ZIMBABWE: Nyamazana Elephant Hunt - Happy Birthday To Me!

[Pheroze]

Great read so far! What a fabulous birthday present.

 

[K-man]

Well shhhheeeeeeiiiiiiitttttttt. I disagree with the others, I would book a flight with you anytime. I like the odds you have left. Great read so far, feels like i am there with you.

 

[IdaRam]

Been waiting for this one with much anticipation! Great read so far and one heck of a way to celebrate your 50th B-Day
Can't wait for the future installments of the adventure, so keep typin' buddy!

 

[ActionBob]

Great writing so far Royal, I know we are in for a great read that will take us on your adventure with you

 

[sierraone]

On your initial post, you mentioned this hunt was made possible by the USFW rules on Zim and elephants. Agree fully, same applies to lions in some cases. Many have now been able to hunt these animals precisely because of these rules creating cheaper prices due to a reduction in hunters. As we have agreed in the past, everyone does not need nor want to do a dip and pack and ship and mount. Congratulations!!! Ready for the story to follow!!!

 

[siml]

Royal you got us all hooked!!!! Keep it coming.

 

[Riksa]

I'd much rather have that experience than the trinket. Trinkets can be taken away, or destroyed, or lost. No one can take my experience away though, not for as long as I live

My thoughts exactly!

Great read so far. Looking foward to more! This is getting addictive.

 

[tarbe]

What a tease....

 

[Mekaniks]

Royal you got us all hooked!!!! Keep it coming.

What he said^^^^

 

[Fr8liner]

@Royal27 - I been waiting for this report since we met at the airport. As you mention it was really quick, I had thought to wait to chat but then realised you probably had a lot to get through with the visa and rifle.

Please can you get on with the story................ the suspense is killing us! guessing the end is goooooooood

 

[johnnyblues]

Now that's what I call a birthday gift! I have to show this to my wife. HINT!

 

[CAustin]

Great birthday gift for sure. Better keep the wife Royal she is a good one!

 

[cpr0312]

Yes as echoed, heck of a 50th present!

Now back to my popcorn looking for more report...

 

[Royal27]

@Royal27 - I been waiting for this report since we met at the airport. As you mention it was really quick, I had thought to wait to chat but then realised you probably had a lot to get through with the visa and rifle.

Please can you get on with the story................ the suspense is killing us! guessing the end is goooooooood

Good for you that you didn't! Customs was painless, but extremely slow - I think about 40 minutes, with only that one group in front of me. LOL!

Glad to meet even for those few seconds!

 

[Royal27]

Day Two

We checked for tracks after daylight, but didn't find anything from the night before, just two day old tracks.

No additional sign of elephant was found during the morning and it was back to camp for lunch and a nap. Chicken and rice for lunch along with some veggies and the chicken was really flavorful. There is such a difference in chicken when it isn't raised in a factory and I quite enjoyed it.

Both the trackers and local scouts felt confident that the elephants would be back for water tonight. They had skipped a night earlier in the week so it wasn't unprecedented that they had missed the night before. We went to the river and got set up and took some time to clean a bit of a path down to the river. If they came where expected it would actually be a down angle shot, which I was glad to be able to think about in advance. Then it was time to wait.

Wayne and I were talking a couple of hundred yards away from the river and the trackers had gone out to listen just in case the elephants came in early. Well, they came in early. I couldn't understand what was said on the radio and it was just a couple of words but when Wayne said "load your rifle" his tone told me everything I needed to know. I was now about to go on a "spot and stalk" hunt, with the minor detail that it was totally dark with no moon and I was hunting elephant. The adrenaline began to pump through my body and there is no other way to describe it than to say it was exhilarating. I wasn't nervous in the general use of the word but I definitely felt incredibly alert.

Then, I could hear them. It was the unmistakable sound of elephants drinking water. The night before I had heard noises coming from the river that I wondered if it was a drinking elephant, but much like seeing a poisonous snake, when you finally hear it there is no doubt as to what it is. We still probably had 75 yards to walk at this point as we had to make a bit of a loop. At one point the elephants sensed something and they all stopped drinking at once. We stopped as well and waited. Soon they went back to drinking and we moved forward to assess. Wayne whispered that there were at least two shootable bulls both on the left. One was broadside amd the other quartering to. This was out of a group of 10-12 elephants. Wayne said that the second one in had longer ivory but the outside bull had thicker ivory, was the bigger bodied bull, and was the easier shot as the bull was completely broadside. So, the bull on the left it was going to be.

I raised my rifle and waited for the light to come on. When it did I was aimed about 15 feet too far left. A quick adjustment and the cross hairs were on the crease of the shoulder and I squeezed the trigger. A tracker told me after that the bull humped up at this shot, but I, missed that in the recoil and all of the elephants began to run off. As the bull ran away I put a second round in his left hip hoping to anchor him then a third shot into the body as he was quartering up the hill. All three shots felt good.

We didn't however hear the elephant fall so the decision was made to wait until the morning to look for the elephant. We would be able to check the roads on the way out as well and should be able to see where the group crossed the road. We did find tracks, and blood.... This was probably 300-400 yards away from the shot. What had happened? Had I made a poor first shot? Wayne and the trackers did think the elephant was bleeding from the trunk, which would obviously be a very good sign. For now though, I have to wait and see. It's going to be a long night and I pray the elephant is dead as I type this. Wounding an animal is never good, but to wound an elephant just seems worse. We will see what the morning brings.....

 

[jasyblood]

Come on man....you're killing me!!! Don't leave us hanging too long!!

 

[GA Hunter]

Now we're all on the edge of our seats. I look forward to hearing the outcome.

 

[Wheels]

Day Two
. I couldn't understand what was said on the radio and it was just a couple of words but when Wayne said "load your rifle" his tone told me everything I needed to know.

Amazing how quickly the mind switches to fully alert with all your senses standing on end.

. It's going to be a long night and I pray the elephant is dead as I type this. Wounding an animal is never good, but to wound an elephant just seems worse. .

Possibly the worst feeling I have ever had while hunting.

Enjoying the report.

What Phil said!

 

[cpr0312]

Now we're all on the edge of our seats. I look forward to hearing the outcome.

Yes this!

 

[Ridgewalker]

Now we're all on the edge of our seats. I look forward to hearing the outcome.

+2
Come on! Come on!