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

"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
 
Well, as for the “you would wet your pants” you can keep the personal insults to yourself. If that is the way you want to engage me, you can take your opinions and you will know what I think you can do with them.

Three hours to bleed to death with an arrow through their heart? I think your trackers in Gway need to learn how to read their watches, if they have them.

If you had much experience with archery hunting, you would realize that bleeding to death is not exactly a painful way to go and if it takes 3 hours, even for an elephant, you have not hit the heart.

I actually have hunted dangerous game (not in Africa) without firearm protection. Don’t project your insecurities onto me and have some fucking class and respect when you talk to people.
 
I'm a bow hunter but have never hunted any dangerous game with pointy sticks.
I find the very idea daunting and I'm impressed you're going for it.

When I first started, I was overly cautious and hesitant hunting with a bow. Yes, there are higher risks (my opinion) of wounding an animal than with a firearm, but with experience I found I was making it more of a concern than it has to be.
Proper training, practice, and patience all pay off.
You really, really have to earn the hunt with a bow.

Very much looking forward to hearing how this hunt goes.

I'm especially interested in any prep, discussion of shooting angles, penetration expectations, choice of camo, and scent management that you're willing to share.
 
Best of luck, looking forward to hunt report, video,pictures. Enjoy every second you are there. I remember reading about Howard Hill and Fred Bear taking elephant when I was a young boy.
 
Well, as for the “you would wet your pants” you can keep the personal insults to yourself. If that is the way you want to engage me, you can take your opinions and you will know what I think you can do with them.

Three hours to bleed to death with an arrow through their heart? I think your trackers in Gway need to learn how to read their watches, if they have them.

If you had much experience with archery hunting, you would realize that bleeding to death is not exactly a painful way to go and if it takes 3 hours, even for an elephant, you have not hit the heart.

I actually have hunted dangerous game (not in Africa) without firearm protection. Don’t project your insecurities onto me and have some fucking class and respect when you talk to people.
@mrpoindexter — Why? WHY did you “Take the Bait”?? You seem to know what you’re doing and know what to expect….ignore the obvious taunts and enjoy your Hunt
 
Well Hank, I expect better from hunters here. Opinions like "how would you like to die?" are rarely answered with "being killed by a hunter" so we can use that argument to shut down hunting all together. Also, I expect hunters to be better educated than to believe that a heart shot animal takes 3 hours to bleed to death. It is precisely these uneducated people that give an opinion that restricts bow hunting and is in part the reason they don't allow hunting elephants, hippos, rhinos and crocs in South Africa, or Namibia and now Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique have closed those off to us as well. And Foxi, coming from Germany, has his mentality as part of the collective mindset in his country that has made bow hunting illegal there for all game.

For the rifle hunters who don't understand how that bothers a bow hunter, perhaps they would understand if they were to go on a buffalo hunt and were told that they could choose the buffalo they want and then only their PH is allowed to shoot if for him and see how satisfying of a hunt they would consider that.

We need to stand up for all hunters rights to hunt, not just our own preference on how to hunt to the exclusion of others because we will always find temporary allies with the greenies to pare down the allowable hunting, but we won't find them on our side to open up hunting anywhere on anything.

Would Foxi be fine if we banned all rifle hunting shots except for head shots? I doubt it, but that is the logical next step in his statement. He told me I could crucify him for his statement and I did.

I don't tell people what kind of bullets to use because I would be out of my depth on such a conversation and he obviously knows fuck all about archery and the lethality of arrows. I have 3 Cape buffaloes down, every single one a single arrow affair with none running more than 60 yards before expiring within a minute and two of them not even giving a death bellow. On the flip side, one of my best friends has 4 Capes down with his rifle and not one was less than 3 bullets to die. If those seven hunts were the only sampling we used, one could say guns were far less humane. Since Zim parks hasn't given out bow permits on elephants in a decade, I doubt the game trackers in Guay have even that large of a sample size for elephants hunted with a bow. I have consistently found rifle hunters who don't bow hunt seriously underestimate the lethality of an arrow.
 
Good luck on your hunt! Can't wait for the report.
 
Well Hank, I expect better from hunters here. Opinions like "how would you like to die?" are rarely answered with "being killed by a hunter" so we can use that argument to shut down hunting all together. Also, I expect hunters to be better educated than to believe that a heart shot animal takes 3 hours to bleed to death. It is precisely these uneducated people that give an opinion that restricts bow hunting and is in part the reason they don't allow hunting elephants, hippos, rhinos and crocs in South Africa, or Namibia and now Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique have closed those off to us as well. And Foxi, coming from Germany, has his mentality as part of the collective mindset in his country that has made bow hunting illegal there for all game.

For the rifle hunters who don't understand how that bothers a bow hunter, perhaps they would understand if they were to go on a buffalo hunt and were told that they could choose the buffalo they want and then only their PH is allowed to shoot if for him and see how satisfying of a hunt they would consider that.

We need to stand up for all hunters rights to hunt, not just our own preference on how to hunt to the exclusion of others because we will always find temporary allies with the greenies to pare down the allowable hunting, but we won't find them on our side to open up hunting anywhere on anything.

Would Foxi be fine if we banned all rifle hunting shots except for head shots? I doubt it, but that is the logical next step in his statement. He told me I could crucify him for his statement and I did.

I don't tell people what kind of bullets to use because I would be out of my depth on such a conversation and he obviously knows fuck all about archery and the lethality of arrows. I have 3 Cape buffaloes down, every single one a single arrow affair with none running more than 60 yards before expiring within a minute and two of them not even giving a death bellow. On the flip side, one of my best friends has 4 Capes down with his rifle and not one was less than 3 bullets to die. If those seven hunts were the only sampling we used, one could say guns were far less humane. Since Zim parks hasn't given out bow permits on elephants in a decade, I doubt the game trackers in Guay have even that large of a sample size for elephants hunted with a bow. I have consistently found rifle hunters who don't bow hunt seriously underestimate the lethality of an arrow.
@mrpoindexter - I bow hunt & rifle hunt but I also appreciate the views of hunters that don’t care for one or the other and that’s their “opinion”….You care too much about what others think, if you’re comfortable with your decisions and reasoning (and are within the Law) that’s all that matters. I would Not rely on AH or any “Forum” to validate the type of hunting you enjoy as you seem to be experienced enough to make those decisions on your own. I look forward to your recap & hunt report on Elephant with a Bow and while it will not affect my opinion on using a bow to hunt elephant (for or against) —- I know it will be interesting and I will likely learn something from it. Have a good hunt, good luck, be safe. HankBuck
 
Thanks Hank. It isn't that I care about others opinions, but I do care when their opinion shapes laws regarding how I can hunt. I don't need anybody to validate anything of mine other than my parking permit.

I am wheels up in 6 weeks. I think the only gear I need to get still is a portable StarLink system as they don't have it in camp yet but Zambia does offer StarLink. And I still need to lose some more weight. Gained a pound and a half in bear camp (Alberta) this weekend on a last second hunt opening. Looking to shed another 12.6 lbs.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
61,109
Messages
1,336,399
Members
114,459
Latest member
GretchenMi
 

 

 

Latest profile posts

Back After a Long Time – Hello Again!


Hi everyone,


I’ve been a member since 2015 but haven’t been active since 2017. Life got busy, especially with building my second business. Still, I’ve kept my passion for hunting and followed things from afar. Now that I have more time, I’m excited to reconnect, contribute, and be part of the community again.


All the best,
ANDY
aquinn wrote on Raptor59's profile.
I'd like a bag of 100. I could actually pick it up since I'm in North Irving, but if you prefer, shipping it is fine.
 
Top