Very sad news. I never personally met Ian, but so enjoyed him of TAA. Condolences to his family and his extended family of the Hunting Fraternity

Sad & terrible thing to happen! My condolences to his family & friends.

So sad!...he was truly a professional hunter saw in movie unfortunately could not met with him, my prays & thoughts are with sorrow family, may God Rest him In Peace.

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Tragic. My deepest sympathies to his family and friends.

I have only hunted some DG, and it amazes me / awes me that DG PHs put themselves in front of DG animals day in and day out.

A great loss to the industry and I am sure Zim more so.

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I'm speechless. What a tragic loss to our world! I'll miss him on the TV shows.

465H&H

Condolences. A legend gone to join other legends in heaven.

Another hunter ... home from the hill ... so sad.

Ian and I discussed life's fleeting nature at Big 5's camp in 2006. He was a great family man and a friend to us all. Vaya con Dios, amigo!

Here at High Caliber Radio, our thoughts and prayers are with Ian's family and the guys at Chiffuti.

I really enjoyed watching Ian on TAA. He was one of my African hunting heroes. Very sad - he will be missed. God bless his family & co-workers at Chifuti Safaris.

It is always surprising how much impact one individual can have. As I told my kids a thousand times, it not how tall you are, it's how tall you cast your shadow. Ian's shadow reached around the world. I never met Ian, I only got to know him through TAA. He was a man I had always wanted to meet. That will never happen. Ian cast a shadow further than he would ever know.
My thoughts and prayers for his family and friends.
Bfly

What a great tragedy, I never met Ian nor hunted Africa but he is one of the professional hunters I always heard praise from both peers as well as clients, would have loved to have hunted with him, it is said no one knew Chewore like he did, truly sad! May he rest in peace in the happy hunting grounds, my thoughts and prayers lie with his family.

News such as this hits me right between the eyes of how precious this gift of life is. It is such a tragedy when a young man such as this is taken oh so early from his chance at life. I extend my sympathies to all.

At SCI 2009 I met Ian while my brother and I were wandering the aisles. After spending an hour or so talking to him we wandered on. Later that night my brother and I decided that we should go back to the Chufuti booth and book. We went and saw Gibbo again in the morning and then sat and booked with Andrew Dawson. Later I corresponded with Gibbo quite a bit pre-hunt and also talked to Dave Fulson to ensure that we could hunt with Gibbo. I remember corresponding back and forth with Craig Boddington and during the discussion I told him we would be hunting with Gibbo. He told me that we were in good hands and that Gibbo would probably be the most famous PH in Africa if he didn't avoid the notoriety. Pretty high praise.

We spent 10 amazing days in Chewore South and collected several fine trophies with the help of Gibbo and his team. It was tough hunting with the buffalo seeming to be sticking tight and not crossing roads much but we kept at it and were rewarded. As the light faded on the last day of my hunt we were on the way back to the truck when we happened upon a civet coming down to drink. The game scout gave us the green light and at about 5 minutes to 6 I missed a dead-still standing shot. Fortunately I seem to be able to run a bolt gun reasonably well and I hit the civet and anchored him as he headed up the bank. Gibbo told me to get it full-mounted because people would walk past my cape buff and kudu to see it in my trophy room. Two years after the hunt I received my full-mounted civet (though I still don't have a trophy room!) from the taxidermist. Every time I look at it I will remember the blackness of a July night in the Valley as we took our photos and enjoyed the last moments of hunting. Little did I know that it would be the last moments we would hunt together.

My thoughts and prayers are with Gibbo's family and his team of trackers. I hope the family can move forward comforted by the fact that Ian was respected by all who hunted with him and will be sorely missed. A fine man and I hope he has a spot open in his schedule when I get wherever he is.

RIP my friend.

BUG: Very nice and fitting tribute, sir.

I have been traveling, just read the terrible news. Thoughts and prayers to all. I never met him, but had heard of Ian many times from others.

I was a big fan of Ian from TAA and got to meet him this year at SCI we spoke every day. He was a gentleman our converstions where about hunting and family.

Dave
Could you advise if you are setting up a fund i would like to make a contribution to help Ian's family

The Telegraph has an article about this sad incident.

Article in The Telegraph

My condolences to the family.

On the Telegraph article, interesting to find out that he was tracking lion. The first report was that it was the elephant they were tracking that got him.

However, thankfully the Telegraph had the good grace to not allow comments on the article. I can only imagine the kind of bile that would be spewed by the loony lefties.

Thanks for sharing the Telegraph article.

AR Family
The national feeds have kicked in and we are besieged by, and now rejecting interviews from outside the hunting community media. This is not entertainment or news fodder, it is the soul wrenching loss of a great man, friend , and hunter. Indeed our Facebook has been lit up by vicious comments and outright celebration by people with the usual agenda.
The report of stalking lion is incorrect, Ian and his tracker Robert were approaching a elephant bull in thick cover to judge ivory size when the wind shifted and brought a immediate charge from a determined bull.
Our position is that the folks we, and Ian would have wanted to know, now do. The AR family is on that list.
GOD BLESS for your prayers, calls, and support you have so generously shared. It will all be passed on.

Hey Dave and Co - only just read this, very sad news. Condolences to everyone.

quote:

Originally posted by Dave Fulson:
AR Family
The national feeds have kicked in and we are besieged by, and now rejecting interviews from outside the hunting community media. This is not entertainment or news fodder, it is the soul wrenching loss of a great man, friend , and hunter. Indeed our Facebook has been lit up by vicious comments and outright celebration by people with the usual agenda.
The report of stalking lion is incorrect, Ian and his tracker Robert were approaching a elephant bull in thick cover to judge ivory size when the wind shifted and brought a immediate charge from a determined bull.
Our position is that the folks we, and Ian would have wanted to know, now do. The AR family is on that list.
GOD BLESS for your prayers, calls, and support you have so generously shared. It will all be passed on.

Sad that these situations indeed tend to bring out both the best and the worst in people. I am sure that the irony is not lost on anyone that the very folks that supposedly care for all living creatures and are concerned about animals and the plight of the human condition, are the same individuals from whom such venomous and hateful thoughts and comments originate. Just as the outpouring of respectful comments and memories from Ian's friends give you a sense of the measure of the man, so too do the vile comments from those persons seemingly happy in his passing tell us all we need to know about those people. Consider the source, pity them and move on.

Terrible news. Seemed like everytime I saw him on Tracks, I thought, "I'd love to hunt with that guy." Prayers for his family and friends.

Terrible, so sad. Condolences to his family.

Stay safe out there.

Most African safari hunters harbor a 'wish list' of PHs that they aspire to hunt with some day. Ian Gibson was high on my list.

Videos, articles, and praise from respected quarters such as Buzz Charlton and Dave Fulson all supported the notion that 'Gibbo' embodied that unique combination of hunting expertise and experience, coupled with a bigger-than-life personality that would ensure a great hunt plus being a hoot around the campfire.

His death brings to mind a quote from Homer's 'The Iliad': “Let me not then die ingloriously and without a struggle, but let me first do some great thing that shall be told among men hereafter.” Certainly Mr. Gibson would rank highly in Homer's estimation of heroism, along with all who knew him. I'm confident that the stories of his life will be told for generations to come. Not a bad legacy for any hunter.

Requiescat In Pace.

Sad news indeed. Condolences to his family.

I never met the man. I only know of him through television and videos but I have often thought he would be a PH I would love to hunt with someday. He seemed friendly, knowledgable and demonstrated a passion for the hunt that clearly showed through on television. Those of you who met, hunted or were friends to him are fortunate indeed.

quote:

Originally posted by Dave Fulson:
AR Family
The national feeds have kicked inby people with the usual agenda.
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Even here in far away Norway they have jumped on the bandwagon, describing Ian Gibson as an "Infamous hunter" and that the elephant bull finially "got his revenge"...

So much for the independent press.

OK the Telegraph article was pretty balanced I am surprised. Where is the Telegraph from?

quote:

Originally posted by Canadaboy:
The Telegraph has an article about this sad incident.

Article in The Telegraph

What a great story and fitting tribute.

quote:

Originally posted by BigUglyMan:
At SCI 2009 I met Ian while my brother and I were wandering the aisles. After spending an hour or so talking to him we wandered on. Later that night my brother and I decided that we should go back to the Chufuti booth and book. We went and saw Gibbo again in the morning and then sat and booked with Andrew Dawson. Later I corresponded with Gibbo quite a bit pre-hunt and also talked to Dave Fulson to ensure that we could hunt with Gibbo. I remember corresponding back and forth with Craig Boddington and during the discussion I told him we would be hunting with Gibbo. He told me that we were in good hands and that Gibbo would probably be the most famous PH in Africa if he didn't avoid the notoriety. Pretty high praise.

We spent 10 amazing days in Chewore South and collected several fine trophies with the help of Gibbo and his team. It was tough hunting with the buffalo seeming to be sticking tight and not crossing roads much but we kept at it and were rewarded. As the light faded on the last day of my hunt we were on the way back to the truck when we happened upon a civet coming down to drink. The game scout gave us the green light and at about 5 minutes to 6 I missed a dead-still standing shot. Fortunately I seem to be able to run a bolt gun reasonably well and I hit the civet and anchored him as he headed up the bank. Gibbo told me to get it full-mounted because people would walk past my cape buff and kudu to see it in my trophy room. Two years after the hunt I received my full-mounted civet (though I still don't have a trophy room!) from the taxidermist. Every time I look at it I will remember the blackness of a July night in the Valley as we took our photos and enjoyed the last moments of hunting. Little did I know that it would be the last moments we would hunt together.

My thoughts and prayers are with Gibbo's family and his team of trackers. I hope the family can move forward comforted by the fact that Ian was respected by all who hunted with him and will be sorely missed. A fine man and I hope he has a spot open in his schedule when I get wherever he is.

RIP my friend.

Just heard about Ian
Shocked, at the tragedy.
My thoughts & prayers are with the family.
He was respected,admired,will be missed by the hunting community.

A tragic loss. As others have said, he went doing what he loved - earlier than anyone would have wanted, but in the way he would have wanted.

If you did not have the opportunity to hunt with Gibbo you missed something special.

I can't add much to what others have already said, but wanted to share a couple of things that people who didn't have the good fortune to hunt with him should know. Gibbo truly put the "professional" in professional hunter. He didn't need any fancy tools - his old binos and pair of sneakers were all he needed, and he wasn't impressed by anyone's gear. He knew that it was the hunter that counted, not the toys. He loved bird life, and would stop to take pictures of birds several times a day. He enjoyed assembling calendars from his bird photos, and he had several different types - flying birds, reflections of birds on water, etc. He also loved to fish, and would steal off to a fishing hole whenever time permitted.

He has passed on but left us all with the legacy of his professionalism through the Boddington videos and Tracks Across Africa episodes that he appeared in as well as our memories of him and the things he taught us. He taught many of us many things. I am a better hunter because of the things I learned from Gibbo.

I will miss him.

My condolences to the Safari Classics family as well as Gibbo's children, and especially Robert, his tracker.

I have been away from the AR forum for a few days, so I have just now heard the sad news. At lunch today, a friend asked if I had heard about the "guide" who had been killed by an elephant. I logged on to AR to see if there was any news, about it, and discovered Dave Fulson's post.

Vicki and I hunted with Gibbo out of Mwanja camp in Chewore North in 2012. His daughter Shayna was there for a few days as well, and it was great fun watching them spar with each other. He led me to a whopper lioness, a tuskless ele, and Vicki to a wonderful old dagga boy. The memory of the pre-dawn fully moonlit stalk in to a bait with the hyenas in full chorus still brings chills. We were there less than a month after Owain Lewis was killed, and saw how deeply it had affected the entire staff. Our hearts go out to Lolly, Mark, Len, and all the others who were Gibbo's colleagues and friends. As Aaron pointed out, Gibbo had his way of doing things, and he was hell to keep up with-not a PH for anyone out of shape. But there was no one anywhere in Chewore who knew more about it than Gibbo.

There is so much I will remember about the man. As others have pointed out, his ways were simple. A fleece pullover and sweat pants during the morning chill, worn over a short sleeved safari shirt and baggy elastic shorts. The squash shoes, a nondescript ball cap, the battered old Swarovski binos, the Winchester Model 70 .458 that looked like it had been in a cement mixer, the old Toyota cruiser, and the beautiful camera, (Canon I think), with which he took such wonderful photos. Dave, if you read this, could we possibly find a way to get a book published with his photos in it, and use the proceeds for his family?

Gibbo sent me an e-mail last January, asking to see us if we were going to be at SCI. He had some photos he wanted to show us. We had a wonderful chat, never dreaming that it would be our last. As I write this, I am looking at a wonderful photo of two wild dogs, taken by Gibbo. Chewore is one of the few places these days where the painted ones can be found frequently. This photo, the great video that the Safari Classics crew made for us, and of course the TAA shows will keep Gibbo alive for us always.

My friend, I will open the single malt tonight and drink a toast to your promotion to the land of the 100 pounders, the great manes, and the 45 inch dagga boys. You were a true professional, the best of the best, and blessed to be called home doing what you loved so well. Kwaheri!

I am saddened to learn this tragic news.

May his family and friends have the strength to bear this loss

May you rest in peace my friend. May your girls make it through this very tragic loss.

We talk several times at the SCI meetings/conv.
Great Man, great hunter.

R.i.P.

Sorry it took so long to reply but I just got out of the hospital for another surgery and haven’t had access to a computer.

Ian was one of my all time favorite PHs, and though I missed having a chance to hunt with him till it is now too late, my great loss. Indeed a large loss to Chafuti and hunting in general. As many have stated above, he died doing what he loved, and in my opinion no better passing exists for a true HUNTER’S HEART! R.I.P friend!
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Gentlemen:

I received an e-mail this morning from Lindsay, (Lolly) Wall, the camp manager in Mwanja camp. Her version of what happened is essentially the same as that posted by Dave Fulson, so I won't repeat it. Lolly and Gibbo have been friends since childhood, and I believe that they live(d) in the same small town. This is the second time in less than 3 years that she has received a radio call that one of her "boys" had been killed. She is devastated by this loss, as are all who knew Gibbo. For those who have not done so already, a few prayers for comfort for her and all those left behind are in order.
Tim

An unbelievably pathetic article. Really outrageous.