Thanks for all the replys guys,
I have a good reason for asking. I just got back from my second trip this year to the midwest, the deer hunting is so much better there. It sort of diminishs the hunting here in the mountains.
Right or wrong i am also a adrenaline junky. So after the excitment of hunting buff, i am not sure how i will feel about anything else.
Even though i had fun bowhunting on my first trip to africa, without DG present there was something missing.I think Mark has the solution. Eland and bushbuck in a dangerous game area might just be the ticket.

Count me in the camp that likes to hunt everything.

DG is fun, but as one poster pointed out, it isn't very dangerous. This past summer we were climbing Stok Kangri, which is supposed to be an easy 20,000 foot mountain as mountain climbing goes. Well, not this summer. We saw multiple injuries from falls and rock slides. Our own climb was aborted for safety reasons. ScottyBoy's winter ascent of Rainer is WAY more dangerous than any hunting. The scariest part of DG hunting is the charter plane ride IMO.

But if all you can afford to do is plains game hunting, don't let others take away any of the magic. Kudu are incredible animals. Some animals, like topi and wildebeeste, are not exactly challenging, but so what? How hard is it to kill a whitetail doe? Meat on the table is meat on the table. And besides, common animals remind me as much of Africa as lions and elephants.

Gotta go - time to go hunt rabbits.

Once you have hunted a real concession complete with real DG, that will ruin SA style RANCH hunting for you, but not PG hunting. It's not because DG hunting per se is more challenging or exciting, but being in an area where you are potentially the hunted adds some spice to life.

Now having said that, there are some ranches big enough, and some PHs energetic enough, that you will have a real hunt, as opposed to an armed taxi ride.

Certain species of PG will always challenge you: Kudu, Nyala, Bushbuck, Suni, Red Duiker, even the Grey Duiker. And certain species will always be fun to hunt, eg Warthog and Baboon. But shooting another bwb is not on my bucket list.

Unfortunately, daily rates are such when hunting PG, it behooves you to hunt on a ranch, unless you are swimming in money. So take some time to understand whether you are buying a hunting experience, or an armed taxi ride.

I have not hunted elephant or rhino. But based on my experience so far if I had to choose PG or DG to spend the rest of my hunting days I'll take PG without hesitation.

I enjoy the variety of game and the variety of habitat. I especially seem to have developed an obsession with the spiral horns.

Some recommendations to get the most out of your PG only hunt:

1. As others have said, avoid small property ranch hunts. Very large ranch hunts, hunts in areas such as the Save Conservancy, or hunts in wild safari areas like those along the Zambezi are truely real hunts.

2. Hunt each species in its original habitat, not on a ranch where it was introduced - 500-1000 miles from its natural terrain. The animal is at its best where it evolved and you can enjoy the variety of terrain as well as the variety of game.

3. Book with a PH that enjoys PG hunting. I hate to say it but there are some jaded PHs that are not enthusiastic about hunting anything but DG. If he is just ho-hum about an all day stalk on foot just because its for eland instead of buffalo, thats a PH you want to avoid. You can learn this by checking references and talking with the PH directly. I have found that some of the younger and less experienced PHs can be better to hunt PG with than a 20 year veteran that can't get excited about seeing a large warthog.

4. Do your research on the PG species that will be available to you. The more you know about the animals - behavior, habitat, trophy judging, etc., the more you will appreciate each one. If your PH says, "Lets go hunt klipspringer today - I have an area with great trophy potential", your response should not be: "What's a klipspringer?"

5. Get out of the vehicle. Real hunting is done on foot.

quote:

1. As others have said, avoid small property ranch hunts. Very large ranch hunts, hunts in areas such as the Save Conservancy, or hunts in wild safari areas like those along the Zambezi are truely real hunts.

2. Hunt each species in its original habitat, not on a ranch where it was introduced - 500-1000 miles from its natural terrain. The animal is at its best where it evolved and you can enjoy the variety of terrain as well as the variety of game.

3. Book with a PH that enjoys PG hunting. I hate to say it but there are some jaded PHs that are not enthusiastic about hunting anything but DG. If he is just ho-hum about an all day stalk on foot just because its for eland instead of buffalo, thats a PH you want to avoid. You can learn this by checking references and talking with the PH directly. I have found that some of the younger and less experienced PHs can be better to hunt PG with than a 20 year veteran that can't get excited about seeing a large warthog.

4. Do your research on the PG species that will be available to you. The more you know about the animals - behavior, habitat, trophy judging, etc., the more you will appreciate each one. If your PH says, "Lets go hunt klipspringer today - I have an area with great trophy potential", your response should not be: "What's a klipspringer?"

5. Get out of the vehicle. Real hunting is done on foot.

Great post!

+1