I just returned yesterday from my third elephant hunt. I hope you'll enjoy the following report:

Dale Bundy (1115) was kind enough to take me to the Jacksonville airport after church on the 25th. I flew SAA this time because the flight allows a seamless transfer to Harare in Johannesburg without all the gun issues a night's layover would bring. Unfortunately, United Express, the carrier to Dulles screwed the pooch and (because of a little snow) parked us on a ramp for 2.5 hours... and my baqggage remained in IAD while I made the flight... Anyway, I arrived in Harare on time and my bags a day late. Brent Hein met me at the airport and put me up with his lovely family for two nights and we drove up to Chifudzi camp in the Omay (with luggage) just 24 hours tardy.

I had hoped to take my new Searcy Classic .450/.400 double, but it wasn't quite ready. I subsituted a Model 70 Classic that Roger Ferrell had re-barreled to .404 Jeffery. It shot 400 grain Woodleigh solids at 2300 f.p.s. right to iron sight regulation at 30 yards and again at 100 so I felt quite confident that I was properly armed.

Like last year, I was the first person of the season in the camp, but HHK had it all ready for my arrival, properly stocked with Scotch and good red wine. We had no game meat, though, so really good beef steak would have to do. Life is tough. Believe it or not, we had electricity from the local grid the entire week so sleeping was quite comfortable under a ceiling fan.

Weather was cool in the late evenings and above 90 by 2:00 p.m. or so. We even had a fire one night. Rain was occasional, but standing water was everywhere. No bad bugs except those damn little bees that get in your eyes and ears.

This year the plan was to take a cow (maybe as a punishment for the 43/42 pounder of last year? ) In any event, it was a p.a.c. hunt and for a $2000 "trophy" fee, who am I to argue. And, according to Buzz Charlton and a bunch those of you who have done so, getting amongst cows and calves is more exciting than hunting down a lonely bull. I'll buy that bill of fare.

First morning, after a good breakfast of eggs scrambled with cheese and a rasher of crisp bacon (my first in Africa), we headed out to find a "raided" field. We hadn't gone five miles before we found tracks of several cows and calves headed out of a sad little maize patch by a few mud huts.

(I'll finish later... got to go get my mother for Sunday dinner (My brother made She Crab soup and I made blackened scallop Ceaser salad) ...but here's a picture for now).

Welcome back, Ernest. I'm home for a couple of days so call if you get the chance. Looking forward to the rest of th story. I LIKE that 404....jorge

Congratulations you are a real expert on big bore practical shooting.Juan

Jambo Bwana

Glad you made it back to the dark continent - hopefully we'll get together next time!

You are back alive! Looking forward to the whole story.

Come on Paul Harvey, give us "the rest of the story". . .

Congrats !!!! Hard to believe the camera crapped the bed after just one photo

JudgeG,

What you have done here is simply not fair to us fellows needing to live vicariously.

PLEASE finish your post!

JPK

Congratulations, Ernest!

You Sir, are a bad and evil man. Where is the rest of the story

Darn! No She Crab soup, but instead my brother had pan-fried sea trout filets marinated in an Indian curry salad oil... not a bad substitute.

Anyway, the week before my safari, I had another attack of dad-gum kidney stones. They were tearing me up as late as Friday night and my plane left on Sunday morning. The doctor surmised that I had a chip or two from my Christmas-time proceedure still in the process of passing, but nothing life threatening... so I got on the plane... The result was that the first day I was still pretty darn worn out before I ever began.

We hit the bush after the elephants and I quickly forgot the fatigue, particularly when we heard a couple of trumpets a mile or so ahead of us. We started about 7:00 a.m. and didn't stop the constant half walk, half-trot, up and down hill, until 9:30. I sat down for a second on a fallen log and when I got up, my vision began to fail like someone was turning down a reostat. I took about two steps and fell on my ass. I had absolutely no sensation of being tired or breathless; I just felt faint/light-headed. That ended the first morning's efforts, of course and somewhat ashamed, I trudged back to the vehicle in 100 yard increments. Back at the camp, I took a shower and drank some Gatoraide, not to have any problems again...

That afternoon we were disappointed to learn that no villager had reported animals in the crops. This was the exact opposite of last year when elephants were in almost ever little settlement's fields. We drove along the park border and really didn't see much activity in and out. We did see a group of 40 or so buffalo with a couple of good, hard-bossed bulls, though.

About 4:30 we saw a perfect p.a.c. elephant (that is, if bulls were on the menu since he'd never be a "trophy"). He was about 300 yards off of the road and just tearing up trees for the hell of it. He had one tusk of about 30 lbs and just an empty hole where the other should be. We got within 25 yards and got some great video. Interestingly, he did all the little dance steps that Charlton's video describes... one leg swinging, ears flapping, false charges, trunk desplays. If you're going to hunt elephant, get the video!

Right before dark, Brent asked me if I wanted to kill a zebra. I have two daughters and the oldest wants a rug for her college room... so we got out of the vehicle and began to stalk a group of 5 animals we had seen moments before down in a valley we passed. After a 10 minute period of following the small herd, a big mare finally saw us. I got on the sticks and shot her with a solid right at the base of the neck, front on.

She dropped at the shot (from about 75 yards) but was back up and running after the others immediately. Dang, I like those NECG express sights! I pulled through the running animal and shot, rolling her like a well struck 10 pin to pick up a spare. We got that on video, too... and embarassingly, my comment of "Watch this folks!" as I worked the bolt for the second shot comes out clearly on tape. Bragging before shooting ain't too smart, but I pulled this one off. I hit her in the near hip and the bullet was under the skin forward of the "off" shoulder.

The zebra was dead from the first shot which made jelly of the lungs and liver, but tough animals are they! It was fun to make a good running shot on video! Ain't I cool! (I wish?)

We saved the loins and to my surprise, they made great little strips to barbeque and dip in blue cheese dressing to enjoy with sundowners. I did feel that I was eating Trigger or Traveler or somebody's pet horse, but I got over it.

Elephants were really scarce the second day and we never made a foray into the bush more than 100 yards before deciding that the elephant's had too far a head start... or maybe Brent was just letting me get over whatever the heck whipped my butt the first morning.

The third day we found some sign right buy a little school. I peeked in the then-empty class rooms and was amazed at the simplicity of them. There were three little mud and brick, thatched-roof buildings, each about 20 by 12 feet. The "seats" inside were made of logs, bark on. At the ends were two 10" diameter logs, stuck in the ground. Similar diameter cross members were notched in place about 18" off the ground and spanned about 9 feet to make a bench. You could see where dozens of years of kids sitting on them had polished the bark off in places. The teachers desk was made of branches about 2" thick and tied together with bark strips. His/her chair was like to children's seats, but adult height and only wide enough for one. The floors were hard packed dirt and obviously swept frequently with a broom that stood in the corner made of dried grass and a knobby branch.

Up and down we went, past the school, but this time I made sure to keep an electrolyte-spiked bottle of water in my hand and after two hours we saw elephants!

As we topped a hill, we spotted them in about the thickest jesse that I've seen in Africa. If we hadn't been above them, we'd have never been able to see through the stuff, but could see parts of the elephants by looking down into it. Hunting in early March is very different from the dry season. Often one can only see a few yards in any direction. Game isn't often seen from a vehicle, only tracks in the road.. but with the expert trackers, you can still find animals!.... and, proving my point, after some hard work, we weren't but 100 yards for 10 to 15 elephants.

We assertained the direction of their travel and the wind. We then tried to get ahead of the group and succeeded by trotting along side-hill and then descended into the jesse to await whatever the hell came toward us. Branches breaking, elephant farts, a trumpet or two, for 30 minutes we listened as the herd crunched, sighed and butted and bumped each other, but they kept coming.

We climbed up on a huge termite mound and could see two cows at 30 yards. After 20 more minutes we determined that the nearest didn't have a small calf with her. She was the target if she'd only come forward another 15 yards or so. Below to the left, was a dry donga and she was slowing coming down it, periodically blowing dust over her back. She came another 5 yards closer and Brent asked if I wanted to shoot her then. I declined because she was still coming forward and I wanted a side brain shot which would be presented if she came another 10 yards closer down the creek bed.

Crap, for reasons know only to her, she just blew some sand in the air and turned around and began to walk in the opposite direction. She was out of sight in just a second. Brent and I skidded down the termite mound into the donga and began to follow. Damn, it got thick. Brent turned around and said, "There is hunting dangerous game, and there is stupidity. We are bordering on stupidity." I agreed and we backed out and went to supper. No elephant, but organs still intact... We both agreed that having an elephant try to make apple butter out of us wasn't a wise option that afternoon.

On the morning of the fourth day, we returned to the school yard and sure enough, the elephants had crossed the road there again. This time, however, there were only two mature cows and a rather large calf. Out of the Cruiser and into the bush we went.

We had gotten up an hour early this morning to try to catch the elephants before they got to high into the hills where they usually went at mid-day to catch breezes in stand in the shade. I was not to impressed about the age of the spoor (the poop was pretty dry looking to me) and my heart wasn't really in the attempt. I drank my water and kept my mouth shut like a good little client and trecked on.

Were we were headed there was a rather large river that was right up against a steep cliff about 200 feet high. I didn't want to climb that s.o.b. one little bit. Closer and closer to that damn ridge we followed the elephants. The dung didn't get any "hotter", we (or I) didn't hear any elephant sounds... I was getting really tired.

We began to climb what had to be the steepest hill on the "good" side of the river.. at least it wasn't that damn cliff I could see towering above us. About 20 feet from the top of the climb, I hit the wall... As I was about to say that I had to rest, Brent and Friday squatted down as quickly as if a rug had been pulled out from under them.

Dale Bundy (1115)just called and asked me to ride my Harvey-Davison motorcycle down to his house (with a sweety aboard)and have some homemade pasta and a little red wine... I'll edit and complete upon my return! I'm sure there are typos, etc., but I'll try to correct later tonight or tomorrow. Catch you then.

Congratulations Judge but this is like Chinese water torture... and I think you are enjoying it!

Ya big tease! Great story, can't wait for the continuation and pics.

Keith

Good report so far Ernest, I'm eagerly waiting for the rest.

c'mon now judge, this just aint right.

geoff

OOORAH!!!

All things considered, maybe "Shakari's" pic a couple of items ago should be included! The Judge could then show us the difference between fresh, and the older stuff he'd been following.
Love the story so far, Judge!

Damn that judge...leaving us hanging for a decision...

Mike

Congrats Judge can't wait for the remainder! Rug

After some great homemade Italian at Dale's house and a fun putt back on my bike, I resume.

Well, I thought I was only a few feet from the top of the hill. Actually, Brent and Friday (Brent's tracker)had topped the "military" crest and had seen a great, gray shape only 20 yards above us, a bit off to the right and with a thick band of jesse between us and, of course, was one of the resting elephants.

Tiredness totally forgotten, I climbed the remainder of the 60 degree slope as quitely as I could and exposed just my head over the top. I was sweaty, dirty as that little dude in Charlie Brown (Pig Pen?) and dang well excited.

The same three elephants that we'd been following, albeit to now unseen, were all flapping ears and just trying to stay cool in the dark green jungle. Boy, they were close and yet I felt that I was looking through a leafy net of camo. Shapes were hard to distinguish... it was clear that I was looking at lots of tons of meat, but it would be impossible to even make a heart shot in the vine-choked mess where I stared. You could hear stomach rumbles about as loud as some dude's radio playing rap with the windows up.

Brent and I crawled on our knees over the edge of the hill and slowly stood behind a tree. As we did so, one of the grown cows began to get curious as to what just made a tree double in girth.

She first turned broadside to face to my right and I thought she'd run before I could get a shot, she being still screened by 10 yards of branches, leaves and debris. I swore silently to myself. The sun filtered through it all and dappled everything in a sureal Manet landscape... but did he paint elephants?

Curiosity getting the best of the old lady, she turned back to us and took a couple of steps toward us. Fatally for her, she "poked" her head through a gap in the brushy shield. Brent didn't have to tell me to shoot.

My .404 was already at my shoulder with the safety off. I consciously decided to "break the broom handle" between the ears and so aimed. Brent was at my right with his .470 Merkel ready. The elephant was close and also above us. To exit the back of her head at ear hole level, I was aiming a couple of hand spans below the beginning of the trunk.

I fired and, I swear, that big ol' elephant flipped backwards. The trunk went straight up, her head snapped to my left and all four feet went straight up in the air... and then she went out of sight in the screen of stuff before us. Now how does a multi-ton elephant disappear at 10 yards... I don't know, but she did. Slap-ass gone. Poof, dis-a-frapping-peared.

Impressed as I was with the reaction to the shot, it surely wasn't the classic rear leg collapse of a good brain shot. Brent confirmed my fear when he said that she was getting up. I couldn't see her so I hollered to Brent to shoot. His view was limited to her butt and he put in two rounds there, but amazingly she still staggered to her feet.. dazed as hell and not going anywhere, but still standing. Simply amazing!

I confirmed again that Roger Ferrell's fine work on my rifle was just perfect with and with some slick feeding, emptied the magazine into the cows chest. The last round broke her near shoulder and dumped her for the final time. (It's on video and cool. I'll send out some DVD's when they are ready.) There are some great trumphets and squeels by the other elephants as they ran off in a hissy fit.

I started to write that we ran to the elephants side but "stepping a few feet" would be more appropiate as to what happened. We were that close. I reloaded somewhat shaking (only dropping one round) an then put a solid between the shoulders. Almost 5000 ft. lbs. of energy and the lady didn't ever shutter. It was over.

After the customary handshakes, I sat down and thought about what had just happened. I had killed a grand old cow, probably over 40 years old. I was excited, a little in awe, content that in 10 minutes 50 or so folks would begin a celebration for the protein they soon would have... Dang, it was fun... So much a thrill that I've already e-mailed asking for a quote for a return.

Here are the folks skinning the cow. The trunk is already on the way to the chief.



I stuck a slender branch in the bullet hole from the frontal shot. It seemed to go into the front of the brain. We cracked the skull later and the brain was bloody, but not all jelled up and gooey. My best guess is that the angle was so sharply upward that my bullet passed just within the frontal lobes, or sent some splinters down into it. There was an exit hole on the top of the head, but most of the chance of really finding out what happend was lost with the first blows of the villagers axes. Dang, those folks can reduce an elephant to totable hunks of meat in no time. It is a sight to behold.

Some of the folks awaiting the signal to begin the scramble for meat.


The tasty zebra:



A great thing about Brent is that he never gets tired of the beauty of Africa. Here we stop just to look at the moonrise:



After I finished up in Zimbabwe, I stopped at the Afton House and visited with Louie. As usual, it was quite pleasant and I met some nice folks on the way to their first safaris.

I then met Pierr'e van Tonder and we visited for three days, both at his home and at a little ranch in the Free State. The place had great animals for sure. I took a black wildebeest, two blesbok and a springbok. I was still shooting my .404 (with 400 grain Swift A-Frames). Ranges were all over 200 yards and the big bullet sounded like a 155 Howitzer screaming out from a fire base. It went "shhhhhhhhuuuuuuuuuuuuuu.... whack!"









Pierr'e, as always, was a great host and put me on good animals. I'd follow Brent Hein anywhere. Kathy did her magic with tickets, HHK had all the times and places to meet down pat... SAPS was a breeze, Zim gun permit was 5 minutes... boy, you can get a wealth of infomation from this site to make your safari enjoyable.

Thank you Saeed, Don, et al.

Thanks for a great story and congratulations

Excellent and well done!

This story would let anyone fly out at a drop of an hat to hunt ele.

Well done and congrats on a very fine hunt and ele

Great report Judge, Glad your home safe.

Judge,

Thank you for the well told tale and photos of a great hunt. Good looking rifle.

Perry

Good show old man. Good on you for battling back from the brink the way you did and sticking it out.
All the trophies you got look to be excellent ones. I sure hope you didn't keep Pierre up too late at night consuming fire water during your visit...

Brian

quote:

Curiosity getting the best of the old lady, she turned back to us and took a couple of steps toward us and "poked" her head through a gap in the brushy shield. Brent didn't have to tell me to shoot.

My .404 was already at my shoulder with the safety off. I conciously decided to "break the broom handle" between the ears and so aimed. Brent was at my right with his .470 Merkel ready.

I fired and, I swear, that big ol' elephant flipped backwards. The trunk went straight up, her head snapped to my left and all four feet went straight up in the air... and then she went out of sight in the screen of stuff before us. Now how does a multi-ton elephant disappear at 10 yards... I don't know, but she did. Slap-ass gone. Poof, dis-a-frapping-peared.

Impressed as I was with the reaction to the shot, it surely wasn't the classic rear leg collapse of a good brain shot. Brent confirmed my fear when he said that she was getting up. I couldn't see her so I hollered to Brent to shoot. His view was limited to her butt and he put in two rounds there, but amazingly she still staggered to her feet.. dazed as hell and not going anywhere, but still standing. Simply amazing!

I confirmed again that Roger Ferrell's fine work on my rifle was just perfect with some slick feeding and emptied the magazine into the cows chest with the last round breaking her near shoulder and dumping her for the final time. It's on video and cool. I'll send out some DVD's when they are ready. There are some great trumphets and squeels by the other elephants.

AWESOME!

Congrats on another fine adventure Judge, and a story well told.

Cheers,
Canuck

Ernest, a toast on a fine story....

Mike

Ern...I second what Retreever said!

Ok Ernest, sounds like we need to effect a rendezvous in the near future over a good dinner and cigars. Great story as usual. thanks! jorge

Jorge:

You name the place. I'll be there, with or without a date (depending if Dawna is coming, I guess). You're always welcome up here, of course.

Judge,
If only my students' papers could hold my attention half as well...and with the verbal acquity you possess. My hat's off to you.

Judge

Well done.....and well told.

TerryR

Very nicely put together recap, sir. Thanks for sharing it with us. I really enjoyed it.

Well done Judge!! Most were worried you had missed your flight due to the delay on the ramp. I'm glad the kidney stone alarm was not the big one. I have dealt with those in the past and fear an attack in the bush more than the snakes. One will kill you, the other makes you wish you were dead. I will bring you another bottle of scotch at the next Dallas SCI meeting next Jan.and toast your success, see the pictures and hear all the stories. Congradulations and welcome home. drwes

Well Judge, you did again!! Bravo!

Please put me at the top or your list for a copy of your video. Looks like Pierre got a haircut!

John

WILCO Ernest. Dawna says hello and congrats on the elephant. I sure would like to get a 404 like yours so we'll have to talk about that. What was it before it became a 404? jorge

Jorge:

The .404 was a stock Model 70 Winchester Classic Super Grade in .300 Rum that I found on Guns America for $700. I had a new barrel, NECG iron sights, the action bedded and the follower changed from the RUM to a .375 H&H that made the feeding easy. The magazine box had some burrs smoothed and the feed ramp polished some.

All in all, the conversion was less problematical than most. It won't feed A-Square factory ammo or reloads with their bullets, but so far, Woodleighs, A-Frames, TSX, Barnes banded solids, North Fork, GS... all work well. Who needs anything else?

At present, I'm negotiating/working on a 2008 p.a.c. trip with a fishing option... Darn, I'm hooked on this stuff!

well, call me bck when you can. Yeah, this africa stuff IS addicting! jorge

Judge,

Congratulations on your elephant. I am hoping to take my 404 this year on buffalo. As always, I enjoy reading your great stories of the hunt.

Great account of a wonderful time, Ernest !!! I, too, will be taking another rifle on my May hunt because the Searcy isn't quite ready, & the firearms permit needed to be sent. Man ..... I gotta due one of those PAC elephants.