Fangs, Claws, Horns

Professional hunter Mike Payne had a tough couple of weeks. It started at the tail end of a safari, when he stepped into an ant-bear hole, badly wrenching a knee. A few days later, knee brace in place, his client shot a nasty old buffalo; he shot it well, but the buffalo wasn't aware of that. As they approached a patch of thick stuff, the bull charged.

The client got in one shot with his .416--with no apparent effect and no time to work the bolt. Their tracker scrambled back to get out of the way, misjudging where he was and fouling Payne's shot. With the tracker clear, Payne got his Krieghoff up but not in time to stop the buffalo. He scrambled to the side and, but for that bum knee, might have made it. The flat of the buffalo's horn caught him on the leg and cartwheeled him. The buffalo rushed onward and Payne, prone in the grass, still clutching his .470, managed to fire both barrels before thornbush swallowed the bull.

After dusting themselves off and surveying the damage, Payne and company took to the tracks once more--this time stopping the buffalo in its second charge.

A few days later Payne, still limping and now with a new client, went to check a lion bait at midday. As they approached they saw a lion slinking away, so Payne grunted, hoping he could convince the lion that another cat was stealing his meat. It worked all too well. With no hesitation the lion turned and came in full charge. Payne stopped it merely feet from where he stood with a center chest shot.

Payne had an incredible run of bad luck. Actual charges from dangerous animals are quite rare. Most of the time fundamental errors must be committed before potential danger becomes reality. The most common error lies in not shooting straight the first time. Despite their reputation, only a relatively small percentage of wounded buffalo will actually charge when given a chance. My experience is that this percentage is considerably higher with bears, cats and elephants. A wounded hippo on land will almost always charge. Hell, any hippo on land will usually charge without any provocation. So will a fairly large percentage of cow elephant. But if you exercise due caution and give these beasts plenty of space, it's unusual to get into serious trouble.

Payne's poor luck was unusual because no mistakes were made. But things can happen in the bush. This is the difference with dangerous game: They possess not only the equipment, but also, on occasion, the disposition and resolve to turn the tables.

More Mental Than Physical

The easiest way to get in trouble is to shoot poorly. This can happen through lack of skill, through excessive excitement or even fatigue. Another primary mistake is lack of due caution, whether in making an approach, taking the shot or following up after the initial shot.

Most of these mistakes can be avoided through proper preparation, and much of it is more mental than physical. In fact, mental toughness is often much more critical than physical conditioning because much dangerous-game hunting simply isn't all that physically demanding. Lion and leopard hunting, for instance, is usually done over bait. If you shoot straight when the chance comes, the entire hunt may require slow walking for just a few hundred yards.