What is plains game? Are they any game not classified as the dangerous seven? What about the forest animials such as most of the Duikers, Vaal Rehbok, Forrest Hogs, Mt Nyala or the Menlics Bushbuck? There are others but these animials do not reside on the plains but in forrests or high mountains.

Die Ou Jagter,

What a good / stupid question!

I have just searched AR forum with “All Forums†and searched for “The exact phrase†of “plains gameâ€. Would anyone want to guess how many posting contained this exact phrase? If the reader wants to know: Do the search yourself! I assure you that you will be surprised. I certainly was surprised at the number of pages of postings listed with the exact phrase. With the phrase used so often here on AR forum EVERYONE should by now know exactly what it means? Yes? No!

Here is my take on the meaning of the phrase ‘plains game’:

All mammals that are regularly, or at least occasionally, hunted and are not one of the “Big 5†can be regarded as plains game. Naturally this “definition’ includes forest and mountain dwellers, such as what Die Ou Jagter had mentioned. It also includes large animals like hippo and giraffe, but by this definition all feathered game are excluded. The word ‘mammals’ in the definition excludes the crocodile from the classification of ‘plains game’. The ‘regularly hunted’ excludes the animals like moles, bats and others that are not regarded as ‘game’. Animals like baboon, porcupine and black backed jackal would be regarded as ‘plains game’.

These are merely an individuals’ take on the subject.

Let’s hear other views!

In good hunting.

Andrew McLaren

I doubt if there is a scientific definition. I would guess that originally it referred to the game one generally encounters on the plains of Africa, of course. Buffalo were probably considered plains game, even though one of the big five, before hunting safari companies distinguished through their tarifs the kind of hunting one does.

It is all (four-legged) African game species that are not 'big game' (which traditionally has been elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo, and rhino).

George

George, I'm not so sure. Was/is Bongo considered plains game? Mt. Nyala? Crocodile? Hippo? I don't think they are plains game and most safari companies wouldn't include them in a plains game hunt.

Eventhough the term is incorrect, it has become a unique term that seems to be understood by most who hunt in Africa, to mean all animals outside the dangerous seven, that can be considered big game, but includes the tiny antilope. Everyone knows what the big five are, and are normally animals that are shot, most times, from close range. The so-called plains game are most times animals that are shot at longer range, and by most people's opinion,require different type of rifle, and hunting method than the big five, or the dangerous seven.

Then we have birds which are disribed as "WINGED" shooting.

I believe, in the final analysis, the names, BIG FIVE, DANGEROUS SEVEN, PLAINS GAME, and WINGED GAME, are named more for the type of gun used to hunt them, than anything else. The one left is small game which I believe includs things like jackel, Hyrax, small cats, which are most times not on quota lists, left up to the PH as to what you can take, and sometimes doesn't carry a trophy fee!

Just my $0.02, but in my opinion there should be only two catagories, DANGEROUS GAME, and EVERYTHING ELSE! The DG interests me far more than the EVERYTHING ELSE catagory!

Like obscenity and hand-wringing liberalism, I know it when I see it. Crocs and hippos aren't plains game.

Wink,

Based on the older books I have read, I believe that when the terms were coined, 'big game' was lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, and buffalo. Everything else was 'plains game', even if it was found in the forest, swamps, or on mountains .
Perhaps it had something to do with licenses issued at the time, perhaps not.
But do no think that just because narrower distinctions have been made in recent times (just as the meaning of big/medium/small bores has changed), that the terms were not considered appropriate at the time.

George

If I refer to plains game I'm thinking anything other than the "Big 5", hippo, croc, any carnivores and all varmints.

Mark

In my lexicon: Plains game = Reasonable trophy fees.

If the trophy fee for a critter starts getting up near and - God forbid, over - 1,500 US dollars, then we ain't talkin' 'bout no stinkin' plains game no more!

I'll be the first to admit that my use of the term leaves a lot of critters, and even a some meek and gentle antelope, right out of my dictionary's "plains game" definition!