Big Tusker

Anyone with information on this little fellow? Looks like one out of few..
The tusks are pretty thin I guess, but must reach a good weight anyway..

Yep, too damn thin. I'd have passed on him.

Didn't Ray mention some time ago that Tanz bulls generally have lon thin tusks? I find that this one is a keeper because of the symmetry and length. Knowing what these tusks weigh would've been nice.

quote:

Originally posted by 475Guy:
Didn't Ray mention some time ago that Tanz bulls generally have lon thin tusks? I find that this one is a keeper because of the symmetry and length. Knowing what these tusks weigh would've been nice.

Unfortunately one cannot weigh them until the elephant is dead and the teeth chopped out.

In todays world, I think one better think twice about passing on a set of tusks such as those. Nice matched set, may only go 60# or so, so what they would look impressive along side a fireplace.

Just kidding about passing. Given a chance at an ele like that, I would take him 10 times out of 10, maybe 11 times out of ten.

East African Elephants tend to have long thin tusks and Southern African Elephants have shorter thicker tusks............That is one very fine Elephant......and I'd bet it's a lot closer to 100 lbs than it is to 60 lbs.

When that elephant was shot the minimum tusk weight for Tanzanian Elephants was 20 kgs a side (just now dropped to 17 Kgs). It's always difficult to make an accurate assessment from a photo but I reckon he's around the 100 or maybe a bit more.

I notice that the outfitter was Pasanisi and as he has quite a lot of concessions it's not easy to say which one it came from.......Although I get an idea I've seen the photo somewhere before.

I can assure all of you that you are are talking about one hell of an elephant. Anyone who thinks that that elephant is not a keeper better not ever go elephant hunting

I remember when that elephant was taken as I saw the tusks at the game post and those tusks were 80 plus pounds and were a little over 7 feet tall. That is a beautiful and classic Tanzania elephant, and in my opinion a hell of a lot better looking than any Botswana or Zimbabwe elephant. They can only dream of an elephant like that is Botswana and Zimabwe! Yes they might get 80# elephant in Botswana now and then, but one would be lucky if it was over 5 foot long.

This is not an everyday or every year type elephant either in Tanzania. So, who ever the hunter was, should be very proud and happy with that elephant trophy

I've just spoken to a buddy who works for Pasanisi. The Bull was shot on the Holland & Holland area and the weight was around 90 Lbs a side.(guess I overestimated a tad....oops)

PH was Pedro Samaelo.

90#! Man, that's definitely something to be proud of. My old hunting partner's Dad has gone to the big A at least a dozen times and has some impressive tusks from at least 3 hunts and the tusks were never as symmetrical as these. One was always shorter by quite a bit, depending whether it was "right tusked or left tusked."

Certainly look like they would frame a door nicely.

Looking at my ivory I was going to take a whack at 80+ per side but the answer appear while reading posts...8 feet long have to be over 60lbs...

Mike

Anders,

On a side note, your photo album is quite impressive. You are a lucky and dedicated hunter to have experienced such a diversity of hunting experiences! Regards, Hugh

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Richards:
Just kidding about passing. Given a chance at an ele like that, I would take him 10 times out of 10, maybe 11 times out of ten.

That's more like it!
I wouldn't have pasted that set of teeth 33 years ago, much less tomorrow.

Looks a very nice ele to me regardless of what the tape/scales says..

I wonder if the hunter is dissapointed with them or something? I mean he is standing so far behind them, he is almost not in the frame!

Thats a better elephant than I have ever seen in Tanzania...He is a fantastic bull....

I would rather shoot a 100 lb. Tanzania bull with the long thinner tusks than a Botswana bull of the same weight..

I'll just say one thing, that bull would have been mine if I'd seen him first! I don't care if his tusks had been hollow, and only weighed 40# they would be on each side of my fireplace today! That is one fine looking set of tusks!

They definetly looked impressive to me.. At least for todays standards. But I have very little experience.
I must say that long thin tusks like theese, appeals more to me than thicker, shorter ones from more southern areas..

Do you think any African country or area ever will be able to produce 100 pounders..? Or are those days forever gone..?

Thanks Hugh! I have hunting grounds all around me, and have been lucky to enough to be able to save money for Africa as well...

Some African countries do occasionally produce 100 pounders ........but they're not cheap hunts.

Probably one of the least expensive countries to go to for a 100 pounder would be Mozambique but you would have to be prepared to work very hard and long to stand a reasonable chance of taking one.

That elephant was taken in July of 2003 by a Spanish hunter, as shakari has said, in the Kihurumira block, aka the Holland & Holland block of the Selous. This area is controlled by Tanganyika Wildlife Safari, which is owned by the Pasanisi family.

I know because I hunted the very next safari, a bit farther south in the Selous, in the Mkuyu camp, with the PH who found this elephant, Luis Pedro de Sa e Mello.

Pedro told me the whole story. The major tusk was closer to 80 than 90 lbs. (before drying), and was over 8 feet long. That, my friends, is an elephant!

Try as we might, we could not find anything even close (to legal, that is) in our area.

What is the trophy fee and daily rate (and how many days) for one of these 100-pound hunts? If I'm still breathing after my next rotation, I might actually be able to swing it.

Oh, and so I'm clear... you can come home with ivory you shot yourself, right? I know you can't import any you didn't shoot.

Russ

Russ,

There's no problem importing Elephant products from Tanzania into the USA but the usual licencing rules apply. Elephant only occur on a 21 day licence and you'll find full details including trophy fees of all our Tanzanian hunts on our website. A 21 day hunt isn't cheap but the good news is that once you've paid the daily rates etc you can take an awful lot of animals at sensible trophy prices.

You can't import Mozambican Elephant products into the USA.