I have only been hunting Africa for 11 years a baby to some on this site. I had contacts some close some not so close with 3 of those effected this year. I don't ever remember a year like this before in the 11 years.
For you guys that have hunted for many years or PH's have you ever seen a year like this before?

Not that I recall.

Sadly it seems when it rains it pours. I recall the same thing in Canada few years back with airplane crashes and other deaths. Not good and my thoughts and prayers are with everyone involved in all countries that have encountered something like this.

I haven't seen a year even half as bas as this in 32 years

I hunted in Chewore Zim in 1989. A couple of years later, maybe even the following year, there was a PH AND his client both killed by the same wounded buffalo. Been so long that that I dont remember the PH's name. I think it took place in Dande but for sure in the Valley.

Buzz or Martin might be old enough to remember who it was.

Mitch

never

The bell curve is heartless...

Is it that more PH involved bad things are happening, or that we are more aware of it and a lot faster? Now in this everyday world of Internet and digital photos something happens and it's being discussed in detail all over the globe in a matter of hours. 30 years ago it would have taken several weeks to get the word out.

We are so quickly informed now. I see it in my everyday life; aware of floods and calamities all over several 24/7 news sources that 30 years ago might have been a week old and garnered only a small section in the back pages of the daily newspaper.

So are there really that many more situations happening on hunts in Africa? Or are we just much more aware of them happening?

I have been hunting dangerous game on and off for more than 40 years and full time professionally since 1993 and this is certainly a first for me.
I believe more PH ARE involved in the hunting industry these days, but for sure we are kept more aware of events by such forums as AR.
The latest run of incidents have come as a real wake up call for me and, I hope, all the other guys out there too.

I suppose it could be put down to one of those years where things go wrong more often than in others. Can't help wondering though if it is pressure from the whole money side of things and from clients demanding more and PHs pushing the envelope to deliver or from just lack of experience and shooting skills in general that are allowing these situations to develop.

Just re-read a passage in Taylor's famous book where he is charged at close range by a buff and drops down on one knee to deliver a shot into the chest of the buffalo and drops it with a 375H&H I think it was. A technique he advocated for all charging cats and obviously did on buffalo where he could. Takes a lot of guts and nerve to do this when facing a charge where the natural tendency would be to stay upright in preparation for flight. Same with the stories we hear (and see)of the PH and client running backwards or hurrying backwards while trying to take the shot. Again Taylor, Hunter and their ilk always advocated standing your ground and facing the charge and these guys shot hundreds of animals in their lifetime all without backup. I'm sure even Elmer Keith, the tough old bugger he was, would never have back peddled when facing any animal charge.

How many head of dangerous game has the modern PH shot? Sure they may have hunted or guided for years but what are the numbers they have actually shot themselves? Not saying they are not good in the field but maybe just not up to the standard of those of old. As for the clients, for many it is probably only the ready money that gets them to Africa rather than any great passion and skill in hunting and shooting. I will always advocate that it will not matter how many rounds are fired down range on a target and how skilled you think you are on reloading quickly, etc, etc. Facing the charge of an animal that is going to kill you where the first shot is the most important is an entirely different story.

That's how I see it anyway. A sad year for those who have lost their lives and for the families left behind and the same for those injured in the line of their business.

Safari2 - the PH was Alister Travers - did not know clients' name but incident was in Dande South Zambezi Valley.

A few years back a PH in RSA was gored by a buffalo, a hunter in Zim was killed (not even hunting Buffalo) by a Buffalo and Nickey Atchinson was gored.