Eland Hunting

Eland hunting may involve walking very long distances. Occasionally you can get lucky with a short stalk but don't be surprised if they make you walk your legs off.

A spiral-horned antelope, though is genus taurotragus not tragelaphus.

Eland Trophy Minimums

Taurotragus oryx oryx (Cape Eland)
RW Minimum	RW Record	RW Measurement Method	SCI Minimum	SCI Record	SCI Measurement Method
35"	46¹/₄"	8	77"	93⁶/₈"	2

Taurotragus oryx pattersonianus (East African Eland)
RW Minimum	RW Record	RW Measurement Method	SCI Minimum	SCI Record	SCI Measurement Method
33"	42¹/₈"	8	74"	93³/₈"	2

Taurotragus oryx livingstonii (Livingstone's Eland)
RW Minimum	RW Record	RW Measurement Method	SCI Minimum	SCI Record	SCI Measurement Method
35"	46⁵/₈"	8	79	96⁵/₈"	2

Taurotragus derbianus gigas (Central African Giant Eland)
RW Minimum	RW Record	RW Measurement Method	SCI Minimum	SCI Record	SCI Measurement Method
44⁷/₈"	53³/₄"	8	101"	125¹/₈"	2

Eland Facts

Habitat and Requirements

These antelope are found in grassland, mountain, sub-desert, acacia savannah and miombo woodland areas.

Social Structure

Usually older, dominant males are solitary, while other adult males form small groups of three or four.
Adult females associate in much larger groups, whose size and membership vary from day to day.
Several hundred eland sometimes gather, and males may spend a few hours or even weeks with a female group before becoming solitary again.

Gestation Period

After a gestation period of around 9 months, one offspring is born.

Eland Gender Identification

Males are usually darker, with a gray or bluish tinge to their coat, and have a distinctive dark 'rug' of hair on their foreheads.
There is a pendulous, black-tufted dewlap on the lower throat.
The slightly diverging horns are found in both sexes and are virtually straight, with 2 tight twists.
Horns in females are longer and thinner than in males.

Eland Hunting Methods

Eland are the largest and heaviest of the African antelope species, they move long distances and often even feed on the move.
A mature bull weighs more than a cape buffalo, so large calibres and slow expanding/deep penetrating bullets are the order of the day.

A Good Eland Trophy

Horn length with thick bases will make a good trophy.
Blue colouration in a bull indicates an old animal

Eland Hunting Shot Placement

As eland shot placement is similar to other antelope plains game species, go to Shot Placement On Plains Game.

Eland Pictures

(Place cursor over photographs to enlarge)

Eland Bull

Eland Bull

East African Eland

Giant Eland (CAR) courtesy of JB de Runz

Recommended Viewing

Cameroon Savannah Safari - With the help of native trackers and water-bearers near the Chad border, the hunters divide the licensed species and successfully hunt 16 animals including the highly-prized Lord Derby Eland, Western Roan and Northwestern Savannah Buffalo. 60 minutes.