Hunting Elephant with a recurve?

[ch_FM77]

$10,000 Said: 'it Can't Be Done' - 05.06.57 - SI Vault

Article is Bill Negley's account of his elephant hunt with a recurve in 1957.

 

[ch_FM77]

I had bookmarked this thread a while ago and am glad I kept it!

http://www.africahunting.com/bowhunting-africa/5043-bowhunting-elephant-best-setup.html

here is an excerpt from the thread posted by none other than the founder of this wonderful website:

"Minimum Equipment Requirements for Bowhunting in Zimbabwe
Class A Game
Bow Kinetic Energy 80 ft/lbs
Arrow Weight 700 grain
(Elephant, Hippo, Buffalo)
Class B Game
Bow Kinetic Energy 77 ft/lbs
Arrow Weight 695 grain
Broadheads with only two cutting edges
(Lion, Giraffe, Eland)
Class C Game
Bow Kinetic Energy 70 ft/lbs
Arrow Weight 618 grain
(Leopard, Crocodile, Kudu, Oryx / Gemsbok, Hartebeest, Wildebeest, Zebra, Nyala, Sable Antelope, Waterbuck, Tsessebe, etc.)
Class D Game
Bow Kinetic Energy 56 ft/lbs
Arrow Weight 463 grain
(Warthog, Impala, Reedbuck, Sitatunga, Duiker, Steenbok, Jackal, Game Birds, etc.)"


So it looks like a minimum of 80 ft/lbs of ke is required for elephant.




Charlie

 

[Macs B]

According to Fred Bear's "Bowhunting Diary" he hunted elephant in the 60s with a 75 pound draw Bear made recurve bow and a "twist" string. His arrow was a large diameter aluminum shaft with a fiberglass arrow blank fitted inside for additional weight. He used the Bear classic two blade broadhead. Not sure of the accuracy of all that but it is in his published bowhunting diary.

 

[harm]

I hear you. KE is a simple calculation which IMO is why it is so widely used, those in the know certainly trust a heavier arrow with a high KE over a light one, hence the 750gr minumum in the standard above. Still KE is a good and simple benchmark to at least let you know if you are in the ballpark and exceeding the minimums is always wise.

I did find it starange that the SA minumum requirements stopped at Giraffe and made no mention of Ele though.

as i understand it,the bowhunting of dangerous game has been outlawed here in SA since 08.
Fritz will know more though.

 

[Fritz Rabe]

as i understand it,the bowhunting of dangerous game has been outlawed here in SA since 08.
Fritz will know more though.

Only Buffalo can be hunted in SA with a bow without prior approval by Nature Confusion. All other animals of the Big-5 and Hippo needs a special permit where the hunter must prove that he is competent as well as the PH that conducts the hunt must be able to prove that he is competent in DG bow hunting.

 

[Fritz Rabe]

According to Fred Bear's "Bowhunting Diary" he hunted elephant in the 60s with a 75 pound draw Bear made recurve bow and a "twist" string. His arrow was a large diameter aluminum shaft with a fiberglass arrow blank fitted inside for additional weight. He used the Bear classic two blade broadhead. Not sure of the accuracy of all that but it is in his published bowhunting diary.

Fred Bear also needed 4 arrows to kill the Elephant and it died several days later. Robert Eastman that holds the No1 in SCI also used 2 arrows in 1975 and his elephant died two days after he shot it.

That will not work today. The moment that the arrow is fired and the elephant does not die within an hour, the PH will be forced to shoot it down.

 

[harm]

Nature Confusion

 

[Ole Bally]

Chuck Adams also failed...with his compound.

 

[Paolo Mauritania]

Howard Hill used a LB with a draw weight of 115#@ 28", an aluminum arrow of 42", 1700 grains total with his designed broad-heads, a broadside shot achieved a good 30"+ penetration. He tried a head shot from as close as 15 yards with the same combination on the carcass, couldn't get to the brain. He took three bull elephant.
Source: "Howard Hill The Man and the Legend" by Greg Ekin (the son of Ted Ekin, HH partner in HH Archery and current owner of Howard Hill Archery).

 

[slad68]

The guidelines for hunting in South Africa do not show a minimum for Ele but Giraffe (the largest listed requirements) is 90ft/lb Kinetic energy with a minimum 750gr arrow.

90ft/lb is acheived with:
750 gr arrow = 255fps or so
1500 gr arrow = 180fps or so

First of all, it is not legal to hunt an Elephant with a bow in South Africa. This is why you could not find the minimum requirements.

I have done 4 Elephant hunts with a bow, all compound 85 lbs to 100 lbs.
Of all 4 Elephants only one was killed with the bow.
It might not be impossible to kill a Elephant with a recurve but from past experience with compounds this is something I will never attempt. Irrespective of the setup or possibilities.
Just my two cents of opinion.

 

[Diamondhitch]

Taken cleanly with 1 arrow.

 

[slad68]

As far as my knowledge and research goes this hunt was guided in South Africa by Professional Hunter and Outfitter Howard Knott of Greater Kuduland Safaris.

It could be one of two locations, either on Howard's farm in the Tshipise are or Makuya Park (bordering Kruger National Park in the north).
Jack used a 100lb BowTec Samson to arrow this bull.

 

[Diamondhitch]

As far as my knowledge and research goes this hunt was guided in South Africa by Professional Hunter and Outfitter Howard Knott of Greater Kuduland Safaris.

It could be one of two locations, either on Howard's farm in the Tshipise are or Makuya Park (bordering Kruger National Park in the north).
Jack used a 100lb BowTec Samson to arrow this bull.

Crazy, I just assumed Tanzania.

Did you notice the huge flinch when he shot? I imagine all that draw weight doesn't do much for a guys form.

 

[Bsums]

Its for sure possible, but much much harder. Just make sure your aim is great and work out your arms at the gym. Less outfitters offer elephant bow hunts so it will take more searching to find a hunt. Good luck with the venture!