Maybe this topic has been beat to death....if it has tell me where to read about it as I am fairly new here. I was watching one of the hunting shows(northwest hunter???) they were hunting in the cape somewhere and on this show they shot a springbok and a black wildebeest...both from the truck...they showed them chasing them around in the truck trying to get close enough for a shot!!! I am going to be hunting the east cape in 2013 and I am curious if this common practice or not????? Please chime in Leopards Vally and you other PH's from the cape of RSA....Thanks for your input!!!!!! Shawn

I try not to hunt from the truck (unless I am lion hunting, then i prefer it).

Very common

On my first trip, I was head hunting and shot from the truck a couple of times . The rest were spot from the the truck and then a stalk. But we never "chased" game with the truck. On following safaris, I declined shooting from vehicle and made sure I enjoyed the experience of Africa hunting at ground level .

More common than people let on.

If you want to hunt then stipulate before and when you get there. Depending where you are it may be necessary to spot and stalk using a vehicle, but never chase an animal in the truck.

Shawn,

I think that I saw the same show that you did and it disgusted me too. I even commented on it in another thread.

The bad news is that it happens but to what degree is a matter of debate.

The good news is that you are in control of your safari and don't let what other people are doing influence you. Tell your PH flat out that you will not shoot from the vehicle. I think he will respect you for it and everything will be fine.

I worried about this too before my first safari and I set some ground rules before we went out.
They were:

1. I will not shoot from the vehicle under any circumstances so please don't ask me to.

2. Do not use the truck to drive animals or influence their behavior in anyway.

3. I will not hunt near the fence or use a fence as a blockade.

We got on the same wavelength, walked up all the animals and everything worked out fine.

Please don't sweat it. Hunt your way and don't some TV show ruin your hunt before you even get there.

P.S. I am going to the Eastern Cape in 2013 too and I am looking forward to it.

Zero shooting from the truck for me. Spot and stalk. We did alot of walking and that was fine with me.

I am sure I will get some flack for this.

But, when in Rome, do what the Roma's do.

I have hunted in South Africa a couple of times, and have taken shots from the truck, have walked for miles an animal for miles without getting a shot, despite the fact that we were inside a fence.

No matter how we look at it, hunting on a farm, regardless where that farm is, is NOT like hunting in the wild.

We can make our own personal rules, and enjoy our own hunts.

And as has been mentioned above, a lot of people shoot from the truck than they admit. Why would anyone want tio lie about it I really have no idea.

Why do you guys make it a BIG DEAL when people shoot from the truck? If you think it is cheating, then why do you use rifles? use knives and sticks to make it fair if that is what you want.

Saeed I would say people lie about things they feel personally shameful about.

Joe the reason that people feel strongly about it is that there is a difference between hunting and shooting.

Joe, you make a good point - we humans have a MASSIVE advantage over the game, even those who walk and stalk. Using the truck as a rest is a good way to make a clean humane kill. I also agree with Saeed - "when in Rome, do as the Roman's do." If you want to hunt South Africa, you hunt large game ranches, but I haven't noted any difference in the animal's behavior, when hunting the "real deal" in Mozambique. However, in South Africa the average trophy was larger and the cost about the same. AIU

Sad Sad Sad that anyone wants to shoot from a truck.... Almost as sad as someone wanting to book a hunt in national park...funny that it is the same nationality in question here doing both these things.

Zimguide you clearly have a problem with ALL thing South African and paint us all with the same brush. Maybe you should make a trip across the border to get some of that Lott ammunition that you are looking for (widely available in JHB at decent, not US though, prices) and come and visit a few places for yourself to see that we are not all idiots.

Hunters shoot off the truck all over Africa although it is more common and acceptable on the open plains of the Karoo and Kalahari where often 250 metres is as close as you can get. And dont fool yourself that Zim, Zambian, Tanzanian, Mozambiquan and Namibian PH's dont shoot off the truck. Certainly not often on DG as the hunt necesitates tracking on foot or a blind but more often than you realize on PG.

Zim is a wonderful country and i have some great friends there. You guys have had a tough time and much has been destroyed by an evil handful but please dont get all self righteous on us and blame all your woes on your neighbours to the south

Most Outfitters and PH's will try avoid shooting from a truck because it is simply not the image they want to convey of their typical style of hunting. Admittedly some get so used to the idea that they forget that there are other options.
Plenty of hunters state that they don't want to hunt that way and the PH will (or should) respect that and you are perfectly capable of having a challenging, enjoyable hunt.

quote:

Originally posted by 505 gibbs:
I try not to hunt from the truck (unless I am lion hunting, then i prefer it).

That made me laugh!!

South Africa is a big country with vast Biodivesity.To Say all South African Outfdits hunt from the truck just shows your lack of Experience.

In The Eastern Cape , we have large open Karoo flats and mountains that get up to 7500 - 8 000 ft in places. We dont hunt from a truck. We use it as a spotting platform for glassing and getting us up and down.

In 90% of the terrain we hunt you can`t hunt off of the truck you just cant get near the things even if you tried.
I have shot springbuck off of the truck 300-350yd shots as this was a clients choice, in the end I do what my client wants to do if its legal.
But Ive witnessed a Buff shot from a truck in Zim and on the same hunt the PH wanted us to shoot a leopard that had run out in front of us on the 2 track and by day 5 when we still needed a second Buff it was suggested we go spotlighting???

You get Bad apples everywhere.But Limpopo hunting is totally different to Kalahari hunting
to Northern Cape Hunting to Eastern Cape Hunting. Different terrain and hunting styles.

In the end you need to hunt the way you want to hunt.Its your hunt.

There are some good reasons to shoot from the truck, and they have to do with time and sight lines.

In some cases, the game is spotted and you stop the truck. At some point before you can get off the truck (sometimes instantaneously) the game also spots you and clearly will bolt if you delay to dismount or stalk on foot.

In others, the game is spotted, and because of topography, high grass, etc., the truck affords the best or only vantage point for a shot.

All in all, under these circumstances, it matters little to me whether the shot is taken from the truck or right beside it or a little distance away from it. To my mind, under these circumstances, the truck is the same as my own two feet, or if used as a vantage point, might as well be a large boulder or tree stand.

I prefer to spot and stalk on foot, and now do so exclusively. But I have not always done so, and would not promise to do so now for all time and forever. My reasons are as stated.

So, why the controversy?

I don't think that anyone in his right mind would advocate that using trucks for hunting should be banned. Trucks greatly expand a hunter's ability to spot more game by extending his "reach" to a much wider area in much less time than he could cover on foot. And let's face it, time is always a factor on safari - no one goes on two or three month safaris anymore.

It's important to remember that laws banning shooting game animals from vehicles generally date from the days when motor vehicles first showed up in the hunting fields. These laws were a reaction, or over-reaction, to the fairly common practice at that time (in some circles) of using hunting cars not just to spot game animals, but to pursue them. Some hunters would use their cars to run the animals down, sometimes to the point of exhaustion. Then they would shoot them, sometimes even from the moving car.

In some ways, this practice was a natural transition from hunting and pursuing game on horseback, but with a motor vehicle, which is much faster and never tires, the advantages are too great. Rather than simply banning this practice, game departments found it easier simply to ban any and all shooting from any and all vehicles.

Too much? For some, but not for others.

Unless, of course, it happens to be against the law in any given place.

I hunted bush pigs one night around crop fields, we drove around with spot lights looking for running bush pigs. that hunt in South Africa was extremely hard and it was exciting. Compared to shooting game out from under a feeder in Texas while sitting in what looked like a school bus warming shack, it was one hell of a challenge. I would not do either type of hunt again. There are plenty of options, at least in South Africa, as to how you want to hunt. Go and enjoy your trip.

So long as you are hunting you are furthering conservation. While I would rather arrive home at night having walked the soles of our shoes flat, that is not everyone cup of tea.
Having guided and PH'd I know that my role is to give my client the time of his/her life in the manner that makes them most comfortable.
After all, a happy client is the only way you stay afloat.

Friends and Hunters, lets stick together and remember that our ultimate goal is a swift, humane kill. If we cannot afford the animal that courtesy then the hunt needs to be rethought and approached in a way that allows us to achieve that goal.

quote:

Originally posted by Manyathelo:
And dont fool yourself that Zim, Zambian, Tanzanian, Mozambiquan and Namibian PH's dont shoot off the truck. Certainly not often on DG as the hunt necesitates tracking on foot or a blind but more often than you realize on PG.

It is illegal to shoot within 200 m of a vehicle, (or boat) in Tz. It still happens with frequent regularity. Must be by SA phs only.

Last comment was just kidding of course.....

Is it not against the rules in some parts of South Africa??

I would never consider to shoot from a truck while hunting in Africa.
But I couldn't care less about what others choose to do.
Your hunt, your money, your decision, but don't lie about it.

quote:

Originally posted by 505 gibbs:
I try not to hunt from the truck (unless I am lion hunting, then i prefer it).

No doubt. How do you feel about leopards and trucks? Here's a bloke who I'd like an opinion from.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGUFO61UrDE

I have shot jackals and baboons from a truck, but I wasn't "hunting" them either. I understand that hunting prairie dogs (or is it shooting,) in the USA is frequently done from platforms on the back of trucks.

Is sitting in a blind or a tree stand "hunting"?

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Manyathelo:
Zimguide you clearly have a problem with ALL thing South African and paint us all with the same brush. Maybe you should make a trip across the border to get some of that Lott ammunition that you are looking for (widely available in JHB at decent, not US though, prices) and come and visit a few places for yourself to see that we are not all idiots.



Hunters shoot off the truck all over Africa although it is more common and acceptable on the open plains of the Karoo and Kalahari where often 250 metres is as close as you can get. And dont fool yourself that Zim, Zambian, Tanzanian, Mozambiquan and Namibian PH's dont shoot off the truck. Certainly not often on DG as the hunt necesitates tracking on foot or a blind but more often than you realize on PG.

Zim is a wonderful country and i have some great friends there. You guys have had a tough time and much has been destroyed by an evil handful but please dont get all self righteous on us and blame all your woes on your neighbours to the south[/QUOTE

I have never claimed that ALL south africans are idiots.I have many South African friends and am sorry that there are more and more of your countrymen giving you a bad name everyday However why is that wherever there is something dodgy going on in the bush there is a south african (inveriably a person of afrikaans decent) involved. Rhino poaching in Zim and SA....Dawie G, Johan Roos and the list goes one. Hunting in National parks...we all know now who these people are....The whole of last season i saw hunting vehicles in Hwange and walked onto numerous carcasses...Every vehicle i saw...you guessed it SA registered. I am sorry if i offend you and you are a person who is not involved in any of this but the sad truth is nowadays that if there is something dodgy going on in the bush in particular with hunting there will be a South African involved. Yes there will be others maybe Zimbabweans, Zambians whatever but there is always a common denomenator... My apologies to any SA people who are offended by this statement but why is it the case?

WOW....thanks for all the replies....I ask if it was common only so that I know what to expect....I was not judging. The thing that bugged me about the show I watched was they portrayed it as the ONLY way to be able to hunt these animals!!!! While hunting in the Limpopo I did shoot a warthog from the truck....it was a quick snapshot and the ONLY warty I saw as the grass was tall( I felt it was a more difficult shot to make than any of the other shots off the sticks). I certainly am not afraid to speak my mind as to what I expect from a safari and what I will/will not do....but as Seead said "when in Rome" ( I agree with this to a point).

I agree w/those who suggested to hunt in whatever style YOU prefer, as long as its legal & OK w/the PH. For example, I grew up hunting in treestands, waiting for deer to come near me, when I travel to hunt I prefer spot and stalk, not trucks or blinds. BTW, I probably shoot less game than many other hunters, but I'm happy...

In the US, deer hunters put up feeders to draw teh deer to them, then sit in their truck and shoot the deer on deer season.

Trophy whitetail hunting in the USA is not hunting but shooting. Genetically in-bred deer creating artificial freaks. SCI just showed a place in Pa. where I live. A 400 acre or so high fence and the deer walk around like holstein cattle waiting to be shot when they reach the magical number of 200+ B&C score. This hunting is a sham.

As for truck hunting was the hunter handicapped?
But maybe he is just a shooter and not a hunter. There is a difference between shooting and hunting!!!!!!

Mike

Saeed all of the US is not Texas, where I live in Pa it is illegal to hunt over bait.

As to hunting from trucks I find game is more wary of vehicles on properties where hunting is done from the vehicle.

There is a big difference between hunting and shooting and the definitions have nothing to do with vehicles. I saw a show sponsored by McMillian where the hunters were bragging about taking 500-700 yard shots at animals. The hunters were laying on shooting mats with spotting scopes and laser range finders taking shots at animals that had no idea what was going on.

There is also a difference between legal and ethical.

Whats harder to see and hear--

A truck full of people or

a couple of people sneaking low to the ground?

Just asking-

SSR

quote:

Is sitting in a blind or a tree stand "hunting"?

It is and it isn't.
There are certain species of game that are so elusive that if it were not for sitting in a blind, the kill rate and quality of the quarry would unlikely exceed 5% - I am referring to Leopard, in this case, yes, it is hunting because there is a whole lot more to it than just "sitting" in a blind.

Perched in a tree stand waiting for the deer, boar or whatever to be driven out of the woods
would in my opinion be shooting but in some of these "shoots" you need to be pretty good

rxgremlin, I agree shooting vs hunting. I have friends who won't kill ground hogs at less than a couple of hundered yds and some who won't kill over 50 yds. I have heard (from outfitters) of people shooting Elk at 1,000+ yds using range finders etc.

Rubber safari!not my cup of tea......

quote:

Originally posted by retreever:
Trophy whitetail hunting in the USA is not hunting but shooting. Genetically in-bred deer creating artificial freaks. SCI just showed a place in Pa. where I live. A 400 acre or so high fence and the deer walk around like holstein cattle waiting to be shot when they reach the magical number of 200+ B&C score. This hunting is a sham.


Mike

Really? So this is how every trophy deer hunt is conducted in the USA? What an ignorant statement.

I think there are way different meanings of shooting from the truck. 1) camp ask for a couple of impala and ask you to shoot them you don't waste time you run out find them and shoot.
2) you pick up tracks and track for four hours and fail and get back to the truck and have a coke and start driving back to camp a mile later the tracker spots a really nice Kudu and he has seen you and about to bolt and you jack one in the chamber and shoot him.
For me either one of these is ok by me and I will shoot that I think is planning and hunting strictly from the truck

I have shot quit a few animls from the cabin of a truck(muzzle sticking out )
Its not hunting just plain shooting. I do feel a joy when taking a difficult shot at long range and the shot comes in succesfull.
Again its not hunting but one can feel a satisfaction regarding the good shot.

Zimmie

I wanted to say something but I will rather hold my tongue.

I am an African Boertjie that don't talk bad about Rhodies.

quote:

In the US, deer hunters put up feeders to draw teh deer to them, then sit in their truck and shoot the deer on deer season.

I hear this type of hunting spoken about with disdain by MANY who will have no qualms about hanging a chunk of meat in a tree for a Leopard, Lion or Hyena.

I really see no difference. Baiting is baiting. If legal and you want to, go for it.

I see NO ethical difference between the two.....

Meat or corn? It's still bait!

Yes I have and will again sit in a blind and watch for deer at a feeder. It's amazing some of the things you see while sitting quietly in a blind, just as several Leopard hunters have mentioned in reports right here on AR. By the way, I don't remeber anyone getting high and mighty about them sitting in a blind and watching a bait??????? Go figger???


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