44 http://www.africanhuntinggazette.com
The year of our first hunt for tuskless
cows was 1996. Over the last 22 years
JimandI havemadecloseto 30 trips,all
in sub-Saharan Africa. We've hunted in
Botswana,Namibia,ZimbabweandSouth
Africa, but approximately half of those
safaris were in Zimbabwe. The mercy
missionwasourlast“hunt”todate.
Forthegunnuts,theriflesweusedduring
themercyhuntwerea .458Lottwithopen
sights,anda 9.3x75RChapuisdouble.Zimbabwe: 1996 - 2018
On the left, Memory our government game scout, and Admire, one of our terrific trackers
who is holding Memory's AK47.ethical service provided by hunters when called
upon.
Our trip back to the dry river was a quiet
one, and our plan was simple. Johan, Jim and
I would proceed to the riverbed downwind
and behind the old cow, walking quietly and
narrowing the gap as close as possible to avoid
being seen. Our trackers and game scouts
would remain behind.
As we approached the elephant it was
obvious how severely distressed she was. The
abscessed and swollen gland was huge and
almost touched the ground. She carried as
much weight as possible on her left leg, trying
to relieve the pain of her damaged right leg. We
stalked to approximately 30 yards from where
she was standing. Sensing something, but not
knowing what, she began to swing her head
from side to side. Within a few moments she
detected us and turned to face the intruders
suddenly appearing behind her.
Jim fired first, a frontal brain shot as she
stared us down. I followed with a second shot
to the brain, and Johan put a third shot into
the side of the head as she turned, collapsing
on her rear legs. She folded rapidly with a
heart/lung shot by Jim, where she had stood
in pain an instant before. Our mission was
completed in seconds.
Everything had been recorded on video and
camera, and now the work of the autopsy and
meat recovery began. We documented large,
fluid-filled boils that ran from her hip down
the length of her right back leg. As we opened
her cavity and exposed her vitals, further illness
was obvious. She had numerous melon-sized
cysts on her intestines. Also, she was on her
last set of teeth, and probably 35 to 40 years
old. It was obvious she had been very close todeath and might have lasted only a few days to
a week longer, provided she wasn’t taken first
by the lions we had seen in the area.
Our next and very real concern: How safe
was the meat we would be delivering to the
local village? As we were the last hunters of the
season, and the villagers would be approaching
a six-month involuntary vegetarian regime, the
meat would be highly valued. However, Johan
would be responsible if the villagers fell ill due
to tainted meat. The Parks and Wildlife game
scout couldn’t make a call about the meat,
neither could the local Council game scout for
fear of losing their jobs.Sensing an impasse, I cut a small piece
of meat from an area of the rear hip, away
from any boils, smelled the meat, and ate
it. Tough and grainy, it tasted like elephant
meat I had eaten in the past, only raw. I felt
comfortable enough to call it safe for human
consumption. Field test completed! We
continued to butcher the old cow and load
the meat for transportation to the village.
The trunk, as tradition dictates, was taken to
the head of the village, as well as the heart,
spleen, and other organs. Protein is a valuablecommodity, and what was not eaten in the
next few days would be salted, dried, and
consumed at a future date.
Our humanitarian mission accomplished,
though we hadn’t traveled halfway around
the world just to put down a sick elephant.
Our reason for this hunt had been to take a
tuskless cow.
So, did we get skunked again? No way! It
was great spending time again with Johan,
and his wife and two boys after the hunt. We
ate the best biltong ever. Experienced a new
hunting area. Felt part of the village, even if
it was only for a week. Our team was terrific.
Our game scout, a lady and the new face of
African women was a devoted professional
without losing her charm and wonderful sense
of humor. Her Shona name was, Nyaradzo
Shiridzinodya, (in English, Memory Birds
Can Eat.) Our trackers, Philip and Admire,
worked tirelessly to find and follow fresh
elephant spoor. Shumba, our local Council
game scout, was a quiet presence of security
and calmness, always with a smile and ready
to help, no matter what the job.
Over the past 25 years Jim and I have hunted
for tuskless elephant cows in, Chowari North
and South, Omey North and South, Dande
North and on this safari, Dande South, as
well as other concessions whose names I don’t
remember. In over 100-man days of hunting
our one lucky tuskless cow safari had been
with Johan.
As Johan reminded us when he bid goodbye
at the airport, “Hunting can be cruel. Better
luck next time.”
Will there be a next time?Kim and his wife Debie live in California. He
is a member of the S.C.I. Muzzleloading Hall
of Fame, and the African Big Five Hunting
Association. He has recently completed the second
edition of his book, Dangerous Game Animals of
Africa, which documents taking the Magnificent
Seven with a rifle, handgun and muzzleloader,
and is a recent recipient of the Outdoor Writers
Association of California award in the best
outdoor book of the year category.Sensing something,
but not knowing
what, she began to
swing her head from
side to side.