This may be a dumb question, but I have to ask it. I was watching RUGER HUNTING ADVENTURES on the OLN network tonight, a Kudu hunt in Namibia. The PH never carried a rifle, only the client. Is this usual? I would think that the PH would want a rifle to either anchor a wounded animal or to protect the client. Thanks in advance for an answer.

I believe the PH had a gun bearer out of camera.
Frank

On a plains game hunt in the Lowveld a few years back my PH did not have a rifle with him. But when in big game areas all PH's carry one.

There is no need for a ph to carry a rifle on a PG hunt if there is no DG present. It is the clients hunt and he must shoot the animal, if the animal is wounded it is still his his animal to finish off. I will only carry a rifle on a plainsgame hunt(with no DG) if the client request me to carry a rifle as a backup.

I agree with Jaco. Normaly I will carry my rifle on the first couple of animals to be hunted, when the hunter is confident I will ask him if he want me to still carry my rifle and depending what he says I will leave my rifle in camp. I will however keep my belt gun (CZ75 9mm pistol) with me only for defence against snakes or when a dispute arise with the hunter .
It is and stays the clients hunt, my work is to help him where he need or ask for help.

Wimpie

2 years ago in the Dande (very thick DG country) the PH sent me out after a nice Impala I wanted with his #1 tracker and an apprentice PH. Somehow I wound up being the only one with a rifle, and I had grabbed my light scoped rifle (.308 Win). We were half a mile into the stalk when we spotted a very nice kudu and went to work on him instead. Never did get a shot at him and it was about 3 hours later that we finally got back to the truck.

As we passed Ele tracks and very fresh Buff spoor, I remember thinking, “Man, these Nosler’s aren’t going to make much of an impression on something really big. This sure is a S-T-O-O-P-I-D way to wander around DG country.â€

Upon returning home, I upgraded my light scoped rifle to a .376, just in case.

Wimpie

How many times have you been charged by a angrey hunter. If one were to shoot you how would he find his way home?

JD

Congomike,

Lots of places where PG are hunted are devoid of dangerous game, so defence isn't an issue. I can see the point of the PH anchoring wounded game if needed, but I think most PHs quickly see iff the client is capable of taking care of things him/herself or not. The first time I was on a PG hunt, the PH brought his rifle the first day, and then left it in camp after that. I think this is quite common.

I don't know....
Dangerous game around or not, I think that it's a smart thing to carry an extra rifle just in case. Not neccesary has to be a heavy double in 470 but a handy 9,3x62 will be good company.....

When hunting you NEVER know what situation will jump, danger not neccesary will come from animals with 4 legs, or the client scope can suffer an accident, etc, etc.

Murphy is watching you....

L

i dunno but i've been out several times where the PH didn't carry. must be because I'm such a good shot

My PH ussually had a tracker carry his rifle when we were after PG and often buff, if the buff were fifty or more yards away. The PH carried the sticks. If we were near elephants the PH would switch and carry his rifle, likewise when we got really close to buff in thick cover. In any event, the tracker with his 470 was never more than a few yards from the PH.

JPK

JPK

While in Namibia, at least northern Namibia with Vaughan, he carried a rifle most of the time because of the slight possibility that we would stumble upon something a little more unsavory than a kudu. We hunted a couple ranches in southern Namibia where large toothy critters weren't present, so he didn't carry his rifle.

While in SA this past year, the PHs (one of whome was Wimpie for a short time) rarely carried a firearm. There was really no need in those hunting locations. I guess they thought I could screw up the situation bad enough by myself. For what it's worth, Wimpie only wanted to shoot me once or twice...

On my last hunt in RSA, my PH Phillip du Plessis didn't carry a gun. I guess it was because he knew me from my previous hunt and knew I could do the job. I took it as a compliment.

Thanks to all those who answered so quickly...very much appreciated.

On my plainsgame hunts my PH did not carry his rifle.

TerryR

Same answer as above posted by Terry.

On my PG hunts in RSA, my PH has not carried a rifle, no DG & he knows I can handle my rifle adequately. In DG country, you bet he carries his rifle, not the trackers.

My first and only (so far) PG hunt the PH did not take his rifle from the tracker until the time we were tracking a herd of Wildebeest and came across "fresh" Cape Buffalo spoor.

Fred

wimpie - you carry a 9mm on hunts while guiding clients in SA???

I reread my post and see that it is confusing.

My Ph carried his rifle when we were walking cross country what ever we were looking for, we were always in DG territory.

But when we were getting close on a PG animal he would switch to the sticks, handing a tracker his rifle. Likewise when we closed on a herd or small group of buff, in anticipation of a say 75yd down to 50yd shot. Inside of that and he switched back and carried his rifle.

Sorry for any confusion,

JPK

Hunted plains game in the lowveld of Ziimbabwe and the PH did not carry a rifle. He kept one in the truck but never carried in the field. There was no dangerous game "worse" than leopard in the area.

Phil

I guess it's all a matter of how the PH was trained..... personally, I ALWAYS carry my .500 in the bush, no matter what area I'm hunting and whether there's DG known to be in the area or not.

Even in the fenced areas of countries such as RSA & Namibia there's always the chance something big and nasty can have broken out of another area and found it's way into somewhere it shouldn't be..........I've experienced this on several occasions. Hell, I even take my rifle to dinner with me.....

I'll add to my post by saying that we expect the other PHs who work for us to behave the same way.......

The situation described by Shakari actually happend a fewe years ago. I don't remember all the details but is was something like this:

An American hunter was on a farm with no DG (?) at all. He was being illegally guided by only a farm laborer to make sure he did not get lost. A bull white rhino had broken through the fence from next door and charged the labourer who was running away. When the hunter realized thet the rhino was about to kill his guide he shot it with the 30-06 he was carrying and killed it, so saving the poor guy's life. I have the happy ending of the story that the hunter was not required to pay for the rhino, as he saved the farm owner great difficulties by saveing his lobourer's life. [ Just for the record my memory tells me that the labourer was NOT a registered PH, therefore the whole hunt was illegal, and the land owner, or whoever allowed an American to hunt without a PH, would be in very serious trouble.]

Because of the sensitivity of the bracketed part someone who knows the true and full story may not go public on such a forum. I recall seeing a photo of the hunter with his quite nice rhino.

Is there anyone out there to fill in the story, or correct me?

In good hunting.

Andrew McLaren

My experience in Africa was similar to others. In plains game-only country, I was the only guy holding a rifle.

In 2004 it did make me a little nervous to be hunting Dall Sheep in grizzly country with my guide being unarmed. It was a backpack hunt and I usually trailed him by 50 yards on most climbs and going through brush. If I was him I would have been carrying something, even if it was just a big caliber pistol.

My general feeling is that it's the PH's or guide's job to bail me out of a dicey situation, not the other way around. He should err on the side of caution.

A few examples of what's happened to me personally over the years:-

I was hunting in Zululand in an area I knew well and had hunted for at least 10 years. The area and neighbouring areas had no DG. One day, we stopped for a water break and I wandered off a few yards to take a leak....... leant my rifle against a tree and unzipped, looked into the bush and saw 2 W. Rhino's looking at me from about 15 yards away...... I don't know who was the most suprised, them or me.

10 years or so ago, my other half & I were eating dinner in a safari camp and a hippo walked past so close we could have slapped it on the ass with a cricket bat.

About 5 years ago I was in a hunting camp in Tanzania. (between clients) It was around lunchtime and I was sitting outside my tent just about to clean my rifle and an adult Lion walked right past me and continued all the way through the camp. Staff were dashing everywhere and the Lion luckily totally ignored them.

They're 3 examples that spring to mind - but that's why I always keep a rifle close by when I'm in the bush....... Even if you're 110% sure there's no DG around there's the chance you just might encounter a wounded bushbuck or something and they can hurt or kill you just as much as an Elephant or a Buffalo etc.....

These comments aren't meant to criticise any one else who might choose to sometimes hunt without a rifle. It's entirely their decision...... but personally, I'll always have the .500 handy.

Anything can happen in the bush even on PG hunt, do not kid yourselves that PG is not dangerous when wounded.
Just remember if you do not insist your PH takes his rifle or pistol at least and if anything nasty should happen .........

As a rule with PG in a no DG area i will also not carry a gun. You as the paying client it is your trphies and game to be hunted. Only if I see that the client is likely to wound an animal or if he asks me will I carry a gun with me during PG hunting.

On areas were DG occur it is a completely different story.

I would never leave my rifle behind! But maybe I'm too old-fashioned, my first PH permit I received in 1986...

My Ph, 60 year old Fred Burchell chose not to carry a rifle on PG hunt. After seeing my sighting-in group, he said he didn't need to. Once we headed out of camp I knew why he was relieved; he carried two massive binos, one a 15X and the other a 20X with image stabilization and built-in rangefinder, on shoulder straps and the shooting sticks. He was so weighted down he didn't have room for a rifle! It never occured to me that I was the sole protection for both of us until after I shot a gemsbok and we left Eric and Alex to their duties as Fred and I walked back to the Hi-lux. He pointed out fresh leopard tracks and then a fresh young gemsbok kill. The reality of it all hit home when he said to me, "You're the hunter, you've got the rifle, be ready for anything. Shoot first and we'll sort things out later. Best load one in the chamber... now!" We didn't encounter anything vicious the rest of the way but it did change a whistle-while-you-walk stroll in paradise to being akin to the point man on jungle patrol in 'Nam. I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. Thanks Fred.