How to be polite, but honest, about trophy quality?

I have a dilemma of sorts. A lot of friends and clients of mine show me their hunting photos from African safaris, and are very proud of them. I also see a lot of people showing off photos on this forum, and whilst some are lucky and shoot some beautiful animals, others come back with animals which, sooner or later, they will realise they should never have been charged trophy price for.

I have done 17+ safaris of my own, and I am an official SCI measurer, and so I know what good trophies, great trophies, and sub-par/immature animals look like.

So here is the question...how do we balance honesty with protecting people's feelings? How do we support hunters who have made the journey to Africa and come back with animals that they are happy with (at least for now), whilst also calling out the PHs and outfitters who pass off immature, substandard animals as trophies?

I know we cannot expect all hunters to know the record books, or be able to age animals through binoculars, and I know that sometimes, a client's age, impatience or lack of mobility, or even the weather, means shooting a marginal animal becomes a necessity, but there must be a way forward. Maybe PHASA should publish a minimum trophy standard, like NAPHA do in Namibia?

Very curious to hear everyone's thoughts.

A good stock line: "Beautifully representative of its species! "

No one likes that guy. The animal is in the salt. No way I’m gonna say anything to take away from that hunter’s experience. Now, make a mental note of the outfittter, in case it could be of use for planning a future hunt. My $.02.

Same rule applies when it comes to commenting on his wife’s appearance

I think that’s a conversation to be had with the outfitter before booking.

If the measurements are the most important thing to the hunter that should be made clear up front.

But if the hunter wants to focus on having a great overall hunting experience, learning lots, working hard for their animals and enjoying the whole process from the tracking and glassing to finally eating steaks from their animals and would rather shoot a nice representative animal after a tough and memorable stalk than a huge trophy off the back of the truck then that should also be made clear.

I’ve shot everything from representative, good to great but I measure my trophies by the experience and age. I haven’t ever had a trophy officially measured so extra horn length doesn’t really matter to me that much.
With that said when I go on my next buffalo hunt I’m going to work my ass off to find an exceptional bull, for some reason I want a bull above 40” from a free range area.

I don’t think you can. It’s a learning curve the more safaris you go on and different outfitters and PHs you hunt with. No one wants to hear their trophy was on the younger side or their PH wasn’t as experienced or honest as they want to believe. I would expect nothing from PHASA. Replacing the word ethics with legal clearly shows the direction they want to go. Their members want less restrictions.

What's the time honored saying? If you can't say anything nice...

I think I understand what you are trying to say, but how we express things can matter. My immediate reaction to your post was what an elitist snob. After all, unless you are asked to actually score an animal, why on earth should you care what gives another hunter pride? The trophies from hunts that are on my wall or in a photo journal are meaningful to me, and to me alone for the adventures they represent. They are the lodestones that take me back to a particular place and time. Whether they meet someone else's idea of a "trophy" could not be more irrelevant to me.

That said, I don't think that is what you intended. I would absolutely agree that NAPHA's attempts to make age an important criteria in what constitutes an exportable trophy is a worthy effort in trying to exercise management of free range animals. I am not sure that would be equally valuable or relevant in government oversight of fenced game preserves where animals need to be managed on limited terrain more like livestock than game animals.

What I would not think would be at all effective, certainly should you want to be invited back, is to walk into someone's trophy room and opine to them about what a miserable kudu they shot in the Limpopo. For somewhat different reasons, it is the same advice I give myself when the same person is regaling me about the Lechwe or Nyala they took on the same game Limpopo farm - however old or big it might be..

I think it's up to the hunter to decide what is trophy quality and what's not, after all it's his money. Anything I'm going to hunt, I'll research and try to know what a mature animal looks like before I pull the trigger.

It's also the responsibility of the hunter to have a conversation with his PH and discuss his expectations.

My approach is really no different than when someone posts a picture with a small buck from the back yard. “Nice!! Good job!!”

Pointing out trophy quality (or lack thereof) does nothing but detract from their experience.

Flipper Dude said:

No one likes that guy. The animal is in the salt. No way I’m gonna say anything to take away from that hunter’s experience. Now, make a mental note of the outfittter, in case it could be of use for planning a future hunt. My $.02.

Same rule applies when it comes to commenting on his wife’s appearance

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Girlfriend or Children-Baby - nice hair !

I admit I have to bite my tongue on a LOT of Taxidermy & mounts in general !

Let me clarify - my issue is certainly not with the hunters, who rightly should be proud of their trophies. A fully mature 19inch impala is worth every bit as much as a 24-incher and I know not everyone is obsessive about measurements.

My issue is with those outfitters (and I understand it is likely a minority of outfitters), who seem to habitually harvest immature or poor-quality trophies, often with first or second time hunters.

In my hunting, I dont care for the size of horn. The same stands for other hunters trophy size.

And when other hunter proudly presents his trophy, regardless of the size I always congratulate.
I am truly happy for him.

If he shoots immature animal, or something he was not supposed to shoot, I dont congratulate. If conversation is ongoing I change the subject. Very nice plaques, where did you get them? Or which rifle did you use? Very nice shoulder mounts! Who is your taxidermist? Things like that.

What I try hard not to comment at all, but sometimes I have to, is unethical photo of hunter with animal. This I can not stand.
In most of the cases, I just pass such things and look other way.

I would never tarnish the experience for someone else for the sake of being correct - especially if Africa is a once in a lifetime experience for them.

Imagine that you saved your entire life to buy a 36’ boat for tuna fishing. You make the purchase, then invite your buddies out to fish with you. Within 3 seconds of stepping on the boat, they tell you about how a real tuna boat is over 40 feet long and must have X brand navigation gear or a Y brand trolling rig. Your proudest day has been shat on by someone’s superiority complex.

You’re also assuming that everyone is hunting for the same purpose. You may hunt for inches, and many hunt for experiences. For me, the trophy is fully the experience I have.I share dinky little bucks from crazy Colorado hunts with the same excitement that I have shared monsters. Hell, I had a fun cull hunt last year and brought back some skulls to remind me of the fun I had.

At the end of the day, they can do what makes them happy. I would never put someone down for participating in this thing we do just because I know better.

ranger92xi said:

Let me clarify - my issue is certainly not with the hunters, who rightly should be proud of their trophies. A fully mature 19inch impala is worth every bit as much as a 24-incher and I know not everyone is obsessive about measurements.

My issue is with those outfitters (and I understand it is likely a minority of outfitters), who seem to habitually harvest immature or poor-quality trophies, often with first or second time hunters.

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In that case, maybe just say “Woah that’s awesome,” then later add, “If you plan to go back, let me know. Some species are better in certain areas than others because there’s more food [or whatever reason you make up]. I can hook you up with a guy who has monster animals.”

I love and cherish every animal I’ve been privileged enough to take in Africa. Whether on a mount, a pedestal or a plaque or in a frame, the memories are ours. My wife loves them and, if you feel the need to say something.., go ahead, I hope you don’t mind eating with the dogs, because you won’t feel comfortable at her table after your critique.

csmcclain said:

I would never tarnish the experience for someone else for the sake of being correct - especially if Africa is a once in a lifetime experience for them.

Imagine that you saved your entire life to buy a 36’ boat for tuna fishing. You make the purchase, then invite your buddies out to fish with you. Within 3 seconds of stepping on the boat, they tell you about how a real tuna boat is over 40 feet long and must have X brand navigation gear or a Y brand trolling rig. Your proudest day has been shat on by someone’s superiority complex.

You’re also assuming that everyone is hunting for the same purpose. You may hunt for inches, and many hunt for experiences. For me, the trophy is fully the experience I have.I share dinky little bucks from crazy Colorado hunts with the same excitement that I have shared monsters. Hell, I had a fun cull hunt last year and brought back some skulls to remind me of the fun I had.

At the end of the day, they can do what makes them happy. I would never put someone down for participating in this thing we do just because I know better.

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Gotta like a guy that uses the term “shat on” in such a manner.

Let’s you know he’s uncouth, but in a refined way

It will never be popular to tell someone their baby is ugly.....

Flipper Dude said:

Let’s you know he’s uncouth, but in a refined way

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I can’t even argue with that assessment

ranger92xi said:

.....
My issue is with those outfitters (and I understand it is likely a minority of outfitters), who seem to habitually harvest immature or poor-quality trophies, often with first or second time hunters.

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If you want to curb or encourage an Outfitters behavior, a hunting report provides evidence for others to view and add to their own research for their own hunt.
Hunting reports are the absolute best way to illustrate a pattern in an Outfitters behavior. Pictures don't lie, (much)
Always hunting young animals, it will show up in the the pictures.


If someone cares about trophy size they should be doing research. If they can't be bothered to make the effort.....

If a hunter just shows up to have an experience and say they went to Africa and hunted, good for them. Enjoy what they brought home and remember it well. Not everyone can chase a Mountain Nyala ...

Stan- Elephant Trail, had a goal. Hunt a 100lb Elephant Bull by walking. I know he worked on that goal. Very lofty trophy hunting in my mind.
Other's are happy to hunt a Tuskless Cow. I hope both hunters enjoy the pursuit and share the tales when they get back. If they know what they are getting in to, good for them.

ps. If they come to you for a measurement. It is simple, measure it. Let them look at the records and they will learn. I would think that anyone who would typically want anything measured would already know though.