Ranking Plains Game, Ranking Dangerous Game

Northern Shooter said:

Can you explain what makes you rank a Tuskless cow over a Bull? I'm curious.

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You have to get right into the herd...
You are targeting a specific animal in the herd....
You have to ensure she has no calf at foot...to do so you need to see the mammaries which are between the front legs......
They are always full of shit.....
Much more chance of getting charged and they tend to not mock charge like bulls....

Bulls are easy in comparison....

IvW said:

You have to get right into the herd...
You are targeting a specific animal in the herd....
You have to ensure she has no calf at foot...to do so you need to see the mammaries which are between the front legs......
They are always full of shit.....
Much more chance of getting charged and they tend to not mock charge like bulls....

Bulls are easy in comparison....

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Fascinating. @IvW, thank you for your insight and expertise.

Northern Shooter said:

I'm curious to hear from those that have a safari or two under their belts, how would you rank the overall experiences of hunting specific plains game, specific dangerous game?

If money was no object, what would be your top choices for hunting plains game when considering the overall experience, the difficulty, the terrain, the chase etc?

Same question for dangerous game. I know that Cape Buffalo are the perennial favourite but how does the experience of hunting buffalo compare to hunting elephant, hippo, Rhino(?), lion etc.

On the flip side, what have been your least enjoyable plains game and dangerous game species to hunt?

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Having only a couple of safaris under my belt, I'd say the biggest factor is less the species itself and more the combination of terrain, tracking and how much work is involved in getting into position.

For plains game, I'd probably put kudu very high. The combination of tracking, thick terrain and trying to pick out a good bull makes it feel like a proper hunt rather than simply an exercise in glassing. Eland would also be near the top for me, particularly because of the amount of country they can cover.

Red Leg said:

The same is true of buffalo and eland if traditionally hunted. Find the tracks at a waterhole or crossing the trail and try to walk him down. Nothing else quite like it.

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Oh yeah. I haven't killed an eland, but the two buffalo bulls I've taken were both tracking hunts. If I make it back to Africa it will be another buffalo hunt, and this time an eland as well.

BourbonTrail said:

PG
-So far the “horse antelope” are my favorites (gemsbok, sable, roan)
-Bongo sounds like a wonderfully miserable time. I hope I can make it happen.
-Next is eland, but haven’t tried yet.
-Kudu round out the bottom because they remind me of elk

DG
-Tracking elephants appeals the most to me
-Large cats on foot is next
-Buffalo just make me uncomfortable, but I think it is a “must hunt”. I’m most interested in Western Savanna buffalo because of terrain

I like both tracking and spot & stalk hunts, basically anything that doesn’t involve sitting. The more exhausting, the better.



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I can definitely see the appeal of the tracking side of it, especially if you prefer hunts that involve actually covering ground rather than sitting in one spot.

The “horse antelope” group is interesting too. Gem, sable, and roan all seem like they would make for very different experiences depending on the terrain and how much tracking is involved. Bongo sounds like it would be an entirely different level of difficulty.

A wary old impala ram in leopard/lion country. For my money and limited experience, nothing tops them.

I’ve got experience with DG on only two species. Both were thrilling and very different. Tracking my rhino all day in thick thorns and bush and bumping into him three times (each time closer than the last) was nerve wracking and insane when I stop and consider it.

But I truly love hunting leopard with hounds. I’m already rebooked for ‘28 in Moz for a nighttime hound hunt and had to pass on a two for one buddy hunt (conflict with my moose hunt) for leopard.

I announced a while ago in a different thread I was starting my quest for the B5. Things may have changed. I don’t think I care about it as much any longer. I think my time is better spent doing things that I truly enjoy. And right now, it’s cats.

ETA: I have only 15 days experience tracking and hunting buffalo. And it was a spiritual journey filled with highs and lows and a good measure of self restraint. I’m looking forward to doing it again in ‘28 also.

DG leopard. Love it
PG kudu

Tracking hunts are my favorite Elephant, Buffalo, eland.me. Would hunt that threesome every year!I had been born rich rather than just ugly.

Spot and stalk: PG Roan and Bushbucks

Night hunts: all the small predators

Ultimate Chess match thinking brain trust kinda hunts: Leopard

You

Northern Shooter said:

I'm curious to hear from those that have a safari or two under their belts, how would you rank the overall experiences of hunting specific plains game, specific dangerous game?

If money was no object, what would be your top choices for hunting plains game when considering the overall experience, the difficulty, the terrain, the chase etc?

Same question for dangerous game. I know that Cape Buffalo are the perennial favourite but how does the experience of hunting buffalo compare to hunting elephant, hippo, Rhino(?), lion etc.

On the flip side, what have been your least enjoyable plains game and dangerous game species to hunt?

Click to expand...

To answer your questions, it partly depends on where one will be hunting. Hunting South Africa, kudu and bushbuck are really hard to beat, other species like blesbuck and sable, well, they're more of a 'let's go shoot one' kind of animal. If I were hunting Zimbabwe, then I'd put sable near the top of plains games animals to hunt, they're really wild up there and a challenge to get one.

Dangerous game, elephant, and it's not even close for me. There's just something about getting in close with something so damn big.

I'm about the tracking, spotting, stalking. I'm not sure I have a favorite species.

Guys,

As for DG I think the big cats are by far my favorite. I've taken several and all in daylight. Lord Derby eland is a great hunt, but I think I put the Zambesi sitatunga at the top of my list. Actually, I think the hunt itself is often far more important than the species you take.

Mark