In PWN375’s post he told of our recent, successful Elephant hunt in Zimbabwe. I just wanted to give a few more details about the trip and share a smidgen of my personal experiences while on my first safari.
I hear that most camps are fairly cushy. They provide you with hot showers everyday, comfortable beds every night, three (usually) delectable meals per day - everyday, and generally attend to a hunter’s every need and whim. Take it from me, if you are a poor college guy making the trip, the majority of the above mentioned amenities are not consistently made available while in camp.
We started our African exercise program our first day in camp. We walked uphill searching out some ele and then turned around and walked uphill to get back to camp! We did have a delicious dinner that night and some great, lively conversation. Over the next couple of days we walked, then we walked some more, and would you believe that after that we walked a little more! I developed blisters on my feet (both of them) that would have made a Cape Buffalo cry. I stopped our death march on the second full day so I could wrap my feet in duct tape. I was not going to limp back to camp and call it a day. We started back to walking and minutes after we walked around a bend and we encountered the herd of ele that PWN shot his bull out of. We had skipped breakfast that morning, and the previous morning, but we fortunately had an opportunity to taste Perry's ele and some canned ham that afternoon! The next morning, in search of an ele for me, we started walking, empty belly again after a great stew the previous evening and celebration centered around PWN's ele. We manageed to walk almost the entire morning uphill (again) only to see no sign of ele. We did however get to take a break on top of a little hill (looked and felt like damn mountain to me, but what do I know Ganyana said it was a hill so...) that provided a breathtaking view of our surroundings. I swear Ganyana was trying to kill me. Walking all day on just a cup of coffee and a couple of rusks. Dinner time, however, always lifted my spirits and enabled me to push ahead the next day.
We took a day off and I was driven over to the Zambezi valley. What a sight! I thought I was looking at heaven. It seemed as though the clouds stretched from heaven to the valley floor. I was revived and ready for all that GDRDGS (Ganyana's Double Rugged Dangerous Game Safari's - inside joke) could throw at me.
We made a new camp and much to our surprise the local police came to ask us to go and shoot an ele off a village. A group of five ele had been terrorizing this particular village for almost a month. We declined their generous offer and they left head down. The next day the Chief game scout for the area came and produced the neccesary paperwork that enabled us to amble over and fulfill my dream. We walked downhill (Yeah!) about a mile and we came to a dry riverbed. On the other side, about fifteen yards away, was my elephant. When we walked out into the open so I could get my shot, he pick-up his head and looked at us. Time stopped, auditory exclusion kicked in. Ganyana was instructing me on where to place my first shot (in the shoulder/leg) when the ele took a step toward us. He was not charging, but he was coming! I did exactly what I had been training to do. I placed my first shot between the eyes. I have seen buildings being exploded on tv, but nothing compares to the sight of an ele bulls back legs dropping out from underneath him and the rest of him piling to the ground. There was song and dance and whohaw's and back-slapping all around. Then up came his head! Listening to my PH (what you should always do) I quickly put three in the heart, which did not seem to slow him down. But he gave me the perfect shot for a side brain after a very speedy reload and he was not going to get up from that one. Whohaw's and back-slapping once more. Then came the infamous words "Shoot him again!" I did as I was told. After about the tenth shot I understand that I had broken into a hysterical laughter and at 16 shots I was done. I could not wait to get over and lay hands on my ele.
A severe calm came over me and I was at peace with the world. I have never felt that feeling before. I am going back A.S.A.P. Might be ten years, might be next year, but I am going back. If Ganyana will have me after the hot brass he took from my 375. I guess I should have waited until he gave me the go-ahead, but the ele was coming!
I loved every minute of the double rugged safari experience. I would do it again under the same circumstances tomorrow if given the opportunity. Hell at this point, I cannot understand why you would want to be fed and coddled in camp. I lost like 15 pounds while in camp! What an exercise program. I am ending here for now. Maybe more later, but a full day of slave labor and endless hours of homework are on tap for the morning, so I am turning in for the night. I have elephants and double rugged camps in Africa to dream about! Thanks Ganyana. Perry would you provide a couple of pictures for me here, the valley shots and maybe a couple of ele photos? When you have time. No rush.

Great hunt and an interesting read. You can always be proud of the way you took this elephant.

GREAT story and very well written....memories that you will carry for a lifetime!

Great story! Thanks for sharing!

quote:

I stopped our death march on the second full day so I could wrap my feet in duct tape. I was not going to limp back to camp and call it a day.

For some reason, I get blisters there but not here.

Most guys will bitch and moan the whole time if not provided with a comfortable camp. Some even complain that the roof is made of grass, or that the mosquito netting is not new. I guess they are used to hunting out of a 5 star hotel. It's good to see that there are guys out there who like a challenging hunt and are not demanding luxury.

Great experience, hats off again to you guys and Ganyana. It was a non-trophy hunt after all, not a $45,000 trophy ele shoot. This will be the hunt by which all others will be judged!

A camp should be comfortable, with good food for the price of a Safari, but the only place I know that coddles you are the lodges...I think our Tanzania camps are about perfect, and I sure don't mind a hot shower at the end of a day followed by a great meal especially on a 21 day safari...and I have spent 14 days on a saddlehorse leading a packhorse in incliment weather, sometimes below zero in my homestate of Idaho and neighboring state of Wy., and camping where ever the day ended, I loved it then, I don't now!....

I think you have taken too much to heart on this coddling stuff in Africa, most African hunts require a lot of walking and elephant hunts require the most, I have followed the tracks and slept on them at night with a fire and a rifle in my lap many times and I always loved the return to our comfortable camps, and I have never felt coddled except in fenced RSA hunts, not to say they were not enjoyable, they all were great...

I think if you are paying top dollar rates you should get the top dollar service and standards.

These sorts of hunts though if priced more economically are a good option.

Been there and done that. As a kid everyone always said, "stuff all that" let's do it rough". With age one gets wiser. Having decent food supplies is just a planning thing. But if roughing it is what it takes to afford a good elephant safari I would NOT say no.

Sounds like an enjoyable safari.

Well written and easily read. Congratulations on a successful hunt and a well told tale!

Dave

Gentlemen, thank you for your kind words. I did have a damn good time and I am going back just as soon as I can (same type of camp). By the way, according to Ruark, "Cape Buffalo look at you like you owe them money". According to Brian (that's me), "Elephants look at you like you just f*uck#d their sister". But hey, what do I know?

But next year, I won't come over all soft and give you a bed and a sleeping bag (well not one that actually works anyway)

Ganyana,
Se a bon`. Lessons learned. Next year (damn I wish it was next week), I am bringing my own food, own bed, own sleepingbag, the only thing I am going to let you supply is the ride to and fro. Oh, and some of that canned ham along with the single shot 45-70 we discussed. That is enough gun, right guys?.

I thought this hunt was a rough one.

But here in the second to last photo is evidence to the contary, a comfortable chair and a delicious BBQ meal being prepared.

NitroX - best damn meal I ever ate!!! If you hunt with Ganyana, you have to kill something or there is nothing to eat!!! Cheers.

Brian,
Great stuff! Well written! I much prefer that style to the "bespoke" lap of luxury. Congratulations on a job well done.