Elephant Hunting in modern times: What Country has the best Elephant hunting?

[Mtn_Infantry]

A few other considerations to think about. I didn’t vote because I think best is too subjective, but I think Botswana likely has the best opportunity currently at a very good bull.
South Africa seems to have problems year to year issuing permits that other countries don’t have. The bulls are also limited in the weight of ivory that can be taken but the Kruger bulls have huge bodies.
Botswana doesn’t seem the tracking hunt other countries are. It seems some hunts are primarily spot and stalk, but gives the opportunity to look at more bulls that would be an immediate trophy elsewhere.
The Caprivi in Namibia has a lot of concurrent tourism operations in the hunting areas. Some concessions are better than others for this. It has some very reputable outfitters to choose from though.
Mozambique has a lot of elephant poaching issues. There are areas that were hunted that aren’t viable anymore.
Zimbabwe provides a good tracking hunt at a reasonable sized bull with a lot of experienced PHs to choose from, but can be a tough hunt.

Can’t knock your thought process and similar to mine.

I think Tanzania gets overlooked for big bulls due to how few elephants they take each year, the cost, and the number of approved import applications. As we’ve seen over the last couple years if you want a 100lb bull TZ has them while Botswana hasn’t produced one the last couple of years. They certainly have some big bulls and a lot over 60lbs but for a truly giant (if you’re willing to pay and take the anti hunting heat) Tanzania

 

[Safari1]

I've hunted bull elephant in both Botswana & Zimbabwe. I highly enjoyed both the hunts.

Would love to hunt a nice tusker in Tanzania, someday.

Tanzania is making a slow comeback in general and has pockets of really good hunting (Maswa, parts of Masailand and adjoining Ruaha NP). The previously heavily poached rest of the Country is making a comeback with numbers but still 15 years away from harvestable bulls.

 

[Brent in Az]

Didn't the Selous get wiped out pretty badly by poachers?

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

Didn't the Selous get wiped out pretty badly by poachers?

Yes it got hit really hard. Lots of Tanzania did. If I remember right something like 50-60% of its elephant population.

Think about TZ this way, those elephants that survived and were 25-40 years old have now are 40-55 years old, are super smart, and have had prime resources/habitat , with protecting and a fraction of the competition they had for resources giving them a real opportunity to really grow. The next 5-10 years for Tanzania will produce some giants.

It’s like taking a deer lease that was shot out, pumping in a bunch of feed and protein and not shooting any deer for 5-6 years. You’re gonna kill a couple 6 and 7 year old giants (for your area) because they got 100% of the resources plus time to grow.

 

[Safari1]

Didn't the Selous get wiped out pretty badly by poachers?

That was my point.

 

[Safari1]

Yes it got hit really hard. Lots of Tanzania did. If I remember right something like 50-60% of its elephant population.

Think about TZ this way, those elephants that survived and were 25-40 years old have now are 40-55 years old, are super smart, and have had prime resources/habitat , with protecting and a fraction of the competition they had for resources giving them a real opportunity to really grow. The next 5-10 years for Tanzania will produce some giants.

It’s like taking a deer lease that was shot out, pumping in a bunch of feed and protein and not shooting any deer for 5-6 years. You’re gonna kill a couple 6 and 7 year old giants (for your area) because they got 100% of the resources plus time to grow.

I think it will take 15 years or so. 99% of the elephants in the Selous consist of young breeding herds and young bulls. Numbers are growing again however. The only older animals seem to be tuskless matriarchs.

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

I think it will take 15 years or so. 99% of the elephants in the Selous consist of young breeding herds and young bulls. Numbers are growing again however. The only older animals seem to be tuskless matriarchs.

You’re only considering a small portion of where you can Elephant hunt in Tanzania. With Tanzania’s weight and length minimums, you won’t shoot small tusked elephants.

I can’t afford Tanzania so I haven’t looked in a while, but if I remember right anything less than 50lbs and 48” outside the lip was punishable by jail time, along with huge fines and loss of their PH license. With the nerve being an unknown I’d challenge you to find a PH who’s going to shoot something they don’t know for certain will exceed both of those.

 

[Safari1]

You’re only considering a small portion of where you can Elephant hunt in Tanzania. With Tanzania’s weight and length minimums, you won’t shoot small tusked elephants.

I can’t afford Tanzania so I haven’t looked in a while, but if I remember right anything less than 50lbs and 48” outside the lip was punishable by jail time, along with huge fines and loss of their PH license. With the nerve being an unknown I’d challenge you to find a PH who’s going to shoot something they don’t know for certain will exceed both of those.

That was my point, there is a lack of legal bulls in the Selous and other previously poached areas. It will take 15 + years before those young bulls come of age.

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

That was my point, there is a lack of legal bulls in the Selous and other previously poached areas. It will take 15 + years before those young bulls come of age.

Right but the elephants in Tarangire, Ngorongoro, Maswa, Kinyganesi, Moyowosi, Enduimet, Ruaha, Runga were also poached super hard and yet those areas produce some giant bulls. You're ruling Tanzania out because of the Selous getting poached really bad? The Selous buffalo population has also been reported to have been shot out in some areas. We skipping over Tanzania or the Selous for buffalo hunts? As the Tanzania Elephant Population grows we’re going to see a constrain on resources which will impact competition for food resources.

The Zambezi holds more Tuskless than most other areas and aside from a few select areas within it, a really good bull is 30-35lbs and because of their long slender ivory often get mistaken for bigger bulls than they are. Binga has a bunch of elephants but anything over 25lbs is above average. Does this mean we overlook all of Zimbabwe for big bulls because of one or two areas not having many 50-60lb bulls.

Maybe on AH I’m alone in this belief, but if I was looking for the best chance at a 100lb or larger bull (and had the budget to support this) Tanzania would top my list

 

[DLSJR]

Would you guys who want a truly big bull shoot this one? He’s a northern Tanzania bull and was a long way south of the Kenya border, so not one of those bulls.

BTW, you can’t hunt elephants on the slopes of Kilimanjaro. The entire mountain is a national Park.

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

View attachment 616759View attachment 616760
Would you guys who want a truly big bull shoot this one? He’s a northern Tanzania bull and was a long way south of the Kenya border, so not one of those bulls.

BTW, you can’t hunt elephants on the slopes of Kilimanjaro. The entire mountain is a national Park.

I’m trusting and shooting whatever bull my PH tells me to shoot. He’s the one with all the experience field judging ivory. Before the hunt and while hunting we should be talking about what I’m looking for on the hunt and make decisions according to that. If he tells me he’s meets my threshold, is an old bull, and he’s past his prime then game on