Ranking Plains Game, Ranking Dangerous Game

[WAB]

So for you the attraction is more in the method of hunting, vs the game species itself.

I'm guessing this hunting method is more applicable to some game over others.

I forget where I read "you hunt elephant with your legs.."

For me yes. Tracking Elephant, buffalo and eland have been my best hunts in Africa. Spotting an animal from the bakkie and stalking it has very little appeal to me.

 

[bakerb]

I've only hunted elephant and leopard, but I can't imagine any hunt topping an elephant hunt. Not only the method of hunting, but everything else as well.

I've not hunted a ton of plains game, and a lot of my plains game has been with a bow. But I really enjoyed hunting kudu in the eastern cape. More of a glassing/walking checking mountain type thing. I really enjoyed that. I didn't kill one doing it either

I'd like to try an eland tracking type hunt, and I do need to hunt a cape buff sometime. But most of my scheming is how to get back on an elephant hunt. . .

 

[VertigoBE]

1. Elephant
2. Elephant
3. Elephant

Eland tracking is also fun, especially trying to creep up to a herd, at the end of the dry season when everything is parched and you need to try to move through the forest silently, while the ground is covered with dry mopane leaves. Just to get a glimpse of the Mhofu

 

[NIGHTHAWK]

Hunt everything and be open to anything… Obviously you’ll have to be planned and well intentioned for DG, but depending on where you hunt and who you hunt with, just be open to opportunity. I’ve killed some of my best trophies and had my best hunts by being flexible and not passing on one, for another. I took a Huge Waterbuck even though I was after a Springbok, then took a nice Springbok for my slam the next day and that same day I took a very nice Reedbuck even though I wasn’t looking for one. On my Buffalo hunt, I took an exceptional Sable and an old bull Giraffe with my .375 H&H, even though they weren’t on my hunt list for that trip… I had an opportunity two kill a big Croc on my last trip, even though I intended to Hippo hunt… I have a Hippo hunt in Sept and I’ll be looking for a nice Roan, more Tiny Ten, Badger, Wharthogs…

 

[IvW]

PG Eland tracked and hunted on foot...
The tiny ten

DG

Tuskless elephant cow
Elephant bull
Cape Buffalo
Lion
Leopard

In that order

 

[Northern Shooter]

PG Eland tracked and hunted on foot...
The tiny ten

DG

Tuskless elephant cow
Elephant bull
Cape Buffalo
Lion
Leopard

In that order

Can you explain what makes you rank a Tuskless cow over a Bull? I'm curious.

 

[WAB]

Can you explain what makes you rank a Tuskless cow over a Bull? I'm curious.

Bitch of the bush.

 

[Hunt anything]

The couple of tuskless I’ve come across were extremely aggressive to say the least! Bulls seemed almost tame in comparison.

 

[BourbonTrail]

PG
-So far the “horse antelope” are my favorites (gemsbok, sable, roan)
-Bongo sounds like a wonderfully miserable time. I hope I can make it happen.
-Next is eland, but haven’t tried yet.
-Kudu round out the bottom because they remind me of elk

DG
-Tracking elephants appeals the most to me
-Large cats on foot is next
-Buffalo just make me uncomfortable, but I think it is a “must hunt”. I’m most interested in Western Savanna buffalo because of terrain

I like both tracking and spot & stalk hunts, basically anything that doesn’t involve sitting. The more exhausting, the better.

 

[AZDAVE]

Tracking:
Buffalo, Elephant, Eland

Patience and using your brain:
Leopard

Other:
Tiny ten

 

[Flewis]

PG Roan, which I have. The other I will never get, black rino.

 

[Safari Dave]

Maybe I need to educate myself more, but I could have taken a common eland in South Africa, with a putt shot.


For me:

PG:
1. Kudu
2. Sable
3. Waterbuck


DG:
1. Buffalo - bull
2. Elephant - bull
3. Lion - male

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

Any DG animal is a top contender, but my favorite hunt is the next one

 

[Ridge Runner]

WOW.... after 3 safaris and another 4 scheduled for 2025 to rank PG and DG is hard. Because every hunt was unique.

My red heartebeast and black springbok weren't much of a hunt as nether were much of a hunt, but they were on my lists of animals I wanted.

Actually, I want To Hunt as many African animals I can afford to hunt in places I can budget for. It's not just about going to hunt Africa, it's also about experiencing what Africa offers.

Same can be said for DG. The only 2 DG game animals I hunted have been buff and hippo in Zimbabwe with a lousy excuse for an outfitter and in an area that offered very little opportunities for other game.

In 2025 I have a cow buff hunt planned with a PH friend that I have no doubt will get us into some good buffs. Knowing my friend he'll do his best to talk me into a hippo or croc... after all what are friends for.

 

[HookMeUpII]

I'm hardly qualified to really give a good input on this because I've only been to RSA once but...

PG

1) Kudu. I could probably hunt kudu every time I go and it would still be as thrilling as the first time. The difficulty in finding and getting close to the older, bigger bulls is way up there.
2) Eland. Despite not actually shooting/hunting one, I realize the appeal. We somehow (accidentally) ended up 10 yds from a massive bull and it's something to see. I asked my PH and said was it common to have that happen and the answer was "definitely not."
3) Wildebeest. Finding, getting a good shot, and recovering a trophy one is pretty tough. They are very smart and tough as nails. Mine took 300WM right in the shoulder at 25 yds from a blind and still ran almost 100 yds on 3 legs.

My plan when I go back is for a gemsbok which I really wanted to put top 3. They are also super tough and it can be hard to find a trophy one.

DG

I only have one answer: Cape buffalo.

My next trip I may only hunt 2 animals and it would be a gemsbok and trophy cape buffalo. Let my family have fun with the rest.

 

[Rare Breed]

1. Elephant
2. Elephant
3. Elephant

Eland tracking is also fun, especially trying to creep up to a herd, at the end of the dry season when everything is parched and you need to try to move through the forest silently, while the ground is covered with dry mopane leaves. Just to get a glimpse of the Mhofu

You’re getting me fired up VertigoBE!!! Just two more weeks until I leave for my elephant hunt!!!

 

[McKenzie Sims]

Man great question.

I’m not a huge fan of the ranking system and I will answer your last question first there hasn’t been a species I’ve enjoyed less, only outfitters and how they hunt them. I think how the hunt is done and how the details are taken care of can affect any hunt and make that affect the species.



I will say on Dangerous game bang for buck the cape buffalo is my favorite but if I could do Eel and lion every year, I might say the same but a buff hunt is far more affordable for what you get out of it. I really like cat hunting and my time spent elephant hunting packing the rifle or not has been a blast.

So to answer your question if money wasn’t an object I think doing a full bag of Dangerous game in Tanzania and Zambia each year would do the trick.



Plains game: I’ve enjoyed it all but talking about ones I could do every trip if price wasn’t an option would be all the spiral horns. They are all incredible species that live in some incredible habitat offering great experiences.

I have yet to do a Lord Derby or a Sitatunga, but they are high on the list. If I could hunt a Mountain Nyala every year, I think I would. I loved that hunt as its similar to hunting here in Wyoming lots of glassing and hiking in some incredible country. The impala is a very underrated animal as well in my eyes.



I know I probably didn’t answer your question 100% how you’d like but I just can’t decide on favorites that easily nor can I say I diss like one or the other I love Africa and the adventures it offers. I worked harder on my Bongo and Elephant hunt than I did to hunt my entire North American grand slam of wild sheep.



I will be following this thread to see what others have to say enjoy reading what everyone thinks.

 

[VertigoBE]

You’re getting me fired up VertigoBE!!! Just two more weeks until I leave for my elephant hunt!!!

Looking forward to your hunting report! Don't forget to share some pictures while we wait for the play by play to come out!

 

[HankBuck]

I'm curious to hear from those that have a safari or two under their belts, how would you rank the overall experiences of hunting specific plains game, specific dangerous game?

If money was no object, what would be your top choices for hunting plains game when considering the overall experience, the difficulty, the terrain, the chase etc?

Same question for dangerous game. I know that Cape Buffalo are the perennial favourite but how does the experience of hunting buffalo compare to hunting elephant, hippo, Rhino(?), lion etc.

On the flip side, what have been your least enjoyable plains game and dangerous game species to hunt?

Northern Shooter: For Me with my “vast safari experience” (ONE Safari !!). If I could only pick “one” then I would want to hunt Elephant - the largest game animal on Earth with a very storied history and unlike anything else anywhere. But, IF I could hunt for two - the 2nd would be Leopard - the toughest “pound for pound” dangerous game around. I expect an “Elephant” to be able to kill anything - at over 10,000 lbs they should be able to. A leopard, at 100-160lbs (200lbs max) is more impressive - like a 5th grade kid punching out an NFL Lineman…

 

[Hunting Hitman]

X3

LDE would be really hard to beat IMO. I don’t have the same interest in trudging around the rain forest for a glimpse at a bongo.

Tracking elephant is hard to match. And you get close, very close, typically.

This ️ x10

HH