The most dangerous of hunts? The most dangerous game?

[DLSJR]

Definitely cow elephant during the day but having male lions come into camp at night when laying in a tent can cause insomnia! They are different at night.

Amen to that! Lions act very differently at night. Far more dangerous.

 

[Mark A Ouellette]

I think if cape buffalos could they would choose...

 

[Jeff505]

I had a conversation in Zambia in 2014 with my PH about tracking wounded game, the usual big five were of coarse on the list but there was one other animal he considered dangerous when wounded and a a few stories to back that up. The Bushbuck, I would not have thought that.

 

[sgt_zim]

A leopard mauling that ends about as well as one could hope for.

 

[Chryss]

A leopard mauling that ends about as well as one could hope for.

There are two possible approaches:

1. To shoot quickly to stop the attack immediately, which can minimize the risk of serious or fatal injuries to the human.

2. To take the time to aim correctly to avoid harming the human or other people present, while being aware that this delay may increase the risk of fatal injuries to the human if the animal continues its attack.

Ultimately, the decision to shoot quickly or take the time to aim depends on the circumstances. For me, it would have been difficult to do better, bravo to the PH!

He managed to avoid the worst possible outcome

 

[BryceM]

Wow. I don't want to get chewed on by a leopard, but I really, really don't want to get shot! Worked out, it seems. Dangerous all around.

 

[VINOYASADO]

Certainly a situation that requires balls of steel...

 

[randallhebert]

My PH buddy said lions will pick out one individual and stay on them where as leopard are equal opportunity maulers, every body is getting sititches.

 

[Rockwall205]

On my last hunt in the BVC I asked our two PHs that exact question and they both said Buffalo. Ironically on that same hunt we were charged by an UNWOUNDED buffalo after we shot his buddy. My Ph Zane Bronkhorst shot the bull between the eyes skidding on the ground resting two yards in front of me . Will never go DG hunting without him . My wife and I leave in May to hunt two Gonarezhou Bulls . Zane will be leading the way . I will never be relaxed around an unwounded buff again !

 

[Tra3]

Thank you everyone for responding! If there are others that have insight I’d encourage them to post…
It seems as if Cow Elephant is the runaway in thought of the most dangerous but we all understand that depending on the condition they are all very very dangerous!

I just saw this video last night and it made me think of this post. It’s a great show and encourage you to watch all of it as it’s very well made! If you don’t have the time to watch it all forward minute 55 and there is a unprovoked Cow Elephant charge that attacks the truck and tries to pull one of the trackers out of the bed of the truck! The Cows are not to be messed with jeez lol

Amazing and scary. That whole group looked like they needed an underwear change after that.

We experienced 3 different elephant charge situations last September in Namibia. The first ended when the game guard, while running at full speed, turned and shot his service rifle over the head of a cow ele. He was behind me and he sure did look small compared to that cow as she was coming!

The second was after I had shot and elephant and a group of three came back in and prompted a hasty retreat of all us bipeds

The third was a cantankerous cow who took chase of the cruiser and followed for a good 300 yards, trumpeting.

A safari vehicle doesn’t seem very big or very safe when an elephant charges.

There is truly nothing like being close to elephants while on foot.

 

[Green Chile]

Ele screams are super loud but that growl they make when they are pissed will stand up the hair on the back of your neck. It's for real.

The vocalizations are all unique but here is a bull growling at some lions...it's a very low frequency that you can feel in your chest. Very intimidating...you can see how nervous the lions get.

 

[CZDiesel]

Amazing and scary. That whole group looked like they needed an underwear change after that.

We experienced 3 different elephant charge situations last September in Namibia. The first ended when the game guard, while running at full speed, turned and shot his service rifle over the head of a cow ele. He was behind me and he sure did look small compared to that cow as she was coming!

The second was after I had shot and elephant and a group of three came back in and prompted a hasty retreat of all us bipeds

The third was a cantankerous cow who took chase of the cruiser and followed for a good 300 yards, trumpeting.

A safari vehicle doesn’t seem very big or very safe when an elephant charges.

There is truly nothing like being close to elephants while on foot.

WOW @Tra3 That sounds like a crazy hunt! I’m glad all of you made it out safety!

 

[Hunt anything]

Thank you everyone for responding! If there are others that have insight I’d encourage them to post…
It seems as if Cow Elephant is the runaway in thought of the most dangerous but we all understand that depending on the condition they are all very very dangerous!

I just saw this video last night and it made me think of this post. It’s a great show and encourage you to watch all of it as it’s very well made! If you don’t have the time to watch it all forward minute 55 and there is a unprovoked Cow Elephant charge that attacks the truck and tries to pull one of the trackers out of the bed of the truck! The Cows are not to be messed with jeez lol

I could barely make it through the last 3 minutes of the video, the first 57 or so no problem. It was pretty close to my encounter but mine was at night with a known killer. It had killed a woman a couple of nights earlier. She was easy to identify because she only had one tusk. That was 11 years ago come June 10 but it seems like it was 11 minutes ago!!

 

[CZDiesel]

I could barely make it through the last 3 minutes of the video, the first 57 or so no problem. It was pretty close to my encounter but mine was at night with a known killer. It had killed a woman a couple of nights earlier. She was easy to identify because she only had one tusk. That was 11 years ago come June 10 but it seems like it was 11 minutes ago!!

That’s crazy scary! These Ele’s are just mean!

 

[VINOYASADO]

So not anymore DANGEROUS 7... DANGEROUS 7 + 1 or DANGEROUS 8

 

[Daga Boy]

Hearing from PH’s and outfitters, reading the books, the posts here on AH, and all the noise out there we know how dangerous DG hunting can be! Sadly the posts here of the PH’s and hunters that were injured or killed this last year alone tells us just how serious this pursuit can be!
A serious debt of gratitude goes out to the PH community who will step in front of danger to protect us when things go wrong!

So, most of us are either not lucky enough or have the means to pursue all of the Big Five but we all dream of it! And in this pursuit I have an upcoming hunt that includes Buff and Cow Elephant which my PH tells me is “Incredibly Exhilarating!”. This is code to me as dangerous lol
His sister told me she was stupid enough to go on one Cow Elephant hunt and she’d never do it again! I asked why and she said because they are always pissed off and want nothing else to do but turn you into jelly!
Buffalo are notorious at wanting revenge and killing…
Leopard hunts have been documented as very dangerous as have Lion hunts when they are up close and personal! And Bull Elephant hunts have always been said to be notoriously dangerous!

So to those that have been there and did that and to those PH’s and outfitters in our community what is your opinion on the most dangerous hunt and or game? And in what condition and environment? I know my PH has stated Cow Elephant but what say you?

Cow elephants are dangerous because they will attack "just because". Fortunately you normally hear and see them coming.With buffalo it depends on terrain. In our veld it can happen at vert close quarters, so it can literally be a matter of either the quick or the dead - but usually only if you have wounded one. also not easy to put down when its charging. Not called "black death" for nothing.

 

[Daga Boy]

That’s crazy scary! These Ele’s are just mean!

Very dangerous animals. Not at all the gentle giants some people imagine

 

[mrpoindexter]

I never really had any sense of dread or concern for my safety on DG hunts before my last one - tuskless elephant, hippo and croc in Zambia and of those, it was the elephant and hippo that worried me the most. My hippo was in the water when I shot him, so not anywhere near as dangerous as the tuskless elephant.

 

[Happy Myles]

I have read, for hunters, wounded leopard account for the most injuries and the least deaths. When wounded they tend to jump from person to person. For hunters most deaths occur from elephants. For local nonhunters crocs and hippos cause the most deaths because the women spend a lot of time riverside washing clothes and getting water and men spend time in tippy dugouts fishing and gathering rushes. They also use hippo trails at night and hippos are in crop fields. Personally, i was injured by my fourth leopard of six taken. I stopped a lioness at ten feet, she had lost a foot in a poachers snare and we were required to hunt her by local officials. I have killed countless cape buffalo and had only one charge. I was using a borrowed 375 with questionable soft point bullets neither my PH or i knew their source. My first round blew up on shoulder bone, he charged and my second round dropped him in his tracks. Over sixty years hunting Africa i have lost three fellows I knew to elephant, one to Cape buffalo, and several of us are members of CBC Club. Chewed by Chui Club.

 

[steve white]

My vote for most dangerous....a wife that has been cheated on. She'll turn into an animal and you'll be in a world of hurt.