Just wondering what the thoughts are for hunting elephant for a first timer to africa. I know after a first trip I will be back, but I would perfer to return for more hunts for the big five, plus some plains game. I dont know how many trips there will be to africa in my future, but I would like to make the most out of each one.
Please keep in mind that all I know about africa is from watching Africa with Craig Boddington and Tracks Across Africa on TV.
Just wondering,
THanks,
W.

There is absolutely no reason why one should not hunt elephant on his first trip.

I both elephant and buffalo on my first safari.
And would have shot both lion and leoprad if we had found them.

If that's what you want to do, I say get after it! It's your hunt and your money!


Mad Dog

Woodsie,

I agree with Saeed. I don't understand the sentiment that you should start off with a plains game hunt. If you have the time and budget to hunt DG on your first safari go for it.

I also shot ele and buffalo on my first safari although the ele was not planned for. If you plan to eventually shoot the Big 4 there is no reason to not just wade right in.

Mark

Woodsie, no reason at all to wait beyond your first safari to hunt elephants. On my first safari, I shot an elephant, leopard and 2 buffalo. My only regret was not extending my hunt to 28 days, as we saw one hell of a nice lion the very first day. Had I done that prior to my hunt, I'd have taken the Big 4 on my first african safari.

There is no reason to forego elephant hunting on your first safari.

And I have no doubt he was all of 6 years old!

$$$$$$$$ is one reason......getting the "feel" of Africa before taking the best is another...
But for those that must have instant gratification....go for it rather than building anticipation

quote:

Originally posted by DLS:
And I have no doubt he was all of 6 years old!

Because?

If you have an idea you eventually want to do it, go for it now. It isn't getting any cheaper...why spend $20k on 2 plainsgame hunts to get warmed up? I wish I had gone DG from the beginning...

Ditto Tim,

I started in Namibia, but all Zim since then. Now, I find it hard to even consider a hunt that doesn't include DG. Also, I am getting older and won't be able to hunting DG forever. When that day comes, I will probably still hunt PG and maybe Leopard.

I have a good friend ( now an experienced international hunter), that the first animal he ever shot was an elephant.

The first animal I ever shot in Africa was an elephant. Day 2 of a 14 day hunt. Nothing wrong with ele on first hunt.

BigB

I wish I would have hunted elephant on my first trip, then I would not have spent so much time and money hunting other things before I discovered that hunting elephant is the pinnacle of African hunting.

I fully agree, now, that hunting Ele is the pinacle...penultimate
But on my first trip, Sable #1, then Kudu with absolutely no thought of a strped "horse" or s Giraffe. I killed both
After booking my second hunt whilst still on my one and only hunt, the endangered Ele had never entered my mind....then on 2nd hunt I saw some, walked up on some, discovered they were not endnagered and knew then I would do my best to kill one when health, time , money and circumstance so allowed----May, 2012, Jumbo goes down!

A personal decision. I wouldn't have been ready. I needed to go to school a bit before taking the graduate level course. I didn't know I needed to hunt ele until I progressed to that level. Now, it's an obsession.
It isn't a wrong thing to do, it would be OK. I just wouldn't have appreciated the enormity of it all without some prior experience and study. I don't know how well I would have handled myself, either.

Marty, that is by far the best post on this subject!

75 days to my first elephant safari. A 21 day affair with buffalo and leopard thrown in for good measure. Shot the rifle yesterday. Walked a few miles this PM.

It took 6 safaris for me to get to this point and it feels about right to me. When I think of the 22 year old boy who took that first plains game safari to RSA in 1997, I realize that he (me) was not ready to hunt elephants and certainly was not ready to kill an elephant. Now, more mature, with some real experiences under my belt, having hunted several countries and continents, with some dangerous game experience, and with an appreciation of the gravity of taking the life of an elephant, I HOPE that I am ready to take this big step.

That said, I still do not know how I will feel if I am privileged enough to kill a bull elephant. If/when I walk up to the great dead beast, I may feel elated in that I have just experienced the pinnacle of hunting after which all other game animals are mere "rats and mice". On the other hand, I may feel extremely sad over having taken the life of an animal older than I with a life expectancy equal to or greater than my own. Elation or sorrow? Perhaps some of both? Neither? Something altogether different? We'll see in July.

My personal introspective is to say that there is something really noble about an elephant. There's nothing wrong with shooting one on one's first safari, but it should (my opinion) be undertaken with an understanding of what one is doing. Really, it is more than "just killing an elephant". An elephant should not be checked off a shopping list of animals that the hunter must have in order for the safari to be a success. Hunters should set out to hunt elephant when they have graduated from the "killing / high success" stage of hunting and moved up to the true "hunting stage" where hunting success is no longer measured in terms of how many animals died. For some, this is true from the outset. For others, it takes some seasoning to get to this point. If / when you get to that point, you are ready to hunt elephant whether it is your first safari or your fiftieth.

Just my opinion as a first time wannabe elephant hunter.

Safari-Lawyer, that is one of best posts I have ever seen re Eles.....I suspect I will cry when I down my first.....what a magnificent beast!
My anticipation has lasted over 8 years....I really really want one!!!

After a half dozen trips I shot my first elephant. As you so well stated all those emotions were there. There was elation and sorrow, satisfaction and yet a feeling of a sort of emptiness. Maybe numbness would be a better word, I dont know. There was awe and admiration of the animal. I thanked Diana for granting me the opportunity and thanked the old bull for yielding up his life to me. This is a constant ritual for me regardless of the animal. All this and still more. Thoughts, emotions, feelings that I couldnt quite put a finger on. Like a fleeting shadow of something just out of sight. It was like the wind. I couldnt see it but I could feel its power. I really dont know how else to explain it.

quote:

Originally posted by fairgame:

quote:

Originally posted by DLS:
And I have no doubt he was all of 6 years old!

Because?

Adnrew, that was meant as humor, but since you asked... Well, he had one hell of a very full mane, and he just looked, well, OLD. Most of all, Roy Vincent told me he was a very good lion after it was all said and done. Coming from someone such as Roy, that said plenty, as far as I was concerned.

I'll be chasing ele on my first safari in July.

I agree with all of the above. There is absolutely no reason why you cannot go after an Ellie on your first hunt. I have had many many clients over the years shoot Elephant on their first hunts. Prepare well, choose your PH carefully and I have no doubt that you will have a great hunt .....and return many times more!!!!!

If you have the opportunity, do it. You never know how the political winds will change in the future that may prevent you from ever having that chance again.

If you have the time and money do it now. Who knows what the situation will be in the future? Just remember to say the "Lord please dont let me F this up" prayer as you get up close and personal. Everyone will be watching. At least one if not 2 phs or an appy, game scout, a couple trackers etc. Of course some fool, most likely at your request will have a video camera. Ask me how I know all this silly crap goes through ones head. LOL! In all seriousness remember it is just like any other animal only much bigger. Pick your shot exhale and squeeze. This being your first time over there is are a couple other things to think about. First, dont admire your handiwork. Immeadiately put more rounds down range dosnt matter if he is on his feet or not. Second, this hunt could run from one extreme to the other. You could get charged in thick stuff at close range and have a real adrenaline rush. Or it could go to the other extreme where the bull dosnt hardly know you are there until it is too late and you wonder what all the fuss was about. The odds are that it will be somwhere in between. Talk to your ph about how you want to take your shot and how close. Also when he feels he will need to start shooting to back you up. Discuss bullet placement as well. If the old boy runs should you shoot for the brain, heart/lung, or try and break him down with a couple in the hip? It depends. The more you talk about it ahead of time the more at ease you will be when the time comes. Lastly be prepared for a lot of walking! As much as we study the books you still have to do it to truly understand it. Good hunting.

I've never shot an elephant but a 'lil analogy might help.

To suggest not shooting elephant on your first safari would be akin to saying you should make love to plain girls to learn the ropes. You can still learn the ropes with the best looking gal in school. If you can make it happen always start with the good things in life.

the chef

quote:

Originally posted by woodsie:
Just wondering what the thoughts are for hunting elephant for a first timer to africa.

When I went on a hunt for the first time in Africa, in Kenya, one of the first animals I took was an elephant. The year was 1971.

However, I had already owned a .458 Winchester for almost 10 years at that point, and had owned the .505 wildcat which I actually took the elephant with for about four years, and had practiced with it extensively.

If you are to the point that you can hit a 9" paper plate every time you shoot at it, standing, unsupported, at 50 yards, using the rifle you plan to take an elephant with, then by all means, give it a try. You never know what might happen next.

The next year after my hunt in Kenya, elephant hunting was banned in that country, and only a few years later, hunting was banned completely. If I had not taken the opportunity to take two elephants and a rhino on that trip, the opportunity would have been gone forever.

I have to agree that there is nothing wrong with it provided that you know you can handle it. Being up close and personal to an elephant can be a scary experience. I hear a lot of stories of frightened clients.

Nothing wrong with hunting Elephant on your first trip I suppose,for me it might happen later on this year,I have three PG hunts under my belt,enjoyed every one of them,would I have considered DG on my first trip to Africa? No absolutely not!
Given my limited experience with guns and hunting in general,I would not have been ready,haste makes waste,each trip taught me something,the conditioning required,how familiar are you with with your gear,your guns e.t.c

On my first african safari, my first african animal taken in the first hour was an elephant and thats not BS. It wasnt planned thatway but it happened. That said I had done a lot of hunting before that. If you have not hunted much game I would advice starting on a plains game safari and building from there. Not that it cannot be done, but the journey and anticipation is half the fun...

Arjun Reddy
www.huntersnetworks.com

I'm getting the ele bug. After 6 trips it's on my short list. I look at it like going out with a good looking girl. Nothing wrong with poking her in the first 5 minutes of the first date, but sometimes when you wait and let it build up to a good climax you remember it better.