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Big-game hunting California millionaire trampled to death by elephants

April 25, 2026 | | Print Article

A millionaire big game hunter from California was trampled to death by a herd of angry elephants while hunting in Central Africa.

California vineyard owner Ernie Dosio, 75, was hunting in Gabon on April 17 when the elephant attack occurred. He was armed only with a shotgun at the time.

“Ernie had booked a hunt for dwarf forest buffalo and duikers, in particular the yellow-backed duiker, and under strict licensing laws, he could not take along his own guns,” a retired game hunter in Cape Town who knew him told GB News.

“The hunting company would supply a shotgun and cartridges for the duiker hunt,” the retired hunter added.

The individual went on to describe what happened on April 17.

“While in the forest, Ernie and his PH (professional hunter) surprised five forest elephant cows with young, and feeling under threat, the elephants immediately attacked them,” the hunter said.

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“The PH was attacked first and seriously injured, losing his rifle, which was knocked from him and lost in the undergrowth, leaving Ernie with his shotgun. I would rather not go into detail [about what happened next], but it is safe to assume it would have been quick,” he added.

Many people of various political stripes, not just deranged leftists, have taken to celebrating and mocking his death:

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But according to GB News’ source, Dosio was in fact a good guy — a very good guy.

“Although many disagree with big game hunting, all Ernie’s hunts were strictly licensed and above board and were registered as conservation in culling animal numbers,” the retired hunter revealed.

“Ernie was a very well-known and popular hunter in the US and in Africa and a very keen conservationist and he did a hell of a lot of charity work and was a really good guy. What happened has been deeply felt by many each side of the Atlantic,” he added.

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He wasn’t wrong.

“Ernie would support (Future Farmers of America), 4H kids at the AgFest year after year, and would purchase animals from kids in excess and then give the cuts away to employees all year long and anyone in need,” Manna Ranch general manager Brandon Sywassink told Lodi News.

“His countless donations to charities, including but not limited to the Lodi District Grape Growers Association, was noticed but (he) never strived for attention in doing so,” Sywassink added.

Winegrape Commission Executive Director Stuart Spencer also had kind things to say about Dosio.

“He was smart, meticulous, and an exceptional farmer with a deep understanding of his vineyards,” Spencer noted. “His ranches were widely respected and admired by growers. Ernie was one of a kind and deeply respected within the winegrowing community.”

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Fellow hunter Robert Dietz, who knew Dosio, told station KXTV that he had a similar “close call” once upon a time, though his was clearly not fatal.

“I came up on a bull elephant and I was less 50 yards away and I didn’t even see it,” he recalled. “I didn’t even see it, until he flared his ears out, brought up his trunk and he came after me and he was trying to kill me. So I ran. We climbed up a tree.”

Vivek Saxena
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