Why Elephant?

[Pondoro]

Fair enough. I appreciate your response of "no rational answer"! lol It's funny what drives each of us as hunters. Me, I'd jump at the opportunity to hunt a big cat. It's my finances that restrict me. I value that others have different ideas and opinions. As I said before, I'm thankful for those that can and do hunt Elephant. It's a necessity really. And we all need to remember the importance of that. It's far greater than our own personal ideas, thoughts, or beliefs. If we, as hunters, don't support each other, one day it will be us who are no longer around.

Elephants ought to be culled by the thousands in both Zimbabwe and Botswana...far too many of them to be sustainable..they are killing people and devastate the land.. But that is impossible to do politically..

 

[WilhelmM]

Elephants ought to be culled by the thousands in both Zimbabwe and Botswana...far too many of them to be sustainable..they are killing people and devastate the land.. But that is impossible to do politically..

Not only that but the elephants in Botswana are both, directly and indirectly, putting pressure on the Kalahari lion population which is thought to be the largest subspecies of lion in the world only rivaled by those found in Zambia and Tanzania. It's interesting that we almost never hear about their plight from anti-hunting organizations.

 

[WAB]

That's interesting. Why hesitant to shoot one of the big cats?

Finn Aargaard would not sport hunt cats. He shot plenty of problem lion but not sport hunted. We likely all have species or hunts that we would not care to do. That doesn’t make them wrong, just not our cup of tea.

 

[Tanks]

If you REALLY wanna feel the adrenaline rush..try hunt them at night. That is an unforgettable experience..

I can attest to that. I have shot a few at night at Camp Fire areas.

 

[MarkB]

Something in my DNA I cannot explain. I feel same as Phillip, if its legal to hunt I want to hunt it. Finances do not allow some major glamor game, (bongo, LDE,) but hunting ele is possible, certainly was a hunting pinnacle for me. Difficult walking hunt, challenging species, good eating, ultimate conservation hunt and yes emotional after success. A humbling experience. Very difficult to right down the explanations and reasons why, after you have hunted an ele you will know.

MB

 

[mikecatt13]

The big 5 was a dream long before I ever had a slight idea the cost or how to obtain those funds, or any of the other commitments needed to accomplish it. The dream still remains, and the more I learn about elephant, their conservation, and hunting them (the close quarters, work involved, etc) the more I want to pursue it

 

[Tanks]

As much as I'd like the big Five accomplishment, as far as Rhino is concerned that ship has sailed for a true wild hunt unless one is willing to spend in low 6 figures.

I will do a poor man's substitute, a land hippo hunt, in the future though.

 

[Ragman]

@Cam Moon and @Kevin Peacocke I’m right there with you. It would be the most exciting and terrifying hunt possible, but I think at the end I wouldn’t want to pull the trigger. But I am also 100% behind those that do and love to hear the stories and read the hunt reports here.

 

[Hunter4752001]

I believe elephant hunting is hard wired deep in our DNA. Research shows that from at least 2 million years ago Proboscideans (the family to which elephants belong) were a principal species hunted by our Homo Erectus ancestors. The later Homo Neanderthal is well documented as a hunter of mammoth. Likewise, just as the Proboscideans spread to most continents, so too did the hunting of them by local humans. Humans and elephant have co-evolved in a predator and prey relationship. Millions of years of evolution aren't simply wiped out by a few years of PC brainwashing.

 

[Whacker]

I am right there with @Kevin Peacocke and @Cam Moon. I don’t have any desire to pull the trigger on one myself either...I would however like to track them to the point of being in close and getting to see them in the wild and experiencing the rush of being among them but I wouldn’t want to shoot one. Our local zoo has always had elephants when I was growing up and I got to spend a lot of time along side a couple of them and even ride them around from time to time...they just seem to really understand what is going on and as said they are extremely intelligent. They truly are massive and majestic creatures. I do however understand what must be done for conservation and preservation as well.

 

[sestoppelman]

I have no problem with the hunting of elephant whether for control or sport, none, but as a few others above, I have not had the desire to do so myself. Its just not something I ever wanted to do and still dont.

 

[WilhelmM]

I believe elephant hunting is hard wired deep in our DNA. Research shows that from at least 2 million years ago Proboscideans (the family to which elephants belong) were a principal species hunted by our Homo Erectus ancestors. The later Homo Neanderthal is well documented as a hunter of mammoth. Likewise, just as the Proboscideans spread to most continents, so too did the hunting of them by local humans. Humans and elephant have co-evolved in a predator and prey relationship. Millions of years of evolution aren't simply wiped out by a few years of PC brainwashing.

Interesting theory and one that makes sense.

 

[Woodcarver]

Elephant, lion, buff, rhino and leopard. These are the ultimate big game for me. Doubt if my finances will ever allow me the opportunity, but these have been the dream hunts since I was a child.
While hippo is considered one of the dangerous game animals, it is one that doesn't hold any interest for me. Croc would be an interesting hunt, but again, not very high on my bucket list of African game.

 

[Accidental Villain]

I can attest to that. I have shot a few at night at Camp Fire areas.

+1
My now late father was absolutely shocked when I sent him pictures of ele shot at night. Now, those guys was really roughing it the way they hunted ele close to the Somali border in Kenya. Sometimes when approaching a herd they would command the trackers to throw sticks and stones on some of the elephants to get them moving so they could penetrate the herd and scout it for tuskers.. sometimes it worked, sometimes it did not. when it did not they found them selves in really lethal life threatening situations. The difference between life and death was a well placed bullet. I was present a couple of those times.
Still the old guy thought night hunting elephant was just absolutely nuts, almost unthinkable.
Anyways, Most exiting hunting I ever done by a mile and it is addictive.

 

[BourbonTrail]

For me, the draw to hunt elephant is the difficulty level of a quality elephant hunt described by so many that have hunted them (I have not, but I hope to).

 

[cpr0312]

I know this in a old thread....

My 2c with the prices you can get in ZIM, my question would be why not elephant, especially if its on your list or you have already hunted a buff or other DG?!?!

 

[Tanks]

+1
My now late father was absolutely shocked when I sent him pictures of ele shot at night.

Yep.

 

[elephantmaster29]

Looking good @Tanks. Looking forward to reading about your future elephant hunts

 

[IvW]

The one who are not sure should perhaps try stalking a elephant herd in the jess and when a old tuskless decides to topple the apple cart see if they feel the same way.....

Hunting elephant, especially tuskless is a true adrenaline filled hunting experience....

Some people are absolutely terrified of getting close to elephant, in thick bush more so...

They are an iconic species to hunt cow or bull...

 

[baxterb]

I would hunt ONE elephant: at least 55 years old, 100 lbs per side, in clear physical decline, dung mounds that look like a bale of hay, and who prefers to stay in the deep bush mostly alone.

someone above mentioned Finn…he said he loved hunting elephant but hated killing them. I probably fall into that category. That’s why the ONE elephant I would hunt would be so hard to find that by the time I did find him, I would have earned the honor to kill him.