I just watched Ivan club a charging Botswana bull with both barrels at a distance of just a few yards. Good action! I am hoping that Ivan or Dave Fulson can elaborate on the initial shots, the follow up, the charge, etc. It looked like the first shot was very low into the trunk, below the brain, but I'd love to hear all the details.

Thanks to Ivan, Dave, or others that know and can share the story.

Will this reshow this week? I always catch it on Sundays but maybe I am watching a replay.

TIVO recorded it at 6am, today on Outdoor Channel. TIVO says it is also showing at 1:30pm on Saturday and 4:30pm on Sunday. All times CDST.

Makes since I was thinking I watched it at 2 or 230 Sundays out here. Can't wait to see Ivan take care of business!

That bit of film was pretty intense. There is no doubt he had no choice but to shoot, but man he waited until the ele was nearly touching the gun.

Hi Guys
Here's the skinny on the charge , the most intense that I believe we have ever filmed.The bull was a huge single tusker you may remember seeing on our Boddington On Elephant DVD. Craig, Ivan and I found him but passed on him last year, but Ivan found him again this year and the client decided the 70 pound tooth was too good to pass. The bull offered a frontal shot, but the initial shot from the client went a bit low , and the bull spun around and departed. Both Ivan and the hunter got in raking shots, but the bull tore off at speed. As is his habit, Ivan took off at speed after the bull trying to keep it in sight, followed by our cameraman Doug King, who is very fit and was able to stay up with Ivan during a very hard run. The body shots eventually took effect, and Ivan caught the bull which had stopped behind a screen of trees. As Ivan wanted the client to come up and finish the bull, he turns to signal for the client, who was catching up, to come to his side. The bull may have heard , or sensed him, and spun around and came in the most determined charge a bull elephant could hope to make. In a split second the bull was smashing through the trees which screened him from a clear shot although Ivan very narrowly missed the brain( so much for stunning a bull with a .577) As fast as it is possible to pull the back trigger for a second shot on his.577 Ivan, aiming straight up, brains this bull then sidesteps the head as it smashes to the ground where he was standing one second before. Ivan, you, me, Harry Selby, Bell, whoever..would have died then and there if they had been shooting a bolt gun and needed that second shot.
It really was a shocking few seconds and the difference between living and being scraped into a sack was a bit of spectacular shooting by one of the steadiest professionals in the game.
This was not thrillseeking , it was just a situation that can and does happen when you hunt elephant. I have been in on a lot of very close encounters with Ivan, this is the best example of why I trust him with my life many times this year.
There it is boys.

I have the DVR set for tracks, and got to watch this one last night. I backed up and re watched the charge segment probably ten times last night, very intense and a great bit of filming I might add. Ivan gets on that back trigger super fast and on a 577 to boot, just goes to show why he has earned such a great reputation. I logged on this morning hopeing someone had started the post to get some for information, thanks Dave for filling us in and thanks for helping make such a great show this season has been really great with all the dangerous game segments! As a side note does anyone know the make of Ivan's 577 I know his 450 was a Heym but this was the first chance I have seen his new one.

Thanks for the nice words Gabe. Ivans .577 is a Rigby, and yes, he knows how to drive that thing!

He has a cali rigby in 577 and also Heym 577 if i remember it right, (and a Heym 450).

Dave, I am a bolt gun guy, but when I saw the video I thought the same exact thing, anyone with a bolt action rifle in that situation would be dead now.

Maybe I will have to invest in a double now!

Thanks for the great video once again, the look on Ivan's face says it all.

Shaun

I had my DVR set for this weekends showing and was excited to see there was an early morning show that I caught on the DVR. What incredible footage! This is certainly a must see... DAN

quote:

Originally posted by Dave Fulson:
In a split second the bull was smashing through the trees which screened him from a clear shot although Ivan very narrowly missed the brain( so much for stunning a bull with a .577) As fast as it is possible to pull the back trigger for a second shot on his.577 Ivan, aiming straight up, brains this bull then sidesteps the head as it smashes to the ground where he was standing one second before. Ivan, you, me, Harry Selby, Bell, whoever..would have died then and there if they had been shooting a bolt gun and needed that second shot.

There could possibly be the most dangerous charge ever to be recorded in the history of man, and surely within the last two hundred years. And told better than any dime store novel could ever be imagined.

makes me wish I had cable, but hopefully it will end up in a place I can see it... :-)

Ivan, I'm hoping you'll remain out of harms way. We're getting our gear ready for Whitey Goose and hope to have you along this winter. Geez that was close!
Cheers,
David

quote:

Originally posted by SDHall:
Dave, I am a bolt gun guy, but when I saw the video I thought the same exact thing, anyone with a bolt action rifle in that situation would be dead now.

Maybe I will have to invest in a double now!

Thanks for the great video once again, the look on Ivan's face says it all.

Shaun

I was thinking the same exact thing!!!! That was world's greatest advertisement for Double Rifles and Elephant Hunting. Awesome!!!

Two shots from a 577 NE double in about 3/4 second,
and the elephant almost hit Ivan with its trunk as it fell.

Ivan carter is "The Man."
He makes Mark Sullivan look like an underachieving juvenile delinquent.

Five preliminary hits on the elephant were shown before the final two by Ivan.

Is Ivan crazy, or just insanely good at what he does?

The heavy breathing of the cameraman added to dramatic effect.

Dave, I saw the show and it was intense. Ivan did a superb job under extreme conditions. I must say the client's shooting skills SUCKED! That first head shot was horrible! jorge

Dave, thanks for the info.

Ivan was most impressive.

Great show, I just watched it. Botswana sure has lots of nice bulls. Ivan defines cool under pressure and an impressive two very quick shots.

This show does highlite where a DR is at its best.

BigB

Wow, it was a good thing that he was using a proper English Rigby. If he had been using one of those pimped-out Cali Rigbys that are clubs and just not up to par, he might not still be with us.

Landrum

I thought the cow charge in Zim was a pretty close one too. Was that Hornady's Africa with CB and Ivan?

Charles,

The cow charge in ZIM on Hornady's Africa with CB and Ivan was also very exciting. Again Ivan maintained his cool and did what needed to be done. I do not recall if they mentioned what DR he was using.

BigB

I just saw it again. WOW!!!

I wish they had spent a little time discussing it.

Dave - Nice show, and great footage! Very entertaining to watch.

quote:

Originally posted by BigB:
Charles,

The cow charge in ZIM on Hornady's Africa with CB and Ivan was also very exciting. Again Ivan maintained his cool and did what needed to be done. I do not recall if they mentioned what DR he was using.

BigB

The clients got a little more elephant hunt than they expected that day.

I too watched the show and WOW!!! Teddy Roosevelt said, " talk softly and carry a big stick... " Ivan talks softly and carries a real big double... Good shooting Ivan... Sight picture is everything...
This was double rifle time and running was not an option...

Mike

Great show! The look on Ivan's face after it was over said it all!

Incredible! That was great shooting Ivan.

Aziz

The DVR is set to record all of Tracks Across Africa. I think this one is one of the best. Unbelievable Ivan, great shooting. I was puckered.

I thought the Hornady show was a bit closer than Ivan's, but I am no expert. They both looked pretty terrifying. Both those guys looked to be cool as cucumbers.

If Ivan keeps this up he may eclipse Will as my idol.

Nice shooting for sure. That first shot by the client was waaayyy low.

The episode just aired here in Guam. Pretty amazing! You did a helluva job Ivan!!

Nicely done Ivan. Glad you and all are still in one piece. Cameraman did a great job keeping up to get the shot of a lifetime.

I watched it a dozen times yesterday and am still amazed at not only the second shot, but the ability of Ivan to stand his ground. Wow - I'm pretty sure I don't have that much starch in my britches.

Ivan, stay safe.

quote:

If Ivan keeps this up he may eclipse Will as my idol. Wink

PLEAZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!

If Ivan could shoot he wouldn't have needed two shots. Real elephant hunters use single shot rifles.

The hunter's brain shot was about a foot off at ten yards.Ivan was cool under pressure.

And on that Zim tusked cow that ambushed Ivan and the client:

Yes another one-yard stop by Ivan.

That was the first self defense killing for Ivan in 10 years, he said.

The Bots bull was just a finishing-off of a wounded bull in close charge (just!), badly shot by client, client a foot off on brain shot as said above.
But indeed a technically superior volley by Ivan:
Two shots and at an upward angle,
with mopane limbs running interference for Ivan and the elephant, and a faster two shots.
The event judges will have to award more points for that.

When Ivan gave the dead Zim cow the insurance shot,
he displayed an unusual shooting technique with the 577 NE (same 577 NE Rigby again).
The recoil of the shot carried the butt of the rifle up over the top of his shoulder.

Ivan must have been pretty shook up by having to kill a strictly-off-limits tusked cow.
Probably thinking about the paperwork due when he carelessly let the 577 jump over his shoulder on the insurance shot.

Ivan,
You better concentrate on your grip, or that 577 might hurt you,
assuming the elephants falling within a yard
don't clobber you.

How about a one-shot charge stopper next time instead of always a two-fer?

Caught the show on Sunday.. Great footage! Great shot Ivan.....

Will:

That was funny as hell.