As a point of departure, we assessed the gene potential of our area at 135 pounds per heaviest tusk. About 10 years ago, the tusks of a 135 pounder was picked inside Hwange National Park. Nobody in the park, has ever seen this big bull, up to the day of picking up the tusks. This is typical, as such bulls will find a hideout that is always completely secluded with no humans coming there.

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Our first priority is to improve the gene pool, and to be conservative in our offering. We therefor base our total approach in our offering at 80% of the true gene pool potential of 135 pounds. We base our approach in our offering, at 110 pounds gene pool potential bulls.

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The main reason why we work at 80% of the true gene pool, is to ensure that the elephants with the best genes keep breeding.  We focus on bulls that are below average in terms of tusk weight for their age. But still we can hunt 80 pounders, 90 pounders and even 100 pounders. But such big elephants we will only hunt at age 55 years plus, as post breeding bulls.

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One has to be very careful when hunting elephant bulls in the 45-60 years category. In the total population of elephants, adult bulls (15-60 years) represent around 26% of the total population. Bulls of 40-60 years make up 6% of the population and the very old elephant bulls over 55 years, past breeding contribute less than 0,7%. These very old bulls, are in the process of a slow agonizing death. We do find the signs of dung balls that are lose in structure with a lot of bark, and also worn down tracks. These bulls often have very good ivory, and are not breeding any more!!!

We work exclusively in the 45-60 years age group of elephant bulls. Elephants continue to gain body weight, and by 45 years of age already, they cannot walk long distances between feeding grounds, and therefor settle in a small (often few hundred hectares) home range, which is normally hilly, thick vegetation with some permanent water source. Such a bull is joined by one or two askaris, to help keep him safe. 

Very important, is that there are no human settlements close-by, and such home ranges are often way off the beaten track. For the full duration of the non-breeding (hunting) season, this bull will not show himself outside his secluded home range.