Dangerous Game Range

mdsalern

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How close should one expect to be to be while hunting dangerous game? Someone recently told me that they got their trophy bear at over 300 yards and their guide wouldn’t get closer. That definitely didn’t seem dangerous.

Thank you for the replies.
 
Wouldn't get closer? Ooooo-kay.... That is one cautious guide.

Truthfully, I am sure there is a range (haha) of opinions. 300 seems like a fair poke though.

I was 50 yards from my brown bear. I have been that close and closer with other hunters on bears shot and bears passed on. We were 40 from my buffalo in Africa last year.

One of my buddies shot an 8 footer in the rain... in his boxers... at 20 feet... with his .44. Killed it dead as a hammer. I saw it unfold: I was there.
 
Big difference in the way they hunt bear in Alaska and how cape buffalo and lion are hunted. 300 yards does not seem unreasonable for brown bear
 
When I was hunting a grizzly up in British Colombia the only grizzly that we saw was at 578 yards and my guide asked me if I could make the shot.

The point being is that there was no way to get any closer and still see the bear. We could of closed the distance to less than 100 yards but he would be invisible to us, now if we would of gotten within 10 yards then we would of had a open shot.

A lot depends on the terrine.
 
I shot my last brown bear from the tent while we we cooking dinner. I thought about not shooting it, but then the bear made the decision for me.

Do you really want your dangerous game hunt to happen at 300+ ?
 
Normally you should get to DG as close as possible before shooting. In practice, unfortunately, things sometimes look different.

I can't say anything about bear hunting because I have never shot one, but different when it comes to hunting buffalos and elephants. By the elephant hunt you have to shoot as close as possible. Despite the size of the animal, a perfect shot placement is not that easy, especially the brain shot, but the elephant hunt is a topic in itself. With various species of buffalos I have always tried to get as close as possible to the game. I have been able to shoot below 50 yards in the majority of cases, but due to the circumstances I have shot at around 200 yards too. A lot depends on how well you master your big bore rifle under difficult shooting positions for such rifles,...and also from the caliber and cartridge that you use.
 
There is something very special about getting close. There are two circles of comfort, the animal's and yours, and when those two just overlap I reckon you have the true essence of the hunt. That is not to say further shots, particularly on PG are to be discounted, but we are talking DG here. Most of my encounters with DG have been on safari walks without a rifle, and DG are different, especially buffalo, lion and elephant. They have confidence that they can do you in any time they so desire, so they have presence. In almost every case my circle runs out before their's does, which is a good thing. Once with my Ruger No1 on my one and only buffalo we stalked right into a herd looking for a non trophy bull. It was very close. Then they came closer... The accuracy of you shot or sighting system is a given at these ranges, the thing that is on test is your nerve. We never got a shot that day but when you can smell them and see their ticks, you have hunted them anyway
 
You should get the hunt you want and I'd say it depends on the level of experience for the client hunter. Having that experience of being able to "read" a game animal is critical to how far a client is comfortable getting to it. This goes for just about any dangerous game animal.

For me (in Africa because that's what AH is about) it would depend on what the game is, but in general 50 yards or less is what I would like to start with. I agree with @Kevin Peacocke saying, there is something about getting close and yes, it really puts the DANGER in dangerous game. That is the part where you need to be able to control yourself in that tense situation. Having that level of experience and feeling that rush of emotion is what it's all about.
 
The last time I was in amongst buff was 3 years ago in Moz

Before the lurgy hit the world and shut travel down

50 yards, armed with a fast action Leica camera and the wind in our face

We were taking a local African school teacher (of English ) for his first ever view of game - part of the all important 'hearts and minds' program - keeping local villagers on side
 
Depend on the game, I think you be as far as possible hunting wild cats, Those things are fast and things can go south very fast.
 
Depend on the game, I think you be as far as possible hunting wild cats, Those things are fast and things can go south very fast.
Majority of cat hunts in Africa are over bait at 50 meters or so (except for RSA put and take hunts). In the USA they are mostly with dogs and the shot is height of a tree or occasionally a ledge not too far.

I most likely will not shoot a brown bear in Alaska (too cold for me), but I can't see wanting to take 300 - 500 yard shots for them.
 
Strictly my opinion - and yes I well know they can move fast - but a bear at 300 feels less like DG and more like simply 'game'. (though it does point to pretty decent shooting skill)
 
How close should one expect to be to be while hunting dangerous game? Someone recently told me that they got their trophy bear at over 300 yards and their guide wouldn’t get closer. That definitely didn’t seem dangerous.

Thank you for the replies.
DG includes a lot of animals can you be more specific?
 
Depend on the game, I think you be as far as possible hunting wild cats, Those things are fast and things can go south very fast.

:E Head Scratch: ...and what is your source of this information......?...would much prefer a close shot, than trying to work out what happened to a lion or leopard at 300 yards or less after it's vanished into some thick Bush....
 
I would love to hunt lion someday.
I am not a long range shooter.
I have occasionally shot caribou at 300+ (meat).

Everybody's different but I'd be mighty disappointed if I got a chance at a lion hunt and it wound up looking too much like one of my caribou hunts. :unsure: :p
 
How close should one expect to be to be while hunting dangerous game? Someone recently told me that they got their trophy bear at over 300 yards and their guide wouldn’t get closer. That definitely didn’t seem dangerous.

Thank you for the replies.
To me, shot at big bears from 300 yrds is ULTRA dangerous - because you have less control of the shot placements and likely you'll be far less accurate anyway. The result could be following a wounded Griz or Brown bear into tick alders or the like. A potentially letal experience.
I think the safest way to shot DG is going quite close. How much? Well...I would say 50/70 mt is well "close" for the first shot.
 
I am of the mindset you should be close enough to make a very clean shot. Terrain and species does dictate how close that is…
Never hunted brown bear but I would hope to be under 100 yards for the shot.

My PH, tracker and myself were within 20-25 yards multiple times while hunting cape buff - ended up being a 40 yard shot on my bull, took 3 days of crawling through the thick mopani to finally get a nice bull but that was hunting. In my opinion shooting a DG animal at long range kind of defeats the purpose of the hunt.
 
My DGPH and trackers took me within 23 yards behind the buff in the picture to the left. Shot it off sticks at 20 yards with .405 WCF 400 grain Woodie. When it began to walk away, another 400 grain Woodie broke down the pelvis and brought an end to a great hunt. When that close, you remember a lot of the details!
 
There is something very special about getting close. There are two circles of comfort, the animal's and yours, and when those two just overlap I reckon you have the true essence of the hunt. That is not to say further shots, particularly on PG are to be discounted, but we are talking DG here. Most of my encounters with DG have been on safari walks without a rifle, and DG are different, especially buffalo, lion and elephant. They have confidence that they can do you in any time they so desire, so they have presence. In almost every case my circle runs out before their's does, which is a good thing. Once with my Ruger No1 on my one and only buffalo we stalked right into a herd looking for a non trophy bull. It was very close. Then they came closer... The accuracy of you shot or sighting system is a given at these ranges, the thing that is on test is your nerve. We never got a shot that day but when you can smell them and see their ticks, you have hunted them anyway
Kevin you have captured the essence of a DG hunt. As my old teacher used to say, "variety is not the spice of life. Danger is!"
 

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