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Kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros). Mature but still young bull, and already the beginning of a 60" set of horns.
Perhaps South Africa's most known antelope and one of the most hunted, kudu is found from the Eastern Cape province all the way to the north of the country and beyond. They are present wherever large trees with edible leaves occur.
The photo on the left was chosen because it epitomises the "grey ghost" description local hunters have for it. Very often during winter when there are less leaves on the trees the hunter will pass within 50 yards of one like in the photo and unless the flicker of an ear attracts the eye it would remain unseen.
I have yet to shoot a kudu which had not seen me first - which means you typically will have 5 seconds to slowly shoulder your rifle and about 3-4 seconds for a steady hold and putting the bullet through the bulge on the low shoulder into the heart.
Like with all big game a well constructed bullet not lighter than 180 gr in any .308" calibre or 170 gr in the 7mms is required at impact velocity of not more than 2,600 ft/sec. The 30-06, .308W, .303 Brit, 7x57, 7x64 Brenneke are by far the most preferred cartridges of local hunters for this animal because of the clean and effortless one-shot killing they do.
I have just completed an advanced course in judging horn lengths of all medium and big game. We had to judge 30 different sets of horns on skull sets of ten different animals from 100 metres with binoculars. Not having the size of the head, ears, neck and body to compare made it difficult for everybody.
Limits for a pass was 1/2" for springbok and blesbok on not more than 50% of horns judged and the rest had to be spot on. Elk size game like kudu, wildebeest, nyala, waterbuck, oryx, red hartebeest had to be within one inch for 50% and within 1/2" for the rest.
The body hair colouring around the shoulder of the big horned guy in the photo says he is younger than six years and will in time gain another 8-10 inches, being about 54". Member fnhunter13 knows that a 45" kudu already is a very attractive animal.