EricD
(.416 member)
25/08/05 07:17 AM
Elephant hunting in Zimbabwe.

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EricD
(.416 member)
25/08/05 07:18 AM
Re: Elephant hunting in Zimbabwe.

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EricD
(.416 member)
25/08/05 07:19 AM
Re: Elephant hunting in Zimbabwe.

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EricD
(.416 member)
25/08/05 07:19 AM
Re: Elephant hunting in Zimbabwe.

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EricD
(.416 member)
25/08/05 07:25 AM
Re: Elephant hunting in Zimbabwe.

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Metswedi
(.300 member)
25/08/05 07:53 AM
Re: Elephant hunting in Zimbabwe.

Fantastic report Erik, Great reading! This is one seriously envious Brit!!

Glad you had such a great trip and that you're fit and well again. Thanks for sharing your memories with us.


DarylS
(.700 member)
25/08/05 09:53 AM
Re: Elephant hunting in Zimbabwe.

Wonderful indeed! Great pictures and excellent naration.
Thankyou very much.


500grains
(.416 member)
25/08/05 10:51 AM
Re: Elephant hunting in Zimbabwe.

That is a fabulous report! And lots of fun for the PH as well. I would love to shoot an old scrum cap buffalo like that one in you picture.

mickey
(.416 member)
25/08/05 05:00 PM
Re: Elephant hunting in Zimbabwe.

Eric

Great Report, as usual. Once again I am envious.

What type of Sleeping Bag did you take?


EricD
(.416 member)
25/08/05 05:28 PM
Re: Elephant hunting in Zimbabwe.

Mickey,

After careful evaluation, I decided to not bring my sleeping bag!
I think this was due to a process called: Planning !

Some people plan, some people don't. The ones who do plan usually have the least problems!


NitroXAdministrator
(.700 member)
11/09/05 03:01 PM
Re: Elephant hunting in Zimbabwe.

Erik

Great report.

I especially like the add-on trip at the beginning. Too many people miss out on the great benefits of doing some extra time and trips when on safari.

Some great photographs and experiences. The first photo with the girl Sasha from the mountain top is breathtaking. Photos only show a portion of such a sight so the actual spot must have been brilliant. That is a scene I plan to visit one day.

The rock painting cliff is also amazing. I assume the rock paintings were bushmen paintings?

I walked and canoed on the other side of the Zambezi in Zambia opposite Mana Pools in 1994. I recognize such of the hills across the river. Good photograph of "Stretch Ferrera" too. Some close-ups on elephant as well. Did 'Stretch' actually raise his rifle at the bulls when 'talking' to them or not?



Look at the 'broomed' off horns on this old warrior.

I like your lion incident. I am envious. When in Zim in 2002 and in my enforced stay at a tourist camp on the Zambezi (on the Bots border) they told me of an incident a few days earlier when the waterbuck and bushbuck which grazed on the grass between the chalets and near the dining area, were attacked by lion right in front of everyone. With a lioness rushing past in ambush from the other side pf the dining table past all the diners. Killing a waterbuck only a few metres from the table. I sat on the verandah on my chalet for half the night watching the waterbuck and a couple bushbuck but alas no lions . It must have been quite a sight to see the lions march past your tents. (PS Is a mosquito screen of a tent effective protection from a pride of lions? )

What lens did you use for the lion pride photo?

Nice hunting dog pack too.



NitroXAdministrator
(.700 member)
11/09/05 03:25 PM
Re: Elephant hunting in Zimbabwe.

Second lot of questions and comments. I need to make moderators work!

Some fun hunting the cows. Being chased by the cows on numerous occasions must really add to the experience.

Pity about the buffalo cow, but that is how it goes sometimes. If you followed the herd for eight hours looking for a wounded one you certainly tried to find it. In a herd it is hard to spot one until much later. The same happened to me with a zebra. We looked at the herd many times and re-tracked it again and again and couldn't find one with a wound. Only by chance the next day did we manage to guess which one it was and kill it.

For the elephant shot, did the practice on the trailer target help? Some quick shooting from the sounds of it. The calibre was a ??? .375 ??? Good idea to have two ele on quote. Decisions, decisions for me for 2006.



Great stuff hippo on land. But your head is meant to go between the jaws. If the stick holds!

What trophy other than ivory did you take fromt the hippo? Was the skin used for anything?

Good to hear the Zambezi 'trots' waited until Harare. Also not fun to spend the whole flight in the toilet on the way home.


***

Erik

Thank you very much for your great hunt report. The photos were brilliant, the stories entertaining and informative. The usual great posts of your trips we have come to expect.

And a great safari to remember too.


PS Are you sure you didn't need a sleeping bag AND a blow-up mattress for the luxury Big5 camp?


470Nitro
(.333 member)
12/09/05 04:22 AM
Re: Elephant hunting in Zimbabwe.

Amazing pictures

Thanks for sharing .


larcher
(.416 member)
12/09/05 07:00 PM
Re: Elephant hunting in Zimbabwe.

Hi Erik

Really splendid reports.

I have read it twice and I need to read more so as to ask you lots of question.

The very best in your report is the many bloodcurdling close brushs you have.
Fantastic, really all my congratulations.


larcher
(.416 member)
14/09/05 04:55 AM
Re: Elephant hunting in Zimbabwe.

Hi Erik

"quote Erik : "The second evening I was in Mana Pools, everyone except Stretchs camp helper; Analynn and myself had gone to bed"
Poor Anne Catherine.
You sure You was in Zim, not in Hot Burkina?




EricD
(.416 member)
14/09/05 05:10 AM
Re: Elephant hunting in Zimbabwe.

In reply to:

You sure You was in Zim, not in Hot Burkina?






Hahaha! Good one JB. But I must let you down, as it definatly was in Chilly Zim and not Hot Burkina! But she was single, so perhaps there is a chance for you if you go down soon? I promise I woon't tell your wife!

PS. I have now put in the missing commas that will make the sentence you qouted more accurrate! Good thing you brought it up, or some people might start wondering!


EricD
(.416 member)
14/09/05 05:20 AM
Re: Elephant hunting in Zimbabwe.

John,

The rock paintings were made by Bushmen way back when. I must admit that I didn't know that Bushmen used to live in Zim. Thought it was mainly Botswana, Namibia, RSA and a bit in Angola. I guess they were killed of in Zim by the Bantu rather early.

Stretch didn't raise his rifle even once while we were close to the elephant bulls. It was quite an unusual expericance.

The lense I used was a Nikon 80-200mm 2.8ED on my Nikon D70S (due to the differance between the digital chip and the analoge lense, one must times the lense with a factor of 1.5, so in otherwords; 200mm is then extended to 300mm). The lions were taken at full zoom; 300mm.

It was kind of exiting trying to crawl/sneak up on them!



Erik


EricD
(.416 member)
14/09/05 05:27 AM
Re: Elephant hunting in Zimbabwe.

Yes, I used a 375H&H, and wouldn't hesitate to use it again. On the otherhand, I would prefer a larger calibured double if I happend to own one, and could thus choose between the two.

As for me sticking my head into the hippo mouth, I choose not to as the stick was kind of rotten! No point in having my head chomped off shortly before going home!

We did skin the hippo, but found that the skin was too ripped up by other hippo bulls to be worth tanning. So it'll only be the teeth that I will have sent home. I have to find out how I'm going to set up the teeth here though. On some sort of plaque perhaps?



SAHUNT
(Sponsor)
14/09/05 09:14 AM
Re: Elephant hunting in Zimbabwe.

A excellent report and very informative. Thanks giving such a detailed report.

Only moffies don't stick their head in the hippo's mouth


DDouble
(.300 member)
25/02/06 02:37 PM
Re: Elephant hunting in Zimbabwe.

Erik,

What a great hunt! It was hard to hear your comments about Choice. So unfortunate you was so close to have the extraordinay priviledge of hunting with Choice.

Of the 25 bulls he tracked for me, he imediatly demonstrated not only how great his intelligence and knowledge were, but most of all his love for the Hunt. And I have such deep appreciation for those who hunt like we hunted when we were 10 years old. And I absolutely love those who can track more with his instincts than looking to the ground. They can read more than what can be seen!

And he had that humble elegance and serenity of a leader. Their unassuming, modest figure somehow demand respect. We just knew he could lead, he could Hunt.

What a priviledge when Myles left us to stalk Kudu together, me with my recurve and him carrying a pistol to scare off elephants or lions.

And what a joy to see a lioness freeze us with a huge roar and jump and run from a bush 7 paces from us!!!

I hunted a bull elephant on Chewore South with Choice, actualy he hunted and I shot the bull. And typing these words at late hours, in my trophy room, looking at his picture in the wall, proudly holding my (actualy his, or ours) tusks, it is hard to accept we will not hunt together again.

In 2004 as I met him I could immediately guess from the swollen glands in his neck that Choice had aids. And I knew some infection would eventualy take him. How much pain he must have felt on those cold mornings in the Rover, and yet he never hinted a complain. Strength.

Coming to Harare I told Myles I had decided to send him the anti-retroviral cocktail. But sending it internationaly was a major crime according to Zimbabwe law. In Zimbabwe, Like in South Africa, the president says it is not a virus...

I hunted elephant on my 40th birthday, when I decided to slow down from 100 hour working weeks and making money. Told my wife and 3 boys I and we were going to travel a lot. Since then I have spend the last two years hunting all over the world. In those days I had great doubts. Those days were full of very intense feelings, feeling the guilt of sepeing and the hapyness of harvesting together. Choice!

Choice can mean option, alternative, selection... And choice can mean superior, worthy, excelence... he meant all these things.

Leave as many tracks as you can, and put them on the most majestic places on earth, and anjoy your family and friends, let them read your tracks, and feel happy even knowing these tracks will be wiped out by time, wind and beast.

Dante


EricD
(.416 member)
25/03/06 08:35 PM
Re: Elephant hunting in Zimbabwe.

Dante,

Sorry for not replying sooner. Yes, it was a great pity that Choice was not "fit for fight" while I was there. It was clear that he was special.

Perhaps you would consider sharing some of the experiances you mention with us? It sounds like you've had quite a few interesting adventures.

Erik


DDouble
(.300 member)
29/03/06 11:51 PM
Re: Elephant hunting in Zimbabwe.

Erik,
Same as you, I have had my share of traveling. By the way I am just back from a water buffalo hunt. Oddly last night I was spreading some maps around...

I am sad to say Choice has left us to the happy hunting grounds. I met Myles at the SCI convention and he told me that then.That is why I said I would not hunt with him again in my post. It happended probably sometime in December.

He was a truly great hunter and will not be forgotten.

Dante

PS - by the way my tusks are arriving from Zimbabwe today.


EricD
(.416 member)
30/03/06 02:09 AM
Re: Elephant hunting in Zimbabwe.

Dante,

This is very sad news, and a great loss for both his family, Myles, and visiting hunters.

It's been a few months since I asked Myles about his health, and at that time, it wasn't too bad, so I assumed incorrectly that this was still the case.

Erik



markhyoung
(.224 member)
30/03/06 03:32 AM
Re: Elephant hunting in Zimbabwe.

Erik

I must admit today was the first time I have looked at your post on your elephant hunt in detail. You had a heck of an adventure and I was glad to see you gave yourself some time to take in something other than just the hunting. I think folks miss a lot of Africa by not taking a little time to see something other than the hunting concession.

Magnificent photos. I 've been right there on the Zambesi where you took the pics a couple of times and that run down through the Gorge is incredible.

Mark


EricD
(.416 member)
30/03/06 03:58 AM
Re: Elephant hunting in Zimbabwe.

Mark,

Glad you enjoyed the report.

Ever since the first time I was in Africa back in 1988, I realized that there is a hell of a lot of interesting things to do and see in Africa besides the hunting itself.

And I have thus made sure to use at least a week before or after my hunts to do "non-hunting" activities. And will continue to do so! Infact, doing this, and seeing that there is so much to experiance in Africa, was what eventually brought about our year long drive from Norway to RSA.

Back to the elephant hunt trip, I had actually planned to spend more time in Zim, as I haven't seen the "Great Zimbabwe Ruins" yet, plus a few other things worth doing. However, with a wife and small baby waiting at home, I decided to put that off until the next time I visit Zim. Which I will undoubtably do in the near future.

Erik


DDouble
(.300 member)
30/03/06 01:15 PM
Re: Elephant hunting in Zimbabwe.

Mark and Erik,
You are both on the money. There are such great things to do and to see that would make the hunt incredible.

And sometimes just staying in camp for a day and talking to people is so great. Last time in Africa I took a ball to camp and organized a soccer game. I will remember that as much as killing a big bull elephant and stalking a kudu with my bow.

Sometimes we could just try to hunt a little differently, without only the pressure to put an animal on the ground.

As an example, one of the times I was in Zimbabwe, there was a hunter in my camp who went to the hills in Chewore with a old hunter gatherer tribesman from the Vadoma people. That was certainly not one of the best areas of the concession, but they climbed those mountains and fly camped way up there, all with this man as guide showing them how to survive with just a knive, how to find water, etc, etc. He said it was an experience they will never forget.

Today people like Chuck Adams teach one to hunt his guts out always looking only for the best "trophy" producing area, like we were machinces trying to break records of efficiency.

What we need is to hunt slowly to travel slowly, to have time talk. Softly.

Dante


markhyoung
(.224 member)
01/04/06 04:42 AM
Re: Elephant hunting in Zimbabwe.

Dante

I wholeheartedly agree. Safari is so much more than just the accumulation of trophies at safari's end. One of the reasons that I recommend Masailand so highly is because of the Masai people. Folks tell me they don't want to hunt around a bunch of people but the Masia are an integral part of the Masailand experience and one would miss a great deal without that opportunity to interact with them.

The last few times we have gone to Africa we have had the good fortune to be able to drive all over. Some of this was long and tedious but we got to see another side of Africa seperate from the hunting. Hitting the wide places in the road for gas and supplies off the tourist routes to me is an invaluable experience that people too often do not take advantage of.

We offer a hunt in Mahenge on the border of the Selous. Folks can either charter down from Dar Es Salaam or drive. In both cases it kills a day and you can't really hunt so why not drive? Interestingly everybody wants to fly eventhough it is twice as expensive.

That expression about "Taking time to smell the roses" applies in triplicate to safari and I think anyone not taking even a day or two away from the hunting to do something else is doing themselves a disservice.

Regards,

Mark



EricD
(.416 member)
01/04/06 06:37 AM
Re: Elephant hunting in Zimbabwe.

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markhyoung
(.224 member)
02/04/06 02:58 AM
Re: Elephant hunting in Zimbabwe.

Erik

I'll suggest it to our photo/tour people at Tanganyika Trekkers. Even the area below Lingai is really neat. W e shot white bearded wildebeest and Tommies on the lake shore. My trophy pics with those animals show the volcano in the background. Very cool area!

Mark



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