Hardest critter to hunt
 

I was watching a hunting show a few months ago.(I don't remember which one.) And the guy said whitetails are the hardest animal to hunt. I said to my self.."self, I don't think so." So I was wondering, in your opinion what is the hardest game to hunt.

I 've seen two shows where the hunters made statements like that. One was hunting whitetail bucks - Maybe the same one you are remembering. The other show was about hunting big horn sheep with a bow!!!

Back in Texas, whitetails were fairly simple. My vote would be the Elk.
Dan

depends on the situation...

finding a trophy whitetail in a highly pressured area public or private, taking a big boy can be very hard.

I'd say cougars are pretty tough...try getting one without dogs...

I think they all can be tough depending on the situation and goal.

Hardest to hunt mmmmmmmmm.I don't think whitetail are the hardest animal to hunt.Did these guys give examples as to why they are so hard to hunt.Elk are hard to hunt they have great instinct and use it wisely.Close to the toughest animal to hunt. Sheep are hard to hunt cause of the remote terrain.I think these are harder than elk but it's tough a choice between the two of them.But it's neither here nor there cause 1 species tops them both.Goat are by far the hardest animals to hunt in North America. Some of the steepest most dangerous terrain to access. These animals live in it ,which makes it a tough hunt. These animals walk sleep and eat in it like a human walks eats and sleeps in a park.I have seen alot of friends freeze on the ground, too scared to move a muscle cause they seriously thought they were going to fall to their deaths.This is the same ground these animals walk on,and these friends have never attempted to try it again.
These guys have never ever hunted anything like this if whitetail tops their list.
My vote goes to the Goat.

I think that this is a hard question, especially because each time you go out hunting you are presented with a unique animal, environment, and opportunity. For example hunting whitetail deer over a clover field on private ranch in Kansas, I would say is much easier than stocking a big buck on public land through an evergreen forest in Saskatchewan. The same could be said for a black bear hunt over bait in Ontario vs. driving out laurel patches in PA or NY. And the same for other species. Not only does the quarry vary the difficulty, but also the hunting area and method used to take the game.

To give my experience, I have hunted moose, deer, black bear, turkeys, and small game. I will limit my thoughts to North American Game animals.

However, if we talk in generalities based on typical environment, animal behaviors, and typical traditional hunting methods. I would say that you need to cross out the species that can be easily located or brought in to the hunter via calling, such as coyotes, wolves, moose, elk, turkey, and whitetails.

Also I think we would also need to cross out those species that are typically hunted over bait or based on their behavior frequent key food plots typically, coyotes, deer, and black bear.

I will also eliminate those animals that are typically hunted by chasing with dogs: upland birds, turkey, deer, black bear, and cougar.

Also eliminate those that herd, by which they often feel safety in numbers and a large group of animals are easier to spot and stalk: caribou, elk, musk ox, bison, turkey, and pronghorn (to some extent).

This leaves us with: Grizzly Bears, Sheep, and Mountain Goats.

Grizzlies are the most dangerous, but probably not the most difficult.

Based on my speculation I would say that the shear remotness and ruggedness of the mountain ranges where goats and sheep are found. And the physical stamina and strength that is needed to reach these areas combined with the traditional +300 yard shots that are often required to be made across a mountain valley with winds swirling and drastic elevation changes, (I would assume) make these the most difficult species to hunt.

Although it would be a great boost to my ego, if a sheep hunter disagreed and strongly protested that sheep are much easier to hunt than whitetails. :biggrin:

To me it depends on what is being refered to as hard. Hard because of where they live i.e mountains, or hard because of the animal itself. Whitetail in general are not hard to hunt at all but a *BIG* whitetail buck is a species all to itself, and takes a back seat to no animal in how hard they are to be sucessfully hunted consistently.

Cooter! Definitely cooter. Unless they have been drinking.

As stated, the amount of hunting pressure for that particular animal is the real question.


So then, any animal which has turned nocturnal.



Mountain lions without the use of dogs !

One of the few animals that will hunt you !!!

This can be said about any mature animal for any species though. Consistently finding trophy mule deer or elk is no easy task. The sheep hunts Ive been on in nevada can definately wear on you in every aspect. Yet I still cant imagine how tough a mountain goat hunt could be. Based on habitat only I would think this would be the toughest hunt in north america.