I am looking at the elephant hunting DVD's available and was wondering what order you would put them in.

I like educational content and they all seem to be very highly rated. So please give your reviews on each if you have them along with the order in which you would get them.

Thanks
HQ

Buzz Charlton Ele DVD gets my vote for value as an instruction on Elephant hunting

I like both. DVD of Buzz is more informative , but Boddington's is more interesting.

Managed to get something of value out of all the Video's, but having completed my first hunt for Elephant last September can say with out doubt that Buzz's DVD prepared me totally for the entire experience. LOVE that ele hunting

I will confess to being somewhat biased, but I think Buzz's first DVD is one of the finest hunting DVDs on the market. I would rank it first in terms of being informative, interesting and entertaining. It has some segments that are very unique, e.g., interviews with Sten Cedegren, Ian Nyschens and Richard Harland. That is not something you get on the usual "wack 'em and stack 'em" hunting DVD. I think Boddington on Elephant is also very good. It has sections that are designed to inform, but much of it is typical hunting video footage. Big Botswana Tuskers is great elephant footage but it is really just a series of hunting video clips strung together into a DVD. All are very good and worth owning and watching but I have to put Buzz's DVD at the top of the list.

Nothing but positive on all of them. Buzz's DVD is the most informative and the others are entertaining as well.


Dutch

Agreed.

Hunting the African Elephant is one of the greatest instructional dvds ever. Think of Doctari's 'The Perfect Shot' concept applied to an elephant in motion.

Boddington's Elephant dvd is very good; a mix of entertainment and instruction. Great production quality.

Calitz's dvd is good; all entertainment and fun to watch.

I have them all and agree with other's comments.

If I had to have just one first, it would be Boddington's. It has all of the components but the best part about it is the entertainment value. It's the video that gets my heart pounding.

For instruction, no doubt Buzz's video gets the nod. Tells it like it is, has plenty of excitement but the best part is the DVD tells you what to do and how to do it right.

Big Bots Tuskers is sort of the desert after watching the other two in the order mentioned.

Again, all three are excellent. I have them as well as others and am greatly looking forward to Buzz's latest. But for one DVD that gets you out of your seat at times, has you sitting back and drooling at others and coming away and saying "I want to do THAT" Boddington's first.

To me, Boddington on Buffalo I set the benchmark in the Bod series and it has not been exceeded with his subsequent titles.
Buzz's elephant piece is of that stature...informative and entertaining to the fullest.

I have all three, Boddington's, Buzz, and Calitz and all are good. Like the other posts mentioned, Buzz's is the most educational. The information presented helped me immensely on my two elephant hunts. They certainly increased my profound respect for these magnifient animals. there is nothing like the thrill of being on a good track and getting up close. The shot placement instruction for brain shots frontal and side alone are well worth the price of Buzz's and Boddinton videos.

All the clients in Buzz's DVD are exceptionally good looking. Boddington's not so much.

Remarkably, there appears to be a consensus on this post - perhaps it has something to do with the season? I agree with much of what has been previously posted, with Mike saying it best. Donning my movie critic's hat, here are my own thoughts and rankings:

Number 1:
Hunting the African Elephant - Buzz Charlton.
In this video, one of Africa's most renown PHs demonstrates his strong skills as a teacher. Of particular help is Buzz's easy-to-comprehend shot placement instruction, using graphic overlays and actual hunt footage showing both perfect shots and bad ones, as well. An added bonus is that, if you like the instruction on the video, you can actually book a hunt with the guy who provided it. I did. Unfortunately, as much as any of us might want to, you can't do that with Craig. As Mike said, the interviews with Nyschens, Harland, and Cedegren are great and worth the price of admission alone. Safari Press, which sells all of these videos, says, "...the BEST elephant hunting movie we have ever reviewed here at Safari Press". Very nicely filmed and edited, and at just over two hours, you're definitely getting your monies worth.
∫ ∫ ∫ ∫ ∫ (Five tusks out of Five) $39.95

Number 2:
Boddington on Elephant - Craig Boddington.
Craig virtually invented this genre, at least as we know it today. Well filmed (nice work, Dave), professionally edited (kudos again, Dave), and holistic in its coverage of the subject, this video is all of nearly three hours in length (two DVDs) which I think is great - the more the better. The first video is a series of hunts from TAA, and is more for entertainment and 'setting the mood', while the second is a purely instructional DVD. Lots of great stuff from the masters of the medium. (While it may have been my bad luck, I got two sets of Boddington on Elephant and each one had problems with the second disk, making it impossible to view the last 20-minutes.)
∫ ∫ ∫ ∫ 1/2 (Four-and-a-half tusks out of Five) $39.95

Number 3:
Big Botswana Tuskers - Johan Calitz.
The name of this video says it all - albeit in a way suggesting something more prurient. It's less an instructional video than it is collection of 15 elephant hunts with a PH famed for producing big-ivory. Great footage and some beautiful elephants, including a hunt with Boddington that was shown on TAA. Johan is viewed as the dean of African elephant hunting by many, but he imparts few teaching insights in this video. Too, when reading from a script, Johan is almost painfully deliberate in delivering his dialogue; however, when off script he is far more at ease and fun to listen to. At an hour and a half, this video is shorter than the other two, but then it doesn't present itself as instructional in nature. Enjoy it for what it is - good hunting entertainment.
∫ ∫ ∫ (Three tusks out of Five) $39.95

I have all three as well. I agree with everyone else who have opined already.

Buzz's DVD is far and away the best from an instructional viewpoint. His shot placement instructions have me trying to find the correct shot placement every time I see an elephant, whether it be a real one, a mount, or a painting. I've hunted with Buzz's outfit twice and they are the best.

Boddington's DVDs are very entertaining with some real close call charges.

Johan's DVD I could take or leave. Most of the shooting appears far off. Could just be the camera angle but I like to watch (and do) elephant hunting really close.

All are good, but the one you need is "Hunting the African Elephant." That and Richard Harland's book "Ndlovu, the Art of Hunting the African Elephant." You'll end up buying lots of books, and probably several videos, but these are the foundation.

Buzz's - More nuts and bolts straight forward how to that will help with all tracking type hunts. Less sizzle more steak.

Many Thanks

HBH

Buy both. Watch them. Sell the one you do not like on ARBAY.

No elephant pre-hunt study regimine is complete without:

1. Buzz's videos
2. Bod and Carter on Ele, and
3. Anything written by Bill Stewart.

Merry Christmas Bill!

Buzzzzzzzzzzzz

Buzz by far if you want to prepare to actually hunt an elephant.

If you want to stay home, think about hunting, and be entertained, buy the others.

BUZZ
a little tired of industry sponsored americano experts with a dozen safaris under their belt vs people who hunt elephant for a living,. surprised no one can see the difference?

Buzz first.....Boddington a close second......BBT a distant third.

Brett

Quite the refrain - Buzz, Bodd, then Bots. BTW, I have to agree wholeheartedly with Marty's assessment that Buzz's video and Harland's Ndlovu make a solid foundation.

I would say:
Boddington and Carter are the best.
:-)

Just buy them all, there's not a cull in the bunch!

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