I got home last night from twelve days of hunting with Buzz Charlton in the Makuti safari area. With me were my friend Joe from Bayfield County, WI, and my wife Sue. Other team members were trackers Criton and Morgan, driver Eddy, and videographer Justin Drainer. Jerimiah, our game scout, was very pleasant, and pitched in with some of the work as well. Joe has made two prior African trips, and three prior trips for me. Sue was with me in Mozambique in 2006. While I won't pretend to be an old African hand, it seemed time to take a step forward and move on to an elephant hunt. Having seen reports on multiple tuskless hunts on AR, this seemed a good way to get some experience, hunt some elephant, and not devote all my resources to one lifetime shot.
I should mention that we shared camp with David and Dianne from California. David was on a leopard/tuskless hunt with Richard Tabor. They were all fine camp companions.
I was armed with my BSS Searcy 470 NE double, and Enfield based 416 Rigby. Joe had a Ruger M77 in 458 Win mag.
In short, this was an extraordinary hunt. Camp was comfortable in every way. I've never been in a bush camp that's on the power grid before. Camp was running on the genny half the time with the grid as unreliable as it is in Zimbabwe. It reminds you that Zimbabwe was, once upon a time, a pretty developed country.
I can't compare the intensity of experience hunting these beasties with anything I've done before. For at least a little while, hunting anything else will be an anti-climax. I'm going to make a few observations, then see if I can get my pictures to post, and give a chronological account.

First and foremost, elephant are really, really big.

You need to be in shape. Makuti is quite rugged, but approachable if you are fit. We told Buzz we wanted to walk, and he delivered. In spades. I'm 55 and reasonably fit, and Joe is, simply, a machine. I worked hard, and feel good about earning our animals. If your feet are at all tender, consider having a pair of hiking boots along as well as your usual safari boots.

Exercise and shooting practice before you go are pretty obvious. To maximize your experience, study hard as well. Watch Buzz's video. A lot. Read everything you can about elephant hunting before you go.

Buzz is, at least to me, kind of a rock star. His reputation is well deserved. He is a master craftsman, and an absolute delight to hunt with. This camp is all about the hunting. We left camp at 0630 every day, broke for a picnic lunch, and carried on til dark. Even after our three ele were down these guys hunted hard for us every day when they could have been taking things a little easier.

Justin Drainer, the videographer, is much, much more. He's great company in the high seat. He's a real naturalist, very knowledgeable about the environs and hunting. In a way, almost like having a second PH along. Funny as hell, as well. Ask Ryan about the old "poo in the shoe" trick.

Ok, here's the blow by blow.
We flew out of Minneapolis on NW on the 12th, and connected with SAA in Dulles for the overnight flight. No glitches or surprises. A couple hours in Joberg before connecting to the SAA flight to Harare. Enough time to collect some Cubanos at the duty free. Everything showed up with us in Harare! Buzz and Myles then collected us at the Harare airport and took us to a B&B owned by Karen Harrison. Really cozy and friendly.
We had a marvelous breakfast in the garden before Buzz picked us up and drove the approximately four hours to camp.

The first four days were spent driving to various lookout points,glassing, and starting fires, We saw some herds, but no tuskless! Buzz brought us up to a tusked cow and calf on the second day, kind of a dry run. Being about 25 yards from a wild elephant for the first time is pretty exciting.

On day five, our luck turned, big time. From a lookout at Gota Gota, we spotted a herd. Six or eight individuals, with what Buzz described as about the biggest tuskless cow he'd seen. We were off to the races! Since I was to shoot two cows, and Joe one, I was up first. We played cat and mouse with the herd across several hills and gullies. We were nearly busted at one point, when the they saw or winded us, and moved decidedly out. Thankfully, they stopped after a couple hundred yards, and moseyed on . Criton, Buzz's lead tracker, led us flawlessly to where we needed to go. The ele went into a dry river bed. We caught up with them, with the wind in our favor. A young bull was watching us, but didn't react. When we got to the bank, the tuskless was maybe 15 yards away, facing us through the limbs of a tree. Buzz asked me if I could make the shot. I raised the 470, looked down the barrels, and her face was exposed over the rib between the limbs. I said I could, Buzz told me to go ahead. As I was above her a bit, I held just above the line of the eyes for a frontal. I fired a Woodleigh solid from the right barrel, and she went to her knees. Still down, a second later, she began to turn. Buzz, sounding for all the world like the headmaster he is, said something like "Very good, now shoot her again." I will never forget how calm and in control this guy was. I fired a left for a side brain shot, and down she went, for good. Her tail made that spinning motion shown in the video. That's when I started to shake. Before the shot, it was pure focus. After, you feel the adrenaline. Buzz said he was shaking, too. He's pretty excited to hunt elephant yet! After climbing down the bank for photos, I told Justin in no uncertain terms he was going to give me one of his cigarettes. He accommodated with a laugh. I shot at 1100, having started the stalk maybe 90 minutes earlier. The crew got the Cruiser pretty close, and the tracking crew brought down a picnic lunch That's Eddy, Buzz’s driver with the smile, and cooler on his head. Buzz took off for camp for Ryan Atkins, the camp manager, a second cruiser, and skinner Sam with more manpower. I tried to look like Ian Nyschens.
Criton, Morgan, and Eddy set to work cutting trees and moving boulders to make a river crossing for the recovery, The recovery team got there about 1400, and the work was done by perhaps 1730. Amazing. Everything you've read about elephant recoveries is true. After dinner, the kitchen staff surprised me with a celebratory cake. Life is good!

http://s85.photobucket.com/alb...IMG_009300910007.jpg


Day six, right after lunch, we spotted a herd with another tuskless from a road in what Buzz called "Gota Gota extension." Joe was up. These ele were on the side of a large hill, moving across. We began working downwind of them, and managed to get above them. Sounds simple, but it was steep, rocky, and long. I stayed about ten yards behind, as Joe and Buzz made a final approach in a effort to intercept them. After a couple of minutes, she walked slowly about 15 yards in front of them. Joe made a perfect side brain shot from just above her. Her rear end went down, then the front end collapsed. Just like the video, but with a front row seat! It was one of those moments when a plan comes together perfectly. I wish I could say more about it, but everything going just right makes for a pretty short story. By this time, it was about 1430, and Buzz said recovery would have to be the next day. Also, more manpower would be needed, as the meat would have to be carried several hundred yards down the aforementioned steep rocky hillside to the truck. We put the word out at Pa Ja beer hall in Makuti.


Day seven, we went with the recovery team to the kill site. A very picturesque recovery. A guy looking like Bob Marley was grilling nyama during the butchering. It tasted, oddly enough, like smoked meat! She was very old, well into her last set of molars.



That recovery was pretty well mopped up by noon. We stopped for a picnic lunch, and started a walk down a beautiful riverine spot at what Buzz and Justin called the "secret valley." After a terrific river walk, where we saw a very nice Chobe bushbuck, and I think some kudu cows, we spotted a herd. There was a tuskless. Off to the races again. We made a pretty challenging stalk up and across a steep hillside. I was feeling pretty pleased with myself for being able (barely) to keep up. We caught them in another dry river bed. I had told Buzz that I wanted, if possible, a more confrontational shot on level ground, rather than potting her unawares from above. He actually passed up a shot, because he said "It would have been the same shot as before." Criton looked at him like he was crazy. I think that's really going the extra mile. He got me to within 15 yards of her, where she was looking right at me across a little ravine. I wish I could say I shot her perfectly. I had plenty of time, but the right barrel caught her dead center, about a hand's breadth below where it needed to. She turned. I tried to put the left behind her right ear, as she was about 3/4 turned away from me. Buzz fired, trying for the spine as she struggled up and out of the ravine. Joe fired. I was reloaded, and tried to put one in her right hip. She stumbled, and I thought her hip was broken. I reloaded the right barrel. We went to work tracking, and found her apart from the herd, looking kind of sick. A conveniently placed tree allowed me to within 12 yards, where I fired a right for a finishing frontal. I'm not exactly sure where that round went, but when she didn't immediately collapse, I gave her a left which brought her straight down, with the most blessed crashing sound I've ever heard. Imagine the feeling, in the last hour or two of daylight, of wounding an elephant. Imagine the relief, when ten minutes later she's dead at your feet. I'd now had the experience of things going perfectly, and the dreadful feeling of botching it and following up. I am grateful to Buzz for letting me finish her. I told him he has testicles like a bull elephant's, taking neophytes out elephant hunting.

We had now killed three elephant in three days. I thought Ryan would cry when I tossed him the tail at camp that night. The recovery next day was nearly impossible. Six river crossings, and some big trees. We got to the kill site at noon. About two dozen people involved. When I asked Ryan if these guys had anticipated such a day when they agreed to the project for 5kg of nyama each, he laughed. I asked if leaving $50 at the beer hall would make them happy, he said we would be a local heros. We did, and most of them thanked us profusely, but took the money instead. Although I expect some of them used it for beer, some of them used it for stuff they need. That's nice.

We had accomplished what we had set out to do. We had five days left. Joe shot a cow buffalo for a client wanting pre baiting for leopard. A classic tracking hunt, starting with day old spoor, and catching the herd. I kept up for the first 2 1/2 hours, when we broke for lunch. After a bite, Buzz asked me if I wanted to continue. I said I could, but not at that pace. Joe the cyborg (he's my age) and the team went on without me, but less than five minutes later Morgan, 20 yards from the truck, spotted the herd on a hillside. Sue, Morgan, Eddy and I watched it unfold from about a quarter mile away. There were some very nice bulls in the herd. I saw one of those bulls get up, walk toward the hunters, and walk back to lie down twice. He knew something was up. A sub adult bolted into the herd, but didn't alert them. Joe shot an old, old cow perfectly with his 458 from about 40 yards. He fired again, but there was no need.

We went to Mana Pools Park for a day of game viewing, and a wonderful picnic on the banks of the Zambezi. That's one of those names that are just fun to say. Add lion to the species we saw. Including those lion, we had now seen four of the big five on that trip. I call this picture "The Headmaster." You figure out which one that is.
We pre-baited leopard for an upcoming hunt. I got to participate without buying a leopard hunt.
I found out you can have some fun with bullet hole decals in a hunting camp.
We checked out Buzz's new hunting vehicle.
The next couple of days were spent baiting hyena (no luck) and chasing klipspringer. I was lucky enough to shoot a klippy at 1430 on day 12. I felt I'd earned him. Lots of climbing!


We left camp at 0600 in a cruiser for Harare on the morning of the 27th. That ride was cold and windy, but there you have it. Ryan escorted us through the gate, and we were off. Minneapolis yesterday afternoon, followed by a six hour drive back to South Dakota. I'm bushed.



I want to thank the forum, and Saeed in particular for providing all this. I'd never have graduated to this level without you guys.

I told Buzz he's delayed my retirement. Right now I'm looking at trophy bull hunt in the valley in a couple of years. Elephant hunting is an unbelievably intense experience. I have a reason to try to stay fit, and God willing, healthy. My immediate task is to shift back to hunting ordinary creatures again.

Great job on the hunt and the report! Sounds like an excellent trip indeed.

I have to add that Buzz pulling off a three-tuskless, two-client Makuti hunt with plenty of time left over is pretty impressive.

Marty

First class report on a great hunt.

As you have discovered there is no hunt like an ELEPHANT HUNT.

The walk, the stalk, the shot, the recovery, all a great adventure.

I have eaten quite a bit of elephant meat, I like it.

Great report and pics. I can't wait for my tuskless hunt this November with CM safaris.

Congratulations on a great trip for you and Sue and Joe! And thanks for the fantastic report and great photos!

Well done!

(You sure conveyed the difference between an elephant hunt and a hunt for anything else.)

JPK

I bet it won't be your last elephant hunt!

465H&H

Very excellent!!!!!

Brett

Well done Marty - an excellent hunt and a well told and informative story. That bullet hole decal pict is great, when I first scrolled thru the report I saw that and thought WTF!?!? Which was probably the same reaction at camp. Rubber snakes they probably saw, but this is good!

quote:

hunting anything else will be an anti-climax

Yup!

Congrats and well done Marty!

Thanks for the outstanding report. I hunted Makuti in 2003 and reading your report made me feel closer to that "magical" place(hey, I killed my elephant and lion there!) than I have in a long, long time. Thank you for that.

Great report, looks like the hunting was good and that you guys had plenty of laughs

Well done

Well done Marty,
I am delighted that you have now experienced what must be the purest form of hunting. I love your attitude.You certainly couldnt have chosen a better teacher. If you think that cow eles are big wait until you stand infront of your first bull !! You will love it !!

Congradulations on a nice hunt! There seems to be a lot happening in Makuti.What has the leopard hunting scene been like in the area?

The leopard hunting is said to be very good, with high success rates. David and Ritchie were struggling to get a male on a bait when we left. I havn't hunted leopard. so really can't comment further.

Fantastic report and congrats on a great hunt. I really appreciate the report as I will be in Makuti with Buzz the same dates as you were this year...

Marty- Great stuff! Where could I source the bullet hole decals? They look like lots of fun!

Tim-
You'll obviously have a great time. Hope for a dry season. Some rather freakish late rains meant the grass was only now getting dry enough for burning, making some of the game harder to locate and stalk. Lots of really tall grass! I can't remember if it was Ruark or Capstick who commented on losing an entire herd of elephant, but it is indeed possible.
Crane-
I don't remember where I bought the decals. My wife actually remembered we had them and suggested the prank. Someone got me with them a few years ago at a Minnesota deer camp. When your truck is parked on a roadside, these get your attention at the end of the day.

Marty, congrats on your hunt. The cake picture is worth the price of admission!
Good hunting,
David

Right on Marty!!
I think you pulled the Ian Nyschens look quite well!!

Looks like a GREAT hunt!!

Congratulations, Marty! Looks like you have a lot of Africa to remember! Thanks for sharing!

Marty,

CONGRATULATIONS!!!! Excellent report and photos.

Great report.It brings back my last two hunts with Buzz.I have assured the wife that I will never go hunting elephant again.I think she knows that might mean next year.

quote:

Originally posted by Marty:
I can't compare the intensity of experience hunting these beasties with anything I've done before. For at least a little while, hunting anything else will be an anti-climax.

As Queen would say . . . another one bites the dust, and another one does and another does, and another one bites the dust . . .

Congratulations on a great trip. Looking forward to being in camp in Makuti in 80 days, six hours, 37 minutes and 28 seconds . . . 27 . . . 26 . . .

Outstanding! Congratulations on a very successful safari!

Congratulations Marty, on your outstanding hunt; I enjoyed your excellent report.

Regards
Aziz

Great report,thanks for sharing your hunt

quote:

"It would have been the same shot as before." Criton looked at him like he was crazy. I think that's really going the extra mile. He got me to within 15 yards of her, where she was looking right at me across a little ravine. I wish I could say I shot her perfectly. I had plenty of time, but the right barrel caught her dead center, about a hand's breadth below where it needed to. She turned. I tried to put the left behind her right ear, as she was about 3/4 turned away from me. Buzz fired, trying for the spine as she struggled up and out of the ravine. Joe fired. I was reloaded, and tried to put one in her right hip. She stumbled, and I thought her hip was broken. I reloaded the right barrel. We went to work tracking, and found her apart from the herd, looking kind of sick. A conveniently placed tree allowed me to within 12 yards, where I fired a right for a finishing frontal. I'm not exactly sure where that round went, but when she didn't immediately collapse, I gave her a left which brought her straight down, with the most blessed crashing sound I've ever heard. Imagine the feeling, in the last hour or two of daylight, of wounding an elephant.

YEeAH, THIS IS SO MUCH BETTER THAN BRAINING IT WHEN YOU HAD THE CHANCE.

Will,

That was funny. You are the master of sarcasm. My father rarely engaged in conversation. But ocasionally he would make a comment and it was usually just like the one you just made.

Awesome report, and looks like a heck of hunt, thanks for sharing.

quote:

Originally posted by wombat:
I have assured the wife that I will never go hunting elephant again.I think she knows that might mean next year.

That is hillarious!