First bowhunter to kill elehpant?

[sidebuster]

Got my latest TBH maganzine.  On the editor's note T. J. Conrad pays tribute to Bill Negley who recently passed away here im my home town of San Antonio, Tx.  Conrads, explains that Bill  was the first bowhunter to successfully hunt elephant with a bow.  Why did I think it was Howard Hill.   The article also notes that Howard Hill allegedly question Negely's statement.  Anyone know who was the actual first bowhunter to kill an elephant with a bow in the context of modern bowhunting.

[mike g]

I was pretty sure it was Howard Hill also.....

[Jim now in Kentucky]

The controversy  as  I  remember, is  over  which of  them killed  an elephant  in  "fair chase." Folks like  to  say  that  Hill's  elephant was tethered or knee-shot  with  a  rifle  before  he  killed  it.

I don't  think there is anyone  alive  was there,  so it is just one of  those pointless  debates.  Both claim theirs  was  fair chase.

Hill  was a great archer,  hunter  and showman. Negly was a  good archer,  but other  than  the elephant, he didn't leave  much of a record.

[LBR]

Mr. Negley has a video called "Moments of Truth" where he kills his elephant, a polar bear, and other game.  It's not the greatest quality, but well worth getting.  I found one on e-bay a while back.  He also wrote a book--I was searching for one, but it's a collector's item and was well out of my price range.  Can't remember the name of it off-hand.

I don't know which was first, but it's an amazing accomplishment either way, whether it was the first or any after that.

Chad

[Littlefeather]

Hey Chad, How many videos do you think will be on **** after this post.    

I'm about to look and see if I can find one.    CK

[Stone Knife]

Take a look at this review   Movie review

[Greyfox54]

Sidebuster , The book written by Bill Negley is called "Archer in Africa"  He alludes to the idea that Howard Hill and Bob Swinehart shot their  elephants after they were shot in the knee with a rifle but would not publically comment on it because he didn't want to stir up anything because Swinehart had just died . Bill shot a total of 5 elephants , a rhino , a charging Lion which he shot but had to be finished with 2 shots from a 465 , his elephant is supposed to be the biggest ever taken with a bow , I think he also still holds the world record for the largest Nile Buffalo taken with a bow . On his video he shows the Lion grabbing his arm , close call . Fred

[ChuckC]

If you say "modern archer" then the above is probably correct.  I tend to imagine that a lot of elephants have been killed with bows, in the history of mankind, that we will never know about.
ChuckC

[Texas Tinman]

"Negly was a good archer, but other than the elephant, he didn't leave much of a record."

Wow...I hope someone will recognize it if you take your last elephant with a recurve when you're 70 years of age.              

Here's a good link about Negley...
     http://www.caller2.com/2000/december/21/today/david_si/12625.html    



As to the "first" claim, it obviously didn't mean that much to Mr. Negley...why should we care too much now?

Hill and Swinehart were first.  

[TRADITIONAL ONLY]

i always thought it was my good ol Alabamy boy Howard back in 1950, 7 years BEFORE Negley killed his elephant. at least i think it was 1950, seems like he killed it 25 years before he died...

i took the article to be just stating that Negley killed an elephant in 1957 and that he SAID that he killed the forst one with a bow, but Howard said that he had killed the first with a bow, that and a nice $100,000 bet that he could do it again with Howard watching him do it....

even now thats a lot of money, ill bet back then that was a lifes savings.....

i know nothing about the pre-shooting of the elephants with the rifle, i always like to think that Howard killed it fair and square, like a TRUE Alabamian....

[Steve O]

You boys should read that book "Archer in Africa"; it is very interesting.

[Archer 1]

It was Hill who said he would pay Negley, or anyone else $100,000 that could prove he wasn't the first modern bowhunter to take a elephant. He had no takers on it.
Howard Hill-1950
Bill Negley-1957

[sidebuster]

So there is no confusion, I will post the articel from TBH magazine

[Frank V]

I don't know who was 1st my hat is off to both of them. If I ever get a chance at elephant I'll use my good ole .458. Frank

[Woodduck]

Negley was quite a man.
Here's a Texas link:

 http://discussions.texasbowhunter.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1997

[Van/TX]

Don't think it really matters who killed what first.  Hats off to both of them.  Ben Pearson was asked once why he didn't go to Africa and kill an Elephant with a bow.  He said that it just didn't interest him           ...Van