Well, the good news is that the wife blessed the ele hunt!!! - did i marry a good woman or what?

The bad news is that it comes at the expense of this year's buff (no buff left on quota in the area where the ele hunt will be conducted.)

Oh well, there's always next year for buff!

new_guy;

Where and when are you hunting? Who is your PH and outfitter. Congratulations!!!! Can't wait to hear more.

Regards, D. Nelson

Going hunting in areas where great game animals dwell without a ticket to punch is like a child going into Toys R' Us with only enough money to buy one present. It just builds anticipation.

Last November I hunted in a concession where only bull elephant, warthogs, leopard and kudu were left on license. Of course I saw 200 sable, 20 lioness, a black-maned King of the Jungle (asleep at 20 yards), a zillion waterbuck, an eland and a roan to die for, wild dogs, and three old daga boys with 40"+ horns.

I got the elephant, never saw a leopard, took a 52 inch kudu, a bunch of impala, three warthogs and caught a 15# Tiger Fish.

Heck, just seeing the other "forbidden" stuff only whetted my desire to return... and btw, I'm hooked on elephant hunting, forever and forever. March 2006!!!!!!

Every day in Africa is a holiday and every meal is a feast... stealing a line and modifing it slightly from a D.I. who awoke me my first day in the Corps.

I'm going to Tanzania this summer without an elephant/lion/leopard/sable/waterbuck, etc. license... but a couple of buffalo will fix that.

As you say, not being able to hunt stuff is just an excuse to save money and plan the next trip!

While in Burkina Faso a while back, I toasted a buffalo about 10 times with a Frenchman who had killed a big, black bull. The PH asked the happy dude what time he wanted to go try for a lion. The response was that he was going to sleep in because he wanted to anticipate the lion for another year. "Comprendez-vous?" he asked looking at me.

"Oui", was my half-hearted response then (I was then an African novice)... but Hell yes! now that I've been teased by the allure.

Congrats on a wife that understands.

new guy,

Congrats on the ele hunt!

What equipment will you use?

Sorry for the delay.

I'll be hunting in zim with Shangaan Hunters

http://www.shangaanhunters.com

i'll be toting my 375 Chapuis and probably shooting woodleigh solids. I'm trying another "regulation attempt" with the NFs tomorrow and if i can get the NF solids to shoot as well as teh Woodleighs, i'll probably take those.

500grains- fortunately the wife came through and we didn't have to distribute her cell phone number to convince her!