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Earlier, I posted the results of my elephant hunt in Nyakasanga from May 1 to 15.

It was a difficult hunt with less than expected or hoped for results. Still enjoyable, except three evening and mornings while a real FIGJAM stayed in camp.

FIGJAM = F--k I'm Good, Just Ask Me. This was the nickname - epitatat the PH's used for this jackass, makes me laugh even a month later.

The turd was a self taught expert on all subjects world wide from finance to monetary systems to stock investing to skinning, hyhena and leopard baiting and all hunting and fishing - oh, and also on the only sure way to travel with rifles, but then he arrived in Zim without his, they got left behind by the airlines!

Told everyone how to do everything and was rude to the PH's, especially to my PH. Was rude about the generator turning on early to accomodate our early departure in the mornings and rude about the time of dinner, set to accomodate our late arrival in the evenings, well after dark.

Made shitty a comment about the amount of beer that was being consumed one evening, but knocked off a whole bottle of cheap scotch... The list could go on and on, and he was there for only three nights. I felt sorry for his PH and what putting up with that jackass must be like for a whole day, and they moved on with 16 more days to hunt.

This FIGJAM was the poster boy for why one must give careful consideration to any shared camp, especially when hunting hard for dangerous game. The camp was supposed to be exclusively mine but a FU by the outfitter had this jerk in camp for two hunting days and another fellow who was very good company - along with his film team, also good company, in camp for five or six days.

The second fellow was Steve Scott who films African hunts and stars in them. He got some great footage of a bull and cow buff hunt and also of a very cool hippo hunt and I'm looking forward to seeing it on TV. Can't recall the channel but I'll post when and where his show airs, which IIRC is 8:30am on Sundays.

Anyway, I posted earlier on the hunt so here are some photos with some commentary:

Hyhena #1. The Scmidt & Bender 1.1x4 illuminated reticle worked great. Could not see this hyhena with the naked eye, but well enough through the scope!

Hyhena #2. This was thinning out the shallow end of the gene pool. We'd crept into the blind before light and could hear hyhenas off maybe a mile. They must have already left the bait and none were there as dawn camo on. Went down to the Nyakasanga river mouth where it enters the Zambezi to take a look at a bull ele track that Winston, our Appy PH had seen last light the evening before. As we returned to head toward the Sugar Estates area, where we'd seen some bull tracks last light the evening before, this guy was on the bait at 7:30am.

Hope I'm keeping track of which comment for which photo, if so this one is of my lower legs and feet showing ten days or so of wear and tear from up to nine hours of walking dayly.

This is me trying to catch some shut eye at lunch.

Good to see that the oldest guy in the group isn't the only one needing some rest. This PH Rich Tabor, lights out.

And our stalwart cameraman, sacked out.

Lunch. It was very thick in places!

One of the many, too many, full pans.

Coming through the jess after a long morning on our feet.

Second to last day elephant bull. Not what we we're hoping for, but as Safariman says, "any mature bull elephant is a real trophy." Tought hunt, not entirely succssful, but if nothing else, we earned this bull. (BTW, photo taken the morning of the last day since we caught this bull near last light and by the time we got the cameras out it was too dark for good photos.)

Can't wait until the next trip!

JPK

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