How many people shot croc with trad gear?

[LEOPARD]

I was just wondering how many people have shot a croc in Africa with trad gear? Anyone know of this or seen it? Thanks,

Nigel

[Benny Nganabbarru]

Hill did.

[tradtusker]

bro i know of quite a few guys that have taken croc with compounds, but can't ever recall seeing one shot with a trad bow.

all the croc hunting iv seen in africa with a bow has been in zambia and zimbabwe, they usualy shoot them from hides over bait and and have a string with a good size float on the end for finding it after the shot.

[LEOPARD]

Yer, I knew that Hill had shot one and that people shoot them with compounds. I was just wondering if there were many people if any that have shot crocs with trad gear?    :confused:    

[Rick McGowan]

We almost got it going in Australia, but the late Steve Irwin used his influence to put a stop to any sport hunting of "his" crocs. There was absolutely no valid reason for it, there are as many crocs now as there ever was and the total number of permits would not have changed. The only thing different is now the big crocs will be shot and left to rot, instead of having hunters come and spend many thousands of dollars to hunt them. What a waste.

[Dr. Ed Ashby]

I shot one in Zim and three in Mozambique. All were with fairly heavy-draw longbows. I used a fibergalss arrow with a short steel fore-shaft and a barbed version of the Modified Grizzly. All but one small Croc were from a blind, over bait; using a float setup attached to the arrow.

Ed

[LEOPARD]

Dr. Ed Ashby, can we see pics of your crocs?    

[Dr. Ed Ashby]

Nigel,

I stopped actively taking 'trophy photos' many, many years ago, and lost most of the few I did have when I got kicked out of Zimbabwe - along with most everything else I owned. I'm told by friends that the CIO took most things from my house; including all documents, photos and computer stuff; within hours of my departure. That was one day after the US Congress passed the Zimbabwe Democracy Bill, and I think the COI was looking for anything that they could possibly conscrew as evidence someone from the US was trying to 'subvert' Mugabe's dictatorship government. I think I was a 'prime target' because I was a former US government officer. I'd long had my own personal CIO 'friend' who kept regular tabs on my movements and activities.

About the only 'trophy photos' I take nowadays are dissections, tissue damage and arrow damage, however here's a scanned image of an old photo of my first croc. Not the biggest, but fair size. If you look close you can see the modified 190 Grizzly BH (white arrows) and the steel fore-shaft of the arrow (green arrow). The 3-3/8" length of the original Elburg 190 Grizzly will give you some size comparison.

 

Ed

[BFinegan]

Originally posted by Rick McGowan:
We almost got it going in Australia, but the late Steve Irwin used his influence to put a stop to any sport hunting of "his" crocs. There was absolutely no valid reason for it, there are as many crocs now as there ever was and the total number of permits would not have changed. The only thing different is now the big crocs will be shot and left to rot, instead of having hunters come and spend many thousands of dollars to hunt them. What a waste.

I saw him on TV one time and they were showing old video of him before he became famous. I'd bet above average money he was killing crocs back then.

[Dr. Ed Ashby]

I'm not big on 'trophy photos' (much preferring to take 'arrow performance' photos), but here's a photo of a modest sized crock being skinned for dissection/examination. The head was already off when this photo was taken. Length with head was fourteen feet one and one-half inches; and part of the tail is missing. For size reference, I'm 6'2" tall.

The game department decided this individual croc had to be hunted down and destroyed. It was severely beaten up by a much bigger crock, and the upper jaw was completely broken off during the fight! It had bite marks over much of its body, and was rapidly losing physical condition. The head was taken by the game department for examination. The croc's stomach was totally empty, except for a few 'crocodile rocks'; stones of various size, commonly found in crocodile stomachs.

A well tuned, internally-footed 790 grain EFOC 'buffalo arrow' with the Modified Grizzly from my 82#@27" straight-end longbow zipped right through!

 

Ed
TGMM Family of the Bow

[Benny Nganabbarru]

Is that an Aussie croc, Ed? Well-done, anyway!

[Dr. Ed Ashby]

Ben, that's a loaded question in today's PC world! All I'll say is; he came from ... fresh water.  

Ed
TGMM Family of the Bow

[Benny Nganabbarru]

Not loaded comin' from me, Ed! Hat's off to you. Well-done on a magnificent Nile crocodile from deepest, darkest Africa!

Are you familiar with our comedian Russel Coight? He declares that the saltwater crocodile cannot be trusted at all due to the misleading title it has given itself, as they are actually often found in fresh water. He has a good point, and I for one shall no longer trust them!

Cheers,

Ben

[Dr. Ed Ashby]

And Russel was right,

 

Never trust a Salty!

Ed
TGMM Family of the Bow