Thoughts on Tuskless Hunting

[meigsbucks]

Fellow Hunters,

If I were to hunt elephant, due to my static retirment income, most likely it would be a tuskless elephant.
Likewise, be it with or without ivory, perhaps as Wishfulthinker5 pointed out, a non-exportable bull.
All the above appeals to me greatly, as does hippo on land and / or another buffalo hunt.
At this late stage in my life, if I was to ever buy a “dangerous game” hunt, I recon that I’d hunt another buffalo, probably a cow at that, perhaps two cow buffaloes on the same hunting trip.
There’s just something about buffalo.
They are the most appealing in my opinion, of Africa’s so called “Big 5” or “Dangerous 7”, whichever.

The following is just in case you know anyone who might give a rat’s ass…….
Now at age 70, I remain a firearms and fishing tackle enthusiast, especially hunting rifle related and fly fishing related things.
And, ethically + lawfully hunting anything, including tuskless elephant, anterless deer and so forth, for me personally, is pretty much as satisfying as bagging the large horns, antlers and tusks.
Although sporting goods and animals / fish will always and forever be intertwined, nonetheless I enjoy the rifles and the fly rods, just a wee bit more than I do the animals and the fish.

The walls in my home are already festooned with skulls, horns, antlers and swine tusks.
There are numerous framed photographs of the memories from many hunting and fishing trips on the walls here as well.
There are even a couple of zebra skins here, one is on the bed in our guest room.
The other is draped over the railing beside a stair well in our living room.

So, bringing home more bones, teeth and hair seems almost pointless now.
Framed photos bring as much joy these days as anything I have on display here.
I do not care for the descriptor of “Trophy” as it pertains to fish & wild life, preferring instead, “memento”.
Therefore, my greatest memento is the smell of thorn bush and nitro powder smoke, lingering in my nostrils.

Tuskless elephant hunt ?
I say yes, life is short and the world is changing rapidly.
Book it sooner than later.

Cheers,
Velo Dog.

I’ m only a few years younger than @Velo Dog and have developed almost exactly the same outlook. There are a few trophies I’d like to still bring home, but for the most part a lot more taxidermy is more to be sold off when I’m gone and most of all, the cost.
As far as tuskless, I’ll most likely never hunt elephant but the memories made hunting them and anything else are more important at this stage of my life.

 

[Sideshow]

Thank you. You are also absolutely correct about the pussification of America. It is truly a shame!

You guys aren’t alone! England, New Zealand.
Such a crock of shit.

 

[PerH]

Hunting a non tusker ele would be something i would try if i had some experience and skilled ph and crew around me, and that i had a rifle i fully knew pros and cons of. And matter of bullets also .

 

[Backyardsniper]

I will offer a little food for thought on the bolt versus double rifle argument. York and I were talking during our hunt and he was telling me about the most elephants he ever had to shoot at one time in a charge. They were in some thick stuff and when the elephants came the client broke and ran. Zvito had to run him down and tackle him. York killed the first one in a charge, bolted and killed the second and then racked a third round and shot the last one with the stock still under his arm, when the elephant fell it was so close its trunk slapped him and knocked him down, taking a sizeable chunk of skin off his shin. He said with a double in that situation he would have definitely got ran over, however he said for most situations a double is superior for its quick second shot if an Elephant or buffalo is right in your lap to begin with.
The truth of the matter, I feel, is that it is situation dependant. He still wants to buy a double and carry it in the field. So there is a time and place for both bolt guns and doubles, as far as which is superior can mostly depend on the particular situation. I will put my faith in the double though. I have chosen my path and I will stick with it, probably, mostly, because of nostalgia. I hope someday mine is well worn, with lots of patina and battle scars!

 

[Rare Breed]

Hello Tanks and Rare Breed,

Just like yourselves, I do not care if the real loonies hate me or not, I just don’t.
For 28 years I was a Cop.
And, all the hate directed at me, including verbal and written death threats, did not stop or even slow me down from doing my job.
Water off a ducks back ?
Ya, me too.

However, I evidently failed to state my thoughts clearly ….

So I repeat, the haters will hate, and there is not a dern thing we can do about it, except ignore them.

It is the hundreds of millions or more, easily led members of the general public who, might otherwise be on our side.
All we need to do is …… well, I’ve already detailed that in my previous posts within this thread.
And so, out of respect for the OP and others interested in the original topic of hunting tuskless elephants, I will stop flogging an off topic dead horse here.

Let’s all three of us big tough guys have ourselves a great day and remain on friendly terms, in spite of our occasional differing opinions.

Kind Regards,
Velo Dog.

I absolutely love your posts and your opinions!!! Also sincerely, thank you for your 28 years of service to your community…there is a lot you can teach us! I will always be your friend!!!

 

[Green Chile]

Most PHs will tell you they like a double for backup on elephant and most of the Parks culling guys preferred bolt guns. Two very different scenarios. The chances of anyone getting 3 shots off in a charge in close cover is very very slim. That guy should buy a lottery ticket after he changes his underwear!

 

[Sideshow]

I will offer a little food for thought on the bolt versus double rifle argument. York and I were talking during our hunt and he was telling me about the most elephants he ever had to shoot at one time in a charge. They were in some thick stuff and when the elephants came the client broke and ran. Zvito had to run him down and tackle him. York killed the first one in a charge, bolted and killed the second and then racked a third round and shot the last one with the stock still under his arm, when the elephant fell it was so close its trunk slapped him and knocked him down, taking a sizeable chunk of skin off his shin. He said with a double in that situation he would have definitely got ran over, however he said for most situations a double is superior for its quick second shot if an Elephant or buffalo is right in your lap to begin with.
The truth of the matter, I feel, is that it is situation dependant. He still wants to buy a double and carry it in the field. So there is a time and place for both bolt guns and doubles, as far as which is superior can mostly depend on the particular situation. I will put my faith in the double though. I have chosen my path and I will stick with it, probably, mostly, because of nostalgia. I hope someday mine is well worn, with lots of patina and battle scars!

Said it before and some well know it when they come they come.
Thanks for posting (again) I to enjoy your frank postings. It’s seriously pushed me to start looking for a hunting safari.

As a side note if you don’t have a rifle I know what dose stop a charge.
Was doing a Christmas Nairobi to Cape Town 70 day in 2001. The paqs wanted to see the new year in in Sawkopmund. It had been a fairly quiet trip apart from a broken front half shaft in the Serengeti. So we had Christmas in Kamamjab then headed towards the Skeleton cost for the run down to Swakop . I’d heard that there was some desert ele around Plamwag on one of the D roads heading towards Springbok gate. This is the top access for the coast for 2wd.
We came around a blind corner and here’s 4 in the middle of the road at around 50m. I’m not sure what they’re like now but back then these guys used to be a little finicky. As they would get chased by the scenic day flights out of Swakop.
I put the truck in reverse to do a 3 point turn and dropped the back axel straight in the ditch.
Now big Mum was flapping her ears and not being nice and her 3 side kicks were also getting stroppy. Where broadside (my bad why I never just reverse around that corner). So mum dose the first mock charge backs up I tot and shout but she brings in the second.
She’s lining up for the third and I give here the me overlanders special that I’d pulled of an old ambulance and had fitted. The siren.
The thing is it would wind up like an air raid siren. So I flipped the switch and she just stopped looked really hard at us the about faced and bugged out with her 3 mates.
So if/when I get to finally hunt one I might just fit one of these to the bottom of my double.
Oh and yes my first stop in Swakop was the laundry mat. Paqs thought it was cool and said they had great pics. I said nothing. Just kept thinking dumb ass.

 

[MMAL]

I am fine with all the hate, YouTube pays about $4 per 1,000 views on a site. Here are the stats of my channel for last month.

View attachment 545495

Tanks are you saying you made $192,000 off of tube tube last month? Very jealous, doing something you truly love and making money off it. Congrats.

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

Tanks are you saying you made $192,000 off of tube tube last month? Very jealous, doing something you truly love and making money off it. Congrats.

19,200 I think

 

[Velo Dog]

I absolutely love your posts and your opinions!!! Also sincerely, thank you for your 28 years of service to your community…there is a lot you can teach us! I will always be your friend!!!

Thanks Rare Breed,

The feeling is mutual.
You are a skilled writer.
I always look forward to your (Tank’s as well) postings.

Your Friend,
Velo Dog.

 

[Sideshow]

Had a dig and found these pics.
Not sure why they came in upside down.
Pic1 truck decoration Christmas Day pic2 the camp pic 3 the only photo of ele exiting after charge pic 4 the leaving the valley.

 

[mark-hunter]

The title of the thread "thoughts on tuskless hunting", will perfectly fit to my next question.
Tuskless for me will be not now, but maybe in the very very long and distamt future from now, as I still have other hunting priorities.

So, when the moment to search for tuskless come, here is the question:

I noticed that practically all offers on tuskless ele hunting are in Zimbabwe.

Does any other country offer tuskless hunting?
If yes, where?
Is it in other countries maybe called differently (like management ele hunting), or something like that?
Are the prices similar to tuskless in Zim?

 

[Philip Glass]

I

The title of the thread "thoughts on tuskless hunting", will perfectly fit to my next question.
Tuskless for me will be not now, but maybe in the very very long and distamt future from now, as I still have other hunting priorities.

So, when the moment to search for tuskless come, here is the question:

I noticed that practically all offers on tuskless ele hunting are in Zimbabwe.

Does any other country offer tuskless hunting?
If yes, where?
Is it in other countries maybe called differently (like management ele hunting), or something like that?
Are the prices similar to tuskless in Zim?

Like you I have just seen tuskless Hunting in Zim. Namibia has what they call "Own Use" which are cull hunts and it can be cow or bull. Zim is far cheaper and in fact the tuskless hunting in the Omay with Dalton & York is the cheapest elephant hunt I've seen. It is getting to be so popular that these hunts are booked several years out. You should put one on the books if it is your plan.

 

[Philip Glass]

I will offer a little food for thought on the bolt versus double rifle argument. York and I were talking during our hunt and he was telling me about the most elephants he ever had to shoot at one time in a charge. They were in some thick stuff and when the elephants came the client broke and ran. Zvito had to run him down and tackle him. York killed the first one in a charge, bolted and killed the second and then racked a third round and shot the last one with the stock still under his arm, when the elephant fell it was so close its trunk slapped him and knocked him down, taking a sizeable chunk of skin off his shin. He said with a double in that situation he would have definitely got ran over, however he said for most situations a double is superior for its quick second shot if an Elephant or buffalo is right in your lap to begin with.
The truth of the matter, I feel, is that it is situation dependant. He still wants to buy a double and carry it in the field. So there is a time and place for both bolt guns and doubles, as far as which is superior can mostly depend on the particular situation. I will put my faith in the double though. I have chosen my path and I will stick with it, probably, mostly, because of nostalgia. I hope someday mine is well worn, with lots of patina and battle scars!

And of course, if the client had stayed and shot just one ele it would have been a different scenario.

 

[Philip Glass]

Wonderful. I look forward to more tuskless and non-trophy hunts. Chifuti, CMS, Dalton & York, etc...serious operators doing a lot of tuskless hunts.

Chifuti is out of business now. I always enjoyed their shows that Dave Fulton did.

 

[Altitude sickness]

Do some Zim hunting areas have more tuskless animals than others

 

[Backyardsniper]

Do some Zim hunting areas have more tuskless animals than others

One of the guys with more experience than me may need to answer that one, but I think they are pretty thick all throughout.

 

[TTundra]

We had multiple tuskless in the herds we saw and hunted in the Save. There was both a tusked Cow and Tuskless tag available to me at the time as well. I could not tell how many had dependent calfs, but certainly multiple seen daily before and after my Ele was taken.

for any Elephant hunt, Bull or tuskless, or tusked Cow I'd also talk with @NYAMAZANA SAFARIS and chat with Wayne.

 

[PARA45]

BTW @TTundra. Love your new avatar.

 

[Tokoloshe Safaris]

I am curious what price are you paying for tusk less elephant hunts?