NAMIBIA: Non Exportable Elephant Bull Hunt In Bushmanland With JKO HUNTING SAFARIS

[Riksa]

In 2020 I was browsing through Africahunting.com without really looking for anything. Since my previous hunt early 2019 I had not seriously considered going back to Africa during 2020, but maybe sometime 2021 or 2022. But plans change as some deals are simply too good to resist.

JKO Safaris posted a non-trophy elephant hunt

https://www.africahunting.com/threads/non-exportable-elephant-hunt-2020-cancellation-deal.59201/

and I was done with my Africa hunting break. I contacted Jacques Spamer from @JKO HUNTING SAFARIS, found suitable time and was booked in a matter of days. I was going to hunt a non-trophy Elephant bull in Bushmanland from 1st to 7th of November 2020.

I reserved flights to Windhoek with Qatar Airways. A month before the trip Qatar cancelled the flights to Namibia. We managed to change the schedule so that I would arrive a day earlier than planned with Eurowings flight from Frankfurt. Luckily that flight was not cancelled. JKO Safaris / Jacques was really flexible in adjusting the dates for the hunt. I would arrive a day earlier than expected and leave according to the original plan.

In short, this is what we are going to have:

Species to be hunted: Non-exportable, non-trophy bull elephant

Location: Outjou Conservancy / Bushmanland / Namibia

Outfitter: Jacques Spamer / JKO Safaris

PH: Jan Du Plessis

Cameraman: Chris Esterhuizen / Jongosi Media

(Not so professional) Hunter: Me


I told to Jacques that I wouldn’t mind hunting hard and I’d be happy to walk long distances and work for the trophy (or in this case non-trophy). Previous elephant I hunted was taken at night time from corn field so I had not gotten previous experience in tracking and finding elephant in day time. That was something I was looking forward to.


Friday 30.10 arrival

Flights in these days can be a headache. Travelling with the mask on at all times is not a pleasure, but frankly, it’s a small price to pay for hunting in Africa. So I arrived to Windhoek with a smile on my face (under the mask). Going through the security checks and health check was easy. The process is a little inefficient, but works generally well. Just go with the flow.

After health check I picked up my luggage and headed out of the terminal to pick up my rifle. After picking up my rifle and ammunition box I met Jacques Spamer. He took me to the car where I met our cameraman Chris Esterhuizen.

We packed my gear to Jacques’ Land Cruiser and where shortly on our way. Finally I could get rid of the mask. Happy times. On our way downtown Windhoek we stopped in local Taxidermy where we met @whitetail who had just returned from a successful Leopard hunt with JKO.

After running some errands in Windhoek and having a late lunch we were on our way to Bushmanland. Drive was long. We drove via Otjiwarongo, Grootfontain and finally found our way to the camp close to Gam village. Whole roadtrip took some 10 hours and last 300+ km we travelled on gravel roads. Luckily the Land Cruiser is built for these roads and we reached the camp safely. After unpacking we got to bed after 2:00AM. In the morning it’s up at 6:30AM and then sighting in rifles. I found out that my extra non-hunting day in the camp would actually be a hunting day. Naturally I had nothing against that.

 

[gillettehunter]

Please continue.
Bruce

 

[Tra3]

Looking forward to the rest of the story!

 

[thi9elsp]

Tease! Let's get on with it. I'm looking forward to going on the journey with you.

 

[Riksa]

Saturday 31.10

Woke up as planned at 6:30 feeling surprisingly OK after 2 nights of short sleep. Very little sleep in the plane and now just some 4 hours. It’s a miracle what a few hunting days ahead of you does to your mood.

After our breakfast we drove a few kilometers to the spot where we sighted in my rifle. I took a shot with both a solid and a soft and both were spot on. Target was not too far, maybe 40 meters, but shots on elephant will probably not be long range either. Our plan was to focus only on elephant and in case we would be lucky early in the hunt, then we would move to another area to cull hunt some plains game.

Plan for the day would be to check waterholes and roads for tracks and see in which area there would be elephant activity. During the day we drove long distances on Botswana border and also on the border between Naye Naye conservancy and Ondjou conservancy. This truly is prime Elephant hunting grounds. In total we drove close to 300 kilometers on poor roads while farthest distance to camp was 70km. It took 2 hours from the farthest point to get back to the camp. Cruiser was really taking a punishment in these roads.

There was clearly elephant activity, but nothing extremely fresh and worth following. Most activity seemed to be on the Naye Naye border where the fence was broken down from several locations making it easy to spot where the elephant were moving. We headed back to camp for dinner and planned to visit some other waterholes the next day. The day had been warm, 39C at the hottest time so a few cold beers tasted good. African TV, dinner with some stories and finally to the bed. Well deserved sleep came early despite thunderstorms around us.

Sunday 1.11

First official hunting day started with a good breakfast. We left the camp early to maximize our chances to track and find our bull elephant. During the day we visited several waterholes, but found no fresh tracks from waterholes. We also found a promising track and after closer look the trackers wanted to follow but Jan decided that the track was too old. Disappointing, but I agree that following too old track would simply be waste of time. Today was a little cooler, only 36C degrees. Also my body is slowly adjusting to the heat. No walking in the past 2 days as we have only been checking where to focus our efforts. The border between Ondjou and Naye Naye conservancy was deemed to be the best option so we decided to start from there the following day.

Jan told that before our arrival to the camp they had killed tens of scorpion in the camp. Apparently they has crawled out of their holes due to rain that had hit the camp. As the thunderstorm clouds gathered around the camp after dinner I was hoping they had caught all of the scorpions…

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

Great story, good writing, thank you. What rifle is that?

 

[Andrew Short]

We need more! @Kevin Peacocke it is a gorgeous rifle and I’m curious as well!

 

[thi9elsp]

Agreed on the rifle @Kevin Peacocke and @Andrew Short The story and photos create a longing for Africa in my heart! Oh, to be there too.

 

[cpr0312]

Eagerly looking forward to the full report!

 

[Riksa]

Thanks for the kind words! Rifle is Sako 85 Safari in .416 Rigby. It's way more accurate than I am and luckily self loaded 450gr Woodleigh solids and 400gr Swift A-Frames have the same point of impact.

I'll write next instalments as soon as I can. Today we've been hunting moose and the same continues tomorrow.

 

[rinehart0050]

Great start to the report! Can't wait to read more. And congrats on that very fine looking rifle!

 

[DieJager]

So far so good. Get on with your moose hunt and start writing again

 

[Tokoloshe Safaris]

Very nice rifle & being a Sako it will be accurate.

 

[whitetail]

Loving the start of this report!! Looking forward to more buddy!!!

 

[BRICKBURN]

Thanks for the kind words! Rifle is Sako 85 Safari in .416 Rigby. It's way more accurate than I am and luckily self loaded 450gr Woodleigh solids and 400gr Swift A-Frames have the same point of impact.

I'll write next instalments as soon as I can. Today we've been hunting moose and the same continues tomorrow.

Good luck Moose hunting.

 

[JKO HUNTING SAFARIS]

Thank you for taking the time to write up the report my friend. I am looking forward to seeing you in a couple of weeks for the new adventure we are tackling head on! ;-)

 

[VertigoBE]

Great start to what promises to be an awesome safari! Looking forward to reading more!

 

[Riksa]

Moose hunting is now behind so time to get back on the Ele story


Monday 2.11

Before driving to the Naye Naye border the trackers wanted to check a waterhole some 3 kilometers from the border. There was a trail camera at the waterhole so that would enable us to check what had visited the waterhole during the night.

When we arrived to the waterhole there was already plenty of cattle. Despite the cattle we could see that there were bigger tracks on the ground. We jumped out to check the track. It’s was a large track with right wear and cracks. We estimated that the track was a little old, but still OK to follow. Trackers went to check the trail camera, but for some reason the elephant was not caught on camera.

Elephant had left to the direction of the Naye Naye border so instead of following the track from the waterhole we decided to drive to the border road and check whether it had already crossed to the other conservancy. We returned to the Gam village main road from the waterhole and drove towards the Naye Naye border when suddenly the trackers tapped the roof. In front of us we could see tracks of a single elephant crossing the main road. These were the same tracks that we had spotted at the waterhole. Decision to drive instead of following had saved a few kilometers of walking and maybe an hour of time.

These tracks were not going towards Naye Naye anymore, but instead towards Botswana border. From here we need to start walking as there will be no more roads in the area where the elephant has gone. We estimated that the tracks were around 3 hours old. I put on some sun block, drink a Sprite to get hydrated and prepare myself for a long walk. The morning is cool, maybe some 20 degrees and actually I’m feeling a little cold. I’m sure that in a couple of hours time I will miss the feeling of cold. I grab my rifle, load it and I’m ready to go.

Jacques tells me that although we are trying to get into a position for a side brain shot, in case the elephants turns and faces us, I’ll need to take a frontal brain shot. At that moment it seems like a distant opportunity as we can only see the 3 hour old track.

I push the buttons at my Suunto watch to set the starting point for tracking. I always find it interesting to check afterwards where we have been walking. We leave the car behind and start following the tracks. It’s a lot of people, 2 trackers, the local official, Jan/the PH, Jacques, me, learning PH and Chris. The terrain is surprisingly open. Only low bushes here, but the elephant has been here when it was still dark.

We walk and the terrain changes a little. Trees are growing bigger and there seems to be more bushes. No cattle or human tracks here. I take that as a good sign. We have only followed the tracks for less than an hour so probably long way to go still. We find dung along the way. We can also see that the elephant has been feeding along the way. Jacques stops me and Chris and points a branch that has been broken by the elephant. He explains to the camera that we are some 1-2 hours behind of the elephant as the branch is still clearly wet. I take that as another good sign as we seem to be catching him up. We continue walking and suddenly the trackers stop. There is movement in front of us. I quickly check the wrist computer. We have walked only 3.4 kilometers from the car.

Even I can see it. The terrain is more covered, but some 150 meters from us there is a bull elephant feeding. Jan and Jacques are looking at the bull through the binoculars while I try to focus on keeping myself calm. This can’t be the bull we are looking for. I am prepared for long walks in hot weather with plenty of sweat and blisters on my feet. The wind is perfect but the sun is at our eyes. That makes it a little difficult to see the details. So we walk closer.

We close the distance and check the elephant again. After glassing Jacques turns to me and whispers, this is an old bull with broken tusks. Thick ivory but broken. Are you OK with broken tusks?

We are on day 2 of our 10 day hunt. These are the first tracks that we have followed and nobody can call this a hard hunt. Should I be disappointed or say that we don’t want to try taking this bull as we have not worked hard for it? No way. If we are lucky enough to get an opportunity for a good bull, we shall take it. Sometimes we are lucky when we hunt, sometimes not. I hope we will be lucky all the way. “As long as it’s an old bull and you say it’s OK to take, then let’s go for it”.

We are trying to get into a position for a side brain shot. Wind is perfect and we are quickly closing the distance. As we walk closer I focus on following Jan in front of me. Just see where you are stepping and follow the PH. I’m not focusing on the elephant at all. That is probably good as it helps me to keep calm.

Suddenly the sticks go up and Jan whispers to me to take the shot if I can. I put the rifle on the sticks and see the elephant some 30 meters from us. Clearly the elephant has sensed that something is wrong as it stops feeding and steps towards us. I’m trying to aim, but sun is directly behind the elephant. A reaction tells me to twist scope magnification a little up from 1 power where I had set it. This is because I could not see well with so much light coming through the scope at 1 power. In hindsight this is a mistake. I should never have done it.

The elephant lifts its head, turns and faces us. I take aim and all the Buzz Charlton videos and Kevin Robertson book pictures flash in front of my eyes. Aim for the height of the zygomatic arches. With the sun directly behind the elephant it's difficult to even see the arches. I see that the elephant’s head is slightly quartering to left from where we are so I try to compensate for that. We are less than 20 meters from the bull as he comes to a stop and I squeeze the trigger.

In brain shot videos you can see the dramatic collapse of the elephant. Well, it’s safe to say that I did not hit the brain as the elephant quickly turns and starts heading to our right. I’m taking this all in, but then realize I need to reload and shoot again. I work the bolt and take quick aim. This is the moment when I regret turning the scope power up. Elephant can run surprisingly fast. Getting a good shot at running elephant would be easier with a scope on 1 power. Nevertheless I quickly take aim and take a shot. It’s more like a reflex than anything else.

The elephant continues running and turns to left, that’s good as it means I can take another shot. It’s not really well aimed, I simply get to the center of mass and pull the trigger. I work the bolt and can hear Jan shouting don’t shoot. I lift my rifle while Jan and Jacques take one shot each for the running bull. At that time the distance to the bull must around 100m. I know that they wouldn’t shoot unless they suspect something is wrong and they are forced to shoot.

The elephant continues running as I’m still trying to figure out what went wrong. But there is no time to wonder as trackers, PH’s and everyone starts to run after the elephant. I’m following. Make sure the gun is on safe. What the hell just happened? How did I miss the first shot? Where did the second shot hit? And why were the PH’s forced to shoot? The last thing I wanted was a wounded elephant and after 5 shots it’s safe to say that it’s wounded.

After a short run the trackers stop and say they can see the elephant is down. Just some 200 meters from the first shots the bull is down. Hand shakes and high fives are in the air, but I still want to see the bull down. We continue walking and I see it. It’s down for good. I follow Jacques as he guides me to take the insurance shot on the bull, but that would not even be needed.

I get the chance to look at the bull. I didn’t dare to look too much earlier. What a great bull it is. The tusks might be broken, but they are big. Really big. This might be a non-trophy but to me this is a great trophy. While I’m deeply grateful for the hunt, I feel also a little disappointed with my shooting. The perfectionist in me would hope everything to be perfect and today my shooting was not. As we explore both the elephant and later the video we can see that the second shot was the one that took the elephant down. It hit the lungs and actually penetrated whole elephant. .416 450gr bullet from Woodleigh did the trick in this case. It’s around 8:00 in the morning and we have the whole day in front of us.

The tracking distance to the bull from the car was 3.8km. The closest road from the location is 1.2km. There will be some cutting to get the road opened here, but this is actually not too bad. Now it’s time for photos and walking back to the car. Then some preliminary celebration and plenty of hard work to get the elephant meat distributed to the local village.

We walk back to the car and drive back to camp. There is celebration in the camp, but shortly after we leave and take a trailer with us to return to the elephant. By this time the people in Gam village already know we have gotten an elephant so the butchering crew is waiting for us. People get to Jacques’ cruiser and we star our journey back to the bull.

Getting the meat out from the woods takes a long time. It’s a fascinating process and luckily we have it all in a video. It’s dark when everything is done and we return to the camp. The following day we will distribute the meat to the local community.

 

[Riksa]

Please note that some of the pictures were taken by Chris Esterhuizen / Jongosi Media. I would warmly recommend his services should you need a good cameraman, good set of eyes and even better company at camp.

 

[cpr0312]

Awesome, congrats on the bull!!

Agree about Chris 100%!