How much "hunting" do you do on a "typical" hunt?

Cossack

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First, I will apologize for my title - I already know there's no such thing as a typical hunt, not even in one particular area of one country, much less on an entire continent! What I'm more interested in is the style of hunting. Take this description, for example: Kowas Hunting Safaris | A Typical Hunting Day

I am very interested in this company - it seems like they have great prices and are a good operation. But when I read this, even though it was nothing new to me, I lost some excitement. I have hunted Montana and Alaska for Whitetail deer, Moose, Pronghorn, and Elk, well as birds and small game, but have never hunted with a guide before. I am fascinated with African life and culture, history, and of course the wildlife, and I love the beauty of the landscape (I've spent a few months in RSA without hunting).

I guess I'm just worried that, rather than hunting, I will be following a hunter around and shooting what he tells me, where he tells me, when he tells me. I will be shooting an animal rather than hunting it. In some ways that's good - I'll be in a new country with it's own laws and a terrain and animals that are unfamiliar to me. But i feels strange about going and killing an animal that I haven't really hunted myself.

How do others feel about this? How has your experience been and what is the client/PH relationship while out in the bush? (I know that varies!). Any thoughts or recommendations?

I'd love to try a chasse libre hunt someday for just this reason, but I assume that would be unwise before I first take a guided hunt in that nation and familiarize myself with the place I would hunt on my own.

Thanks all!
- Nick
 
Hi Nick

Kowas is a great operation, and I am sure they would accomodate you in any legal way to do the hunt the way you would prefer. For instance, if you want to just walk a likely area, and not drive it, and maybe spot game yourself, and also decide what animal to shoot and how to get close, you can do this with a guide that gives you mostly fre reigns, but he/ she will obviously have to accompany you and direct you a little to make sure everything stays legal.
 
Nick,

It is always your decision on when and if to pull the trigger, don't let anyone tell you differently. The PH is legally required to be with you for the hunt. Remember, you are paying him/her. I'm sure they will be completely happy to let you do all the spotting, tracking, selecting and shooting. Most PHs are very familiar with the land they are hunting. You could walk all day and never see a kudu, you don't know where they like to congregate at the different times of day, the PH does. Use the PH's knowledge that you want to and let him/her know you want to do the rest.

Bottom line, just make sure you have the conversation with the PH before you book the trip and make sure you are both comfortable with your wishes and desires and that you both understand the advantages and disadvantages of whatever you want to do. Once you arrive, have the same conversation with the PH to make sure you are on the same sheet of music.

It's your trip, hunt how you want and have fun
 
Thanks for the helpful replies. I hope i didn't sound arrogant at all in my original post. I'll be glad to have a PH with me. I'll be in unfamiliar territory hunting species that I don't know how to hunt effectively. It's just a matter of getting used to a new style of hunting. I'm a listener and a learner and want to absorb as much knowledge as I can during my short stay. I just want to feel like I've earned it when I pull the trigger.
 
Cossack,

I truly know how you feel. I grew up hunting deer with a shotgun in the thick woods of north Louisiana. I've since moved to Texas and the "standard" way to "hunt" here is to sit in a blind over a feeder and look for extremely long distances in several directions. The true chase and work involved in learning and patterning a specific deer just isn't found here for me.

My only experience in Africa was this. I spoke to my PH several times on the phone and via email and expressed my desire to not hunt any animals that acted like pets. We discussed how we would hunt and the spot and stalk was my preferred method. He and I spoke again on the drive from the airport to his farm. We discussed my fear of a hunt that really wasn't a hunt. I was assured that it would be all that I asked for. Thankfully, it was just that.

A couple of friends hunted with an outfitter in South Africa and although they took respectable animals, they both came home talking of hunting on a farm in the city. The farm was small and had the equivalent of an African highway right beside it. The experience wasn't much for the "African bush" that was expected.

In Texas we have also pioneered game ranching. The animals are somewhere closer to cattle than deer. I did everything I could to avoid spending thousands of dollars to travel to Africa to do what I could do over the weekend in Texas. I was pleasantly rewarded with a great hunt and a great experience with a great guy as a PH. That is my hope for you, Nick.

Good luck,
BULLMAN63
 
Thanks for the helpful replies. I hope i didn't sound arrogant at all in my original post. I'll be glad to have a PH with me. I'll be in unfamiliar territory hunting species that I don't know how to hunt effectively. It's just a matter of getting used to a new style of hunting. I'm a listener and a learner and want to absorb as much knowledge as I can during my short stay. I just want to feel like I've earned it when I pull the trigger.

I dont think your post sounded arrogant at all. In fact it is very refreshing to hear . A good PH should always ensure that the client plays the leading role in his own safari. There is no reason why you should be forced to follow a PH around and just shoot what he points at. Sadly many clients expect just that .

In my mind hunting is a competition against your quarry. The client should always feel that he has won the battle with a hard fair fight against his quarry. I think in most cases, hunting in Africa tends to give the hunter a greater sense of accomplishment for those very reasons. A client who is keen to learn , listens well and wants to work hard for his prize is a PHs dream.
 

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