Dogleg makes a good point, but there can be issues with trying to add antelope to a DG safari. I'm headed to the Zambezi Valley in Zimbabwe in July. From what I've been told, the buffalo are prolific and there are lots of Impala, but other antelope have severely restricted quotas...like 8 Kudu for the area I'm hunting (Chewore South). I don't think there is better buffalo hunting available than in the Zambezi Valley. Lots of animals and good trophy quality makes for a good recipe.
But blargon isn't talking about a DG hunt. His top 3, Kudu, Gemsbok and Eland (plus a few sundry beasties), make me think that he needs to seriously look at RSA or Namibia. Gemsbok tend to not wear their horns as much in the sandy country of Northern Namibia. Their Kudu and Eland are supposed to be good as well.
I hunted RSA in 2007. I was in the Northern Cape but traveled quite a bit (almost into the North West Province and the Free State). The downside to RSA is that all the hunting is behind wire. Now, the area you hunt on may be huge, and may well be several times larger than the animal's natural range. You may never even see a fence. You just have to get right with it ahead of time. RSA also has incredibly varied terrain, from the Kalahari area of the Northern Cape to the thick bush and valleys in the Limpopo and the Mountains of the Eastern Cape. Lots of guys also have concessions in several areas so you could hunt the Kalahari area for a monster Gemsbok, and then collect Eastern Cape Kudu and Bushbuck. Another bonus is that you can get your taxidermy done in RSA and shipped home for a very reasonable price (way less than dip and ship and having taxidermy done in Canada).
Namibia would also be an excellent choice. I've never been but I'd sure like to.
Above all, and it pains me to say it, don't go with a "crew". I did in RSA and, while I enjoyed it, the PH tried to skimp and we spent all our time riding around in a truck with three hunters, two observers, two PHs and a tracker (or two). I would have preferred to spend more time walking and stalking with my PH (or even my PH and another hunter) but this guy had his way of hunting and that was that. Knowing what I know now, I would have checked into that more before I went. Certainly on my next PG hunt I will be sure to tell the PH how I want to hunt ahead of time to avoid any repeat.
My top 5 PG trophies would be as follows...
Kudu
Gemsbok
Zebra
Wildebeest (both varieties)
Impala
Now, someone's going to say "Is he mad? No Sable?" I consider Sable to be a specialized hunt - probably your best bet would be some of the spots in Zim that still have decent populations of Sable, or Mozambique. Or, pray for it, Angola (Royal Sable anyone?). My top 5 is what I would want to get after on a southern African PG hunt. From where I am now I've got different priorities, but that list would be my first choices on a first hunt. If I was doing an RSA PG hunt now I'd be looking for a really good Kudu (mid 50's), Bushbuck, Eland, Zebra (I've got unfinished business with the stripey bastards), Nyala and a Black Wildebeest. I'd shoot a Gemsbok bull that was 37" or better (my Gemsbok cow is 41 5/8" so it would need a stout bull to complement it) and a bigger Impala. The colour phase Springbok don't do it for me and I'm on the fence about the Hartebeest and Waterbuck.
I have a buddy that is a PH in RSA. He worked for the outfit that I went with and went out on his own a couple of years ago (hard to live on the $500 a month that his boss paid him). I'd hunt with him again.
Hell, let's be honest. There aren't may things over there that I'd not want to hunt!
