My head hit the pillow and I was out, but I went to sleep with a distinct feeling of tomorrow will be the day! I woke up with the same feeling. Can’t explain it, I just knew.
I took a few moments before breakfast to wipe my rifle down, apply a bit of oil here and there, wipe off cartridges that had been in the magazine and in the loops on my buttstock and swap them out for fresh and make sure lenses on my 1.5-5x Leupold were clean.
I have been told I am a bit OCD, but only by disorganized people
I have a bit of a ritual when gearing up. Everything is always in the same spot and I pretty much always carry the same basic gear no matter where I am hunting.
Fixed blade knife on my belt, around to the back so my gun doesn’t bump into it and make noise or scratch my gun. Leatherman the same only to the opposite side of the mid belt loop. Light gloves and small LED head lamp in left front pocket. Lightweight Kuiu guide beenie right front pocket. Latrine essentials in a zip-lok bag in left cargo pocket. Handkerchief in right rear pocket. Right cargo pocket empty for misc items I add. Power bar, electrlyte packet, etc.
I’m not really very OCD, I just don’t like to be fishing for something in the dark not remembering where I put it. I pack a hunting pack the same way.
We find elephant early and in the same vicinity as the ones from the night before. I’m not sure if it is one big herd or a number of smaller herds that are just in close proximity, but there are a bunch of elephant everywhere.
We start working them carefully. Trying to stay down wind but probing the groups looking for tuskless.
Where we are there is the sandy river channel with a steep bank on one side and the other side is a big flat flood plain with mixed open grassy areas and thick bush and trees intermingled. The elephant are moving and feeding and at times we are sneaking along and other times we are running.
There are so many elephant it is hard to keep track of them all. We spook elephant a few times with our scent, but fortunately they take off away from the others and don’t spook the whole lot of them.
Up ahead we see more elephant coming across the flat looking like they are going to cross and follow one of the many shallow ravines up out of the river bottom. This is when we run!!! Trying to pick the correct ravine they might go up and have a good look and potentially a very close shot!
We climb up the bank out of the river channel and sprint for where we think they will come up. We couldn’t have done it more perfectly. We are waiting in the bush at the top of the ravine when a group of 6 come up. Everything is perfect. We have the wind right and if there is a tuskless I will have a shot of less than 10 yards.
The ravine is full of elephant! Literally nose to tail. And they stop. Right in front of us, point blank! Everyone is holding their breath I think.
No tuskless. A big cow in the lead with another cow behind her who has a tiny calf. Then another cow and calf and a young bull.
They stand there listening and smelling. We hold our breath.
Finally they move up the ravine and we breathe. Whew! That was... tense?
More elephant are coming across and heading for the next ravine. We run again. We get to the next place an elephant can climb out of the river well ahead of the next group which is really 2 groups but they have changed their mind and are slowly meandering along in the large grassy open area in the bottom. This time there are tuskless. 2 of them but they both have calves. Crap! Can’t catch a break.
Then another small group breaks cover and into the open area. I nudge Doug and point to a tuskless cow. No calves with this group! We’re in business!
They will pass right in front of us at about 30 yards. Doug gives me the green light if I have a shot. They aren’t slowing down or stopping and it is now or never. Doug let’s out a call of some kind hoping to get them to pause and I am ready with a sight picture I like. No reaction. I am cleared hot and feel comfortable with the shot, so I press trigger with a good side brain sight picture.
Boom! And all hell breaks loose!!!
Elephant have come right up behind us in the brush. Doug and I are side by side out front on the edge of the riverbank. Behind me is Ryan running the camera. Behind him are Solomon, Doug’s amazing tracker, and my buddy Jim along with Maru our Parks Ranger. Solomon, Jim and Maru are our rear guard. They have been watching these ele coming right up behind us and about shitting their pants as they reach the 5 yard mark. When I touch off the Rigby a freight train of elephants spin in their tracks and blast off through the bush at about Mach 3.
At my shot the tuskless goes down to her knees but quickly pops up again and whirls around to run back the way she came. I’ve already run the bolt and hit her with another one. A raking shot from the right rear. Doug’s .505 Gibbs booms as I’m lining up on my third shot. She is running on a direct crossing path now and she stumbles and starts to fall just as I fire my third shot, which hits her in the neck and drops her for keeps.
By now there is mostly just mayhem. Elephants are getting the hell out of dodge! Doug pretty much collectively grabs us all up and we head straight up hill to clear the area. We will return in a while
When we can regroup and breathe Jim and Solomon start telling us about all the elephants coming up our tail pipe. They were right at the point of having to start yelling or start shooting because they were almost on top of us.
Very comforting to have people with big guns covering your six
After a good while we head back to my elephant. I ask to be the first one to touch her. Doug and I walk up and I snick off the safety and reach over from the back and touch her eyeball with my muzzle. Her life is over.
Emotion starts to set in. I have my first elephant. I am overwhelmed. This is like nothing I have experienced before. One of my greatest dreams come true and in a way I could only have dreamed about. Just incredible!
Hand shakes and high fives all around. We celebrate and pay our respects to a magnificent animal that will now become immortal. She will feed a lot of people, including many hungry school children.
Today was the day, and there will never be another day I kill my first elephant. But I am already hoping for the day I get my second!
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Elephant heart kebabs are excellent!
