This weeks show is a little different. The entire show is about PH Ivan carter. Has some footage from various hunts but it's maily Ivan discussing his love of animals and hunting.

If it weren't for the gunshots, you might think you were watching animal planet, almost like a hunting version of Steve Irwin in terms of loving animals, not in terms of risk taking.

If you get the chance, well worth the watch.

I have never hunted with Ivan, but I know him.

He loves to hunt, especially elephants, and he likes to get close.

I was booked to hunt with him on my first Safari, but something came up and he was unable to do the hunt.

Wayne Edwards took his place and we had a great Safari.

I just watched it this morning. 'Really trying to decide if I want to hunt a bull ele. Great show and it helped me a lot. He (or the producers/editors) did make it sound like 40 lbs. is the upper limit of what is left, and I understand and whole-heartedly agree that it's the hunt, not the pounds that's what's important, but I think there are a few bulls upwards of that mark around.

I haven't seen the show yet but wanted to comment on what you said about 40# being the upper average limit. I just got the latest Sports Afield and Boddington did an article on hunting ele in Botswana with Johan Calitz. Calitz has averaged over 60# for several years if I understand it correctly. I do know that Calitz has the most quota in Botswana.

It was a great article with lots of info on how elephants are increasing in Africa versus quotas, poaching and overall ivory genetics. It was interesting to read how Boddington progressed from not wanting to hunt small bulls to learning that there are still great bulls to be found in places and especially in Botswana. I would like to see one of those 12 foot tall bulls someday.

From what I saw in Zim, 40-50# is a reasonable goal but that's just the area I was in. I don't think 40# is the upper limit for all of the areas that are huntable and exportable...and apparently Botswana is doing very well.

**Edited to add that I know that Botswana ele hunts are NOT cheap. I emailed Calitz to see what their prices are running but they are out working I'm sure and will be slow to respond. What is a Calitz trophy bull hunt costing these days? Anyone hunted with him or near that area?

I also note that Allan Cilliers out of the Kwando region of the Caprivi takes 60# elephant. That area is right on the border of Botswana. I'm not sure but I think Mark Young books for him? A Caprivi hunt should be considerably cheaper than a hunt in Botswana.

Ivan is a super guy and frequents this forum on occasion. He is a dedicated PH and I would hunt with him anywhere, anytime period, end-of-discussion.

I shared a flight over to Zim with him in May and he and I passed several hours in the Jo'burg airport(he bought my lunch instead of vice versa!)and then again in Chifuti's Tafika camp discussing hunting in particular and philosophies about life in general. His footage of some of his hunts is truly unbelievable... check him out in Dallas at the show and get him to show it to you!

And I would agree that in most of modern day Zim, setting one's sights on an elephant in the 50 pound range and over is a tall order....

Rich Tabor, a PH who works for Roger Whittall, guided two hunters to +60lb elephants in Chewore South this year.

Rich works hard and elephant hunting is his passion. Walking is the name of the game. Well beyond the last roads.

JPK

The Sports Afield article by C Bod was good.

Before the start of this season I had Calitz' office send me rates etc primarily for Moz. I was set on TZ but with the issues there I started looking at Moz for '08. The package is on another PC. It likely included all(both?) countries Calitz operates in which may be just the 2. Calitz in Moz, as in Botswana has prime coutadas at/in Niassa. My interest was highly piqued and upon scrolling down to the packages I was floored with a good case of sticker shock. There is no way I'll ever be able to afford to hunt with his outfit. He rivals Robin Hurt in his pricing. Hell the 10-15% increase in TZ on an $18K 1x1 10 day 2 buff hunt with PvT sent me packing down south. And my wife is not happy either. She's from the UK and has been longing to see EAST Africa, now I'm taking her down amongst the Portuguese and those bloody southern Africans!

The Africa shows are getting better but still have a ways to go. One profiling only a top PH certainly will rank at the top.

I bought another recent high end mag on Africa and they had a good article on Calitz' goring by the buff in TZ. I WISH I could hunt with him. I'll post the rates here when I get to my PC.

I'll be happy to go hunt down south with anyone named Charlton, Broom, Styles etc...

Thanks SB. I'm just curious to hear what his rates are. They must be sky high.

quote:

Originally posted by yukon delta:
Thanks SB. I'm just curious to hear what his rates are. They must be sky high.

You could budget about $75K*.

*That's per bull. How many would you like?

Anyone who would like JC's current price list PM me with your email address and I'll send it to you. I don't know how to insert a PDF file into a thread here.

David

Sorry for the hijack.

Back on thread. What is the name of Ivan Carter's outfit? Website?

http://www.ivancarter.com/

Ivan is also a talented photographer.

Thanks for the link. It's an interesting website to bookmark.

As to Calitz, this years prices for elephant in Botswana are $46,500 for 14 days up to ivory of 59.5#...each 10# after are $5k more with a 10k refund if you don't get anything.

And 40 lbs in Zim will run you what, half that?

More or less. It doesn't surprise me to see a place that averages 60# ask for 1/2 again as much. Where else can you go and average that? Basically, you can go to Zim and roll the dice or you can pay a lot more for a better average.

Keep in mind, the above is written by someone who may never get to Bots but I do plan on hunting Zim again.

Well I saw this episode today and it was terrific. What are people going to say about him as he allows buff to charge clients?

I finally saw the show via DVR and would have nothing but good to say about Ivan Carter as presented there. Same for the clients Ivan was working with. That is definitely the best "Tracks Across Africa" episode that I have yet seen. They need to do more features of PH's like that.

I also saw the most amazing "Gander Mountain/Ruger Moment" tip presentation with Craig Boddington narrating. A client shooting what looked like one of the First Generation RSM's, maybe in .416 or .458, I certainly hope not a .375.

The shooter was using sticks, with his offhand resting on the sticks, not gripping the forearm.
Recoil drove the scope into his forehead and then his head recoiled out of the screen as he let the rifle tilt to the left and turn upside down. This was not recoil-torque. The modest torque would have been in the other direction, and would have been spent on his forehead if there was any. The spin to the left was just him dropping the the rifle after it hit him. Very poor technique. Was he drunk?

The shooter's face was blurred-out to protect the guilty as done with any lewd footage. Like he had a blob of vaseline for a head.

I have replayed that in slowmo pausing and photographing the screen to study this. I would not post the photos, even if I had permission, it is just too obscene. Ivan has a scope-scarred forehead too, eh? I noticed that his and his clients' express sighted doubles work fine on charging elephant and buffalo at 3 or 4 yards.

RIP,

The scene you describe about the client's rifle recoiling into his face like that, due to holding the sticks, not the rifle, tells me the PH was at fault. One, many hunters have not used shooting sticks and need to be shown, then practice, the technique. And, two, the PH should have spotted this wrong hold before he told the client to shoot.

Just my own experience, and of course I was not there!

Richard.
Author of: The Hunting Imperative; African Epic; Ndlovu-The Art of Hunting the African Elephant. (Rowland Ward Publications and Safari press)

I saw the episode with Ivan Carter as well.

He is very well spoken and is certainly an able advocate for African hunting, and elephant hunting in particular.

I have Calitz's most recent price list and $54,000 is the base price with a sliding scale depending on the weight of the ivory as added on.

Jeff

Richard Harland,
Have you gotten a feature show in the can for them yet? I did get you to autograph my copy of Ndlovu at DSC '06. It is fantastic, and an ambitious tome that is a sumptuous and slick book for sure, with a lot of pictures, and a wealth of information and inspiration. I did not notice any scars on your forehead.

Craig Boddington commented on PH Ivan Carter in an article in the latest Peterson's Hunting Magazine that arrived today as saying that he's a living legend [like Richard Harland] on hunting elephant. He said that Ivan likes to get no more than 10 yards and even closer on all of the elephant that he hunts with clients.

That sounds like Buzz too. He's not normal!

Is Ivan a freelance PH or does he work mainly with one or two companies?

quote:

Originally posted by bulldog563:
Is Ivan a freelance PH or does he work mainly with one or two companies?

Did you try his website?

http://www.ivancarter.com/

I just watched this episode off the DVR and it has to be one of the best of the series. Unfortunately it has made me quite homesick for Africa, which of course is not even my home.

Can anyone get me a copy of the show? I spent an hour on the phone tonight with Ivan and wondered where the time went. Another great Zim PH...some who are in the know say Ivan is one of the best.

show might just still be on their website

I didn't see it there. There are a couple of video clips of Brittany shooting a buff but I didn't see anything about Ivan.