8 Bore Safari
- Thread starter Mr Wolverine
- Start date
John, Thanks for an awesome thread and terrific pictures.
Speaking as an envious 65 yr. old, I would like to offer my services as gun bearer / cleaner on your next adventure....
I'd start getting into shape now, if you're planning on lugging that monster 8 bore across Africa!
Ardent
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
I've long been a proponent of 'Pleisto-Park'; bring back the Mammoth, the Wooly Rhino, the Sabertooth, the Short Faced Bear, etc. Place them on a large, purchased Arctic island, then run a hunting conservancy, told my wife that's what I'll do if I become an eccentric billionaire. My wife encouraged me by offering I had half the package already. 1 for 2's not bad, though I'm not a billionaire.
trapandhunt
Regular
- Location
- the rock (nl)
Thats awesome no other world would explain it. congrats on a great hunt
Mr Wolverine
CGN Regular
- Location
- Manitoba. Canada
Quote:
"Hey just to let everyone know I wasn't trying to be a ####..... comment wasn't related to the actual baisis for harvesting an animal, I understand the economic and social benefits of a big game hunt are huge for a region and that population control is necessary. The question I had was more based around the desire to put one of the biggest most beautiful animals on the planet in your sights and pulling the trigger. I'm actually curious to understand how a big game hunter feels about the kill? Mixed emotions? Or is the view that taking an animal is taking an animal... no matter the size or species?
thanks for your input
p.s I grew up in a small town where hunting is a way of life and have been a part of the sport since childhood (in no way anti-hunting)"
You raise an extremely valid question that I will try to answer. You ask how a big game hunter feels about the kill? I can only answer for myself, extremely sad, I only kill in order to have hunted, I do not hunt in order to kill.
The African Elephant is superb, they are huge, they have no natural predators, they make a man puny, even when armed with a high powered rifle. The Ellie is intelligent, his sense of smell incredible, they also have good eyes and hearing. Their size is deceptive for they can disappear in the shadows silently but when they want to they can thunder through the bush as if it was not even there. The excitement of hunting these noble beasts is incredible, I am truly blessed that I find myself in a position to hunt them. Elephant are magnificent, I am privileged to even walk the same paths as them. To me the essence of hunting is the stalk, to get in close, to pit my bush craft against them. I have engaged Ellie at ranges from 15 to 50 yds with my first shot and closed into to 5 yds for a final shot and yes afterwards I am sad.
The Cape Buffalo on this hunt was incredible, he was a true warrior who fought to the end and refused to die. My first round from the 8 Bore at about 20 yds took him in the shoulder, we tracked him for an hour. Temp was 115 degrees plus, I held a 17 lb rifle in my hands and had to be ready to face a charge that could have come from only a few yds range. Finally due to the problem with the dense cloud of smoke from 11 Dram of Black Powder Johan (My PH) wisely insisted I switch to my .470 NE DR. This Buff was no fool, he was keeping the wind blowing into his butt, he had nearly ambushed us once, we would be unlikely to surprise him. We gave him time to lay up, then we followed his spoor, fortunately the tracker spotted him laying in the shade of a bush on the trail. I placed a 500 gr Woodleigh SP in his shoulder from about 45 yds, the only effect this had was for him to stagger to his feet and attempt to run away. My second barrel hit him 3 inches from his tail root, he staggered down but was trying to regain his feet. I reloaded on the run, closed to about 5 yds, put a hasty shot into his ribs and spined him with my second barrel. He glared at me and struggled to regain his feet, all the time his lungs were gurgling with each breath, but he would not stop fighting he would not quit. I found myself wishing that if only he could miraculously recover, I would let him run away. He refused to die, I held the .470 at arm’s length with the muzzle almost touching the back of his head. I fired, I unloaded, the barrels burnt my fingers. I sank to my knees beside him and gently stroked his muzzle, I kept my back to the others as my eyes turned moist, they all respectfully kept their distance and gave me a few moments alone with my Bull. I had hunted, I had taken a warrior's life, now I paid the real price, it came deep from my heart.
"Hey just to let everyone know I wasn't trying to be a ####..... comment wasn't related to the actual baisis for harvesting an animal, I understand the economic and social benefits of a big game hunt are huge for a region and that population control is necessary. The question I had was more based around the desire to put one of the biggest most beautiful animals on the planet in your sights and pulling the trigger. I'm actually curious to understand how a big game hunter feels about the kill? Mixed emotions? Or is the view that taking an animal is taking an animal... no matter the size or species?
thanks for your input
p.s I grew up in a small town where hunting is a way of life and have been a part of the sport since childhood (in no way anti-hunting)"
You raise an extremely valid question that I will try to answer. You ask how a big game hunter feels about the kill? I can only answer for myself, extremely sad, I only kill in order to have hunted, I do not hunt in order to kill.
The African Elephant is superb, they are huge, they have no natural predators, they make a man puny, even when armed with a high powered rifle. The Ellie is intelligent, his sense of smell incredible, they also have good eyes and hearing. Their size is deceptive for they can disappear in the shadows silently but when they want to they can thunder through the bush as if it was not even there. The excitement of hunting these noble beasts is incredible, I am truly blessed that I find myself in a position to hunt them. Elephant are magnificent, I am privileged to even walk the same paths as them. To me the essence of hunting is the stalk, to get in close, to pit my bush craft against them. I have engaged Ellie at ranges from 15 to 50 yds with my first shot and closed into to 5 yds for a final shot and yes afterwards I am sad.
The Cape Buffalo on this hunt was incredible, he was a true warrior who fought to the end and refused to die. My first round from the 8 Bore at about 20 yds took him in the shoulder, we tracked him for an hour. Temp was 115 degrees plus, I held a 17 lb rifle in my hands and had to be ready to face a charge that could have come from only a few yds range. Finally due to the problem with the dense cloud of smoke from 11 Dram of Black Powder Johan (My PH) wisely insisted I switch to my .470 NE DR. This Buff was no fool, he was keeping the wind blowing into his butt, he had nearly ambushed us once, we would be unlikely to surprise him. We gave him time to lay up, then we followed his spoor, fortunately the tracker spotted him laying in the shade of a bush on the trail. I placed a 500 gr Woodleigh SP in his shoulder from about 45 yds, the only effect this had was for him to stagger to his feet and attempt to run away. My second barrel hit him 3 inches from his tail root, he staggered down but was trying to regain his feet. I reloaded on the run, closed to about 5 yds, put a hasty shot into his ribs and spined him with my second barrel. He glared at me and struggled to regain his feet, all the time his lungs were gurgling with each breath, but he would not stop fighting he would not quit. I found myself wishing that if only he could miraculously recover, I would let him run away. He refused to die, I held the .470 at arm’s length with the muzzle almost touching the back of his head. I fired, I unloaded, the barrels burnt my fingers. I sank to my knees beside him and gently stroked his muzzle, I kept my back to the others as my eyes turned moist, they all respectfully kept their distance and gave me a few moments alone with my Bull. I had hunted, I had taken a warrior's life, now I paid the real price, it came deep from my heart.
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First of all, it was a legal hunt.
Second........
Moral and ethical debate is over at this point.
Second........
Moral and ethical debate is over at this point.
