Date of hunt; Nov. 20-30 2011
Booking Agent; Martin Pieters
Safari Co; Ivory Trails Safaris
Professional Hunter; Phillip Smythe
Travel Agent; Travel with Guns
Guns; Sabatti .450NE double rifle with factory Hornady 480gr DGS solids. Ruger .416 Alaskan with factory Hornady 400gr DGX softs and DGS solids
Game Sought; Tuskless Elephant, Cape Buffalo


It was 1979 and as a bored 17 year old suffering through my senior year of High School. I was perusing the library shelves for something interesting to read when I stumbled upon a new book titled Death in the Long Grass written by a guy named Peter Hathaway Capstick. I started reading it right there at the shelf and became so engrossed that I ended up checking it out to take home and read. By the time I finished that book I knew that I would one day travel to Africa and hunt for Elephant and Cape Buffalo. Over the years I read other books by the author as well as collected the writings of most of the African greats. Life and career took over for a while but I always had my dreams of hunting Africa. Zimbabwe, long known for its abundance of wildlife and a population of elephants that exceeds the carrying capacity of the land,is also recognized as one of the more affordable places to conduct a management type hunt for tuskless elephant. In the fall of 2011 an opportunity to hunt cape buffalo and tuskless elephant came along, and after a flurry of emails, reservations (and shots!) it all came together…………

It is a three hour drive from my home in Montana to the airport in Spokane Washington, then a flight to Minneapolis, on to Atlanta and 16 hours across the Atlantic to Johannesburg. I was met at the airport by a representative from Afton House who guided me to the South African Police Services office where I registered my rifles, and then was driven to the guest house. Accommodations were fine and the food was good. Up early the next morning for the flight to Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Once again, clearing customs with my guns was a breeze thanks to the preparations made for me by Susan at Travel with Guns.
http://www.travelwithguns.com/...ith-guns-africa.html
I was met at the gate by Professional Hunter Phillip Smythe of Ivory Trails Safaris who was about to take me on one of the greatest experiences of my lifetime. We loaded my gear in the Land Cruiser and took off on the seven hour drive to camp.

http://ivorytrailsafaris.com/
This being my first trip to Africa I had a million questions, all of which Phillip enthusiastically answered. I quickly learned that this 28 year old young man holds a degree in fine arts and is one of the most articulate and enthusiastic people I have had the pleasure of meeting. He has been a licensed PH for 5 years and is now running his own company out of the Swainsons camp on the Chirisa concession. It was after dark when we finally arrived and I was exhausted. I was shown to my thatched roof chalet which was nicely furnished with a comfortable bed, toilet, sink and hot shower. Phillips last words were that he would see me at 5am.



I slept well but woke early in anticipation of the upcoming hunt. The sun was already up when I walked towards the dining area at about 5:20. Phillip was sitting by the fire pit and glassing the Sengwe river valley below us. He handed me his binoculars and let me look at a herd of buffalo in the riverbed below. After having read about them for 30yrs, here I was, seeing buffalo in person, 20 minutes after daylight on the first day of my safari. We had a hot breakfast and as I was walking back to the room to grab my guns I saw two young bull elephants walking in the riverbed 300 yards directly below me, unbelievable! We loaded up the rifles and headed for the range. While the stated purpose of this exercise is to check that the rifles are properly sighted in, the more important observations made by the PH are whether or not the client/hunter can safely and comfortably handle the large caliber rifles in their possession. Happily all of my pre trip practice paid off and I did not embarrass myself during this evaluation.
We then loaded up and headed for the National Parks office where the paperwork for the hunt was filed and where we picked up Mr. Moyo who was to be the assigned game scout for the next ten days.


Once loaded, we headed to an area where we had earlier seen buffalo sign and began to follow their trail. We had walked just over 4 miles in the hot morning sun when our tracker Leonard signaled that we were close. We snuck as close as we dared then Phillip announce that we would be “bum crawling” the rest of the way. (This technique is performed by sitting flat on the ground and placing your rifle in your lap. You then use your hands and feet to inch forward while never raising your “bum” more than a few inches off of the ground. I quickly discovered that while it is a VERY effective means of sneaking up on a herd of wary animals, it can also be a tough way to move when the ground temperature is over 100 degrees and there are thorns poking your hands during your every move.)

We made three attempts on this herd but we were either winded or seen each time before finding a bull. To avoid spooking them out of the country we backed off, leaving them to pursue another day. All told we walked 7.5 miles that morning. We returned to camp for lunch and a break from the heat then headed back out to a high point where we could glass. We spotted a few elephant in the distance. We also saw about every other variety of African game imaginable. We finally spotted some more buffalo across the river but the wind shifted during our stalk and it was game over. Grand total of about 10 miles on foot today, so I was very happy that I had been watching my weight and walking regularly for the past 18 months. When we returned to camp I was treated to the first of many excellent meals prepared by Lewis the Shona camp cook. The Ivory Trails lodge is located on a rocky bluff above the Sengwe river valley and the rocks are the home to many creatures including a colony of Hyrax which are very entertaining to watch. During the night I heard the screams of one that was apparently having an encounter with one of the very large rock pythons that also live in the bluffs.

Up at 4am for breakfast then off to a point where we could glass for elephants. We spotted a herd on a mountain top and stalked to within about 30yds. This type of close in hunting is incredibly intense and is unlike any type of hunting I had ever done before. We slowly evaluated them but found no tuskless among the herd. We did have a great opportunity to practice stalking and also to discuss shot placement from a variety of angles. Since I was using a double rifle in caliber .450NE, Phillip said that his preference would be for a side brain shot followed up with a heart/lung shot if necessary. I had read many articles and watched numerous hours of video that all recommended this technique so I knew that it was sage advice. We ultimately backed out without the elephants ever knowing we were there. We lunched at a small lake and watched a variety of waterfowl and several large crocs while we ate. We then glassed from a high point and saw 3 elephants on a hill in the distance. We hiked into where they were and soon could hear the snapping of branches as they fed. We approached a small canyon and soon found ourselves on a rock ledge about five feet above, and about 15 yards away from a herd of 14 elephants. We watched as they all went by below us, again no tuskless were in the herd. It is an amazing experience to be that close to such giant creatures. Again we quietly discussed some shot placements before slipping away unnoticed. It was incredibly hot that afternoon but I didn’t really notice it till the hike out, such is the intensity of close in elephant hunting.

That evening we started on the tracks of some buffalo that we had once again found near the dry riverbed. Our Shona tracker Leonard was out in front followed by Phillip and myself. We heard a soft grunt type noise off to our right and everyone stopped. I followed Leonards gaze towards the waist high grass about 22 yards to our right and found myself looking into the eyes of a lioness that we had apparently interrupted in her stalk of this same herd of buffalo. She looked at us for another moment then dropped back down into the grass. We slowly backed out and I found myself not nearly as comforted by the double rifle in my hands as I had earlier imagined from the safety of my armchair a continent away. We never saw her again which was both comforting and unsettling at the same time. We tracked on only a short distance before bumping into the buffalo. They had circled together in a clearing apparently fully aware of the threat from all sides. As soon as they sensed us they were off at a dead run. Happily there were no good bulls in the bunch. I have not even been here two full days and the experience has already exceeded my expectations! After another great dinner it is off to bed with the anticipation of a 4am wake up and another adventure.

Today we hunted elephant in the jesse.

We just took off walking, hoping to pick up fresh tracks or hear the sounds of a feeding herd in this thick bush. We soon found a small herd and got in close but no tuskless were to be found. We continued on and soon found a group of five bulls, two of which were exceptional. The largest being a heavy one tusker of over 50lbs. The other bull was slightly smaller but with a perfectly matched set of ivory. We stalked in close and I had the opportunity to raise my rifle and simulate a few shots. Phillip did quietly remind me that unless I had an extra twelve thousand in my pocket that I should be sure and keep my finger off the trigger. We got some pictures and video, all the while I am sure, Phillip was lamenting the fact that we were not after bulls and I was kicking myself for wasting my youth reading hunting books instead of studying harder in school and becoming a doctor. Oh well, it was fun to dream!

We checked another area that afternoon and hunted near the concessions border with the communal lands. As we walked amongst the mopane trees we noticed that there were NO animals present. We soon discovered a poacher’s camp where we found several snares as well as some impala meat drying. The poacher had obviously run back across the boundary. We sent for the truck and helped the game scout gather it all up. We also radioed to National Parks to alert the anti poaching patrol so that they would come and work that area.

As we left we saw a herd of about 25 buffalo in the riverbed about a mile away. We walked quickly down a trail parallel with the river until we were about even with the herd. We stalked in a little ways and then Phillip said that it was time to bum crawl. This maneuver which now seemed routine, got us across about 40 yards of thin cover as we watched the herd milling around. There was a thick bush that we had managed to keep between us and the herd as concealment but it was too thick to take a shot through. With the herd now only about 17 yards away and darkness coming quickly we had to make a move. I could clearly see the bull which had bedded in the sand surrounded by both bedded and standing cows. We decided that we would just get up quickly and take about two steps to clear the bush. If a clear shot was presented I would take it, if not, we would try again tomorrow. My hands were sore from the stickers covering the ground and I was ready to get back on my feet. As we started to move I had a large piece of “wait a bit” brush go up my sleeve and hook both the fabric and my flesh. It took a moment to quietly disentangle and then we went.
When they saw us move, the herd spooked and ran about 30 yards. I was already tracking the bull in the compact 2X Leupold scope of my .416 Ruger Alaskan rifle. The bull spun to face me and there were no cows close to him. I centered the scope low on his chest and touched off the 400 grain Hornady factory DGX soft point. As the rifle recoiled I was already working the bolt and getting back onto the scope. I saw that the bull had spun and was slightly quartering away as he began to run. I put the crosshair on his right rear hip and fired a 400 grain DGS solid into him. I again cycled the bolt and as I came back onto the bull I saw him break from the herd and go down in the sand. Phillip and I ran out towards him, I was topping off my magazine as I ran. The bull was laboring for breath as we approached so I quickly fired two solids through his front shoulders and he became still.
I was in absolute amazement at how quickly this had all just happened. As we spoke, Phillip said that he knew the bull was hit hard when it fell to its knees at the first shot. He said that he also heard the second shot hit solidly. I told him that I never saw the bull go down but that I had been confident that both the first and second shots had been good.




After taking lots of pictures we started to field dress the bull. I had seen what looked like a light colored blister on the bulls left front shoulder. When Phil poked at it he said that he could feel a bullet under the skin. We made an incision and there was the solid that I had fired through the right rear hip. The bullet had traveled over six feet through the bull, passing through his stomach contents and left lung before stopping in the front shoulder. I was impressed!



When we looked at the chest shot I was pleased to see that it was well placed and had in fact blown a large hole through the heart. It’s hard to believe that there is an animal tough enough to take all of that punishment and still keep moving.

These cape buffalo really are as tough as they come. We spent about an hour processing him. The trackers took every part of the bull back to camp. When we left, the only thing still in the riverbed was blood, and the green contents that had been scraped out of the stomach and intestines. Nothing is wasted and everything would be used.

Some people will inevitably ask, “How big was it”. I had told Phil earlier that I have never scored a head in my life and didn’t plan on starting now. This trip was all about the experience of an African adventure and in my mind that was one of the finest buffalo ever taken, I was thrilled!

The next day was very hot so we spent a lot of time glassing for elephant from the hill tops. We never saw an elephant but we did see one herd of buffalo that was stretched out for half of a mile and we counted 148 head as they went by.


Today we are up at 4am. We checked a few spots but found no fresh sign. We did find lots of tracks entering into an area of jesse bush. We started following the tracks and soon found about 6 tusked cows. As we continued on, we soon found a herd of about 20. We slowly worked through them but the wind shifted and in an instant they crashed away. Undeterred we pressed on and quickly came upon yet another herd of about 15 elephant. As we moved around to get a good look and to keep the wind in our favor, Phillip said those magic words, “there are two tuskless”. The intensity of the hunt went up about 50 points at that moment. We had been in on a number of elephants by this time and I knew just how tough this stalk would be. Unless you have witnessed it, it is impossible to describe how hard it is to see an elephant in the thick bush at a distance of less than 20 yards. Elephants have keen hearing and an extreme sense of smell, throw in the unpredictability of dealing with a herd of cranky cows and you can have your hands full.

Phillip and I began to maneuver in, always aware of the wind and watching the placement of each footstep to avoid crunching a leaf that would betray our presence. As luck would have it, the older of the two tuskless was in the lead. She was about 15 yards out and heading our way. We got lined up in between two jesse bushes where I would have a clear view of the oncoming elephant. Right then Phillip whispered in my ear “frontal brain”. I had done my homework in preparation for this hunt and knew where to aim for that shot. I also knew that my double rifle chambered in .450 Nitro Express firing Hornady 480grain solids was equally up to the task. However, I also knew from years of reading and watching videos that while this shot often gave dramatic results, it is also the most difficult shot to make. There is a significant chance that the brain may not be hit and then I would have a disaster on my hands. As the elephant drew near I silently slid the safety off. I aligned the front bead on the top wrinkle of her trunk just below the smooth skin of the forehead. From my position that angle would provide a direct line to the brain lying at the back of her skull. As she took the last step that would bring her into range she stopped momentarily and flared her ears. I think she sensed that something was wrong. At that exact moment I had the sight picture that I wanted and I pressed the trigger sending the solid from the right barrel about 9 ½ yards to the elephant.

At the shot I saw her rear end collapse then the front legs folded. I immediately recognized this as the sure sign that the brain shot had been well placed. I also saw that the elephants behind her had wheeled and run at the sound of the shot. I took about three quick steps forward to be certain she was dead and to be in good position to take another shot if necessary. At that exact moment I heard Phil yell “get back” and I saw that the herd had changed direction and was now heading right towards us. It all happened in a flash but I turned and ran with Phil at an angle that would take us away from the path of the oncoming elephants. I could clearly hear the crashing of the brush behind me as I ran. It was over in a second. We discussed the fact that they were probably just disoriented as to where the threat came from and were not necessarily coming back for us. Either way, its best to get out of the way quickly when a herd of 14 elephant are bearing down on you.

We made our way back to the downed elephant and, just as I had expected, she lay dead where she fell. After the initial excitement of the hunt began to fade, I had the opportunity to just sit quietly and examine my elephant. After 33 years, I had finally fulfilled my dream of traveling to Africa and hunting both cape buffalo and elephant. It is a very humbling experience to harvest such a massive old creature and my emotions were quite solemn. I don’t think that anyone other than another hunter will ever understand the conflicting emotions of joy and sadness that are felt after taking the life of such a magnificent animal. Phillip aged her at over 50 years. Her skin was starting to sag and her backbone was quite pronounced. She was definitely starting to decline. Altogether, the perfect old elephant to harvest from the herd. She would now provide many meals for the people of the nearby communal area that rely on this land for their sustenance.




(video of the shot http://s1119.photobucket.com/a...¤t=theshot.mp4 )



After the obligatory pictures, and the ceremonial cutting of the tail to claim ownership of the elephant, the real work would begin. We hiked out to the truck and went to get a crew that would have to cut a path into the elephant and then process her for distribution.

A crew of about 10 men arrived to work. Two skinners were taking the elephant apart while the others moved the large pieces to a now waiting trailer. It took about three hours for all of this to take place. We had started a fire and harvested some of the temple meat for a meal while the work was going on.

I sampled a small amount on a skewer but all the while I was thinking of something that I had heard from another elephant hunter several years earlier. He had been asked if he had eaten the elephant meat and his reply was that while he really wanted to, he didn’t feel right taking food away from others who needed it much more than he did. I was at that moment feeling much the same way. For those who have never seen an animal processed in Africa, it is indeed a sight to see. They waste nothing! Everything is taken back to camp and used in some way. When they were done, there was nothing on the ground but blood and a section of the large intestine. When asked later about the intestine, our cook Lewis said that it was not good to eat. Having seen how the small intestine is opened, cleaned of its partially digested contents and it as well as all other organs are eaten, one is left to speculate what the large one must taste like.


It rained hard the next day and I as well as the staff was ready for a quiet day in camp. The past week of getting up at 4 and hunting all day in the heat were definitely taking a toll on me (Hey, I’m from Montana and I actually had to plow the snow from my dirt road before I could leave for the airport). Every night I had gone to bed exhausted and awaken still tired. The couches in the thatched roof dining area were a welcome place to sit and watch the rain fall, while reading a book and catching up on my hunt diary. That afternoon when the rain stopped, we went up to the skinning shed to look at the progress. While we were gone the camp staff reported that a leopard came up out of the cliffs, casually walked across the patio by the fire pit and went back down the bluff.

I still had a couple of days left on the trip and while Phillip had dutifully asked me if there was something else I would like to hunt, I told him that at this point anything else would seem quite anticlimactic. We decided to go look for some guinea fowl that would provide a welcome change for the camp staff diet as well as a little recreation for us since we were using my double rifle. We went down by the dry riverbed and saw that due to yesterday’s heavy rain, the creeks were now flowing into the dry sands and were creating some pools. Our tracker Isaac had gone out ahead of us and we saw him swing his machete into a pool of water then grab at something. We quickly realized that he had found a pool of Barbel (catfish) and was busily collecting dinner. We hurried over but since I had neither a machete nor a fishing pole I was at a loss as to how to join in on the fun. My intrepid PH Phillip then had one of those epiphanies that would change our lives. He pointed out that we did have rifles and that the camp staff really would appreciate some smoked fish so what was I to do? By the time it was over I was six for six with my . 450 double and he shot several more with the .416. We were both laughing so hard it became difficult to shoot. Who knew that when shot in shallow water, a fish could fly over 20 feet into the air and land on the beach nearby (and still be edible)? We collected a mess of fish and had more fun than I have had since I was a kid. I told him of our southern cat fishing technique of “noodling”, and we quickly agreed to call our new found style “doubling” after the double barrel rifle that made it so much fun.

(click on the picture below to see "flying fish video")


When we could find no more fish in the shallows we began wading through a small calf deep pool of muddy water trying to push the fish downstream. Our tracker Isaac suddenly yelled that he had been bit by a crocodile. He got out of the water and his leg was bleeding from several spots. We told him that he had probably just been spined by a catfish and to get back in the water and help us. Moments later Phillip told me to get out of the water because he had just felt something “large and scaly” rub against his leg. We then saw a four foot long, young crocodile in the water. He too was apparently enjoying a meal of catfish and was not at all interested in sharing his fishing hole. I have heard many a tail of crocs in the waters of Africa but would never have believed there would be one in this small pool created overnight by runoff. (Note to self, don’t even go near a puddle in this place!)

The rest of my time was spent just exploring the far corners of the concession, taking photos and searching for the (still elusive) Chirisa caves that Phillip had found marked on some 1950’s era map of the area.
The last evening we set up a table in the dry Sengwe riverbed and had drinks while watching the sun go down. It was a picture perfect way to end what had truly been the adventure of a lifetime.

My eternal gratitude goes out to Peter Hathaway Capstick whose writings captivated the imagination of a very young man in a school library a continent away and to Phillip Smythe of Ivory Trails Safaris who truly brought that adventure to life for me thirty three years later. Thank you both, it was well worth the wait!

Great report and congratulations on a dream come true!

Now comes the big question - When are you going back??

Fantastic story!

Ya know, most of us are working today. Thanks for briefly taking me out of the office and into the bush.

Your hunt rocks.

Congratulations on a great hunt and write up.

Nice report. Big congrats!

JCS271,

A perfect first safari and I really enjoyed the story. Great trophies and excellent shooting particularly on the fish.

I'm not a double rifle guy but I'd be very interested in your overall impression of your Sabatti. A couple of clients have recently asked me about them.

Mark

JC - Congrats man, really happy for ya! Phillip is a great young man, with knowledge/experience beyond his years.

That is a great report, JCS.

Thank you for sharing it with me.

Good stuff man.

Congrats on a great hunt and a super report. I did my first buff hunt from the same camp when Phillip was an appie. Great guy and great view from camp.

Great hunt report,I am so glad that your dream came true.

Congrats on a great hunt. You clearly had a wonderful trip!

Great report!
I really enjoyed reading it
Congrats with the buff and the elephant.

Thanks for sharing.

And what a dream to have come true. Thanks for sharing a wonderful experience and posting your story. Most enjoyable.

Wonderful experience and good report. Congrats!

Well done.

JCS 271 - I too had a dream of some 57 years to go to Africa and hunt elephant. This year I realized that lifelong dream in Zimbabwe as you did. I took a nice bull elephant
with my 450 NE Sabbatti DR in 450 NE. I think I know exactly the emotions you felt when the elphant was down It is an experience I will never forget or regret. Congradulations - well done !

That's how a safari is suppossed to go. Wonderful trip and write-up.

Great report.

I also "discovered" Africa in the public library but I was about 9 at the time and it took me 41 years to realize my dream.

Can't fault a man for realizing his dreams. Nice job.

Congratulations and great story. Loved hearing it as I'm booked with Phillip and ITS for next August - same hunt: tuskless and elephant. Glad to hear it was a memorable experience.

quote:

tuskless and elephant

Meant tuskless and buffalo

That's what it is all about. Congratulations.

Congrats on your success.
You did well in finding the Tuskless in Chirisa.

I thoroughly enjoyed the report. Well done and congratulations!

Great report, really fantastic trip..your 30 year

dream was well worth it....

Outstanding! Congrats!

Congrats on a great hunt and super report. The pics of you guys glassing over the Sengwa River brings back many fond memories!

We used Phil earlier on in the year when all our PHs were busy and he is a good guy and will go far! Looks like you brained your big old tuskless perfectly!! Cheers Buzz

Great report & story. Thank you for writing.
JCHB

cldnt get that smile off ur face with a belt grinder.

well done.
Thanks for sharing.

Like my wife always say it is not about the inches and just that made the experience so much better. if you want to hunt with a measuring tape you should make the kill with it aswell

very nice trophies but congrats on experiencing african hunting like it should be.

GREAT JOB PHIL

You did it right. Very good report.

Very well done. Congratulations on your hunt, your trophies and your memories.

Jay, what a pleasure.... We had an awesome safari together and Jay stayed very cool in an interesting situation with the tuskless. And the barbel... that was some fun.

I have attached a small clip of Jay's tuskless frontal brain in the jesse



http://s1119.photobucket.com/a...¤t=theshot.mp4

Enjoy, let me know if it works.

brilliant.

Congrats!

Nice buff and ele and a real nice write-up.

Cheers!

I really enjoyed your story. Congratulations on your buff and ele, but even more so on your attitude and ability to appreciate the gestalt of the thing. An amazing first safari.

Great story.
Well done.
:-)

Congratulations!!! The smile on your face says it all! My son and I hunted with Martin Pieters group back in early Aug. We had a ball! Yep, leave the tape at home and enjoy the experience! Ya dun good!!


Mad Dog

Well done, very nice story.