The hunter clearly has a lot of excitement going on and think nerves got the better of him. I mean it might have felt like having your favorite NFL star shadow you for a couple live plays in an actual game, then yelling at you to throw when they see the window…it’s a bit of pressure. The guy seemed like he could shoot on paper at the beginning. Hitting low bulk off his bag, and the. A lower pair touching after shooting them in quick succession off-hand…so he didn’t seem incapable or unpracticed…but in the game, he seemed to struggle a bit, and natural for folks at times.
As a kid, I can recall getting buck fever and was just that almost overwhelming energy of excitement. I haven’t had that in years, and admit I miss it. Having just completed my first elephant hunt which is a boyhood dream, I wondered if I’d find it again and experience shakes, but no. Spent lots of time practicing shooting irons as I wanted red-dot off for the hunt, then lots of reloads from the belt and properly avoiding a bad habit I have with ejection to avoid brass hitting the concrete floors of the shooting house during the winter. Felt confident but never know what emotions and excitement will bring when placing the front bead on a target that towers above you. And getting in tight and close to several bulls in Zimbabwe and then Botswana that just weren’t there, helped gain some general sense of size and presence of the situation that would come when age and size met.
The day before shooting my bull we got in super close on an ancient old bull that had its ivory broken off on both sides, but as old and giant a bull as I’d ever seen even on YouTube, the concern was his ivory at the lip wasn’t super heavy so concern was if he had big nerve, might not be exportable and I’d lose out on the panels which I wanted more than anything, so after judging him for over 10min at under 15 yards from a few angles as he slowly, slowly meandered between feeding and what looked like sleeping (maybe pausing to hear/sense us) we passed, but I had to at least level my front bead on the frontal shot that we had when backing out, and no nerves (likely because I knew I wasn’t pulling trigger?)
Next day, and three bulls later, an we found the old bull I wanted that met what we were looking for. Same scenario, after getting in super tight for 10+ min, judging from a few angles and deciding he was the old man for me, we decided I should take him, and right as he decided to start moving on, so things went fast from there. The gents in Bots seemed to like heart/lung for first elephants and especially with a double. Seemed they have experienced a fair share of excited shooting and the western scenario to follows. They agreed to allow side brain and if the right opportunity a frontal as well. The situation here was a side brain, and while walking he was walking slowly and we were at close range. He was ever so slightly quartering away. Found aiming point, shouldered, squeezed and immediately collapse and trunk flying up in the air just as I’d seen on YouTube so many times. And while time stood still for me for a moment and really can’t recall hearing the shot, more just focused on the point of aim and watching the result unfold…I didn’t have any of the overwhelming excitement or feeling to rush. Not sure that is better…I mean the shot placements are better, but that child-like excitement is pretty darn cool as well.
As the bull collapsed, I remember being happy that it all went as planned but with all the videos you see on YouTube, just seemed to go as it should. BUT…both PHs, and all the little busman trackers and wildlife rangers were going absolutely nuts, and grabbing me and yelling and hooting and clicking like I’d hit some kind of home run to win the game. I’m sure some of its for show, but they were all just so loud and happy, I ultimately had to ask the younger PH from Tholo and he shared that the guys are all more ready for a rodeo when we roll in with a double, and especially so when it’s our first elephant vs some of the guys they see that come year after year for multiples each time.
I think at the end of the day, it’s about enjoying your hunt and all aspects of the trip. Recognizing having someone ordering when and how to shoot, the gallery of trackers and camera man can add additional pressure to shots, and just at some point do your best and just have fun. And one thing, having Sullivan back you up, I mean it’s not a bad time for poorly placed shots. Like him or not, the man can flat out handle and shoot a double.
