When I was apprenticing and as far as I know up into the late 90s “all” (most) of the PHs in Tanzania seemed to drive the car themselves with the clients sat next to him, and that’s they way I always thought it should be, maybe its an East African thing?

Recently I have noticed a growing number of PHs that have the driver drive and the PH sits in the back with the client. Why?

I drive myself because that’s the way I have always hunted; while I am driving I will notice a valley or meadow and head off road and meander though the bush going on my gut feeling, even while on a rd I will slow down or drive faster based on this gut feeling, it would be a pain to communicate this to a driver all day.

i presume you are talking about riding in the hunting vehicle not a car to and from the hunting area. if so you and the PH are both looking for game and its much more productive to be sitting in the high seat because you can see better

Sorry I did mean the hunting car while hunting, I am the PH and sitting in the back is taking up space taken by the trackers who will see much better than the client and and possibly better than me.

As a client, I have experienced both. My preference is to ride in back with PH. That way you get to talk, and I get to learn, but I get a better view for my ever so short duration in Africa. I enjoy seeing the view and all the animals we aren't going to hunt from the back. Now if it is before daylight and we need to drive an hour in the cold before we start hunting, I am fine with sitting in front.

I felt like most of the time the PHs that drove were doing it because they didn't trust a tracker, or driver, to handle their vehicle in rough conditions. Again, I would much rather ride in back, and have sometimes when the PH was driving of my own choice...

I have never hunted with a PH that would along with the client sit up top with some one else driving. However on my last hunt, we court up with a friend and his PH on our way back into
After a chat, he and his PH jumped up top and let the Tracker drive whilst they enjoyed the evening drive. I thought this was a great idea.

Surly you can talk to the PH while he is driving, I do appreciate that the view is better on the top, but that also depends on the terrain, In forested country it can be better down low.

Also keep in mind we always had the older model land Cruiser or land rover which you could take the cabin off, I hate the new models.

In 14 safaris, I doubt that I have spent more than 1/2 hour riding in back. The Phs have always done the driving when we were both in the vehicle. Some don't trust any of the trackers or car boys to drive their vehicles because they can not afford to have that vehicle out of commission.

465H&H

For hunting purposes both the PH and client in the back is the way to go. This only works if the driver is excellent. If the PH has to keep an eye on the driving and the hunting from the back it can be frustrating.

Mark

Mark, this is a good point; in the “old days” the drivers were not good.

But still today you may have a great driver but he also needs to have a hunters mindset, which I don’t think we have a lot of (in Tanzania anyway) as drivers tend to be town people and trackers are bush people.

quote:

For hunting purposes both the PH and client in the back is the way to go. This only works if the driver is excellent. If the PH has to keep an eye on the driving and the hunting from the back it can be frustrating.

+1

mcdjph

In Zim I think it is the norm to have the PH do the driving. often the PH is using his personal vehicle and I can understand him wanting to do his own driving to preserve his property.

I have been on safari in Tanzania, Cameroon and Botswana where the driver was just excellent and tuned into the hunting. The PH could sit in back with me and not worry about every pot hole etc.

Mark

quote:

Posted 17 May 2010 23:31 Hide Post
Mark, this is a good point; in the “old days” the drivers were not good.

well - some thing don't change even some of the PH's are a bit shall we say lax. (read this Terry Von Rooyen)

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Originally posted by mboga biga bwana:

quote:

For hunting purposes both the PH and client in the back is the way to go. This only works if the driver is excellent. If the PH has to keep an eye on the driving and the hunting from the back it can be frustrating.

+1

Hunting is done on foot. Best to have the trackers up top in back looking for tracks worth following.

A tap on the roof allows for closer ispection of the tracks, or for taking advantage of an opportunity to make bait.

But hunting is done on foot, not in a car or truck.

The back of the truck isn't a bad place for a cold beer at sundown, on the way back to camp though.

JPK

quote:

When I was apprenticing and as far as I know up into the late 90s “all” (most) of the PHs in Tanzania seemed to drive the car themselves with the clients sat next to him, and that’s they way I always thought it should be, maybe its an East African thing?

I like this myself, maybe it is because the dust would play havoc with my contacts otherwise?

I am a quite old man but just exactly how much experience does an American hunter familiar with SUVs and pick up trucks need to handle one of those "exotic" African things that drive on four wheels? (And I came to love the Toyota LandCruiser.Fact)+ It really pisses me off that some Africa "types" treat all American hunters as if they were complete beginners when they arrive in Africa. (Personally, I think that a charge of a grizzly at close quarters is every bit as dangerous as an elephant charge - but then, that's me -and yes, I never saw mzou's charge -but I did see a "mock" charge by a matriarch in late afternoon -and she scared the you know what out of me! I will repeat that all hunting experiences are purely personal. What doesn't so much scare one guy can make another guy's blood run cold. (I am an enormous admirer of the guys who drop an elephant within 50 feet - and, while,I freely admit that lions impress me and as much as I admire them - I think that I would have been able to shoot accurately at Leo - even if the films I've seen show me a truly terrifying critter coming at me. I am trying to be honest here -just typing on a laptop - I think it's the feeling that an advancing (mock charge) or actually charging elephant is like some kind of express train coming down the tracks -and you are trying to stop the train with a bullet. A lion gives me the impression (from films) thast it is me that he wants -and only me. He is making it a very personal matter. It's why I admire (and love the elephant -even as I dislike elephants. I hasten to say that I never fired at an elephant or lion but that's how I feel. I truly envy both kinds of hunters. Fact. (I read that a lion can cover 100 yards in not more than 8 seconds - MY PH told me that he once had to shoot a charging lion spotted at about 100 yards -because the client couldn't set up fast enough to shoot. ( He had shown me a "lion stand" for those types who wanted to shoot a "lion" -without the excitement. I was dumbfounded at how high the "bait" was to be. {He told me that a grown male lion could reach up over 12 feet) Forgive an old man's ramblings. Africa is a fascinating place! All you younger types should make sure to go!

Y'all ever been down a road lined with Mopane trees in early season? The golden orb spiders are thick!

Those webs are strung just high enough to smack the riders in the back of the truck. Made me very happy to ride in the cab.

Of the 3 PH's that I have hunted with in Bots, 2 rode on top with me and one drove. Personally I prefer both riding on top and having the PH with me. I can see more up there and I am able to talk to the PH.

I much prefer the PH to be on top with me. When you are in the cab, your visibility is very poor on the right side of the vehicle. Seeing all Africa has to offer is a large part of the fun for me.

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I much prefer the PH to be on top with me. When you are in the cab, your visibility is very poor on the right side of the vehicle. Seeing all Africa has to offer is a large part of the fun for me.

Me too!



.

Having done both, I much prefer to ride in back with the PH beside me, assuming a good driver, of course.

The view is much higher and better. And there's plenty of room for my wife right beside the PH and me.

The game scout rides in the cab with the driver, and the trackers ride behind the hunter and PH.

The trackers are at the same height as we are, and are not the least bit hindered in doing their jobs.

One must be careful, of course, but how is that different from anything else we do? Still, some people . . . .

My PH one year told me of a hunting client that refused to hold on to the roll bars, no matter how many times he was urged to do so.

While crossing a river, the truck lurched into a hole on the bottom. The client was slung forward and hit the forward roll bar with his front teeth.

All were knocked out or broken into jagged fragments. His smile and his safari were both ruined. How can you have fun if you can't smile, right?

Some people . . . .

I don't mind the risks of riding in back. And they're far outweighed by the benefits in any case.

Sitting in a truck cab is dreadful by comparison.

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Originally posted by LJS:
I much prefer the PH to be on top with me. When you are in the cab, your visibility is very poor on the right side of the vehicle. Seeing all Africa has to offer is a large part of the fun for me.

+1

I think the preference of most PH's is to be in the back of the truck with the trackers for visibility. In SA, I rode in the back with the PH most of the time and his wife who was the outfitter drove. She also spotted a majority of the game. In the Selous, the PH had a driver who drove when the PH did not but he had me sit in front on the left side. This was so that if we passed any targets of opportunity, since he had the old style Land Cruiser with the doors and windshield removed, I merely had to step out to shoot.
While I agree that for the client it is nice to ride in the back, you may be taking up space better occupied by a tracker who is much more experienced in spotting game. If you want to ride around and look at Africa take a photo safari.

While I have only been to Zim twice and Zambia one. I much perfer to be in the back with the PH while we are hunting. Like someone else said if it is dark or cold the cab is just fine with me. My trip to Zim the PH and I were nearly always in the back. Except in the early moning when it was cool and the thin blooded PH was then inside driving. When in Zambia, my Ph never dorove his truck. I am not even sure he could drive. He always rode in the back and I rode where ever I wanted, which was ususlly in the back. My last trip to Zim, depending what was going on I rode both places. I much perfer the back.

If we are hunting and rolling the tires to cover max terrain, I want to be in the back and I want to PH there too.

If we are just running from here to there - to check baits, to the blind, to a waterhole, looking for buff tracks, etc., I will ride wherever the PH is, which often is the front seat.

This is all subject to change if Ms. Safari Lawyer and the PH are in the cab having a sing along to the American rock and roll CDs.

quote:

Originally posted by MARK H. YOUNG:

In Zim I think it is the norm to have the PH do the driving. often the PH is using his personal vehicle and I can understand him wanting to do his own driving to preserve his property.

That is the way it was usually done on the safaris I have been on, the vehicle belonged to the PH, and he drove it to the hunting area and I sat up front beside him, then we would park it in the shade and get out and walk. Most of them would send a tracker back and get the truck after the animal was down so it could be loaded, we stayed with the animal and waited.

Tetse flies...it all depends on them. They rule.

I'm where the PH is.

That said I have always sat next to him driving the vehicle.

Each time it was an open Land Cruiser with the trackers up top spotting for game. A very handy arrangement for hunting.