The most dangerous of hunts? The most dangerous game?

[Red Leg]

The time I was most nervous around a living wild animal was on a huge conservancy in Namibia (there was a leopard follow-up on a thankfully dead cat that actually worried me more). We crossed a black rhino's tracks and my PH asked if I would like to try and get close enough for a photo. We trailed the beast for about an hour and then were able to close within about thirty or forty yards. This was in 2009 before quality iPhone photography, and I was carrying excellent Nikon equipment. Though it made the faintest sound when the shutter tripped.

I had the camera set for a three shot burst (an archaic technique to achieve a "live" photo). At the first photo he was facing away and at the end of the three shots - maybe 1.5 seconds - he had spun completely. We beat a hasty and very quiet retreat. I have never been around such a switched on animal. They are hugely different than a white rhino.

 

[Green Chile]

Unwounded my unequivocal answer is the cow elephant. As some have stated, if you have been in a bad situation with one or more of them, you will never forget it. The sounds...the power...you will wonder if you will make it.

Wounded could be anything but the cats in particular are nasty. Buffalo get a lot of press but unwounded they are basically God's cattle. If you don't pressure them, they tend to move away. I'm not nervous at all when hunting them...alert but not nervous. Cow ele will get the attention of any PH or tracker and you will see them on a different level of alertness....and sometimes fear. It's well earned. Bull ele are awesome but not typically an issue if you respect them. A bull in musth is a different animal.

Hippos on land were mentioned but that is due to triggering their response by getting between them and water, which is their safety. Of course, they are nasty about that.

 

[Green Chile]

I don’t have near the experience as others. I’ve been over 4 times, and only 3 of those times were in areas with dangerous game. I have yet to be in an area with lions, although I’m changing that in 2026.

By far, I am most afraid of cow elephants. I really wasn’t until we ended up between a cow and calf in thick bush while tracking some bulls. We ran, the cow never knew we were there, and the fear that came over me in that moment has never left me The community game scout almost knocked me over in his fear to get away

couple days later we tracked 3 bulls 12 miles and they ended up in a magongo grove. As we moved in on the group, a cow herd caught our wind and started running and trumpeting. They must have had a young calf or two, as they didn’t want to move far, because it was HOT! And the matriarch was PISSED. The bulls didn’t spook, so we still moved in on the bulls to find out what was there. As we maneuvered in on the bulls, the matriarch was screaming, trumpeting and growling and coming CLOSER. We couldn’t see her. Just hear that she was headed our way.

Turns out we ended up in the middle of 12 bulls, and we had the matriarch screaming and heading our way. My PH calmly looked over the bulls, assessed that nothing we were interested in. Then turned to us to tell us to leave, and his eyes were as big as saucers The adrenaline was off the charts. The matriarch was still coming closer with that stomach rumble and scream. . . It was amazing

I think about it everyday. I wanna go back

Ele screams are super loud but that growl they make when they are pissed will stand up the hair on the back of your neck. It's for real.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

The doctor who examined me the day after declared I should not be alive. That was an elk hunting disaster in 1971. Had similar close calls (similar but not as severe) on two other occasions moose hunting. Very close calls. Oh, and twice hunting pheasants. Mother nature in the north country is a more dangerous animal than anything that walks or crawls in Africa. Push the envelope and you can pay a price, especially hunting alone. As far as animals, I've been charged by one bull elk, a bull moose (both wounded), and a gemsbuck (either she was charging or just in her way). All very close range. Happens very fast.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Hippopotamus bulls on land.
In the sugarcane fields.
At night.

No contest. Nothing even remotely comes close.

And I’ve hunted every single member of the African Big Five (barring rhinoceros) multiple times over the years till now.

P.S: To be fair, both the elephants which I’ve hunted till now… were bulls. Perhaps, I might change my top contender once I hunt a tuskless cow elephant. I also wonder where rhinoceros will rank on the list, once I hopefully succeed in hunting one.
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How can you tell if it's a bull hippo if at night in sugar cane? Do they make a distinctive noise? Their track?

 

[375Fox]

I guess it depends:

Most dangerous - unwounded - ele cow
Most dangerous - wounded - leopard

My thoughts exactly. I think the initial approach and shot on elephant cows is the most dangerous hunt, but a leopard is the most dangerous follow up.

 

[Hunter-Habib]

How can you tell if it's a bull hippo if at night in sugar cane? Do they make a distinctive noise? Their track?

When in doubt, ask your white hunters and trackers.

 

[IvW]

Normal hunting without a doubt is tuskless elephant cows in the jesse......

PAC hunting eg. Elephants at night and hippos at night on land can get exciting very quickly...

Following up on wounded dg is again a totally different ball game

 

[IvW]

Most dangerous for me...

Unwounded elephant in particular cows with calves or bull in must. Easy to kill and also easy to stop or stop a charge or get them to turn. Unless in thick jess and a clear shot is not presented. Unfortuanately despite their size unprovoked attacks do occur and where often not seen until it is too late.

However if wounded or unwounded and you fail to stop it, this is the highest chance that you will have of not surviving the encounter.....

Buffalo unwounded not a big issue....wounded big issue....they are difficult to stop and 99% of the time a charge is real and only a properly placed brain or neck spine shot will stop it, they generally do not turn once they start a charge. They have an amazing ability to absorb lead...if it gets hold of you 2nd highest chance that you will not survive the encounter...

Lion unwounded during day not an issue can be during the night as they change their attitude a lot when the sun goes down....easy to kill over bait etc..
Wounded and charging very difficult to accurately hit the right spot as they are fast....if it gets hold of you(male)....same chance of not making it as buffalo....

Leopard not an issue if not wounded.....wounded is a different story....very difficult to hit while charging from extreme close quaters due to size and extreme explosive speed.....you will likely survive the ordeal but you could have a sex change and you will look like you lost a fight with a chainsaw and multiple victims are the norm....requiring extensive stitches.....

Rhino especially white generally not an issue....black may charge just because they have poor eye sight and are very bad tempered but easy avoided...

Hippo not part of the big 5 but if you get between them and the water you better have your 2 step sorted or shoot straight. PAC hunting them at night is dangerous work ... in water it is a simple excercise of shot placement.....

Croc poses just about zero danger to a hunter.....but being unattentive close to the waters edge or wading in water where crocs are is tempting fate.....if a large croc gets hold of you very high possibilty you will be dead...

 

[Happy Myles]

I have a hunch the most dangerous is the wounded one you cannot see

 

[Nyati]

Agree with @Hunter-Habib , and @IvW , hippo at night.

 

[fourfive8]

I believe there is a difference between gratuitously creating a dangerous hunt or situation and hunting in a manner that minimizes that potential. One well known hunter, with initials MS, specialized in creating situations and charges for the sake of the “ego story” or video.

Certain cow elephants are extremely and unpredictably dangerous even when unprovoked. All possible reasons for this behavior are not completely understood. I absolutely believe such cows are the most dangerous animals in Africa. No way to convince me nor many PHs otherwise.