Most Overrated Hunt and Most Underrated Hunt

[Aaron N]

How does black bear over bait rate? It doesn’t seem to thrilling to me, but I’d still like a rug

 

[steve white]

How does black bear over bait rate? It doesn’t seem to thrilling to me, but I’d still like a rug

If it starts climbing your tree it will get more exciting...

 

[revturbo9967]

How does black bear over bait rate? It doesn’t seem to thrilling to me, but I’d still like a rug

Boring, like deer hunting. But for some areas of the world, its the only way to find one. Northern Maine has very dense woods, where spot and stalk is impossible. Other areas of Canada and Alaska are far more open and bait isn't needed to get on a bear.

When hunting over bait, it can be challenging if you set your sites on a big mature bear. You have the opportunity to see many bear on bait, but may have to hold out if you want a large one.

I just booked an interior Grizzly hunt in the Brooks Range of Alaska where the method is spot and stalk. Lots of glassing and hiking up and down the lower mountain ranges to find a big bear. Not as large as a costal brown bear, but still an amazing animal to go after. I can go after black bear if I want to as well.

 

[Green Chile]

Over rated is tricky...maybe the most hunted animal in the most common way...deer stands.

Under rated is an interesting question. Stalking bushbuck in the weeds is an easy answer. Way under rated. Calling predators in Africa...very under rated.

 

[Red Leg]

I wouldn't rate sable hunting very high but the general consensus seems to be most others don't rate it highly either so I wasn't terribly disappointed. Low expectation. I wouldn't have bothered with it but the lodge owner worked a deal with landowner that was impossible to turn down without insulting those good folks who put us up in their home. It was the end of a seven year drought and they were hurting. We had hunted buffalo there four days and couldn't connect. Buffalo were wise to us so time to move on to another property. Glad I could leave them with something to put in the bank. But it was not a difficult hunt.

Rather like aoudad and nilgai behind a fence. Hunt a mature wild sable among the free range herds in Mozambique or Zambia and they are a different experience than South Africa.

 

[Rare Breed]

I want to preface this by saying; This will probably be inherently controversial, because one person's trash is another's treasure and vice versa. But I'm sure we can give our opinions with the understanding other people might not have the same.

What do you think is the most overrated hunt, and which hunt do you think is the most underrated?

For me:
Most overrated hunt would be Nilgai
Most underrated hunt would be Eland

Over rated would be a put and take small property in SA…I had a great hunt in the kalahari on their large property but when we drove back to their other property very disappointing with me only focused on the first portion I chose not to hunt the second given this just relaxed and read. Under rated would easily be my Rhino dart hunt with @Wintershoek. It was simply awesome and way better than I had imagined

 

[Red Leg]

Again, why is it that sable behind fences seem so much less wary than just about any other species behind the same fence? The sable in your "wild" areas may be more wary but are they more wary than kudu or buffalo in the same areas? Or even comparable?

Absolutely. They are extremely challenging in a wild environment. Typical farm sable are born and raised in fairly small enclosures like stock animals before sale and release. They are habituated to humans from their earliest days. Typical small operations purchase three or four bulls. It is why we often see a specific bull advertised available for X dollars. I tend to assume he has a name as well.

 

[DieJager]

Absolutely. They are extremely challenging in a wild environment. Typical farm sable are born and raised in fairly small enclosures like stock animals before sale and release. They are habituated to humans from their earliest days. Typical small operations purchase three or four bulls. It is why we often see a specific bull advertised available for X dollars. I tend to assume he has a name as well.

Probably his name is Mario. Do not know why but that just seems right... Hey have you seen Mario around today. No he has been shot by an American from Ontario.

 

[mdwest]

I would concede that whitetail CAN be overrated.. but I think that really depends on what someone is looking to get out of the hunt.. its certainly not challenging if thats the primary qualifier..

I genuinely love whitetail hunting though.. not for the trigger pull.. thats pretty easy to accomplish when using a rifle thats rested on pack or some other object, in the window sill of a blind, thats exactly 100 yards from the feeder that the deer has come into to get his morning breakfast..

What I love about whitetail hunting is the peace and quiet.. just sitting in the blind a half hour before sun up, listening to the birds start to wake and move around, watching the squirrels and cardinals steal a few bites of corn every few minutes, while sipping strong coffee from a thermos.. no one else talking to me.. no one else to worry or be concerned about.. phone off.... total calm... I enjoy watching the deer come in, watching their behaviors, etc.. and then after the morning hunt, spending some time in camp with friends, having a nice lunch, bullshitting around, etc... same thing after the afternoon hunt.. hanging out around the fire with buddies, and just enjoying not being in the office.. the trigger pull is just about filling the freezer for me to be honest.. I go deer hunting for all of the other reasons..

 

[Sh1kar]

Most over rated: Plains game in SA behind fences and Chinese Water Deer in Engaland

Under rated: Liechtenstein Hartebeeste in Nisassa (took me 5 days to get one - v v spooky)

If I could only ever do one kind of hunting: Sika in the rut in Sutherland

S

 

[LWPhunt]

I am enjoying the answers to the thread.
As I contemplate an answer, I don't think of it as overrated or underrated, as stated above, just wouldn't do it again. Hunt some northern WI woods for whitetail, as hard as anything else I have ever done. Chasing Elk where there are none, a pain. Chasing animals in various places in Africa, still magical even if done over and over. Right now after 55 years of hunting, I just continue to enjoy the journey, even it is a repeat of something.

 

[DCN]

Most underrated is an African night time speciality animal hunt (bushpig, genet, honey badger, hyena, civit, etc.)

 

[grand veneur]

I don't quite understand the meaning of the initial question, most overrated hunt or most underrated hunt, but from which point of view; doing, terrain difficulties, costs or someone other?

The various answers seem to reflect a certain different interpretation of the question.

 

[HookMeUpII]

How does black bear over bait rate? It doesn’t seem to thrilling to me, but I’d still like a rug

Ask anyone in NJ. We have more per capita than any other state. We have 4000 in just northern NJ. They reinstated the hunt...but no baiting allowed. Supposedly, there's a push to re-allow baiting because even last year, with the hunt, they didn't meet the quota.

 

[bwanamrm]

I understand I will probably be pilloried for this but... most overrated is turkey hunting. I know a lot of folks are rabid turkey hunters but in my part of Texas we have so many they are pests! I have shot a couple but just can't get into it.

Most underrated... my $.02 would be a darted rhino hunt. I thought it would be a "ride out and dart a rhino munching on a bale of hay" but it was quite the pleasant surprise. They were switched on at the property I hunted and we had to get within 25 yards to insure a good hit with the dart. I thoroughly enjoyed it despite several blown stalks and it taking most of a day. Shooting one with a rifle would have been much easier...

 

[steve white]

Ask anyone in NJ. We have more per capita than any other state. We have 4000 in just northern NJ. They reinstated the hunt...but no baiting allowed. Supposedly, there's a push to re-allow baiting because even last year, with the hunt, they didn't meet the quota.

About what does a NJ bear hunt cost these days for an out of state hunter?

 

[HookMeUpII]

I don't quite understand the meaning of the initial question, most overrated hunt or most underrated hunt, but from which point of view; doing, terrain difficulties, costs or someone other?

The various answers seem to reflect a certain different interpretation of the question.

I'm along this same mindset as well. Me, being someone relatively new to hunting, I am unqualified to answer. I suppose I could answer on my own experience.

Some people find a good hunt to be one with success. Others find it to be the most challenging. Some, just appreciate the whole experience.

Underrated: Boat hunting waterfowl in tidal areas. In terms of overall experience, challenge, and being gratifying, it checks all the boxes for me. It's something special to be taking a boat out, in the winter, in snow, on tidal waters to hunt ducks.

Overrated: Whitetail hunting. I've done very little but from the amount I've done, it just didn't do it for me. However, that's just my personal experience.

 

[Green Chile]

How does black bear over bait rate? It doesn’t seem to thrilling to me, but I’d still like a rug

It depends on what the hunt is about for you. I'm still fascinated with black bears after taking 4 of them and I continue to learn a lot because I'm in a stand and they are distracted. Bears have a lot of social interaction with each other and particularly around food and/or cubs. So for me, baiting is a chance to watch a lot of bears interact with each other. My friend who didn't get a bear this spring with me in Canada said immediately after the hunt was done...we are coming back next year! He had 5-14 bears around him most of the time for 5 days, including a sow with triplets.

 

[HookMeUpII]

About what does a NJ bear hunt cost these days for an out of state hunter?

God's honest truth: I have no idea. It's a good question.

I just did a quick search to see if I could find someone here to guide. Nothing. We have waterfowl guides here. Some of those guys also do turkey (pretty damn good hunting for them in south NJ). Some take side quests like coyote, fox, etc. No bear though.

Ideally, you would want to find someone with 1) private land access and 2) pre-baits. That's the only way to get one here other than just pure luck having one cross your path. Guys buy pallets of expired pop tarts, ding dongs, raid the D&D dumpster for the throwaway donuts. They will pre-bait a stand or two, for weeks leading up to the season. First day of the hunt, the bait is pulled. The hope is they will come as a matter of habit or routine.

The world record bow black bear was taken 4 miles from where I live. I've been meaning to go before we move in the next year or two. It's a shame because they just opened roughly 1500 acres to hunting less than 10 minutes from my house.

With an 11 month old and a 3 year old at home...I'm lucky if I have time to put shoes on before heading to work in the morning though.

 

[Green Chile]

I'm glad Marshall mentioned rhino darting. It is definitely under rated and can be very challenging. It's very exciting to be that close to them, get their medication finished and then get them back on their feet again.