This years April Elephant hunt took place in the Tribal Trust Land (TTL) that I had hunted last year with Matt Stanton.
We were after Tusk less Cow and Trophy Bull this time and had a friend come along as an observer and he was to film some of the hunt.
Our flight to Bulawayo ran smooth with a stop over at Afton Lodge for a night.
Matt picked us up at the airport and after some preparation in town that same day we drove straight to the hunting grounds where our camp had been set the day before.
As we were hunting adjacent to a National Park area the hunting technique was to travel from village to village and find out from the villagers where the Elephant were crop raiding and only when spoor from that morning was found would we start the often long tracking hunt.
On these hunts we would have Jabalani a great tracker, PH Matt Stanton, myself, my friend Shaun, PH Bill Rowe and then lastly the National Parks Scout. When we got close to the Game Matt, myself and Shaun would move on ahead of the others.
Back at the Toyota, Stumo and the Council Scout were in communication by Two way Radio if needed.
During the forteen days we were becoming familiar with some of the herds in the area, in particular with one mixed herd of around twenty five and one herd of four big Bulls.
Amongst these animals we knew there were a couple Bulls around the forty pound mark and one around fifty pounds which was the one I hoped for. A previous Australian hunter missed a chance at this beauty.
We were also told by another Zimbabwean hunter of a seventy pounder seen in the area.
On day eight of the hunt we got right into a herd looking for one to take but after bumping them twice we decided to leave them untill after lunch.
At lunch we would make for a road and meet up with the truck for a lunch of grilled steak and African sausage followed by a light rest.
That after noon we followed the herd untill we ran out of day light. We knew they were heading for a big area of thick Jesse Bush.
The next morning we went to a near by village were we picked up fresh spoor of a lone Bull that had fed in a field that night and after tracking it for about an hour it joined the herd we were tracking the day before. after about two hours we came to the Jesse. Cautiously we continued and not more than twenty minutes had passed when I felt the often changing wind brush past the back of my neck, seconds later all hell broke as twenty plus Ele made for thicker cover. We decide to continue but break up into our two groups and again a few minutes later we bumped them again this time as we sank to the ground we could see that at twenty meters there were two Ele in the shadows, within seconds the biggest turned and without warning charged strait for us. This charge was like nothing I have seen before, no screaming, no ears out, just fast!
She made ten meters in seconds smashing through the bushes on the way.
By the time we had our rifles up she was within meters of us and as I had the best view My shot was first followed by Matt's. The 500grn Woodleigh solid passed through a small tree and hit her in the head and although the bullet missed the brain by a couple of inches it certainly stopped her, making her swing right giving Matt a perfect shot at the lungs as she fled.
We prepared our selves for the follow up. Thirty meters on, behind an ants nest in the thickest cover, we could see her back line and with the 470NE I shot again dropping her. We then moved in for a couple brain shots just to be sure.
Dam exiting stuff!
Shaun was not keen to hunt the Jesse after that.
After all the matters with the National Parks and council were taken care of we had to prepair the Animal with the skin and tusks separated and the meat cut up for the people.
The next few day were spent chasing Ele but with no luck. Shaun and Bill went after plains game elsewhere taking Eland, Warthog, Zebra, Bass and Franklin.
After this great hunt we regrouped at Bulawayo and then traveled to Wankie National Park were we camped and watched the Game with one night sleeping with Lion nine meters away. Actually not sleeping!
We then traveled to Victoria Falls and stayed at ULTIMATE LODGE with Russel Caldercott and enjoyed the tourist scene including some Bream and Tiger fishing.
Shaun continued on to Zambia and Botswana and I traveled back to Bulawayo and then on to home.
Thanks Matt and Bill for another great Safari.




Checking the Park boundry


Myself with a Merkel 470NE and PH Matthew Stanton of zimtracker@mweb.com.zw with the Elephant that was set on fixing us up proper!

quote:

Phew! that was close

My mate Shaun on left with a Husky 9.3Mauser and his PH Bill Rowe of Gwanda with a Win 375H&H who stayed back with the tracker and Park Scout.


Shaun with a Wart Hog and Eland taken with a 9.3Mauser, 4x Schmidt&Bender scope and Woodleigh Bullets down in Zimbabwe's Lowveldt.

Lowveldt plains game area



TTL art

Wow! That was in thick stuff? where's the rest of the story? How many guns were involved in the incident as I see 4 different guys in the 2 pics?

Yes, tell us the scoop!

So who is who in the photos?

I think I see a Krieghoff, a Husqvarna, a Mod. 70.

In theory you don't have to pay for chargers but .......

PLEASE PROVIDE THE STORY!

It just isn't fair to us stuck where we are. Sounds like an exciting hunt!

JPK

I would sure like to know if you shot him in the brain with your first shot!

quote:

Originally posted by shootaway:
I would sure like to know if you shot him in the brain with your first shot!

I guess when one lacks one the issue becomes an obsession...jorge

Adam,
Congratulations on an exciting hunt... nothing like chasing them in the thick stuff! Cow elephant are the biggest bang for the buck for adrenaline junkies... extreme sport for hunters. You mentioned having to sort through some issues with Parks? Just the usual?

Yes our Parks scout had to fill out a statment for the self defence shooting of the tusked cow and council still wanted the Trophy fee.

Congratulations – welcome back from a ball with jesse ghosts – looks like you have yet another reason to go back?

quote:

Originally posted by shootaway:
I would sure like to know if you shot him in the brain with your first shot!

read the post again and maybe you can figure it out( although i doubt it)

I must not have read correctly the first time.Thanks jdollar.I would not trust a lesser bullet than a 500grain copper monometal,or a 450 grain NorthFork cup point solid.

Thanks for the story and the pics. I too, shoot a Merkel .470 NE.

mouse93, You know we don't need much reason to go back to Africa .
UEG, yes the MERKEL 470 doubles are great rifles and available at a reasonable price and in fact Matt the PH now owns this rifle.
We recovered a Woodleigh 500grn solid and as usual it was in perfect condition.
ozhunter

Great story! Elephant hunting sure seems exciting! Can`t wait to do it myself..

A couple more photos of Shauns Plains Game.