LaPierre and his wife, Susan, travelled to Botswana’s Okavango Delta, where they hoped to show N.R.A. members that they had the grit to take on a different adversary: African bush elephants, the largest land mammals on Earth. The trip was filmed by a crew from “Under Wild Skies,” an N.R.A.-sponsored television series that was meant to boost the organization’s profile among hunters—a key element of its donor base. But the program never aired, according to sources and records, because of concerns that it could turn into a public-relations fiasco.

The Trace and The New Yorker obtained a copy of the footage, which has been hidden from public view for eight years. It shows that when guides tracked down an elephant for LaPierre, the N.R.A. chief proved to be a poor marksman. After LaPierre’s first shot wounded the elephant, guides brought him a short distance from the animal, which was lying on its side, immobilized. Firing from point-blank range, LaPierre shot the animal three times in the wrong place. Finally, a guide had the host of “Under Wild Skies” fire the shot that killed the elephant.

The footage of LaPierre in Botswana first shows him walking through the bush dressed in loose-fitting safari attire and an NRA Sports baseball cap. He is accompanied by several professional guides and his longtime adviser, Tony Makris, a top executive at the N.R.A.’s former public-relations firm, Ackerman McQueen, and the host of “Under Wild Skies.” The heat, at times, causes LaPierre to sweat. As he walks, his wire-framed glasses slide down his nose. After a guide spots an elephant standing behind a tree, LaPierre takes aim with a rifle. As LaPierre peers through the weapon’s scope, the guide repeatedly tells him to wait before firing. LaPierre is wearing earplugs, doesn’t hear the instructions, and pulls the trigger. The elephant drops. “Did we get him?” LaPierre asks.

The guide at first says yes, but then, as he approaches the elephant, it appears that the animal is still breathing. The guide brings LaPierre within a few strides of the elephant, which lays motionless on the ground. He tells LaPierre that another bullet is needed. “I’m going to show you where to shoot,” the guide says. “Listen, hold your rifle—I’m going to tell you when. Just hold it up.” The guide pushes the rifle’s barrel skyward as other men involved in the expedition move around in the distance. “I’m going to point for you where to shoot. Just waiting for these guys.”

The guide walks over to the elephant, crouches down, and points near the animal’s ear, telling LaPierre to shoot the elephant there. Makris directs LaPierre to shoot low, accounting for the rifle scope.

LaPierre fires and a confused expression comes over his face. Once again, he shoots the elephant in the wrong place. It’s still alive. The guide tells LaPierre to sit down and reminds him to reload, as he physically moves LaPierre into place. Now on one knee, the N.R.A. leader asks, “Same spot?” and then shoots again. The bullet misses the mark.

“I don’t think it’s quite done yet,” the guide says to Makris. “Do you want to do it for him?” The guide then says to LaPierre, “I’m not sure where you’re shooting.”

“Where are you telling me to shoot?” LaPierre responds, sounding frustrated. The guide again walks over to the elephant and points toward the ear. “Oh, O.K.,” LaPierre says. “Alright, I can shoot there.” He takes a third shot at point-blank range.

“Uh-uh,” the guide says, indicating that LaPierre has missed his mark again.

“No?” LaPierre asks.

As the guide chuckles, Makris asks, “Do you want me to do it?”

“Go ahead, finish him,” the guide says.

Makris cocks his rifle and shoots. “That’s it,” the guide declares, before turning to the N.R.A. chief to congratulate him.

Makris, ignoring his own role, praises LaPierre’s marksmanship, “You dropped him like no tomorrow.”

Later, LaPierre and the guide chat beside the dead elephant. LaPierre acknowledges that his initial shot wasn’t “perfect.” The guide encourages him. “He went down, so that’s what counts.” Looking sheepish, LaPierre lets out a laugh and says, “Maybe I had a little luck.”

https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/the-secret-footage-of-nra-chief-wayne-lapierres-botched-elephant-hunt

What a fucking embarrassment

This was all ego, pure and simple.

Waste of a good elephant, IMHO.

what a fucking retard

Just reading that makes me sick....I’m not watching.

In on this

What a useless fuckstick.

I’d pay good money to hunt Wayne.

Why is he wearing ear plugs while hunting under instruction?

his wife is pretty fucking stupid too

Okay.....I watched.

“Good shot” .....great trigger discipline.
What a douche.... has he ever even handled a rifle before?
Damn....then he chambers another round.  

So he doesn't listen and is a terrible shot.  Sounds like the perfect man for the job.  

What does elephant taste like?

It's pretty metaphorical.

WLP wounds old, useless GOP Elephant. Walks up to old dumb GOP Elephant and tries to kill it but fails because he is a moron.

FWLP
FNRA

How bad does it have to be where given the choice between pushing WLP and Bloomberg Trace reporter into an oncoming bus, WLP becomes a very viable option?

Because it is that bad. I am not rooting for WLP and the NRA.

An elephant?...



...an elephant?

I wonder how much that trip cost.  I'm sure all your dues paid for it.

I've hunted and been in the woods my whole life. That man does not appear to be a hunter, shooter, or outdoorsman. You could tell his quivering noob ass was making the guides nervous. Shame that Elephant had to suffer.

“For an NRA video series”

Yep, we paid for it.

Exactly what I did too.

Lol an NRA thread and a hunting thread all in one? Not only that but an elephant hunting thread that always brings out the guys who don't understand why elephants need culled.

that said fuck WLP and the NRA

Elephant hunting for sport is fucking retarded

Why?

But he was dressed impeccably

Not a fan of his but I don't have a problem with this.  He could have done better but he could have done a lot worse.

FWLP
FNRA

Yikes, that trigger discipline.  He truly comes across as he has no real experience with a rifle or hunting.

I can see why it was never released.

Not surprising, story passed on about his shotgun prowess showing up to practice shooting skeet prior to a gathering so he wouldn't be too embarrassed with an expensive O/U shotgun that was covered in rust and not functional. He ended up having to borrow a gun.

FWLP

what a fucking embarrassment

80k+ hunt on the members' dimes.

Damn crook.

Hes a politician.  And a very slimy looking one just like the rest of them.

It shouldnt be a surprise that the king of the fudds doesnt know a damn thing about hunting or shooting

The problem was, he wasn’t wearing a new suit.  

Look at how the guides have a "this guy is a fucking idiot" moment with each other at about 2:57.

I was going to call bullshit but then remembered that the hunt took place 8 years ago. Fuck, you're right. My dues did pay for that. Thankfully, I wisened up shortly after that time frame.

Every time your hear about him he just gets worse.

Same. He's an embarrassment.

I’m sure the New Yorker is not trying to make the NRA look bad.

Nah, they wouldn’t do that.

It's probably the only thing that's kept them going this long. It gives them value. They'd have been poached to extinction without hunters willing to pay so much to take one.

I want to see them help clean and pack out some meat.


Wayne is a bad ass hunter -- Drive up, walk 20 feet, fuck up shooting animal, get high fives and then carried out on a stretcher.

Embarrassment to all who enjoy the 2A. WLP is a thieving waste of oxygen.

Sure not much of a hunter.

Least surprising news ever. He never used the range down at NRA HQ, according to my sources. Totally a lobbyist at heart, not a gun owner.

Elephant hunting is stupid and I hunt deer

What was his issue? Didn’t understand height over bore for where he was aiming?

FWLP

Is it supposed to be a metaphor for Republican gun owners?

The guides were so impressed with his gun handling that they had to physically push his muzzle into the air and seemed waaaaay more worried about turning their back to him than walking up to and touching a wounded 10,000 pound animal. That's a hell of a risk reward equation.

Hey Jim, I need you to go tape targets for WLP while he waits, or you can go slap that wounded Elephant on the head.

Jim: Where the elephant, yo?

FWLP
FNRA
FGOP
FELEPHANTS

Well, That just proves Wayne's the absolute dickweed I always thought he was.

Elephants are my favorite animal, and while I abhor elephant hunting its the income from those hunts that helps maintain the existence of those animals.

He didn't even look comfortable holding the rifle for fucks sake.