If you've ever successfully cheated death, you know that at such a time you feel more intensely

alive than ever before in your life. Now, that's not to say that dangerous game hunters intentionally put themselves in harm's way,

just to get an adrenaline rush.

Far from it.

A good hunter and his guide make every possible effort to hunt dangerous game as safely as possible.

But the simple fact is we can't always predict what happens in the bush, and we sure can't dictate how dangerous animals

respond when you encounter them.

So why hunt them?

I'd be lying if I attempted to say that the intensely alive sensation isn't part of it.

In today's world where we as humans stay so comfortable and sheltered most the time, it's rare to encounter bona fide danger.

You know, the sort that fires are primal, survival, predatory, and combative senses.

Short of going to war, hunting dangerous game or in dangerous conditions, think climbing seriously

seriously technical terrain in search of mountain goats, is about the only

way we can tap back in to those deep-rooted instincts.

For outdoorsmen and women, bungee jumping just doesn't cut it.

Why? Well, that's a manufactured scare with predictable outcome.

Hunting big grislies, Cape Buffalo, Leopard, Elephant and such is a vastly different endeavor.

That said, hunting dangerous game still isn't all about adrenaline and awaking our deepest

survival instincts. It's also and even mostly about conservation. Whether hunting

big bears in an area where they're decimating moose populations in the far north,

or shooting a 6,000-pound hippo for an African tribal festival and to fill the coffers of the local anti-poaching units.

And perhaps more than any other species, good conservation-driven hunting is vital to the future of elephants.

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