Has it ever happened to you..

[SStomcat]

Interesting to read through all your experiences. Wisdom says to leave them alone and/or back track For worst case scenarios I believe it will be prudent to carry few solids just in case.
I plan to hunt PG with a 9.3X62

 

[BRICKBURN]

Enjoy your up close and personal experience.

 

[Northern Shooter]

Do PH’s not still carry a 375 minimum when guiding clients for plains game in areas where dangerous game is also present?

 

[D-Orcutt]

That you encountered an elephant or lion in close proximity while hunting PG?

Had a leopard walk across a path in front of me 60 yards out wasn’t scary more surreal, it didn’t register in my head what was happening until my PH said how rare that is in the daylight

 

[Hunt anything]

Stalking an nyala bull in Mozambique. We were using a palm/ palmetto island for cover, when we got to about 20 yards from the cover a low rumble came out of it. The two trackers split behind me and my PH. He grabbed me by the shirt and pulled me to him and said flatly “if he comes shoot him”. Being only my 3rd day in Africa I was a little confused until a young male lion stood up and then sunk back down in the bush. My PH said to watch his tail and if it goes rigid get ready. Luckily he settled down as we backed out and he finally ran off! Needless to say the nyala bull had vanished.

 

[JD Noblin]

We were hunting in the Selous Reserve in Tanzania and driving on a two-track when we rounded a corner and encountered a bull elephant coming the other direction. We stopped and the bull stopped....but he just did not want to leave the road. So we waited and waited.....and waited some more. Finally, the bull walked about 50 yards off the road. The PH gunned the Land Rover's engine and said "everyone hang on!" and he floored it. As we got about even with the bull, he started chasing the Rover and it was a sight I will never forget....that bull ran literally through and over trees as thick as 4-5 inches....the trees just snapped like toothpicks and never slowed him down.

 

[Newboomer]

We were hunting in the Selous Reserve in Tanzania and driving on a two-track when we rounded a corner and encountered a bull elephant coming the other direction. We stopped and the bull stopped....but he just did not want to leave the road. So we waited and waited.....and waited some more. Finally, the bull walked about 50 yards off the road. The PH gunned the Land Rover's engine and said "everyone hang on!" and he floored it. As we got about even with the bull, he started chasing the Rover and it was a sight I will never forget....that bull ran literally through and over trees as thick as 4-5 inches....the trees just snapped like toothpicks and never slowed him down.
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We were driving throuh the Addo Elephant Reserve in RSA one morning on our way to a hunting spot when a big old bull ele stepped out into the road about 50 yards ahead of us. He stopped and looked. We stopped and looked--Mexican standoff. Neither of us blinked or moved. He flapped his ears and raised his trunk, just to see what we were, I think. After a few minutes he turned and casually ambled down the road in front of us. We followed at a healthy distance. Half a mile later he looked back at us as if to say, "This is my road. You follow me." Then strolled off into the bush. We quickly left the area.

 

[fourfive8]

Yes, more than once. Old bull elephants, after feeding, will sometimes just stand in thick cover and chew on a stick- something like chewing their cud I think. Have walked up on them like that several times. Usually you can see them or hear them but not always and even the trackers occasionally don’t see them.

Walked up on a young male lion hiding in thick cover once- yeowsa! Way too close! Other couple of lions on a nearby zebra kill and I imagine this one was just assessing the situation.

 

[Hunter-Habib]

Elephant, yes. While hunting Cape buffalo.

 

[franzfmdavis]

That you encountered an elephant or lion in close proximity while hunting PG?

Great question, which has lead to a lot of great stories and pictures being shared!

 

[fourfive8]

Running into elephants can be interesting. Thank goodness the old bulls that sometimes let you get close tend to not be as aggressive as some of the young bulls and cows. An area with thick cover, kopjes, granite boulders laying around and elephants is a sure recipe for a surprise! You tend to get used to seeing and walking around gray rock surfaces in the thick vegetation. The surprise comes as you approach one of the gray rock surfaces imbedded in the vegetation and it takes on the look of gray, wrinkled skin!

 

[Zinz]

My first safari bowhunting in the NW Province of RSA my PH and I were in a raised box blind near a waterhole. All sorts of game were loitering in front of us in the last hour of daylight when every one of them threw their heads up and moved off. "It's either rhino or elephant" Zak told me. In seconds, about 12 ele cows with some calves came in to drink. Zak became VERY serious with me. "You must remain completely silent, no clicking of your camera or any noise. If they come at the blind you must leave everything behind and jump out with me and we run as fast as possible"

Zak had my video camera and was shooting video. I was thrilled at the sight, as they were less than 20 yards from us. Zak was nervous and I was too naive to understand the danger we were in. All was good until one cow nonchalantly made her way out and downwind of the box. We lost sight of her... until she was looking into the long bowhunting slot cut into the blind. Her eye was mere feet from us. Zak got it all on video... I need to get a still shot of that eye in the window.

The cow was never aggressive and moved back to the herd where they were all calmly drinking and milling about. The calves played with each other and it was all like out of a Disney movie for me. As the light was fading the wind began to swirl and they finally got a good whiff of what was in the blind. There was almost imperceptible low rumble and every ele stopped and raised their trunks. Another low rumble and they all calmly moved off and away from us.

I'll never forget it, but knowing now what I didn't understand then, was the extreme danger we were in. It raises the hair on the back of my neck just thinking about what could have happened.

Ed Z

 

[SStomcat]

Great Experiences, pictures and stories, keep them coming. So far I'm yet to hear that someone has been charged by a rhino/hippo/buffalo or elephant while hunting for some other species. Now that would be something specially if you or your PH is not armed adequately..
Pray to god it never happens but sometimes things happen...