Hunters: Jeff Sevor and Larry Shores

Sarari Company: Butler and Holbrow

Area: Sankuyo NG34

Dates: August 17-26

PH: Chris Dandrige

Gun: Win Model 70 .458 Lott

Ammo: Federal Premium 500gr Sledgehammer Solids

Airlines: Delta and Air Botch

Cameraman: James Peters

Broken bones: 2 right big toe

I will piggy back off of Larry Shores to some degree especially if I can plagarize something witty.

Arrived in Joberg without incident and thankfully were met by Safari Concierge. I despise overnighting in Joberg and have not done so in 12 years and hope it is another 12 before having to do so again. That said I cannot speak highly enough of Safari Concierge. They were prompt and professional. Interesting note at the next morning's departure on Air Botswana, they were adamant that the ammo be removed from the luggage and placed with the guns. You tell me.

Arriving in Maun we met up with PH's Chris Dandridge and Murray Gibbs, then off to camp. Rifles were checked and we had a bit of camaradarie and good cheer before dinner and turning in. Camp consisted of comfortable safari tents with showers and loos. At 2 AM I was awakend by a vehicle driving the road back and forth. (foreshadowing).





Day 1 Found us far north of camp in the Sankuyo concession in what Chris calls his north loop. Unfortunately all of the pan pumps had been removed and all the pans were bone dry. We did cut the track of a solo bull and after 90 minutes we caught up with him. About 40 pounds and we eased away. After lunch we tracked 5 bulls and all were small in tooth and that took us almost to dark. One was a giant old bull that stood a good 18 inches taller than the other fully mature bulls. At 25 yards it was awe inspiring. Over an hour back to camp and dinner and bed.


Day 2 sucked. Fourteen hours in a Landcruiser even in Africa is not my idea of a great day. We just never cut a track worth following.

Day 3 we started out by cutting tracks of a couple of non contenders and on the way back to the truck, smoke signals indicated that Larry Shores had bagged a good elephant. Well cellular smoke signals anyway. All the trackers carry them now. We worked our way south to the river and had lunch with Larry and Murray and admired their outstanding elephant. On the way there, we came across a young bull passed out asleep not 20 yards off the road. PH Chris slipped up on the dozing beastie and plucked a tail hair from the elephant. The ele shook himmself awake and glared at us before slowly departing. The afternoon was quiet and we spent the evening toasting Mr. Shores and his fearless, peerless PH.

Day 4 We cut the tracks of 2 bulls and set off after them. We came across where they had slept, but even with that delay we could not catch up with them for 3 hours. They weren't stopping or feeeding, they were headed for the river full tilt. We pulled off and cut them off in the Landy but again they were in the youngish 40 pound range. That afternoon Chris decided we would cross the river and check on elephants looking for palm fruit. This wasn't a little splash across ankle deep. This was several hundred yards of wading up to waist deep water. I had always heard that a that a croc always takes the second in line. Guess where yours truly was positioned. I saw 2 elephants once we got close to the island, so I am thinking bingo lollipop...we have found the elephants. Well it didn't turn out to be elephant nirvana, but we did sneak up on seven different bulls including a 50 pounder (maybe) shaking the palm fruit out of a large palm tree. What an awesome sight at 25 yards. At times we had to get witiin 10 yards of a bull to assess the ivory. Chris is as cool as the other side of the pillow and we slipped in and out without any ruffling of feathers. We waded back across close to dark and I figure we had logged close to 20 miles walking tracking and wading for the day.



This ain't trout stream wading.

Day 5 morning was uneventful until the electronic smoke signals indicated that Mr. Shores and Murray have downed another tusker. They are showing off a bit now! We deemed it too far to travel to see and kept hunting. That evening found us looking over another group of bulls that didn't quite measure up so we retired to camp to celebrate Shores elephant part deaux. It is even better than his first!!

Day 6 we have breakfast and Larry is departing. Later in the morning once I have managed to clear the tears from my eyes we are able to continue our hunt. Besides Larry doesn't shave close enough. Apparently once we got that Shores guy out of the way, the elephants came out to play. We looked over 34 bulls total including another amphibious assualt on the island in the afternoon. It was like a Corona Beach Bash with all the elephants in the water with the increasing heat. At the end of another 14 hour day, still not anyone to come home with.


Large bull with thick short ivory.

Days 7 and 8 were a blur. Not much happened on day 7, but day 8 was a day of highs and lows. We saw 19 bulls come to a place called Lunch Pan and mud up then dust themselves. (More foreshadowing) Great display but still no ivory good enough. The evening of day 8 found us covering several miles on the river bank and at dark I have to tell you I was beat. I could feel Chris's disappointment building although he never let off the throttle. At dark I was was mentally gassed. I have literally taken many trophies with an airline boarding pass in my shirt pocket so I rarely get down. My motto is the hunt isn't over until the plane leaves the ground. This time I was down. I texted Larry and said it looks like it might not happened. My right toe hurt like hell and I had been eating ibuprofen like candy to keep it down to a dull roar. I didn't tell Chris about it as I didn't want the hunt altered, but he asked me about the tape job when I took my shoes off to wade. The ride to camp was both long and quiet. We talked about lowering our standards a bit that evening around the campfire.



Sorry Junior

To this point I have not mentionend my cameraman,young James. He was a total trooper and great fun to be with. I won't say he was picked on ...well yeah he was. He was a great sport and the next hunt I have filmed, I will be requesting him from Osprey. He worked hard and well under difficult situations. If you get the notion to have a hunt filmed, give Osprey a call and ask for James Peters.


James looking a bit knackered.

Day 9 we are armed with lowered expectations and guess what we look over many bulls with another afternoon invasion of the island and no love. Chris is doing everything he can think of to find us what we want. I know he wants us to close the deal as much as I do. As an aside, one day at lunch I asked Chris, "How many elephants have you killed?" He said "I quit counting at 30". After further pause he said " But I have taken 70 with one client." The guy knows his elephants. Here is a little Chris factoid. He says one inch of tusk diameter is worth 10% tusk weight. Worth knowing. Another factoid from Chris is that the nerve size is so variable it's not worth trying to anticipate. He has found nerves from 19-36 inches in length. With no correlation to age etc.

Last morning dawns hot. It is the hottest day we have been there. The morning doesn't go well. We split our team and took up two sets of tracks to no avail. Back in the truck and Chris makes the statement "I wish we could see those 19 again we saw at Lunch Pan the other day". We had only seen elephants at this pan once so odds were low. We were working our way toward the river thinking that with the heat we could be in business there. On the way we eased up to the edge of the overlook of Lunch Pan and the herd of bulls was there. They were leaving. It was not the 19 but twelve or so. We cut the wind on foot and went around to the left ot the pan. Right before we got to them, we look across the pan at a group of three bulls and one looks good. As they are heading to the pan to water so we decide to go around and look over the original dozen or so. After fighting the waffling wind, we are able to find our bull. Okay we now think the one with the group of three is better. It is approaching 1 pm. We decide to circle back to the pan and find the three amigos. Easing up we find...they are gone! What the hell? We scramble around and find they have not watered but have followed the dozen. We find our bull. He is definately the best we have seen in 10 days of hard hunting. Now comes the fun part. The wind is dicey at best. The bull is behind a large scrub of mopane. Apparently he is in love with this bush. We slip within 25 yards and I go on the sticks. Minutes pass he is peeling bark and eating and presenting no shot. Chris moves us left 5 yards. Slightly better angle, still no shot. More time passes. Sweat is sheeting into my eyes and I keep drying my trigger hand on my shorts. I need this bull to take two steps to the left that's all. More time passes. Stalemate. Chris moves us left again. All this has been with us on wide open ground. The breeze trades from the elephant to us them back to the elephant but apparently not long enough before it flips back again. I can barely see the ear hole for the side brain shot. Finally the bull steps out and I hesistate and he suddenly shakes his head and starts walking 45 degrees away. He has sensed us! I shoot and hit too far forward the elephant staggers and I drop one on his shoulder. One or two in the ear and it's done. My ears are ringing and I squat. I am pissed that I missed the brain. I was pressing. It is now close to 2 PM I had been on the sticks for over 30 minutes. Had I used my brain for half a second I would have either dropped into the shoulder for the first shot or held off and repositioned. I felt the elephant had detected us and was going to split. I was wrong. I really wanted a smooth brain shot but I had locked onto that and when the elephant shook his head and started walking away I mistakenly thought all was coming unwrapped. None the less, what a great bull. Chris feels he will go in the mid 50's. I am quietlly hoping for more. What a hunt.


Finally!!!!

Chris and I with our bull. 17 inches at the lip.




Chris Dandrige Elephant Hunter.




James my Cameraman

Post Contact Report. We hunted our butts off. I really can't thank Chris enough for the effort he put into my hunt. Very few people really impress me. Chris does. As to Larry's mention of poaching; it was rampant. We saw or heard signs of poaching every day. After Larry left, the community scouts did apprehend 4 poachers. But as Chris explained to me the court system is a joke and the will be let go.


The President of Botswana is completely against hunting. He just thinks they can continue open more and more photographic camps and the tourists will come. There are photo camps being built all over the Okavango Delta even though there is occupancy issues at the existing camps already. Sankuyo is slated to go photographic next year...maybe. I can assure you it is not the kind of place to support a photo camp. I won't get into the debate about how much more damage to the environment it does for photo tourism vs hunting. It's just a damn shame. The Botswana Hunting companies have been fighting this for five years and I really sense defeat and acceptance. I hope it doesn't follow Kenya into the abyss.

Respectfully Submitted,

Jeff Sevor

Jeff:

I am so happy that you got your bull. I was really worried about it.

I had a great time. I can't think of a better guy to go with. Well, maybe a couple of those Russian girls from Johannesburg.

Nice bull. I am thinking he will be bigger that initially estimated.

If you hadn't of made fun of my hat, who knows what would of happened.

Good hunt Jeff. Sorry you had poachers messing with your hunt.


dale

Great bull and glad to hear you were successful. Last day animals can be rewarding in so many ways. I enjoyed reading the report, and offer my hearty congratulations.
Bill

Great report, and pictures! Way to hang in their with the broken toe..that is painful as hell!
Glad the hunt turned out great for you, beautiful bull,big congrats! Butch

Well done Jeff. Having been in camp with the two of you before, I know a majorly good time was had by all, even when the hunting was tough.

Welcome home.

Jeff...Congratulations on your Bull.

Jeff way to go and hard hunting is the sweetest way. The Red Gods smiled on you.

The best,

Mike

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
Jeff:

I am so happy that you got your bull. I was really worried about it.

I had a great time. I can't think of a better guy to go with. Well, maybe a couple of those Russian girls from Johannesburg.

More about these Russians please......haha

Nice bull!

You milked every second out of that hunt, well done and congrats.

Larry,

I am sorry about your hat, but damn that thing looks like it should come with a bowl of soup. Thanks for all the kind words guys. And yes Sir Safari-Lawyer we had a large time. I didn't even come close to expressing all the thoughts and feelings, but I did clean up some of my typos as I whacked this out between patients.

Someone in Larry's thread asked why he left early. In all honesty, there would have not been another thing for him to do. We didn't discuss it in advance, but both Larry and I make our money in the office so if I would have tagged out early, I likely would have left early also.

I can truly say that even though this is not my first elephant, I have now truly hunted elephant.

I used to think I go to Africa for the hunting. I really think it is for the camradarie. I am blessed.

Jeff

Jeff,

I was following Larry's report and I have to tell you how happy I am you got your Bull. Last day also. man, that had to feel like pressure on the stalk. Well done Bwana.

Cheers
Jim

Jeff,
Good Job, definitely a well earned bull!
Jim

Congratulations on a good hunt. Its the hard ones that you remember long after the details of the easy hunts fade!

Arjun

That was a very good read, thanks for taking the time to write it all out so well. I doubt elephant will ever be within my reach but in leu of that I sure enjoy reading posts like this one. My feet were starting to hurt just about halfway through.

Karl, never say never, I have this spot next year...

Congrats Jeff. I'm glad you got your last day bull. We were sweating it out with you and were all very happy when we got the text that bull was down.


Doug

Well done Jeff!

Good one Bwana.

quote:

Originally posted by fairgame:
Good one Bwana.

I am not sure which is better. The success or the guys puling for me?. Thank you.

Jeff

Bwana,

Thank you for sharing. Very nice elephant and you won't forget how hard you worked for it.

Paul

Well I just learned From PH Chris that my elephant almost set a record for Botswana!!!!

Unfortunately it was for NERVE SIZE

Chris has tried for years to corrlate nerve size with age, size etc. He has found no correlation. He has found nerves can range between 19 and 36 inches. Mine was almost a record breaker at 34 inches. Great hunt none the less and they will look great!

Jeff

quote:

Originally posted by Bwana Bunduki:
Well I just learned From PH Chris that my elephant almost set a record for Botswana!!!!

Unfortunately it was for NERVE SIZE

Chris has tried for years to corrlate nerve size with age, size etc. He has found no correlation. He has found nerves can range between 19 and 36 inches. Mine was almost a record breaker at 34 inches. Great hunt none the less and they will look great!

Jeff

What a nerve.

Bwana Bunduki;

Great report, really like your writing style.

I hunted out of Sankuyo (with Johan Calitz) in 2007...actually my husband was the ele hunter on that trip. I can't imagine what it is like without the water. We also hunted late, the last hunt of the season and it was extremely hot. Even with the pumped water, the only places we found ele were very near water.

Congratulations on bearing with it. Your ele is wonderful and well earned.

Best regards, D. Nelson

Congrats on a successful hunt, nice looking ivory in hand and a good time.

well done , although Botswana has become a relatively easy country to hunt elephant , sometimes you still have to earn the pounds by miles walked !!!

Jeff, lovely trophies.

Great job! It dosen't get much better than that.

Nothing better than a properly hunted bull. Congratulations,

Dutch