So you are hunting DG, shit happens and you have to follow up. Things get worse, somebody in your party (be it wife, PH, tracker - we'll exclude yourself for the moment) gets bowled over by the animal you are tracking. Animal is on your companion, what do you do?? Do you fire the shot intended to save the day??

Zim PH Howard Hunter was wounded by his client in a situation like this. Wounded does not sound very bad, but as Ganyana described in a different post, the .416 bullet entered at Howard's wrist and left at his elbow. Who knows if that will ever heal?? And I guess in some ways Howard was lucky, either the buff or the client could have finished him off.

Or in the case of Mrs. Atcheson, does it make a difference if it is your wife that has been tossed by the buff??

In some respects, things get even worse if you are dealing with cats, the targets are just so small, and the amount of damage they can do in no time a sight to be seen.

The point is not to blame anybody for what they have done in the past, for what they should or should not have done. The scenario rapidly approaches "worst case", and I'll be darned if know what I'd do in a situation like this?? I know there will be a zillion variations, and perhaps in some of those, you can safely make the shot that saves the day... But can you tell when to shoot and when not?? Or should a client not even try this, and leave it to his PH, who has greater experience, except that the PH might be around the corner, or in Mr. Hunter's case below the buff...

- mike

You've got to run up to the beast, stick the muzzle where it will do the most good (i.e., kill the beast immediately), and fire, keeping in mind the bullet's likely path.

This might go against most people's survival instincts, but it's what has to be done.

George

If it's me getting stomped/clawed/bitten, etc.....please follow Georges advice.

Gary B.

I recently picked up a short film called Leopard Charge put out by Sportsmen on Film. It shows pretty clearly how fast things can go from fine to real bad and how fast a cat can inflict damage. Like 4 seconds from fine to charge to injury to dead cat. In this case, the PH put the muzzle of his 458 up to the leopard and shot him at touching distance while he was on top of the guy.

I think it was pretty fast acting and a good way to get the animal off the man. I don't think I could sit and watch an animal abuse someone I was hunting with. I would at least look for any shot that would help - maybe even shooting at the other end of the animal to break it down or distract it?? Definitely try to NOT hit the person!

Accidents can happen...I know a chap that was tossed by a cape buff that it wasn't been hunted, just appear and charged him...
The PH and his wife shot the buff but they waited to have a clear angle.

But leaving alone accidents, if you hunt carefuly and you shot even more carefuly, and make a good first shot your chances of being charged must be less than low. My modest opinion is to hold your first shot till you feel confortable, just that, and you will not get involved in situations like you describe in your post.

Better to loose a shot oportunity than someones else life....(or yours)

L

But above all else, don't accidentally shoot anyone. There was a guy in Namib a couple of years ago being chewed by a leopard, and someone helped him out but shooting the leopard and also shooting the poor man's leg off.

That speaks directly to the second rule of firearms safety, "always be sure of your target and what's beyond it".

Reading thru Brian Herne's (sp?) book on the history of White Hunters it was remarkable how many of the PH's were shot by persons trying to get DG off of them.

Just something you have to mentally prepare for prior to going into the field and part of chasing dangerous creatures.