I awoke to the sound and cool air of the ceiling fan coming on as the generator began to thump somewhere out in the darkness behind Matetsi #1 camp. It was 5:00 a.m. and my first day of elephant hunting.



Joseph (or at least I think that was his name?) was already at the door with a cup of coffee and a smile that lit up the still darkened room. I took a couple of sips and went to shower away the lingering, damp sweat I'd lain in during the sweltering night.



As I stood under the refreshingly cool water I comtemplated why I was in Africa for the second time in 2004. This year had been a really tough one for me. Loss of a dearly loved parent, a divorce, severe illness... yet, God is Good and a couple of folks on AR had suggested that I just plain get the hell out of Dodge and go on Safari. Thanksgiving would be the first "family" holiday without "family" so to speak, and why not eat chicken in Africa instead of turkey alone at home?



With the advice of .450 #2, Kathi, Ann and DavidW, I contacted HHK and asked if they had any end of the year specials. Graham thought about it for all of a minute or two and made me an offer on a elephant that I couldn't refuse. Kathi got me great airline connections and seats, and on November 21st I left my local airport and began the grind to Vic Falls.



I'd been to seven previous safari camps and had found the HHK set up to be just fine. Clean, in a beautiful location, fine food and "can do" staff. One other client (and an observer) were in camp hunting lion, and it was exciting to join in his anticipation! Now, in just a few minutes, I'd be bumping along with Brent Hein in his Land Crusier looking for a legal bull, myself!



I'd made up my mind that I wasn't ivory hunting. This would be my first elephant and tusks just didn't seem important. What I really wanted to do was get "up close and personal" and thump a great big ol' bugger with my new Searcy .470. Although I only had received the rifle a week before the hunt, I'd already put 100 rounds through the gun and felt ready. Last night at supper, Brent and I had discussed at length the anatomy of bulls, looked at several skulls (one sliced in half), talked about my non-concern about weight of tusks, etc. Now, in just a few moments we'd see if the PH/Client jelling would be good, and I so expected it would be.



After a breakfast that I could hardly eat, my gut tight with all kinds of emotions, we headed out. Some of you know Friday, the head tracker and William, his assistant. They climed aboard with the skinner (whose name I could never remember... it starts with an R??) and in the pinks and purples of dawn, we started the familiar second-gear treck along the rutted trails looking for either fresh track, or hopefully an actual sighting of Nzou (Is that how you spell it?).



What a wonderful treat I got! I was so obsessed with the idea of taking an elephant, I totally forgot that Matetsi is one of the very best places in the world for plains game. Immediately we began to see sable, waterbuck, impala... you name it, we saw it. Brent, the great PH that he is, immedately understood my joy and wonder at the animals, and joined in it, stopping to let me view some really exception animals.



Then the second surprise. Brent stopped the vehicle and got out and grabbed the shooting sticks. "Do you see an elephant?", I innocently asked. "Don't you want some bait for a leopard?", Brent responded. Dumbfounded, I just looked at him. "Graham said you could take a leopard, too. Let's get some bait." It didn't take me long to figure that a "free" leopard hunt was just fine with me! (Well, kind of... just the trophy fee and no extra daily rate!)



After a 100 yard sneak through the jess, a doe was downed with my .416 HESAM. I'd loaded it with Hornady 400 grain solids at 2300 fps and it did short work of the little lady, the bullet entering the right hip and zinging on out towards Zambia through the left shoulder. Wow! Putting up leopard baits... nice smells, huh?



We saw plenty of new tracks that morning as it had sprinkled a bit during the night and finding them was easy, but no bulls among the bunches. I also had a tuskless cow license, but we decided not to mix it up with the ladies for a while and focus on a bull, so no "get out and walks", that morning... but oh, oh, the game! After about the 10th 50" kudu, I asked Brent if Matetsi had any still available. Brent called the other PH hunting Matetsi (for lion) and made sure that he hadn't taken one for bait, and with a smile, announced that we had one!



Sure enough, even before we rocked and rolled back to the camp, we spotted a dozen or so cow kudu on a hill to the left. Stopping the vehicle, we got out and climbed upwards to glass, hoping to discover a bull in the bunch. Try as we might, none was seen. Both of us wondered out loud how such a nice group of girls was missing a dominant male. As we descended back down the hill, we figured it out. Cllmbing up toward us was a 52" fellow, nose to the ground, looking for his harem. A rest on a crooked tree and a 400 grain solid through both shoulders anchored him just as he crossed in front of the Land Cruiser. Now that was a considerate kudu... Giving up the ghost right by the road! (I'll post a picture when I get to the office). The guy was all beat up with fresh scars, so I reckon he had just run off an interloper and that's why he was separated from his sweeties?? There just ain't no free sex, is there?



Lunch was as expected. Good! Since it was well over 100 degrees, no one wanted much to eat. Anticipating the same, the cook prepared a great Greek salad with some cold cuts. I think we emptied the lemonade pitcher five times. I took a 30 minute nap and a shower and off we went at 2:30. Brent had measured the temperature in the dining area... 93 degrees.. then he put the thermometer in the sun and blew up the glass! Hot, hot, hot!



About ten kilometers from the camp on the ride outbound, the conversation-ending "tap, tap, tap" sounded on the roof of the cab. Friday had spotted an elephant down in a creek bed about a zillion miles away, it seemed. Glassing the bull for the short seconds we had before he climbed up a steep bank into the bush, Brent said he was a "maybe". "I came to hunt elephants", I said, and off we went in the hot, hot African sun. The vertical drop was about 250 feet and wasn't so bad, but when we started up to find our bull, I learned a quick lesson in getting my fat, old tired-ass worn out. Still, I knew that there was an elephant somewhere in front of me and panting like a dog under the porch in August, kept on going.



We came out of the jess and climbed up onto a grassy hill that looked more like Kansas than Africa. A couple of dongas cut the hill in thirds. Suddenly, an elephant arose out of one about 100 yards away, looking right at us. Brent put his binoculars up and began to mumble something unintelligable. The elephant began a rapid decent down the hill, right toward us, ears out, trunk waiving wildly and trumpheting with evil intent. Son-of-a-biscuit-eater... What a thrill.



I'd decided that my first elephant was going to be a shoulder shot... but this elephant didn't know that. He was coming head on, and at the rate of closure, it'd be only a few seconds before Brent and I had to decide to fight or flee. Friday handed Brent his Merkel .470 and I raised my Searcy. Those of you who have been there know what I mean when I say, " The weight felt good."



Brent wanted to shoot a 30 # elephant because the Game folks had gotten really sticky about minimums lately. He said that Zim jails are not particularly comfortable (no daily laundry, I guess?). "Don't shoot!" he said. "Let's get the hell out of here!" That sounded like a fine idea and we gave the high ground to the oncoming bull. At 20 yards, he pulled up, hollerd "Chicken" in elephant-speak and lumbered on his way to Hwange or wherever.



What a thrill for the first day. An "almost" elephant... a "semi-charge".. a 52" kudu.. and when we got back to camp, we found that the other fellows had tracked a lion to a buffalo kill and had gotten run off from it by four male lions... but more about that in the next installment.



Africa... Right before I went to sleep that evening, I realized that I hadn't thought about the crap at home once. Not even once! I said my prayers in thanks and continued the healing in the Matetsi.

Judge G,

Great writings. I can't wait for the second and following installments.

Lift a cold Castle to the western sky and say a short prayer for all us poor bums left here to dream of African sunsets...at least until September.

Bull1

JudgeG

Thank you for sharing such previlidged experiences with us.
I agree with you when you say you are in another world in the African bush, one tends to forget about real life for a couple of days.In fact I maintain that the bush is my doctor,just a pity we can only visit for a few days per year.

Kudu

Top notch...can't wait for part 2.

WTG Ernest!
Look forward to seeing you in Dallas!

Judge- You really should not be wasting your time with anything but writing!And more hunting.

Judge,



You truly have a talent with the written word, I am saving my pennies for a signed first edition of "African Elixer" by JudgeG.



Just noticed thats my 1000th post, glad it was a compliment to you.

JudgeG,

Very nice indeed!

We all look forward to your future installments and are to a man, envious of you being there and we are not.

All the best and stay safe.

Cheers,

Sam

Recanteur for Sure.
Written as clearly as listening to you on the eve of a hurricane. Very nice- can't wait.
Frand

As others have already said, great writing Judge and thanks for "taking me on safari with you!"

I am sorry about all you have had to go through this year but as you said (sort of) you have definitely been blessed! Sure hope I am lucky enough to see it myself some day.

Can't wait for the upcoming installments and pictures!

Great yarn, Ernest. Can't wait to hear the rest.

The skinner's name is Regerai.

Keep 'em coming Judge.

John

Here's a picture of the kudu. Note the AR/Double Rifle Shooters Society hat!

Congrats!

As always, appreciate you sharing your adventure and experience....The "First Day" story is fantasic...The Kudu looks great...

Now that we all have a taste with the first part of the story...Please do continue...

Jim

Wonderful post! Thanks for sharing that with us. Like the others, I'm looking forward to more.

Sincerely,
-Bob F.

JudgeG:

I forgot to ask...What is a 416 HESAM? Is that what you took the Kudu with???

Judge
Only day one and I'm green with envy. Great yarn, keep it comming.
TerryR

jjs:



A .416 HESAM was the brainchild of Jim Busha. He sold completed rifles in "short magnum" calibers long before Remington and Winchester started. The .416 is so close to what a WSM case, necked up to .416 would be that there's only a couple of ten-thousands of an inch difference here and there. Of course, when Winchester came out with their line, Busha's guns from 7mm to .458 went belly up. My rifle is based on a Model 77 short action with a Montana Rifleman barrel. It has a synthetic stock and was designed to be a "beater" and I have beat it up pretty well! It does remain amazingly accurate, though. I took it as a back up because it was a mighty short notice trip and it was the only "elephant-capable" rifle that I had ammo loaded for, besides the Searcy, of course....



Are you coming to Tanzania with us? Get off you butt and decide.

Man, it sounds like great fun.