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One thing that many of you are missing is that a trophy fee for an elephant supports the governments anti poaching patrols, the employment of the safari staff from the local village and the free meat puts the highest value of the land as habitat for wildlife. In Zimbabwe the trophy fee for a cape buffalo bull will support a school for an entire year. The only thing left in the field from my cape buffalo was the lower intestine, lungs and lower jaw. Every thing was packed out 1.5 miles to the nearest road.
Here is another thing to consider is the tusk less elephant hunt. Since there had been over a century of taking elephants with ivory the population of tusk less animals in some areas has risen over time. Tusk less elephants need to steal food or raid the villagers crops and are often more aggressive. When ever there is a conflict between wildlife and people the wildlife loses.
Before I went to Zimbabwe I did not think I would ever want to hunt elephants. After a couple of encounters and realizing that even at 35 yards away it is hard to see an elephant hunting the elephants would be a challenge.
There was an outdoor writer when ask if given a choice of what to hunt he normally responds anything in season. He then went on to explain even to other hunters it is hard to describe the lure of hunting elephants. I did not understand what he meant until I went to Africa.
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