Location:
Karunga Camp, Dande East, Zambezi Valley in Northeastern Zimbabwe

Safari Company:
Charlton McCallum

PH:
Rich Tabor

Trackers:
Tedious and Norest

Driver:
Duwe

Game Scout:
Rogers

Cameraman:
Andy Buchanan

Dates:
April 1-14, 2015

Rifles:
Both made by Lex Webernick of Rifles, Inc. 1) 416 Rem Mag w/1.7-10 Swarovski scope shooting 400 grain Barnes Solids and TSX Handloads; 2) 300 Win Mag w/3-18 Swarovski scope shooting Barnes Factory 180 grain TTSX.

Game Taken:
Impala on Day 6 and Elephant Bull on Day 13.

Game Seen:
Multiple Elephants, Kudu, Baboon, Roan, Duiker, Hyena.

Getting There:
After my first safari with CMS for buffalo and plains game in 2011 I knew I would return, I just wasn't sure when. With the encouragement of my darling wife and two close friends who have hunted Africa many times I booked an Elephant Bull and Sable hunt with CMS at DSC in 2014. Shortly thereafter I began to have significant lower back issues that I knew were going to affect my ability to hunt, so at age 62 I knew it was now or never. Adding to the pressure was the embargo on importing any part of the bull.

In 2011 I took the 416 for buffalo (and took a zebra with it as well) but I also have a leopard on my bucket list so Lex agreed to build me one of his famous 300's for this hunt and to take on a leopard hunt in 2016. I prefer to shoot handloads in all my rifles, but when Lex showed me the test target for my rifle with 3 shots in 0.29 inches I just ordered a bunch of the Barnes Factory 180 grain TTSX. One thing I did do that greatly increased my confidence in my shooting was to attend Tim Fallon's SAAM Shooting School in Barksdale, Texas. I can highly recommend that course for anyone that intends to hunt Africa (or anywhere else). Tim's folks will have you hitting targets you never dreamed you could hit. Steve Turner's great crew at TWG made all my travel arrangements, including meet and greet in Joburg. Flights from San Antonio to Atlanta, then on to Joburg went without a hitch. TWG made sure I had all the requirements, including the "new" ones to take my firearms, but I never got asked for a thing. After a restful night at City Lodge the flight to Harare went well, and after the folks at the Harare Airport took over an hour to issue my Visa (not available on line even though they say it is) and clear my firearms and ammo, Rich and Andy got me loaded up and off we went. We arrived in camp too late to test fire the rifles so we put that off until first thing the next morning.

The Hunt:
I am not as gifted a writer as many others on this forum, but I can echo most everything Jim (Frostbit) posted on his hunt report. At the outset I must state that I do not have adequate words to express the appreciation I have for Rich Tabor and his entire team in allowing me to achieve my life long dream of hunting a bull elephant. With my back issues severely handicapping the tracking they encouraged me and kept my motivation and spirits high every day of the hunt. We were "in" the elephants almost every day. Myles had warned me when I booked the hunt in 2014 that there would be a danger of experiencing "mental" fatigue as much or more so than any physical fatigue. Looking back I know how right he was. However, the mental attitude of the entire team never wavered, and due to that and their daily encouragment this was, truly, the most difficult but absolutely most rewarding hunting experience of my entire life. After about three days of tracking a bull only to find him too young and/or too small I found myself hoping that the next one we found would be a "shooter". In hindsight, if I had taken my bull early on, I would have missed so many experiences. We were almost run over by cows and young bulls on at least four different occasions, and once we were charged by a young bull we had just tracked for almost six hours. One morning we found where two bulls we were tracking had laid down to rest and had driven their tusks in to the ground. I would have missed all of this if I had taken my bull early. I knew going in that I could not import anything from any bull I killed, but I was there for the experience. I am not going to BS anybody and say I didn't care if I actually shot a bull or not, but by the end of the first week I knew that kill or not, I had truly experienced hunting a bull elephant. On day six while returning from investigating a report of elephant activity I did see the nice impala ram that I took. He is much larger and much older than the one I took in 2011 and he sure did eat well! By about day nine it appeared that the herds were staying in the jess close to the villages, not only to crop raid but also to be safe(r) from poachers (but not from us). At the end of Day 11 we did get close to a shooter on the edge of the jess right at dark. Rich actually had me on the sticks, but the bull moved through some trees and by the time we got back in to position we lost enough light to close the deal. On Day 12 we picked this group up and tracked hard most of the day but never caught them before they went in to Mozambique. That night my back told me that I might be done. The next morning, even though his malaria was coming back, Rich, Tedious, and Norest went in alone and found a herd that had two shooters in it. They came out and retreived me. We picked up the herd's tracks and within an hour were able to get in to position for the shot. I had trained hard to try for a side brain shot, but we never could get within about 85 yards and they were moving in and out of trees. Rich had me make a heart-lung immediately followed by a right hip shot after he turned to run away from us. Per my request, Rich also put one in to his rear. The last thing in the world I wanted was either a wounded (and possibly lost) elephant, but more importantly I did not want to chance anyone getting hurt by a wounded ele. We followed up and the bull went no more than about thirty feet. His eyes were already glazing over but he (like Jim's bull) was still "gurgly" so Rich had me put one more round in to his chest. The sounds stopped immediately. At recovery I did recover my first round which hit both lungs and center-punched both ventricles.
I was totally unprepared for the wave of emotion that overcame me once I approached the bull and was able to put my hands on him. Those that know me know that I am rarely at a loss for words, but I had none. When I tried to speak my voice cracked and quivered. I had a hard time seeing through my watered-up eyes.
The bull went down fairly close to a village-I am not sure how close-I would guess 3/4-1 mile. Within minutes of the shots a few villagers appeared. It was about 12:30 p.m. We left Rogers, the game scout, with the bull and drove back to Karunga Camp to grab a quick sandwich, pick up the skinner, and return to the bull for the recovery. I don't think we were gone more than an hour or hour and a half. By the time we returned there were over 300 people waiting for meat. As the recovery began and I saw how appreciative the people were for the meat and after receiving some poachers' bullets from them that they recovered while butchering the bull any remorse I might have felt from harvesting such a magnificent animal was gone. Rich assured me that every scrap of the elephant was going to be used-I never doubted him. The next morning, at my request, we returned to the recovery site and took pictures. Nothing was there except a couple of bones, a large bloody spot, and his penis. Virtually everything else was gone (and not from any predators).
When I booked the hunt with Myles at DSC in 2014 I met Blake and was told originally he would be my PH. We seemed to hit it off pretty well in Dallas, but I had no qualms about having Rich as my PH when Blake became unavailable. As far as I am concerned, they don't come any more competent, patient, and personable than Rich Tabor and his current team. The trackers never ceased to amaze me. I could do an entire hunt report on just my observing them following, sorting, and "re-finding" a track. When I expressed my gratitude to Rich after the kill he credited his trackers and not himself. I told him to tell Tedious and Norest that, in my opinion, they could "track a gnat through a forest fire" and insisted he translate that to them. Their resulting smiles told me they understood.
The pictures I am attaching were all taken by Andy Buchanan, Ray's younger brother. They show that Ray is not the only talented Buchanan. Andy was a pleasure to share camp and the hunt with, and the fact that he is fluent in the local language is also a plus.
For those of you who are considering an elephant hunt I have some advice: 1) dont' wait, because you are only going to get older and the price is going to go up (assuming we still get to hunt elephants); and 2)the hunt was worth every penny. One day while the trackers, game scout, and driver were talking I asked Andy what they were talking about. He told me that they were just saying that hunting elephants is a privilege. I could not agree more. In the fourteen days of hunting I am sure I saw somewhere between 150-200 elephants, to include over 30 legal bulls. The more time that elapses since the hunt the more I appreciate the experience. If I never get my ivory, so what. Replicas will suit me just fine.
I did get to meet Jim and Joyce, plus "Dogman" at dinner the night I returned to Harare. That was an unexpected pleasure and I have followed their "exploits" as well.

Well done. Please post some pictures!

Rich and his team are second to none, and elephant hunting in the valley is the most rewarding hunting experience there is.

Congratulations!

Nice report. I was given occasional updates on your progress while we were in camp. It was a pleasure meeting you over dinner.

Job well done!!

Cheers
Jim

You say that you're not a gifted writer - I disagree, that was a great report of a great hunt. Very well done on all counts.
Your attitude says everything.
You couldn't have been in better hands than Rich Tabor. He is a class act.
Gould luck with your Leopard next year and get ready for a whole new bunch of emotions.

Just wonderful

With regard to Rich and his team - I cannot agree more

Morten

Great report...NOW PICTURES!!!!

Best regards, D. Nelson

quote:

Originally posted by D. Nelson:
Great report...NOW PICTURES!!!!

Best regards, D. Nelson

He put them up separately

quote:

Originally posted by Frostbit:

quote:

Originally posted by D. Nelson:
Great report...NOW PICTURES!!!!

Best regards, D. Nelson

He put them up separately

Thanks Jim!

Thanks for the report and photos.
Your comments on mental fatigue, and on the emotions experienced on downing your bull brought back happy memories. Spot on.

Congrats and well Done! Rich Tabor is the man.

Well done, Johnny!! Laura and I enjoyed your very well-written report. She said it best-"I was right there with him in Karunga-what a blessing!" Now about your back....

Nice report!

I hunted with Buzz for elephant from April 22 to May 6 this year and your story tells it all. I couldn't have said it better myself, especially about not killing the elephant until later in the hunt. Mine was the 12th day which gave me a couple of days to recuperate, but what a fantastic experience.

quote:

Originally posted by WH:
I hunted with Buzz for elephant from April 22 to May 6 this year and your story tells it all. I couldn't have said it better myself, especially about not killing the elephant until later in the hunt. Mine was the 12th day which gave me a couple of days to recuperate, but what a fantastic experience.

Congrats and welcome to AR. Hopefully your own hunt report with photos are on deck.

Cheers
Jim

Welcome to the forum! Pictures?

Pictures and report are on CM Safaris website under hunting reports.

Nicely written Johnny. Your never say die attitude and appreciation of our wildlife was a pleasure. Your shona skills are not bad either

Great report on a great hunt! Congratulations.