By that, i mean what would you consider the most difficult based on the animals intelligence? I have only hunted whitetails for 25 years, so I have no input. I have always read that a mature whitetail is the hardest to kill, I have killed them, but I have nothing to measure it against. Are things like moose, elk, bear,sheep etc, just as witty and difficult to kill? What is your experience on this? I don't mean difficult as in the terrain or accessibility, just based purely on the animals' smarts.
Well, they're not really big game, but for me it's the coyote. I rifle hunt them and feel they are about the smartest thing in the woods.
A good wife! Finally found one!
I would have to say that yotes are very clever. All the years and hours in the woods I have only seen one. I missed it. And I hunt in some very heavily populated areas....darn things are just flat slick, but i have never "hunted" for them.
MATURE whitetail on how tough it is to get close.
Coyotes also, since I have not got one with the trad bow.
Other big game as you say, tough due to terrain, etc....but a big whitetail is like a ghost.
No experience with mule deer yet.
Mature mule deer will give you a run for your money. Yotes are tough as well. White tails can be tough, or not, depending on where and how you hunt them.
Coyotes & Bobcats are very difficult to get a shot at, and by far the most difficult I have ever hunted.
Decoys are real handy. Not necessarily to draw them in, but to hold their attention while you draw & take the shot.
I would imagine that any mature animal is tough, else they wouldn't be mature huh? I know for me, whitetails are not that difficult most times, but a mature whitetail, doe or buck, seems to be a different ball game. Those old nanny does can be a legit challenge.
Perfect arrow flight
Mature whitetail, bobcat, and coyote. I've taken all three. Bobcat senses are unbelievable. Coyote are usually fast pace, and mature whitetail all I can say is, WELL! They are an intense chess match at times.
atatarpm, I agree!
Whitetail
Coyotes
Hogs
Mule deer
Elk
I'd rate coyotes toughest if not calling.
I have not hunted big horns or goats, but have spent a lot of time around them, stalking and observing. So far my experience would put them well below elk. But, ask me again when I finally (if ever) draw a sheep tag! :)
Turkeys
Basing my answer solely on mature animals of 5-6 years or older and strictly from an intelligence perspective.
#1 Boar Hog
#2 Boar Hog (not a typo)
#3 Zebra
#4 Coyote
If you take away the age factor, a young hog or coyote don't make my top 10. If you add environment, big prairie mule deer are way up there in my rankings.
Interesting thread here.
A big old mature whitetail doe.
The black bear is the most intelligent animal in north america. That may not make them so hard to hunt but they surely are.
I don't think there is any real answer to this question. Coyotes are really tough to call in and kill with a trad bow. As are turkeys but with a gun, there isn't much to either of them. Mature bucks are way up there because they are so nocturnal. Bears that have been hunted a lot are pretty well unkillable. Sheep and Goats are super tough to hunt simply because of their environment.
I don't have much respect for feral hogs but I'm sure that older ones become almost completely nocturnal. Every critter has it's difficulties and I love all of em.
If a mature doe had the eyes of a turkey, and a turkey had the nose of a doe.. We'd all be starving
Trophy Blacktails, They don't pattern as easily as whitetails do and don't spot and stalk like you can a mulie. Don't call like elk or coyotes but in early rut you can rattle them. I have killed a couple of real nice ones but over the last twenty years made hunting them secondary to elk which are my favorite animal to hunt.
God bless, Steve
I forgot Coues deer. I had my first experience with them this year. I think if there were no such thing as water holes, nobody would ever kill one with trad gear.
QuoteOriginally posted by Etter:
I forgot Coues deer. I had my first experience with them this year. I think if there were no such thing as water holes, nobody would ever kill one with trad gear.
Agree absolutely 100% and I believe I am up to 17 species hunted in North America. I hunted Cours this year for the 1st time. It was
amazing how much sharper the Coues deer were than the mule deer in the same area.
For me, of the things I've hunted, it would be turkey. Deer and hogs Ive had success with most things I've hunted, but turkeys with a stickbow have thus far beat me.
Lots a variety in this thread. I appreciate everyone's replies. Turkeys, gobblers, yeh they can be so stupid, but then the ones that have been around a few years, geez, they know when to shut up....I was told by a an elk hunter once that elk were, well, in his words, dumb as a brick..I can't say that I buy that at all. Maybe with a gun, but a bow kill mature bull, from all the hunts I have read, seem to be the hardest to find. All sheep I hear are really tough because of terrain, but they lack intelligence. I don't buy that either, too many predators in their world..I am surprised to see Old Boar Hog. I would like to know more about that as to why.
Elk have always given me the slip. Hunted them three different years and have yet to release an arrow.
Big Aoudad rams ( free range )....
Old whitetail...
Old hogs...
Crows and yotes. Then deer and elk for me.
Based on my zero percent success rate deer are difficult enough...
fox
If you dont hunt water holes (I havent) pronghorns tough. Spot n stalk was a real pita, was lucky enough to find an aggressive one in a stalkable location and decoyed him in.
I would have to say that for me turkeys with the bow is tough and a mature whitetail be it a buck or doe are pretty darn sharp especially in the pressured type area's that I hunt in.
Goose smasher
QuoteOriginally posted by graybarkhunter:
If a mature doe had the eyes of a turkey, and a turkey had the nose of a doe.. We'd all be starving
Amen to that statement bro....
I'd have to say Turkeys & coyotes & bobcats not necessarily in that order. But hunting turkey's in a ghillie suit with no blind was the toughest time i ever had getting to full draw.... I WILL be using a brush blind this year.
Coyote. All mine were taken with shotgun while fighting over the dog they killed.
From my success rate I would have to say......everything! :dunno: :cool:
Ron, Looking into my crystal ball I see a bear in your future with your tag on it. Start looking for a place to put the mount/rug.
Easily the most difficult thing I've hunted would be a truly mature Mule deer buck above timberline. I hope to be able to hunt Coues deer in the next year or two and I suspect Mulies will be bumped to #2.
Whitetails are the only game that I have extensively hunted. Encounters with coyote and bobcat have been by chance, not as part of a planned hunt.
I've never hunted outside of NY. Of the critters we have here, A mature whitetail can be tough to get a good shot at, and so can a tom turkey once he's survived four or five years. Both can seem to have psychic powers at times. An old whitetail doe can be pretty clever. I'll agree with coyotes too. I seem to average one black bear about every ten years, but I don't think it has as much to do with them being super wary as it does with the amount of ground they cover. Again, I don't have a lot of experience with bears, so this is just an opinion. We can't use bait here, and the few that I've killed were on years with bumper beech nut crops, and scouting played the biggest part. Good thread, thanks.
Bob
I have not hunted as many species as some here but for me it would be a mature mule deer hands down. Followed by the coyote. I have never hunted a whitetail or a Coues deer yet. On my javelina hunt this year I did some scouting for Coues deer and I have a feeling they will be tough to get close to.
I agree with coyote and I say pa black bear with a bow I've tried three years and have yet to see one no bait or dogs and a week long season where I hunt.
I think a good title to this thread would read "what animal is the most difficult to take year after year after year"
A big old mature boar hog..
A Mature Michigan public Land buck
U'all maybe thinking too big. Tough as in smart is one thing, but tough to shoot is another. Busting squirrel nests loose with a blunt on a freezing cold day just to see one is a challenge in itself when their nest is so high you can hardy see it. Then you gotta shoot 'em.
Several years back, a couple buddies told me about Snipe hunting and gave me a great location to get started. I mean, it was muddy, swampy and full of mosquitoes. I hunted hard for hours but never even caught a glimpse of the Snipe.
:goldtooth:
Seriously though, what a great thread. I've enjoyed the responses.
I've really only hunted whitetail and nothing as of yet with trad. Anything other than whitetails that I've killed has been done while hunting whitetails.
Everything. Nothing easy about it.
I don't think anything is easy. They all have their challenges but the last ten years I've spent a considerable amount of time trying to take a large mature whitetail doe with my bow to mount and I've had a lot of encounters but they are tough and smart. Even big bucks get stupid once a year. I'm not sure those old does do as often. The first deer I got with my bow when I moved to indiana 20 years ago was that large 150+ lb doe and once I decided I wanted one to mount it has become the hardest animal to kill for me. Go figure.
A mature blacktail buck is right up there with about anything. If it wasn't for the rut 99% of them would die of old age.
I'd have to agree with Keith, the crow with a longbow is tough for me.
1) old mature male coyote anywhere in North America.
2) old mature northeastern whitetail (Not the urban variety!)
3) old mature boar hog anywhere in North America
4) old mature black bear anywhere in North America
5) old mature whitetail buck anywhere in North America (not the urban variety)
I'm talking animals that are still healthy but very long in the tooth, if they are not all broken. My opinion, based on experience, having spent equal time chasing them.
I have limited but successful experience hunting moose,elk,caribou,pronghorn,Mt lion,coues whitetail deer,mule deer,Sitka black tail deer, Colombian black tail deer,eastern turkeys,alligator,javelina and African game. At this point I don't think they hold a candle to my top five. However my experience is limited.
Would love to hear from sheep, goat, grizzly and wild bison hunters that have the same experience with mature coyotes, whitetail, hog and black bear...
Thought provoking thread!
I like it!
My opinion is based entirely on intelligence.
Not terrain, expense, climate etc.!
yes, the point of the thread was to see what animals were hardest to hunt based on intelligence.. there are many animals more difficult to hunt than whitetails based on climate, cost, access.. etc but this thread has been a good one for sure.
The Squirrel, they know how to climb trees
1. A good women! ( finally hunted mine down and man, she took some tracking...lol )
2. Spot and stalk African game.
3. Our Axis deer. They seemed to have a 6th and 7th sense!
Coyote that's been shot at. Big black tail buck. Ground squirrel that's been shot at. Dove.Crows
Coues Deer, Coues Deer, and Coues Deer !
Only experience South African game.
Would say on the foot.
1. Kudu bull (They are so big but disappear like a ghost)
2. Bush buck
3. Impala when in a herd (to many eyes watching)
Turkeys from natural blinds and Coyotes.
Bullfrogs on a pond bank in daylight are challenging..they react quickly to the sound or movement of the shot and don't have to move far to create a miss. Not nearly as challenging at night with a headlamp.
Coues' deer are the by far the spookiest animal I have hunted even the fawns are wired to run.
Here in northern Il. I would say highly pressured mature whitetail bucks on public hunting ground.
Mature whitetail doe......no question. I had four different close encounters with a mature buck or bucks this year with a bow....one with a "mature" doe. Seems every year they get slicker and the bucks get dumber.
I think someone said it already, he gets stupid at least once during a season, she doesn't.
An animal that's been hunted and survived. If old whitetail does aren't at the top of the list, they are close. Hogs get real smart real quick also.
Around here poaching used to be really bad--folks had to eat. Nowadays a lot of farmers keep firearms on the tractor and shoot deer and hogs year round to cut down on crop losses.
I've hunted deer that were pretty dumb, and hogs too--have had both dang near run over me--but not around my place.
QuoteOriginally posted by frassettor:
Turkeys
:thumbsup:
A doe with 4-7 years on her is a beast to kill with a bow. They are always snooping, sniffing, looking etc..
QuoteOriginally posted by VA Elite:
ANy mature animal is tough or they wouldn't be mature huh? Those old nanny does can be a legit challenge.
An old dry doe has keep more deer alive than anything. Coyotes are like tryin to hit smoke, most times. Heavily pressured boar hog is also tough to get close to and get a good shoot on. There are the occasion one or two that run right by you at under ten yards, but most are moving out and carrying the mail.
For me, I'd say grizzly and cougar. Mostly the nerves factor. I've had the chance 5 times now with grizzly, but here it is LEH so I never took the shot cause I didn't have a tag. But spotted them and just had to stalk to see If i could do it. If ever your looking for adrenaline, that'll do it. Cougar I keep getting busted in the last 30-40 yards. No dogs allowed or baiting so stalking or sometimes calling will work.