Bull elephant or stone sheep?

Elephant or Stone Sheep???

  • Total voters
    68
Betterluckythangood

Betterluckythangood

Active Member
Messages
233
I noticed at the Expo that Bull elephant hunts in Botswana were going for around 70k. From what I understand a Stone sheep hunt is in the same ballpark.

If you could afford it, which one would you do and why?
 
The bull elephant hunt, for sure. There are plenty of cheaper trophy elephant hunts, but a Botswana tusker should be over 50 pounds per tusk, maybe 70+. You WILL be into elephants regularly, sleep in a real bed, and eat great food. Success rates are very high, the real question is will the ivory be huge or just really good.

I get the sheep hunt, but success rates are low and you will work your ass off and still may not get a sheep.

I've hunted elephants (3) and sheep (Dall-3), and I am very fond of my successful Dall sheep hunt. (The unsuccessful sheep hunts I remember a little less fondly. All my elephant hunts were successful.)

A stone sheep would be a bit higher on my list if I was still in my 40's, maybe even 50's, but at 60+ I WILL book another elephant hunt, and will still hunt Rocky mountain sheep, but may never justify going on a stone sheep hunt.

Bill
 
I meet Gary Loomis in Idaho one year while hunting deer… Sitting around the campfire at night Gary would tells us all his fishing and hunting experiences… I never wanted to hunt an elephant until hearing Gary talk about his elephant hunts… It was almost like I was right there with him on each of his adventures… He was/is a great guy…

I would definitely take the elephant!
 
I Met A Guy Down On SJ/Spring Creek about 12 Years Ago That's Took About Everything There Is To Take!

Said He Never Thought He'd Wanna Shoot An Elephant But After He'd Took Everything-else He Decided It Was Elephant Time!

He Had Alot Of Footage From The Time He Shot It Till The End!

Them Tribal People Are Tough SOB's!

They Were Not Very Big People But Some Of Them Had More Poundage Of Meat On Their Heads Than I've Ever Seen Anybody-else Put On Their Packs/Backs!

Them Village People Cleaned Them Bones Up Until They Were Shining!

There Was NO Waste!

And They Were Glad & Happy For The Meat!

It Was Quite Interesting!








llamapacker said:
I've tasted the elephant meat from those I have harvested, but there is usually far better meat in camp (eland, kudu, impala, etc.). Yes, the locals take every scrap, including the intestines and dung. By the end of the day there is nothing but a damp spot in the grass where the elephant was harvested.
Bill
Click to expand...
 
Let's Just Say:

There Are People That Need The Meat!

They Were Even Packing The Bones off towards The End Of The Footage!
 
llamapacker said:
I get the sheep hunt, but success rates are low and you will work your ass off and still may not get a sheep.

Bill
Click to expand...
Yep stone hunts average about 50% success rate. My thinking is opposite of you, give me the hunt with the low chance of success any day of the week over the alternative.

A backpack hunt in the mountains chasing stone sheep in one of the last true wild places in the world? Any day of the week over anything in Africa or elsewhere.
 
llamapacker said:
The bull elephant hunt, for sure. There are plenty of cheaper trophy elephant hunts, but a Botswana tusker should be over 50 pounds per tusk, maybe 70+. You WILL be into elephants regularly, sleep in a real bed, and eat great food. Success rates are very high, the real question is will the ivory be huge or just really good.

I get the sheep hunt, but success rates are low and you will work your ass off and still may not get a sheep.

I've hunted elephants (3) and sheep (Dall-3), and I am very fond of my successful Dall sheep hunt. (The unsuccessful sheep hunts I remember a little less fondly. All my elephant hunts were successful.)

A stone sheep would be a bit higher on my list if I was still in my 40's, maybe even 50's, but at 60+ I WILL book another elephant hunt, and will still hunt Rocky mountain sheep, but may never justify going on a stone sheep hunt.

Bill
Click to expand...
If you have time you should share some of your elephant hunts. Would love to read about them and see pics!
 
My elephant hunt in Zimbabwe was absolutely the most exciting hunt I have ever done. At the same time, there were periods when it was the most terrifying!! I would take one over sheep every time. A hard core Stone or Dall sheep hunt is for the young and tough guys.

As for elephant meat, it is heavy, dark red, and can be tough. I enjoyed finger steaks from mine over drinks at the campfire one night. 100% of the animal is utilized. Meat from mine fed the village dried jerky for about 3 weeks!!!

IMG_6442.jpeg
 
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Stone sheep all the way !
I bet the rate for a stone sheep hunt increases much quicker than an elephant hunt.
 
A mature Alaskan Island brown bear is the only animal I rather take over a mature bull elephant. Sheep are cool, especially the stone but all four are down the list a quite a ways for me but, to each his own.
 
2lumpy said:
A mature Alaskan Island brown bear is the only animal I rather take over a mature bull elephant. Sheep are cool, especially the stone but all four are down the list a quite a ways for me but, to each his own.
Click to expand...
Come on up!
 
What a great question. I’d take the sheep hunt. However, I would love to hunt elephant. I’ve killed all the plains game that I want to, and elephant would be high on my list.

Elephant often get a bad rap, in my opinion because people have either watched too many Disney movies or have never researched how tough it is to kill a big bull….
 
When in Africa most people don't understand why you don't want to hunt the greatest big game animal on earth, you could throw in another 10000 and shoot another dozen animals. While on a hunt we spotted a bull that the guide said would be the largest tusks he had ever seen, the bull was just inside the park and we were going to sit water for buffalo like a 1/2 mile away that afternoon, they could get one more bull on that area and I could take it, it would have increased my rate plus trophy fees which would have been maybe 10 to 15 thousand more, now I never would have gone for elephant but there is no way that I would not have shot him, he never came. Now I would take the elephant hunt but would trade it for a gobi argali and ibex and if I had the sheep tag I would trade it for a gobi argali and ibex
 
I would do the sheep.
Sheep risk - You don't get one, fall off a cliff, etc.
Elephant risk - You're shot doesn't drop him and he charges you. Your tracker saves you by shooting the elephant. You go home knowing you paid $70K for your tracker to shoot and kill the elephant. :)
 
In several countries you can export the ivory. In others, you are just part of the managment program and everything stays with the village. Management style elephant hunts are cheaper than most elk hunts these days - call it $10k
 
Elephant only if I could bring the ivory home.......and could afford it. I hunted buffalo for the first time two years ago and dangerous game is obviously different than plains game. I have total respect for sheep hunters and a very well known booking agent calls them 'sheep freaks'. Even in my 30's sleeping in a tiny tent and eating freeze dried food for 10-14 days just never sounded great.
 
I'm completely dedicated to hunting stone sheep, and I can't fathom having any interest in shooting an elephant.
 
I voted elephant, just because I at my age I will never be able to get in sheep shape. I do think if one is in good enough physical shape to tackle the sheep mountains it would be a fantastic hunt In beautiful country. This topic is really all just campfire dreams for me as I could never afford either hunt. For those that can afford these hunts I wish you success!
 
Neither one is worth 70k in my opinion.

You could spread that money out over several different hunts and have a lot more to show for it.

But if I had to pick, it would be an elephant. Sheep hunting just doesn’t seem that fun.
 
Both would be awesome but if I had to pick one it would be elephant any day. No question. Africa is a special place.
 
The main reason I posed this question is that I was surprised at the cost of a stone sheep hunt. My only reference was a hunt that was being offered on this site. I then found out the elephant hunt was a good 10k less.

So a question for the sheep hunters. Can anyone give us or myself a general ballpark cost breakdown for the sheep hunt? Outfitter cost? Government fees? Do the outfitters get a certain amount and then sell the tag to the hunter? Where does $80,000 go? Yes I know there is a very limited supply of stone sheep.
 
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Betterluckythangood said:
The main reason I posed this question is that I was surprised at the cost of a stone sheep hunt. My only reference was a hunt that was being offered on this site. I then found out the elephant hunt was a good 10k less.

So a question for the sheep hunters. Can anyone give us or myself a general ballpark cost breakdown for the sheep hunt? Outfitter cost? Government fees? Do the outfitters get a certain amount and then sell the tag to the hunter? Where does $80,000 go? Yes I know there is a very limited supply of stone sheep.
Click to expand...
not sure if any sheep hunters here would be able to answer what you want to know. A few easy ones are yes the outfitters are allocated a quota for their concession. There’s govt fees but they are minimal.

It’s all about supply and demand. Supply is low and demand is high.
 
0 interest in shooting an elephant, would love to shoot a sheep, plus my 6.5CM is good to go on sheep!
 
Betterluckythangood said:
The main reason I posed this question is that I was surprised at the cost of a stone sheep hunt. My only reference was a hunt that was being offered on this site. I then found out the elephant hunt was a good 10k less.

So a question for the sheep hunters. Can anyone give us or myself a general ballpark cost breakdown for the sheep hunt? Outfitter cost? Government fees? Do the outfitters get a certain amount and then sell the tag to the hunter? Where does $80,000 go? Yes I know there is a very limited supply of stone sheep.
Click to expand...
From my stone sheep hunting experience, I think I paid a few hundred dollars to the government for the tag and fees, on top of the hunt fee paid directly to the outfitter. I'm sure outfitters have some government fees for operating but as SS stated, I think they are minimal. With that hunt fee, the outfitter pays the cost of the hunt, such as base camp lodge costs, guide's wages, equipment, food, tents, stock, etc. They obviously pay themselves as well. Each outfit has an area they are allowed to guide in and a quota from the government on how many sheep tags they can issue. That quota determines how many clients an outfit can take hunting each year, although my last outfitter surprisingly took less hunters than he had a quota for. In the last several years some large outfits have been sold to big money investors, and those investors immediately jacked up the price of Stone sheep hunts. That move had everyone else following their lead raising prices through the roof. Then Covid hit and in Canada, outfitters could not take any non-resident hunters, meaning no revenue for two years. That didn't exactly help the already inflating Stone sheep hunt costs, so now their is a backed up super high demand on Stone sheep hunts.
Top that off with a sudden influx of Canadian resident hunters who, especially during Covid, realized that, with time on their hands, they could go on a high dollar Sheep hunt for next to nothing (they don't need an outfitter to hunt) and suddenly the Stone Sheep hunting scene is in chaos.
As SS said, Supply is low and demand is through the roof, with plenty of deep pocketed hunters who can drop 80K to go.
 
Stones' by a landslide. I shot mine in 2010 and it's the ultimate trip. 3 weeks long, horseback, remote beautiful country and it is an adventure getting ready to get in sheep shape as well.
 
I’ve hunted Bull Elephants twice and the various sheep six times including one Stone Sheep hunt. For me, it’s not even close…

Elephant every time! I’ll hunt sheep again in all likelihood, both Rockies and Deserts most likely given my point totals in various states. I doubt I’ll ever hunt Stone Sheep again.

But I’ve been looking hard at options for another Elephant hunt. They’re simply the greatest game animal on the planet! I hope to go on a couple more Elephant hunts while I can.
 
Sheep over elephant. No desire to shoot an elephant personally but main issue with either is the cost.
 
woodruffhunter said:
What a great question. I’d take the sheep hunt. However, I would love to hunt elephant. I’ve killed all the plains game that I want to, and elephant would be high on my list.

Elephant often get a bad rap, in my opinion because people have either watched too many Disney movies or have never researched how tough it is to kill a big bull….
Click to expand...
And most people dont know how smart they are!
 
Totally stone sheep for me. I don’t have any interest for an elephant and wouldn’t have room for the mount either haha
 
I would probably take the Elephant, but it is close.

You can do a tuskless hunt for about the same as a guided elk hunt. When you are crawling through thick stuff and you can see elephant feet 10 yards away but can't make out if it is tuskless or not, it is a pretty hair raising experience when they bust. We walked about 20 to 25 miles a day, but not sure if that is the norm or not, but you still need to be in some type of shape.

I also snuck within 25 yards of a big tusker when they cross over from Kenya, me and the PH were so excited we didn't bring a gun and were right there with about 20 elephants but made a point to try to get close to the big one, probably 75 to 80lbs of ivory and had to be 10 foot tall, just nothing like it.
 

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