How many species have you hunted, and other fun facts

[Cleathorn]

I recently spent a few weeks in Africa with a good friend, who also happens to be a well-known outfitter, hunting guide, and TV show host. He has made his living in the hunting industry for more than 35 years and his personal hunting career is legendary.

One of our great campfire conversations turned to hunter demographics. That is, when someone talks about being a “hunter,” what on average does that mean. How many species have they hunted, how many animals of that species, do they travel to hunt and other interesting facts.

My good friend is a wealth of information on the topic. Basically, in North America, the “average hunter” seems to hunt 1 species, and that is most often a whitetail deer. Over a lifetime, the average hunter will take less than 10 animals. Once you have killed 1, the likely that you kill more goes up by a large margin. The typical hunter will only hunt in a single State. The second cohort of people will take between 1-5 species (typically whitetail deer, mule deer, elk, Pronghorn and black bear) and hunt in 3 or fewer States. The most common shared trait is that most hunters in the U.S. own a pickup truck.

The AF community is hardly average, so I thought it would be interesting to see how many species, places, and animals the AF community hunts. I am just curious, and this could go on forever.

I have been fortunate to be able to hunt (and fish) quite a bit.

I have hunted about 50 different species, in 32 different States (US), provinces (Canada) or countries around the world. I hunted and fished in North America, South America, Europe, Oceana, and Africa. Hopefully I can get to Asia in the next year or 2. I understand they heavily frown upon hunting Penguins, so no hunting in Antarctica. I have shot about 150 animals from the list of about 50 species. I currently have 4 hunts booked/planned in the next 12 months that will include 3 separate continents, and I will probably get out a bit more than that. And since I live in the U.S., yes I do in fact own a pickup truck.

 

[Deleted member 40394]

Around 180 whitetail deer, 106 turkey, I got 15 different animals from my Africa trip. I have taken 11 different type of ducks. I hope to get elk, mule deer, antelope in this decade and some more africa animals. I have hunted in 7 states.

 

[Tra3]

There will be some impressive replies forthcoming. The breadth of travel and number of species does not dictate the quality of hunter, though. While I endeavor to expand my own list of 40 species, I realize that I simply love the adventure of hunting, even if for squirrels in the back 40. My list will expand not for the sake of the list, but for the adventure of new places to explore. At 3 states and 3 countries, I have a lot left to explore.

I would add to this list: days hunted per year. (50)

Finally, how to quantify DIY hunting vs. Guided hunting, I presume the investment of time is substantially greater on the former.

 

[Safari Dave]

I have been fortunate enough to take 6 different species of NA big game (1 elk, 1 mule deer, 2 pronghorn, dozens of whitetail deer, 1 black bear and several feral hogs) and 11 species of African big game (13 African animals in total).

Plus, much small game and game birds on both continents (at least 20 different species).

I've caught at least 100 species of fish. (I fish freshwater lakes, ponds, rivers and streams and in saltwater - both inshore and offshore). I also get much satisfaction by "doing it myself" without the assistance of a guide, whenever I feel confident that I have the equipment, access, and ability.

This was not the case in with hunting in Africa, but I was able to get a tigerfish and a couple of other species of African fish with no assistance.

 

[Safari Dave]

I have only taken 1 NA big game animal with a guide.

I have fished with several guides, but have never taken a fish with a guide that I was unable to catch by myself, except for peacock bass in a tributary of the Amazon.

 

[IdaRam]

I’ve been extremely fortunate to grow up and to live in some great hunting areas with a lot of opportunity and good success. Although it seems to get more challenging as the years go by Generally speaking all of my hunting in North America has been DIY, but I have been on 2 guided trips. One in 1987 for grizzly bear in Alberta, Canada which was the last year a non-resident could hunt grizzly in Alberta. The other guided trip was for Bighorn Sheep in the Frank Church Wilderness of Idaho. I’ve hunted 5 states and taken 10 different species of North America Big Game animals, 15 species of upland game birds, 25 species of waterfowl, and to spend some time trapping and take 6 species of furbearers.
Somewhat to my surprise I’ve been able to make 4 trips to Africa and hunt Mozambique, Zimbabwe and South Africa. In addition to hunting 4 of the big 5, I’ve hunted 27 species of plains game & night animals as well as guinea and francolin. I’ve also visited Zambia, Botswana and Namibia but I have not hunted any of these three countries (yet).
And I own a pickup truck

 

[375Fox]

Seeing a new area is what really drives me to book hunts. I’m not interested in collecting species. I book an area then decide what to hunt (with roe deer being my only exception). I’ve been on around 25 guided hunts and have taken around 55 big game species/subspecies in Africa, North America, Europe, and Australia/NZ. There are a lot of species I have no real interest in hunting, but no new area I wouldn’t be excited to see. I think of hunting more as exploring with a purpose.

 

[BryceM]

Goodness, better exclude birds and rodents.....

Mule deer, pronghorn, moose, elk, duiker, steenbok, springbok, blesbok, gemsbok, black wildebeest, blue wildebeest, red hartebeest, waterbuck, kudu, warthog, baboon, Hartman zebra, Burchell's zebra, eland, giraffe, cape buffalo, elephant, impala. I guess that's 23. The most delicious are blue wildebeest and cape buffalo. 57 animals in the last 12 years. Maybe a dozen prior to that.

6 states, mostly in the Western US, 2 countries - USA and Namibia.

On the wish-list: leopard, whitetail, bear, sable, roan, mid-Asian ibex, nyala, klipspringer, bison, caribou

Adventure is fun. Africa is a blast. Nothing gets me going like a big mulie buck though. I'm instantly 12 years old again every time. In retrospect, I've been truly blessed.

 

[Fatback]

I’ve been fortunate to hunt in 6 different states,Canada (15 times) and I’ll be making my 4th trip to Namibia later this month. I have taken moose, elk, whitetail, mule deer, pronghorn, aoudad, dall sheep, black bear, brown bear, barren ground and mt caribou, alligator and hogs in North America. In Africa I’ve taken kudu, impala, gemsbok, blesbok, warthog, blue and black wildebeest, springbok, burchels and mt. zebra, waterbuck, eland and leopard. I hope to add cape buffalo, sable, lechwe, bushbuck, baboon and nyala later this month.

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

I've huntedZimbabwe a fair bit, but less than a lot of you ladies and gentlemen coming from overseas. Hunted Scotland for stag and going back next year, it is like heaven. Fished Canada, got trout, spring and sockeye salmon.

 

[Safari Dave]

and I own a pickup truck...



(& 2 Land Cruisers!)

 

[Nyati]

29 species from RSA, and 6 from Spain, not counting birds.

Total number of animals taken in RSA 47, in Spain, never kept count.

 

[Andrew62]

I’ve taken 60 species across Africa over 15 safaris. Have 5 Buffalo safaris booked ahead!!

 

[meigsbucks]

In the US, I’ve taken five elk, twelve mule deer, seven pronghorn antelope, two black bear, about 70 whitetail, nine hogs and about 10 exotics. These were spread over about a dozen states. Hunted birds in an additional four. Unsuccessfully hunted caribou in Canada.
Africa… Zimbabwe: Cape buffalo, kudu, zebra, warthog, bushbuck, waterbuck, three impala and two blue wildebeest. Namibia: black wildebeest, red hartebeest, blesbok, eland, three gemsbok, two zebra, two springbok and steinbok.
African wishlist:: more buffalo, another eland, another kudu, nyala, bushpig, duiker, klipspringer, kob, hyena, baboon and jackel.
Yes, I drive a pickup truck.

 

[igotit]

While I've rifle hunted plenty others, it's only been whitetails with bow. Someday I'd really like to bow hunt a bison/buffalo. Others on the list would be pigs, elk, bear, caribou, and Alaskan moose.

 

[Woodcarver]

The only guided hunt I've done was for the 2 black bear and geese in Alberta; which is also the only other country I've hunted, so far. Hunted 6 states, all DIY. Looking to add a couple more soon, also DIY. I would have to dig through the box of old tags to see how many of each species I've been fortunate enough to shoot, but the list would include elk, moose, Rocky Mtn Bighorn, mule and whitetail deer, pronghorn (probably close to 30), javelina, pigs, bear, coyotes, bobcats. Most of the species of ducks that use the Central Flyway (along with a black scoter I took off a pond in Kansas). Countless dove (multiple species), pheasant (2 species), & quail (3 different types). Grouse (2 kinds), chukar, a few different geese, sandhill cranes (best eating of almost any game animal, furred or feathered), and pigeons. Wouldn't even begin to try and guess at the variety of birds and rodents that fell to the BB gun and 22 growing up. Enough prairie dogs (2 species) to make a bunny hugger faint and rabbits (2 types). Pine marten, fox (red, grey, swift and kit), marmots. Do snakes count? Skunks, possum, raccoon. 4 different types of squirrel. One that I haven't hunted yet is turkey; plan to remedy that next year.
This has been an enjoyable trip down memory lane thinking about the different hunts and some of the adventures of youth traipsing around the fields and woods. Almost forgot, snapping turtle and frogs. Don't think I'll try and figure out the different fish, there's been several, including lionfish.
Edit to add- I have 3 pickups (2 currently run, lol), all the cars have belonged to the lady of the house

 

[dwm4375]

First post here...

64 deer in PA (62), NC (1), and TN (1). 7 turkeys and 1 bear, also in PA. 4 antelope between WY (2), CO, and MT. Points for elk, deer, and antelope in 4 western states, so hoping to start adding to the western adventures in a few years when life allows (young kids now). North America hunting goal would be the "Genus Slam" of at least one animal from each genus - deer, bear, antelope, elk, moose, caribou, sheep, mountain goat, mountain line, bison, and muskox.

In Africa, 41 animals of 21 species across 4 safaris. That counts black springbuck as the same species as the common springbuck (for example), would be 26 species if splitting out color variants. Next safari planned for 2025 in South Africa with a focus on the Tiny 10 species I don't have (only have duiker & steenbuck so far). Just got my first buffalo in August 2022 so looking forward to more dangerous game someday.

Don't own a pickup truck now as child-transporting and gas mileage take priority but will be getting one in a few years. Don't hunt small game much due to the sharp decline in ruffed grouse in PA - either maturing forests, coyotes, or West Nile virus, depending who you ask. Would love to get into waterfowl hunting if anyone is near PA and would let me tag along.

 

[Hunt anything]

Currently I’ve hunted roughly 15 US states, 1 Canadian province and 2 African countries. In Africa it’s been Mozambique and 3 provinces in RSA. I’ve taken all but 2 of the legal north American waterfowl ( no king eider or Barrow’s goldeneye)about 200 whitetail deer in Alabama and in my out of state hunts I’ve taken Colombian black tailed deer, black bear, hogs, Javalina, mule deer and pronghorn . In Africa I’ve taken buffalo, sable, warthog, nyala, chobe bushbuck, Lichtenstein hartebeest,elephant, lechwe, impala, bush duiker, kudu, common reedbuck (2), mt reedbuck, bushpig, steenbok, cape bushbuck, baboon, waterbuck, klipspringer, Limpopo bushbuck, springbok,roan, gemsbok and blesbok. I shot my first animal a blue winged teal the age of 6 and will be 59 in December. And I own 2 pickup trucks.

 

[fourfive8]

Hunted pretty much everything in North America- AK, NM, CO, WY and KS, except polar bear , musk ox and mtn goat. Piddled around with a bunch of mtn goats at close range one time on a DIY bear hunt on Kodiak. Fun to watch. Have run into wolves many times but never lucky enough to get one. Best chance was a stare down with a pure black wolf at an easy shot 75 yds standing broadside in a cut line about 20 mi south of Farewell AK. Rifle was strapped on my pack and no way to get to it before the wolf bolted. Hah! Two big game DIY hunts I’ve enjoyed most over the years have been: two-footed quads for old mule deer bucks in NM, CO and WY and DIY fly out drop camps for caribou in AK.

Africa - Botswana, Mozambique, RSA, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Includes several of most all common plains game and buffalo. Not into the smalls nor elephant, leopard or lion though. After reading Bell, Selous and others, I’ve come to my reality of being at least a hundred years too late for some things, hmm
Favorite hunting in Africa for me has been tracking any game behind good trackers. If I could hunt just one animal or one hunt in Africa it would be Eland in the Botswana Kalahari behind a San tracker

 

[Hunt anything]

Around 180 whitetail deer, 106 turkey, I got 15 different animals from my Africa trip. I have taken 11 different type of ducks. I hope to get elk, mule deer, antelope in this decade and some more africa animals. I have hunted in 7 states.

106 turkeys!!! Man that’s a lifetime of hunting. Congratulations on that. I’ve taken 25 or 30. I had 6 leases around my old hometown and would take 1 mature gobbler off of each per year. At that time the Alabama limit was 6 / year. I missed a lot of the golden age of Alabama turkey hunting due to a career that kept me busy from February to October allowing some big game hunting trips and a lot of waterfowl trips. After retiring I gave ‘em hell until I moved to south Alabama and let my leases go.