The 100 Pounder.
Well I wish I could start off by saying that we put down the near mythical 100 pounder this season. There are many big jumbos’s successfully taken in the Niassa Province, none tipped the scales over that golden standard weight.
Although there are many of us who yearn to shoot an elephant of this calibre there are very few hunters dedicated enough to hold out for a really big jumbo. Honestly, who’s to blame us mere mortals? If I have an old bull sporting thick 5 foot toothpicks in my sights, which probably puts him in the mid 60-70 lb. range, I would never hesitate pulling the trigger. This would be a trophy of the highest quality and a hunt anyone would remember.
However, there are individuals that for unknown reasons head off to the most remote corners of the African continent, many times on nothing more than a whisper, in hope that there may be one of the really big boys around. Perhaps these hunters have read too many Hemingway or Ruark Novels or maybe they are sadomasochists and get pleasure from tromping around under the hot African sun.
The Niassa Province holds some of the truly big tuskers left on the continent and every year we have at least 1 client who is looking for that hundred pounder. This year was no exception. From our very first conversation the hunter explained that he wouldn’t even consider pulling the trigger on an ele under 80 lbs and would only be likely to shoot if it was closing in on the century mark. After several telephone calls and emails back and forth the client committed to joining us on a safari in 2009.
The hunt started off on the wrong foot with the client’s initial flight being delayed causing him to miss all of his connecting flights. Then a very unseasonable early rain made the roads a bit soft for the first few days of hunting, but finally a little bit of sun firmed them up and the hunt’s luck started to change. The upside to the early rain was that it made tracking easier for our team.
Within the first week we had been able to show the client a couple of average fifty pounders, but nothing close to what he was targeting. Then after day ten the team cut a very big track. The footpad showed all of the telltale signs of an old elephant; a smooth center with large cracks on the edge.
Like most elephant hunts the next 2 days were spent hour after hour following the spoor of the large bull, picking up on day two where they had left the track after the first day.
Late in the afternoon on the second day the party finally closed in on the old bull getting within 20 yards of him in a bamboo stand. Vast stands of bamboo occur along the many rivers in our areas and this is where the elephants like to hang out to avoid the midday heat. After waiting for him to turn the group finally glimpsed his ivory.
The PH estimated it to be in the mid 60 pound range. Now the moment of truth, with a good bull in his sites would the client continue to hold out for bigger or settle on a great trophy?
Without hesitating the client said he was not interested and after admiring the old bull for a few more minutes the group slowly eased away and headed back to the cruiser. This scenario played out a couple more times on the hunt, this jumbo was the largest observed though, each time with the client admiring the largest land mammal and then declining to shoot.
Even though he didn’t fire a single shot the hunter is already planning to come back next year and spend another few weeks with us in search of a 100 pounder.
Until Next Time Good Hunting and Safe Travels!
Visit our website at www.safrique.net
Matt Hulley-Miller
MD Safrique, Mozambique.
