How long into the safari do you start spotting game without the PH directly pointing it out to you? I recently returned from safari in South Africa and about mid morning of the first full day (we went out for 3 or 4 hours the previous day) that I started picking out animals mostly hidden in the bush. It was work and often my attention would wander and I found myself staring straight ahead. I had to concentrate on looking and searching. Is it something that kicks in as soon as you leave the lodge or does a take a little while to kick in?

I don;t know about Africa but I know here in the states, once I see an animal at distance (several hundred yards when scouting) and get a good 'fix' on it and see the relative size of it compared to the background, I start seeing lots of stuff after that.

seems like most of the ph's i know are rather bleary eyed in the morning

Some years ago I noticed in the wide open western spaces that ability to spot game gradually improved after a few days. I believe that those of us who live in more urban areas are used to orienting to an up close environment. Then, when we get used to big spaces & orienting to distance, as well as differing flora, terrain, etc. our ability to spot game improves.

I found that at the end of a hunt my ability to spot got as good, or nearly as good, as the guide. And, sometimes I saw something before the guide.

However, on my Namibia hunt, I continued right to the very end of the hunt to be amazed by the phenomenal ability of my PH, Gerd Liedtke, to spot game at long distance & accurately ID it as male or female & trophy quality. Occasionally, I could not spot a critter even when it was pointed out. I have never hunted with anyone that had the quality of his eyesight.

My first Antelope hunt was like that. Being used to years of Whitetail hunting in the NE, I couldn't spot one to save my life for the first day or so. Then you adjust and are good to go.

When we hunted Arda we would pass by this very tall kopje where a nice klipspringer lived. At the top was a huge rounded rock. One morning as we approached the kopje I saw a very small dot on top of the rock, not there the day before.

I told the tracker I saw a huge klipspringer on the rock. They could not see it. Of course I could not see that it was a klippy but it was a good guess.

As we got closer they finally say the klippy, a big male. They were really impressed with my eyesight....at least for a while

troy

Usually takes me at least 2 or 3 days to come anywhere near the ability to spot game as trackers and PH

I have always been good at spotting game but sometimes the boys in the back are like radar and don't miss a thing.
Direction was another story, that took a few days.

Mike