Need help identifying these horns.

[SluiceCoot]

Backstory: My great great great uncle was a missionary in Africa in the 20's. He was also a big game hunter who hunted everything from elephants, rhinos, to Cape buffalo. My dad has a cool picture of him standing with a rifle of TWO dead Cape buffalos. Anyways, my great-grandmother passed away and deep in her garage I found a disgusting European mount from my great great great uncle. The horns were oxidized and the skull was disgusting with pieces of meat still attached. I cleaned up the skull and lighty sanded the horns and finished them off with a polishing of shoe polish. They turned out beautiful.

My problem: I've had trouble identifying the animal. Ready? Go!

 

[SluiceCoot]

If it helps, the horns look black in the picture but they are actually a very dark brown. Up close they are stunning!

 

[wiley]

Looks like Impala

 

[SluiceCoot]

Here are a few more pics...

 

[SluiceCoot]

One more

 

[SluiceCoot]

My initial thought was Impala

 

[wiley]

yea, the pics I am seeing has all shapes and sizes...Super Cool though

 

[TaftHunter]

Looks like a Gemsbok?

 

[8SteelTown]

Looks like an Ibex to me... My brother was going to give me one of these for xmas...

http://ab.pbimgs.com/pbimgs/ab/images/dp/wcm/201470/0822/img58i.jpg

 

[TaftHunter]

Looks similar..

 

[wiley]

you may have to compare whats left of the skull, looks like impala eye sockets are farther up on the skull

http://animal-kid.com/impala-skull.html

 

[SluiceCoot]

I think the skull is too small for a gemsbok. The horns are the exact shape but I think gemsbok horns are straight. These definitely have a backwards curve

 

[ilovesprig]

Love the spoonie decoy.................Tom Taber or Hershel Kyle?


Impala

 

[TaftHunter]

Ohh now I see the other pic you posted all I saw was the straight on view. Now it definitely looks like Impala. Cool horns!

 

[SluiceCoot]

Tom Taber. My dad had about 10 Taber decoys and he split them up between my brothers. None of which hunt

 

[ilovesprig]

Tom Taber. My dad had about 10 Taber decoys and he split them up between my brothers. None of which hunt

Cool.......Tom Taber was very popular in the 70's and early 80's......I got a redhead & wood duck at the swap meet for 20 bucks......Here's what there asking for some them now...... :-\

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCAQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fbhp%2Ftom-taber&ei=zQvVVOzXGsG9ggTjtoLoAw&usg=AFQjCNGUlD1U3tXXw-95Y9HTUg2BzwGpKQ&sig2=Dxa28Kmsqa8_o0NztrK53w&bvm=bv.85464276,d.eXY



Sorry for the hijack.......Impala.......
.

 

[Chadwick]

I'm guessing Oryx. Too narrow for many I looked at, including Impala. Gemsbok is a kind of Oryx.

 

[d16ridgehiker]

I say blesbuck.....

 

[ilovesprig]

Could be a Blesbuck........Although their horns look heavier

 

[Matagi]

Looking at the skull, I'm going to guess Thomapson's gazelle. Gazelle horns can be straight up or curved.