Eland Hunting in South Africa

Eland is the largest antelope in Africa — an ox-like bull can push 2,000 pounds, stand well over five feet at the shoulder, and carry thick spiralled horns worn smooth at the bases. For their size they are surprisingly difficult to hunt: herds cover ground at a walk you can't match, spook off the smallest sound, and read the wind like kudu. A mature blue-necked bull, taken fair-chase on foot, is a trophy of real substance — the kind of animal a hunter travels a lifetime to take. At Marula Game we hunt free-range Cape eland on 24,700 acres of malaria-free Limpopo Bushveld, with Livingstone eland available by arrangement.

The ox of the Bushveld

First-timers underestimate eland every time. They look slow — a big, heavy, cattle-shaped animal browsing quietly in the shade — and then you spook a herd and they trot the horizon for five kilometres without breaking stride. An old bull is unmistakable: blue-grey on the neck and shoulders where the hair has worn thin, a heavy hanging dewlap, a distinctive tuft of dark hair on the forehead, and horns thick as your wrist at the bases. Bulls live alone or in small bachelor groups by the time they carry a real trophy, and they know the country intimately.

Why hunt eland at Marula

• Free-range on our own ground. Eland at Marula are wild, born on the property, and hunted on foot — no put-and-take, no released animals.
• Your own farm and camp. Our farms are separate, each with its own private camp — your party hunts its own ground with a dedicated PH, never shared with another group.
• Both sub-species available. Cape eland resident on the property; Livingstone eland — the larger, darker northern sub-species — arranged by prior booking.
• Owner-hosted since 1997. Every safari is personally hosted by outfitter Chris Burger — PHASA Executive Committee member and WRSA Game Farmer & Game Breeder of the Year.
• Malaria-free. One of the few African hunting destinations you can safely bring family into without prophylaxis.

The hunt itself

Eland hunting at Marula is tracking — proper, patient tracking. You cut fresh sign at first light, put your tracker on the spoor, and walk. Herds cover country quickly and a bull may pull you five, ten, fifteen kilometres before offering a shot. When the moment comes it's usually inside 100 metres in mixed bush. Bring enough rifle: eland are big-bodied and tough — .30-06 with 200 grain premium bullets is the minimum, .300 magnums and .375 H&H work beautifully. A high-shoulder shot anchors them; a heart-lung shot behind the shoulder means a follow-up on foot in thick country. Plan on two to four hunting days per bull.

Best time of year to hunt eland

The South African hunting season runs April to September. For eland the prime window is the dry winter months — May through August — when the bush is open, tracks print clearly in the dust, and herds move predictably between water and feed. Cooler mornings are essential: eland walk hard, and the long stalks that this hunt demands are far more comfortable — and more successful — before the day heats up.

Eland hunt price (USD)

Cape eland trophy fee at Marula is USD $4,250, and Livingstone eland is USD $6,800. Trophy fees are payable only on animals taken (or wounded). Daily rates are two-tier and all-inclusive — plains-game hunts USD $400–$500 per hunter per day from the standard lodges (Tents on Antwerp $400, Leadwood/Haakdoring $450, Marula Lodge $500). Daily rates cover accommodation, meals, licensed PH, tracker & skinner, 4×4, airport transfers and field prep. Eland pair beautifully on a plains-game safari or as a heavyweight counterpart to a greater kudu hunt.

What's included

• ✓ Exclusive-use luxury lodge or tented camp
• ✓ All meals and beverages (in moderation)
• ✓ Licensed PHASA Professional Hunter, tracker & skinner
• ✓ 4×4 hunting vehicle, field prep and delivery to taxidermist
• ✓ Airport transfers from Johannesburg (JNB) or Polokwane
• ✓ Firearm import assistance and all hunting permits

Eland hunting FAQs