Thoughts on Tuskless Hunting

[Tanks]

You can do trash cans, ice buckets or umbrella stands with feet. With a cow only the two front feet are big enough.

 

[Ridge Runner]

You can do trash cans, ice buckets or umbrella stands with feet. With a cow only the two front feet are big enough.

View attachment 544953

Chairs and end and coffee tables are some of the other items I have seen using elephant feet.

What would the ears be used for?

 

[K-man]

Questions: (great topic btw)

1. Which countries offer tuskless ele hunt, besides Zimbabwe?

2. What are the options for tuskless bull?

The recessive gene that makes them tuskless is common only in large numbers in Zimbabwe. Doesn't mean you can't occasionally find one in other locations, just not enough to make a marketable hunt. Many times a tuskless bull is sold as a management hunt. Tuskless elephant hunting is a great adrenaline rush as well as a great management tool. It gives a lot of hunting time and experience for a small amount of money. My tuskless trophy fee was the same price as a cape buffalo, and you also get to feed a village.

 

[godwincp]

Velo Dog I agree with your post. On my first elephant hunt in the Omay, on the very first morning, while tracking a herd a female, unknown to us, winded us and came at full charge and we killed it at 7 yards. Didn’t get nervous until it was over but when I looked around all the trackers were in trees or MIA! Could have easily been a very bad deal. No one can believe a huge elephant is invisible from 20 yards in the thick bush but they are. One may never want to hunt an elephant but I promise you if you do you will never be more alive and experience your true fears . Just remember to do your research and have the absolute best PH you can afford- and then borrow some money and upgrade. These guys are are amazing and your life does indeed depend on it!!

 

[revturbo9967]

True, I didn't really think about keeping the skin and such.

Elephant leather is very unique. I would absolutely work on importing if I ever hunted one . I’m planning out my next hunt in my head and non trophy bull may be the best of both worlds. Still a bull with ivory but not at the premium price.

 

[Gemsbok45]

I get the Tuskless hunt. Exciting and less cost. In Zimbabwe they need to cull a lot of Elephants and they need the foreign currency so it’s a win. There is nothing like a nice set of tusks! Nothing touches your hunting soul more.

 

[375Fox]

I have a bull hunt booked for 2024. I want to experience elephant hunting but I have some reservations about hunting cows from family groups. Once my bull hunt is complete, I’ll have a better idea where I stand on it. I’ll likely have opportunity to hunt tuskless on that hunt as well if I choose to, but not having hunted elephant before I’m unsure how I feel about it.

 

[Mark Biggerstaff]

Following this closely as making plans for 2026. I am thinking tuskless and I want to try for 5 of the dangerous 7 all in trip over. Hunting multiple places most likely. This way I can spread the money further.

 

[Dinsdale]

Just general comments on the interesting take on ethics.

If you‘re hunting DG in elephant country, you might just have a defense shooting in a charge…….So where are your concerns about herd dynamics and ethics then?

To me, if you accept one might happen, then selectively taking a dry tuskless cow is the better situation. Last hunt we spent two hrs making sure that all the cow/calves we could see were accounted for and that animal was dry. And then it turned out she was also not pregnant and hadn’t nursed in some years; older too, sunken temples on her skull.

The only two elephant charges I have been close to were hunting buffalo. One ages ago when a cow charged when on tracks of a wounded buffalo; close enough guns went up and safeties off. PH shot through an ear to turn her.

And the buffalo hunt in 21’ when an elephant calf was carrying a snare and that group was serious pissed off. Breaking branches/trumpeting the works. I have no doubt if they winded us, they would have come. Cool head by PH and assessing the situation put the group in a good position using wind and cover. Right after, the buff herd we were glassing ran off followed by the poachers dogs; and then we started tracking poachers……Hunting group, snared elephant, nervous buffalo, and poachers all in the same block at the same time with in spitting distance of each other…..interesting afternoon.

In both of those situations we may have had to shoot a random charging cow. Unfortunate, but that has way larger implications if fretting over herd dynamics.

 

[Andrew62]

I've shot a bull elephant, cow elephant and a tuskless cow elephant. For me, I'll take a tuskless hunt all day any day!! Like you said, who doesn't want a monster bull, but truth be told, tuskless hunting is way more dangerous. I have a bull hunt scheduled for 2024 then am doing a tuskless in 2025.

 

[Tanks]

What would the ears be used for?

Africa map is one example.

 

[IdaRam]

Africa map is one example.

I agree, I really like the maps of Africa painted on an elephant ear. I’ve seen some beautiful wildlife paintings done on elephant ears as well.

My last trip to Zim was for tuskless and PG. I’m hoping to go back again soon for tuskless and probably another buffalo, with some PG as well. One thing I would point out to anyone considering a hunt for tuskless elephant, you have an opportunity to spend a lot of time in and around elephants, obviously. Don’t cut your time too short. 10 days ain’t that much. And while this is certainly enough time for a good hunt and get the job done, there is another very real consideration. When time gets short, you and your PH both start to feel the pressure. If you’re on day 9 of a 10 day hunt with no elephant tail hair bracelet yet it can induce people to press the issue where as normally they might elect to back out and try for another approach or pick things up in the morning. Forcing the issue with elephants can lead to dicey situations. And while different elephant populations, and individual herds, have different temperaments it’s certainly true the ladies can be pretty cantankerous. I saw both extremes in Sengwa. A number of herds we hunted were quite calm. Others quite the opposite.
Your PH will most likely want to hunt elephant beginning at first light and maybe another short hunt after lunch, but most PH’s want to beg off the elephant by around 2:00 or so, leaving you time in the afternoon to hunt plains game and scout/plan for the next morning. So what this really translates into is half-days of ele hunting, which kinda cuts the number of hunt days in half’ish. I think next trip for me if it’s tuskless, buffalo and some PG I’m going to plan for 21 days and take along my bow. If things happen quickly with the DG, I’ll spend a bunch of time bowhunting PG and maybe let a tracker tote my rifle along just in case that really special opportunity pops up.

 

[Stetsonham]

Sounds exciting! Anyone care to share what the cost of a tuskless usually runs? I know it is a spectrum but a range would be helpful.

 

[Mark R]

After reading far too many old stories by white hunters on elephant hunting I finally booked a non exportable bull hunt with Marius at @KMG Safaris in about 2018, maybe 2019. It finally took place last August due to the bat flu. I never thought I would afford to hunt an elephant bull but some of these hunts are as cheap as a tuskless hunt. So grateful for the experience and if a bull wasn't attainable then yes for sure I would do a tuskless hunt. Whichever way, just do it.
By the way, as an Aussie we can't import ANY part of an elephant. It's not game laws, it's actually an act of our Parliament that was introduced by a former Prime Minister in the 1980's as he was going to "save the elephant"

 

[IdaRam]

Sounds exciting! Anyone care to share what the cost of a tuskless usually runs? I know it is a spectrum but a range would be helpful.

A couple years ago I paid $750 per day and $4000 trophy fee for tuskless and PG. Sengwa Research in Zim. Mokore Safaris had the area at the time, CMS has it now. Probably around the same $. Maybe a bit more.

 

[375Fox]

Just general comments on the interesting take on ethics.

If you‘re hunting DG in elephant country, you might just have a defense shooting in a charge…….So where are your concerns about herd dynamics and ethics then?

To me, if you accept one might happen, then selectively taking a dry tuskless cow is the better situation. Last hunt we spent two hrs making sure that all the cow/calves we could see were accounted for and that animal was dry. And then it turned out she was also not pregnant and hadn’t nursed in some years; older too, sunken temples on her skull.

The only two elephant charges I have been close to were hunting buffalo. One ages ago when a cow charged when on tracks of a wounded buffalo; close enough guns went up and safeties off. PH shot through an ear to turn her.

And the buffalo hunt in 21’ when an elephant calf was carrying a snare and that group was serious pissed off. Breaking branches/trumpeting the works. I have no doubt if they winded us, they would have come. Cool head by PH and assessing the situation put the group in a good position using wind and cover. Right after, the buff herd we were glassing ran off followed by the poachers dogs; and then we started tracking poachers……Hunting group, snared elephant, nervous buffalo, and poachers all in the same block at the same time with in spitting distance of each other…..interesting afternoon.

In both of those situations we may have had to shoot a random charging cow. Unfortunate, but that has way larger implications if fretting over herd dynamics.

I don’t really understand your comparison? You have no control over unprovoked charges. Many unplanned cows have been taken while hunting tuskless as well because of a charge. I don’t think anyone is considering herd dynamics at that point because the elephant created life and death situation. I wouldn’t criticize anyone for hunting tuskless because the conservation value in dollars and population control is there, just not sure it’s a hunt I would choose to do myself for several reasons.

 

[mark-hunter]

What is usually the age of targeted tuskless elephant?

 

[SRvet]

Population management in any species surely revolves around the management of females with the mature trophy males being the cherry on the cake….. or am I wrong??

 

[Philip Glass]

Here is my tuskless hunt.

 

[Philip Glass]

What is usually the age of targeted tuskless elephant?

Any big mature cow.