Finally getting a shot at an elephant with a bow!!

[mrpoindexter]

Don't know how to edit my post above, but I finally got to watch that whole video of Archie Nesbitt's elephant. I would have been sick to my stomach if I made such a shot on an elephant. No archer wants to have a bad shot, but they happen. He was very fortunate that it turned out fatal - likely hitting the femoral artery. I am getting very excited for my hunt!

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Good luck to yah, just make better shot placement than this guy….

“I should have led him”

But in the end, I guess a broadhead to the ass is lethal, or atleast that’s what this video would have you believe.

Everyone makes bad shot at some point if they hunt long enough. I would have a lot more sympathy if he had said "I should have held the shot" instead of the leading comment. A moving shot at an elephant with a bow...some things just don't make sense to me nor should be published.

 

[Russ16]

Don't know how to edit my post above, but I finally got to watch that whole video of Archie Nesbitt's elephant. I would have been sick to my stomach if I made such a shot on an elephant. No archer wants to have a bad shot, but they happen. He was very fortunate that it turned out fatal - likely hitting the femoral artery. I am getting very excited for my hunt!

Agree he got a little lucky. I was very surprised the PH didn’t shoot when it backed into the grass and faced them. Seems like that would have been the prudent thing to prevent losing the animal.

 

[mrpoindexter]

Russ, when you rifle it, you lose the animal 100% because it doesn't count for archery hunting. When rifle hunting, if the PH shoots it as well, you can still put it in the record books. Not so for archery hunting.

I had something similar specifically happen when I shot a giraffe. It turned and the guide shot it with a rifle. I asked why he did that and he said "you might lose your trophy" to which I replied "I just did" and when it came to what to do with the animal afterwards, I was a bit pissed when I said just throw the fucking thing in the trash for all I care since it isn't my animal anymore. I had to go hunt another giraffe because of that - something that I make sure all my PH's now know in advance that you can shoot it if it is charging me or somebody else and I won't complain one bit, but if you shoot my animal without my OK, we are going to have a serious discussion.

Great discipline on that PH to not resort to the rifle so fast.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Russ, when you rifle it, you lose the animal 100% because it doesn't count for archery hunting. When rifle hunting, if the PH shoots it as well, you can still put it in the record books. Not so for archery hunting.

I had something similar specifically happen when I shot a giraffe. It turned and the guide shot it with a rifle. I asked why he did that and he said "you might lose your trophy" to which I replied "I just did" and when it came to what to do with the animal afterwards, I was a bit pissed when I said just throw the fucking thing in the trash for all I care since it isn't my animal anymore. I had to go hunt another giraffe because of that - something that I make sure all my PH's now know in advance that you can shoot it if it is charging me or somebody else and I won't complain one bit, but if you shoot my animal without my OK, we are going to have a serious discussion.

Great discipline on that PH to not resort to the rifle so fast.

I get your point, but there is something to be said for a quick and humane ending and doing what's right by the animal. Seems that bull's suffering could've been ended sooner and the hunter's credit for a bow kill be damned seeing how he took an ill advised shot to begin with.

Just speaking to this example, not your giraffe you mentioned above. I bow hunt elk btw, so am not anti-archery.

 

[Russ16]

I get your point, but there is something to be said for a quick and humane ending and doing what's right by the animal. Seems that bull's suffering could've been ended sooner and the hunter's credit for a bow kill be damned seeing how he took an ill advised shot to begin with.

Just speaking to this example, not your giraffe you mentioned above. I bow hunt elk btw, so am not anti-archery.

Agree with this. I’ve killed a number of deer with a bow. Finished a few of them when a pistol when they were down and bleeding out. But I’ve never put a tape measure on an animal and don’t care about record books.

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

Broadhead in the ass? The infamous Texas heart shot!

I would love an autographed copy of Strang’s book.

I did a play by play write up of my first elephant hunt back in 2017. Will have a similar one this time and plan on nightly updates while there thanks to Starlink.

Send me a PM with your outfitters info. I’ll see if Strang can sign one and get it to your outfitter before you arrive. Maybe something to read in camp

 

[Altitude sickness]

Don't know how to edit my post above, but I finally got to watch that whole video of Archie Nesbitt's elephant. I would have been sick to my stomach if I made such a shot on an elephant. No archer wants to have a bad shot, but they happen. He was very fortunate that it turned out fatal - likely hitting the femoral artery. I am getting very excited for my hunt!

I watched that Archie Nesbit archery elephant hunt. What an embarrassment to hunting and archery hunting.

We all have made bad shots. But this was not that. He shot at a walking elephant. A conscious decision. Shoots it in the ass. Then instead of asking for the rifle and humanly finishing the bull they stand and watch him. Knowing he was shot in the ass.


the bull turns and gives him a perfect frontal for the rifle. They leave him all night instead of finishing him with the rifle. Apparently, so he can brag that he got it with a bow. He should’ve taken a penalty for a bad shot and used the rifle.

What a joke.

 

[Mike B.]

I get your point, but there is something to be said for a quick and humane ending and doing what's right by the animal. Seems that bull's suffering could've been ended sooner and the hunter's credit for a bow kill be damned seeing how he took an ill advised shot to begin with.

Just speaking to this example, not your giraffe you mentioned above. I bow hunt elk btw, so am not anti-archery.

I was 95% on board before but now I’m not even 10%. All for a record book….

 

[mrpoindexter]

To be fair, a tuskless elephant (my hunt) doesn’t exactly qualify for record book status. It is part of my trying to hunt the Big 5 with a bow. I have finished animals with a rifle when needed. I didn’t realize a different hunter’s poor shot and lack of rifle follow up takes away support for my hunting. I suppose bad rifle hunts from one hunter could remove people supporting another hunter’s rifle hunt as well?

 

[HankBuck]

To be fair, a tuskless elephant (my hunt) doesn’t exactly qualify for record book status. It is part of my trying to hunt the Big 5 with a bow. I have finished animals with a rifle when needed. I didn’t realize a different hunter’s poor shot and lack of rifle follow up takes away support for my hunting. I suppose bad rifle hunts from one hunter could remove people supporting another hunter’s rifle hunt as well?

@mrpoindexter - Many Hunters will comment how “concerned” they are with an animal suffering or deserving a “humane” death. I agree that a goal of all Hunters should be a Quick-clean-kill. But, Every animal shot by rifle or bow will suffer some pain (except maybe a Brain shot) before it dies, a death by Arrow/bleeding is likely the least painful.
As far as an animal suffering - there is No way to avoid it - Every Animal in Nature will SUFFER an unpleasant death. Nature is NOT kind (nor is it cruel). An Elephant, buffalo, Lion etc.. that lives a long life eventually still dies a slow miserable death (by Human standards)…malnutrition, disease, weakened, maybe even eaten while still alive by hyenas…that is the Fate that awaits wild creatures. A bad shot, even by a careless hunter might still be a quicker death then Nature had in store for that animal. We (Hunters) still need to do our best to avoid as much pain & suffering as possible. I don’t think any Hunter wants to see an animal suffer a prolonged death and do their best to avoid it. Every Hunter has wounded, lost, or somehow messed up a shot and caused an animal more pain then intended. I can’t criticize other hunters based on a short video clip or a story relayed by others. While there are ways to minimize wounding animals — The only way to be certain no animal suffers from a Hunters actions -- Don’t Hunt.

 

[Altitude sickness]

I am all for you trying to shoot an elephant with a bow. My comment was on the Archie Nesbit video only.

He knew where his arrow hit. He had plenty of opportunities to end it and he didn’t. That is my issue with that particular hunt only.

 

[Russ16]

I am all for you trying to shoot an elephant with a bow. My comment was on the Archie Nesbit video only.

He knew where his arrow hit. He had plenty of opportunities to end it and he didn’t. That is my issue with that particular hunt only.

I agree with this. I’m all for someone making an attempt with a bow. Or a handgun for that matter which I have done for North American game.

But in both cases if things work out like they did in the Nesbit video I would expect the person to pick up a more efficient tool to finish the job.

I think Nesbit would have finished the elephant with a frontal brain shot with a rifle if he didn’t want the PH to do it.

 

[Adipose]

You must be getting excited, less than a month away now. I am really looking forward to hearing about your hunt. I hope you are ready and are able to get some sleep!

 

[mrpoindexter]

I am getting excited. Looking forward to it. Still working on adding more weight to my bow. Although I am already above where I need to be for elephant and hippo, I would like to have a bit more power just to be sure.

 

[hoytcanon]

"an elephant takes about three hours to bleed to death and is dead from an arrow, provided it is well seated".

according to my Matabele trackers in Gway. They probably know more about (bow)hunting elephants than all of us put together.

mrpoindexter-would you like to die like this...............?
Without the heavy rifle of an experienced PH, you would wet your pants.
If you kill an animal it has to be done quickly, at least there has to be an intention behind it.
Now you can crucify me for that statement.
Foxi

Go back to your PETA meeting...

 

[hoytcanon]

Some very dumb, uninformed opinions in this thread, from people with no experience with archery kills.