North Armerican Big Game Animal deserving of most respect?

[Whitey375]

I would say blacktail, I've killed two big dudes (143" 4x4 & a 8.5yr old 4x5) in my relatively short life, but "guided" guys into a few others. But to consistently put big bucks on the ground takes time, money, and more time. Which I don't have anymore.

 

[Sabertooth]

For me--has to be Wapiti!!
Anyone who has hunted and bagged a big bull knows they are the ultimate!
I was once told"You can shoot one dead and they will run to the bottom of the deepest canyon within 5 miles before they fall over."

Consider this confermed.

 

[Sabertooth]

Tough question. So I'll go with hardest to hunt goes to trophy or big Blacktail deer. Second would be Black bear. If you have never hunted western Oregon you are in for a brutle education. My best is a large 3 point. Black bear, yes I got one that was not paying attention. I was, good eatin. I have seen a dozen black bears since. Black furry streak going across the road or logging road. If you want to haul butt into the brush after a scared black bear be my guest. Maybe some day I'll get a trophy black tail, maybe this year.

 

[usmc]

in my opinion looking at life as a whole, no one life is worth more than another or does it deserve more respect over the other.from the daddy long-leg to the mighty elk, both are as amazing and beautiful.to give one animal praise over the other detracts and sets value to one and as such seem to say they are not created equal.does not every animal have its place and deserve reverence? it is truly hard to say which is the most magnificent, especially when each creature does its job as nature intends it. there again the paradox, holding an animals behaviors, propensities, size, etc, over another.

 

[clearconscience]

Wolves, because it's the only thing that scares me in the woods.

Only two things onthis earth kill for fun, people and wolves.

 

[orygun]

Wolves, because it's the only thing that scares me in the woods.

Only two things onthis earth kill for fun, people and wolves.

And cats. Always remember the three S's.
Shoot.
Shovel.
Shut up.

 

[Oregonhunter5]

Mt. Lion

 

[orygun]

Mt. Lion

Well, this one is hard to find, and it's one that may to decide to hunt the hunter!

 

[U201491]

Wolves, because it's the only thing that scares me in the woods.

Only two things onthis earth kill for fun, people and wolves.

Wolves are the very last thing to be concerned with. They dont hunt man and they dont waste time or risk injury killing for anything but food and survival.
I spent over 20 years around them, and would walk among them any day rather than inner city gang lands.
Wolves are maligned by too many fairy tales and bs tv movies.

 

[Bon Sauvage]

The polar bear gets my vote.

 

[Capn Jack]

Squark Plagiarized from one of the Air Gun Sites

 

[U201491]

Squark Plagiarized from one of the Air Gun SitesView attachment 105304

Now thats a dangerous critter LOL

 

[Caveman Jim]

Down South them there tree vermin are just plain ferocious!!!!!

 

[salmonriverjohn]

Down South them there tree vermin are just plain ferocious!!!!!

And around thudy pounds I hear

 

[Sam Kinard]

By the OP's standard, we would have to put our southeastern alligator and crocodile up on top as far as simple longevity. As far as what constitutes a proper hunt, I would truly believe it to be our great elk. The elk has incredible vision, an even better sense of smell and I have watched the giant animals with huge antlers move through some of the thickest cover without a sound. I also live on the absolute southern border of the Sprague Unit and can throw a rock into The Sprague River from where I type this. I have spent much time in the Winema NF right out my back door and when I sit on the forest floor to take in this wonderful world, read or ponder upon life, I am always awaiting approaching big game, if only generally for observation rather than hunting. I have had whitetails that come so close that I am forced to stand up and wave my arms to avoid being trampled if they were startled too close. In the countless(thousands) hours that I have sat perfectly still in these woods I have viewed exactly 2(two) blacktail on separate occasions. To put that into perspective, I have viewed many cougar, even the same one well over half a dozen times in the same area. I believe that cougar to be one of 2 or 3 that live on Cave Mtn., the mountain that I live on. I am virtually positive that the blacktail outnumber the cougar by quite a bit, though that is only experience rather than any actual scientific numbers.

I think I am forced to call the elk beyond reproach in it's across the board "heightened" senses and magical ability to swing massive antlers and almost half a ton weight through the thickest timber in virtual silence. However, it is much harder to form an opinion on the blacktail simply because you must be able to observe them in order to develop a sense of their abilities. They are known to be here and evidence of them is all around, that they are nearly as elusive as Sasquatch speaks volumes.

As a disclaimer, I am perfectly comfortable and aware of the respect the speed goats have earned. I personally have not spent enough time in the wide open places that they inhabit. The goats are east of me a piece and we don't encounter them in the thick forest. I would imagine that an Interior Grizzly would be a hell of a hunt as well as Dall Sheep. However, I have never been to those places and can only tell you what Elmer Keith, Craig Boddington, Bill Pinnell and Morris Tallifson had to say about it. The trails that I have walked have led me to this place and in this place, nothing can replace a loin roast or backstrap from a freshly killed elk. The rear hams ain't bad, either.

 

[Sam Kinard]

Wolves, because it's the only thing that scares me in the woods.

Only two things onthis earth kill for fun, people and wolves.

I travel with a 7mm-08 around my parts just to pull over and deck any coyote that I have any shot at. The ranchers along Hwy. 97 north of K. Falls have found many carcasses that have been moving in on their cattle. I would slaughter a mother coyote and all of her pups and feel nothing but the satisfaction of knowing that I can still buy local beef for under $3/lb. cut and wrapped per side(that's $3/lb. for ground beef, roasts, T-bones, ribeyes, tenderloin and all the rest.). They are vile creatures that will get into your chicken coop, kill all your chickens and only eat one. Wolves can be hard on elk herds and ranchers, though not in these parts. I would not hesitate to kill a wolf in the act of killing my own pets or livestock and have no problem with the culling of a known problem wolf. Should I encounter one in the wild minding his own business and offering me a rare view of a truly majestic beast, I will watch as long as I can, take a photo if so equipped, thank my God for the cup that I drink from which is this great land and gladly watch him pass without so much as a thought of killing it. There may be wolf packs in Idaho, Montana or elsewhere that truly are a "problem" depending on your perspective. I shoot starlings, cottontails and coyotes for fun.

 

[Capn Jack]

You shoot BUNNIES ! Unless you eat them.

Jackrabbits, Starlings, Coyotes and Digger Squirrels (Ground Rats) YUP!

 

[Sam Kinard]

You shouldn't eat the bunnies down here until after the first frost. Bubonic plague is no way to go in 2014. I don't shoot the squirrels around here as they don't bother my vegetation. The chipmunks make for great ego-boosting in my world. Taking a chipmunk with a headshot at 40 yards with a CCI 29gr. CB Cap Short is like an African Safari for me these days. For the bunnies, my favorite hunting ammo is RWS Subsonic 40gr. LHP out of a Savage Mark II. For REALLY big game, the various chucks and gophers down in the Basin are plentiful.

In all seriousness, I get most of my hunting enjoyment out of busting cottontails or quail with my dog and a .410 these days. My elk and deer hunting is really done with my eyes and ears these days, though next year I just might dust off the .35 Whelen and buy another chest freezer.

 

[Oregonhunter5]

I'd like to spread this question out. Let's talk about what is the hardest animal to hunt, but has to be a trophy.
If that's the challenge, I'd say mule deer, black tail deer, coos deer, antelope, and Deseret bighorn are at the top of my list.

 

[jsparks747]

I would vote moose. Most badass would be wolverines. Most iconic would be bison or wolf with elk and mule deer up there.