I finally booked my first African Safari at 61. I ran into trouble with my initial outfitter, pulled the plug on them with 1 month to go, and scrambled to book another outfitter. With an extroardinary stroke of luck, I stumbled onto Zambezi Hunters and booked a hunt with them in the Save conservancy.

I can't say enough about my guide Jonny Hulme. He is as skilled and as professional as they get. I took several superb trophies including a Cape Buffalo (field measured at 39 7/8), an Eland (FM at 40/39 3/4), two Warthogs (FM/estimated at 13 1/2 and 15 1/2), an Impala (FM at 24 1/2), a Kudu (FM at 53), and two nice Zebras.




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Jonny also set me up on a nice waterbuck but I hit it high. As we tracked it, we encountered a bull elephant that, unknown to us, had been previously gored by another bull. He trotted toward us from 200 yards out. At 100 yards, Jonny fired a warning shot. He hesitated a second then lowered his head, flattened his ears against his head and came at a full gallop, He locked onto me as we scattered for cover. At 61 I was the slowest, and as we scattered the bull locked in on me! I weaved through the bush as he rapidly closed on me. When he was about 20 yards out Jonny located me in the bush and came at the bull from the left. He got within 10 yards and hit him just above the eye. This turned the bull. Jonny put a second round through his lungs, and a third in his rump as the bull ran off. He dropped about a quater mile away.

The investigator of the defensive kill told me I would have been killed in 2-3 seconds had Jonny not not shot and shot well. Clearly, it pays to hunt with a real pro who has both courage and the skill when needed! I learned from this that EVERY African hunt is dangerous even when dangerous game is not the quarry!



IF you want an extroardinary experience, exceptional game, world class accomodations, with professional staff....Zambezi Hunters is the ticket. I have booked a Leopard Safari for 2006 with Jonny and I wouldn't think of hunting with anyone else.....Ron Hunter

Let me be the first to congratulate you on a very successful first safari!
Not only did you get a nice bag of trophy-class animals, you also came home alive!!

What was 'running' through your mind as you were running btw?

That sounds like an amazing experience! Congratulations on a great safari and on making it home safely!

Ron, Really nice trophies. Sounds like a great trip!! You were very lucky several times over. Congratulations.

Ron,

Congratulations and a very exciting story.

The only question is after this "first hunt", how are you going to top it?

Awesome, what an adventure. Great trophies and some excitement to boot. Jonny is one hell of a PH for he did not forget his main responsibility, and that is saving the clients bacon. You are lucky in more ways than one and I hope your next trip is just as fulfilling.

Your didn't just go on a safari, you "LIVED" a safari!!

Congrats!!

Congratulations on your hunt, and that you survived that close encounter! Bet your pulse was running pretty high when it was all over!

I too have survived some close encounters with Jonny! Sounds like an awesome hunt. When are you going back?

Ron, Wonderful, and thanks for sharing a great adventure with us all. Awesome trophys and report.



Castle.... Ah

Congrats on a very successful safari. The picture of an elephant bull in a full dead seriuos charge will live in your finest hunt memories forever.

465H&H

Wow, What a thrill. You should be able to relive that hunt forever.

From another Northern Virginia resident -- glad to hear the area's population didn't get reduced!

Exciting tale and BTW that's a great eland and warthog!

Ron Hunter,

I'll bet you were feeling 20 years younger when the photo was taken with the elephant. Congratulations on being alive! To my eyes you're on bonus time now. All the time you get to spend with family and friends and in the field will be just a bit sweeter. What are you going for next?

Dean

To All, thanks for all the comments and good wishes/thoughts!

To answer the question about what was going through my mind when the Elephant closed on me......shear terror.

Three years ago I took a B&C Book Brown Bear (28 1/8) in Alaska. I used a Win. .300 Mag which was underpowered for the size of the bear. I put one through his lungs and he got into the Alders. We tracked him into the brush and I dropped him as he charged (at 11 paces) with a shot to the brain (his head was lowered as he charged). I was asked if I was scared, and the answer was no. I was intent on getting him and knew (or at least thought) that I could stop him.

With the Elephant, I felt exactly opposite. I had the same rifle as I used in Alaska which in this case was almost useless (with 200 grain soft points). I distinctly remember looking up at the aproaching Bull and thinking "Your'e dead!" just before I saw Jonny coming to the rescue.

I thought I couldn't top my bear hunt (Book Bear on first mourning of first Dangerous game hunt) but I was wrong. I can't imagine how I could top this hunt but who knows???? I'll be back with Jonny next July if my health holds up. I am 62 and my kidney disease will put me into dyalisis in the not too distant furure.

If my disease does stop me from going next year, at least I can enjoy my Trophy room, as wel as my memories, and I won't have to say "Could have/ Should have! ....Ron

Life is not a dress rehersal!

Great story! nice animals, looks like your warthog had bigger ivory than the elephant!

Thanks for sharing your thrilling adventure! WOW!

Amazing story!!!!

Great trophies by the way. Thanks for sharing.

Phil

It sounds like you had a great experience.

It also looks as though one's choice of footwear is as important as one's choice of rifle in Africa ...



Good to know in advance.


analog_peninsula

Thanks for sharing your experience.

Being stalked by a bull elephant from 200 yards out and then being charged to within spitting distance does not happen on a typical plains game hunt!

Just goes to show that a .375 (with a couple of solids in the magazine) is never a bad choice for plains game when you're in elephant country!

What kind and caliber of rifle was your PH using? Whatever it was, it clearly did the trick.

I hope you stay well and can go back on safari again soon.

MR, your suggestion of a .375 with solids is right on and exactly what I will bring next trip. Jonny was using a .416 with 400 grain solids.....Ron

Nice pics and story!

It's a good thing for you I left a batch of 416 Trophy Bonded Sledge Hammer solids for Jonathan at the end of my buffalo safari.

A bull elephant really messed up a tracker several weeks before my leopard hunt this year. Another PH was guiding a woman client on a plainsgame hunt when this bull came out of no where. The PH grabbed the woman's rifle (30.06) and put two rounds in his head and the bull just kept going after he nailed the tracker. The whole time I was in the bush with Jonathan this year I was on red alert with every snapping twig.

I can certainly see why you wouldn't think of hunting with anyone else! And you've also resolved any doubt I may have had regarding my trip to the Save next year. I'm carrying the .375 EVERYWHERE!
Its wonderful such a great adventure turned out so well. I hope you can go again, ...and again.
Gary

That kudu looks a lot bigger than 53".

Congratulation on a great hunt. I am glad that you were saved from being elephant "toe jam." I hope your health steadies and improves. There is nothing like a hunt to look forward to to improve one's outlook. Your experience emphasizes why it is not "over-kill" to use a cartridge for plains game in DG territory that is adequate for the DG too. The hunter can become the hunted at the snap of a twig. Again, congratulations. Kudude

Wow..... great story, I felt like I was running next to you, then watching your PH raise his gun for the shot....

What a great experience to make you feel alive every day... you can't book that : )

That is an incredible story, really brings new meaning to professional hunter.

For me your story brings to life some of the things John Taylor wrote about.

Ron:

Great report and pictures. Also, it's nice to see a fellow NoVAian here on AR! I'm down in Lorton; where are you?

Ron,

Great safari and what an adventure. Congrats on your trophies. The eland and warthog are just toads.

Good show!

Mark

Ron,

Great report, sounds like you had a great hunt.

I know what you mean about being the slowest. I'm 54, and was consistently passed by every person in the party in the 3 or 4 cow charges we ran from! I'm just as glad they all gave up quickly when we ran off, because I often was armed with a video camera.

You don't have to be fast, just faster then the slowest guy in the group.

I was with Dr. Tim on his last trip with Zambezi. What a great experience, ended up with 4 entries in the SCI book.

Pretty awesome.

WOW!!! What a great adventure!! You sure know how to live and hunt to the fullest!!! I hope your health holds up and you can get back to Africa for many more safari's!!! Congratulations!!

Glad you had a great time and all turned out well.

But you should have known as long as you owed a bit for the trip, the PH would protect you.
So always leave a bit owing, then you get better service.

Great story of a great hunt! Thanks for posting.

We were charged in the Save by a bull this October but he turned at ten yards after two warning shots, two days later a cow came for us and didn't turn. I stopped the charge at 7 yds. quite exciting.

The elephants in the Save are very aggressive. Good reason to hunt with a 375 with a soft or two followed by solids. A 300wm with a couple of 220gr solids would do the trick too if your shot is true and you brain the elephant.

Hope your health improves and you make your trip next year.

JPK

Johny Hulme has one of the best records on leopard of anyone in the business. The last time I talked to him it was about 85 in a row without a miss and a few over 220 pounds.

they say theres nothing like the first time but WOW!!!!!great pics and thanks for sharing!