"Let me see photos of your best, and I'll tell you if we can do better."

I've noticed when speaking to prospective outfitters if you say you would like to go after a certain animal and have gotten one before they sometimes reply with a statement like the title of this thread.

I understand why they respond that way and I actually like the forwardness, transparency, and honesty of it. But generally speaking, I'm usually not trying to hunt an animal again only if I can beat the last one. It is nice to get bigger and bigger animals each time if possible. But for me, I don't need to beat my record every time to have a good hunt or to hunt a species again.

I am curious how many people hunt in a way that they will only take an animal If it beats their record each time and how many don't mind shooting one that isn't as big as the last time.

I find it off putting. It goes along with “do you have an xyz”. I collect experiences, not taxidermy heads. It often starts to feel more like shopping and less like hunting.

I think many PHs go this direction based on prior client expectations, so that part I get.

For me it is all about the hunt, a good tracking hunt that gets me a old bull that is way past its prime (for example) and I'm a happy customer. Bigger is better but I dont just like to chase inches.

I’ve been really lucky and taken some really exceptional trophies, but I’ve never had a discussion about trophies sizes with an outfitter looking into hunts or booking a hunt. The only exception would be an outfitter setting realistic expectations with elephant. I focus on the hunting and areas they have access to. I’d find it very off putting and really arrogant of an outfitter to make the above suggestion. However, I could maybe understand it if a potential client was being very focused on inches, but that’s not the way I want to hunt.

No, Sir. It is the hunt that sets the story apart from the last for me. If a hunt that was challenging and exciting led to a "lesser" trophy than a hunt that was a "gimme" for a larger "trophy", the first would most likely be more memorable for me.

I’m in it for the hunt! I don’t chase inches.
If I like it I will shoot it. Except for some DG.
When PH says we need take this one. I go off his expertise. PG. I’m happy just cull hunting now and booked 2027 and 2028 just to do that. It’s the hunt and get away from the work for me now.

For me it depends on the animal and situation but I’m also not hunting South Africa much anymore. I also tend to like stuff that’s broken or non typical and will often repeat if something has a lot of character.

Impala I’ve shot so many he’d have to be a giant, an East African, or for bait, but my many impala is probably approaching 40-50. Kudu, we see a mid 50’s mature bull and we’re not actively hunting something else there’s a good chance I’m shooting.

On the same note this year in Mozambique while hunting in C11 with Zambeze Delta I passed on a 32” Nyala. That’s a bull of a lifetime and he had 2” over my biggest, BUT my biggest is a life size mount. I wanted to shoot him but knew I couldn’t do him justice taxidermy wise, and show the respect a bull like that deserved when he wasn’t even on the list this trip. I opted to pass and let someone else hunt him or keep breeding. I did also try to convince my girlfriend to take him for a first African animal but she didn’t want to shoot anything.

I don’t fault anyone for hunting the way they do, but I’m also not at the point where I can shoot a trophy and not bring something home.

Ill bite, I love bushbuck hunting the limpopo river, my very good friend and ph said I would have difficulty testing this one

I don’t usually repeat African animals since theres many different species. However on trophy whitetail bucks we usually don’t shoot smaller than our last one.

Tgood1 said:

Ill bite, I love bushbuck hunting the limpopo river, my very good friend and ph said I would have difficulty testing this one

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Awesome trophy

It's all about the experience.

It's funny. I kinda sorta had a related conversation with a co-worker friend along these lines about my upcoming goat hunt. He is planning a goat hunt, and wants a big billy. My hunt is for a specific area and was draw permit. The permit allows me to take any billy or a nanny without a kid.

He is 30 and has his life ahead of him. I am standing at the cusp of 60 and may never draw this tag again. He asked if I would shoot a nanny. Absolutely positively 110%. I want to know what goat tastes like. I may never get to do this again. This (mountain hunting) is outside the norm for me. It will be a very new experience with new challenges for me. But I want to come home with a goat. I will take the first opportunity that presents itself, providing one does.

This moose is possibly my favorite out of all the moose I have shot, because of the experience of the hunt. It was 50". I have shot larger bulls but this may have been the most satisfying.

Definitely... it's the experience.

318AE said:

I find it off putting. It goes along with “do you have an xyz”. I collect experiences, not taxidermy heads. It often starts to feel more like shopping and less like hunting.

I think many PHs go this direction based on prior client expectations, so that part I get.

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That's how I have always taken it as well. I think some outfitters have had so many clients focused on only wanting to shoot another one if it is way bigger than their last one.

Hutch01 said:

I don’t usually repeat African animals since theres many different species. However on trophy whitetail bucks we usually don’t shoot smaller than our last one.

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When I was younger I did this with deer hunting. However, after a short time I felt like it was ruining the experience for me. I'd rather take a deer that isn't my next biggest, but got my heart racing in the moment, is a good buck for the area, and fills the freezer, than to wait 2-4 years for my next biggest buck.

Hutch01 said:

I don’t usually repeat African animals since theres many different species. However on trophy whitetail bucks we usually don’t shoot smaller than our last one.

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Well that would be no fun for me- I killed a 206” buck a couple years ago and doubt I’ll ever see one better! I love bowhunting whitetail deer!

In Africa it would depend a lot on the price of the hunt and the trophy fees if I shoot one better or just for the experience. Or a repeat animal.

Bowhunting vs rifle as well- I’ll take most things with a bow regardless of trophy size!

wildwilderness said:

Well that would be no fun for me- I killed a 206” buck a couple years ago and doubt I’ll ever see one better! I love bowhunting whitetail deer!

In Africa it would depend a lot on the price of the hunt and the trophy fees if I shoot one better or just for the experience. Or a repeat animal.

Bowhunting vs rifle as well- I’ll take most things with a bow regardless of trophy size!

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Don't tease me with a 206 inch deer story and not show me a picture.

I will fit in that description.

Everyrime i go to africa i try to hunt something else.

This way i get new experiences, and go deeper to africa each time.

I dont need 10 kudus, 20 impala at home.
In this way i am focusing my limited budget exclusively for something new.

But its not rule 101. If i really see something exceptiomal, i will take it, of course

Mark458 said:

Don't tease me with a 206 inch deer story and not show me a picture.

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Haha, twist my arm-

Awesome deer with any weapon much less a bow. I'm jealous beyond words. Congratulations

Taking only animals better than you have previously taken soon leads to taking nothing. It’s ok that’s what ya want.

I just try to make my hunt different. Switch to a bow, or try to take everything inside 40 yards, for instance. If ya blow it, so what?

I'd be fairly put off if an outfitter came back to me with that. But the question of whether I'd take something bigger than my last only varies by animal in my book. Inches are not what governs my interest in hunting. Different hunting method or experience may (e.g. bow). If I've had a phenomenal hunt or stalk experience, and the situation strikes me as a memory or a shot I'd take in any other circumstance am I going to turn down an opportunity over a matter of inches? Nope. Why? Because you never know when its your last hunt.

For whitetails - I hunt on public, self taught as an adult, and took a year and a half to get my first doe down, took several years to even get a chance at a non-spike buck (and he was 134", a damn fine buck). With how hard I hunt for them, I'm never going to restrict what I hunt within the tag limits - if it tickles my fancy, I'm in. Same applies for elk, or antelope or the other more than once in a lifetime species.

There are certain African animals I'll probably only ever take one of: Nyala in all likelihood, fun hunt but I'd rather chase bushbuck, or I'd probably not take a common duiker - my first was amazing and I'll likely not beat it, nor the experience. There are some animals where I'd probably take based on opportunity. Weird and wonderful is always of interest to me - the PHs wife shot a 'kudu blesbok' - spiral horned oddity before we got there on another property, and I can tell you I wouldn't be thinking twice if I saw one - but I'd probably not shoot a blesbok otherwise. Put a nice kudu or bushbuck in front of me after a good experience and I'd probably struggle to hold back. Impala, I'd probably be picky, but I just love hunting them. There are certain animals in Africa appealing to me less that I'd only take if they were truly exceptional in the luck of the bush and the PH got really excited (e.g. A truly giant warthog). But say shooting over water with a bow? Different standard.