Is there an African animal you wouldn't shoot?

[Doug Hamilton]

Let's start by rephrasing the question. If it was legal, ethical (no females with fawns or kids, animal within range for your abilities, etc.), of sufficient size, and no extra cost to you, is there a type (species or subspecies) that you wouldn't shoot? If an animal presented a shot and your PH put up the sticks and says "Take him!" is there any kind of animal that would make you look at your PH and say, "No thanks."

For example, some people just don't like the look of the horns on hartebeest. Perhaps you feel that you've already shot too many of a particular kind of animal. Or, in your opinion, they are not sufficiently challenging to hunt?

If there is such an animal for you, why wouldn't you shoot it?

I like watching giraffes, but they don't seem to be too much of a challenge as a hunt. Just not interested. Hartebeast, too ugly. Other than that, I'm pretty much open. And if anything wants to bring a fight to me, they're going to have a very bad day.

 

[375Fox]

I’m surprised by a lot of the answers on this thread. For me, I can’t bring myself to take a klipspringer, just too unique of an animal, and always seem to be in pairs. I also have zero interest in taking any color variants (golden wildebeest, golden gemsbok, black impala, etc)

 

[rcarpenter]

I don't think I could shoot an Elephant, or any of the Great Apes. The intelligence and the emotional connections that they form are too human for me. Or anything that's threatened with extinction (such are Rinos).

I did recently learn about darting hunts, and I wouldn't have a problem with doing that with any species.

 

[mikecatt13]

When I orginally saw this thread I thought my answer was "ummm....nope. some I dont have a high interest in but wouldnt classify as wouldnt if opportunity presented". BUT as far as game animals go, common and less so, a definite no for me African wild cat...simply love my house cats too much, they're family lol

 

[spoonieduck]

Gorillas and chimps are illegal everywhere so I wouldn't shoot one and have no interest in shooting one. But what if these things were so abundant that they were hanging from every bush in Africa and maybe Asia? What if they were not only legal but all the governments put bounties on their heads, believing that they would rise up and conquer Europe? My attitude would likely change. I told myself I'd never shoot a mountain lion when one showed up stalking deer. Sure enough, I shot it. Then again my very earliest memories are throwing small rocks at sparrows. I never got one but I never gave up trying.

 

[Badboymelvin]

I think the only animal I couldn’t shoot is rhino

 

[yidava25]

I killed an anteater of some kind many years ago and immediately regretted it, so no more of those or anything similar like an aardvark.
As far as the "normal" game animals, I'd be least interested in the black wildebeest. Not that I have any moral objections, they just look icky and I wouldn't really want it in my trophy room.

 

[Muskox]

I don't have any thing I wouldn't shoot, but I'd prefer to hunt species that interest me.

I would not pay extra to shoot a color phased version of a blesbok, springbok, or wildebeast.

 

[358 Norma]

I know I'm 100% wrong on this and I fully encourage people who want to hunt lions to do so but every time I see the big cats and their behavior I think of my house cats and the way they act!

 

[Cam Moon]

@Badboymelvin Why is it that you wouldn't shoot a rhino? (Just curious)

 

[C.W. Richter]

When i awoke from several deep sleeps upon reading 14 pages of this post over several years, Rip Van Winkle himself was sitting next to me, asking "Well, boy? what's your final answer?" It's funny how things change with time and experience (i said to guides in SA and Zim on my 1st trips years ago "no way i'm going to hunt a hartebeest-they are just plain ugly! Then i stalked a big old one in Namibia a decade later and it rates as one of my best hunts ever-and yes, it's beautiful! I passed up a giant multi-colored bush pig in Zim (that was a mistake-I would gladly repeat if given the chance!!!) 'Shot a hyrax off some distant, high kopje in Zim as I so love woodchuck/groundhog hunting at home (the PH ribbed me the entire time, explaining that it was an endangered species!) but would never shoot mongoose, cheetah or any primates beyond baboon. If it's edible to me and/or others, it's fair game. I used to say as a younger man that I'd never hunt the big cats or ele, but here I am now and the Big 5/Dangerous 7 are definitely ON!

 

[Nevada Mike]

Buffalo, sable, gemsbuck, elan, kudu, zebra. If not on that list, I'm not really interested.

edit: That's ELAND. OK?

 

[C.W. Richter]

Don't shoot Elan, that'll kill his stock price! (finest tasting meat in Africa, if not the world!)

 

[Buffalo1]

Giraffe or elephant- they just don't melt my butter.

 

[Muskox]

I love hunting zebra, baboon, and predators.

I have not hunted buffalo, but that is hopefully on the list next time.

 

[Surgeon1]

Croc......as what you may find in their stomachs may be remains of relatives from local villages!
Hippo in water.......on land that's a whole other story that would satisfy my adrenalin addiction!

 

[C.W. Richter]

In defense (to hunters,) hunting Giraffe can be quite a challenge! They are quite keen and wary and their eyesight (and line of sight) is second to none. They have busted many a hunt on other species. You must also re-think anatomy and shot placement. When they were forming the BVC (it was a HUGE cattle ranch in Zim,) the owners had to cull out giraffe as they were decimating the forest (as do elephant, if overpopulated.) Had a fantastic time there, helping them with wildlife management, enjoying the ranch owners, their employees (fantastic coffee with an elderly Mrs. Davies on a frigid morning at the old homestead at the gate,) and finally bagged a big, dark old brute with a loaner .375 and another with a headshot from my .264 WSM. When the shots were fired, tractors and wagons arrived from 10 miles away and 3,500 lbs of goodness was distributed to ALL for 20 miles!!! It was free at the time.

The saddest thing about the entire affair was that an American so-called "Tannery" (actually suburban taxidermist) ruined the hide due to overcooking their ability with undercooked experience. That was 15 years ago but I'm still not quite right about it....I'll probably buy a dry-tanned hide as the rug I've wanted for so long. The only tannery I know of that has real experience with thick hides is Sivko in Canesteo, NY. Giraffe in Namib made a plains game hunt exceedingly difficult, but equally as rewarding. They kept busting us, so we widened our circle for miles, up- and down elevations until we connected with other quarry...I have a great respect for them, and as they are one of the largest browsers, they, like elephant, can decimate an area if not kept in-check. Long live the Giraffe! 2 subspecies, yes?

This post just reminded me of something amazing...'was hunting oryx in the Limpopo when something else scared a band of giraffe-they ran at us...3,500 lbs of towering mammal running straight for us (through a mixed forest of mopane, euphorbia candelabra and a few baobab.) I looked at the PH and quipped "will they run us over??!!x10e23" and he smirked and said "NO. Just stay put-their eyesight is keen and they will part like the read sea." and they did just that. I wish I took a video. Memories!

 

[C.W. Richter]

It's funny how Walt Disney and Mutual of Omaha's Wild "Dingdom" have corrupted the minds of of many Americans, as Uncle Ted so fondly said!

 

[C.W. Richter]

Croc......as what you may find in their stomachs may be remains of relatives from local villages!
Hippo in water.......on land that's a whole other story that would satisfy my adrenalin addiction!

Wouldn't that be grounds For shooting a croc? Plus, you could re-assemble the human inside! Win-win. And, Win-Win-Win if using an M70!

 

[Speedster]

When i awoke from several deep sleeps upon reading 14 pages of this post over several years, Rip Van Winkle himself was sitting next to me, asking "Well, boy? what's your final answer?" It's funny how things change with time and experience (i said to guides in SA and Zim on my 1st trips years ago "no way i'm going to hunt a hartebeest-they are just plain ugly! Then i stalked a big old one in Namibia a decade later and it rates as one of my best hunts ever-and yes, it's beautiful! I passed up a giant multi-colored bush pig in Zim (that was a mistake-I would gladly repeat if given the chance!!!) 'Shot a hyrax off some distant, high kopje in Zim as I so love woodchuck/groundhog hunting at home (the PH ribbed me the entire time, explaining that it was an endangered species!) but would never shoot mongoose, cheetah or any primates beyond baboon. If it's edible to me and/or others, it's fair game. I used to say as a younger man that I'd never hunt the big cats or ele, but here I am now and the Big 5/Dangerous 7 are definitely ON!

This is funny. I had the same view as you. After striking out on warthog for 3 days, the last day of my hunt I changed my mind and decided to try and find a hartebeest. Chased several all day long and never got close to one. A half hour befor sunset we found a single one and after sneaking up through some thick brush I bagged him just as the sun was setting. He is one of my favorite mounts on my wall.