Hunting the Cape Eland
The largest antelope on earth walks like a ghost: a ton of animal that clicks as it strides and still vanishes off a track you were sure of. Eland bulls are trotting machines that cover 40 kilometres in a morning, which makes an eland hunt the plains-game equivalent of a buffalo track — long, patient spoor work with a heart-in-mouth final approach on the blue-grey bull with the thick dewlap and rubbed-bare forehead.
Judging a trophy cape eland
Age over inches: an old "blue" bull with a worn forehead patch, massive neck and heavy spiral bases around 35 inches is the prize. Younger bulls carry longer, cleaner horns — let them walk.
Method, rifle and season
Tracking and walk-and-stalk over real distances; .300 magnum with 200-grain premium bullets is the sensible floor for a 900 kg animal. Winter months for tracking conditions.
What a cape eland hunt costs
Live trophy-fee range across 4 active Safari Hunts listings — updates automatically as farms change their prices.
Full cost breakdown: Cape Eland hunting cost · All African hunt prices.
Where to hunt cape eland
Farms offering cape eland now
Live from the Bush Telegraph
Good day.T.S. · 9 Sept 2026Welcome to Safari Hunts, Waidmannsheil Safaris — One group in camp at a time. The lodge is yours. That is how Gerhard Vermaak has run Waidma…Safari Hunts HQ · 2 Sept 2026Welcome to Safari Hunts, Melodi Safaris — Two hours from O.R. Tambo, malaria-free, and the bushveld does the rest. Melodi Safaris is one of …Safari Hunts HQ · 25 Aug 2026Members posting real cape eland hunts as they happen — see all cape eland posts on the Telegraph.
Frequently asked
How physically demanding is an eland hunt?
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Before you book
Planning a first African hunt · rifles and calibres · best time of year · getting trophies home. All of it in the hunting guides.