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.

   

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.