Sable & Roan Combination Safari

Sable and roan are the two rarest antelope most hunters will ever have the chance to take, and very few properties can offer both off their own breeding herds. At Marula Game you can hunt them on the same trip: one camp, one Professional Hunter, one set of flights and transfers, on 24,700 acres of family-owned Limpopo bushveld. Trophy fees start at USD $5,850 for sable and USD $5,800 for roan.

This page is about the combination safari. For the full detail on each species — trophy classes, quota, hunting conditions and what to expect in the field — see sable antelope hunting and roan antelope hunts.

Sable & roan trophy classes and prices

Exceptional bulls over 44" (sable) or 32" (roan) are priced on application. Daily rates are separate and all-inclusive at $400–$500 per hunter per day.

What the combination costs against two separate hunts

Trophy fees are the same whether you take the two bulls on one safari or on two. What changes is everything around them: a combination safari of 7 to 9 days carries one set of international flights, one set of transfers, one dip-and-pack consignment and one block of daily rates at $400–$500 per hunter per day — instead of paying all of that twice. For most visiting hunters that is the single largest saving available on a rare-antelope trip.

Why hunt Sable and Roan with us

• Our own breeding programme — Sable and Roan are managed on the property year-round, so trophy quality is consistent and the hunt is genuine.
• Mature bulls only — strict quotas set by our wildlife management team protect the breeding herd.
• Your own farm and camp — our farms are separate, each with its own private camp, so your party always hunts alone, at your own pace.
• Charter helicopter fly-in — we fly you in by private charter helicopter, no long road transfer, for a safer and unforgettable arrival.
• Experienced professional hunters who know these animals and this ground.
• Malaria-free, year-round — no prophylactics required, and safe to bring family or non-hunting observers along.

Why sable and roan pair well on one safari

A mature Sable bull is among the most beautiful animals in Africa — jet black, white-faced, his scimitar horns sweeping back over his shoulders, fierce enough to face down a lion. Sable hunting in South Africa is largely private-land hunting, and the quality of a hunt comes down to the ground and the breeding behind it. At Marula, our bulls typically measure 40–44 inches, with occasional bulls exceeding 44 inches. We hunt them on foot in mixed Bushveld — glassing from ridgelines, working the wind, and closing the last hundred yards on a mature herd bull. Expect 3 to 4 hunting days per animal.

What a combined itinerary looks like

Roan pairs naturally with a sable hunt — both come off our own breeding herds, and most guests take them on the same trip. Roan is released on a strictly limited quota each season, from $5,800, with record-class 28–32" bulls at $7,000. Full trophy classes, availability and what to expect are on our dedicated roan page.

See full roan antelope hunting details →

Hunting method & rifle calibre

Both species are hunted fair chase on foot — glassing from vantage points, then a careful stalk into range. Sable and Roan are large, tough antelope that carry lead well, so bring enough calibre and a premium controlled-expansion bullet. A .300 Winchester Magnum, .300 Weatherby, .338 Winchester Magnum or 9.3×62 loaded with Barnes TSX, Swift A-Frame or Nosler Partition is ideal. A .30-06 with 180gr premium bullets is the practical minimum. Place the first shot on the shoulder — heart-lung — and be ready to follow up.

Add it to a plains game or buffalo safari

Sable and Roan are premium trophies. Many hunters add one to a plains game safari or a Cape buffalo hunt rather than travelling for them alone. Our flagship 10-day dangerous-game safari pairs a Cape buffalo bull with Sable, Roan and greater kudu at discounted trophy fees — the most complete way to experience what Marula does best. See the Cape Buffalo & Sable package.

Trophy quality through breeding and conservation

Consistent trophy quality is no accident — it comes from our own breeding programme. Marula's owner, Chris Burger, was named WRSA Game Farmer & Game Breeder of the Year and is a member of Classic Game Breeders, and that breeding expertise shows in the animals on our ground. Carefully limited offtake funds the management and protection that keep these herds strong, so hunting a Marula Sable or Roan directly supports the conservation of two of Africa's most special antelope.

A typical day on a Sable or Roan hunt

Coffee and rusks before first light, then out on the truck to a vantage point where we glass the open lines and drainage cuts as the sun comes up. Both species move at dawn and dusk, then settle into thick cover through the middle of the day. Once we've cut sign or picked up a herd, we dismount and hunt on foot — sometimes for a hundred yards, sometimes for a few kilometres, reading the wind and looking for the herd bull. Brunch back at camp, a siesta through the heat, then out again for the afternoon. Evenings are spent around the fire with your PH and tracking team going over the day and planning the next.

The tracking team behind every roan hunt

Every sable and roan hunt at Marula is guided by a licensed Professional Hunter and a tracker who has spent years on this ground. Roan hunts especially rely on the trackers — they know where the small herds water, where they lie up in the heat, and how they move through the Bushveld between seasons. It is quiet, methodical hunting, and the tracking is a large part of the experience.

What's included

• ✓ Luxury lodge or tented-camp accommodation, exclusive-use
• ✓ All meals and beverages (in moderation)
• ✓ Licensed 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 CITES / hunting permits where applicable

Full USD trophy fees for every species on the Hunting overview & pricelist.

Sable & roan combination safari FAQs