How’s this for advice to aspiring professional hunters?

"Judging trophies is not as difficult as it may seem. An outstanding trophy shouts it loud and clear. My memory is haunted by mere glimpses of outstanding Tanganyika buffalo, just glimpses as they left the country, but that was enough. They were records and that is what keeps me going on. If you have to look really hard at it—then it is nothing special.

Try to be professional in selecting only fully mature males. I have refused to let clients shoot youngish bongo bulls in full view. Sure they would have been easy shots, but sometimes it is necessary to earn a grudging respect for your own pride and professionalism. That is what they hire you for. Don’t let the tail wag the dog. I remember that Harry Selby refused to let his clients shoot a second lion even when there were four on the license.

Make your hunts fun, your stalks worthwhile, communicate and find out what the client really wants out of the hunt. If they are ready to shoot some great hunk of eland and the camp is already full of good meat and you have had a good stalk, ask gently whether they really want to shoot the beast. You will be surprised how some will lower their rifles."

--Tony Dyer

I like that quite a lot.

quote:

Make your hunts fun, your stalks worthwhile, communicate and find out what the client really wants out of the hunt.

Exactly, I have had one PH who was interested in finding out what I expected out of the safari. He then went about "customizing" the safari to match my expectations. He made it a personal experience. Sometimes, it is pretty easy to see when the PH is just going through the motions.

Regards,

Terry

MR

The Dyer quote is great. It says something about being a sportsman and not just a slob. Also kind of outlines what we'd all want in a PH.

I think all my PH's have been very interested in my goals and worked very hard to achieve them. Having said that I've also hunted with a drunk, a pompous ass and a guy that definitely knew I was only there to pull the trigger. It takes quite a guy to keep everybody happy most of the time on a 3 week hunt when things are not going just perfect. I guess the thing that matters most to me is that the guy does not ever bullshit me.

Mark

quote:

Originally posted by MARK H. YOUNG:
the guy does not ever bullshit me.

As far as you know anyway!

I make this reply with some personal embarrassment. This past May, while hunting in Namibia with Vaughan Fulton, one of the animals I wanted to take was an exceptional Springbok. On my first Safari I shot a really good Springbok that measured nearly 16 inches. I had told Vaughan that I wanted a Springbok that would top that one. We looked over a lot of Springbok, and late in the hunt we came upon a herd that had 3 nice rams. We must have glassed them for a good hour and a half. I was really getting antsy, and told Vaughan that I was going to take the one ram on the left. Vaughan let out a loud sigh, and he reminded me of my original goal, and asked me if I really wanted to shoot one just for the hell of it, as I already have a great one at home in my trophy room. The largest ram we were glassing might measure 15 3/4", but no more. Do I really want to lower my standard? I sheepishly said, no. I didn't shoot a Sprinkbok on this trip, but it gives me a reason to go back. I'm glad Vaughan is a man of principle, and reminded me of mine.

quote:

Originally posted by mrlexma:
"If they are ready to shoot some great hunk of eland and the camp is already full of good meat and you have had a good stalk, ask gently whether they really want to shoot the beast. You will be surprised how some will lower their rifles."

--Tony Dyer

I guess 'Tony' would forgive the daily fees for the day as well. Because the day was so much fun and the camp was full of meat.

As for the lion, with three more on the licence ............. Why hunt them at all if that is the attitude.

I must be a slob, but I'm there to hunt.

quote:

I remember that Harry Selby refused to let his clients shoot a second lion even when there were four on the license.

Ruark shot two lions on his first hunt with Selby according to Ruark's book Horn of the Hunter.

Jason

Mike 416, all of us at one time or another needs to be reminded... The longer we look the longer they get...
Seeing my first ele bull in the bush as big as a monster the ivory was as I guessed as a rookie 40pounds..I whispered to the PH do you want me to shoot him..." hello no,he is only 20 pounds.. " OK, humble pie, found out what I really knew about eles, not what I thought...

Mike

Will,

I guess your right. If I never know that the PH was bulshitting me then I guess my naivette will make me a happy camper. I'd like to think I was sharper than that but anything is possible paticularly when you only have eneough knowledge to be dangerous.

Regards,

Mark

After reaching the ripe old age of 53 years, my bullshit alarm is pretty good.

I've been fooled once that I know of in the
last ten years, but one day into the trip the BS alarm was going off loud and clear!

I like straight talk.

Good thread. It's a wonder to me that some people just cannot get it through their minds that in exchanage for quality and honest services, a client is often made for keeps.

Simple analogy: I have a taxidermist that during our first meeting had me in his shop, and invited me to look around at work finished and in progress before sitting down and looking at what I had, and offered to try to answer any questions I had. Halfway through filling out forms and whatnot he called me over to where he had wandered and told me that only three of over a dozen species I brought and wanted done would really pass muster in a final product. He would do them if I wanted, but wanted me to understand that he considered them substandard, and showed me *why*. He was pleased when I told him that unless the birds beauty would be done justice did I want them done. Later, it occurred to me that he could easily have agreed to mount every last one, and hit me with a nice bill. Yet he's proud of what he does, and chooses birds he thinks will make it based on a high standard that he has set for *himself* Good shit.


A great mount is a thing of wonder to me; a poorly done one--and we've all seen plenty of those--leaves a bad taste in one's mouth. I ended up with birds that, I swear, look as if they're ready to dive, or flush, or come into a spread. It makes me happy every single time I look at them, and is fun to have people who aren't familiar with say, woodcock or buffleheads ask about them, intrigued.

The only birds I now bring to him I have a good idea will make the cut (though with his level of expertise and anatomical knowldege he still is much more stringent with his standard). Which suits me well, since the animals I am bringing him that are finished will ever remind me of a wonderful hunt and memory. It's only right I think that best ones get done to his standard, though certainly I understand having any animal done if it makes the hunter happy.

Anyway...um, what was this thread originally about? Oh yeah, good to hear some folks just won't sell out their values or self-respect for dough.

How do you/we judge a trophy?
Is it by some arbitrary standard of measurement?

For me I judge a Trophy by the memories of the hunt, the stalk, the shot, the firearm used to take the animal.
A "lot" of inches, points, or pounds, is good too, but the "hunt" is what it is all about to me.

For example, I have been on 4 black bear hunts to Idaho. I have killed bear on 2 of them. I had just as much "fun" on the 2 hunts that I did not even see a bear... well almost.

In Zim last June I killed a 55 lb elephant bull.
I will return to Zim next March. I hope to kill 2 bigger bulls, however if I kill 2 bulls around 40 lbs, have a good hunt and make good shots, it will be a great hunt.
I think if you get caught up too much in "inches, points, or lbs, you loose sight of the fun of hunting.

[QUOTE]A "lot" of inches, points, or pounds, is good too, but the "hunt" is what it is all abo ut to me.QUOTE]

I could not agree more, and there have been things I've worked my ass off for, and those were the most rewarding and memorable, but once in hand discovered those same ones happened *not* to be in the best shape. I'd rather keep the memory of that hunt in my heart and head, and mount one that looked like the one I chased for two hours before I shot him, and not like the shot up, missing feathers and broken-bodied one I finally took home to eat.

Just one as-yet-never-hunted-Africa-but-will man's opinion.

The above quotation only mentioned immature bongo. No where else did it refer to "inches, points" etc.

Personally I have never carried a tape measure with me on a hunt in my life. It doesn't determine my "smile".

I think the quotation is from an age gone by and is no longer very relevant. Especially the lion hunting, and "four lions on licence". Nowadays you would probably be more likely to do (and pay for) four safaris and be lucky to get ONE decent lion.

Any PH does not matter how big, the small ones anyway are interested in what will make him more attractive or how he could look more professional to be more successful.
If there are good advice, they will remember it.

This is like any business anywhere in the world, you offer what the client wants, quality and lots of it.
You look after your clients, see to it that they are happy and that they keep coming back.

How you do it is up to you and that will determine your success.
You will make some good friends along the way and they will come back because they enjoy your good company and what you offer.
Even your good friend knows what he wants, that is what he came for and if you can't deliver he will get it somewhere, with or without your help.

" Fine men are remembered for their reaction after a kill "