Elephant versus Grizzly

[jglsprings]

elephants

By a long shot. They are like street gangs around here.



And the captions reads...

Honestly, Harry, I'll never tease you again for carrying around that elephant gun!"

[Kreyzhorse]

I'd certainly rather go head to head against a bear rather than an elephant. While I've hunted neither, I read a lot on hunting elephant and they seem to be able to take a large amount of punishment.

As mentioned, they can also have a nasty temper.

[kaylorinhi]

Check out the video from hawaii, <object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/8Gy3bUjLjwk&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/8Gy3bUjLjwk&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>

Not that a grizzly or other large omnivore are not dangerous but they can not take that many 12G and various other shots.

sidenote: check out the tatol lack of preparation on the part of the individual with the lever gun as the count-down goes he does not even have a round chambered and does not have his fingers in the lever!

[Bigjfb]

If any of you grew up watching as many cartoons as I did, you would know that an elephant can be scared away with a mouse. Therefor bears are far more dangerous, unless they are living within the borders of Jellystone National Park.

[SouthCali]

Certainly not 100

how are you gonna tell him about the story he heard....

[animal]

I vote for the elephant, hands down …

wouldn’t have any desire to kill one unless it was a rogue, and was tromping on people I liked. But …

The chance to throw a Flintstones-style BBQ would be pretty cool … 2 foot diameter steaks, 4 foot wide rack of ribs … and a couple of ostriches on the grill for the chicken eaters.

[LordofWar]

I've never hunted a bear but I've done lots of Big 5 hunting. Last year it was Big 4 as we dropped Rhino as it has now become endangered.

As far as the elephant is concerned most of the times it's easy as you use an extremely large & powerful calibre and that too at close ranges so you're not likely to miss at all and a single shot brings the animal down. Even if by chance you DO miss there's always a person or two ready as a backup in case the elephant charges at you.

Danger comes when you've brought down the elephant which is when you have to take cover from the herd as they all start charging at you...

Lion hunting is more dangerous. If you've missed or done 'just damage' there's a very good chance it will charge at you. Watching a lion in zoo is different but in wild the animal has a presence no doubt to that and if that animal is wounded and charging at you.... just pray that you or your outfitter scores a vital shot while he's still 30-40 yards away .

I once hunted with a British celeb in Tanzania. Things went wrong and the lion charged. The outfitters had two semi auto shotguns. They poured the charging lion with buckshots and the lion tumbled over, broke it's charge and ran away limping... mentioning no names the poor thing (the Brit) had clenched his teeth so hard he cracked a tooth and had soiled his pants...

I think the same would be for the grizzly but I've heard/read that it does break it's charge if you stand your ground and try to scare it away by waving your shirt or something or if a pepper spray is used... considering the grizzly's slower than a lion at adequate distances it would be easier to put down a charging grizzly... (I could be wrong)

[kodiakbeer]

I think the same would be for the grizzly but I've heard/read that it does break it's charge if you stand your ground and try to scare it away by waving your shirt or something or if a pepper spray is used... considering the grizzly's slower than a lion at adequate distances it would be easier to put down a charging grizzly... (I could be wrong)

A grizzly can run 40 mph and weigh as much as 1500 pounds (yes, really!), so it's both faster and much larger than a lion. It can and does outrun wild horses and take them down.
You can not turn a grizzly by waving your shirt or shouting at it when it's actually attacking. Most grizzly "charges" are just territorial displays and bluffs, and yes, you can turn those rather easily - I've done it many times. But, when they ACTUALLY attack (ears down, 40 mph), waving your shirt isn't going to help.

How do I know?

[Nnobby45]

I'd certainly rather go head to head against a bear rather than an elephant. While I've hunted neither, I read a lot on hunting elephant and they seem to be able to take a large amount of punishment.

Well, never hunted dangerous game, but in my youth (adulthood, also) read many a tale of professional hunters who did.

The concensous seems to be among those hunters is that they'd rather face the elephant. Yes, they're big and fearsome, but a hunter with nerve would simple stand his ground and put a solid bullet thru the brain. WDM Bell, who killed about 5000, used mostly a 7.57mm Mauser with solids that would penetrate the brain. From the side or frontal. Only caveat--don't miss. And, don't find yourself in the middle of a heard in thick cover!

Leopard--in the days before anti-biotics, a mauling was a death sentence by infection.
Lion--few survivors

(Grizzly?)

Cape Buffalo --results might not vary a lot if caught by any of these three.
Rhino
Elephant

In that order. Not necessarily based on what would happen to you if the critter got a hold of you, but rather based on difficulty of a stop before they do.

That's the most common evaluation (not saying the only one) by professional hunters who hunted them all. Not someone who hunted one or the other and proclaimed them to be the most dangerous. Seems like the Grizzly might come right after the cats, IMO. Because of the speed. Tougher than the cats (but slower), and faster than the big stuff. Seems like a Grizzly might offer a tough combination of hard to stop (I mean bullet placement with) and speed.

[LordofWar]

A grizzly can run 40 mph and weigh as much as 1500 pounds (yes, really!), so it's both faster and much larger than a lion. It can and does outrun wild horses and take them down.
You can not turn a grizzly by waving your shirt or shouting at it when it's actually attacking. Most grizzly "charges" are just territorial displays and bluffs, and yes, you can turn those rather easily - I've done it many times. But, when they ACTUALLY attack (ears down, 40 mph), waving your shirt isn't going to help.

How do I know?

Woahh! 1500 lbs at 40 mph! That'd be like a car with claws & teething hitting you. Glad you made it out alive.

We would love to hear more details if you're OK with that.

[leetosaurus]

Oh my God.

[Art Eatman]

I have seen a cougar go from standing and looking to "Gone, gone, gone" in no time flat. So, I can believe the stories about African lions which claim that the initial rush can cover around a hundred yards in only three or four seconds. Even adding a second to the guesstimates means around 40+ mph for that brief period.

For years and years, I've read that grizzlies can briefly hold some 35 mph; a horse, 30, and a man, about 23.

Regardless, it's probably not worth arguing about. Whoever starts first in a charge usually wins.

[kodiakbeer]

They say hippos kill more people than any other large animal.

[aarondhgraham]

A while back I posted a description of that cartoon,,,

Thanks jglsprings for posting it,,,
I've been trying to find a copy of it for years.

[lefteyedom]

Bears, tigers, Lions, elephants can't compare to the damage a woman scorn can do to a man. (or her lawyer)

[Uncle Buck]

If you folks would care to cover my expenses, I would be willing to do a scientific study of which animal is more dangerous from a hunters perspective.

My proposal would include hunting each animal myself and then reporting back to you which was more dangerous and why. (I'll even thrown in some scientific terms so it seems like an honest to goodness, scientific experiment.)

To donate to this cause, please send me cash, check or money order.

I wonder about the water buffalo. In the Philippines some of my family members still use the carabao to farm with. I am told they are directly related to the water buffalo (Are actually the same thing, but these have been domesticated). Pretty docile animals, but then I never tried to take a calf from a carabao...

[Art Eatman]

Enuf.