If there were a North American Big Five.

TomTeriffic

TomTeriffic

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If there were a North American "Big Five" to correspond to Africa's classic safari Big Five might the species be?

1. bull moose
2. grizzly bear
3. rocky mountain bighorn sheep
4. American buffalo
5. bull elk


Here are Africa's Big Five

1. lion
2. leopard
3. Cape buffalo
4. bull elephant
5. bull rhinoceros

These African critters are the traditional principal game animals sought as a matter of prestige. They are all not necessarily the largest and/or most dangerous. All of Africa's Big Five are potential man-killers. I would personally find a full-body bull giraffe mount more exciting in my tall hunting lodge than any of the traditional African Big Five, but I digress. Should all of the hypothetical North American "Big Five" also be potential man-killers as well?

What species would you vote for if a North American "Big Five" were ever considered?
 
My list of way, way, way, North America, Alaska
Dang! Go's over 5!
I've managed so far six on this list.

Moose
Caribou
Dall Sheep
Goat
Bear, Brown, Inland Grizz, or Black
Sitka Deer
Musk Ox
Bison
Elk
 
TomTeriffic said:
If there were a North American "Big Five" to correspond to Africa's classic safari Big Five might the species be?

1. bull moose
2. grizzly bear
3. rocky mountain bighorn sheep
4. American buffalo
5. bull elk


Here are Africa's Big Five

1. lion
2. leopard
3. Cape buffalo
4. bull elephant
5. bull rhinoceros

These African critters are the traditional principal game animals sought as a matter of prestige. They are all not necessarily the largest and/or most dangerous. All of Africa's Big Five are potential man-killers. I would personally find a full-body bull giraffe mount more exciting in my tall hunting lodge than any of the traditional African Big Five, but I digress. Should all of the hypothetical North American "Big Five" also be potential man-killers as well?

What species would you vote for if a North American "Big Five" were ever considered?
Click to expand...
The African Big Five ARE the most dangerous. Cape buffalo are alleged to kill upwards of 200 people a year. Crocodile and hippos are probably higher up on the list than leopards and lions for human fatalities but hunting them is usually not nearly as dangerous. Cape buffalo are intelligent wary 1500 lb beasts that prefer thick cover. They are fight or flight usually at close quarters and can move at surprising speed. If it's a fight one wants, you've got your hands full. Until you've stood and looked at a rino looking at you forty yards away, you really have no concept of how ominous they are. They look like a huge armored personnel carrier with beady little eyes. And if it's a cow with calf you're looking at something more dangerous than a bull. PH and I were set up to ambush a pair of buffalo bulls on their morning walkabout to water. We could hear them coming through the acacia brush and all was going to plan. I was on the sticks and ready when out pops a rino calf thirty-five yards away ... with mama right behind (white rino cows herd their calves in front of them and black rino calves follow cows). She stopped, calf stopped, and she stared us down. Wow, they are big! We didn't move and after a very long and anxious minute they tore off through the brush ... with buffs close behind. I eventually killed one of the bulls a couple hours later. Made a great running shot through both lungs, but when that monster stopped the second time and turned to face us ... well, that was an anxious moment! Nose up and blowing blood but he was still ready to come for us. Up goes the sticks. "Shoot him NOW!" I hit him in the chest. Thankfully the bullet deflected exiting the back of his ribcage and shattering his left hind leg at the knee. That kept him from charging. Watching that great big buffalo bull flip around in 360s bucking and stomping the ground ... man, that was quite the display of powerful nastiness. Then he suddenly sat on his butt, tipped over, bellowed, and it was over. Hard to find that kind of excitement in North America. Grizzlies maybe, but that's it.
 
Last edited:
OntarioHunter said:
The African Big Five ARE the most dangerous. Cape buffalo are alleged to kill upwards of 200 people a year. Crocodile and hippos are probably higher up on the list than leopards and lions for human fatalities but hunting them is usually not nearly as dangerous. Cape buffalo are intelligent wary 1500 lb beasts that prefer thick cover. They are fight or flight usually at close quarters and can move at surprising speed. If it's a fight one wants, you've got your hands full. Until you've stood and looked at a rino looking at you forty yards away, you really have no concept of how ominous they are. They look like a huge armored personnel carrier with beady little eyes. And if it's a cow with calf you're looking at something more dangerous than a bull. PH and I were set up to ambush a pair of buffalo bulls on their morning walkabout to water. We could hear them coming through the acacia brush and all was going to plan. I was on the sticks and ready when out pops a rino calf thirty-five yards away ... with mama right behind (white rino cows herd their calves in front of them and black rino calves follow cows). She stopped, calf stopped, and she stared us down. Wow, they are big! We didn't move and after a very long and anxious minute they tore off through the brush ... with buffs close behind. I eventually killed one of the bulls a couple hours later. Made a great running shot through both lungs, but when that monster stopped the second time and turned to face us ... well, that was an anxious moment! Nose up and blowing blood but he was still ready to come for us. Up goes the sticks. "Shoot him NOW!" I hit him in the chest. Thankfully the bullet deflected exiting the back of his ribcage and shattering his left hind leg at the knee. That kept him from charging. Watching that great big buffalo bull flip around in 360s bucking and stomping the ground ... man, that was quite the display of powerful nastiness. Then he suddenly sat on his butt, tipped over, bellowed, and it was over. Hard to find that kind of excitement in North America. Grizzlies maybe, but that's it.
Click to expand...
Hemingway had a great passage where he discussed each of the African dangerous game specie at length re: aggression.

Seems like he wrote rhinos as being the LEAST frightening, contending that their poor vision leads them to attack when startled but that they are a minimal threat compared buffs, which I think he said will "dance a jig on your spine". Lol!
 
HUMM?
Only 5?
Bear (including Griz, and poler)
Wolf
Bison ( musk ox)
Cat (includes M lion,linxs)
The last one is hard It would have to be, Moose, sheep, or goat.
 
RobertD said:
Griz
Buff
Moose
Mt goat
Bighorn

Based it around difficulty/expense of hunting only
Click to expand...
Ok, African Big Five has all dangerous game and three are non-meat-eaters. The only two prey species in North America that seem to be potential man-killers are 1. American buffalo and 2. bull moose so we need three predators also.

1. American buffalo
2. bull moose
3. grizzly bear
4. timber wolf
5. cougar

The griz and American buff might be as aggressive as a Cape buff, a bull rhino or a bull tuskers. An aggressive bull moose can gore a man to death. The solitary cougar might not be quite as fierce as the solitary leopard. A pack of wolves might be as deadly as a pride of lions.

A BIG FIVE list could be compiled upon:

1. species size or enormity
2. animal's power or strength
3. animal's majesty or nobility
4. expense or difficulty in hunting
5. aggressiveness or danger

We have no pachyderms in the New World.
 
Last edited:
Clint
Elvis
Steve
Paul
Clark

or

Himalayan Snow @#)(#
Walrus
Musk Ox
Wood Bison
Polar Bear
Coues
Sheep
Goat
Brown Bear
Yukon Moose

Big 5---twice

__________

Africas Big 5 has always been an equal opportunity trophy hunt ---Male or Female--Elephant, Rhino, Lion, Leopard, Buffalo--even the dangerous 7 does not discriminate ( Croc and Hippo ) In fact, this may surprise many of the men on the forum, but the female can be even more dangerous than the male under certain circumstances-----ESPECIALLY--if a male is "trophy " hunting ;) ( therefore eliminating the "Bull" from the first post--no pun intended )
 
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