Your Favorite of the BIG FIVE

Leopard and Ele definitely at the top of the wish list...
Leopard tortoise and elephant shrew on the reality list...

For me its LION. It always has been LION. Yes they are all great beasts, worthy of a fine hunt; but theres just something mysterious about LIONS, and what could be better than hunting LION on your honeymoon. I only which I could bring the trophy home; but my real trophy is my bride and the honeymoon safari that she suggested

EDELWEISS said:

The guns aren't the issue. I have a Ruger No.1 in 577NE (converted by JD Jones of SSK Industries). I bought it on a whim, sold it and bought it back, because I couldn't "not have it"... My current SxS is a 470NE. I figure that's more than good for everything from Leopard to Elephant, and there's something just cool about using the same gun over and over; but I'm really contemplating a 4Bore muzzleloader???

Oh yeah my favorite is ______Hahahaha. I want to take them all, and I want to take them close. I always kinda figured "they ain't dangerous if you need a scope"... Aging eyes may be changed changing that?

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You are right sir about using the same gun over and over on DG. I have three of the big five so far and my Ruger Guide Gun has become my go to rifle. I intend to hand it down to my son and then he to my grandson who should join us in this world around Christmas this year.

EDELWEISS said:

For me its LION. It always has been LION. Yes they are all great beasts, worthy of a fine hunt; but theres just something mysterious about LIONS, and what could be better than hunting LION on your honeymoon. I only which I could bring the trophy home; but my real trophy is my bride and the honeymoon safari that she suggested

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Sir, I could not agree with you more! I've spent the past 21 years obsessed with hunting the African Lion - its a very special experience. My only suggestion - hunt a truly wild lion!! Its an experience unlike any other.

Lots of luck!!

Hunted cape buffalo this year for first time and hunting them again next year so I guess I'd say buffalo!

I have taken two buffalo and a leopard from that list. I have carefully (very carefully) crawled up on black rhino and photographed a great bull within 40 yards. I have sauntered up to white rhino. I have been around a lot of elephant, to include several trophy bulls in the Caprivi and Mozambique. One of those bulls in the Caprivi was at slingshot range. I do not have a photo because I was decisively engaged viewing him through my sights. The only wild lions I have encountered were in Mozambique. Again, I have a great photo of a huge male at pistol range (and not from a truck). I will never have the opportunity to hunt black rhino and have no desire to hunt white. I have no desire to hunt a captive bred lion, and I can't justify the expense of hunting a wild lion. I suspect, regrettably, that I likely will not hunt a bull elephant. I personally have no desire to hunt a cow. I may hunt a leopard again. It is a fascinating hunting experience, and can still be done at relatively affordable prices - additionally, a man I consider a friend (Nick Nolte) is one of the best leopard men in Africa. Next year, I am again booked to hunt buffalo in Mozambique. All this is a long way around to say, I will hunt buffalo as long as I am physically able. Nothing quite like it.

Nice thread, sounds like a recent fireside chat I had! I too have been Blessed to hunt the Big 5 and repeated a few of them over the years but only 1 rhino.

Elephant is #1 for me, the time you must invest, the walking, the stalking and ultimately making the shot. It's really the only time in my hunting career I've felt small - when I was 20 yards from a big Zimbabwe bull. You look at him, you look at your rifle and think about all the practice leading up to this point and to be certain you make the shot.

Back in '06, on that very hunt Debra was taking video for me and she was there for the whole thing, I thought. When we got back to Texas and watched the video you see me raising my rifle then all you see is a blur of grass. I asked her what happened? She said "I looked at you, I looked at the Elephant and thought - we have four children at home and they will need at least one parent so I retreated". Looks like she didn't have a lot of confidence in my shooting skills!

A close second is Lion, He is the King of Beasts and a big mature male is something to behold.

Buffalo's have never given me much grief, I tracked my Rhino for 3 hours and I've loved every Leopard hunt I've been on.

So at the end of the day, they are all Great Game Animals.

Elephant
Leopard
Cape buffalo
Lion
Rhino

In that order

Buff.

Buffalo by a long chalk. They are so correct, not only because they are dangerous, but they epitomise safari Africa. Lions scare me to death, my good friend and business colleague Peter Evershed was killed by a lioness a few years back. An Elie killed Phil Smythe as you know, his dad and I did business together. A few years back my business partner's father in law was gored by a buff and very nearly died. And two weeks ago Johnathan our boat keeper at Kariba was killed by a croc. Yes, I know that isn't a big five animal, but the point is that the big 5 are all special because they can so easily turn the tables. They are worthy of great respect and a very careful hunt.

"They are worthy of great respect...."

So true...

Of the Dangerous 7...I’m also going to say Buffalo. The availability and affordability make it an almost yearly choice when planning a safari. Having been charged twice while hunting Cape’s I can attest to the adrenaline rush they deliver.

I have taken all five. If I could pick one to go hunt again right now it would certainly be the lion. There is nothing like the adventure of baiting and hunting a truly wild lion.
The most likely scenario on what I’ll hunt next is the Cape Buffalo. I will be back in Zimbabwe’s Zambezi valley hunting the Omay again next year in August. This is where my lion hunt took place.


The Omay is a fantastic place for hippo and croc as well as many others. I’ll be tracking Buffalo and maybe tuskless elephant along with trying to settle the score with those pesky hyenas! This is of the most affordable elephant hunts and very exciting.
If you want a true wilderness adventure, places like this are where you want to be!
Regards,
Philip

My dream since a small boy was to go to Africa and Hunt cape buffalo with the double rifle, although I don't think I'll be able to swing both I'm hoping to do Africa in three years for the Buffalo!

They are equally superior to me.
The lions bravery
The leopards stealth
The elephants majestic size
The buffalo's toughness
The rhinos inability to make up its mind and act like a bull in a china shop.
They all have a dear place.
I can't just choose 1 !

EDELWEISS said:

Like, I suspect most of us, I grew up reading and dreaming about a BIG FIVE hunt. Money doesnt mean anything to 12 year olds, so I pictured getting them all on one safari. I figured it might take a month or so; but Id surely leave with 100Lb ivory and a MGM Lion and a 45" Dugga Boy and and and... By the time I was in college, I figured I might have to split up my safaris because of my responsibilities in the Foreign Legion.... Then I got married (instead of joining the Foreign Legion) and pretty much gave up on any serious thoughts of the BIG FIVE or any safari for that matter; but I still dreamed of __________.

You know you married the wrong one when she complains to the judge in the divorce that you read "Damn Safari books, when other guys looked at porn". Well I did read King Solomon's Mines to the kids as bedtime stories...

Now things have changed. I found the RIGHT girl and we're headed to Afrika for our honeymoon DG safari. No its not all 5; but its the one Ive been dreaming about.

Whats your favorite?

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Cape buffalo this July and a second one already booked for July 22. From there elephant, lion, leapord then rhino in that order

Lion

A black maned East African Lion would be my pick for the number 1. However, a black rhino looks glorious as well.

So I have not yet hunted in Africa yet, so definitely I'm a Big 5 virgin.
My fascination with Africa didn't start with the Big 5, but rather just with buffalo hunting. This is my dream still.

More recently, courtesy of AH, I have been considering Elephant and Lion too.

Rhino does not seem to attract me, as I have the impression that they are more docile creatures (but I understood there is some difference between black & white rhino). Maybe they are so much without fear of man that they do not have this fight/flight reflex, and just approaching a big animal that will be completely disinterested in the fact that I'm there, does not do it for me.

Leopard also does not attract me too much, but this is mainly due to the mode of hunting (baiting+sitting in a blind). I would prefer stalking and tracking animals.

V.

VertigoBE said:

So I have not yet hunted in Africa yet, so definitely I'm a Big 5 virgin.
My fascination with Africa didn't start with the Big 5, but rather just with buffalo hunting. This is my dream still.

More recently, courtesy of AH, I have been considering Elephant and Lion too.

Rhino does not seem to attract me, as I have the impression that they are more docile creatures (but I understood there is some difference between black & white rhino). Maybe they are so much without fear of man that they do not have this fight/flight reflex, and just approaching a big animal that will be completely disinterested in the fact that I'm there, does not do it for me.

Leopard also does not attract me too much, but this is mainly due to the mode of hunting (baiting+sitting in a blind). I would prefer stalking and tracking animals.

V.

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As for the leopard hunt not to your liking another option is to poke around the Motopos hills and shine into the caves with a torch mounted on your rifle. I think that would raise the pulse a bit

For me it's Leopard, Elephant, Lion, Buff then Rhino