Zimbabwe PH Ian Gibson killed by Elephant

BigUglyMan

BigUglyMan

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I just got the news this morning that my old friend and PH Ian Gibson was killed by an elephant bull in the Chewore North area of Zimbabwe. Apparently he and his lead tracker went ahead of the client who was taking a break after being on the trail for 5 hours. They closed toward the area they thought the bull would be in and it came into view at about 50-100 yards. Robert, Gibbo's longtime tracker, indicated that the bull was in musth. The bull came in full charge and Gibbo and Robert tried shouting to turn it. When that didn't work Gibbo got off one shot before he was killed. If memory serves Gibbo would be 54 years old and has three children.

RIP My Friend.

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Dogleg said:
That's too bad, but it happens. If nobody ever got hit it wouldn't be dangerous game hunting. There's worse ends than going out the way you chose to live.
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Yeah, sad day, but he was doing what I assume he loved. There are worse ways to go, but he was pretty young.
Condolences to his family & friends.
 
I really don't know what to say to that? I guess that's what hunting dangerous game is about though? I guess some days the animals are the victors. Has to be an awful way to die though, being mauled, trampled or pounded to death by something like that even if he was doing what he likes.
 
Condolences to his family and friends.

Based on the description, he did his best to discourage the charge. I suspect this was more about trying to give the elephant every opportunity to stop his charge before the PH made the decision to shoot. According to the account, Ian was only able to take one shot before being overtaken by the elephant.

A true "life or death" scenario. Benefit given to the elephant by a consummate professional. Tragic outcome.
 
Sorry to hear of the loss... he probably died because he attempted to save the bull for his client... that takes guts... my kind of guy.
 
Sad news indeed. My thoughts and prayers go out to the Gibson family. Looking at his photo, Ian seems very familiar. Did he ever appear on a hunting video recently?
 
X-man said:
Sad news indeed. My thoughts and prayers go out to the Gibson family. Looking at his photo, Ian seems very familiar. Did he ever appear on a hunting video recently?
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He appeared several times on Tracks Across Africa on Wild TV and was also on Boddington on Buffalo 2. Likely appeared on some other Safari Classics stuff. His tracker Robert was also on Boddington on Buffalo 2. That guy can track like nobody's business. He was with Gibbo for 20 years.
 
This is precisely why I hate and am terrified by elephants. Here you have a seasoned professional hunter with a firearm who was unable to protect himself from said critter and ended up dead from the encounter. What chance would you or I stand given the same circumstances? These are the only animal walking the planet that scares me, and I openly admit it. Anyone who says they are not afraid of elephants have never encountered them in the wild in Africa. They are the most aggressive, obnoxious animal I have ever hunted, and without a doubt THE most dangerous.
Sorry to hear BUM, I do believe I met him a couple years ago at a show.
 
Its kinda interesting that the guy I know who thinks nothing of bashing buffs and clobbering hippos, just off the length of his double rifle, tip-toes quietly around elephants. There's a reason for that. Condolences BUM, Chifuti won't be the same without him.
 
X-man said:
Sad news indeed. My thoughts and prayers go out to the Gibson family. Looking at his photo, Ian seems very familiar. Did he ever appear on a hunting video recently?
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BigUglyMan said:
He appeared several times on Tracks Across Africa on Wild TV and was also on Boddington on Buffalo 2. Likely appeared on some other Safari Classics stuff. His tracker Robert was also on Boddington on Buffalo 2. That guy can track like nobody's business. He was with Gibbo for 20 years.
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I remember those episodes now as I watched them with my father. We'd always shared a love of Africa and joked that if we ever won the lottery our first purchase would be to book a double hunt with Ian, -- simply because we really liked his professionalism and style. Sad news indeed...
 
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