Outfitter: SMJ Safaris, Stephan Jacob
PH : Stephan Jacob
Area : Nyae Nyae Conservancy Namibia
Dates : June 20 - 30, 2015



Two years ago, I decided I wanted to hunt the biggest body elephant in the world. After some research, Nyae Nyae Conservancy started to get my attention. With Botswana closed, the Nyae Nyae has by far the biggest elephant bulls and the best elephant hunting in Africa.



It is classic elephant hunting, find a track and go. There are no problems with the bulls going into the park or into another concession because the area is so vast, 2.2 million acres, that's close to the size of Yellowstone National Park. I had to Google that twice to make sure it was right. Something else unique about it is there are very few cows. We saw one small cow herd on the first day, that was the only cows we saw. It is a bull area. We got in close to bulls everyday, the groups varied from single bulls to a herd of 21 bulls. The size of the tracks, Stephan won't follow anything less than 23". We tracked one bull that had a 27" track. This was my 7th elephant hunt and was beyond anything I have ever experienced.
First morning out we checked the waterhole that was about 1000 yds. from camp. Most nights we could hear elephants coming in to this water, trumpeting and raising sand. Didn't see anything we wanted to follow. Went down the road a ways and found some we defiantly wanted to follow. These bulls had someplace to go and they straight lined out. It was fast tracking with the sandy soil so the trackers took off like you turned the dogs loose. For three hours we followed the tracks just as fast as I could walk. Finally, as we approached a big thicket, we could tell they had slowed down and were feeding some so our spirits lifted thinking they would be resting in this thicket. It wasn't long after we entered the thick stuff when a tracker pointed and I saw this huge head towering above the brush, my first Nyae Nyae bull. We circled around keeping the wind right looking for other bulls when we saw another bull, then there was one on our left, then another over there. Final count was 11 bulls, one was unreal. I can't judge ivory but when he is 19" to 20" at the lip, even I can tell he is big. Stephan said 70#. There were several in the 60# to 65# range. There was one bull that Stephan said we could have shot as a non-trophy if it had been late in the hunt but were looking for "The perfect bull". We walked back to the truck, tired but excited about the rest of the hunt.
The next day we tracked a group of 8 bulls, all in the 50# to 60# class. Didn't walk to far which I was glad, my legs were still feeling the march from the day before. That afternoon, we went to an area that has good plans game and I shot a gemsbok. The bushmen needed meat. Saw Roan, Kudu, Giraffe, Wildebeest, it was nice to relax and enjoy the other wildlife.



The third day was extra special. First out we tracked 4 bulls and caught up to them in only 30 mins. There was one bull we could have shoot for a non-trophy, even the trackers asked why we didn't shoot him, but Stephan kept saying, " We are looking for the perfect bull". I could tell this was going to be a TRUE elephant hunt. Back to the truck, drove maybe 20 min. and found an absolutely HUGH track. An honest 27" by the tape.



Caught up to him in 23 min. but he was to big. Went to a pan and was eating lunch when a young bull walks out of the brush straight toward us. Gets within 100 yds of us, Stephan grabs his rifle, the guys are loading stuff on the truck in case we have to make a hasty retreat. The bull turns, goes to the water, has a good drink and walks back into the brush. All in a day in the Nyae Nyae.



We saw a beautiful bull on the fourth day, tracked 3 bulls for a little while until they started meandering, feeding and I felt we would see them ant moment but as happens so many times, the bulls decided to head out for a place to lay and they straight lined out. We walked for about 3 hrs. before we caught up to them. We spent quit a bit of time just enjoying watching a particular bull. Had thin ivory, for this area, about 15" but they were long and beautiful. Stephan said 48", maybe 50" on the longest tusk, add 27" or 28" in the head, that gives you over 70". Even though the weight wouldn't be there, 60# to 65#, they would be a beautiful set. It was a real pleasure just watching him.
Day five was the most exciting day in all the seven elephant hunts I have been on. We walked in to a pan to check for tracks.



The trackers circled the water seeing what was going on, as they started up an elephant path heading into the brush they ran into 3 bulls coming to water. On of the guys pointed, then they ran like Satan was after them. The bulls came out into the clear, smelled them, turned and ran back into the brush. We picked up tracks of 2 other bulls and caught up to them fairly quickly. Saw one bull we thought might be a shooter but needed to get a closer look. I got a good look at him and the tusks looked mighty long to me for a non-trophy but hey, I'll be happy to take him. As we started moving in to get a better look we saw another bull, then one more, then heard some more. We had gotten between 2 groups of bulls. The one we thought might be a shooter was to long so now we are trying to checkout all the other bulls. We spotted one that was MAGNIFICENT, 75#. We could get glimpses of his tusks then he walked through a clearing and my jaw dropped. Thick and long, my what a sight. We hadn't seen anything we could take and the group on the left was headed to water so we out flanked them and beat them there. Soon, 12 bulls filed out of the brush into the water. Watching them splashing and spraying was a great way to end the morning. We had spent 2 1/2 hrs sneaking, creeping and peeking among 21 bulls. That was a morning I won't soon forget. On the way to the truck the guys started on another track, it crossed the road so we ate lunch then picked it up and followed it for a while before we caught him but he was to big.
Day 6 everything fell in place. Followed a group of 4 bulls for 15 min. when the game scout pointed at him. He was bring up the rear of the group and after a good look, Stephan said we had found the perfect bull. The trackers asked Stephan if he wanted to checkout the other bulls but he told them we had found the one we had been looking for, a real old bull with short thin tusks. I had been calm all week long around all the bulls we had seen but as soon as Stephan said we were going in my heart rate jumped, my breathing increased and I got cotton mouth. Normally, I liked to get inside 20 yds but it was so open Stephan said we wouldn't be able to get that close so the plan became, get as close as we could and if needed I could rest on a tree. The bull was feeding quartering away, wind was good and we slipped in as close as we dared,30yds. I rested on a tree and waited till he turned broadside. I shot, head up, tail down. Some insurance shots then the emotions flooded out. The guys had to go back to the truck and then cut a road in, thank goodness it was a short distance. While they were doing that I had plenty of time to admire him and savor the moment.
The next day was recovery. They skinned the head out and removed the lower jaw so we could age him He indeed was an old bull, on his last set of molars, estimated age, 47 to 48 yrs old. " The Perfect Bull".
Just some rambling thoughts on things I learned:
When Stephan and his trackers are following a specific bull, each one will take a different leg and find a unique mark in that track. That way, when that bull gets mixed up with some other elephant, they can be certain they are on the right bull.
Stephan's method of judging ivory: This is for this area. Take the length outside the lip, add the length inside the head, 27" to 28" for these bulls. If the tusk is 18" at the lip, then that is your weight. If it is under 18" at the lip then deduct 5% for every inch it's under 18". If over 18", add 5% for every inch over 18".
I was hoping to get a tail hair bracelet for my granddaughter. Even though this bull didn't have any hair on his tail, Stephan said the bushmen don't know how to make a bracelet. I thought that was odd.
Wear on tracks: With the sandy soil they don't wear smooth on the heel. In fact, a mid age bull will wear smooth then will start cracking again.




Still had his last bite in his mouth.


The gang, it was a team effort.




No hair for a bracelet


From where I shot him


He made a pipe from a 470 case. That's better than those guys who rolled the tobacco up in newspaper

Wow! Awesome hunt & report. Thanks.

Great hunt report! Any info you'd like to share on rifle and load?

Very nice.

Congratulations, that sounds like a wonderful hunt! Great pictures,snd report...

BAMA15,

Congratulations on your great Hunt.To be in amongst such creatures is truly a privilege!!!
And to be surrounded with 60 and 70 lbers .,
WOW.

Well done.

cheers

Nick

quote:

Originally posted by FFemt5287:
Great hunt report! Any info you'd like to share on rifle and load?

Rifle is just a blue collar Rem. 700 XCR in 375 H&H. I hand load 300 gr. Woodleigh solids. The insurance shot in the crease of the leg was found under the skin on the opposite side. HOWEVER, this bullet hit the spine. It broke the vertebra, but deflected down along the spinal column. I wanted to use the hydro static solids but had trouble seating them deep enough to cycle in my rifle and it was to close to the hunt to take the time to work on it. This was the second time I have had one deflect on an elephant. I am going to find something different.

Bama,
Great report and a true elephant hunt. Well done man. Nyae Nyae does indeed resemble a true paradise.

A few more pics. Had to give Ben the credit he deserves. He is an appy working for Stephan, they have been friends and hunting buddies for many years. He was a tremendous help and a lot of fun to hunt with.



He was also pretty mean with the grill, here he's grilling kudu sausage for lunch after we shot the bull.

Congrats and well done!

Had the exact same thing happen to me when I used 350 grain woodliegh factory load solid out of a 375 HH 700 Remington .The round deflected off the spine and it looked just like the one in the picture. On my second elephant trip I used a hand load 350 grain barns solid in front of 70 grains of R15 powder. Worked great Penetrated to the other side just below the skin.

Congratulations on a magnification bull and great write up goes to show that a 375 in the right hands is plenty of medicine for elephants

Good job. Sounds like a great hunt. Nice write up. Thanks for sharing. Bruce

Great report. Sorry about the Woodleigh. I have found favor with the CEB 13's. That is a really nice big old bull.


Dutch

Well done

Thanks for sharing your wonderful hunt. What an outstanding experience.
This is the polar opposite of the way non-trophy bull hunts have been described to me, basically shooting the first non-trophy bull you see.
Congratulations on a wonderful experience!

quote:

Originally posted by Marty:
Thanks for sharing your wonderful hunt. What an outstanding experience.
This is the polar opposite of the way non-trophy bull hunts have been described to me, basically shooting the first non-trophy bull you see.
Congratulations on a wonderful experience!

Marty, they can be and it was a concern of mine. I discussed this with Stephan on the first e-mail and I have to give him credit, he WANTED to give me the hunt I wanted. That says a tremendous amount about the character of Stephan.

Bama15

Excellent report and great photos. Sounds like it was a most excellent adventure, thanks for posting

Paul

If I may? Why is "To big" not shot worthy?

quote:

Originally posted by Dave James:
If I may? Why is "To big" not shot worthy?

I was on a non-trophy(own use) hunt. It is also nonexportable. W were looking for what Stephan called the "Perfect Bull", old with broken or thin short tusks.

Classic. Great report.

quote:

Originally posted by Bama15:

quote:

Originally posted by Dave James:
If I may? Why is "To big" not shot worthy?

I was on a non-trophy(own use) hunt. It is also nonexportable. W were looking for what Stephan called the "Perfect Bull", old with broken or thin short tusks.

Yes, this is the perfect approach.

Just a couple of pics I came up on.



This is the Nyea Nyae pan in the southern part of the area. Normally it would be full of water and have hundreds of flamingos but they are having a dry year. Last year it was flooded and they spent a lot of time by driving in 2 feet of water. This area has a good number of plains game and saw several Roan.



This is the story that needs to be told. We won't convert the radicals but there are a great number of non hunters who need to be told the truth. There were four villages that received meat and each village supplied skinners, when they would cut a piece of meat they would put it in their own stack. The guys in the pic are scrapping the bones to get all the meat off. A poor vulture would starve.

Many thanks for sharing Congrats on a really Nice non trophy bull and a serious hunt

Morten

Great pics and story. Love this last photo!

Great story!

Well told, congrats on the "right" bull!

Thanks for sharing your safari! Big congrats on your ele!

Best regards, D. Nelson

very interesting hunt in a historic hunting area...Who run the concession right now?

quote:

Originally posted by Mario:
very interesting hunt in a historic hunting area...Who run the concession right now?

Stephan Jacob and another operator, not sure his name, share the quota.

a dream!

quote:

Originally posted by Mario:
a dream!

Mario, it was a dream hunt. I have been on one trophy bull hunt but I was not able to get up on but one bull before the one I shot and that's something I missed. Stephan told me even if we shoot the "Perfect Bull" toward the first of the hunt, we would still track bulls and look them over.

quote:

Originally posted by Bama15:

quote:

Originally posted by Mario:
a dream!

Mario, it was a dream hunt. I have been on one trophy bull hunt but I was not able to get up on but one bull before the one I shot and that's something I missed. Stephan told me even if we shoot the "Perfect Bull" toward the first of the hunt, we would still track bulls and look them over.

I really like your picture showing the carcass stripped. That says it all as to community use.

Congrats, nice bull. I only hope I get to experience that once before I pack it in.
Well done.

thanks. One day...

Bama,

Often people tell me they are most interested in the hunt. You definitely had a "hunt" in spades.

Huge congrats!

Mark

Great Hunt and Great Report

Do you have contact info for SMJ Safaris? It sure sounds interesting. I'd like to give it a try

Great report and a worthy bull to be taken!
Congratulations.

quote:

Originally posted by pagosawingnut:
Great report and a worthy bull to be taken!
Congratulations.

Thanks, that was the most rewarding elephant hunt I have been on. Looking for the "Perfect bull"

I'm bringing this back to the top so it will be easier for a friend of mine to find. He has never been to Africa and I am trying my best to convince him to come along with me as an observer on this hunt in August. I think if I can get him to come, Africa will put him under her spell.