Best time of the year to hunt Elephant in Zimbabwe?

What month is the best to hunt Elephant in Zimbabwe and why?

I like hunting them during this month as you often find them raiding villagers crops from where you start your exciting tracking hunt into thick bush. The country is also starting to dry out and cool down a little.

October can also be good as by then ground water is minimal so game is more concentrated around these points. One big disadvantage is that this month is also super hot in temperature.

It depends on the area as they move for different reasons. IN the zambezi valley early may allows you to get in there early while they are undisturbed but it is thick with lots of water. Late in the season like sept or october the water has dried up and they move around by the river more....but it is hot!! I did an unofficial study of the log book at the ranger station and determined that sept/oct produced the biggest bulls.

Thank you, It seems from your answers and reading various posts that as water becomes more concentrated so does the game and your starting points become more defined...Just how uncomfortable is the hunting in september? Besides the heat is the insect activity more or less..

Bearing in mind someone shot a 101 pounder just last week, I'd say the end o march might be a good time to look for them!

Where did they shoot the 101 pounder? Who was the outfitter or PH?

The PH was Nixon Dzingai of SSG Safaris. Nixon's client Sr. Jose Luis Rueda shot the elephant on Thursday, March 31 at 17:00 hours in the Malapati Communal Area

101 pounds? Would like to see it.

I was told that july to september is good too. As the gras is down, less water, no leaves. I will go to Zim in august.
What do you think?

There's no end of very big elephants moving in that area right now and if anyone can get up there at short notice, I'd strongly recommend they get on an aircraft asap.

August should be reasonably good but of course a lot depends on who you book and hunt with and where you hunt.

I don't pay to advertise here and don't use the forums to market anyway but feel free to email/PM me if you need recommendations etc.

Early in the season does have advantages as the bush tends to be thicker and so approaches tend to be easier. Restricted water does have an affect, however on Elephants this is minimal as Elephants wont hesitate to walk many many kilometres to available water.

September is warm in Zimbabwe make no mistake, however it is still fairly dry so the heat is bearable. December on the other hand is hot and wet and can be very unpleasant in some areas. Insects are not too much of an issue until the rains come and then there can be swarms of them.

Peronally, I I had to choose a month to hunt elephant for myself in Zim, it would be May. There is still a reasonable amount of water around, certain seasonal fruits are present , and the weather is extremely pleasant. Whichever month you choose, I hope you have a great hunt.

Thanks for the informations.
My plane ticket is already booked for august, so, cross your fingers and be sure, if successful will put pictures in my gallery here.

Originally Posted by Martin

Thanks for the informations.
My plane ticket is already booked for august, so, cross your fingers and be sure, if successful will put pictures in my gallery here.

Please look me up whilst you are here. If you need a comfy place to overnight , my doors are open. Always good to share a fire and a beer with a fellow hunter