Any hunts you wouldn’t do again?

[375Fox]

I think everyone here generally discusses their favorite hunts. Are there any hunts that no longer interest you or you wouldn’t repeat? I’ve been lucky and got to hunt quite a few different regions and outfitters. I’ve never had a bad hunt but think I’ve learned more what I want and don’t want with each trip. This is my list

1. The commercial game farm hunt in Limpopo. I’d be really glad to hunt bushbuck or warthogs or a dedicated kudu hunt in the mountains on very non-commercial properties, but seeing farmed species, color variants, or ear tags would ruin my hunt now. It’s generally too commercialized for the hunting I want now.

2. Estate hunting in New Zealand. I’ve had some PMs telling me otherwise, but the wild deer and farmed deer have very different temperaments from what I observed. I got to see 3 deer estates while I was there. I’d be excited to hunt free range deer or tahr again, but one estate stag is enough for me.

3. Single tag hunts in western US. I’m not a collector. I like going to see new areas and hunting styles and getting in all the days I booked. My biggest concern on these type hunts is finishing on the first day. I’m not one to pass trophy animals just to extend the hunt. I’ve only done one hunt like this for mule deer. Outfitter, guide, and area were great, but I took my mule deer on first afternoon, and hunt was over. I’d go as a group or with multiple tags in my pocket, but only one tag is too much of a potential limiter to me.

 

[LivingTheDream]

I'm no longer interested in a grizzly/brown bear hunt. Not 100% sure why but have taken it off my bucket list and doubt it will go back on.

I'm also not the biggest fan of Cape Buffalo hunting, which I think I might be the only one on this site who doesn't really like it. I would like to try Savanah Buffalo, or if in the Jungle I wouldnt pass the opportunity to track Forest buffalo. I think there are other animals I like to hunt more and if I am going to track all day would rather do it for an elephant.

I think I'm a little jaded on western hunting, I love doing it. But the points game, and overall costs have me a bit discourage. I would rather just go out west and walk up grouse, cover ground and take my gun for a walk.

 

[wildwilderness]

Any hunt with a bad outfit! Hard to know 100% beforehand but it really stinks going on a bad deal.

 

[MarkCZ]

We once did a 200 bird pheasant shoot in Poland, It took the second drive to work out that all the birds were brought out in cages and literally thrown from the cages. Appalling.
Mark CZ

 

[mark-hunter]

At this point of my hunting carrier, there is too much of hunting that I have not seen yet, so, here are some of my thoughts.

Most probably I will not hunt same species in Africa, which I already hunted. If there is chance to hunt something on opportunity, like warthogs for bait, or some antelope for meat hunt, no issue, will do, but will not go with plan to repeatedly hunt same animals for trophy.

Next thing (no experience, but matter of personal ethics), I dont have a wish to hunt brown bear. In my place, bear is hunted over bait during night hours, from high stand. This I find no pleasure in doing.
Walkig and stalking would be my prefered method, but this is not done like that here.

 

[revturbo9967]

My western hunting is going to end in the near future. I have an Elk hunt in Wyoming next October and it may be my last. With the cost being what it is, and only 5 days of hunting, I cant see myself spending the money on those hunts with so much more to offer in other counties. I can add a mule deer to my elk hunt but I'm not sure if I want to burn the points for a low chance opportunity. If I don't use my deer points, I will have a mule deer hunt in the future. But I dont see myself investing in anymore points.

This may stir up the pot, but I don't think I will ever hunt RSA, even though I have never been. After hunting a free area in Zim and having much success, I don't see the point on making the trip to RSA.

 

[TheGrayRider]

Utah general draw mule deer - Nonresident tag. Too many hunters, both resident and nonresident, and didn’t see a buck bigger than a forkhorn in five days of hard hunting.

No complaints though. A bad day hunting is better than a good day at the office! Happy hunting, TheGrayRider.

 

[mark-hunter]

We once did a 200 bird pheasant shoot in Poland, It took the second drive to work out that all the birds were brought out in cages and literally thrown from the cages. Appalling.
Mark CZ

High volume shoots are done like that. Some people are for that, some are not.
There have been shoots with 1000 - 2000 birds per day. No other way. (photo from internet)

 

[Hunter-Habib]

I absolutely love hunting lion (it’s my #1 pick out of all of Africa’s Big 5) and was fortunate enough to begin hunting them at a time when the concept of captive bred lions was completely unknown in Africa. Then, captive bred lion hunting slowly began to gain prominence as a budget alternative to the increasingly expensive hunts for truly wild lion.

So I hunted one captive bred lion in South Africa, just to see whether or not it could even remotely hold a candle to the real thing (as my white hunter was promising). Not even close. And I immediately resolved that henceforth, I would only hunt truly wild lion in places like Tanzania… even if it’s more expensive than hunting captive bred lions.

Nevertheless, I don’t advocate for a ban on captive bred lion hunting on mere principle. It offers a relatively economical route for several aspiring hunters on a budget to be able to get a taste of what lion hunting is like. And game farms definitely play their role in wildlife conservation.

Still… personally speaking, it’s just not for me.

 

[Osama Mahdi]

*Any "very easy " hunt. Species and operation.
Sable is easy to hunt. They don't run when seeing humans. They are the most beautiful African animal but just too easy, no challenge. I didn't hunt one and might will but it is too easy unlike Kudu for example.

*Small hunting are. No.

*And obviously an outfitter with bad behaviors. The list of such behaviors are not short one example the one who try to make advantage of you, put pressure on you to take more and more.

* No hunt for certain species. An example cheetah.

 

[chashardy]

I won't ever hunt in Australia again. The country is not hunter friendly and once you have your water buffalo, there isn't enough variety of other game that is interesting to hunt.

 

[375Fox]

*Any "very easy " hunt. Species and operation.
Sable is easy to hunt. They don't run when seeing humans. They are the most beautiful African animal but just too easy, no challenge. I didn't hunt one and might will but it is too easy unlike Kudu for example.

*Small hunting are. No.

*And obviously an outfitter with bad behaviors. The list of such behaviors are not short one example the one who try to make advantage of you, put pressure on you to take more and more.

* No hunt for certain species. An example cheetah.

If you ever get chance to hunt a sable in Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Zambia it might change your mind. They are a very different animal than on the standard game farm.

 

[Osama Mahdi]

If you ever get chance to hunt a sable in Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Zambia it might change your mind. They are a very different animal than on the standard game farm.

That is very good to know

Many thanks

 

[Hunt anything]

We once did a 200 bird pheasant shoot in Poland, It took the second drive to work out that all the birds were brought out in cages and literally thrown from the cages. Appalling.
Mark CZ

This exact topic came up around the grill yesterday while waiting for the doves to start flying. 3 or 4 of the guys had done a “continental shoot” and to a man none cared to repeat it. Shooting pheasant thrown from a tower doesn’t seem right.

 

[Doubleplay]

Any big game hunt where the outcome and specific size is guaranteed.

 

[TTundra]

Any hunt in which the outfitter charges by the inch....

I'd gladly hunt RSA again, I enjoyed both trips there tremendously. However, any outfit in which you are told animal you are hunting is $XXX(X) more due to it being 1" (or more) longer while on the hunt is not something for me.

 

[baxterb]

We once did a 200 bird pheasant shoot in Poland, It took the second drive to work out that all the birds were brought out in cages and literally thrown from the cages. Appalling.
Mark CZ

A good friend and dog trainer was invited to work at a top bird hunting lodge here in the states. They flew him in, went over the plan and drove him around the land so he could get an idea of what he was getting into. This place sells “authentic” wild bird hunting experiences over dogs etc etc.

When he was down there I texted him and asked how it looked. He said, “fine, until I learned that when everyone went in for lunch we would stay out a plant birds for the second wave of shooters, F this place.”

 

[BourbonTrail]

I have a few…

If it wasn’t for the desire to fill the freezer, I would never hunt another whitetail. I view them as vermin, and sitting still for 12 hours in the freezing cold for 2 weeks straight to get a chance at shooting an immature buck seems insane. I can do that from my kitchen.

Cull hunting warthogs. I just really did not enjoy it.

I also probably wouldn’t do the CBL thing again. I don’t regret it, and I don’t have the moral objection against it when it’s done well. However, once you’ve done it, you’ve done it. Nothing to be gained from doing it again.

 

[Doubleplay]

A good friend and dog trainer was invited to work at a top bird hunting lodge here in the states. They flew him in, went over the plan and drove him around the land so he could get an idea of what he was getting into. This place sells “authentic” wild bird hunting experiences over dogs etc etc.

When he was down there I texted him and asked how it looked. He said, “fine, until I learned that when everyone went in for lunch we would stay out a plant birds for the second wave of shooters, F this place.”

There are a lot of places doing that in US and charging an arm and a leg.
Clueless so called wild bird hunters can't even see the holes in pheasants beaks.

 

[Doubleplay]

I have a few…

If it wasn’t for the desire to fill the freezer, I would never hunt another whitetail. I view them as vermin, and sitting still for 12 hours in the freezing cold for 2 weeks straight to get a chance at shooting an immature buck seems insane. I can do that from my kitchen.

Cull hunting warthogs. I just really did not enjoy it.

I also probably wouldn’t do the CBL thing again. I don’t regret it, and I don’t have the moral objection against it when it’s done well. However, once you’ve done it, you’ve done it. Nothing to be gained from doing it again.

CBL?