What are the toughest plains game animals?

Bearpaws · Jan 14, 2023

Just wondering which plains game animals are the hardest to bring down. From my experience, I think it might be blue wildebeest?

roadrunner · Jan 15, 2023

The only plains game I have experience with is Oryx Gazella, aka, Gemsbok.

I don't think they're any more difficult to bring down than an elk...

2lumpy · Jan 15, 2023

Bearpaws said:
Just wondering which plains game animals are the hardest to bring down. From my experience, I think it might be blue wildebeest?

Not enough personal experience to know but from the conversations around our campfire, I believe our PH and guide would both agree with you.

Tikka · Jan 15, 2023

My boy has killed 2 blue wildebeest… His PH at the time said they are the hardest to bring down so make it count and bust both shoulders…

woodruffhunter · Jan 15, 2023

I would probably say kudu. With that said, I laugh when a PH says how tough African plains game are. An elk and a Mule Deer are just as tough, or tougher. But I guess that’s another debate in itself.
Anytime that I have ever had trouble killing a plains game animal was due to a bad hit which of course was my fault.

Moe · Jan 15, 2023

Gemsbok in my opinion. Hit him thru the shoulder just a little high. Went down like a sack of taters. Got up and hauled ass. Trackers followed spoty blood into the night. The hyenas found him before we did.

deskhunter · Jan 16, 2023

The blue wildebeest is very popular among other species of plains game. And it is truly one of the toughest species of plains game.

johnnyutah · Jan 16, 2023

Can any of them survive a double lung shot for more than 1 minute?

Blank · Jan 16, 2023

They are pretty tough animals, but certainly not bullet proof. When Predator and I hunted Namibia, the blue WB was the only trophy I had her shoot with my 375 H&H, instead of the 30-06 she used on everything else. It still went a couple hundred yards tho.

El Gringo · Jan 16, 2023

Zebra, Gemsbok, and Wildebeest would be my list, in that order.

deadibob · Jan 16, 2023

Eland for sure but they are also the largest. Gemsbok and Zebra would have to be among the hardiest as well. Personally i've never heard of wildebeest being hard and I've only shot one "Blue Gnu" he did about a 100 yd. death run and piled up.

S-3 Ranch · Jan 17, 2023

nilgai are plenty tough to kill without a pretty stout caliber and tough bullet
7mm - 35whelen , and forget about bringing some ELD-X

smokepolejohnson · Jan 17, 2023

May not be the traditional toughest African beast to anchor, but the lil slippery pencil Dik-Dik is tough as helll to glass up and even tougher to get a good long distance anchor point with the old reliable creedmore. Pack outs are manageable if quartered up for a few of the village toddlers and don’t forget the headlamp for those late nights in the bush.

I could see the Okapi being a handful to knock down.

Tristate · Jan 17, 2023

smokepolejohnson said:
May not be the traditional toughest African beast to anchor, but the lil slippery pencil Dik-Dik is tough as helll to glass up and even tougher to get a good long distance anchor point with the old reliable creedmore. Pack outs are manageable if quartered up for a few of the village toddlers and don’t forget the headlamp for those late nights in the bush.

I’d have to second the wildebeest as far as pure knock down.

View attachment 100301

This is not a dik dik.

S-3 Ranch · Jan 17, 2023

Tristate said:
This is not a dik dik.

What is it ?
I am thinking about doing Africa and want to put it on my don’t list

smokepolejohnson · Jan 17, 2023

Tristate said:
This is not a dik dik.

Damn PH was probably buzzed on Castel and hopped up on Mushrooms. Many Thanks for the Dik-Dickk clarification Tri.

Tristate · Jan 17, 2023

It's a grysbok and looks to be world class.

deadibob · Jan 18, 2023

Tristate said:
This is not a dik dik.

Dieker but you just wanted to say Dik Dik?

Daxter · Jan 20, 2023

I think oryx/gemsbok are pretty dang tough. This red heartebeast took three 225 grain .338 Win Mag slugs to the chest and shoulder before he went down. I've heard people compare African game to saltwater fish and North American game to freshwater fish.

CHWino_1 · Jan 21, 2023

I'd say gemsbok, zebra and hartebeest are pretty tough. My gemsbok took a few shots..... although my first was just a bit off from perfect. Same with hartebeest, I gut shot him and he mingled with the rest of the herd and went back to feeding!

As everyone has said, a good first shot is the key. Dropped my eland and zebra with a single shot with 260 grain .375 H&H. My cape buffalo took 2 shots plus the insurance shot.

llamapacker · Jan 29, 2023

While all will succumb to properly placed shots, the oryx (gemsbok), zebra, and wildebeest all have well earned reputations for toughness. Eland join the list simply because they cover distance very fast, and due to their size take a while to bleed out. Even a good shot can require significant tracking.

But when you find them at the end of a blood trail, it isn't uncommon to find the gemsbok still alive and ready for another final sprint.

Bill