Many of you know that elephants and elephant hunting is my passion. Many, many people ask why, and to be honest, there are several reasons for that.

Firstly, there is not an animal on the planet that has such readable and distinctive body language. This makes for very interesting approaches and for a truly interactive hunt. I believe one can actually interact more with elephants than with any other animal. Here are some great photos of interaction with elephants in non hunting areas.

Close quarters approaches are also what makes an elephant hunt enthralling. The larger bulls are often in thicker bush and this truly means that a close approach is required just to see the ivory. In the case of a herd, this can become a very exciting part of the hunt. Even when it's an elephant that is not taken, the approach and "investigation" are exhilarating.

The other motive that keeps hunters coming back for more and more is the fact that it's a reason to cover some awesome country in Africa. Be it the hilly country of the Zambezi valley, or the flats of Botswana, you will end up going places where few people have been. Be it on foot or by vehicle, and don't be fooled, even when seen from a vehicle elephants move fast and you can still have a few miles under you by the time you see the ivory and are able to make a decision.

There are more elephant in huntable areas of Africa today than ever before, this is great news as it means they will be around for years to come! On any given hunt in a good elephant area you can expect to see literally hundreds of animals. I have had up to 60 bulls seen on a single hunting day!

When you finally get your trophy, regardless of how exciting the final part of the hunt is, what enthralls me is the reflection and recollection of all those hours and all those stalks and the simply amazing times one can spend surrounded by these majestic animals.

I truly hope that you see the entire hunt as a major part of your trophy. It's not just about the ivory, when it comes to elephant, it's about the whole experience!