First Trip to Africa, Elephant hunt Advice?

[375er]

To illustrate @rookhawk point-
I took my 2 elephants (my only elephants so far) this past fall.

The accommodations I had for my first bull, which was similar I believe to what your goal is, were very nice and I don’t think my mom would mind them. We hunted and we’re successful only 45 min drive from camp- back home for sundowner game drive and dinner nightly.View attachment 658327

The accommodations for my second elephant were a bit more rustic. We packed bed rolls and drove about 4 hours to a completely different area. We planned on 1-2 days and end ended up being gone from main camp 3.5 days. My mom would have raised an eyebrow for sure and given me “that look” but probably would have done it because she’s my mom. I’d have felt guilty exposing her to it.View attachment 658330
View attachment 658331
View attachment 658332

There were physical demands on both hunts for me and I could have been in better shape. The first bull was about 8 miles of tracking on relatively flat ground but still wasn’t easy but doable. It was hot- upper 80s. The second bull was 2 days of tracking, about 25 miles the first day followed by camping in the bush on the track then another 6-8 miles the second day. It was really hot- mid to upper 90s.


In all I’m envious of the experience you are planning and that you are going to get to share it with a parent. It’s a special thing and to combine it with a first elephant hunt??? Well there’s not words for it. I wish you the best and hope you see it through.

That looks like a blast but I would have been concerned about "things that go bump in the night" tip-toeing around. Hell of an adventure though!!

 

[Wahoo]

That looks like a blast but I would have been concerned about "things that go bump in the night" tip-toeing around. Hell of an adventure though!!

I’d be lying if I said I slept deeply however my trusty Red Ryder Heym .470 NE with the compass in the stock laying next to me helped immensely. And I was also like a kid the night before Christmas- too damn excited and full of wonderment at even being there.

 

[rookhawk]

To illustrate @rookhawk point-
I took my 2 elephants (my only elephants so far) this past fall.

The accommodations I had for my first bull, which was similar I believe to what your goal is, were very nice and I don’t think my mom would mind them. We hunted and we’re successful only 45 min drive from camp- back home for sundowner game drive and dinner nightly.View attachment 658327

The accommodations for my second elephant were a bit more rustic. We packed bed rolls and drove about 4 hours to a completely different area. We planned on 1-2 days and end ended up being gone from main camp 3.5 days. My mom would have raised an eyebrow for sure and given me “that look” but probably would have done it because she’s my mom. I’d have felt guilty exposing her to it.View attachment 658330
View attachment 658331
View attachment 658332

There were physical demands on both hunts for me and I could have been in better shape. The first bull was about 8 miles of tracking on relatively flat ground but still wasn’t easy but doable. It was hot- upper 80s. The second bull was 2 days of tracking, about 25 miles the first day followed by camping in the bush on the track then another 6-8 miles the second day. It was really hot- mid to upper 90s.


In all I’m envious of the experience you are planning and that you are going to get to share it with a parent. It’s a special thing and to combine it with a first elephant hunt??? Well there’s not words for it. I wish you the best and hope you see it through.

What @Wahoo left off is he has a white collar profession that requires a doctoral++ degree, yet he also has to throw around 2500 pound objects or he's fired. So his endurance, health, and fitness in his own mind is lacking, he is top-5% fitness by today's standards. (or median fitness for a 1950s farm kid)

Your mom may die, whereas a younger, healthy white collar worker may simply lick his wounds for 3 months after the hunt.

Don't bring your mom to an elephant hunt! Don't bring a cougar to an elephant hunt. Don't bring a girlfriend to an elephant hunt. Don't bring your 70 year old elk hunting buddy on his first trip to Africa to an elephant hunt. Did I leave anyone out that shouldn't be brought to an elephant hunt?

 

[VertigoBE]

To illustrate @rookhawk point-
I took my 2 elephants (my only elephants so far) this past fall.

The accommodations I had for my first bull, which was similar I believe to what your goal is, were very nice and I don’t think my mom would mind them. We hunted and we’re successful only 45 min drive from camp- back home for sundowner game drive and dinner nightly.View attachment 658327

The accommodations for my second elephant were a bit more rustic. We packed bed rolls and drove about 4 hours to a completely different area. We planned on 1-2 days and end ended up being gone from main camp 3.5 days. My mom would have raised an eyebrow for sure and given me “that look” but probably would have done it because she’s my mom. I’d have felt guilty exposing her to it.View attachment 658330
View attachment 658331
View attachment 658332

There were physical demands on both hunts for me and I could have been in better shape. The first bull was about 8 miles of tracking on relatively flat ground but still wasn’t easy but doable. It was hot- upper 80s. The second bull was 2 days of tracking, about 25 miles the first day followed by camping in the bush on the track then another 6-8 miles the second day. It was really hot- mid to upper 90s.


In all I’m envious of the experience you are planning and that you are going to get to share it with a parent. It’s a special thing and to combine it with a first elephant hunt??? Well there’s not words for it. I wish you the best and hope you see it through.

Wow, that sleeping in the bush is even more of an adventure than you told us about before!

I would love to run down an elephant one day, sleeping in his tracks.

 

[VertigoBE]

I’d be lying if I said I slept deeply however my trusty Red Ryder Heym .470 NE with the compass in the stock laying next to me helped immensely. And I was also like a kid the night before Christmas- too damn excited and full of wonderment at even being there.

This is an experience I am bitterly envious of !

 

[Altitude sickness]

I think the worst elephant hunt would be your first elephant hunt that you didn’t suffer enough for.

I feel bad for the guys that kill a DG animal on the first morning or first day. Especially an elephant.

I’m not saying anyone’s trophy isn’t legit if they shot it on the first day. But I feel they got robbed.

Sleeping in the dirt with no wet bar or cold shower after a long day is really earning it. More like a drop elk or moose hunt

 

[towserthemouser]

To illustrate @rookhawk point-
I took my 2 elephants (my only elephants so far) this past fall.

The accommodations I had for my first bull, which was similar I believe to what your goal is, were very nice and I don’t think my mom would mind them. We hunted and we’re successful only 45 min drive from camp- back home for sundowner game drive and dinner nightly.View attachment 658327

The accommodations for my second elephant were a bit more rustic. We packed bed rolls and drove about 4 hours to a completely different area. We planned on 1-2 days and end ended up being gone from main camp 3.5 days. My mom would have raised an eyebrow for sure and given me “that look” but probably would have done it because she’s my mom. I’d have felt guilty exposing her to it.View attachment 658330
View attachment 658331
View attachment 658332

There were physical demands on both hunts for me and I could have been in better shape. The first bull was about 8 miles of tracking on relatively flat ground but still wasn’t easy but doable. It was hot- upper 80s. The second bull was 2 days of tracking, about 25 miles the first day followed by camping in the bush on the track then another 6-8 miles the second day. It was really hot- mid to upper 90s.


In all I’m envious of the experience you are planning and that you are going to get to share it with a parent. It’s a special thing and to combine it with a first elephant hunt??? Well there’s not words for it. I wish you the best and hope you see it through.

I think 25 miles in upper 80's temps while carrying a rifle would be a long day no matter what kind of shape you're in.....

According to my research: "The U.S. Army's Expert Infantryman Badge (EIB) march, for instance, requires a 12-mile march with a 35-pound rucksack to be completed in under three hours." There are plenty of examples of long military marches, some upwards of 40 miles in a day. But those are somewhat unusual, to the point that they're often recorded for posterity. And they usually don't have long marches day after day over a 10-14 day period.

I'm prepping my fitness for a 2026 elephant hunt, but I'm not sure how to train for 25 miles in a day...... what am I getting myself into here, LOL?