Does Your PH Shoot Your Game Animals?

[enysse]

I have no problem with a PH carrying a gun, you never know when a problem will arise.

 

[Macs B]

This is quite simple, each one is free to ask his PH to carry his weapon or not

I don't think I would give a client the authority to determine if I carried my weapon or not. We can discuss follow up shots etc, but the client is a guest, not the boss. I carry a weapon if I feel the need to.

 

[LouisB]

Hi guy's I have been following this one pretty close.

I would first of all like to say great topic James!

Should a PH have a rifle with him at all time's?

Well in my opinion when hunting plains the PH should have a rifle in the truck should something go wrong the PH will be able to call the struck in and no time is wasted driving back to camp to get another rifle.

When hunting dangerous game or entering an area with DG the PH should have his rifle on hand at all time's!

The one thing we as hunters must realize is that we are in nature we enter in to a hunt knowing that some things are out of our control but at the same time we should be aware and make clear and quick assessments as we go. I am sure that no person wounds an animal on purpose so once something of that nature does happen it might be wise to allow the PH to help you to dispatch of the wounded animal quickly but in a lot of instances this becomes a process and is not just a simple matter of Bang Bang.

This is a personal matter but I think in a lot of instances some PH's are quick to put in a so called back up shot, most experienced PH's will tell you that once an animal is wounded it is better to be left for at least 30min to a hour sure time does not always allow for it but if I have any say in the matter, I would prefer not to keep pushing a wounded animal, instead leave it for a bit to bed down and stiffen up that allows you to actually catch the animal off guard and then the client can end the whole ordeal fairly quickly.

Once an animal is wounded it immediately becomes a sensitive matter, people are worried and there is also that feeling of guilt amongst the PH and client, I have yet to meet a hunter who likes to just wound game so the most important thing is to find the animal and dispatch of it as quickly and humainly as possible.

This is were I feel the PH should step in and give some guidance take the time out let the animal bed down and share a strategy with your client, taking time out lets things settle down and gives you time to assess the situation.

I would personally always like to give my client the opportunity to finnish off the wounded animal him self however in saying that I will not prolong the pain of an wounded animal just for the sake of having a client finnish him off, so depending on the situation (fitness of client, speed the animal is moving at, ect…) I would inform the client that I intend on taking a shot and then we can decide what the best form of action might be.

In a dangerous game situation there might not be time to discuss a strategy so then I feel it is solely up to the discretion of the PH he has a responsibility towards the animal and the people that he takes in to the dangerous situation (please remember that any cornered animal has to be considered dangerous they are all wild).

This is just my 2 cents.

Best Regards
Louis van Bergen

 

[nsok]

I don't think I would give a client the authority to determine if I carried my weapon or not. We can discuss follow up shots etc, but the client is a guest, not the boss. I carry a weapon if I feel the need to.

ASK, I said ASK your PH, not order your PH, I always ask my PH and follow his advices, and I do not like to use words like client, guest o boss I prefer to use fellows, and in a few days friends, this is the way I most enjoy my safari and is what I have done many times

 

[JamieD]

Last year I had a mishap with a waterbuck. Other than the waterbuck the safari went great 7 shots 7 doa. With the waterbuck we jumped him out of a bottom, he ran aways, stopped to look back.

Before I go farther I should give some background. All week we had seen many waterbucks and my PH had pointed out some good ones I had pasted because they were not on my "have to" list and are quite expensive.

Back to the story, as we jumped him I just watched because of the reasons above. when he stopped to look back my PH said shoot "less of a request or question" he only did this one other time with a bush pig which I regret not shooting, I have found out they are quite rare and I had a good shot at a big one.I knew him saying shoot meant very big I pulled up and as I squeezed he stretched out to run being off guard I was a little behind and hit low and back. I took two more running shots one we heard hit (found out latter a tree) the other just plain mist.

To shorten a very long story after 7 hours of tracking in game rich area and no blood the last 5 hours. We jumped a waterbuck out of a thicket , it was so thick that the PH went around one way and I the other. I didn't dare shoot as I wasn't sure it was the right one. I saw my PH raise his gun and wait I thought that he was waiting for me to shoot, but then thought he doesn't even know I can see it (way to much thinking for such times). All this took place in a second the waterbuck turned its head and was going to run when my PH shot. The waterbuck went down and the PH and I ran to it. He asked for help flipping it over urgently. We did and he was very relieved. He said that he thought I couldn't see it and the reason for his hesitation was that he didn't see any blood and wasn't sure it was the right one. He said that if it wasn't he would have had to pay for it himself but thought it was worth the risk.

I am very glad that he did for me and the animal. It would have put a dark cloud over a great trip. I haven't knowingly left a wounded big game animal since I was 12 and that still bothers me.

If he hadn't shot I would have still had to pay for it, and and we more than likely would have had to leave an animal to suffer.

I think that it is important to be able to trust your PH to do what is in your and the animals best interest.

 

[enysse]

A similiar instance happen to me 2 years ago. We were hunting waterbuck in the East Cape and they were in thick cover. A huge one was looking at me at 150yds., quartering to me very sharply. There was no other shot...brush everywhere. I shoot my 300 Win Mag with 190 gr. boattails and the bullet instead of going through the rib cage...skims off and just wounds the left leg. The waterbuck takes of with a lot of other waterbuck...through the brush. It was very late so we left him over night. The next morning I said...everyone should load up and if you see a limping waterbuck shoot until it's down. We didn't want to shoot a unwounded waterbuck and everyone had to be sure of their shot. Needless to say, we circled a thick canyon this waterbuck lived in...and he flushed to my PH and he shot a few times and we eventually got him. Lucky...you bet. I don't think anyone wants to lose a animal! The incident taught me a terrible valueable lesson....lay off the strong quartering to shots on huge animals...their rib cages and leg bones...can led to wounded animals..not dead animals. For a first shot on a animal...it should be passed on. I'm talking about eland, waterbuck, and kudu sized animals. And definitely cape buffalo!