I have wounded 5 animals. One we believe I nicked the deer's ear by the way it snapped its head around and fell then got up and ran off...in the the snow...not a drop of blood.

Two other's were recovered by great tracking jobs by the guide/ph.

It is the other two that I would like for folks to discuss and think about it. In the other two cases the animal was clearly hit. One case went down and got back up. and the walked and staggered stopping.

In each case, I had a second shot and was back on target, I said to the guide/ph...I am going to shoot it it again...in each case the guide/ph said no don't its going to die "wait". The animal then either disappeared into brush or suddenly changed its gait and sped off leaving no shot.

The issue for folks to think about becuase we are using firearms safety is paramount. The guide/ph is in a "quasi-position of authority"...when they say don't shoot, most of us will not shoot.

That has cost me two animals and a hours of "a sick feeling in my gut". I am not sure in the future if I will hold my shot. If I know the back drop is still safe...I think I will deal with the potential of an upset ph/guide rather than the sick feeling.

interested in peoples thoughts

Yes, I'm well-acquainted with the sinking feeling in the gut. On my first safari we had long tracking sessions on my blue wildebeest (hit just above the spine) and kudu (hit too far back). Shorter tracks on my blesbok (about 300 yards; took a front shot and clipped the back of one lung only) and gemsbok (about 150 yards; he didn't start bleeding until 50-60 yards from where he was shot, so it took awhile for the trackers to pick up his trail). In all cases, the animal had disappeared in the bush before a follow-up was even possible.

Hey Mike!



I've had the same PH on 5 Safari's now, his theory is "If you can see the animal, hit him again!", good theory, I once shot a Eland with a .270, my Ph said "Keep shooting as long as you can see him!" I did, but never touched him again after the first shot, till we ran up on him standing, ready to go down, it was then that my PH told me to put another shot into him, "insurance"

I like that thought!

Mike,

No one has ever told me not to keep shooting. Usually it's the reverse. "Shoot him again!" But the only time I would take a "don't shoot" order would be on the first shot. I'd have to seriously question the abilities and good sense of a PH who said don't fire more than once.

After the first shot--which in the best of circumstances is the only one needed, but sometimes isn't--I believe in shooting as long as I have a shot and then until the animal is down and even then sometimes I've put one or two more in until I am sure he is dead, especially on buffalo, hippo and lion, but even on non-dangerous game, too. This isn't meat hunting from a stand we're talking about here.

I agree that it is something to set your mind to beforehand--and to tell the PH about as well--just like discussing when the PH should or will shoot.

A couple of years ago in Tanzania, after I had put six 500 grain solids from my .458 Lott into a hippo, one through the heart as he stood broadside at 40 yards and five more through the boiler room as he ran toward the river, I asked my PH what he thought about my shooting so much. I was stuffing more rounds into the magazine at the time, and I admit I was a little self conscious. He said, as we walked up on the downed hippo, "Put one more into his brain!" I did.

Tracking a wounded animal is no fun, even when you find and finish him. I've done it too many times. So, we all try to make the first shot count--but we should just as well keep trying on the second and the third, etc. Your PH should be your partner in this, not your boss--if he isn't or acts the part of the "be all, end all"--have a heart to heart talk and straighten it out. That usually works. If it doesn't, then it may be a hard lesson learned, but at least it will be learned.

The issue I am interested in hearing about is that whole issue of..."the authority figure" says don't shoot many of us with a military or police background will be prone to "head" the order...

This is something we should think about in advance of the situation

Bullets are cheap, if an animal is not visibly finished give him another shot anywhere you can hit him. The time you save not tracking can be better spent elsewhere. The PH will just have to live with a follow up shot, it's your money.

Very interesting post, as I thought much about these issues on our hunt in July in Namibia, my first african trip. Most of the animals we saw in shooting position were in thick brush. Our PH left the shots up to us but indicated that we might have to shoot through light brush just in front of an animal or we'd have no shot. I resisted shooting unless we had a clear path, so passed on a few and took more time to set up than our PH could have imagined. He was clear that animals had to be hit well or could be lost. He told of following and losing a mountain zebra after 3 days and 15 miles of tracking. We didn't lose any animals, for which I'm very thankful. My son ticked the brisket of a gemsbok, then followed with a running 225 yard shot that passed just behind the heart and took out the opposite shoulder. We chased after the bull, ended up shooting him 3 more times till he was down, including a texas heart shot as he ran away. I decided we'd keep shooting till he was down, and then he still needed a spine shot to finish. Incredibly tough animals. On my kudu, I knew he was hit hard, but again shot him again till he was down. Later the trackers asked why we shot so much (and tore up so much meat) when Helmke would typically shoot once, quickly, and put the animal down or have a short tracking to find the animal. My priority was not to lose an animal, and it's clear that the first shot on the Kudu was fatal, I just didn't want to take the chance. The decison making in the field was quite tricky and part of what made the trip so interesting. Bob