Great report! Well written and I really enjoyed your pictures.

Great work Bill. I was wondering if you would hunt in April again?

That is a great album, and thanks for showing it to us.

Were there many insects, and did you need insect repellent?

Great album Bill and thanks for sharing your hunt with us. Looks like your going to have to shoot a real big buff in Zambia to beat your elephant hunt experience. For as big as you look in your photo's, I wouldn't think you would have any trouble shooting a 458 Lott. That 416 Rem looks small in your hands. Donato

Very nicely done. Thanks for sharing it with us. Buzz has an excellent reputation.

Bill,

Nice pics. Glad you had a good hunt. Hunting ele can be rather "intense" at times, especially when you get into a group with females and youngsters. Hunters that have not been in this position have missed a unique experience.

Jim

Thanks guys!
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<br />Curt - The tuskless ele are not considered problem control animals, however, like the PAC ele the hides and such are not exportable. But I walked away with some nice pict's, a video, some ele hair bracelets, and a great memory. They are not "expensive" when compared to an ele bull hunt, perhaps ~$9500 for 10-days and 2-ele. Cow hunts (with or without tusks) are also available. Buzz has some packages on his website as do others who hunt the Valley. (Buzz Charlton Safaris)
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<br />Nick - Yes, I would, and plan to <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
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<br />500grns - We got nailed on the way in by the tsetse's (through Mana Pools), as I think the rain a few days earlier got everything moving again. But honestly in the hunting area we had no problems w/them or the other flying insects or ticks. I did not use any bug spray, partly because I am skeptical that the ele would not have picked this up quicker then normal human scent. But I'd go prepared with the DEET and the Avon product (Skin So Soft?) as suggested by others just in case.

BillC,
Congratulations again on a great hunt and adventure. Excellent pics and narrative. Look forward to meeting up with Buzz on July 21st for my own elephant hunt. Buzz tells me a PH buddy killed a 70lb bull earlier this month in the Dande and says two bulls in Moz over 100 have been killed this year! I don't know if I could shoot the "holy grail" of African trophies and not bring them back with me. Moz is not a CITIES approved country right now but if it ever gets clearance there should be some excellent bulls available there.

Bill super job...and good shooting....Mike

Bill,

Thanks for posting the photos. They really got me pumped up for my hunt this August.

I will be hunting with Ian Gibson out of the same camp for buffalo & plainsgame. This will be my 2nd hunting trip with Big5 and the 2nd time with Ian as my PH (I am a slow learner). Your pictures bring back memories of my first hunt. I can't wait to get back.

My first hunt was in late October 2001 and not only was it extremely HOT, but the Tetse flies were out in force. The DEET I brought only seemed to serve as an appetizer for the Tetse flies and was not much of a deterrent at all. My wife had brought a bottle of Avon Skin-so-Soft sunscreen lotion with insect repellant. I ended up using it one day while hunting. Ian and I were in the cab of the Landcruiser with about 100 Tetse flies. They were biting the sh_t out of Ian but would barely land on me. I didn't get bit once. After that, Ian now picks up a couple of Skin-so-Softs tubes every year when he visits the States.

My friend Kyler "elephant killer" Hamann also tried Avon Skin-so-Soft on his first Zimbabwe hunt. However, he did not find it to be effective. Maybe it only works on the Chewore Tetse fly.

Anyway, thanks again for posting the pictures.

Tim

Thanks Bill, all of a sudden a lot of things became possible...wonder what the wife is gonna say...

Excellent album!

Great pictures and a truly beautiful camp! Were all the tuskless cows of similar (small) size, or are all the fully grown ones culled already? Did you have difficulty finding tuskless animals?

Thanks, Bill. Great stuff.

Bill, I wonder if you would mind a few more questions:

1. Did you see much plains game while hunting ellie, or was the jess too thick for that?

2. How close could you get to the tuskless without spooking off the ellies?

3. What rifle/caliber/bullet combo did you use for the hunt, and how do you evaluate its performance?

4. If hunting cow elephant again, would you prefer a double rifle or a bolt gun (assuming cost is not an issue)?

5. What distance were your shots?

6. What kind of penatration did you get?

Thanks!

Bog - They vary in size and age, and all the mature cows (tusked or not) were about the same relative body size. There were a few that were clearly genetically superior, but these were smaller then even the younger bulls (~15-20 yrs) still hanging with the herd. When on the ground, an elephants "size" can also change with attitude. That is, an aggressive cow doing the head-shake-trumpet-side-shuffle-thing, or one with head held high and truck lifted in the air pointing in your direction, seem considerably "larger" then they physically are... I personally did not see enough in the open to prove/disprove that the tuskless are smaller overall due to their diet. Somebody like Ganyana would have infinitely more knowledge on questions like this then I. The 1st one was maybe 20, whereas the 2nd tuskless was an old cow. Both were "fully grown", at which point size depends on genetics and diet. Neither had young, which is the most important factor when deciding which one to shoot. Of course, you still have to get close enough for a good shot, which is no sure thing. Later in the year, one can be more selective I would think. On the first day, we did see one very large tuskless cow crossing a road parallel to us as we tracked the herd in some real thick stuff, but after considerable effort and wonderful close encounters with other ele, we never actually saw her again. I became superstitious that the tuskless ele are somehow kept at the front of the herd as if by intention. <br /><br /><br />
<br /><br /><br />500grns - Some of this in the album and previous posting:<br />1) Plainsgame - Not much except along the river in April. Chewore like other Zambezi concessions are not "plainsgame" areas, and anything taken is ancillary while on a DG hunt. Later in the year would offer the best opportunity, when the bush is thin and game is concentrated around the river or springs.<br /><br />2) Proximity - If they did not smell you, and/or you did not make quick movements and were quite - amazingly close if so chosen (10-feet). Sometimes you walk in to them, other times they are just there, and sometimes they come/feed in your direction and you quietly relocate. Sometimes they catch you in the open you'd swear that they have to see you, but if they don't get your wind and you don't twitch, they seem to look right past you. Sometimes they know you are there for no apparent reason. Again, it's the time of the year, and hunting cows/tuskless in the early season jess is certainly not everybody's cup of tea.<br /><br />3 & 6) Rifle/Bullet: .416 hand loaded w/81grns RL-15 and Barnes solids; excellent performance & good penetration with two recovered with no deformations. In hindsight, I wished we would have spent more time on this. We saved the skull from the 1st ele with the intention of looking at it while in camp, but we went out hunting instead...<br /><br />4) Double vs Bolt Action - Not qualified to answer (unfortunately!). I'll be comfortable using a bolt next time. It's still the trade-off between 2 quick shots and 4+ pretty quick shots. There were times where it was comforting to know that I had multiple shells readily available. Had there been a full charge and I blew the 1st shot and Buzz was out of position, then I'd of wished for the double. In my mind, there's no "wrong" decision between a bolt and double, but one may wish they had the other given a particular situation. Use what you are most comfortable with, and have the most confidence in.<br /><br />5) I walked them at about 12 & 15-yards, although by the time I left camp the story being spread was down to 5-meters <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />