What animal do you consider the most difficult to hunt

[Europe]

I had a great conversation yesterday with some other old folks, some from the U.S. who are here for the holiday. As luck would have it, several of them were hunters, or were when they were younger.

For this thread I have eliminated animals hunted in Africa, Asia, and the far North (polar bears and musk oxen ), so that we can all be on the same page as we share our thoughts about which animal is the most difficult to hunt.

For me I had to say it was a toss up between Goat in Canada and Mountain Lions in Old Mexico. Both were exhausting, difficult but exhilarating. Coues deer in Arizona was also always a difficult hunt but a different kind off difficult, not as exhausting, but difficult. And last but not least and maybe they are more frustrating than difficult, but I also said Chukar.

Many said Elk. But most of our Elk hunts were on reservations in Arizona and they were not that difficult. I must admit that I envy Gerry being able to hunt Goats every year--and still being young enough to do so .

That is my experience/list of which animals were the most difficult for me to hunt in North America.--what is yours?

 

[Anonymous]

Great discussion....

Dall sheep and mountain goats are a difficult hunt. The animals themselves aren't that tough to hunt, but the terrain is challenging. Beating a sheep or goat is not hard...beating the mountain is.

Moose aren't that hard, or that spooky once you find one. Finding a bull seems the be the most challenging part. Caribou are a relatively easy hunt once you get situated in their path- that seems to be the tough part, figuring out where they're going, getting in front of them and being patient enough to wait on them to wander through.

I find whitetail deer more challenging- especially for a mature buck who's experienced hunting pressure. Deer are far more furtive than anything else I've hunted although the terrain I hunted them in was basically farmland. I think deer are a game of wits more than anything else.

The most challenging hunt I've done is interior grizzly bears. Population density is low, the animals tend to be very furtive with excellent senses and the terrain is often alpine and can be steep, rocky and remote.

I'd rank fair chase grizzly right up there with anything.

 

[Europe]

Hodgeman, very informative post, thank you. We never hunted interior Grizzlies. Our Grizzly or Brown Bear hunts were always close to the Alaska coast ( once in Russia ) and without a doubt they were exhilarating, although not difficult in my opinion. But you make an excellent point about the interior grizzly.

Hogeman, this is strictly from memory, wasn't someone in Alaska arrested for "herding" or "driving" grizzlies to clients so they could shoot them earlier this year or do I have that wrong?

 

[35 Whelen]

Lobo

 

[hunternyny]

April, you, Earle, and Hodgeman are in my humble opinion ( as well as a few others here, like Dr Mike, Gil, Gerry, Salmonchaser, Cheyenne, others ) actually have enough experience hunting different animals to be in a position to compare. you and hodgeman are speaking about goat and grizzly;s, Earle wolf and I have hunted none of them.

Compared to Deer, and Turkeys here in the east, our annual Elk hunt is by far the most difficult, but my number off different animals in which to compare is very limited.

But I am looking forward to reading posts from those who have hunted a variety of animals

 

[Anonymous]

Lobo

I'd agree with that. Wolves are a very difficult hunt, the only one I've killed I believe was hunting me! The bulk of wolves I know that were taken hunting have been targets of opportunity...just in the right place at the right time (or wrong place from the wolf's perspective).

 

[elkhunternm]

Black bear,hunted them twice with dogs on a reservation in Arizona and never pulled the trigger. Had fun looking at the country,seeing elk,deer and turkeys and the best part was listening to the dogs chasing bears that would not tree.

 

[DrMike]

Without question, wolves are a difficult hunt. Most that are shot have been serendipitous opportunities for the shooter. Dedicated and successful wolf hunters are rare.

 

[longrangehunter]

Bongo, and no, not using dogs to find them either. Straight up hunt them on their own turf, in the jungle, and heat.

Ok, North America........ Mountain lion without dogs! lol

 

[RaySendero]

Chase Texas hogs at night with dogs and a knife is the most strenuous and with health hazards.

A mature/free-roaming white tail buck in South Alabama requires the most scouting and hunt planning.

 

[salmonchaser]

Terrain is the limiting factor when it comes to mule deer and Elk. We choose some of the roughest country available.
The areas we hunt in Oregon have plenty of wolves, lions and bears.
I typically see one or two shootable bears elk hunting a couple deer hunting as well. I don't see cats every year and haven't been able to shoot one in years, but I've had glimpses and seen tracks.
I hear wolves every night. Had it been legal I may have had a legitimate shot at one under 400 yards.
Interior Grizz is a tough hunt.
I think I'd go with wolf and lion, no dogs, as pretty much top of the tough hunt heap.
That being said


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[Thankful Otter]

We dont usually "hunt" wolves but we have ( and you can ) track Arctic wolves, when we deem it necessary to reduce pack size.

However as has been mentioned wolves for the most part are an opportunity kill. However unless we are specifically attempting to protect a moose birthing area, we dont even shoot them when we could.

As Hodgeman said the easiest has to be Caribou, but black bear isn't much harder, and also as Hodgeman said "the mountain" is all that makes Goat and Dall hunting difficult. Moose are only hard because if they can, they will find the worse possible place to expire.

I probably would say Grizzly, Grolar and Polar Bear ( although according to April I am not allowed to say Polar Bear, but Cole said Bongo, so he cheated first )

 

[Anonymous]

, wasn't someone in Alaska arrested for "herding" or "driving" grizzlies to clients so they could shoot them earlier this year or do I have that wrong?

Yes, there was an arrest not that long back for a guide who used a super cub airplane to drive or herd a bear towards the hunter by buzzing them at low altitude and causing the bear to run.
I believe it was reported the same guy would also shoot a moose from the plane and mark the location of the carcass as basically a bait pile. He'd then return to the site and drive the bear to a hunter with the plane.

It was a bad deal, and several record holders got pulled from the book over it if I remember correctly. It's still debatable if all the hunters even knew the whole story of what was happening.

 

[35 Whelen]

That's a case of a modern day guide, with some 'old time technique'.
Now:
It may come as quite a shock to most of you on here, that herding bears with a Super Cub
was a VERY common past time among guides in the 70/80s in Alaska. It would probably stand
the record books on its ear, if the 100% truth was ever told, on a lot of the big bears.(Of course it
never will be :shock: ) Many were actually Killed same day airborne, And shooting a Moose for bait, was also very common practice with " bandit guides"
We used to joke about this all the time as guides, when you saw each other at an airport, as listening to another guides engine that had recently been used for herding bears, was a dead give away, you see it always has a funny noise to it.
That sound was from blown exhaust gaskets, where the header pipes meet the clyinders. Part of the technique to turn a bear involves " backfiring " the engine; when the bear isn't co operating, I won't get into the exact procedure, of how that is accomplished; but it would blow the center out of the old style gaskets. Pilots that got really good at it were often referred to as being able to " put em right thru the tent door". And I have heard it said, the same technique could be adapted when hunting wolves from the air ???? :roll:
It was commonly referred to as " Fair Chase" with the F omitted... :lol:
Please don't ask me how I know these things ............( saw it on the Disney Channel )
It will all be in the book. :wink:

 

[gbflyer]

For me, I'd say a successful CO general season elk on public land. Our Alaska stuff is easy after that.[emoji1]

 

[Elkman]

I never purposely hunted wolves, but not seeing but a very few, I believe they would be the hardest. If elk are in the area you are hunting they can be pretty easy but a 400+ bull is a hard to find.

 

[JD338]

I would say a mature white tail buck and a wolf.

JD338

 

[Blkram]

This is a great question, as each and every species brings its own set of challenges to the hunt. That being said, there are exceptions to every rule! And every animal has its own personality to consider, as just like people, they are individuals too and no two will act the same, all of the time. Lots of variables to consider!

I have been very lucky in that my three mountain goats all came after a two hour stalk, and yes, the toughest part was the climb. But most hunters hunt long and hard to get a billy. To harvest one with my recurve is going to take some extra effort with my bad ankle, but will hopefully just be a matter of time and opportunity!

The same can be said for my sheep hunts. My desire to hunt one with a bow is going to up that challenge considerably! Drew blood two years ago, but had to harvest the wounded animal with the rifle. Totally my fault; pushed my shot high during the follow through.

My grizzly came fairly easily on a mountain goat hunt, but was an incidental harvest and not the targeted animal. The new rules here are going to be the biggest challenge, but as I have one, if I never get another, it will not be the end of the world. They can be difficult to hunt, but with time, patience and effort, they can be had, as they are not as secretive as other animals. They are more plentiful than most people think. Watch food sources and the wind. Densities are not high as the big boars have large territories, but as seen on the coastal salmon streams, you will find them more tolerant of other bears in their territories on good crops of berries and oats at certain times.

Black bears are not overly hard to hunt, but the big boars can be a challenge to locate. Again, find the food sources and watch the wind.

Elk are challenging, but in the right area, at the right time, can be called in...just got to beat their nose. Scents and decoys have proven very effective!

Lynx are not tough to hunt; cannot speak as to mountain lions, as I have not yet had the pleasure. I used to work with an ex conservation officer that told me that tracking them without dogs was not too difficult on a fresh track without dogs here in BC, as he had been able to do it on numerous occassions in soft snow, by moving slow and steadily. In gis experience the dogs ran the cats further than necessary, and usually into tougher or steeper terrain.

Deer are not too hard to hunt in agricultural areas, but as with any older, mature trophy, the big ones are wiser, more alert and wary and become quite challenging. Meat hunting deer is a different story.

Caribou are not difficult, when in the right place at the right time; although I am sure that the terrain is the biggest challenge as with other species.

Antelope can be challenging in their open terrain, but are easier with decoys and at waterholes.

Coyotes and foxes can be wily, but seem to be easy enough with calls.

The wolf is a different matter. While I have seen several by chance, they do not give much of an opportunity. We have found howling and a predator call can be very effective, (my other wolf was incidental as it was trying to get the camp dog) You just need to get all the conditions right! You just don't get the opportunities very often.

While not a common animal hunted, I would have to rate the wolverine tougher to hunt, and are truly incidental for just about every hunter. Again low densities and large territories. (My apologies for it not being a "big game" animal, but the thread was about the most difficult animal to hunt).

 

[Guy Miner]

Dang. I just feel good when I come home with something.

Guy

 

[SJB358]

Dang. I just feel good when I come home with something.

Guy

Same here! My hardest animals seem to be the ones I’m hunting that particular day!