A short video clip from my Tuskless hunt with Charlton McCallum Safaris in October 2010. Merkel 500 NE with 570gr Barnes Banded Solids.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgLAqYTv-vU

6,000 meals? How'd you figure that out?

If I remember correctly, and that's questionable at my age!, 1300+ kilos of boneless meat came from a Matetsi cow elephant I shot a couple of years ago.

Assuming (and that's a big assumption), I'm right, that's close to 3000 pounds. 8 oz of meat a serving?

Doesn't seem so far fetched to me.

Yea, that's what we figured. Approximately 3000 lbs of meat at 8 oz per meal. You can dispute the number if you want as who knows how the Africans actually used the meat. I will tell you this however, when you cite that number to a non or anti-hunter, it shuts them up pretty fast.

Yeah I guess that's about right then. My apologies to Todd.

I shot a big bodied tuskless in 04 and I have no idea what the final yield was. I stayed all day and helped butcher it. To me that is almost as interesting as the hunt itself.

For those in the know. What is the average live weight of a Zambezi cow and what is the average meat yield percentage of an elephant?

If I remember from my ag science classes 25 years ago, boneless meat yield is about 25 to 30% of live weight on most food animal. Hanging carcass weight is about 60 to 70% of live weight for a beef and cut bone in yield is about 40% of live weight.

How does an elephant compare to a food grade beef in regards to live weight vs yield?

Good shooting and good quality video. I am not a fan of the music, but that is what the volume control is for.

Well done!

As far as weight as we all know pretty much everything is eaten short of the skin and bones.

The only reason I put any remarks at all on the video is that YouTube clips of Elephant hunts usually generate hundreds of comments by anti's showing their ignorance; many making some argument about not being able to eat the meat and that the Elephants are nearly extinct. I was simply trying to get a statement in first that provides positive context.

I sure understand that. I figured that what you were doing.

Nice shooting by the way. It looks like you stunned her on the frontal shot and then killed her with the third bullet after she was down?

quote:

Originally posted by surestrike:
It looks like you stunned her on the frontal shot and then killed her with the third bullet after she was down?

Second shot comes quick in the video but in my mind, in real time, it seemed like 20 seconds between the 2. I remember thinking that she moved a bit just as the first shot went off. I saw the front bead just a bit too far to the left and just a bit low at the shot. I realized that she went down, arse first but I thought maybe the slope caused that so I'll just give her another. The second shot hit squarely on the right shoulder and took out the heart. 3rd and 4th both went between the shoulders into the boiler room with the 3rd striking the spine.

Funny how the mind slows things down in times of excitement!

One man feeding 6000 people in the wilderness! I heard of a similar incident long ago but that was with fish and bread!

Nice shooting and great use of the double rifle for the quick follow up. Looked long range with the video, what was the actual distance?

And what is the most interesting aspect of that video?

It seems the camera always makes it look farther than it really is. In this case, the actual range was 26 yards. Would have liked to get closer but if you watch carefully, just before Rich gave me the go ahead, she was fully alert and took about 3 steps toward us. Rich and I both thought she was about to turn and run.

Todd I guess what Will would like to point out is that 500 NE/570gr knocked the cow down despite missed brain shot - tho then again with Will one never knows ?

A couple interesting aspects of that video. The two calves were big. I'm assuming twins. Surprised there wasn't a smaller calf. And ....... a drum role please.....

From what I could see, a tusked calf and tuskless calf!

If that is what Will is referring to, he is correct. The first shot did miss the brain. I remember thinking "Wow she went down anyway". Would be interesting to see how a big bull would have reacted! The shot was about 3 inches left and 1 inch low from where it should have been.

I do like the 500!

Actually Will, those were 2 fully grown cows. If I let the video run a bit more, they both had calves with them. The other tuskless had a tuskless calf and the tusked cow had a tusked calf. One calf is in between the two cows as they spin in opposite directions and is hidden in this clip. The other calf was just off screen up the hill to the right and came running into the fray about 10 seconds after this clip ends.

Looking at it again, you can just see the little calf from up the hill to the right, running into the mix as I fire the 4th shot. It comes in just in front of the trunk of the green tree as the 4th shot goes off.

Hey, you were there and not I.

But to me, the two cows are not full grown and indeed maybe the big cow did have a smaller calf, as I can see now that you pointed it out.

Not sure why any one might care except Will (and not sure why he doesn't believe me) but if you are interested, here is a longer version of the same hunt clearly showing the 2 remaining cows running away from the scene with their 2 calves.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzTm3PzBzIw

Well done. It sure is great having video of the whole thing to show EXACTLY what happened!

quote:

Originally posted by Todd Williams:
Not sure why any one might care except Will (and not sure why he doesn't believe me) but if you are interested, here is a longer version of the same hunt clearly showing the 2 remaining cows running away from the scene with their 2 calves.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzTm3PzBzIw

It is not that I don't believe that you believe them to be mature cows.

I just believe them to be calves and that the tuskless cow you shot threw a tusked and a tuskless calf, which confirms my belief that tuskless cows will do that.

From the circumstance, it appears that here is Mom watching over the four calves, including one laying on the ground sleeping. I don't remember ever seeing a cow sleeping while their calf is running around. And it just doesn't make sense.

And besides they look like calves!!

Just my opinion.

Who was the PH?

quote:

Originally posted by Todd Williams:
Not sure why any one might care except Will (and not sure why he doesn't believe me) but if you are interested, here is a longer version of the same hunt clearly showing the 2 remaining cows running away from the scene with their 2 calves.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzTm3PzBzIw

Opinions vary, and I don't mean to dispute ether you or Will, as either of you are more qualified to speak on this subject than I!

Thank you Todd! That is a much clearer answer to the sittuation! IMO,it is clear that the two calves belonged to the other two cows. If the calf had belonged to the one you shot, it would have been reluctant to leave it's mother, even with a sister! In the first segment you offered I too thought the two cows left were young,and smaller but not appreciably so!

What ever, Good shooting sir, and congratulations!

I'm sorry but they act like calves, standing there after their Mom was dinged. They don't know what to do.

Congrats on your hunt.

Will I edited my post while you were writing!

The PH is Rich Tabor of Charlton McCallum Safaris.

quote:

Originally posted by Will:
I'm sorry but they act like calves, standing there after their Mom was dinged. They don't know what to do.

Congrats on your hunt.

Will,

The two cows are probably the offspring of the shot cow. She was obviously the matriarch of the herd and as is common allof the elephants in a herd are usually the sisters or calves of the matriarch. Rather than acting like calves they were acting like herd members that just lost their leader.

465H&H

quote:

Originally posted by 465H&H:

quote:

Originally posted by Will:
I'm sorry but they act like calves, standing there after their Mom was dinged. They don't know what to do.

Congrats on your hunt.

Will,

The two cows are probably the offspring of the shot cow. She was obviously the matriarch of the herd and as is common allof the elephants in a herd are usually the sisters or calves of the matriarch. Rather than acting like calves they were acting like herd members that just lost their leader.

465H&H

I don't want to detract from the original intention of the post. They just look like calves, IMO.

Gentlemen

Unfortunately with our internet been so slow I cannot watch the DVD. However I pointed out on my DVD and I will reiterate now that every mature cow will have a calf of some sort! ( Bill may say otherwise but having shot a few cows himself he will know that this is true)

What it comes down to is the PH deciding if the cow in question has a dependant calf or not. If it does not have a dependant calve then it will be pregnant. An intersting fact is that cows first ovulate when they are 12 years old. We age all the tuskless we shoot and collect the overies which tell us exactly how many calves they have had which is interesting to compare to the exact age that they are ( aged to the year with the lower jaw) Out of nearly 100 cows that we have taken samples of the youngest has been 12 and the eldest 64.

PS the DVD you watched was done by our appy on the house rather then our two full time camerman so if its a little shaky it will explain why. Cheers Buzz

Buzz,

Like I said I wasn't there and am just going by the video. I would be interested in your comments if you ever get to see the video.

And yeah, even tiny cows are pregnant.

Part of the problem here is what we call a calf elephant. The two cows in question are obviously not dependent calves. Once an elephant reaches an age when it is no longer dependent on the mother for milk,. it becomes a sub adult (teenager). When it becomes of breeding age it then is more correctly called a young adult.

465H&H

In looking at the video closer it is pretty obvious that the two cows in question are only slightly smaller than the cow that was shot. They were therefore of adult size and the dependent calf ran off with them so the calf is most likely one of theirs. Personaly, I probably would not have shot that cow as she appears to be the matriarch of this little herd. I try to avoid shooting matriarchs if possible but sometimes it happens for one reason or another.

465H&H

Walt,

I think you should fund a complete investigation of this incident, in Africa. I'll go along at your expense as stenographer, but I ain't wearing any skirts. I'll shoot any irate cows we run across.

P.S. We have completely different opinions about those cows!

Hey Buzz, How's it going.

Listen, this is the Cow I shot with you guys in October 2010, not the one I just shot in June 2011. You may have a copy of this one as Justin was the camera man and he saved it on his hard drive. Or at least I think he did as he gave me a short DVD of it before I left.

I haven't posted the hunt from this year with Blake and Garrett filming as I haven't edited it just yet. By the way, Blake did an excellent job as did everyone on your staff.

One other thing, per your comment Buzz, the cow was indeed pregnant.

Todd

quote:

Originally posted by Will:
Walt,

I think you should fund a complete investigation of this incident, in Africa. I'll go along at your expense as stenography, but I ain't wearing any skirts. I'll shoot any irate cows we run across.

P.S. We have completely different opinions about those cows!

As soon as I am as rich as you, I will be happy to do that. Don't be too concerened as diffences of opinion are what make the world go around.

465h&HY

Hi Todd

Ok that makes sense and I have watched the DVD. She difnately was not mum of the little one. Futher more the two other cows loom mature to me.

I have just had Fiona, who is the lady that we collect the ovies for here and she is very greatful for the calf which justin preseved in forumula. It turned out to be a female and has been a great help to her studies.

I am glad that Blake and the guys did well Todd and loom forward to seeing you at the shows again! Cheers buzz

quote:

She difnately was not mum of the little one.

My opinion differs.

I'm new to double gun hunting and if I saw that without an explanation I would think a mother had been dropped and the calf's scrambling. Great hunt, but don't let PITA get a hold of that video.

Todd,

Was the cow you shot in this video lactating? That small calf was definately a dependent calf and the mother should be lactating.

465H&H

quote:

Originally posted by Lilguy:
I'm new to double gun hunting and if I saw that without an explanation I would think a mother had been dropped and the calf's scrambling. Great hunt, but don't let PITA get a hold of that video.

Hell, I don't belong to PETA but even I feel sorry for the elephants. If this is elephant hunting, no wonder I don't want any part of it. There was no way to know before the shot which cow those calves belonged too but the PH had him shoot anyway. We'll never know if one of those calves belonged to the cow that was killed.