Is it better than any other hunting in Africa? I am asking those that have hunted elephant and have hunted other game; whether it be plains game or other DG. For the record, I have hunted plains game 3 times and buffalo once.

If Hell don't freeze over and the creek don't rise, I am planning to go in the near future, probably in the next few years. I am about 3/4 there in savings. I even have a double rifle.

I look at the amount of money I have to save and what I could hunt with what I already have right now. And I don't want a tuskless cow, I want a trophy bull.

So tell me what it was like. The tracking, sorting out a good bull, the stalk, closing in, the shot, what you felt after shooting such a magnificent animal. I want to hear about the apprehension, the nervousness, the fear, the awe, the elation, the smells, the sounds.

Or should I just go on another buffalo hunt?

two words.
HELL YES.
and I walk past the ivory at my home and office every day and just touch it.

Go man go!

We've probably read and watched the same things so from that, the answer is a clear "YES"

I'll let you know at the end of November - by then I'll be able to compare PG to Cape buffalo to leopard to elephant based on first-hand experience.

Hippo and lion will be next ...

i dunno but i prefer hunting cats, especially the spotted variety

quote:

Or should I just go on another buffalo hunt?

In a word, no. If you can afford it and obviously you are almost there, elephant hunting is the pinnacle of the hunting experience in Africa! At least it has been for me. I love hunting buffalo and because of their availability and cost I have taken quite a few... but elephant are special. Keep it a priority on your bucket list!

quote:

Originally posted by jeff h:
two words.
HELL YES.
and I walk past the ivory at my home and office every day and just touch it.

Go man go!

EXACTLY WHAT HE SAID.

Elephant hunting is like crack cocaine for hunters. Some are able to do it once and move on. Others, myself included, find it addicting and all consuming (elephant hunting that is). The experience of tracking an elephant for six hours, getting the wind right, stalking up to within 20 yards and taking a frontal brain shot is something to be experienced to be believed. Add early season green bush or jesse and the experience is all the more special. Just be careful, as I said, do it once and you are likely to be immediately planning to do it again. And don't sell the tuskless short. Hunting a tuskless cow combines all the foregoing plus you are likely to be hunting the tuskless in a group of cows. Shoot a bull in a small group of bulls and the others all run for the hills. Shoot a tuskless cow in a group of cows and all that does is make the others start trying to find the offending hunter. Don't get me wrong, hunting a bull is a special event, but hunting tuskless cows is not chopped liver.

without a doubt a big yes.

BigB

Wow...how to describe it. Stalking to within 15 or 20 yards of an animal that towers over you and whose weight is measured in tons. You watch the trunk rise straight in the air and then rotate like a periscope, trying to detect scent. The ears start to flair out in uneasiness. Then another unseen Elephant "makes" you, and lets out a blare that gives you goosebumps, and comes running head-down to deal with the intruders. With time in slow motion, you center your sights on an invisible spot halfway between the weeping gland on his cheekbone and his earhole. Your PH starts to shout and wave to deter the charging cow coming quickly. You pull the trigger and are jolted back by the recoil. As you regain your attention on the animal, his trunk stretches high above his head, his rear legs collapse, and he falls to the ground with an impact you can feel in your boots.

PS: Yeah...it's awesome!!!! :-)

That question is kind of like explaining the joys of sex to pre teens. You need to experience it for yourself to see how wonderful it is. Yeah, it's all that, and then some.

Go get some!

RAC,

My answer would be it all depends on the quality of the entire experience, A good bull unearned with a douche for a PH...no thanks.

A well earned hunt, and I agree with MJines, A frontal in good country with a good PH and crew that is fun to be with heck yes.

I will add this, not to take away from others opinions on tuskless, I WANT IVORY.......Big thick Botswana Ivory. That said I want to shoot a Tanz. bull someday as well.

The nerves...can't be explained....the anticipation...can't be explained. Standing before a beast of that size, willingly putting yourself in harms way, the pinnacle of human exhileration. Mark Sullivan puts it best, Safari is one of only two great adventures left on this planet, DG hunting (jumbo's) and Expedition Mountaineering
Steve

quote:

Originally posted by Jack D Bold:
That question is kind of like explaining the joys of sex to pre teens. You need to experience it for yourself to see how wonderful it is. Yeah, it's all that, and then some.

Go get some!

Jack, Pre Teens? where did you grow up?

It was the most exciting thing I have ever done.

I agree, and I just hunted a tuskless. A bull would be even better, and the ivory beautiful, but unfortunately is outside my range. It was the most exciting, exhilarating, and scary (around cow herds) type of hunting I have ever done. Being close to elephants is unique.

I would do it every year, if possible!

When you have forgotten what sex was like, or how to spell it, the memory of elephant hunts gone by will burn just as fresh and just as bright til the day you die.

RAC,

I would have to answer your questions with a yes. I don't know that it's better than some other hunts but it's a unique and throughly thrilling experience that I definitely could do again. I personally have too much stuff I'd like to do in Africa and not enough money to dedicate my hunting to a particualr species.

I'm sure that a tuskless or non trophy hunt is a blast but if your only going to do it once I think a trophy bull is the way to go.

Joe Coogan told me before my elephant hunt in Botswana that there was nothing quite like walking upto a giant bull elephant with rifle in hand intending to kill that bull. He was right!

Mark

What is elephant hunting really like to me? Where these came from I do not know, and never came to me before. Is the gun loaded? Yea ! Closing in on the bull ele, is this cartridge 458Lott big enough? and yes Did the firing pin break on the last shot of the target range? Working your way around in the jess and keeping the wind and all of a sudden you look off to the right front and a bull ele is standing at 20 feet away and you look at its big brown eye. One step towards you and it can reach out and grab you.
Twenty to thirty yards is to far of a shot. Shooting a big truck at 100yds with a scope does nothing for me. Closing in tight with open sights hearing his breathing and stomach sounds is what it is. My whole attitude has changed since being privileged to hunt the elephant.
Biebs inside of 15yds.

Mike
Running is not an option "Its time to defend yourselves"

Mike, I have a picture of a bull Ele that I took at what we figured was about 9 feet. It filled the lens on my camera. PM me your email...makes a great wallpaper on my computer!

Tuskless ain't "chopped liver" as Mike says.... particularly if all you have in your hand is a bow!



BTW, this was the first elephant I saw in Africa. It was quite the introduction to the toothless ladies. Hunting them is a great thrill as said above and I'll do it every year I can walk... unless, it's 2013 and I'm in Botswana with Ivan trying to get an 80 # giant.

Go. Bull, cow, management, tuskless or Little Ernest, you'll never regret it! Just go!!!!!

To my point, hunting tuskless ain't chopped liver (this was a tusked cow in a herd we were checking for a tuskless in). Dancing with a Zambezi Lady:

Clearly shows the advantage of "the quick second shot" that a double offers!

I never get tired of seeing the brass from Buzz's rifle eject over Hunter Jines' head.

Now that is a good one Will.

Mike

Mjines,
I was on the fence whether a tuskless was a worthwhile hunt. I think you may have just cost me money.

Is it that great? In a word...YEP!

I only enjoy hunting the old males.

No cows, please. They are not trophies, and remind me of junk yard curs. Just not my cup of meat.

Never understood it. Give me teeth, or give me a plane ride home empty handed.

In point of fact, I would rather hunt impala rams than cow elephants.

But bull elephants, now that's hard core fun, for me.

Still, I have as much fun hunting Cape buffalo, especially dugga boys, in small groups, far from the herds.

It would be hard for me to choose between the two.

I wasn't that interested until I watched Ivan Carter on "Boddington on Elephant". Then I asked a friend of mine who has taken a few elephant, and he said after hunting elephant everything else pales into insignificance.
Now I am trying to work out how to raise the money.

"Is Elephant hunting really that great?"
Absolutely, most certainly not!

There is nothing like elephant hunting. NOTHING.

At least for ME. It is my most favorite hunt.

I do like hunting ivory, but cow elephant hunting is very exciting.

Especially when you brain shoot them from 3 to 12 yards, with a double rifle of course.

I think what is very thrilling in any hunt is the chance of scoring on a nice trophy compared to the price you pay for the hunt, and the work involved.On my Makuti buff hunt, I feel I payed a good price and worked hard for a couple of nice trophies.If one pays a fortune for an ele hunt some place, and sees a 50 pounder while seated in back of the land cruiser, hops off, stalks a short distance, and gets an easy shot,then that doesn't sound too exciting.On the other hand if one pays a good price,had a difficult hunt, and gets a 70 pounder, like the gentleman did last year hunting with Rich Tabor of Charlton Mccallum safaris,that would make it a great hunt,IMO.

Problem solved: Hunt both elephant and buffalo next hunt...add plans game too.

The author of the above statement is a geniuses!

Although I've never hunted ele,all things being equal,I think an ele hunt would be better than a buff or leopard hunt but I doubt that it would be as good as a stalked lion hunt hunt with open sights.It is one thing to be scared of being stomped on and another to become pray.

quote:

Originally posted by daleW:
Problem solved: Hunt both elephant and buffalo next hunt...add plans game too.

The author of the above statement is a geniuses!

Thanks!

quote:

Originally posted by MJines:
To my point, hunting tuskless ain't chopped liver (this was a tusked cow in a herd we were checking for a tuskless in). Dancing with a Zambezi Lady:

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I love that clip!!

In a word - YES!!!

Hunting a good area where one can get up close to big old Jumbo bulls, on their terms - FANTASTIC AND SUCH A PRIVILEGE!!!

In my opinion trophy bulls are for bone collectors and tuskless, management, PAC elephants are for elephant hunters. Why? Because you can hunt 10 non-trophy elephants for what it costs to hunt one trophy bull in Botswana. In addition cows are much more dangerous to hunt.

465H&H

I too like that video. One thing I noticed is just how hard Buzz ejects the round from his Ruger, I mean he really yanks that bolt back and the case goes flying, a good tip to learn from a pro.

quote:

Originally posted by Will:
When you have forgotten what sex was like, or how to spell it, the memory of elephant hunts gone by will burn just as fresh and just as bright til the day you die.

Gentlemen the above statement is bound to be true, because it was uttered by a man who likely knows of where he speaks ..........ON BOTH SUBJECTS!
.........................