Most challeging hunts in North America.

[H&Hhunter]

1. Rocky Mt. Goat.

The old say goes that goats start where sheep stop. Goats live above the tree line at high altitude in some of the steepest most treacherous country on the planet. That being said the logistics of a goat hunt demand top physical condition, mental toughness and a degree of mountaineering/ outdoors skill. The recovery can be the most difficult part of the hunt carrying out a 90 or 100lb pack at altitudes above 11,000 feet demands some serious conditioning and a never quit attitude. Trophy judgement is tough but it isn't that hard to approach goats once you find them. It's getting to them that is the hard part.

2. Mt Lion with hounds.

When done correctly hunting Mt. Lions with hounds is as tough a hunt as exists on the planet today. A fair average is about 8 to 10 days of hunting per cat caught. I didn't say per cat shot, I said per cat caught, because for every cat I've shot or had a client shoot we've let go three times that many. Lions live in steep country. On a typical Mt lion hunt be prepared to put in more miles than you have on any other hunt in your life, be prepared to do this in steep hostile country and be mentally prepared to spend a night out with minimal equipment and no real food, freezing your butt off near a fire for the night. The only easy day on Mt Lion hunt was yesterday.

3. Bighorn or narrow horn sheep.

Same deal as Mt. Goats if you aren't tough mentally and physically in shape don't it'll be a miserable experience.

4. A mature Mule Deer scoring over 180".

I'm talking about a free range public land or even private land free ranging wild mule deer. This is one animal that's eluded me for years. I've killed dozens of mule deer but I've never shot a true wall hanger. There is a huge amount of patience and a large degree of luck involved in getting a big mule deer buck on the ground.

5. Elk

Depending on where you are doing your elk elk hunting it can either be as simple as driving out to a local hay field and waiting OR it can be a lesson in pain and humility if done wild and free in the high country. I love elk hunting but sometimes it's a tough, tough deal.

6. Bear with hounds in the Rocky Mountains.

Same deal as lions BUT it's done at a much nicer part of the year making it a less dangerous experience. Bears will run much further during a pursuit than a lion but it's generally sunny and mild when you are chasing them. Sleeping out when it's 40 is much nicer than when it's 0 and snowing.

 

[MCgunner]

How about desert big horn in south western New Mexico mountains? I've heard that is some WAY rugged country to hunt in, no personal experience. I saw a TV show on it, once, looked too athletic for my old butt, can tell ya that! It was either desert big horn or Aoudad, don't remember.

 

[Pit4Brains]

^^^ Desert bighorns or Rocky Mountain bighorns here in Arizona. These creatures live in the most rugged, rocky, impassable terrain there is. Forget road hunting these critters.
If you get a tag, you can only bag one in a lifetime here so you better be ready to step out and get one.
Sheep don't stand on the side of the road... Instead they linger on high rocky perches where, if the impulsive hunter shoots it, the animal may fall several hundred feet destroying much of the carcas and quite often, the prized horns.
Going after big horns down here requires patience to get a tag, days of scouting, possible miles of backpacking with all your stores, etc...

I want to bag one one day but i don't dare apply for a tag right now just because I don't want to run the chance of getting drawn and not having a successful hunt..
For now I stick with cow elk. I get a tag every year, they are as easy to harvest as clubbed seals, and you can't eat horn or antlers anyway..

 

[Robert]

Hunting isn't that hard... I read about how easy it is to make a 1000y shot on deer all the time on the internet.

I am so looking forward to my Elk hust this fall. Don't even care if I get one I am in it for the learning experience. If I get one, well that is just meat in the freezer.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

Snipes

 

[Pit4Brains]

Snipes

Just walk into the woods and call out, Woo loo loo, woo loo loo..
Or sais Hank Hill.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

I've been taken on many snipe hunts and have yet to bag one. My guides told me to use a paper bag, but I think I might need to switch to plastic.

 

[hogshead]

"6. Bear with hounds in the Rocky Mountains" Bears with hounds aint no picnic in the Appalachian Mnt's either.

 

[Art Eatman]

No argument with H&H, but I'd add aoudad in the Solitario country of south Brewster County, Texas. It's not all that high, but the unending upping and downing in a walking hunt is definitely wearying. You try to walk a ridge and you find a fifty-foot cut in your pathway. And maybe one or two hundred yards and you can do it again. Ol' Biggie mulie loves that country.

 

[H&Hhunter]

How about desert big horn in south western New Mexico mountains?

MCgunner

It was number 3 on my list.

3. Bighorn or narrow horn sheep.

Bighorn includes Rocky Mt and Desert. Narrow horns are Dall, fanin and snow sheep

 

[H&Hhunter]

Art,

I agree free ranging aoudad are every bit as tough to hunt as a desert bighorn sheep. And a tougher animal in general.

 

[Feanor]

I guess you boys do it differently out west as you hound big game species, here in Wisconsin, our hounders drink Jack & Cokes while driving around in SUV's, GPS tracking their Plott hounds.

Nothing tough about that.

 

[H&Hhunter]

I guess you boys do it differently out west as you hound big game species, here in Wisconsin

Yep we aren't even talking about the same universe apparently. It's pretty tough to understand the type of country I'm talking about if you haven't tried it out once or twice. First big difference is no roads on the majority of it then there is that elevation and steep terrain thing. Just a wee bit different than Wisconsin from what I can tell. Then there is that whole deal about not having any Mt Lions in Wisconsin to hunt along with the no Mountain issue and well you know, apples and oranges..... Or in this case flat land and honest to god no kidding rugged country. If us "boys" were drinking Jack & Cokes while busting butt in what amounts to a triathlon level amount of physical output at high altitude we'd have a lot of dead "boys" and girls out here in the mountains.

Having done sheep/goat hunting I can promise you that hunting lions behind hounds is every bit as demanding and more so in some cases as when you are physically done in on a goat hunt you can turn around. When that happens on a lion hunt you still have to get your dogs and that can take some time and trouble, there is no option to quit on a hound hunt before the dogs are done..

Just a quick question though.

You have personal knowledge of all hound hunters in WI and they all drink Jack & Coke while driving around tracking dogs with GPS collars? Because I'd sure hate to think you were posting your preconceived notions about something you really know nothing about.

 

[Feanor]

Yep we aren't even talking about the same universe apparently. It's pretty tough to understand the type of country I'm talking about if you haven't tried it out once or twice. First big difference is no roads on the majority of it then there is that elevation and steep terrain thing. Just a wee bit different than Wisconsin from what I can tell. Then there is that whole deal about not having any Mt Lions in Wisconsin to hunt along with the no Mountain issue and well you know, apples and oranges..... Or in this case flat land and honest to god no kidding rugged country. If us "boys" were drinking Jack & Cokes while busting butt in what amounts to a triathlon level amount of physical output at high altitude we'd have a lot of dead "boys" and girls out here in the mountains.

Having done sheep/goat hunting I can promise you that hunting lions behind hounds is every bit as demanding and more so in some cases as when you are physically done in on a goat hunt you can turn around. When that happens on a lion hunt you still have to get your dogs and that can take some time and trouble, there is no option to quit on a hound hunt before the dogs are done..

Just a quick question though.

You have personal knowledge of all hound hunters in WI and they all drink Jack & Coke while driving around tracking dogs with GPS collars? Because I'd sure hate to think you were posting your preconceived notions about something you really know nothing about.

I grew up in Alaska, I can imagine the terrain you're detailing here. And yes, I have a rather low opinion for the practice of hounding bear! In Wisconsin, you can bait the bear, and we do, with piles of stale baked goods(jelly donuts, sugared donuts, cookie dough), cooking grease, suet, whatever works. Why the need for adding the extra element of violence, by throwing a pack of Plotts after them?

 

[25cschaefer]

I would think African lions would be pretty hard to hunt in North America. Or tigers, I haven't seen too many of those around.

 

[Bobson]

2. Mt Lion with hounds.

When done correctly hunting Mt. Lions with hounds is as tough a hunt as exists on the planet today. A fair average is about 8 to 10 days of hunting per cat caught. I didn't say per cat shot, I said per cat caught, because for every cat I've shot or had a client shoot we've let go three times that many. Lions live in steep country. On a typical Mt lion hunt be prepared to put in more miles than you have on any other hunt in your life, be prepared to do this in steep hostile country and be mentally prepared to spend a night out with minimal equipment and no real food, freezing your butt off near a fire for the night. The only easy day on Mt Lion hunt was yesterday.

Not questioning your knowledge or experience, but what do you mean by, "when done correctly?" Are you saying that when its done correctly, its more difficult than when its done incorrectly?

Overall, neat group of hunts. Can't say I'm overly interested in any except elk, but then my entire hunting experience is pretty much limited to walking old logging roads looking for rabbits back in my teens.

I've been taken on many snipe hunts and have yet to bag one. My guides told me to use a paper bag, but I think I might need to switch to plastic.

On the other hand, sounds like your guides are successful on every hunt.

 

[Shadow 7D]

I'll go first for snipes (actually a snipe is a game bird in India, not america...)

not big horn, Dall sheep, nothing like being 200M for a legal ram, and 2 days of technical climbing to claim the meat.

 

[Skyshot]

Killing a B&C whitetail on public land in the south.

 

[WVleo]

Most Challenging hunts in N.America

Today in America the most challenging hunt is the local guy with 4 mouths to feed hunting for meat in the pot ! His trophy is 4 full bellies daily ( thanks to freezers for the help ! ) . I believe the true hunt idea has been lost in America, thousands of Americans live with help from the land . Just a thought .......wvleo

 

[Readyrod]

The only time I remember seeing Mt goats in the real wild was in the Spatsizi Wilderness in Northern BC. I guess they would have been easy to shoot but as H&H said the hike in and out would have been a killer. Nice country tho. Saw an immense moose out there once too, sounded like a bulldozer as it was crashing through the woods.

 

[Victor1Echo]

Hunting with hounds is challenge? I was just reading about how hounds do all the work, and then hunter walks up and shoots the cat out of a tree with pistol. When I think of a challenge I think of statistics. For example, I will be hunting mule deer next month with a bow in the Eastern Sierras--extremely tough terrain, and the hunter success rate is 6%-- out of 300 tags. Another huge challenge here in California is wild pigs on public land, especially in SoCal near San Diego. The hogs are in some of the toughest places to access, then if you do get one,getting it out is another story.

 

[H&Hhunter]

"when done correctly?" Are you saying that when its done correctly, its more difficult than when its done incorrectly?

Legally and correctly done the hunter must accompany the hounds and guides from the time of release until the time of capture. Illegally and incorrectly done a guy could let somebody else do all the work then simply walk into where the cat has been caught and shoot it. Illegal but it happens.

Hunting with hounds is challenge? I was just reading about how hounds do all the work, and then hunter walks up and shoots the cat out of a tree with pistol.

Victor
See above.

And make no mistake about it hunting lions or bears with hounds is one of the most physically demanding hunt you can do. What you read was biased and incorrect I guess when you read this stuff you need to consider the source and the sources agenda.

 

[Gunnerboy]

How bout Hunting a 3pt min bull elk in a area where the harvest percentage is 6%........... or hunting the ever illusive blacktail in the jungles of the PNW one minute its sunny and dry 30seconds later its rain than hail than snow than sunny again.....

 

[H&Hhunter]

ow bout Hunting a 3pt min bull elk in a area where the harvest percentage is 6%........... or hunting the ever illusive blacktail in the jungles of the PNW one minute its sunny and dry 30seconds later its rain than hail than snow than sunny again....

I have hunted elk up in Washington state on the rainy side. What a nightmare!!

I've never hunted blacktail it's on my bucket list!!

 

[BBQLS1]

On hunting mountain lions with dogs....

I was reminded of a book I recently read. Zane Grey doesn't write much non-fiction, but The Last of the Plainsmen was written about Buffalo Jones and some of the adventures in his life. Part of the book is about Zane Grey meeting with Buffalo Jones to do the research and go on a big cat hunt.

It's overall an enjoyable read.