You African hunters, just curious

[Jim Watson]

I once saw a picture of a scarce "white" rhinoceros with his own bodyguard. Poachers should be considered varmints.

 

[eastbank]

the white,s are not rare, it,s the black,s that are in trouble.

 

[tark]

You guys have been fantastic. Thanks for the stories.

 

[H&Hhunter]

the white,s are not rare, it,s the black,s that are in trouble.

They are both in big trouble but the black is more critically endangered. Thank you poachers and horny Chinamen.

 

[MidRoad]

While I have no experience with Africa I did meet a man with some cool stories. I see him once a year to service his equipment.He is in his 80's and iirc his lastname was Branson. He was a sponsored shooter in the 70's and 80's .

The first time I met him three years ago I knocked on his door to let him know his service was all set and I was leaving. We got talking about the season changing and that lead to hunting. He asked me if I hunt,and I responded that I sure do. He got a look on his face and smiled ,and said well I got something you might like to see,come on in. A little hesitant I said thanks but I have to make my next service call. He insisted. So to humor him I went inside. He took me upstairs to his bedroom and went towards what I though was a closet door. Nope. He opens it up to a 12x15 ish size room. This room is COMPLETELY lined with critters. He had trophy sized north American game deer,well,goat,sheep etc. But the majority of the critters were African game. He had an elephant ear coffee table, a full body leapord and lion,warthog looking thing, pretty much everything people go to Africa to hunt.The majority of the african animals had a plaque for being in the record books (he told me the plaque meant that the animal was within the top30 scored at the time. He said they are taken mostly in the 70/80's).

Two things stood out to me one was the eland. I couldn't believe how big the neck on it was it was MASSIVE. The second was the little deer I think it's a dik-dik or a duiker?not Sure which species exactly. But its horns were about 4-6inches long. Apparently this particular one killed a PH friend of his in a freak event . He said a bad shot was made on the little guy and the tracked it into the bush. Somehow it bolted out and horn stuck the guy right in the phemerol and he bleed out. Pretty far fetched but I believe the man.

I had alot of envy for the life that man lived.The look on his face was sad as he refelected his glory days hunting in Africa and said he was just to old to do it anymore. I told him he was a lucky man and has lived one hell of a life, and I was glad he he had shared this with me.

 

[eastbank]

dikker-stienbuck-eland. they have the little five now, a lot creaper to take than the big five.

 

[H&Hhunter]

dikker-stienbuck-eland. they have the little five now, a lot creaper to take than the big five.

It’s actually the “tiny ten”. Duiker, Suni, Klipsringer, so on and so forth.

 

[MCgunner]

From what I've heard, elephant hunting is WAY above my pay grade.

I saw a show on Outdoor Channel. Jim Shockey was hunting hippo....and NOT using a muzzle loader.

I think I'd rather take my chances in brown bear country on Kodiak island or something, stay the heck out of Africa. LOL

 

[eastbank]

its a vast continent with many so called hell holes and many great countries. their are some I would avoid, but its not hard to find the ones that are ok. in my five hunts I never had any problems in the cities(some areas are bad) or the bush and i met wonderful people that took me in and treated me like family. I will be going back next year if the lord will allow me.

 

[H&Hhunter]

From what I've heard, elephant hunting is WAY above my pay grade.

I saw a show on Outdoor Channel. Jim Shockey was hunting hippo....and NOT using a muzzle loader.

I think I'd rather take my chances in brown bear country on Kodiak island or something, stay the heck out of Africa. LOL

If you can afford a brown bear hunt on Kodiak, you can afford an elephant hunt.

 

[Robert]

If you can afford a brown bear hunt on Kodiak, you can afford an elephant hunt.

So what,$60k?

 

[eastbank]

if you don,t have to stay in the best digges in town and shoot the biggest one with a load of ivory, or maybe take a old cow it would not be near that. I didn,t want to take a big cat or elephant and a rhino would not interest me at all. I have been up close with all the big five and have only taken a buffalo as I think they will never in my life time be on the endangered list.

 

[MCgunner]

So what,$60k?

Heck, I've been told 6 figures, but it ain't like I researched it or something. It's one of those, if you gotta ask, you can't afford it.

I've never had a wish to hunt Africa, where as I'd LOVE to hunt Alaska! But, alas, I can afford neither.

 

[H&Hhunter]

So what,$60k?

It just depends on what kind of elephant hunt you want to do. You can hunt elephant from about $10k up for daily fees and trophy fees combined.

A Guided non resident Kodiak Isle Brown Bear hunt is going to run you $25k ish and up.

Not all elephant hunts are $60 or $100K just like not all double rifles are $100K. If you really want to hunt elephant it is an obtainable goal for just about anyone.

My last elephant was taken on a non trophy non exportable tag that cost me $2500.

 

[SoonerMedic]

Heck, I've been told 6 figures, but it ain't like I researched it or something. It's one of those, if you gotta ask, you can't afford it.

I've never had a wish to hunt Africa, where as I'd LOVE to hunt Alaska! But, alas, I can afford neither.

Don't feel bad, I can barely afford to hunt in Oklahoma...and I've been given permission to hunt for free on 3 different parcels of land. I feel your struggles my friend lol.

 

[SoonerMedic]

It just depends on what kind of elephant hunt you want to do. You can hunt elephant from about $10k up for daily fees and trophy fees combined.

A Guided non resident Kodiak Isle Brown Bear hunt is going to run you $25k ish and up.

Not all elephant hunts are $60 or $100K just like not all double rifles are $100K. If you really want to hunt elephant it is an obtainable goal for just about anyone.

My last elephant was taken on a non trophy non exportable tag that cost me $2500.

So this means you paid $2500 to shoot an elephant, take some photos with it and perhaps eat some of it? You couldn't send anything home?

 

[eastbank]

if its one that needs to be taken because its causing trouble with the natives or very old and not breeding, I see no problems with taking it(just not for me) from the herd. believe me the meat will not go to waste and the villages will get money out of it. hunting and conservation go hand in hand and with value put on the taken animals and selection of thoses being taken the animals will thrive and prosper in areas that poaching would desimate in short order.

 

[Kano383]

So this means you paid $2500 to shoot an elephant, take some photos with it and perhaps eat some of it? You couldn't send anything home?

It's not about taking it back home, it's about the hunt... Spend three weeks in elephant country, go on foot among them, track an old bull over miles and miles of ground, feel what it is to take on something that weighs tons, that can smash you into frothy pulp without thinking twice about it, then you'll realize that what you can really take back home is inside you, not a piece of dead animal to hang on a wall.

 

[SoonerMedic]

It's not about taking it back home, it's about the hunt... Spend three weeks in elephant country, go on foot among them, track an old bull over miles and miles of ground, feel what it is to take on something that weighs tons, that can smash you into frothy pulp without thinking twice about it, then you'll realize that what you can really take back home is inside you, not a piece of dead animal to hang on a wall.

I was just asking for clarification on what he meant by non-trophy and non-exportable. I wasn't being insulting.

 

[Art Eatman]

"...what you can really take back home is inside you, not a piece of dead animal to hang on a wall."

Yup. But the antlers on the wall help call up the memory of a particular day. A visual mnemonic.

 

[H&Hhunter]

So this means you paid $2500 to shoot an elephant, take some photos with it and perhaps eat some of it? You couldn't send anything home?

No offense taken. I did not eat any of that elephant. The whole thing went to several villages within the commmunal area that I was hunting. The carcass fed those villages for quite a while. The skin was used to make leather goods which in turn are sold or used. I was able to have a local artisan make me several elephant tail hair bangle bracelets which I purchased from him after he completed them.

I paid $2500 for the experience of hunting a wild elephant in remote African wilderness. My “ trophy” was the experience and the privilege of turning all that protein and leather over to a group of people who truely appreciated it and needed it. In turn my hunting dollars and the substance it provides, keeps wild habitat open which keeps animals alive and healthy. Those dollars and goods reduce poaching, it’s a win win for people and wildlife. I consider it 100% worth it in fact some of the best hunting dollars I’ve ever spent.

 

[Kano383]

I was just asking for clarification on what he meant by non-trophy and non-exportable. I wasn't being insulting.

I was just clarifying, never for one second thought you were insulting...

Many people ask questions to the same tune because they have a wrong impression/understanding of big game hunting, I just fired a reply from the hip.

 

[eastbank]

on my last hunt I shot very few animals, but I did enjoy taking a good friend with me and watching him shoot some very nice animals. and spent more time enjoying the sights and people.