Well I have never been to Africa but plan on going sometime in my life. I was just wandering what everyone's favorite animal was to hunt? Which one gave you the biggest thrill? You know that type stuff.

No question about it, in my case I'm addicted to Cape Buffalo hunting, on foot, and on the tracks.
Get in close, and give him a one two punch with a S/S double rifle, re-load, and pop him again if you can. If you get in close,in tight bush, you will never forget the brassy taste in you mouth, as you pull the triggers on him. If he doesn't go down, and gets into the elephant grass, the hair will stand on the back of your neck every time you remember going in there to sort him out! I could hunt Cape buffalo for the rest of my life, and never tire of it!

I must say here, though, if I could afford it, I'd do the same with trophy elephant!

Elephant! Never had so much fun with my clothes on in my life!

If you are going to Africa might as well go for the Big One. Elephant could be my only game could I afford it. In the absence of that much money I believe Kudu fills the bill as my favorite animal to hunt and the one that most epitomizes AFRICA. Those spiral horns shaggy beard and stripes are second to none as an elusive adversary AND a beautiful one.

I have never hunted elephant but hope to try in the next couple of years, that being said hunting leopard with dogs is great fun if you like the singing of the hounds. I also love to hunt the pygmy antelope maybe not as dangerous as buffalo but every bit the hunt.

Buffalo, elephant, lion by tracking, as well as many other animals. Such as eland, sable, kudu etc.

All are great to hunt on foor, in a wild environment - rather than on a farm.

When hunting in countries like Zimbabwe or Tanzania, you are constantly coming across all sorts of other animals as well.

A few weeks ago in Tanzania we came across prides of lions while tracking buffalo - on one occasion one lioness did not move until we were about 7 yards from it - in long grass, unseen!

Luckily she decided to go in the opposite direction.

One of our PHs surprised a lioness, asleep, by walking up to it and neither of them knew about the other until they were 2 yards apart!

Again, both ran in opposite directions.

Lion, you learn alot about yourself when you track these beast!

There is no animal which can be hunted which spurs the flow of adrenalin more consistantly than the Cape Buffalo. Some may be rarer, many more beautiful, but the Buff waits for you.

Elephant for me...no question. My next hunt may not be for ele (probably buff/leopard) but I will be back as often as possible for them. They are my buffalo.

I've been fortunate to hunt most of the big stuff in Africa and I've enjoyed it all but leopard is the one that really stands out for me. The whole hunt done in the traditional way by baiting and shooting without artificial light is magic to me. When that big tom just appears in the tree at 35 yards you know your alive and your concentration takes on a very narrow focus. Beautiful!

Mark

I'm with Saeed (good company!) with elephant, lion and buffalo in no particular order. Kudude

I have to say all of them. Each animal can give its own unique challenge to hunt. Some being in areas that are wide open spaces, others in thick brush and even others in the more mountainous terrain. I can say that I enjoyed hunting them all from warthogs, pigmy antleopes, large antelopes, mid-sized antelopes to the dangerous animals.

I seldom hunt anything in Africa anymore other than elephant. The one exception is Vaal rhebuck, love the country, the animal aand the challenge of Vallies!

465H&H

Lion.

Lion are the most dangerous wild animals on earth. We have been on their menu for millennia, and even now, in modern times, they kill and eat dozens of humans per year throughout their range. Some of those they kill are their would-be hunters.

Nothing fills a man's blood with adrenalin like the grunting, coughing roar of a lion close by. It is both frightening and magnificent.

Tony Dyer got it just right when he said: "A lion's roar is the finest wild noise in the world."

When you hear an elephant growling unseen in the bush, sounding like a dog the size of an SUV, then you know the meaning of "assegaigatgevoel".

Kudu and bushbuck.

As well as the Tiny Ten..........

Baboons or warthogs it is a toss up. The dangerous stuff cost way to much for me

MR,

Tony Dyer definitely has it right. You understand what wild Africa is when you are serenaded to sleep by the lions call.

Mark

Cape buff, can't afford lions & elephants

quote:

Originally posted by Russ Gould:
When you hear an elephant growling unseen in the bush, sounding like a dog the size of an SUV...

That comment right there instantly took me back to the jess. Oooo...it's something that's hard to explain really but scary and wonderful at the same time.

Elephant is number 1 with leopard and cape buffalo a toss up for second.
Thanks

Wow!! You know when I started this thread I figured 90% would say lion, just because it's a lion. I guess that goes to show you if you haven't done it you just don't know.

I love the answers. Just what I was looking for when starting this thread. For me the one's that are descriptive kind of takes you there and you actually feel the rush while you are reading them.

Keep 'em coming everyone.

Well, you bring up a good point. Very few of us have hunted lion but many have gone for leopard, buff or ele. I doubt I will ever get to go for lion so I will never know the feeling of that unlike Mrlexma and a few others here.

I think that hunting hippo at early light as they return to water would be very exciting but I have yet to try it.

Baboons!!!!

They are FREAKIN Smart. Try to put a stalk on a troop of them, and they are long gone. Its fun to try though.

Most of the time its 200 yards plus on shots buts its fun to try to get close to them.

Five tons of elephant at 15 paces is tough to beat. If that does not give you sweaty palms, a quickening pulse, a simultaneous feeling of insignificance and elation, then there is little hope for you. My only regret is that the feeling is so fleeting . . . until the next time.

Interesting.

As a Professional Hunter, and I think I speak on behalf of a lot of us, the thrill and excitement of tracking and closing in on a big elephant is way up there with respect to favourites.....That said,tracking any of the Big 5 is thrilling. Lion tracking is intense, especially if he is bleeding!! Same goes for leopard and buffalo.

I go with Mark, for me there is something special to hunt a big educated Tom, they are so clever that to out thought them requires a special effort.

I have only tried leopard once. Will try again, however, sitting in a blind for hours, silently, is not really my strong point. since I have not yet seen one in the tree I cannot identify with the thrill-but elephant, man, what a rush! Will be returning nex april to Doma and I hope the thrill is still there.

Agree with all that has been said.
However, baboons get my blood moving. They are a hoot to hunt and better to shoot. No tracking needed, just follow the noise.

I have had the opportunity to hunt four of the big five, though not all to the conclusion of a kill and the black rhino tracking for the fifth of the big five was just for the looking and not the shooting.

Elephant hunting takes the choice for me, with lion tracking a second choice.

For non dangerous game, I like a slow walk and stalk, in the evening along a river, for bushbuck.

JPK