BOTSWANA: NG 13 Elephant Hunt

[Philip Glass]

I am excitedly looking forward to my upcoming elephant hunt in Botswana’s NG 13 with Leon Kachelhoffer. If you want to become infuriated at the way the fake media portrays hunters and hunting in Africa just google NG 13 elephant or Leon Kachelhoffer and read one of the many “hit pieces” written in the national and international media in April and May of 2022. We all can remember the way Corey Knowlton was treated. The Texan that hunted the Rhino in Namibia to benefit conservation. Corey was attacked with death threats and phone messages saying things like I am going to rape your wife to death and make you watch and burn your house down with your kids inside! Lovely people, aren’t they? These kind hearted, caring, anti-hunters. Leon was treated the very same way for his crime of investing years of effort and a huge amount of money to develop this hunting concession which will benefit all the wildlife and the area tribes. I am so passionate about the conservation aspect of “funding conservation through hunting in Africa” that I had to book with Leon and do this same hunt on the “one year anniversary” of him being crucified for harvesting the hundred pounder. I will be able to interview Leon and the local tribes and council and get the story first hand on how they were falsely accused. I will see the benefits first hand and hopefully someday be able to spread the truth about how beneficial “tourist hunting” is to conservation in Africa.

Leon came to my hunting Lodge in Kansas this winter and we planned our hunt. I cannot believe the hunt is only about a month away. I feel so unprepared.

I want to thank everyone on AH for being so helpful! Through the wonderful friends I have made on AH I was able find guidance to wonderful outfitters and discern which companies I would like to hunt with. If this hunt goes as I hope I will have been blessed to go on three hunts to Africa in just 22 months. I have harvested several leopards and three cape buffalo and fantastic wild lion and 26 plains game animals. I have been in Tanzania for 28 days and in Botswana for over 30. All this is beyond my wildest dreams. I definitely feel like Cinderella! What I mean is that my paygrade and education I was never meant to go on all these fantastic adventures! God has blessed me and I am thankful! Covid stole my Alaska fishing business because it was largely based on cruise ship clientele. This nightmare of my losing my business caused me to have the time off to go to Africa.

This October I floated the Snake River for twenty days and hunted with a recurve bow made for me 40 years ago by Jim Brackenbury. I took no supplies and lived entirely off the land. I slept on the gravel under the stars and called in 18 bull moose. I used a kayak I made myself about 30 years ago. In the end I shot a bull at 8 feet away with an arrow that was 60 years old. A browning micro flight and a vintage fred bear broadhead. I have an article about this adventure that will come out this next month I believe in a western hunting magazine.

The reason I mention this Idaho moose hunt is that by using Old and Vintage equipment I was able to make this hunt one of the most amazing adventures of my life! I knew the unit had produced an average size shiras bull of only 28 inches. I did not care about the size of the antlers I cared about the “size of the adventure”! Think about those words for a minute!

Today I spent the day with George of Champlin Firearms in Enid Oklahoma. What a gentleman! He opened his shop on a Saturday just for me and he spent hours and hours teaching me about double rifles! I have hunted all of my life and had never touched or seen let alone fired a double rifle! So now you see why I told the story about the moose hunt this oct with vintage archery gear! I am only 30 days or so away from my Elephant hunt and I am just now discovering the romance and history of the double rifle! It is all I think about! I am so afraid that I do not have the time to do justice to acquiring a double, learn to shoot it well, and be ready for this elephant hunt. On the other hand I am afraid that if I take the elephant with a borrowed camp gun I will forever regret that I did not hunt the elephant with a mor classic and historic firearm. Oh well! Ha!

Thanks again everyone on AH for your help in my journey to support conservation in Africa through hunting!
Below a picture of George and I at his Champlin firearms shop in Enid Oklahoma taken today.

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above a recent scouting picture of an elephant on NG 13 taken by Leon and sent to me.
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above a picture of me four decades ago with the same bow that I used on the moose hunt this past October.
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above a picture of Leon Kachelhoffer and I at my lodge in Kansas this winter.

above floating the snake river in Idaho for 20 days this past october with the 40 year old bow and 30 year old kayak I built myself

My wild lion from Tanzania this past August.

Me with the same bow I carried above the artic circle In Alaska 40 years ago as seen in the previous picture I used this past Oct on the snake river in Idaho. Makes me want to use a double rifle on the elephant hunt to make it more historic and romantic.View attachment 519823
My Botswana Leopard was mounted by Robert Vitro and was displayed at SCI in Nashville. I have not seen it in person yet. Alan Porter of Colorado is providing trucking of the mount from the show back to my lodge in Kansas. It was just loaded on the truck this evening after the close of SCI Convention and I should see the mount soon.

Jerry you are chasing your dreams my friend! Keep it up.

 

[7mmFan]

thanks for taking us along for the ride so far. really looking forward to reading your report. Good luck and shoot straight!

 

[WillMFerguson]

Now we come to the purpose of todays trip to JJ’s. My right shoulder has a rotator cuff tear that has not been treated. I’m in misery! No time to get this looked into; I have this hunt coming up! Once again! Failure to prepare properly! I understand! Because of the shoulder injury I thought a sling would be in order for the double rifle.

Not to overstep (again?), just a few suggestions on the rotator cuff injury: I had about a year of being in denial when my left shoulder decided to revolt. During that time, I went on hikes, climbed a few easy peaks, continued to lift 6 days each week (sometimes doing two-a-days), play basketball at least 4 times per week on days that I could lift my left arm without passing out, and generally being an idiot. The pain would come and go. When the pain was at its peak, I got so desperate that I would wrap a long belt around my left arm and chest and cinch it down before sleep. It sometimes worked, but the idea was to immobilize it during sleep. My surgeon was a former WSU football player and had a better understanding of shoulders than anyone I had met. He explained that the shoulder is a joint that is not only weak (because of the tradeoff of mobility), it has very little blood flow. That lack of blood flow prevents healing, which is why shoulder injuries generally do not heal on their own.

My advice, again I am not an MD, is just what I found helpful as I neared my surgery, which was great because I was nearing the end of my rope and seriously considered doing an amputation on myself at one point (I have zero pain tolerance). I found that icing my shoulder for an hour in the morning and an hour before sleep was what I needed. And I mean, I got that thing NUMB. That provided some decrease in the inflammation inside the joint. The other suggestion is to find the best way to immobilize your shoulder as much as you can during sleep.

BTW, I love the update; praying for a great hunt.

 

[Scott CWO]

Let me give you an update on my preparation for my upcoming Botswana NG 13 elephant hunt. I’m not a planner and that May bite me in the butt this time around. It is two weeks until my hunt and I am so unprepared! I bought a double rifle just a few weeks before the hunt when I started to realize the historical and romantic significance of these firearms. Only now I am beginning to fear that may have not have been enough time to get everything lined out properly. Let me explain. I have been working on all the ins and outs of the permitting for the firearm permits and just today was notified that all my paperwork has finally been “turned in”! Now we wait for the various governmental agencies and the airlines to respond and issue the permits. All of this is more complicated than I had ever imagined.
Now let’s talk about the rifle. I had to drive down to JJ’s in sands springs Oklahoma today and have him love on my CHAPUIS ELAN again! This was the third time I have had JJ “lay hands” on my rifle to provide needed service. At first you and I may think “ why would a brand new rifle need all this service”? I can understand that point of view and to tell you the truthI have had that same thought. The first trip was to get the trijicon sight out on. That isn’t a repair just a desired installation. The next trip down to JJ’s was for triggers that I found too heavy for my liking. I measured the weight of pull at 6 pounds for the front trigger and 7 pounds 12 ounces on the back trigger. My scale was created using fishing weights in a sock and a piece of wire hooked to the trigger so definitely; not a “accurate measuring device!” JJ used a real trigger pull gauge and pulled it in the proper direction and noted the weights were 5 on the front trigger and 5 3/4 pounds on the back trigger. JJ set the triggers to the weight he advised for me. Four pounds in the front trigger and 4 1/2 piunds in the back trigger. Now we come to the purpose of todays trip to JJ’s. My right shoulder has a rotator cuff tear that has not been treated. I’m in misery! No time to get this looked into; I have this hunt coming up! Once again! Failure to prepare properly! I understand! Because of the shoulder injury I thought a sling would be in order for the double rifle. I could not remover the “filler” screw from the rib of my rifle that would allow me to install the sling swivels provided with the gun. I am no novice to basic gunsmithing tools and own several sets. I could not get this screw out! Crap! Back to JJ’s today. He removed the screw with great skill and installed some quick detach sling swivels that he provided mounting them in the barrel rib as well as the stock. I’m good to go thanks to JJ!
Here is my final thought in all if this. Think about anything you have ever done. Let’s take compound bow shooting. You would never think of buying a new bow and then rushing out hunting. There is fine tuning of the arrow flight. Paper tuning if you will. There is draw length adjustment. There is choosing a release your happy with and building muscle memory for a perfect release. There are sights to be mounted, a stabilizer, and you need to work on your anchor point. And above all practice, practice, practice!
I was a commercial spear fisherman at one point in my life. I killed fish with a spear gun and power head in the federal waters off the east coast of florida. You understand, I am taking about using a firearm cartridge, at depth that detonates on impact with the fish. Maybe describing it as a “zip gun” on the end of a stainless steel shaft fired from a speargun makes it more understandable. If you think for a moment you can buy the gear I’m talking about “off the shelf” and make a living spear fishing without lots of tuning and practice you are sadly mistaken! So, I saying all this to say I should have realized the “journey” to get this rifle just like I want it, shooting it well, trigger pull I’m happy with, and all the rest was not going to happen overnight! So I’m happy to start shooting the rifle again tomorrow and I hope all the permits and paperwork is approved. It would really mean a lot to me if I am able to take the elephant with my double rifle. Thanks to everyone on AH that has been so helpful to me! View attachment 523382View attachment 523383View attachment 523384

@Jerycmeach are you doing any walking, hiking or bicycle riding to get ready? Yes, getting the rifle ready is important and a sling will help on the long hikes following tracks. Elephant are hunted with your feet so it would be good to do some long walks at home each day before you leave. It’s hard to make time for walks but it will definitely help you. Good luck on the hunt! I know Leon is also excited. He told me he still has another opening after your hunt.

 

[Jerycmeach]

I was excited to get back to practicing with the double rifle. Today I took four off hand shots at 30 yards and you see the results. I just wish I could do better! My snap caps should arrive soon and I look forward to doing some dry firing to try and see if I can perfect my trigger squeeze timing and possibly learn a way to hold the rifle more steady on target and follow thru. Like I have stated previously the rifle shoots one, to one and a half inch groups at 50 yds from the bench. Unfortunately I shoot three inch groups off hand at 30 yards. I want to get better!

 

[Jerycmeach]

@Jerycmeach are you doing any walking, hiking or bicycle riding to get ready? Yes, getting the rifle ready is important and a sling will help on the long hikes following tracks. Elephant are hunted with your feet so it would be good to do some long walks at home each day before you leave. It’s hard to make time for walks but it will definitely help you. Good luck on the hunt! I know Leon is also excited. He told me he still has another opening after your hunt.

Thanks so much for the advice Scott! You are so right I need to start making time for the walks I feel so smothered with all the chores I have going on right now I have Shed antler hunters at the lodge and it seems they take all my time. I think you for telling me about the opening I need to put the word out and try to locate a hunter for that spot that Leon has open

 

[Mort Hill]

Jerry, so excited for you, your trip, your new gun, your enthusiasm. I have read every post and would only tell you to take a deep breath and relax. I remember well all your questions before your lion hunt. I know it is in your nature to try and dot all the i’s and cross all the t’s. But you are an avid and experienced outdoorsman, and that covers about 80% of your worries. The other 20% are more than likely things you can try to address, but are out of your control. So just trust that when the time comes, your instincts and experience will kick in. You have already done more prep than I dare say half or more of the folks that go on their first elephant hunt. Keep doing what your doing to prepare, but just enjoy the preparation. Your safari will be here before you know it and you can once again enjoy all the fruits of your labor. Just my 2 cents. Blessings for a wonderful safari!

 

[Jerycmeach]

Jerry, so excited for you, your trip, your new gun, your enthusiasm. I have read every post and would only tell you to take a deep breath and relax. I remember well all your questions before your lion hunt. I know it is in your nature to try and dot all the i’s and cross all the t’s. But you are an avid and experienced outdoorsman, and that covers about 80% of your worries. The other 20% are more than likely things you can try to address, but are out of your control. So just trust that when the time comes, your instincts and experience will kick in. You have already done more prep than I dare say half or more of the folks that go on their first elephant hunt. Keep doing what your doing to prepare, but just enjoy the preparation. Your safari will be here before you know it and you can once again enjoy all the fruits of your labor. Just my 2 cents. Blessings for a wonderful safari!

Thank you so much for your kind words Mort! You are the reason I started on this whole africa hunting endeavor! It was your blow by blow hunt report from a couple of years ago that got me so excited to hunt africa! Every night I kept signing on to AH just in the hope you would give another update on your safari including the photos. It was as if I was there! I could taste, see, and smell Africa through your posts and yet I had never even been on a hunting trip outside of North America. I wish I had the skills and patience to do a hunt report like you did that one Mort! I know you don’t have much time to visit I suspect your busy every day with your business but know that I appreciate you giving me your blessing on this upcoming hunt! I’m out here in Kansas trying to wrap up all my bookings as well as burn past years and I’m still running my trap line every morning so it seems like there’s not enough hours in the day to get ready for my hunt. You take care of Mort and thanks again!

 

[Jerycmeach]

Things are really coming together on my shooting! I think it was the snap caps that have made all the difference! Let me explain! So you guys remember that when I got the rifle the trigger pulls were very heavy! Not as heavy as I thought but according to JJ they were approaching 6 pounds. JJ lightened up my triggers to 4 1/2 pounds on the back trigger and 4 pounds on the front trigger.
Now that is still dang heavy if you’re used to good triggers. Red leg said it best to me when he said Jerry those triggers are still pretty heavy. I certainly agree with that they are nothing like the rifles that I’m used to shooting none of my rifles have triggers that heavy! With that said of course I defer to JJ who told me that if I went to than 3 3/4 pounds on the rear trigger it could “double”! So JJ left me 12 ounces as a measure of safety if I understood correctly.
So now back to the snap caps. You cannot shoot this rifle like you can a rifle with a very light trigger. But by practicing with the snap caps you can retrain your muscle memory so to speak and develop a much stronger and quicker amount of pressure to execute the shot when the sights are aligned. I don’t know how to describe it but you know what I’m saying you can become familiar with the heavier trigger and pull it harder and faster if that makes sense. Let me show you today’s group 5 shots at 35 yards offhanded and things are really looking up! You could surely cover these five shots with a silver dollar. The shots were taken with alternating barrels. Right barrel first and then left barrel. I am surprised that with the double rifle
It seems I have to slide my hand rearward on the pistol grip between the first and second shot meaning the front and back trigger. I’ll have to ask one of these guys it’s very proficient with the double rifles to explain if I’m doing it correctly but there’s no way I can work both triggers while maintaining a stationary grip on the stock.
Maybe it is understood that that’s just a necessary part of executing the shot sequence.

Jerry you are chasing your dreams my friend! Keep it up.

 

[Jerycmeach]

Jerry you are chasing your dreams my friend! Keep it up.

Thank you so much for the Encouraging words! I am really trying! Discovering the aspect of the double rifle has added a whole new appeal to this safari! I have re-discovered a concept that I’ve always known which is it’s not only why you do some thing that matters meaning your motivation for doing it but also it matters how you do it! We all could catch a tiny brook trout in a mountain stream on a salt water surf rod if we had to but that does not sound near as appealing as doing it with a 4 weight fly rod and a wicker creel to put the catch into! Ha! I have such a passion for My belief that Hunting is conservation and that the only hope for protecting wild areas of Africa and its wildlife is regulated tourist hunting! I booked this hunt because it’s on the same week with the same pH in the same concession, one year after the media…the fake media attacked Leon saying he killed the last giant Tusker in Africa. In other words the line of attack was that we hunters have taken the last living elephant carrying the “big tuskers” out of the gene pool! I’m going to get the true story! Visit the native council! Document with Leon all the money it took to develop the concession! What a huge investment that is not appreciated by these anti hunters! Anyway. I’m getting all fired up but thanks again for the encouragement and I hope this hunt goes well and I get more information to be a positive spokesman on this subject.

 

[Jerycmeach]

thanks for taking us along for the ride so far. really looking forward to reading your report. Good luck and shoot straight!

Thanks so much for your words of encouragement! I hope I do the AH family proud! Everything has been such a “Alice and wonderland” type outcome on my previous hunts I have let a feeling of “ something is going to go wrong this time” creep into my psyche! Ha! I pray it all goes fantastically! Take care and thanks again

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

Hi Jerry,

Glad JJ was able to fix your double and put on the Trijicon RMR while you waited...JJ is the best. Let me set the record straight.....I called Mark Biggerstaff for help finding you a double and it was actually his connections at Benelli that lead us to your Chapius at the small gun shop in TX. Good luck with the practice with your double leading up to your hunt. Cant wait to hear all about your elephant hunt in Botswana.

Houston Bill

Did y’all find it at a small shop in Buna just north of Beaumont? The owner normally keeps a few in stock there in different calibers and a good assortment of Safari Ammo.

 

[AZDAVE]

Jerry, as others have said you just need to take a deep breath and relax, your double is sorted, it is shooting very well to its regulation. You have the case to protect your double for the flight. Work with the folks getting your travel and firearms paperwork r4eady and just enjoy every second of the adventure. You have all the process sorted to get from a new double to being in camp, so stop and smell the roses so to speak. Enjoy the sounds and smells of africa over your first cup of coffee in the morning, talk to the trackers and skiners about how they do their work. Observe the plants and birds. In short just live the experience you have set your path on. I am envious of the sadventure you are taking and look forward to reading every word you as you describe your hunt.

 

[Jerycmeach]

Did y’all find it at a small shop in Buna just north of Beaumont? The owner normally keeps a few in stock there in different calibers and a good assortment of Safari Ammo.

Thanks for the information. I did not know that this is the way I was able to find a double rifle on short notice. Thank you to everyone that helped me!

 

[Jerycmeach]

Jerry, as others have said you just need to take a deep breath and relax, your double is sorted, it is shooting very well to its regulation. You have the case to protect your double for the flight. Work with the folks getting your travel and firearms paperwork r4eady and just enjoy every second of the adventure. You have all the process sorted to get from a new double to being in camp, so stop and smell the roses so to speak. Enjoy the sounds and smells of africa over your first cup of coffee in the morning, talk to the trackers and skiners about how they do their work. Observe the plants and birds. In short just live the experience you have set your path on. I am envious of the sadventure you are taking and look forward to reading every word you as you describe your hunt.

Thank you Dave for the advice! Yes, I need to make a post about all my trials and tribulations with trying to get the paperwork and permits all sorted out to get the rifle into camp. My troubles started when I booked flights on Qatar. At the time I had no intention of taking a rifle. I was going to borrow a 416 rem bolt gun from leon the PH. By booking with Qatar all the way through from Dallas to Maun and then a planned helicopter flight over the okavangoo into camp. Qatar used air Botswana for the connection from Johannesburg to Maun. Once I got interested in taking the double rifle I reached out to Jennifer at travel express I believe the company is called. I had tried to use Lori I believe it was, her mother in law I believe, two years ago for my first Botswana trip for the leopard. Anyway that is when Lori had just passed away I was told and things were understandably up in the air for booking clients.
I reached out to Jennifer about helping me with the permits to get the double rifle to maun on my already booked flight. Jennifer was very nice but in the end it did not work out. She said that she had not worked with air Botswana Air and even though she emailed them she did not know if or when they would get back to her. She advised that when you want to use her services you let her do the tickets and the gun permitting. She knows and is familiar with which airlines to pick to make sure the permitting is going to work out for the rifle. So, after this setback there were more delays. Houston Bill told me about travel express 2000, I believe it is called. This lady, Anne in South Africa I believe has a reputation of being meticulous and to the point; but gets things done! That’s what I have heard anyway. So I reached out to her. She was out of touch on a marketing trip to the UK. My emails were not getting to her. Something about a typhoon and a server being down or something in Johannesburg. No kidding! Houston Bull even tried to email her just to see if I was doing something wrong and you guessed it! His emails would not go through either! Finally Anne gets back from Europe but now more problems. Qatar had some type of security filter not accepting her attempts to mail a copy of my passport and the other forms required. Anne evidently finally did get my paperwork to a contact person she knows at Qatar airlines. Finally just 14 days before my flight is scheduled to depart I heard back from Tharia which is assisting me. She is Leon the PH’s client assistant. Tharia advised me that, well Jerry…. Your paperwork has been submitted now we wait with our fingers crossed! CRAP! That does not sound like a sure thing now does it! Ha! I realize this is all my fault for trying to buy a rifle and get it on this hunt with just 21 days lead time. I take all the responsibility if this does not work out. It is no one’s fault but mine! Let’s hope I get to hunt with this rifle!
Thanks guys for all your help! This AH fraternity of passionate hunters is invaluable to greenhorns like me!

 

[PARA45]

Have you done the CBP 4457 to take your double out of the country & back?

 

[Frederik]

Getting there and good shooting one helluva adventure it is for sure.