I am looking at an elephant hunt at night under the full moon in Zim.

Any one have experience with this? How dark/light is it?

I am looking to do this without a scope, though will have an EoTech sight on the rifle.

Thanks in advance.

Reconsider.

Hi Tanks

Have you hunted Elephants before the Traditional way??

JK

I have done it. It is not easy and dangerous as hell. My hunt was not shooting them in a field as some do. It in involved spotting stAlking and judging, all in the dark.

Many who have done this particular hunt were too afraid to continue . It was seriously risky with extreme danger. There was a number of times that we suddenly had an elephant less than 10 yards from us with no warning whatsoever.

I shot a 56 pounder if I recall correctly.

Did I enjoy it? Yes. Would I do it again? No. I prefer traditional elephant hunts.

quote:

Originally posted by tanks:
I am looking at an elephant hunt at night under the full moon in Zim.

Any one have experience with this? How dark/light is it?

I am looking to do this without a scope, though will have an EoTech sight on the rifle.

Thanks in advance.

you might like to check the legalities and land designation on that before you book just to make sure you're keeping it legal in Zim and also if you're an American, in the USA as well.

I guess at least one AR member has done this hunt.

http://forums.accuratereloadin...691040441#1691040441

Decisions, decisions.

Don't do it.

I've already replied to your PM, but didn't know this was on the table. If you want some decent recommendations on an Ele hunt, PM me again and I'll try to help.

BTW, the dark of night in Africa is NOT a good time to be on the ground in the bush. Been there with a pride of Lion and didn't like it even a little bit. In the aftermath I feel lucky we got out alive. I'll never do it again.

I have done both day and night time .
No comparison, the day time is they way to go.

Would not do the night time hunting again.

Sounds like fun. Just hope the elephant want to play that night and it is not a cloudy.

I have hunted elephant at night on communal lands were it's legal.
I very much enjoyed it. Quite a thrill to be close to a herd of cows at night.
We never found a decent bull at night and in the end i shot one at daylight.
I would do it again in a heartbeat.

I too have made this type of hunt. In a campfire area, the ele was not exportable, but carried about 40#.
I loved it. They mainly were in the cornfields before moonrise. It is very dark, just starlight, but you can pick them out against the sky since they are above you. A light was used for shooting. I used a 1-4X scope.
I wish night hunting was legal here at home. With some moon and snow on the ground there would be plenty of light.

NonSense boys, this is mighty good fun, so much so that I think it just might be much more fun than shooting elephant in the daylight. It's exhilarating, action-packed, fast and furious when the shooting starts, and you best be on top of it once the dance starts.......

We did this back in 2007, and it is a different experience being 10-15 yards from elephant, and you can't see your hand in front of your face, but you can hear the big boys right on top of you! Once that light comes on, you have about 2 seconds to find your elephant, and then decide the shot you must take to solve the problem, and get busy with it........ Now that is fun shooting! The first one only presented a frontal brain shot, no other choice at 31 yards. First shot put him on his rear and done, but there were TWO of them! We held tight until the second one departed, and did not offer a shot..... or we would have piled the two of them up together......

The next one, a few nights later only offered a shoulder/heart shot, which very nearly took him down on the spot, but he gathered up his strength and turned his back to me, I hit him again from the rear, and then a 3rd round following closely behind the 2cd. He made it 30 yards and was down for the count, the first round crossing his heart broadside, the second bullet traveled 7 feet of elephant from the rear, and entered the rear of the heart and exited the front of his chest. The 3rd round made it up into the lungs, but was not found....... Of course I was shooting the 50 B&M at the time, and it was the first outing for the rifle/cartridge........ At that time shooting an experimental bullet that JD and I had been working on, this before the mighty #13 Solids........ 7-8 feet of elephant did the trick however........

Damn good fun, I recommend it to everyone....... I think it is far more invigorating than just shooting elephant in the daylight......... I have done both more than once.........

Michael

It's just not cricket as they say.

quote:

Originally posted by MJines:
It's just not cricket as they say.

I very rarely listen to "THEY"..........

I have done it both ways many times. I will never hunt one at night again because we lost one due to poor shot placement.

No matter how full the moon is if you cannot see the kill zone properly you stand a chance of losing the animal. Bending down you get to see the outline of the elephant against the sky depending on how close you are and how tall the trees in the background are. If you are on the shadow side, how will you tell if the other tusk is chipped or broken? Then again, if it is a non-export hunt, tusk size will not matter.

Assuming this is a non-export hunt in Zimbabwe you are talking about please read my last paragraph carefully.

Steve has some valuable advice: make sure where this hunt is taking place and if indeed it will be legal to hunt there if you are a US citizen.

Yikes - you clearly said it is in Zim. My apologies.

Pieter...

Just turn the lights on is all.... HEH HEH............ Then you can see!
LOL.......

M

quote:

Originally posted by michael458:
Pieter...

Just turn the lights on is all.... HEH HEH............ Then you can see!
LOL.......

M

If you turn the lights on, what's the use of hunting in the moonlight?

Thanks to all that have expressed their views on this here and via PMs.

After talking to people that have done this hunt and with the outfitter in particular I have decided to do this.

Just got off the phone with Dudley Rogers, and looks like he just got a 22K acre concession in addition to the tribal lands, so this will be a day and/or night hunt.

During 10 days I will be looking for an elephant bull, tuskless, buffalo and a couple of zebras. Time permitting, and if one is feeding, leopard is on the menu as well.

Seeing that I am there, might as well clear his quota.

There may be a full moon or a partial moon, but if there is cloud cover it will be dark. Not dark like in your neighborhood at night. Dark like in the African countryside. You can't see your hand in front of your face. You can't see your feet.

If you are after crop raiders then that is another problem. They have been shot at before and will be looking for you. Stop and consider why they only come into the corn fields at night. It is because they know it is dangerous to be there and they will be on alert for people with flashlights and guns.

Another consideration. You might be the only one with a flashlight. And when you turn it on you have about a quarter of a nanosecond to pick out a bull, aim, and fire. Then all hell breaks loose. You pray that where you are running is not where the elephants want to run to escape.

Great fun indeed!

Everybody who is still alive meets back at the muster point and shares that funny adrenalin grin that boys make after surviving a dangerous stunt. Then someone opens the bottle of Harrier and passes it around.

You should try it. Makes great stories at the deer camp if you survive.

I would recommend the heart/lung shot. Your chances of connecting on a brain shot in this situation are very close to zero.

quote:

Originally posted by Muletrain:
...You might be the only one with a flashlight. And when you turn it on you have about a quarter of a nanosecond to pick out a bull, aim, and fire. Then all hell breaks loose. You pray that where you are running is not where the elephants want to run to escape.

Great fun indeed!

Everybody who is still alive meets back at the muster point and shares that funny adrenalin grin that boys make after surviving a dangerous stunt. Then someone opens the bottle of Harrier and passes it around.

You should try it. Makes great stories at the deer camp if you survive.

I would recommend the heart/lung shot. Your chances of connecting on a brain shot in this situation are very close to zero.

Really? Is this how you did this hunt? Took one rushed shot and ran like hell?

The experience of people that have done this hunt seems to be a bit different.

As far as the shot is concerned, I'll take whatever is appropriate for the situation. I know Michael (post above) in his hunt had enough time for a frontal brain shot.

I'll post a report in a couple of months when/if I get back.

quote:

Originally posted by tanks:

quote:

Originally posted by Muletrain:
...You might be the only one with a flashlight. And when you turn it on you have about a quarter of a nanosecond to pick out a bull, aim, and fire. Then all hell breaks loose. You pray that where you are running is not where the elephants want to run to escape.

Great fun indeed!

Everybody who is still alive meets back at the muster point and shares that funny adrenalin grin that boys make after surviving a dangerous stunt. Then someone opens the bottle of Harrier and passes it around.

You should try it. Makes great stories at the deer camp if you survive.

I would recommend the heart/lung shot. Your chances of connecting on a brain shot in this situation are very close to zero.

Really? Is this how you did this hunt? Took one rushed shot and ran like hell?

The experience of people that have done this hunt seems to be a bit different.

As far as the shot is concerned, I'll take whatever is appropriate for the situation. I know Michael (post above) in his hunt had enough time for a frontal brain shot.

I'll post a report in a couple of months when/if I get back.

Is that what I said? Or did I say "And when you turn it on you have about a quarter of a nanosecond to pick out a bull, aim, and fire. Then all hell breaks loose."

A fraction of a second after I switched the light on the elephants started moving in a hurry to get the hell out of the cornfield. In different directions. They did not stand there stupidly staring into the beam of light and allow me to leisurely pick a target and fire. And there was no time for a second shot.

The really scary part is that you can only see what the narrow beam of light is illuminating. You can't see the whole picture. You don't know exactly how many animals are in the field and you don't know exactly where they are. It is the one you don't see coming that gets you.

Seriously. What you imagine spotlighting elephants is going to be like is nothing like what spotlighting elephants is actually going to be like.

I am not suggesting that you don't do this hunt.

If you are the type of man who enjoys chasing redheads, which I do, and who might like riding really fast sport bikes on the freeway, which I do, then you will probably enjoy spotlighting elephants.