April Elephant & Rhino Hunt

[RESERVE RANCH]

No doubt this will be a great Safari, can’t wait to read the report.

 

[Daisy]

Daisy,

I got my rhino in Namibia in 2022. A permit became available and the PH asked if I wanted it. The export process on the Africa side was typical - lots of signatures, and the general attitude of "These things take time". A lot depends on how well the Operator and PH stay on top of it. Taxidermist as well, paperwork and reports end up with him. I had the hide tanned in Africa - better chemicals than here in the US but the process can take time as the tanneries only process when they have enough for a full batch.

Conservation Force handled the import paperwork and I received my permit in about a month after submission. Once the hide was finished, it was all shipped to my taxidermist in the US.

I'm still waiting on a couple elephants and a lion.

That’s awesome info.

I finished my first safari this year and got way too many mounts done. I’m afraid I’m gonna run out of room to put them because I know I’ll take 10 more hunts! I was booking my second one as soon as I got home (different smaller outfit).

How important was getting the actual trophies home to you? I def think I would want my lion and leopard mounts, but did you consider the reproduction mounts for rhino or elephant?

Also, would love to hear or read about rhino hunt. How did it compare to elephant?

 

[Rare Breed]

They do but cats and elephant book up years in advance. I can not understand my friend @Rare Breed not wanting to hunt hippo and croc at least once. Maybe he drank too much Dr. Pepper All those years! The Omay, where we hunted his year, has heaps of both of them.

lol!!! we did see a 15 foot croc according to my PH sunning himself 100 yards from us on Lake Karibe

 

[Franco]

That’s awesome info.

I finished my first safari this year and got way too many mounts done. I’m afraid I’m gonna run out of room to put them because I know I’ll take 10 more hunts! I was booking my second one as soon as I got home (different smaller outfit).

How important was getting the actual trophies home to you? I def think I would want my lion and leopard mounts, but did you consider the reproduction mounts for rhino or elephant?

Also, would love to hear or read about rhino hunt. How did it compare to elephant

Daisy,

Congratulations on your successful safari, and welcome to the club of "Hooked on Africa".
My first hunt, 5 years ago - was intended to be a one time, be able to say I'd done it and move on to the next thing experience.

With respect to your question: Hunting in Africa isn't like a visit to Mount Rushmore where you go have a look around, take a few photos for your scrapbook, and buy one of the mini-mount replicas to place on a shelf (and eventually throw away).

It's Africa, it doesn't get more primal than that. If hunting Dangerous Game in Africa doesn't get your blood moving - nothing will.

You don't leave without planning your return; your opening sentence says it all.

How important are the trophies and would replicas be acceptable?

Wouldn't that make for a very interesting thread. I would also ask, "If trophy importation was banned in the US, would you continue to hunt?"

I can only answer for myself. Prior to my first hunt, trophies were not important; then I shot 4 cape buffalo measuring 40", 42", 45" and 48". Next came the elephants, hippos, rhino, crocs, lion, and a host of others. I don't do fake; and we just sold one of our houses to purchase a bigger one.

I'll post the rhino hunt - I don't want to continue hijacking Rarebreed's thread.

 

[Daisy]

Daisy,

Congratulations on your successful safari, and welcome to the club of "Hooked on Africa".
My first hunt, 5 years ago - was intended to be a one time, be able to say I'd done it and move on to the next thing experience.

With respect to your question: Hunting in Africa isn't like a visit to Mount Rushmore where you go have a look around, take a few photos for your scrapbook, and buy one of the mini-mount replicas to place on a shelf (and eventually throw away).

It's Africa, it doesn't get more primal than that. If hunting Dangerous Game in Africa doesn't get your blood moving - nothing will.

You don't leave without planning your return; your opening sentence says it all.

How important are the trophies and would replicas be acceptable?

Wouldn't that make for a very interesting thread. I would also ask, "If trophy importation was banned in the US, would you continue to hunt?"

I can only answer for myself. Prior to my first hunt, trophies were not important; then I shot 4 cape buffalo measuring 40", 42", 45" and 48". Next came the elephants, hippos, rhino, crocs, lion, and a host of others. I don't do fake; and we just sold one of our houses to purchase a bigger one.

I'll post the rhino hunt - I don't want to continue hijacking Rarebreed's thread.

Awesome info. Thanks for the time.

@Rarebreeds rhino dart sounds cool. I’ve been down rabbit hole this morning on these green hunts.

 

[Rare Breed]

Daisy,

Congratulations on your successful safari, and welcome to the club of "Hooked on Africa".
My first hunt, 5 years ago - was intended to be a one time, be able to say I'd done it and move on to the next thing experience.

With respect to your question: Hunting in Africa isn't like a visit to Mount Rushmore where you go have a look around, take a few photos for your scrapbook, and buy one of the mini-mount replicas to place on a shelf (and eventually throw away).

It's Africa, it doesn't get more primal than that. If hunting Dangerous Game in Africa doesn't get your blood moving - nothing will.

You don't leave without planning your return; your opening sentence says it all.

How important are the trophies and would replicas be acceptable?

Wouldn't that make for a very interesting thread. I would also ask, "If trophy importation was banned in the US, would you continue to hunt?"

I can only answer for myself. Prior to my first hunt, trophies were not important; then I shot 4 cape buffalo measuring 40", 42", 45" and 48". Next came the elephants, hippos, rhino, crocs, lion, and a host of others. I don't do fake; and we just sold one of our houses to purchase a bigger one.

I'll post the rhino hunt - I don't want to continue hijacking Rarebreed's thread.

PLEASE!!! you are not hijacking my thread!!! i am enjoying your posts immensely!!!

 

[Franco]

a good example to your point was on my hunt this year with D&Y a hippo was only $4,500 which was a great value and hunt with them. i just had no interest.

Rare Breed,

Something to consider, which I just recently learned on my lion hunt in Zambia.

Lion hunting requires lots of bait. The more sites you bait - the more bait you need. Once you have a suitable lion(s) on bait, you need to keep them on bait. If they leave the site to kill for themselves, you've lost them.

The area I was hunting (I don't know if this is true for all of Zambia), does not have a quota for "bait" animals, everything you shoot is considered a trophy and fees reflect that.

You need bait animals which are big and relatively easy to acquire. Any of the plains game could take days to locate and are you going to shoot the first sable or cape buffalo you see or wait it out for a trophy?

Enter the hippo!

First of all, they're either in or near the water which narrows your search considerably.
Secondly, and this depends on how picky you are - remember, your priority is lion bait, a decent bull shouldn't be tough to locate. We spent a day on the river with scouts searching in different directions to locate one which presented the best shooting opportunity.

Once located, we hiked in, set up, and waited for the right shot. Shooting a hippo in the water is kind of like "Whack-A-Mole", he's up - he's down, he's up - he's down. He's down - he's down more. He's up - wait - it that the same one? "Where is he, where did he go?" Finally - "Whack" - a well placed shot and he's down - again. Now it's, "Did I get him, is he dead?

"Are those bubbles, is that blood?"

It took the better part of a fine Cuban cigar to reveal a large mass rising to the surface amidst the cheers of the trackers and scouts.

They weren't so enthusiastic when they had to haul it out over 1 1/2 km just to get it into the boat to get it to camp.

I've shot several, the last one was point-blank in the top of his head as he was rising up out of the water - no need to wait for him to float up and no questions about did I get I get him or is he dead?

He was laying at out feet.

Here's a picture of the first one we got for bait.

 

[Rare Breed]

you make a very fair point. i already have my lion. however if on my leopard hunt in Moz. in 25 my PH says we need more bait and hippo is available then yes i would definetly shoot a hippo for bait

 

[Rare Breed]

I

i just think I would want a tusked elephant for my first one. Thoughts on do a non exportable elephant and having a nice picture and maybe reproduction ivory?

that turned out to be me…although my planned first one was going to be a tuskless with D&Y this year we just could not find one. last year i was told they were seemingly everywhere…that’s hunting. After seeing so many bills on the same hunt without question i changed my mind and am now hunting a trophy bull for my first one

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

Congrats on your win. I’ve been considering a dart hunt myself. Please let me know after the hunt your thoughts

 

[Mark Biggerstaff]

Congrats on your win. Good luck and can't wait for the reports!

 

[Philip Glass]

lol!!! we did see a 15 foot croc according to my PH sunning himself 100 yards from us on Lake Karibe

If I had not been so busy with the cat I would have went after him!

 

[MarkB]

I will follow this and read your report a few times. Just need rhino to complete my 5, was following some of the deal and offer kill hunts sometimes on here but now that our Gov has made importation illegal I am back to green hunt.

Congrats on your win. Eagerly waiting for your report.

MB

 

[CAustin]

I just added the Rhino dart hunt i won this year at the DSC Atlanta Chapter with Wintershoek on the front end of my elephant hunt with Lon of Tokoloshe. I will be using my new 470 DR on the elephant hunt

i will let everyone know about the dart hunt since i have never done one…remember it is a free hunt won in the raffle. My only extra cost will be the tip. Super excited as i continue my quest to take the big 5!!!

Walk, walk, walk, walk ,walk a whole lot and then walk some more every day for about three months before the hunt!

 

[Rare Breed]

Walk, walk, walk, walk ,walk a whole lot and then walk some more every day for about three months before the hunt!

good to hear from you my friend! looking forward to seeing you at DSC and/or SCI! you bet. i do 20-25 miles per week power walking with two of those days on a mountain all with my trusty 15 pound cardio bar. this year in Zim after tuskless it served me well to your very point. walk then let’s walk some more!!!