Hunts which are not guaranteed - Hunts with only a "good chance" of success

[JLF]

Hunt a puma on the trail in the mountains or in the jungle ... without a dog and without a tracker or guide.
The odds are very low, but they are the best hunts I have ever done. Incomparable.
I have made 5 hunts in the foothills of the Andes and the closest puma I could have was at 700 meters. And an unforgettable 10-day hunt in the Jujuy junga, nothing either.
That's why I am surprised when they offer hunting packages in Argentina and include a puma ...

 

[Tanks]

Hunt a puma on the trail in the mountains or in the jungle ... without a dog and without a tracker or guide.
The odds are very low, but they are the best hunts I have ever done. Incomparable.
I have made 5 hunts in the foothills of the Andes and the closest puma I could have was at 700 meters. And an unforgettable 10-day hunt in the Jujuy junga, nothing either.
That's why I am surprised when they offer hunting packages in Argentina and include a puma ...

Those have dogs I'd think.

 

[enysse]

As far as animals I wanted to hunt in Africa but success was far from guaranteed: 1) Huge tusks on a warthog, spotted hyena and serval have escaped me. I think some of it comes down to luck and being in the right place.

 

[fourfive8]

Hunt a puma on the trail in the mountains or in the jungle ... without a dog and without a tracker or guide.
The odds are very low, but they are the best hunts I have ever done. Incomparable.
I have made 5 hunts in the foothills of the Andes and the closest puma I could have was at 700 meters. And an unforgettable 10-day hunt in the Jujuy junga, nothing either.
That's why I am surprised when they offer hunting packages in Argentina and include a puma ...

Never been to South America but that seems exactly right! That would be called a hunt!!!! I grew up around mountain lions here in the western US and they would absolutely be one of the most difficult big game animals to hunt, on purpose, mano a mano. About 25 years ago, a friend of mine was able to walk one down and get within touching distance without been noticed. He didn't shoot it just said "boo" when he got close He did it just to see if he could. It was in rough, steep spruce/fir country that had lots of elk. I still just scratch my head in amazement. I spent a lot of time in that exact same area hunting elk with a muzzleloader.

 

[JLF]

Never been to South America but that seems exactly right! That would be called a hunt!!!! I grew up around mountain lions here in the western US and they would absolutely be one of the most difficult big game animals to hunt, on purpose, mano a mano. About 25 years ago, a friend of mine was able to walk one down and get within touching distance without been noticed. He didn't shoot it just said "boo" when he got close He did it just to see if he could. It was in rough, steep spruce/fir country that had lots of elk. I still just scratch my head in amazement. I spent a lot of time in that exact same area hunting elk with a muzzleloader.

We are talking about the same species ... in different countries, but the behavior of the puma does not change.
I congratulate your friend ...

 

[R.M.C.]

Pretty hard to compare hunting in North America to hunting in Africa. I'd never go to Alaska or even Texas for that matter for a week with half a dozen animals on my hit list .

 

[autofire]

I believe that two things in life are guaranteed, death and taxes. I've been to Namibia 2x. Botswana and RSA. When hunting PG though there were days when we did did not see a shooter or get a clear shot, we always saw various species of PG. I think doing research on your PH and areas he hunts is best way to guarantee your success. As far as DG i do think luck takes a bigger role in whether or not you are successful.

 

[fourfive8]

Sure haven't been to a lot of countries other than 5 in southern Africa and a few states in the Western US. Hard to compare in some ways. I think if you can shoot and get around, the percentages for success depends on expectations and some luck. A DIY public land elk hunt in the western US may have an overall success rate for all hunters and all seasons of maybe 25% or less. But statistics show that the same 90% of the hunters are most of those who are among that 25% year after year. Those stats would be similar for DIY mule deer in some areas/states. Now if your expectation is a 350 or larger elk or 180 or larger mule deer on public land then no matter how good you are, even if you have a guide, the odds go way, way down! If you are that same hunter who can shoot and get around and go to Africa for PG in a decent area you automatically will have a guide and you will likely have a ton of opportunities to shoot several animals so the % goes way up! But limit yourself to, for example a 60" kudu or nothing, the odds really drop drastically! Do serious research into where you are going and if required or desired who you hire to guide you and the odds can tip quite a bit to the positive.