Every time i go hunting i always ask my PH or farm owner for any funny tales he might have experenced with a client. In Novevember i was in Zim hunting elephant with Safari Bound and one afternoon after some lunch i asked my PH the same question.Before he had a chance to answer our traker Norman who hadnt said much the whole trip pipped up and said i will tell you a story.Norman was a very good tracker who had been hunting the area for many years.His english was quiet good but he kept pretty much to himself.He started by saying that about 3 or 4 years he was hunting elephant on the Limpopo river bordering the Kruger Park on the Zim side.He was hunting with a PH named Karl who was tragically killed by a elephant 2 years ago.They were on a good track but the bush got so thick that they couldnt move through it so Karl sent Norman in while he waited with the client to see if he could locate the bull.Norman said after about 100 meters of tracking he saw these two massive tusks sticking through the bush.He couldnt see the elephant just the ivory.For anyone who has hunted the limpopo you will know how thick the bush is on the river especially in march.He went back to fetch Karl and the client.They leopard crawled into a position were they could see the elephant about 10 meters in front of them.The PH Karl could see that the elephant was in bad condition.Its one eye was missing and there was a big gash covered with maggets were it used to be.As Norman said the elephant was very very sick and looked like it was going to fall over by itself.The PH got the client into position still lying on the ground.He told the client to look up and to see if he could see were to shoot the elephant.The client looked up took one look at the ele and fainted.They lay there till he woke up.Mouthing the words to him are you ok.The client nodded his head.Karl again told him to look at the elephant.At first glance the client passed out again.They waited again for him to wake up.This time the PH put his hat in front of the client.When he woke up the ph slowly lifted his hat blocking the view of the whole ele asking him the whole time can you see the vitals.Eventually the client said he could see them the PH gave the shoot instruction.The client shot and at the same time passed out again.The ele ran ten meters and stoped Karl quickly finished him off.The client shot was way off.On closer inspection of the ele they could see that the infection was very bad and the rott had set in deep.from what we were told by Norman the ele was about to dye anyways.When the client woke up there was his great big ele.83 and 80 pounds was the weight of the tusks.We all had a good laugh for about a hour.

That's a classic. I never knew Walter was an elephant hunter.

I think one of the funniest ones I've ever heard was told to me by old time EA PH and latterly editor of the RW book of records, (the late) Stevie Smith, commonly known as Uncle Stevie. The story is also told in his book 'The Hunter and the Go Away Bird.

I can't remember the nicities of the story and perhaps if someone has a copy, they might be kind enough to fill in the blanks, but basically, it tells how he took a non-English speaking French chef (who was working locally) out on his first hunt, and Stevie made it an Elephant hunt.

They got into a group of Elephants and the chef got so excited he had to drop his trousers to go to the toilet....... He leant the rifle against a tree trunk and started to perform and an Elephant trunk dropped down beside him.

Turned out he was actually underneath an Elephant and the tree he'd leant the rifle against was an Elephants leg. When you rad the story, it'll have you in tears of laughter.

Whether there was a bit of artistic licence in the story, I don't knowm but I'm sure that those who knew Uncle Stevie would agree with me that artistic licence just wasn't his style.

I used to have a signed first edition of the book and its the only first edition I've ever lent to anyone, and it'll be the last, because I never got it back.

For those that haven't read it, the book isn't the usual chest beating waffle at all, instead it tells the humerous side of hunting and particularly the humerous side of his career in Africa.

For those that are interested, you'll find the book about a third of the way down this page:

http://www.shakariconnection.c...frica-authors-s.html

Steve - Great story and a wonderful book as well. I bought my copy (2nd edition by Rowland Ward) from Safari Press a couple months back on sale. Not sure if they have any left.

Matt,

Glad you enjoyed it as much as I did. Uncle Stevie was the perfect gentleman and great company and although I didn't know him particularly well, I'll never forget him.

We have both new and used copies on the bookshelf link I posted.

Bothe stories are priceless...

Mike

quote:

He was hunting with a PH named Karl who was tragically killed by a elephant 2 years ago.

That would be Carl Bradfield, who was a fine man and great elephant hunter.

quote:

Originally posted by David Hulme:

quote:

He was hunting with a PH named Karl who was tragically killed by a elephant 2 years ago.

That would be Carl Bradfield, who was a fine man and great elephant hunter.

I'm sure he was.

I didn't have the pleasure.

Do you think he was the kind of guy who'd have taken offense it I were to somehow try to tie this "best hunting story ever" thread in with the one on Capstick?

He would not have taken offense at all. As well as being a great elephant hunter, Carl was full of humor and always ready for a prank.

Dave