How involved do you want to be in your safari?

Hi All,
I am a bow hunter so I think the hunter - PH relationship is a bit more interactive. Having said that I do think it is important to communicate your desires before you are out and about.Remember it is your vacation so be upfront and have the experience you are paying for. In my case I like to work with the ph. Let him do my range work talk about animal position. All advice is welcome. Anything that helps with a good clean kill is a posative for me.

-Jerry

Originally Posted by Norwegianwoods

I understand that an experienced PH has lots to teach me when it comes to hunting in Africa.
But from the moment an animal is spotted by me or the PH and I decide I want to try to stalk it to get a shot, I want to be in front and make the decisions.
I am not to proud to ask for advice if I feel unsure about what to do, but I want it to be my call.

I don't want the PH to do the hunting for me and my job is mostly to do the shooting.
I want the success or failure of a stalk depend on what I decide and what I do.

I also much more prefer to be mad at myself for ruining a stalk than feeling that it was the PH that ruined it

Often I see videos of people hunting in Africa and they have lots of people with them during a stalk.
That would drive me mad.

I agree with much of what you say!
Here's the rub!
Most clients come with a 'bucket list' of critters he wants. Lots of animals in a couple of days!
Most clients are pressed for time these days....days gone bye, you could only hunt Elephant on a 21 day safari! Buffalo was a 14 day safari etc. You did spend most of those 21 days looking for the right tusker....not now, most hunts are like a a 'wham bam thank you ma'am' deal...the romance is going if not gone!
Unless the PH is also the 'outfitter' he's under pressure to 'perform' by his employer...the employer has a number of animals to be harvested on each hunt and wants the animals taken...I'm trying to convey the pressures some PH's are under.
99% of PH's also don't enjoy seeing game wounded nor like the arduous tracking of a badly placed shot. So he tries to the best of his ability to 'facilitate' for the client...the best trophy, the best shooting position and hopefully the best kill.
I have had clients come and tell me the long stories of his 20 Elephant last year...blah blah blah...then screw up a brain shot at 15 meters!
The point is...if the PH doesn't know you..he will treat you like a novice until you prove otherwise...an quite rightly so! The onus is on you then to show him you do know what you're doing! Communication is key!

Originally Posted by Ole Bally

The point is...if the PH doesn't know you..he will treat you like a novice until you prove otherwise...an quite rightly so! The onus is on you then to show him you do know what you're doing! Communication is key!

..couldn't agree with you more..especially when it involves a DG hunt or follow-up..!

Originally Posted by Diamondhitch

I saw this link in an old thread about what people want in a hunt. It got me thinking, what do people really want? I am sure some people want to be catered to to this degree but how much assistance do you guys really want from your PH?

Personally I would be offended if my PH kept treating me like had no idea what I was doing every time we spotted, stalked and set up on an animal. the first time or 2 sure, I mean he has to get a feel for his client but after that he should know how much assistance his client wants or needs and how involved in the hunt he wants to be. I like to be part of the action from spotting, planning a stalk, setting up and picking my shot. I appreciate the knowledge and assistance the PH can provide but do not want to be coddled to anywhere near the degree described here below in a "A Typical Hunting Day".

What do you guys think?



A Typical Hunting Day

Our hunting objectives for the following hunting day will be discussed around the campfire each night. Your wake-up knock on the door will be between 05:30 to 06:00 every morning. A full breakfast will then be served in the breakfast room.

The hunting vehicle with your PH will wait for you. Your PH will again then have a discussion with you on the plans for the day. The hunting vehicle will take you to the area where you are going to hunt for the day. This trip could take usually about half hour to an hour.

Game will either be spotted from the vehicle or you might just walk through a designated area where we know the game species that you are interested in hunting, occur in abundance. You will be informed if a trophy has been spotted. The stalk then will commence. The stalk can take up to three to four hours, depending on the terrain or the density of wildlife you have to pass before getting in a shooting position for your trophy.

The PH will inform you when you are in a shooting position, after which he will then erect the shooting sticks, move in behind you in order to give clear directions of where exactly your trophy is. After confirmation from the hunter that the indicated animal is in sight, your PH will then request you to take the shot.

If you have been successful (90% success rate) with the shot, you will move to the trophy, ensuring it is dead. After all the excitement and congratulations to one another, the trophy will then be set up for trophy pictures.

The trophy will then be taken to the camp/lodge. The staff will congratulate you on the hunt. Slaughtering instructions will then be given to the slaughtering team after consultation with you. Your trophy will be slaughtered according to your instruction and immediately be tagged with your name and trophy hunting permit number reflected on the tags.

By just reading through the above I believe that it was a broadspectrum description given to an individual who had never hunted Africa.... or I would rather assume so, this I pick up from the systematic way that the text has been written.....

IMO hunting is a team effort, trackers, PH"S and clients are constantly involved in the entire process,

while both tracker and PH have extreme knowledge of the terrain and compisition of land as far as hills, gullies, rivines and various vantage point are concerned on especially large or wild tracks of land, I do understand that some clients could feel left out in the entire process at some point especially when the you and your tracker are liasing in Sotho, Afrikaans or giberish as it is often interpreted, this is why I feel it is of cardinal importance to relay such info right there and then to the client.

Every one needs to be able to put their 2cent on the table, al be it in some cases just a conversation and not practical any and every client must and should at least get the opportunity to do so.

Team work is the name of the game in tough terrain and this often concludes in success.

My very best always.

Originally Posted by Ole Bally

I agree with much of what you say!
Here's the rub!
Most clients come with a 'bucket list' of critters he wants. Lots of animals in a couple of days!
Most clients are pressed for time these days....days gone bye, you could only hunt Elephant on a 21 day safari! Buffalo was a 14 day safari etc. You did spend most of those 21 days looking for the right tusker....not now, most hunts are like a a 'wham bam thank you ma'am' deal...the romance is going if not gone!
Unless the PH is also the 'outfitter' he's under pressure to 'perform' by his employer...the employer has a number of animals to be harvested on each hunt and wants the animals taken...I'm trying to convey the pressures some PH's are under.
99% of PH's also don't enjoy seeing game wounded nor like the arduous tracking of a badly placed shot. So he tries to the best of his ability to 'facilitate' for the client...the best trophy, the best shooting position and hopefully the best kill.
I have had clients come and tell me the long stories of his 20 Elephant last year...blah blah blah...then screw up a brain shot at 15 meters!
The point is...if the PH doesn't know you..he will treat you like a novice until you prove otherwise...an quite rightly so! The onus is on you then to show him you do know what you're doing! Communication is key!

Welcome back Uncle Bally missed you, could not agree with you more, As far as the infront goes it is just not practical Norweiganwoods sorry but I have to respectfully disagree I do understand what you are trying to get at but once again as everyone has said communication key.

My best always.

Originally Posted by Jaco Strauss

Welcome back Uncle Bally missed you, could not agree with you more, As far as the infront goes it is just not practical Norweiganwoods sorry but I have to respectfully disagree I do understand what you are trying to get at but once again as everyone has said communication key.

My best always.

I understand why a PH would not like to have the client in front, specially on a DG hunt as he most likely doesn't trust the client enough to do that.

I also understand that many PHs can be under pressure from the outfitter and client to get enough animals to the skinning shed.

But I seriously think that if I as a client shall at all times be 2 steps behind the PH and follow all his decisions, I am not hunting, I am shooting.

I am spending my money on going to Africa to hunt, not to do some shooting to fill my house with trophies.

And this is the main reason for why I most likely will never spend my money on a DG hunt.

Communication is key, hunting is a team effort, I think these have already been covered. By following a framework as simple as this any professional hunter worth his salt will have you hunting just as hard as a dedicated Leopard.

My best always.

Originally Posted by Norwegianwoods

And this is the main reason for why I most likely will never spend my money on a DG hunt.

I am actually sorry to hear this, because with the right outfit and the right Pro Hunter, with a good understanding between yourself and your PH, a DG hunt could be an experience you would always treasure.

Originally Posted by DOCMAN

I am actually sorry to hear this, because with the right outfit and the right Pro Hunter, with a good understanding between yourself and your PH, a DG hunt could be an experience you would always treasure.

for sure