The first problem with crocodile hunting is getting close enough for a shot. Reptiles continue to grow throughout their lives, and they live a long time. A big bull croc is 13, 14, 15 feet long, occasionally more. He will be as much as 60 or 70 years old, and he's seen it all.

A Hornady .375 H&H cartridge shown with one of the crocodile's major teeth. A crocodile like this is definitely a man-eater, given a chance, and probably has been one in his long career on the Zambezi.

Given a chance, he is definitely a man-eater, but he's first and foremost a survivor. In years gone by he has survived market hunting for his skin. In recent years, with sport-hunted quotas, he has probably been stalked or baited numerous times. He must crawl out onto the bank and sun to regulate his temperature, which is his vulnerability. But his keen senses are always on full alert, and at the slightest hint of danger he's in the water, where he knows he is safe.

He can be stalked, but only when luck establishes ideal conditions--a high bank or other cover overlooking his sunning spot or perhaps an adjacent island. The percentage of successful stalks is low due to his wariness, this compounded by the fact that you must get relatively close to ensure shot placement.

The alternative is baiting: staking a hippo or buffalo quarter near a good sunning spot, then building a blind in appropriate cover and waiting, sometimes for days.

The hunting challenge is thus interesting. Unlike most hunts, however, the challenge isn't over when the animal is in range. Realistically, most game animals offer a large target area. If the shot presentation is acceptable, the range is reasonable and the shooting position is fairly steady, there isn't much magic in placing a bullet from a scoped rifle in the heart/lung area. It's different with a crocodile because a fatal shot isn't nearly good enough.

Like all reptiles, crocodiles have slow nervous systems. A heart/lung shot will kill a crocodile as surely as anything else, but it won't instantly stop them. Almost invariably, crocodiles are shot within a few feet of their water sanctuary. One flick of the tail, and he's in the water. In still water, like a lagoon or backwater, there is some chance for recovery, but in a river with any current at all it's over when he reaches the water. The crocodile simply must be anchored on the spot. Unlike most game, there is no blood trail and almost no chance for follow-up; failure to anchor the croc is a very expensive splash.

Most experienced crocodile hunters figure there are just two suitable shots, the brain shot and the spine shot. At the rear of the skull the crocodile has two small bony projections, or "horns," offering a pretty good reference mark. The small brain lies between and just slightly forward of the horns. Or, on a pure broadside shot, you can shoot for the base of the spine just a few inches behind, and on line with, the back corner of the mouth. Both shots are very tricky and, in my experience, the most precise shot placement that is required in the entire worldwide hunting spectrum.