Elephant, In search of 80+ pounds

[TSALA HUNTING SAFARIS]

Great discussion and thank you posting, always interesting to see where guys are finding the big ivory these days.

Our area in Mozambique borders Gonarezhou National Park with an unfenced boundary, and for those who might not know, Gonarezhou literally means “Place of the Elephant.” The reputation is well deserved and the surrounding areas either in Zim or Moz should definitely be high on anyone’s list when searching for big bulls.Moz is exportable but unfortunately not importable into the US.

Our last three bulls out of the area weighed 88 lb, 65 lb and 55 lb, and what has been encouraging is the noticeable increase in movement over the past few seasons. Since taking ownership we’ve put a lot of effort into continuous anti-poaching work, and the difference is clear , more tracks, more crossings and generally healthier elephant activity moving through the system.

It’s a special corner of wild country and exciting to watch it improve year by year.

Good luck with the search and all the best for the hunt.

 

[John Telford]

NG34 is one of the prime concessions in Botswana but it is the second best concession held by the outfitter. NG43 aka Sankoyo is the best concession held by the outfitter. I’ve seen pictures of all of the elephants killed in both concessions over the last 24 months. You are likely to shoot something in the 60’s in 34 and 70 is more reasonable in 43. I believe the exact number was 3 over 80 in 43 this year.

I think you mean NG41.

 

[eyedok]

Tsala has an incredible place, cant wait to get back

 

[Cme1983]

I think you mean NG41.

No I mean 43. 41 is Johan’s concession. 43 and 34 are held by a different person. Most of the quota in 34 was sold to Jeff Rann this past year. Out of the two 43 is better than 34.

 

[Foxi]

Another vote for Tanzania. Their super tuskers make for the ultimate hunting trophy. It’s not cheap, but well worth it. If I ever manage to hunt my third elephant (and I certainly have plans to in the near future), it will be in Tanzania hands down.

Habib, name me 5-7 elephant kills + their guides that have recently come out in Tanzania in the desired size.
Not over a period of 10 years, but in one or two seasons. Then I would be with you, but I'm afraid you won't find anything.

One of the problems is that hunters don't take their time (or they run out of money, understandably).
I am confident that in the other good areas already mentioned here, there would be opportunities if a hunter were to commit to four weeks.
Hoping to win the lottery in 14 days seems unrealistic to me.

 

[Hunter-Habib]

Habib, name me 5-7 elephant kills + their guides that have recently come out in Tanzania in the desired size.
Not over a period of 10 years, but in one or two seasons. Then I would be with you, but I'm afraid you won't find anything.

One of the problems is that hunters don't take their time (or they run out of money, understandably).
I am confident that in the other good areas already mentioned here, there would be opportunities if a hunter were to commit to four weeks.
Hoping to win the lottery in 14 days seems unrealistic to me.

Foxi, I may be very mistaken. But I believe white hunter Michael Fell (operating in Tanzania) had his clients take some unusually heavy tuskers in the last five years or so. I've seen a few photographs on Facebook.

 

[DLSJR]

Foxi, I may be very mistaken. But I believe white hunter Michael Fell (operating in Tanzania) had his clients take some unusually heavy tuskers in the last five years or so. I've seen a few photographs on Facebook.

Habib,

While Mike Fell does indeed take some nice elephants from Maswa North each year, keep in mind that this is just 1-3 a year AND the way Mike photographs his trophy shots is very deceptive. Pictures are taken with wide angle lens (usually cell phone) with camera very close to animal and Mike/clients sitting well back. That exaggerates the perspective and makes the trophy look bigger than it actually is. This isn’t to say Mike doesn’t take some good animals, he does. But you must keep the intentional distortions in mind. It’s marketing more than performance. What looks like a 90 pounder on Instagram is usually more like a 60 pounder in the skinning shed. Most of the elephants he takes are actually quite noticeably smaller in real life than they are when they get shared on Instagram.

Mike is a good PH whom many follow. I know him reasonably well and know firsthand how his marketing works. I’ve pissed him off poking fun at him privately over it (he’s kinda sensitive to good natured ribbing). Finally, most hunters can’t pay what it would cost to shoot an 80-90 pound bull there with him. Maswa north is one of the places to look fora big elephant but there are other places that are also as good or better. Besides, he has absolutely no trouble selling his elephant hunts for top dollar so it’s more a theoretical discussion than practical.

 

[rookhawk]

How I'd go about this which is probably different than what the OP wants.

I'd hunt with my same competent PHs that hunt Western Zimbabwe in the Hwange cooridor. I would shoot every elephant I encounter over 50lbs immediatley. I would pay <$30k all-in with tips, airfare, permits, etc. I would do this over and over and over again and eventually get a 65-70lb elephant, maybe even an 80lb elephant.

OR I could spend $80k to $120k in Botswana and Tanzania hoping for an 80lb elephant, but probably getting a very nice 60lb bull on that trip.

In my plan, I get 4 elephant hunts and four better than 45lb elephant, probably a few in the 50s-60s, and maybe even a 75lb bull.

But I'm frugal, blending best odds with lowest price.

 

[Hunter-Habib]

Habib,

While Mike Fell does indeed take some nice elephants from Maswa North each year, keep in mind that this is just 1-3 a year AND the way Mike photographs his trophy shots is very deceptive. Pictures are taken with wide angle lens (usually cell phone) with camera very close to animal and Mike/clients sitting well back. That exaggerates the perspective and makes the trophy look bigger than it actually is. This isn’t to say Mike doesn’t take some good animals, he does. But you must keep the intentional distortions in mind. It’s marketing more than performance. What looks like a 90 pounder on Instagram is usually more like a 60 pounder in the skinning shed. Most of the elephants he takes are actually quite noticeably smaller in real life than they are when they get shared on Instagram.

Mike is a good PH whom many follow. I know him reasonably well and know firsthand how his marketing works. I’ve pissed him off poking fun at him privately over it (he’s kinda sensitive to good natured ribbing). Finally, most hunters can’t pay what it would cost to shoot an 80-90 pound bull there with him. Maswa north is one of the places to look fora big elephant but there are other places that are also as good or better. Besides, he has absolutely no trouble selling his elephant hunts for top dollar so it’s more a theoretical discussion than practical.

Hey thanks, @DLSJR

That actually explains a lot !

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

Hey thanks, @DLSJR

That actually explains a lot !

Mike’s biggest was in Botswana, not Tanzania but he has hunted more than one in Tanzania over the 80lb mark in the last year or two. Zindane (previously mentioned) has produced several over 100lbs in the last 3 years and a couple over 80lbs. You have another PH or two out there that’s also killed bulls of this caliber.

@Foxi what you’re ignoring is the percentage of bulls over 70lbs, let alone 80-100lbs coming from Tanzania. It’s drastically higher than Botswana or any other country mentioned. Tanzania caps their annual sport hunted elephant quota at 25 for the entire country. For the last 10 years they’ve shot less than half that number with some years as low as 5-7 across the country. Compare this to every other country named and I guarantee you won’t find another country that comes close in terms of avg tusk weight.

All those 0lb Tuskless elephants in Zim crush their average but i agree with @rookhawk. I’d plan 2 or 3 different 21 day elephant hunts. I’d select an outfitter who’d let me shoot multiple elephants on the same hunt with no additional day rates for standard trophy trophy fees and I’d smash multiple trophy bulls each hunt targeting 60lbs+. Knowing how quotas work we’d likely end-up hunting several different areas of Zim each hunt and it would eventually yield a bull of a lifetime for similar dollars but a lot more days tracking and rounds fired.

 

[Tanks]

I’d select an outfitter who’d let me shoot multiple elephants on the same hunt with no additional day rates for standard trophy trophy fees and I’d smash multiple trophy bulls each hunt targeting 60lbs+.

I don't know of a single outfitter that would let you do that when they can add X days of daily rates for each elephant. Especially when they sell out all of their quota each year.

 

[375Fox]

name me 5-7 elephant kills + their guides that have recently come out in Tanzania in the desired size.
Not over a period of 10 years, but in one or two seasons. Then I would be with you, but I'm afraid you won't find anything.

One of the problems is that hunters don't take their time (or they run out of money, understandably).
I am confident that in the other good areas already mentioned here, there would be opportunities if a hunter were to commit to four weeks.
Hoping to win the lottery in 14 days seems unrealistic to me.

I think you’d be very surprised if you started asking questions at shows about northern Tanzania. You will find it. I got to hold it. There’s no reason to advertise when most can’t afford it for the added scrutiny it draws. Some of the premier outfitters in Tanzania don’t even have websites. They have a different clientele than other parts of Africa. Hunting elephant in northern Tanzania is a sensitive issue over tourism impacts.

 

[IvW]

I see RSA will be issueing 150 Elephant, 12 Black Rhino and 11 Leopard permits this year.....
If the ele permits dont have weight restrictions it may become interesting.....
There will be some huge leopards coming out as well.....

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

I don't know of a single outfitter that would let you do that when they can add X days of daily rates for each elephant. Especially when they sell out all of their quota each year.

I’ve got one who will.
PM inbound

 

[Kelly G]

Check out: Backcountry Africa, Zane Bronkhorst PH.
He's on a Big Ivory hot streak !

 

[kpoynter]

I don't know of a single outfitter that would let you do that when they can add X days of daily rates for each elephant. Especially when they sell out all of their quota each year.

Agree… it’s their bread and butter… the opportunity cost would be enormous to them. Not to mention Elephant areas tend to be well…Elephant areas.. and not much else.
A couple of us are privy to exactly the internal cost is to one or more of these ares are…
The ONLY way this happens would be Cancellation quota late season (if there was quota somehow in a good area early season still…they will wait to sell a full hunt later not let you shoot more…at least at a cost structure like this)
I see the new post about PMing… interesting but again note we are talking prime areas with good chances not only at 50# but bigger

 

[kpoynter]

I see RSA will be issueing 150 Elephant, 12 Black Rhino and 11 Leopard permits this year.....
If the ele permits dont have weight restrictions it may become interesting.....
There will be some huge leopards coming out as well.....

I saw that… it will be interesting indeed.
It’s been many years since there was hunting like this

 

[Cme1983]

Agree… it’s their bread and butter… the opportunity cost would be enormous to them. Not to mention Elephant areas tend to be well…Elephant areas.. and not much else.
A couple of us are privy to exactly the internal cost is to one or more of these ares are…
The ONLY way this happens would be Cancellation quota late season (if there was quota somehow in a good area early season still…they will wait to sell a full hunt later not let you shoot more…at least at a cost structure like this)
I see the new post about PMing… interesting but again note we are talking prime areas with good chances not only at 50# but bigger

Aren’t late season ele hunts usually prime time for the species? I think I know someone that got to look at a lot of trees when they went last April

 

[kpoynter]

I think you’d be very surprised if you started asking questions at shows about northern Tanzania. You will find it. I got to hold it. There’s no reason to advertise when most can’t afford it for the added scrutiny it draws. Some of the premier outfitters in Tanzania don’t even have websites. They have a different clientele than other parts of Africa. Hunting elephant in northern Tanzania is a sensitive issue over tourism impacts.

Very true…

 

[kpoynter]

Aren’t late season ele hunts usually prime time for the species? I think I know someone that got to look at a lot of trees when they went last April

Indeed….and there was quota that damn sure wasn’t being let go for say $30k if you had cash in hand…cause that quota sold for double that
And it was mid May