Cape. You are unlikely to get a 54-inch kudu there—these kudus are smaller—but kudu densities are high, and trophy fees are lower. If I wanted a good chance at a nice kudu bull, I’d think about Eastern Cape. Now, if I wanted a really big kudu bull, then I’d do serious research, and I’d plan on hunting hard.

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