People , I have just gotten back to civilization ( if you ca call it that in dar es salaam !!!) and having read the threads here , I would like to give you the full unabridged version of the story ..

I was hunting with Johan Calitz safaris , we were hunting in one of his prime blocks and it was my third elephant hunt in a row there , we had just taken a beautiful bull , of 69 and a half pounds ( what one would give for half a pound at times ) we had also just shot a bull in the mid 60s so things were going very well for us …

The area then received three days of heavy rain , weird and totally unseasonal , and this was disastrous on the elephant hunting , the rain fell heavily to the north west and within a day there were no elephants …we wet from seeing 25 to 30 bulls a day to two or three …heartbreaking …at the start of the hunt we were turning down bulls in the low to mid 60s in the hopes of one over 70 and then by day five they had gone , and on some days all we saw was three or four bulls . young and with no ivory over 30#..

It was the second last day and we came across this bull , I recognized him instantly , I had seen him 11 yeasr prior , 400 km west , in Tamafupa , on the Zimbabwean border , I looked at my photos and sure enough , the same bul but far smaller tusk …then again last year craig and I came across him in a block way in the east , about 250 kilometres away , tribute to just how far these bulls travel , which was very interesting …anyway , back to the story ,

Having had such a dry spell , I think we only saw about 30 bulls In 8 days , and none even remotely what we were looking for … we decided that this bull , old , huge and in spite of his single tusk , was a keeper ..

One of the things that I like to do early on in the safari , as many of you have noticed , questioned and pointed out is simply get close to bulls , even if its not exactly what we are looking for , however if you look closely , all the bulls that we approach very close are always fairly good bulls and it comes with the understanding from both my hunter and me that if it goes wrong and we end up taking the bull , that’s his trophy , without that agreement its neither right or ethical to do such approaches ..

Spending lots of time close does two things for me , it allows people to truly feel what its like to be close to these awesome and huge beasts and then when it comes time to the shot they are not overwhelmed with the idea of being that close , moreso they are comfortable and can focus on the shot ,

The brain shot is the shot of choice for me , and even in cases where one is hoping for a sidebrain shot , this often is impossible as a bull sense that you are close , a careless footstep , a swirl in the wind , or even just a sixth sense , will often cause them to violently swing around and look down their trunk at us …

I was carrying my .450 3 and a ¼ Heym , its an incredibly good caliber , I have had the rifle for 12 seasons now and it has truly become an old friend, its is truly an example of great german workmanship and in spite of between 150 to 290 day seasons and a good amount of battle scars and scratches it is as accurate and reliable as the day I fired the first shot . it is true I also have a .577 Rigby , but on this safari I was using my Heym …

My hunter was also carrying a Heym , the Ph model also in the same caliber ..

We approached to about 15 yards when the bull flared and lifted his head , Steve got ready to shoot when he came a few steps closer , I told him to wait as I didn’t want him shooting while the bull was moving and I knew he would stop , sure enough he stopped at about 8 yards and Steve shot , unfortunately very low and while the bullet penetrated well beyond the skull it was far from close enough to even rock the bull , as he turned Steve attempted a sidebrain shot but was too far forwards , I put in two raking shots and took off ..I always like to keep a bull in sight after a shot and while this is possible , it usually means leaving the client and the rest of the hunting party way behind ..but greatly reduces the odds of a lost elephant.

I reloaded while on the run and managed to keep up with the bull , a third shot from me knocked him down however he got right up , in the midst of a thick patch of bush , ..and stood listening still very alert albeit heavily wounded.

Doug king my cameraman was right behind me and I waited about 15 yards away for steve to catch up and make the final shot , I hate to finish a clients animal and wherever possible would rather try and wait for him to catch up , an elephant is a high dollar animal to say the least so I do often put in an insurance shot but after all its not my hunt … let me say at this point doug is awesome under pressure , he and i have worked for 6 years together and he is quick and reliable ...thanks doug ...

I called out to steve to hurry and at that sound the bull swung around ,faced towards me .. I was on the edge of the thicket and immediately knew this was going to be interesting ..

I could only see his feet and the shadow of his bulk and he lowered his head and came at full charge , just before he burst through the brush I fired my first barrel where I thought it should go , the shot was very very close to the brain and his back feet stumbled just a bit , as his head burst out of the bush I cannot say I have ever been that focused , and my second barrel brained him , its not obvious in the video but I took 4 steps back and he fell at my feet .. I turned to look back and check on the rest of the party and then wiped the blood off my face .

A close call for sure , not one that I would choose to repeat but when it happens and one is carrying a reliable double I believe one has a better chance ..

If you do this enough , these things will happen and when they do one never can be sure of the outcome , one can only do ones best when there are split second decisions to be made and I am pleased this one turned out like it did , it’s a horrifying thought to think of what would or could have happened …

Thank the good lord he guided and helped me through that ..

The lessons learned from this experiences and similar are many …
First and foremost, never ever get blasé or familiar around animals that can and will kill you if you don’t take them seriously. Last year I took 27 elephant with clients, this year I will (hopefully) take 13… that’s a lot of time around elephants in all kinds of terrain and one must be prepared for the odds of an encounter to rise.

Secondly, take care of your equipment and choose the best you can afford , you never know when you are going to need it to its fullest capacity without a double gun my chances would have been far less.

Thirdly, never ever take your eye off the game , once the first shot is in , expect and be prepared for anything.

I will continue to hunt elephants close up , and I wont change any of the style of my hunting and its experiences like these that happen once in a while that are humbling and keep you focused and full of respect for the sport of hunting big game ..

Incidentally , the main tusk weighed in at 72 pounds.

here is a photo doug pulled off the footage and emailed me ...this was after the second shot ..notice the eye is already closed ...this elephant is dead in the picture..

quote:

Thank the good lord he guided and helped me through that ..

Yes Sir!

I just watched that episode. IT WAS FANTASTIC! I can't even begin to imagine the feeling. I could tell it was very emotional.

Thanks for the explanation. I would be honored to hunt with you. Your humility and patience are very refreshing and inspiring.

Ivan--Thanks for the story. There are lessons there that we all can use and profit from in ways other than hunting elephant. A very good read.

Sheeessh.

I liked the internet made-up story better.

"The 577 NE Rigby failing to stop the oncoming beast, ... "

The true story is a snoozer.

BTW, Ivan, you da man.

Great story! Thanks for the first hand, factual information.

Bill

Fantastic read - Glad it worked out for you, and everyone came thru safe. Man, that was close.

It was impressive. I am glad that you are safe.

Hi Ivan

Thank you for telling us the story behind the charge. It is pretty amazing, we on the board can watch the hunt from homes, then hear updates from you, fresh from the bush, from Dar Es Salaam.


You live a rich and interesting life!

Stay well my friend.

quote:

Originally posted by ivan carter:
... I turned to look back and check on the rest of the party and then wiped the blood off my face.

Now that is up close and personal. Ivan, in hindsight would you have preferred to been carrying your .577?

quote:

Originally posted by MJines:

quote:

Originally posted by ivan carter:
... I turned to look back and check on the rest of the party and then wiped the blood off my face.

Now that is up close and personal. Ivan, in hindsight would you have preferred to been carrying your .577?

I also wonder that..I have dont looked at the charge but as everyone keep saying it was close could the recoil from the 577 had caused a problem ?

Thanks Ivan for the straight story. That was one of the most intense moments that I have ever watched on a hunting video. Even sitting in my living room it's enough to make pee run down your leg. Your camera man has a real set of cajones. How do you say 'bang, you're dead,' in Nikon-ese? Congratulations on both an honorable ending and thanking the Lord Above for his grace.

Now, tell us about that double tap with Craig where his bush hat went one way he went the other. Ouch!

Saw the vid as well.. That was as close as one could get without getting onto ya!! Ivan.. calm and cool as always!

And poor ol' Craig!! Damn, that'll rattle your cage a bit!

quote:

Now that is up close and personal. Ivan, in hindsight would you have preferred to been carrying your .577?

mike , i am very very familiar with my .450 , and i truly believe its all about shot placement , even if the first shot had dropped the bul it was a fraction of a second before the second shot and so i am not sure that it would have made a difference , as anton points out the extra recoil could have made the second shot take longer !

mike , i am very very familiar with my .450 , and i truly believe its all about shot placement , even if the first shot had dropped the bul it was a fraction of a second before the second shot and so i am not sure that it would have made a difference , as anton points out the extra recoil could have made the second shot take longer !

quote:

Sheeessh.

I liked the internet made-up story better.

"The 577 NE Rigby failing to stop the oncoming beast, ... "

The true story is a snoozer.

sorry to spoil your fun bill , will make the next one better for you guess it was silly of me to let the truth spoil it ...

Ivan,
I have a lot of friends who are former (not ex!) Marines, and I have never known one of them who couldn't shoot. Something about those guys, from cooks to brigadier generals.

At anyrate, I guess I was wrong about that. It was Bill who lost his hat.
Semper fi.

Ivan, Well Done.

Very Glad you are OK.

Ivan,

Glad everything turned out O.K. That was VERY intense. You better never let your wife see that video!!!!!

Are you doing hunts now for Johan?

What unit were you in, NG32,NG34,NG41,NG42,or CT2?

Once again, glad everything went well. Looking forward to seeing you in Reno. Stay safe.

Well done Ivan. The look on your face when you turned back to the camera was priceless. Glad that you, the client, and the camerman are all alive and well.

quote:

Originally posted by ivan carter:
I turned to look back and check on the rest of the party and then wiped the blood off my face .

I would like to be half the brave man you are..

In a similar situation I would have wrote:

"I turned to look back and check on the rest of the party and then wiped my shit from my face..."

L

Ivan, you were cool as a cucumber, but your camera man, wow. He could have easily turn to flee. How far behind you was he?

Safari-lawyer and I think alike (must be the lawyer thing as well). The look on your face said it all.

Ivan, great story and talk about "cool under fire"! And a perfect example where a double is worth every cent! Great shooting! jorge

Ivan,

Bloody good show!!!

465H&H

If I ever,, ever,,, grow brass,, I hope you are there to cover my back side,,, or my 6 as we say,,, the look on your face said more than any of us can ever,,,, ever write,,,

Ivan,
I saw the show and now the written description really brings it all together. Thanks so much.
Next time though, maybe you could step sideways so he falls past you. Even more dramatic.

Just kidding - I know you will try to stay safe, but good luck anyhow.

quote:

Ivan, you were cool as a cucumber, but your camera man, wow. He could have easily turn to flee. How far behind you was he?

doug king was about ten yards and yes , he is very ballsy...great great guy...we owe a lot to our cameramen , truly pros in their fields and steady under intense pressure , having run hard for 3 or 400 yards he was rock steady !!

Ivan – I’ll follow you around with a camera any day! I’ll just be a little farther back...and I'll be in a Jeep...with a gun...

Keep up the good work. You guys have the best African shows on TV!

Ivan, thanks for the story. It is a high for the week to watch you and Craig on Tracks Across Africa and Boddington's Africa with Ivan Carter. I enjoy them so much as do my grandsons.I would like to know if the doubled 600 shot did any real damage to Craig, other than his pride? That show was awsome! Be safe, my brother!

Ivan,

Thanks for the story. You guys should do a end of the season episode where you PH's and Craig get together and tell these 'back' stories around a campfire. I think it would be interesting and add to the show.

FWIW,

-Steve

Ivan thank you for sharing the story with us. Your shooting was outstanding, I am thoroughly impressed.

Best regards
Aziz

quote:

Keep up the good work. You guys have the best African shows on TV!

thank you , actually i have the easy job , i just unt , its our camera team that does the magic and its the hundreds of hours in the dallas editing office that truly creates the show ... i am proud to be a part of such a great team ..

thanks again for watching ,

quote:

Originally posted by ivan carter:

quote:

Sheeessh.

I liked the internet made-up story better.

"The 577 NE Rigby failing to stop the oncoming beast, ... "

The true story is a snoozer.

sorry to spoil your fun bill , will make the next one better for you guess it was silly of me to let the truth spoil it ...

Ivan,

Don't trake Bill too seriously. He is not really a bad guy, but tends to get rather cantankerous as he works himself into a lather sitting at home while you are enjoying yourself in Africa - and getting paid for it too

Great footage, great story!

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

quote:

Originally posted by ivan carter:

quote:

Sheeessh.

I liked the internet made-up story better.

"The 577 NE Rigby failing to stop the oncoming beast, ... "

The true story is a snoozer.

sorry to spoil your fun bill , will make the next one better for you guess it was silly of me to let the truth spoil it ...

Ivan,

Don't trake Bill too seriously. He is not really a bad guy, but tends to get rather cantankerous as he works himself into a lather sitting at home while you are enjoying yourself in Africa - and getting paid for it too

I would assume Ivan knows I was just kidding. Sometimes I over do the subtle thing!

I am sure Ivan new you were taking the Mickey, but I could not resist reminding you to go and hunt more

quote:

One of the things that I like to do early on in the safari , as many of you have noticed , questioned and pointed out is simply get close to bulls , even if its not exactly what we are looking for ,

Ivan,

With all due respect, I want to ask one question.

First however, I want say good shooting. Your coolness and skill in stopping this charge was superb! A chink-of-the-beer-mug to you.

However, I have always subscribed to the theory of "getting close" to the quarry with out them ever knowing I was there, assessing them, and then exiting unoticed if judged undesirable. It seems that you do not care if they know you are there or not in this particular film. To me, as a good steward of wildlife, it is important to NOT harass them and to leave them as much as possible as if I had not entered there territory.

Do you subscribe to this same theory or think it to be unimportant to the future of our sport?

quote:

Do you subscribe to this same theory or think it to be unimportant to the future of our sport?

Hey, I wasn't there but if you were, please tell me. Your approach here seems to be of self-doubt, self-guilt, and apologetic which is how we got into this Obama crap!

If you have self-guilt about everything and want to be apologetic to the whole world for everything you and everyone else might do, please do so but don't ask others to do the same.

I'm crabby today.

quote:

Originally posted by Will:

quote:

Do you subscribe to this same theory or think it to be unimportant to the future of our sport?

Hey, I wasn't there but if you were, please tell me. Your approach here seems to be of self-doubt, self-guilt, and apologetic which is how we got into this Obama crap!

If you have self-guilt about everything and want to be apologetic to the whole world for everything you and everyone else might do, please do so but don't ask others to do the same.

I'm crabby today.

Just today?

465H&H