Hunting Elephant

First thing that comes to mind when I wake up is, "where's the head?"


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Anticipation, excitement..............

Try to remember and record every significant moment...............

Realize how blessed I am to be on the hunt and to remember to appreciate and embrace every moment.

With a good PH the hunt will probably take care of it's self, so, "Don't worry, be happy"



Simon, not sure this is the direction you wanted this to go in.
 
I don't know yet as my hunt is coming at the end of August. I think Wheels makes a great start to how everyone should feel.
For me this will be a one time hunt so I think the excitement and anticipation will be constant. I was just trading texts today with my son about the hunt. He is excited as I am. He will be there with me and be able to tell the story to the next generation of Austin's and the one after that when I'm long gone. For me I think the best word to use about the hunt is Epic.......because it will be one heck of a story.
I will no doubt be concerned every day about finding a good bull in the pound range I have contracted for but really that's the job of PH Erasmus with Paw Print Safaris and his second Mr Oliver. I have placed a great deal of confidence in Pieter and I am sure he will do his work correctly and find the bull.
Heck folks I am already counting down to departure day. I've lost 15 pounds and will take off another 16 to be at my lowest weight in 17 years. You think maybe I'm dead serious about this hunt? Yep that's what I'm feeling serious.....real serious!
Like Bob said I'm also just very happy to be one of the few people that gets to take this hunt.
 
I soooo wish I could answer the question from personal experience! Maybe someday :D
For me I think it would be something like "I need to squeeze every second I can out of this day"!
And
"I hope I remember every detail".
Also, I think as the days go by I would wake up thinking something like, "crap, only 5 days left" :(
Thanks for asking Simon (y)
 
I haven't got to hunt elephant yet but I would image a combination of anticipation, excitement, and nerves. I would also think, as wheels mentioned, one would have a feeling of being blessed for the opportunity for getting to do it and the "holly shit, this is really happening" feeling. I hope I get to know what it feels like one day. I've often wondered what the millisecond before you pull the trigger on a big tusker feels like.
 
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On most mornings we wake up at about 4, the day starts with coffee around the fire in the lapa, there is a airy silence around the fire, people filled with excitement, but you can sense the nerves, anyone that tells me he isn't nervous either hasn't hunted elephant or doesn't understand hunting elephant. As we climb onto the landcruiser the excitement begins to rise, the trackers are waiting, they always laughing and smiling.....they always say "grande elephante" today. My main tracker Tomei, smiles and laughs continually it's infectious and makes us relax, the drive on the way is exciting, nerves relaxed, suddenly there is a tap on the roof, and the trackers are off, they have seen fresh tracks, we will discuss the size, freshness, if we decide the tracks are right, we all start gearing up and let me tell you there is a deadly silence as this happens....your heart is pumping with excitement, as we follow up the tracks your senses are on full alert, for that first glims of the elephant, but what I love is the first sound of a branch breaking......then the adrenilin kicks in and.......
 
On most mornings we wake up at about 4, the day starts with coffee around the fire in the lapa, there is a airy silence around the fire, people filled with excitement, but you can sense the nerves, anyone that tells me he isn't nervous either hasn't hunted elephant or doesn't understand hunting elephant. As we climb onto the landcruiser the excitement begins to rise, the trackers are waiting, they always laughing and smiling.....they always say "grande elephante" today. My main tracker Tomei, smiles and laughs continually it's infectious and makes us relax, the drive on the way is exciting, nerves relaxed, suddenly there is a tap on the roof, and the trackers are off, they have seen fresh tracks, we will discuss the size, freshness, if we decide the tracks are right, we all start gearing up and let me tell you there is a deadly silence as this happens....your heart is pumping with excitement, as we follow up the tracks your senses are on full alert, for that first glims of the elephant, but what I love is the first sound of a branch breaking......then the adrenilin kicks in and.......
Don't stop there continue
 
Gizmo, got something even more nerve wrecking than elephant.......dentist appointment......will continue ....
Dentist appt(n)
 
Gizmo, got something even more nerve wrecking than elephant.......dentist appointment......will continue ....

im hearing you , there old chap.....
needles and pneumatic drills, are way more scarey
 
On most mornings we wake up at about 4, the day starts with coffee around the fire in the lapa, there is a airy silence around the fire, people filled with excitement, but you can sense the nerves, anyone that tells me he isn't nervous either hasn't hunted elephant or doesn't understand hunting elephant. As we climb onto the landcruiser the excitement begins to rise, the trackers are waiting, they always laughing and smiling.....they always say "grande elephante" today. My main tracker Tomei, smiles and laughs continually it's infectious and makes us relax, the drive on the way is exciting, nerves relaxed, suddenly there is a tap on the roof, and the trackers are off, they have seen fresh tracks, we will discuss the size, freshness, if we decide the tracks are right, we all start gearing up and let me tell you there is a deadly silence as this happens....your heart is pumping with excitement, as we follow up the tracks your senses are on full alert, for that first glims of the elephant, but what I love is the first sound of a branch breaking......then the adrenilin kicks in and.......

id love to be there breathing , pure adrenalin , with an arrow knocked , when that first branch snaps , listenening to a big bulls belly rumbling .only a few metres away. hearing the gentle relaxed flapping of his ears, as he casually moves silently from tree to tree selecting the leaves he chooses to eat....
if only , if only , if only..........................................
 
I hate this thread. The pics of big elephant in Simons gallery just provoked an instant attack of elephant-fever in me...;)
 
Just to help with writing, I will call client X," bluey" as the client was using a bow.

We had found a track close down on the river, a solo bull, good size track about 20 inches, but not many thick cracks in the track, suggesting he might not be an old bull, but being the first morning out, was time to stretch the legs a bit, time to tell Bluey to chamber a round....or should I say get your arrow/bow ready. At this stage Tomei will always light his corn leaf with tobacco, and off he goes in front, I have no problem with him smoking while we are following tracks, I just watch his smoke to see wind direction, Diaz another tracker close on his heels.

After following the bull for about half an hour he moved about 500 yards from the river and started doing zig zags all over the place while he was doing his early morning feed. The first signs of dung were as fresh as could be and we knew we were close..was still relatively early in the morning, Tomei said the elephant is heading back to the river, they like to take a nap in the bamboo or thick river bush.

We could see where the bull had been breaking branches, still wet bark, then we heard the loud crack of a branch, every hair on your neck rises....with the wind in our faces we slowly advanced forward, everything was silent around us...you hear your heart beating in your chest, as we came over a small bank there was the bull in the open about 50 yards in front of us, we had expected him to be further ahead of us from the sound of the branch, he had his back to us for about a minute then turned, but saw he was only about a 45 pounder, I said to bluey, he's not big enough, day one, we have plenty of time to look for better bull, at that same instant the bull realized we were there and in a flash he came straight for us, ears and trunk up..trumpeting like all hell , stopped about 20 yards from us and then in an instant disappeared into the bush,it all happens so fast out there. Was enough fun for the day.

Day two was pretty much of a chilled day, we found a few herds with calves, and I don't go near cows and calves. Just don't want to be put in a position that I have to shoot a pissed off mother.

Now day 3, was a total different ball game, even now thinking of it makes the hair stand on my arms...it doesn't get much closer than this...
 
I like this story TMS keep it coming.
 
Down on the river.

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