Would you shoot this bull?

[everett]

Bam!

 

[bakerb]

Not at a trophy fee rate. But at a cull rate, for sure!!

 

[coreydb]

Looking at the pic....probably not. If looking at him in the flesh....probably.

 

[BGHNTR416]

I would have zero interest personally. Does not do anything for me and I would not want to shoot it just for the sake of shooting it.

 

[Altitude sickness]

As you can see I’m a fan of the odd trophies.

 

[hoytcanon]

Some guys like the old and busted up, and I will take them as a cull or for camp meat, but I would not pay top trophy fee dollar for one... that is just me... I feel the same way about scrum caps. I am happy for you if that is what you like... more power to you.

 

[uplander01]

Priced as a cull yes for sure.

 

[Nyati]

I shot a very old Gemsbok with broken horns, but did not pay for it, it´s not a trophy !

 

[autofire]

Here's my double broken horn kudu. Thrilled to take ie. Old warrior would probably not made it through the winter, teeth worn down and ribs showing.

 

[rookhawk]

Hi guys,

A couple of days ago I had the privilege to lay eyes on this majestic bull. A true old warrior. Both horns broken off at the same point and an incredible body size and neck (the pictures don't do him justice).

To me this is an incredible bull and the trophy of a lifetime. I have seen many impressive kudu bulls over the years, but never anything with this much character. I can always hunt a "normal bull" but a trophy like this is hard to come by again.

I have some clients coming next week that might hunt him if they see him, but a part of me hopes they don't so that I can try and pursue him.

This is on a low-fence free range property where all the neighbouring farms shoot a lot of kudu for their tables, so for a bull to get to THIS age is very impressive.

I bet he has some stories to tell!

What do you guys say? Would you pull the trigger on this bull? And if yes, would you euro or shoulder mount him?

I would shoulder mount him to preserve the impressive cape as well!

Cheers and happy hunting!View attachment 675968View attachment 675969View attachment 675970View attachment 675971

Any German-mentality sport hunter wouldn't ask, you'd just hear the thunderclap and that would be that.

A US-mentality inch measurer would not.

The former killed the supreme master of the lowveldt. The latter will hold out for a much younger animal that would score better.

Each man's ethics and ethos will be the judge.

 

[375Fox]

Any German-mentality sport hunter wouldn't ask, you'd just hear the thunderclap and that would be that.

A US-mentality inch measurer would not.

The former killed the supreme master of the lowveldt. The latter will hold out for a much younger animal that would score better.

Each man's ethics and ethos will be the judge.

There’s a lot more to that mindset than just trophy size. Europeans are used to paying by the size, so older unique specimens provide a great experience at an affordable price. Pricing plays into European decision making too. The European hunts I’ve done the local hunters typically mostly take modest trophies themselves and leave most of the rest to sell, but they hunt the biggest trophies as hard as any American would. It’s not purely hunting ethics.

 

[rookhawk]

There’s a lot more to that mindset than just trophy size. Europeans are used to paying by the size, so older unique specimens provide a great experience at an affordable price. Pricing plays into European decision making too. The European hunts I’ve done the local hunters typically mostly take modest trophies themselves and leave most of the rest to sell, but they hunt the biggest trophies as hard as any American would.

I think we have a similar phenomenon over here @375Fox . Hunting landowners know the value of the game, whether in cash or in delight for a younger hunter. There is a refined taste for killing the oldest game we can find to be able to do a victory strut that we defied the most cunning master of the glen, even if he wasn't the biggest. A friend and member here has some sheds on his wall of a totally unremarkable whitetail deer. He was unremarkable at 4, at 5, and at 6. His age was apparent in his antlers but he was invincible and would never make a mistake. <- It's a hell of a challenge to try to outsmart the elder statesman of the animal kingdom.

 

[Tundra Tiger]

Some guys like the old and busted up, and I will take them as a cull or for camp meat, but I would not pay top trophy fee dollar for one... that is just me... I feel the same way about scrum caps. I am happy for you if that is what you like... more power to you.

I am not a trophy hunter per se. The state of Alaska, for my game management unit, says that any antlered bull moose is fair game, and a quick check of many of my bulls would tell you I take advantage of that - I like moose meat. That said, paying for it, I want something more. Not for the sake of measuring, but something that appeals to me aesthetically, and the worn or scrum cap look doesn't. For those that it does... as Hoytcanon said: more power to you, and I am happy for you - truly.

 

[Altitude sickness]

Along those same lines. I shoot does and Turkey Jake’s to let my guests and new hunters shoot the more desirable gobblers and bucks.

 

[Certus]

Nah for me, people are chasing a trophy - for me this means a good representation of the species. This is not it, although it may be a fine animal it’s not a good example. And I’m not all for “the biggest”, I’d just want a nice example of that species.

 

[CoElkHunter]

I would in a heartbeat. I love any animal like that, not just buffalo.

Old bag of bones busted up Gemsbok
View attachment 675972

Nice thick bases.

 

[wildfowler.250]

Not for me. Love these old ‘bucks’ on home turf but that’s not what I would go for if I was travelling around the world. Admired on home soil but that’s a different story!

 

[Vintageguy]

I would pass. A scrum cap Buffalo would be different but I wouldn’t pay a standard trophy fee nor go to the expense of mounting and shipping for such severely broken horned Kudu.
What is considered a trophy has definitely changed in my lifetime. I think some of it is herd management and a focus on allowing animals to be all they can be and some of it, in my opinion, is apologetics for the non hunting community. “Well, he was about to die anyway so I basically put him out of his misery.” Soon the grandest trophy out there will be mangy, starving, 3 legged, no horns, no teeth, and blind from cataracts.
Not implying that to be the case here and there are certainly plenty who would happily take him and I would eagerly admire him and offer my congratulations to the hunter. Just not one for me personally.

 

[thriller]

I mean depends on price but I would probably wack it

 

[kpoynter]

In a heart beat, and I would do a shoulder mount as well. He earned it.

I call Bullshit