Had a good trip for bull elephant on a trip through Ron Oliver (Zimbabwe Wildlife Safaris) with Theo Bronkhorst & Wayne Van Den Bergh. Second time with Wayne.

also shot Gr. Kudu, waterbuck and zebra. Could have shot others as well. Place was stiff with buff and sable.

Welcome home and glad you had a great trip. When you get a chance let us know about the bull elephant hunt and post the Safari Operators web site.

Finally some more information and picture access.



I cannot seem to get the pictures posted. Go to Photo Album for the pictures.







While we were arguing with travel agents about routing and tickets for our hunt with Buzz Charlton another opportunity seemed to appear on the horizon. I received an email posting from Ron Oliver (www.zwsafaris.com) that a legal elephant bull was available along with plains game and any left over quota if we were interested in any of it. Further inquiry indicated that Wayne Van Den Bergh (with whom we hunted in 2001) would be available as the PH. Alice and I talked it over and decided since we were going to be in Zimbabwe we might as well spend the extra time and money as compared to �just maybe� going again with more airfares and no discounted end-of-season expenses. After we reached agreement there was still a conflict we were not aware of and the hunt fell to Theo Bronkhorst, spent a few days checking references and looked well and good. Then Wayne found out that we were the ones coming and he went to work trying to rearrange his schedule and got most of it cleared so he would be there for most of the hunt. Theo was to meet us, get us to the area and hunt with us the first day.



SAA didn�t even ask the amount of ammo, just nodded when told it was in a locked metal box. The baggage inspectors wanted the ammo boxes unlocked, opened up the boxes of shells. They were amazed at the size of the .470 and .577 shells. They were running around showing them to the fellow workers! One guy called the .577 a shotgun and asked how old it was.



Theo was to hunt with us the first day. Really, our only objective was the bull elephant. I thought about a sable if we saw a big one, but the quota was used up in the area where most of the sable was to be found. Part of the area had been burned by accident and few sable were in it now. We found a large herd of buffalo, probably 3-400, but made no effort on them as the quota was used or committed. It was a large area of some 60,000 acres, but the quota was split into three group areas, as the local villagers want to make sure they get revenue from animals taken in their sphere of influence. We saw a kudu bull with deformed horns and Theo wanted it killed for rations for the crew. I had to hold a little to the right to miss a 4 inch tree near the kudu and didn�t see a 1.25 inch sapling near me as it was out of focus in the �scope and I hit it dead center with the .458 Win. Mag. Needless to say the kudu ran off untouched and we never found him again.



We found some elephant tracks before lunchtime that looked promising and we decided to check them out. The .577 comes out of the case and two of the heavy shells go �thud�, thud� as they are dropped in and the action closed. The area was fairly open and after about an hour we could see where they are taking their midday rest. They were just over the break on top of a flat-topped hill. We worked our way up the hill and to within range of the bull. There was also some cows, calves and younger elephant present, around twenty-five all together scattered over an area about the size of a football field. Theo and I gave the bull a good look-over. Theo thought he would go thirty pounds to the side or better. I didn�t think so. My thoughts were 25# to the tusk at the best. I told Theo, �too small for the first day.� He said, �You never know, there might not be another chance.� Maybe good advice, but my response was, �I understand the risk and I know it will leave the quota unfilled, but I am prepared to go home without a bull if it comes down to that situation.� I know Theo was disappointed that I turned it down, but it was my decision to make and despite the discounts, still my money to spend on the permit if I filled it.



Wayne arrived in camp around 6:00 AM on the second day as planned after having left Bulawayo about 2:00 AM. Theo was going to Vic Falls for diesel; diet Coke, and tonic water. He came home empty-handed. Meanwhile, we had been out hunting with Wayne. We found a herd of waterbuck and followed them up. There was a nice bull in the group and we got up to about 125 yards of him. A shot off of the shooting sticks with the .458 Win Mag. loaded with 450 grain Swift bullets at about 2250 fps high in the shoulder and it was time to take pictures and cut a road into him so that we could load him and get him to the skinners. The locals will be happy for the meat even if it is waterbuck. (It certainly is one of the least desirable meats in Africa.) Later we measured the horns at 27.5� on the right and 27.0� on the left. On subsequent days we saw one we were sure would go 31� or better.



As we were making delivery of the waterbuck carcass to one of the villages we saw a nice kudu bull. I had told Wayne and Theo that I would be interested in a wide spread at the tips and around 50� measured on the curve. The bull ran off, but then reversed directions and ran right to left across our front and stopping about 175 yards to our left front. Again shooting off the sticks as he was facing away and looking back at us the .458 Win. Mag. with the 450 grain Swift put him down in fine shape. It turned out the right horn measured 52� and the left one 51� with a nice wide spread of the horns.



Monday turned out to be rather uneventful. Tracked up one elephant herd and it looked to Wayne and I that it was again in the 25-30# area. I thought maybe a little thinner than the one we got up to with Theo. My response was the same as when with Theo,

�Let�s pass on him.� We found two more groups of elephants, but no bulls. Throughout the day we again saw groups of sable, impala, kudu, zebra, buffalo, lots of birds and the ever present baboon.



Tuesday we checked out 2 herds of elephant and looked at other tracks, but no bulls.

I shot some guineas and we found one in a snare. We thought it was dead, but it came to life in the Land Cruiser! We saw six adult wild dogs harassing a kudu cow. The cow wouldn�t move and they must have had some concern for what we were doing for they burgered off after about 20 minutes.



Tonight we had stuffed kudu steak for dinner. Sometime between 8 and 9 PM we got a radio message that the elephants were again raiding the gardens at the Holistic Training Farm and would we come. A short hours drive (one of our trackers is from the nearby village) and we can hear the elephant. We collect another guide, get as many lights in the huts put out as possible and start in. No moon, no stars, pitch black and we are going in with a spot light, I with the .577 and Wayne with his .458 Lott. Closer, closer, and closer to the breaking branches and we can hardly see each other, but the thorn trees can still find us! Finally the whisper to be ready, we are going to have a look. The spot light comes on; the elephants are not in the gardens! The Problem Animal Control permit would not be valid. The short light interval gave me a chance to check the sights to be sure I could see them well. I could. There is more breaking of branches to our right front and we move in that direction in case there is a shootable bull for quota. Spooky! Again the whisper of light and rifle up in case there is a charge, it dies, any cow, bull or whatever comes. The guide is concerned that we might step on one of the pumpkin plants they have planted! Yet they want an elephant, such misplaced worry. The light comes on, a quick scan of the scene, but only cows and young ones of various ages. The whisper to retreat and we do so guarding our rear. So much for night hunting!



The next day found us on promising tracks early. Chris-crossing the area on various vehicle tracks gave us a good idea where the elephants had gone and getting on a high point it proved to be so. It looked like there was a decent bull, but we were too far away to be able to tell for sure. We would need to get closer. The elephants are on a flat topped hill with almost no cover. Again the �thud� �thud� of those big .577�s dropping in the barrels and the reassuring sound of the closing of the action and we are off on the climb and stalk. Three times we went up, but the elephants kept moving slightly and the wind was going to be wrong. Finally we got far enough ahead that the wind was good, but they were still too far away. Wayne and I figured they would be 35-40# tusks and maybe a hair more depending on the nerve length in the tooth. Quite a few trunks were in the air and something to the east attracted their attention. They all turned to the east and that gave us a chance to cut the distance buy 20-25 yards. We are still about 45 maybe 50 yards and I told Wayne I wouldn�t try for a brain shot at that range, but that the heart and lung area was well positioned and easily doable. I gave him the left barrel and Wayne, watching through the binoculars, said �good.� I immediately gave him the right barrel in the same place and hit about 3� from the first and reloaded. The first shot had made him really sick and at the second dropped his head and blood starting flowing out of the trunk.

I was going to hit him again, but Wayne wanted to wait and see what he did. After what seemed a long time, but I am sure was less that 20 or 30 seconds he slowly slewed around 180 degrees and stood there. I could see the blood flowing and held higher to hit the leg bone or shoulder blade. The bullet caught the leg bone just below the shoulder blade socket and over he came. When that 750 grain solid hit you could just see the shoulder collapse inward. One of the trackers wanted to give him the insurance shot, so I said go ahead. The last part of one of his bottom teeth fell out when he hit the ground. We recovered it and it almost looks like polished petrified wood.



Alice had decided we needed a zebra skin for a wall, but she doesn�t know which one!

We went out looking for a zebra and the big waterbuck we had seen. No luck. In the afternoon hunt we saw some zebra and put on a stalk. We bumped into what proved to be another herd and the trackers followed it and both herds ended up getting a whiff of us. We finally got up to them and put one down at about 125-140 yards with the .458 Win. Mag., I was again using the 450 grain Swift bullet.

AHF,

Great report, you should think about being a writer. What area did you hunt?

Regards,

Terry

P.S.
I edited your post and added a direct link to your photo album.

AHF

As Terry says that is a very well written report, thanks for the detail. Can you tell me about your .577, make etc. and do you have any pictures of it? I have decided to take a British double on my next safari for elephant.

CFA

AHF,
The camp in your pics is in the Matetsi area, right? If not, it is the twin of the one I stayed in in 1998 about 20-30 miles south of Vic Falls. At the time, it was being used by National Safaris (Joe Wright). Game was plentiful then, spilling over with kudu, waterbuck, sable, buff and quite a few ele.

Sent you a PM

It looks like this one is corrupted, but the basic information is there.