ELEPHANT HUNTING KNOW-HOW – PART 2
Getting up close and personal…
How to locate and approach big tuskers
IN eastern Botswana, where I usually hunted elephant, the Khoi San are from the Masarwa and Masile tribes. They are slightly taller than the desert Khoi San, but still have their typical build and features. A good Khoi San tracker is generally far better than any other southern African tribesman, although a few Shangaans and Vendas are pretty good.
It is absolutely phenomenal to watch a San tracker follow and stay on the track of a particular elephant or other big game animal, even among a herd of the same species. These trackers have acute eyesight and can spot and identify animals at long distances. Good San trackers also seem to have a sixth sense which warns them when they are near dangerous game and they seem instinctively to know where animals are likely to walk. Elephant tracks are fairly easy to pick up and follow in sandy areas, but when the animals cross hard vleis, you appreciate a good tracker. When hunting elephant, this expertise is indispensable and I would go so far as to say that, if you can, you should use a San tracker in those areas.
Big old elephant bulls are habitual loners but may be accompanied by a couple of younger bulls (askaris). The old bulls are much more alert than elephant in a large herd; the big ones are usually extremely shy and invariably try to evade hunters. The askaris are more aggressive and a hunter may have to shoot one to ward off an attack. Try to avoid being seen
or scented by the askari because the big bull will invariably get away in any resulting incident, even if you out-bluff the attacker and do not need to shoot.
Elephant in particular, but also other dangerous species intuitively sense fear and are more likely to be aggressive towards someone who is afraid. Hunters who fear the animals they approach are more likely to be charged. Anyone wishing to hunt dangerous game, especially elephant, should learn to control their fear and try to overcome it.
Occasionally, however, good tuskers accompany herds. Big herds are normally easier to follow and approach because of the noise they make and their perceived security in numbers. But with numerous animals so spread out, it is very difficult to locate and approach any big bull without being seen or scented.
In lightly wooded country, the best way to locate the bull is to observe from an elevated position, down-wind from the herd; perhaps use a small koppie, big termite mound or high tree. On spotting a suitable bull, wait until it comes to the edge of the herd and then quickly approach and shoot it. If the confused herd then runs towards you, fire a shot into the ground in front of them and, if that does not work, hide behind the dead animal or a big tree. The herd will normally keep going right past you but occasionally a couple of cows may stop by the dead animal and wait for it to get up. Then things can get hairy! I would advise relatively inexperienced hunters not to attempt shooting a big bull accompanying a herd of cows and calves.
In thicker bush it is much more difficult and dangerous to hunt elephant because the hunter has to get very close and lurk around until a shot presents itself. Consequently, he might run into another animal or the herd could get his scent. Cows with calves are usually very aggressive and will often charge when they sense humans. An experienced hunter can make an educated guess as to what a dangerous animal will do, but no-one can be absolutely certain.
If the wind direction is constant during your approach, you can take your time and locate a good shooting position. If there is no wind or if the wind is fluctuating, you must approach quickly before the elephants scent you. Take the shot as soon as you get within satisfactory range. Provided you don’t make a noise or let them get your scent, elephants won’t notice you unless you are very close. Even in open country, just walk upright, straight towards them, quietly, without swinging your arms or moving from side to side. You need to get within thirty paces – bearing in mind the required positions for taking a brain or heart shot – and in very thick bush you must get even closer. Do not shoot from further than forty paces unless the animal is wounded and getting away. Try to get into a position that will enable you to get off a second shot if the animal doesn’t go down.
Wearing camouflaged clothing is not really necessary, just be sure to wear dull-coloured fabrics. Elephant eyesight is not very sharp but, within about fifty paces, they notice unusual or reflective surfaces and lateral movement. They also seem to see better in dull, cloudy conditions.
If attacked, stand your ground, and if the elephant comes closer than ten paces, shoot for the brain. Running away is likely to get you killed. A human cannot outrun an elephant or other dangerous animal. If you don’t have a suitable rifle, or lack the necessary nerve, don’t go getting into a situation where you are likely to be attacked. Elephant are great bluffers and will normally stop charging about ten paces from a person standing his ground. However, sometimes they are not bluffing. Two of my friends were killed by failing to shoot once the elephant reached the ten yard limit. If you have no choice but to run, be aware of the wind direction and do not run directly away, but rather at right-angles to the line of charge, downwind and using bushes to conceal you if possible. You may be lucky.
The tusks of elephant in Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia and South Africa seldom grow as long or as heavy as those of their kin in Zambia, Mozambique and countries further north. (That said, there are bulls in the Kruger National Park and Kwazulu-natal’s Tembe Elephant Part which have exceptionally large tusks.) The ivory of the southern animals is denser, which is probably the reason the tusks are normally thicker and shorter by comparison. Hunters from East and Central Africa are inclined to under-estimate the weight of our elephant tusks. However, our local elephant are generally larger bodied and heavier (the Addo elephants being an exception).
The largest elephant I have ever seen was a completely tuskless bull which I shot near Victoria Falls during the 1960s. He stood about thirteen to fourteen feet at the shoulder and probably weighed in excess of seven tons. The best tusker I shot had tusks weighing just over eighty pounds each. At that time the price of ivory was only fourteen shillings a pound, so I got the princely sum of a hundred-and-twelve pounds sterling when I sold them. That was three times my monthly salary at the time.
The biggest tusker I came across was on Letaba Ranch, adjoining the Kruger National Park. When he stood, his tusks touched the ground and I estimated them to weigh about 140lbs each. I had a hunting client with me and, although the elephant was in the hunting area with no collar, hence was fair game, I couldn’t bring myself to allow it to be shot. I just chased the bull back into the Park.
Unfortunately, traditional elephant hunting is almost a thing of the past. These days, most people are strongly opposed to elephant hunting. Various anti-hunting bodies have invented enough propaganda to convince the public that elephants are endangered, and it is considered almost shameful to hunt them. Elephant are not endangered in southern Africa, nor have they ever been. It is only in some countries further north, where they have been heavily poached or over-hunted, that they can be considered locally threatened. When I hunted elephant, it was a respected pursuit and hunting elephant in the wild sand country was real hunting at its best!