Elephant, In search of 80+ pounds

[Cme1983]

Buying two bulls requesting 21 days is a viable option but you are still paying full prices for both bulls.

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

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

Many of the prime areas in Southern Africa are typically best late season (Nov-December) and up against the rains. At this time of the year most outfitters have 1 or more permits left over that they’ve been sitting on for one reason or another. Many wait hoping to sell full price, or hoping another hunter in camp tags out early and wants another one they liked it so much.

November/December is hot, and you’re often right on the cusp of the rains completely altering movement patterns. Lots of hunters aren’t willing to risk it or hunt when it’s that hot. If you’re focused on just Elephant, you have a good outfitter/PH, and are willing to be flexible they can plan a hunt based around going after left over quota and/or other outfitter’s quota should you fill theirs.

I had an opportunity presented to me last year while in Africa (early July) to cancel the fishing portion of my trip, push my flight back, meet an outfitter and go after 6 elephants that were added to the quota by Zim Parks mid year

 

[Scott CWO]

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.

I know of several bulls over 80 pounds that Mike has taken.

 

[DLSJR]

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.....

The thing that got my attention more than anything was 12 Black Rhinos. Wow!

 

[Scott CWO]

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.....

Will believe it when I see it. Do you think it will happen this time?

 

[IvW]

I think it will......it is now out for 30 day comment....
The numbers may be brought down but the facts are that we have too many of all 3 species.

Black rhino bulls in particular can be a problem older bulls that cannot breed anymore will kill younger breeder bulls and even cows.....
We have too many leopards.....many just receive SSS treatment as they have no value without quota.....

 

[Garciamarquez1918]

I was at DSC talking to a couple of Tanzanian operators this week for a lion and later for elephant. They don’t shoot any thing under 80 and an elephant over 90 will cost you $200K for the trophy fee plus the licence.

Which operators? I assume Kilombero North and ??

 

[Safari1]

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.

Correct

 

[Beck]

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.

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This sounds like my kind of place. I love to hear that your conservation efforts are making a difference

 

[kpoynter]

Which operators? I assume Kilombero North and ??

You probably already know…
There are two to my knowledge and nearly a third last year….
Less than 10 tags total and the most expensive hunts on Earth to my knowledge perhaps with the sole exception of Markhor

 

[McKenzie Sims]

A lot of Tanzania suffered heavy poaching 2010 - 2015 so it is spotty for age class now.

Agree!
I hunted in Tanzania in 2010 Rungwa akili consession for 21 days never seen a legal ele. I know its been "16" years. but still not enough time to get that age class you want.

 

[Lancaster]

NG34 Botswana or Kazuma Zimbabwe?

Thanks in advance.

Having spent 10 days in Hwange NP last year I'd say any area around that park! In one camp our guide was an ex PH and he judged a number of bulls we saw up close to be 'between 80 and 90lbs' with one 'nearer 100'

 

[Safari1]

Agree!
I hunted in Tanzania in 2010 Rungwa akili consession for 21 days never seen a legal ele. I know its been "16" years. but still not enough time to get that age class you want.

They are taking some good bulls adjoining Ruaha NP these days….but only in the past few years .

 

[50Gunner]

WOW!!!!! I can't Thank You all enough for the info, pics and real world on the ground experiences in this thread, as I was reading the pages getting caught up I literally drifted off into an African Elephant hunting fog in my head, completely forgot I started this lol, nearly like reading a book.

Got the D9 Cat dozer and Trackhoe guys loaded up and paid at the farm yesterday afternoon, doing a bit of dirt work here at the farm, sheet, that check would pay a nice deposit on Elephant ; ]

Washed up and grabbed Holland double from the safe, had four 450gr North Fork flat nosed solid loads left, they clock 2225 fps and regulate with beautiful TEMP stable accuracy over H-4831 powder, best I could glean over the internet a bull Ele's brain is around 14 inches wide by 10 inches in height.

I found a 12" wide shipping box, spray painted a football shaped bullseye, placed it at 50 yards, got shooting sticks and let fly holding dead center brain, that rifle is more than ready for the hunt.

It was regulated by Holland for the 480gr bullet and 70grs Cordite, these 450gr North Forks will out penetrate any new or old round nosed solids of either 480 or 500 grains being kinder to the steel the whole time, they will never veer or turn off a straight line course, also doing more damage along the way because of the flat nose, I have no concerns with bending, riveting or fishtails.

I took a couple pics, maybe Woodcarver or Degoins could post 'em up later today.

Many Thanks again Gents, what a wealth of knowledge provided in this thread, that knowledge is not taken for granted by me, that knowledge comes with laying down some serious money to learn.

 

[degoins]

Jerry's pics....

 

[50Gunner]

Many Thanks for posting pics good Sir Degoins, appreciated greatly.

 

[degoins]

Many Thanks for posting pics good Sir Degoins, appreciated greatly.

Anytime friend.

 

[wesheltonj]

Which operators? I assume Kilombero North and ??

You mean those Amboseli Elephants that cross the border into the area that KN took over.

 

[Garciamarquez1918]

You mean those Amboseli Elephants that cross the border into the area that KN took over.

Yes but not to be pedantic but the elephants aren't "Amboseli" elephants per se. They're free-ranging elephants part of whose range is Amboseli.

 

[Heeler75]

I kick myself pretty hard when I think back to knowing I could have hunted a non-trophy bull at Nyae Nyae when SMJ had it. Pricing was on par with other non-trophy bull hunts in Namibia. But alas, that ship has sailed.