The Oldest Hunting Technique – Outrunning The Prey

[robi]

@robi... hello my friend. It was nice sharing camp with you at Khomas Highlands, and discussing the possibilities of persistence hunting on moose. Also enjoyed the technical discussions of spear design, as you know I have used spears on bears effectively and it is also a lost art, that seems crazy to some modern hunters. Your persistence feat in the Kalahari on Oryx was an impressive undertaking... I feel that not many have the endurance to complete such a task. Perhaps I will see you back in camp again in 2026.

@hoytcanon. It was nice meeting you at Khomas Highlands. It was the first time I could have an in-depth discussion about spear design with an other hunter. Outrunning the bears I leave to you, but still I would love to try a persistent hunt in the Canadian snow. Hoop to meet you soon again, at Khomas Highlands or in Canada.

 

[hoytcanon]

@Aaron N According to literature persistent hunting also works in the snow. We would love to give it a try. Not sure if a moose is my preferred animal, but we can see. If you have any suggestions for a outfitter who could help us, let e know.

I think you would need to try it on a flat land prairie moose. The boreal moose live and traverse a habitat that would be near impossible for a man on foot to travel. I think the best scenario for a Canadian persistence hunt might be barren ground Caribou, perhaps the Quebec/Labrador herd, although Caribou often take to water to escape predators and that might be an issue. It certainly is an interesting pursuit. I hope you document a Canadian attempt well, not that I would give it a go... the condition of my knees are beyond ever considering such a feat.

 

[Betterinthebush]

Say one was successful on outrunning a moose, that would be an amazing achievement. Then, OTOH, you have now the task of packing out 1K+/-#’s of meat back to camp. No Bakkie with a winch is going to rescue you and load it out in Alaska bush, and no packer or a-guide is going to volunteer to hump it out miles away from camp. And it has to be a bull of 50”+ or have correct number of brow tines for nonresident hunters. No cow hunting for nonresident aliens. At least not in Alaska. I’m not familiar with Canada laws. Probably different than my experience.

But, I’d love to see it done nevertheless.

 

[hoytcanon]

Say one was successful on outrunning a moose, that would be an amazing achievement. Then, OTOH, you have now the task of packing out 1K+/-#’s of meat back to camp. No Bakkie with a winch is going to rescue you and load it out in Alaska bush, and no packer or a-guide is going to volunteer to hump it out miles away from camp. And it has to be a bull of 50”+ or have correct number of brow tines for nonresident hunters. No cow hunting for nonresident aliens. At least not in Alaska. I’m not familiar with Canada laws. Probably different than my experience.

But, I’d love to see it done nevertheless.

That is why I suggested a "prairie" moose... Saskatchewan would be the place to try it.

 

[robi]

Thanks for the advice, it is still on my list. In literature there are descriptions of indigenous waiting for the exhausted animal to get up again and chasing them, every time closer to the camp. A flat land prairie moose or a barren ground caribou sounds like a plan. Has anybody got a suggestion for an crazy/entrepreneurial outfitter who would like to assist with the challenge?

 

[hoytcanon]

Thanks for the advice, it is still on my list. In literature there are descriptions of indigenous waiting for the exhausted animal to get up again and chasing them, every time closer to the camp. A flat land prairie moose or a barren ground caribou sounds like a plan. Has anybody got a suggestion for an crazy/entrepreneurial outfitter who would like to assist with the challenge?

The prairie moose idea may run into the road block of trespass on private property... you should be good with Caribou in that regard.
A friend of mine is a bush pilot for a Caribou operation... I could make an introduction... not sure that is something they might entertain, but worth a shot.

 

[VertigoBE]

Wow, that is an amazing feet of endurance and strength. Well done @robi, and thanks for having shared this with us.

 

[cmk]

Interesting read. I believe that similar techniques were used here for wolf hunting in the snow up until some 60-70 years ago. Find a fresh track and follow it on skis. It could take a couple of days to catch up, but a wolf needs to hunt to feed itself, whereas the pursuing human can easily carry food and water for a few days. You'd need to sleep 'on the track' - but the wolf needs sleep to.

So you'd essentially run it out of energy, as it would not have time to hunt.