As you know all African hunts are guided. The PH will find your trophy and then generally tell you to "SHOOT". My advice is. DO NOT SHOOT UNLESS YOU ARE HAPPY WITH THE SHOT. The PH can't see what you see through the scope. Only you can decide if you are on target and happy you can kill the animal with that shot. You are better off with the animal running off uninjured and healthy, than wounded, lost and paid for. If you are in a decent hunting area there will be more animals to stalk. Its much more fun.

Good Advice to all hunters in all situations. Africa or not.
Hi Wayne, did someone spoil your fun?

Hi Wayne, Muffy finally made you join.
This is the same advice you've given me before and as you know I've turned a few down due to bad shot angles. I've also taken a few shots I shouldn't have, but you've usually sorted my mistakes out.
It's good to see you commenting.
I'll drop you an e-mail later, I just returned from Kodiak.
Mike

No, but it happens all too often and makes for sad times

Take it when you are ready, or when you are ready take it. The client is holding the rifle and bears the final decision.

Hi Mike
I hope it turned out to be a good one, will get the story on email.

As I've watched many of the TV shows, and my experience with 4 PH's is that many are asking "do you have a good shot?" or calmly saying "take him when you're ready". Keeping the situation calm, and recognizing that yelling "SHOOT!!!!!" can lead to problems.

I prefer these terms or orders from a PH...in a calm voice

1) Take him when you're ready.
2) DON'T SHOOT.
3) If he turns (i.e broadside), take him.
4) When you feel comfortable take him.
5) When the cow gets out of the way take him.

My breathing and hold might not be right, so I am opposed to a PH telling me...

1) Take him, NOW!
2) Shoot, Shoot, Shoot!
3) I said TAKE HIM DAMMIT!

quote:

My breathing and hold might not be right, so I am opposed to a PH telling me...

1) Take him, NOW!
2) Shoot, Shoot, Shoot!
3) I said TAKE HIM DAMMIT!

Excellent advice, especially for the new African hunter or when hunting with a new PH your not familiar with. Should be discussed before ever leaving camp IMHO.

good to see you here wayne

Wayne,

So good to see you on AR. I have been telling Muffy about this site for years. Good luck with your hunting season. Wish you all the best!
Linda & Mike Thornton

Having been on safari with many people, and having seen so many hunting videos. It seems many clients are not ready for the shot when they should have been.

I have a few close friends who drive me up the wall with what they do while hunting.

Take Gerhard for instance.

I have known Gerhard for 30 years, and have been on two safaris with him. We fondly call him Grandad, because he was such a wonderful man.

But, when it came to shooting an animal, he likes to take his time, Gerhard had a pacemaker, so could not walk very far. He wanted to shoot a good buffalo.

One morning, we were driving along in Matetsi, when we saw 4 dugga boys walking along. We decided to shoot all 4 bulls.

We got ahead of them, and waited. They continued walking towards us, as we could see through the mopane.

They stopped about 40 yards away from us.

Roy had the shooting sticks up.
Gerhard was supposed to shoot the first one, then I would shoot the rest.

Gerhard kept looking at the buffalo with his binoculars. Completely forgetting that he was supposed to be ready with his rifle on the shooting sticks.

We could not talk, as the buffalo were far too close for that. Roy was trying his best to get Gerhard off his binoculars and shoot the buffalo.

I was trying my best to stop bursting with laughter at what is going on, I put my rifle on the ground and my hands on my mouth!

After what seemed ages, Gerhard fired a shot. The bull he shot jumped a couple of yards and stopped, behind a bush. The other three bulls stayed with him.

Now, I cannot shoot the others, while his is still standing.

This went on for a few more minutes, and we managed to move a bit to get Gerhard to finish off his bull.

After he has done that, it took me a few seconds to have the other three down, including one that took off towards us after being shot, could not see us in the grass, and stopped. A bullet in head put him down.

As usual, Gerhard had a ready excuse for being so slow in shooting.

It was due to his "new rifle" he said!

saeed

One of the best things a P.H. can do (and Wayne is one of the good ones!) is to sit down the evening before the safari and discuss what is expected from the P.H. and from the hunter.

By then, during checking zero, etc., the P.H. has had the opportunity to see how the client shoots and handles his rifle. In a 30 minute discussion about experiences, rifles, expectations, etc., the P.H. can probably learn a good deal about the client (maybe see through some B.S.) and shape a bit of the safari to the client's abilities.

Maybe, to confirm everyones expectations, the P.H. should get the client to shoot an impala or warthog before hunting buffalo or an elephant and thereby learn a bit more, if necessary. And they taste good, too!

As for me, being quite deaf from my military service, I find it most useful to have a very a specific verbal direction when the P.H. is ready for me to shoot. Since I can't hear "sh","th", or other "soft" sounds (i.e., shoot).. "When you're ready" is best. It also is more effective if my P.H. is on my right side (my better ear). Not always possible, but my preference.

All that can (and should) be worked out at the campfire before you ever get in the Cruiser. I've been on 20 something safaris and P.H.'s sometimes assume a bit too much about my abilities (particularly to see game early in the safari and to hear whispered directions). I generally don't do to badly with the shooting, but, even with my experience and even with a "repeat" P.H., it is my practice to go over everything again the night before .... so no one (including me) has any doubt what "When you're ready!" means.

communication between the PH and Client is a very good way to start learning the clients capability,
and it`s not easy to be a Ph, he meets people with different skills every week, and sometime he meets his alike.
In the opposit way also it`s not easy for a Client in the first hunt with the Ph. also he don`t know how the PH will react in a hunting situation
I know and I feel when the PH is comfortable, he gets more relaxed, and we hunt much better as a team. I can say this thru huntingexperience for nearly 40 years, and 10 years hunting i Africa for PG.
The Ph on my latest hunt told me that he saw and knew that I and my parner were hunters with long and good experience, in the way we handle ours rifles and the way we stalked, we did not make a sound, we just were at the right spot, and took ours animal in a quick and secure way.