My elephant bowhunt
International
I was lucky enough to harvest a bull elephant with one arrow March 1st. Most all of you have seen the facts of this hunt on the other thread but some expressed they wanted to ask me some questions. This was a PAC hunt done on a campfire area around the town of Hwange in Zimbabwe. The bull was aged at 35 to 40yrs old and the Ivory was 30#. I tried to do as much research as possible on what would work and there is not much out there. I would offer anyone my opinion and what worked for me and you can take it for what it is worth. Thats what I love about bowhunting, there is more than one right answer. I enjoyed the hunt and think it makes for a great bowhunt with the right equipment. I do think it is very doable. I also have spent time in Zim and have my opinions of there as well. I have talked to my video guys and I plan on getting the footage to them on Friday and then I plan on posting the penitration tests we did. I was using a 29" 90# Elite GT500 FMJ 250 dangerous game with 85gr insert,8gr/in wt tube firenock(1100gr total wt with broadhead) Alaska bowhunting supply Ashby broadheads 315gr Sure Lock site(3pins) Limb Driver rest Scott silverhorn Preditor green camo
Chris - congratulations is in order. Outstanding accomplishment.
Any details regarding shot distance, cover, and shot placement?
Incredible!
He was 25yds at the shot. The Ph called the shot when his leg moved forward. The cover was dense, like hunting wisconsin in July. We actually had a hard time getting a clear shot, I had to kneel to get the shot. The shot was tight to the shoulder and I got complete penitration. He went about a mile. I think the 2 other bulls were pushing him. Here is a pic of the enterence. Its hard to believe they can be hard to see but if they turn to you they are 10yds in a hurry.
To say that must have been a thrill is an understatement. Congratulations! That will be quite a memory.
Chris,
I have heard that elephant meat has a roast beef flavor, but that it is very chewy. Did you eat any of your bull?
Jake
We ate the meat from the neck and the gland from the cheek. The gland was very chewey like gum it had good flavor though. The neck meat was tender and I really liked it. I went back for seconds. It was like a roast beef flavor. It was served with grits. The trackers cooked while we watched it being skinned. It was kinda hard eating in front of the 300+ people waiting for some of the meat. That is one memory that will stick with me the amount of people wanting a piece of protien.
Chris,
Did you get enough footage for your TV show? I sure hope so. It would be great to get these types of stories (and accompanying photos) in front of the eyes of the general public. What a great way to show the benefits of big game hunting, contributing to the local economy, and feeding hundreds of people....all at once.
Do they cut up the animal with knives only....or is a chain saw used for the big bones,etc?
Bravo zulu.
Jake
It was all knives and home made axes. here is a couple of more photos
Chris,
In this case, does the government take the ivory and the hide? How do they determine who gets what meat, and how much?
The hide and Ivory went to the Zim wildlife department and the meat goes to the local village who's crop fields were getting destroyed. If a village is suffering from animals raiding their crops, destroying property, even killing people and livestock, they apply to get a permit to harvest the problem animal. They usually do not have the means to kill the animal and many times they work closely with PH's that hunt their area and notify them when they have a problem animal and a permit. We witnessed several destroyed crop fields on this hunt. You can imagin 3 elephants eating up to 500# of food a day in your 5 acre hand cultivated field you were expecting to feed your family for the year. The outfitter I hunted with works closely with many of the villages in the area from Bulawao to Vic Falls. He had access to 30+ PAC permits this year. These hunts are both benificial to the local people and offer a cost effective hunt for Elephant. This area holds 45,000+ elephant. The how much meat to each part of the question is a tough one to answer. I spent time with the chief of the village and it is tradition that he gets the trunk meat. When the rest was to be divided up my camera man Jeff and I were taken out of the are as the crowd was growing restless. I dont think it was to orderly of a division, there was a few wounds incured in the disterbution. I can assure you every piece of meat, bone, fat, organ, and intestins were taken. There was nothing left but a blood spot. I forgot to take a picture of the pile of meat but it was 10'x10'x3' and they were not done boning it. That is a lot of pure meat. I will say there was not much fat on the elephant, That supprised me.
that must be a wonderful feeling, to contribute so much badly needed meat protein to a local village, and the hunt revenue to the wildlife department. hunting is the only thing that makes preservation of "game" (indigenous wild species of all types) and wild lands economically viable in this culture..... hunts like this literally are keeping african elephant from extinction
CONGRATS!! Chris was the Elite the only bow you experimented with or did you try others? Was your PH receptive to the idea of using a bow? I know you took your bull on the first day but how long did you plan for, how many days did you book? Congrats again I hope to be in your shoes one day soon!
Congratulations and well done
Thanks for sharing!! Congrats! Your pics are awesome.
This has been a great story and I really enjoy seeing the pics thank you Chris for sharing. Mike
Great story. I've enjoyed the recent talks about this subject in depth.
Congrats on a fine bull Chris. Can you get reproductions made of your tusks? How do they do that? From measurements or actual casts? Can you buy the tusks from the gov't & import them?
I've always wanted to shoot a elephant but would prefer to do it with a classic side by side something in the 500 nitro express range.
Chris I for one sure hope you take Pat up on his offer that would be a GREAT feature !!!
Pat, Jake is also seriously considering an elephant hunt. You could hook up with him.
When getting ready for this hunt I only shot the 90# elite. I think any bow of that same speed catigory would be about the same performance. I just find them extremely shootable and fast for a 7" brace ht.
I plan on having repo's of the tusks done. Jim Beenken of Wildlife Expressions is going to do them. I measured them and he is going to modify some molds he has. I have seen the repo's he has done and you can not tell they are not real from a foot away. You can also get a head mt repo if you have the room. I am not sure if you can buy it from the govt.
Pat, I definatly would like to talk to you about putting the video's on here. I would also like to offer my help in setting you up with a hunt like this if you would like. I am going back for a buff+hippo+croc hunt in Sept in Zambia. I plan on using the same set up and same arrow on the hippo. The PH want me to use it on the Buff also but we will see.
I meant I am not sure if you can buy the ivory from the government. I am sure it would cost plenty.
Wow, that is over 11 CY of meat. A nice-sized dump truck is 10 CY for comparison. Pass the salt!
It was Tim Schultz with African Dream Safari's. PM me if you would like his contact info.
congras on a well placed arrow ,what was the bulls reacton after he was hit ,,
congras on a well placed arrow ,what was the bulls reacton after he was hit ,,
Many CONGRATS on your kill.
The thing that surprises me of these PAC permits is…“They usually do not have the means to kill the animal”.
Dang, I thought that’s where the spear and the bow and arrow was invented…8^)
Congratulations, I would like to do this one day, but I really don't feel that elephants are good bowhunting quarry. Way too many things to go wrong. Even with your well placed shot, you say he went a mile. Was blood plentiful or did you track primarily from spoor?
Chris,
I am driving up to Henrietta, NY to check out a #90 Elite GT500 with a 30" draw length. I leave as soon as I finish typing this!! Apparently, someone placed an order for one, and then backed out of the purchase. Garret Armstrong called me a week ago and mentioned that he had one for me to try. I'll let you know what I think of it when I return....
Jake
Well done
I congradulate you Sir
I may go back and shoot soem more PAC JUMBOS just for hunt
Tink Nathan
Chris,
I bought the Elite GT500 from Garret. My 505 grain arrow was flying 329 fps for about 120 ft/lbs. I can't wait to get home and shoot my 980 grain arrows!! I'll send you a PM when I have the specifics. It is so different in draw character....not to mention the fact that it weighs 4.1 pounds versus my Custom safaris weighing over 8 pounds.....
Jake
Jake,
Can you share those specs with me also? Who made your arrows?
Tim,
I'm shooting that bow first thing in the morning. I'll gladly share the results. Chris Orion's penetration tests are on You Tube now......pretty impressive.
Right now, it looks like I dropped 22 pounds of draw weight, and gained 6 ft/lbs of KE without even tweaking the bow yet!! I'd like to get to 125 ft/lbs if possible....they claim that even if I hit a rib dead center, with that much KE (and an arrow weight > 1,000 grains), I'll completely pass through the rib even on the biggest of bulls. Can you imagine the momentum?
Jake
so you bought the bow.
when is the hunt?
Bou',
I haven''t booked it yet...still shopping.
don't look now, but jake has become a transgender poster. 4 sheep in 6 months must have been more than he could psychologically endure.
we still love you jake, er a, nancy!
"Chris Orion's penetration tests are on You Tube now......pretty impressive"
Can't access youtube. Any chance someone could post it here on bowhunting.tv?... PLEASE
Thanx
Bou'
Nancy is my girlfriend. I sent that post from her computer.....LOL!!!
Zbone,
Even in slow motion, you can BARELY see the arrows because they ALL disappear into the elephant.....until Chris walks around the backside and two of them are almost completely out of the bull....almost pass thrus!!!!
that's a relief jake. my respect for you has been fully restored!
She is STILL laughing about your post...
Thanx Jake - Impressive...
Thank you Chris
That youtube video is quite impressive. I wish they would have given a close up pre & post butchering of the shot area. Lots of good info there.
Anyone have the youtube link ?
you can go to www.orionhunting.com and look at the Our Latest Adventure and the video is there. We do have a lot more footage of the hunt and the butchering process and as we get the footage together I will put it out there. Jake, That bow is something else isn't it. Can you believe getting 120#'s of ke out of a 90lb bow with a 7" brace. It pulls different than a single cam but it is smooth.
Excellent pics and well done. Here is one more vote for Elite bows my GT500 is awesome!!
I just saw pics from an aquaintance who just got back from Africa. He kille his elephant with a BRAIN SHOT by an arrow!! it really works.
wild- please more details and pics of the brain shot elephant?
"BRAIN SHOT by an arrow"
This, I gotta see...
the hunter has it all on video. He said he plans to produce an African hunt video coming out this fall. He also got a rhino and leopard on this trip! I currently don't have pictures, he showed me on his laptop. I will have to see if he will send me a picture and if he will allow me to post it.
Really crazy. said it was the only shot he had since the elephant knew they were there, about 20yds, had false charged twice already. the PH and tracker both had backup and told him to shoot or they would. not much choice. Straight on shot, low between the eyes, up the nasal sinus into the brain. the elephant falls backward!
wildwilderness - Any luck with the pictures?
This video of the pass-thru test has been making it's way around the web.
sticksender - Any way you can post it here on bowhunting.tv? My firewall prevents me from opening the link.
Thanks for sharing all your experience here Chris! I'm headed over April 16th to the same place with the same guide and would love to get any pointers you have. I'm set up with a Hoyt Alpha Burner and getting 105 ft/lbs. It's hard to get much information on elephant bowhunting! Any good sources i can check out you know of? take care, Ross Simonds
Amazing. Congratulations! Also, as stated above, I would like to see some proof on the BRAIN-shot elephant.
My hunt is booked for April 27 to May 8, also with Tim of African Dream Safaris. Ross, I’ve sent you a PM.
Darrin
"That is one memory that will stick with me the amount of people wanting a piece of protien. "
exactly.
bet you didn't encounter any "anti-hunters" in that group ;-)
I am Ross Simonds brother---and we'll be going to Zimbabwe together leaving April 16th, 2010. We both have the same arrow/broadhead set-up as you did....It's an awesome broadhead! I hope the penetration is as good for us as you demonstrated! Did you have any days that were without tracking a crop raiding bull? Thanks in advance for your responce Chris.
Cary
My hunt was a 1 day deal. Tim is very good and knew where the problem bulls were before I got there. I am confident you will be on elephant almost every day. I have hunted Africa 20+time and Tim's trackers are second to none. They will find the elephant. I am very confident that your arrow and broadhead will perform the same as mine did. It is just a matter of getting the right shot and executing. It was quite and experience and Please tell Tim I say hello and enjoy the trip. Dont forget to have them cook you some of the meat. Most everyone asks how it taste. I think they expect you to say you did not try it. It was great and it tasted like roast beef. The gland pices were a little chewey but tasty. Bring lite clothes. It was 90F+ and we had a thunderstorm every afternoon.
Thanks Chris! This will be my 21st trip to the Dark Continant with my bow also! The other 2 elephants I shot were Foreest Bulls....much smaller...one was a pass-through at 5 yds......but each were primarily Bongo hunts...Cameroon! I'll pass on your warm regards to Tim! :) Thanks! Cary
Absolutely amazing! Congratulations on an incredible achievement!
Congratulations....the story, info and videos are awesome....thanks for sharing....much appreciated!
Did anyone else hunt with Tim Schultz? Did you have a successful hunt and have you received your trophies? Does anyone have any information about Tim? We hunted with him in 2009 and are having problems with him three years later!!
Check with SCI and see if he has lost his affiliation. There have been several in the recent past.
