Hunting Elephant

Day 8, I discuss with the trackers that we need to head to a total different area for the day, the sun is just starting to rise when we find the first tracks crossing the road, but mainly cows and calves, a herd with calves is not worth taking chances. We find a few other tracks, but not worth following.Around mid morning we find a fresh track, about 21 inches, nice cracks, this is a bull to follow and even more importantly, the track is as fresh as can be, he has just crossed. My PH has recovered from his malaria so we back up to full force. I can see in Tomei's steps he knows we close, he's acting like a jack russell on steriods..clouds of smoke bellowing from his cheroot. We hear him breaking bark off the trees, and after less than an hour after we started tracking we see the bull, he's a 70 pounder...fantastic, he's just moving slowly along without a worry in the world. We just keep following him at a safe distance, and then Murphy throws a spanner in the works, a cow, calf and young bull join the bull, they just keep feeding. Normally with a cow and a calf I will back off, but they were relaxed and didn't look like a threat.

Bluey and myself had discussed the shot from the beginning and we had come to the decision, the moment I see Blueys arrow strike, I must follow with a back up shot. We didn't want the elephant to suffer unnecessary or if the arrow didn't hit the vitals to put the trackers and us in danger if we had to follow up...

The elephant stopped in a small thicket, and there was no way for us to get in close enough for a shot, for nearly 3 hours we sat watching them in the thicket.....of cause within half an hour bluey was fast asleep...."true story", the bull walks up to a huge tree and without much effort snaps the tree like a little twig, the loud crack wakes bluey up instantly, and I look at my PH, he just shakes his head, no trees big enough to climb if the shit hits the fan...

The bull begins to move off by himself, I tell bluey this is our chance, we need to go in quickly, he is heading towards an opening in the trees, this is the perfect spot, we up against the edge of the trees, the bull is coming, bluey takes a full draw on his bow and holds, then I see the cow and calf heading our way, I signal to the Ph to keep an eye on them, we going to take the shot....the bull is now less than 20 yards broad side, as his steps with his front leg, he opens up the soft target spot and the arrow flies...it's perfect shot...but instantly the elephant goes into turbo mode, I shoot, but I haven't led the bull enough, but the shot spins the elephant 180 degrees, my next shot is true and he drops instantly...massive cloud of dust, my PH begins shouting the cow has decided to charge, I load and shoot over her head, she stops and I reload again, I fire again, she just stands there, we begin to back off, the young bull joins the cow and calf, but won't move away, I move around and upwind of the elephants to let them smell us, so that they will move off, this doesn't help, they about 30 yards from the dead bull, I move in closer to try and chase them, fire another 2 shots but they won't move. I eventually send Albino back to the landcruiser to fetch a chainsaw, didn't take him long to return, started the chainsaw and immediately the elephants disappeared in to the trees and were gone..

Time to take a look at blueys bull...a fantastic 72 pounder...our spirits are so high, the tension gone...

That bull is now mounted and proudly stands in a Frenchmen's house in France.

That was one of my most exciting, tension filled hunts I have ever done. The next elephant was hunted in less than 3 hour on the first day, different client.
 
Great story Simon.

Never realized bluey was a Frenchman.o_O
 
Uoi,uio monsieur
 
Ne vous inquiétez pas bluey, nous vous aimons encore longtemps ...:ROFLMAO::eek:
 
Sorry simon
Thats all the french l know mate, and l learned that off an add for youhgert
On the tv
 
bluey your french is on par with @IdaRam english at the moment....:E Big Grin:
Hey, my english may not be so good, but my American is perfect! :D
Get bluey and I in one of those english pubs and nobody will understand a damn word we're sayin'! Mate
Of course if y'all didn't insist on speaking with such an accent it would be easier for the rest of us to speak English ;)
 
Spike, you know longtems.... You pay too much...
 
Hey, my english may not be so good, but my American is perfect! :D
Get bluey and I in one of those english pubs and nobody will understand a damn word we're sayin'! Mate
Of course if y'all didn't insist on speaking with such an accent it would be easier for the rest of us to speak English ;)

yup get you 2 in one of those english pubs and nobody will understand you because you will be flat out :D Drunk::D Passed Out: after drinking some traditional english ales.................;)
 
SPIKEY mike, you gonna get a arrow in the butt pretty soon...
 
Mike, you taking the lime light off ole Blueys elephant hunt..;);)
 
Spike you forgiven, but please stay on the play ground...
 
You owe me a bottle of Ricard....
 
Happy days...
ELEPHANT BOW.JPG
 

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