The wealth of experience and wisdom on this forum is incredible and a wonderful asset to all. Thank You all.

I am in the process of deciding where and when to go for my third elephant hunt. As my budgets were $40k and under, my first two were with Russ Broom in Manjolo. I took a 45lber the first trip (plus two buff and a leopard in 18days) and set the bar at a 50lber for the second. I left the second with trophy fee in hand and opportunities on five bulls just under 50 in 12 wonderful days of sunup to sundown elephant hunting. Both experiences were incredible for a working man with a strange passion and I am back in the position to return to the Ivory Trail.

The goals I would like to meet for this trip are, in order of importance,

1. Visit Victoria Falls
2. Shoot a nice kudu bull, mid 50's would suit me just fine
3. Shoot a 50lb+ tusker.
4. Do it for $40k, with the possibility of squeezing another $5-8k if I give blood, sell the first born, and heaven forbid, maybe even sell a gun or two

Any sound advice or insight will be sincerely appreciated.

Thank you

I got a 52/50 and a 39/38 bull in the Caprivi Strip in'04 for less than $25K (total), and hunted, unsuccessfully, for lion, much of the time for 12 days. Watch for bargain hunts with Huntingreports.com, or keep in touch with consultants like Wendell at Hunter's Quest. and other reputable folks. If you can get everything in order quickly, you can sometimes get a real bargain. Steve

If shooting a 50+ pounder was my number one prority I would go to Botswana. On a bad day in Bots you could take a 50 pounder with a possibility at something larger. Kind of expensive though.

Other place I would choose would be a good Elephant area in Zim.

I think you'd do much better in the loveld. talk to jumbo moore or one of the guys that hunt near gonarezhou - in that area mid 50" kudu live and there are 50-80# eles, while not common, they are still there

Try Bushman Safaris in Zim bushman@netconnect.co.zw He has an area in the Matetsi that has some good Bull, I took a 45# there a couple of years ago and the area has 50/60# and good Kudu. Prices are more than competative with what you want. He said he missed a 60+ a couple of weeks ago as another smaller bull decided to take offensive action. The area he has is right at Victoria Falls.

Thanks all for the good advice. Sounds like 60% good Zim area / 40% Botswana. Bots might be a little expensive for me. I'll talk to some consultants and see what they offer.

My partner took a great lion in one of the Matetsi units in 2004 and was longing for all the good bulls he'd seen. Who knows, maybe I'll bring one back to show him!

Good Hunting

Contact Brooklands Safaris. Tell them what you want to do. Hunt with PH Dale Des Fountain.
Deka for elephant SAVE for kudu.
Zimbabwe

Check with els here on AR. He's got a thread going on this forum about www.tshabezisafaris.com.

Lots of positive comments, you'll see mine about the owner of www.rangemasteroutfitters.com

a "little Cabelas" type store in Indiana, 5 BULLS in five trips with this outfit TSABEZI.