My sons and I were watching a variety of hunting shows this weekend and one of them questioned me on why would someone hunt and kill an elephant. I have to admit, I really didn't have an answer for him. This got me thinking about animals that I have no desire to hunt and take for various reasons. I see a handful of animals that I consider to be more intelligent and show more human like feelings that I just couldn't see myself taking one of them. I just don't think I could hunt an elephant at all. I see shows on NatGeo on elephants and how they mourn the loss of a member in their herd and it proves to me that they have more thinking capability then say a deer for instance. Surely I'm not the only one who thinks this way. Anyone else share these same thoughts?
Yeah I am with ya... Elephants, Giraffes, Zebras... I don't get it. It may be different over there, because they grew up hunting those animals, just does nothing for me. The dangerous game is a different story though. I think being eye-to-eye with a Cape Buffalo, Lion, or something like that would be quite a rush.
If I (or somebody I know) don't intend to eat it, and if its not a predator it walks. Having said that, IF I was hungry enough and/or not in the US and its social norms, I would have few reservations in trying/eating other animals that most wouldn't try. I.e. I've tried horse...not a fan, but I would eat it again. Horse, Guinea pig, Dog, Cat, Rat, insects at eaten around the globe as are various big game across the African continent (or poached for sale). Practically though, I'm not after trophies, some are, and that's on them. As a sportsman, so long as there is sufficient population or a population imbalance, harvesting some animals may be a rational/justifiable argument. I do think there is a problem though, where many have become too distant from their food source, and others where ppl have/develop an emotional bond or affinity to certain animals, that influences their in/actions...And I know most in N. America will never know the hunger that drives others across the globe to eat/poach 'whatever' to feed themselves or their family. Dog is a good example in the US, I love my dogs and wouldn't envision eating them. Other countries may not share that view. I have no desire/need to shoot an elephant, but I do hear zebra is quite tasty.
Elephants or Hippos alone kill more people than all of the dangerous game listed above combined. People need to watch both sides of the story. Elephants should NOT be hunted everywhere. Some areas they are struggling...some areas however they are not. Some areas are over populated and the elephants are wreaking havoc on the local ecosystem. In these areas, villagers often awake to see the field meant to feed their family for a year was uprooted in one night by a rogue bull elephant. They don't have the means to hunt these animals, and rather than dispose of these problem animals with paid government workers as some would advocate to avoid hunting.... They allow some big wig hunter to come in and hunt the area with a special permit...the one hunt for one animal pumps $50k+ into the local area. The villagers often line up by the hundreds to get a crack at the thousands of pounds of meat. Not a morsel is wasted, and the locals practically worship the hunter for his service. Hunting of these animals also promotes their conservation and deter poaching. Like it or not, the black market value of these animals and their parts can be quite high. By giving them a legal REAL value to the locals (the huge money hunters are willing to pay to come in and hunt these animals) gives locals a reason to prevent poaching. Bottom line, Elephants, Giraffes, Zebras, Hippos, Impalas...you name it, must be managed with sound conservation efforts to keep them from becoming too overpopulated or underpopulated. Without hunting, these conservation efforts are funded solely by donation efforts and are never sufficient. And I challenge someone who says deer don't mourn their lost, to shoot a doe with a fawn or two early in the season.... I've seen em stand and watch from 50 yards bleating and carrying on over their downed mother. It's a part of life. No animals are human (including my dog who I love more than 99.9% of the people out there). To answer the question, I guess no there really isn't a wild animal out there (not including animals underpopulated) that I wouldn't hunt. I would absolutely LOVE to take an elephant and a lion with my bow. Realism obviously sets in when I realize I would never have the financial means to be able to hunt them, and even if I did I doubt I would spend that kind of money to hunt one animal. It's obviously a personal thing, as many people don't care to hunt for bears. Other only care for whitetails only. Some are bird hunters only. Some are bear hunters only. I just hate to see people deterred from one animals hunting because they have never experienced it, or view it as wrong because they don't see the point...because I assure you someone else out there doesn't see the point in hunting animals that we DO want to hunt for.
There a definitely animals I would not actively seek out to hunt, however, given the opportunity I would still shoot one. I'm real big on weird stuff. Would love to go to NZ to hunt chamois and tahr. Feral camels in the Aussie land would be great too. NM Oryx and Ibex would be fun too... Crap, now my mind wheels are spinning.
I think Mountain Lions are one of the most fantastic animals that roam North America. To walk up underneath one bayed in a tree, look him over, decide if I want it or not and then shoot it out of the tree seems about as unsporting as it gets. Never done it so maybe I'm way off base but to take such a magnificent creature in that manner doesnt appeal to me.
The shot itself is not hard... The hunt will kill you. Miles upon miles of driving/snow machining, coupled with miles of hiking through steep and rugged country. I used to have the same outlook as you, then I chased cats with a houndsmen. I want one, bad.
Great post! I agree with everything you said. I agree it is a personal choice and no one should deter another person of their desired game, underpopulated game notwithstanding. Looking back, I agree with you on the managing game properly and, now that you mention it, I have actually heard that there are elephants in Africa that are ruining the grasslands and crops. The more I watch bear and dangerous game hunting, the more I would love to try it. But I would want it to be in a stalk situation, not setting up over bait. Again, great post.. really got my mind spinning..
I'll go with that. I'd also add big cats, birds of prey, hippos, rhinos and I have sworn off people. LOL I'm not saying others shouldn't do it. Some populations have to be controlled. BUT, if you put me in Africa... that's my turn down list of possible targets. I also have no desire to shoot a crock, gator etc. I killed a lot of water buffalo in Vietnam... I mean a lot. I have no desire to shoot a Cape buffalo... or an American Bison for that matter.
Good topic. It's interesting getting others take on what makes their gears turn. I get so bored with whitetail deer hunting, I can see myself not even really partaking in it outside of 1-2 weeks a year in my future...especially if I get to move where they don't even live lol. I thrive on the weird experiences/challenges/changes. Spot and Stalk is for sure how I prefer to hunt, but I can tolerate small doses of tree stand sits. I want to do a NZ mountain hunt for chamois and tahr, two animals most guys couldn't even pick out at the zoo. As for hounds, growing up coon hunting with my buddy....I would love to take a mountain lion over a good set of hounds. Different strokes. Sitting over bait isn't my favorite (least favorite actually), but I won't turn my nose up at it either.
I'd love to shoot an elephant. There's not much I'd refuse to shoot. Monkeys and apes don't appeal to me at all... with the exception of a baboon. I'd take out a baboon. I saw a shoulder mount of a walrus once. That just made me laugh.
Outside of a coyote or turkey if it doesn't have hooves I don't really care to hunt it. I went on a black bear hunt and got a bear in Canada a few years ago. I just didn't enjoy it. Loved the fishing and sitting in the stand, but killing a bear just wasn't for me. I have no problem with people hunting whatever they want, and I know what I enjoy and feel good about so I'll just stick to that.
Some good posts here. I understand that just about every species needs managed, but I still don't think I could look an elephant in the eye and put one in its head. Another one for me is a bear. I have family members who do it every year and love it. In fact, killing a bear with a bow was on my bucket list. Not anymore. I don't know if I have different thoughts about this topic the older I get or what it is. In the last few years a lot of animals get to walk that wouldn't have when I was younger. I'm sure all hunters go through this in some sort of way.
