For those who have met American PHs, what was their story in how they became a PH?

They were abducted by baboons, and raised by hyenas.

George

quote:

They were abducted by baboons, and raised by hyenas.

George...... You are out of control

Any way, I know of one American PH working in Tanzania for a Spanish Outfitter. He Worked for a PH (from Zimbabwe working in Tanzania) for a few years, then made application and received his PH Ticket.

Flunked out of Toll Booth Attendant school?

The House of Ill Repute installed a jukebox and no longer needed a piano player?



Seriously, the PH's I have met were very committed early on to make it happen. Also helped to either have some financial backing already in place and/or be prepared to live quite frugally during the lean start-up years. For that matter very few make much money and do it mostly for the lifestyle. It's not a profession to get into if you have a house, kids, and monthly bills to worry about.

One VERY highly regarded American PH is Jeff Rann, who was in several of the Sportsmen on Film videos of hunting in Botswana.

George

By the earning standards of their respective countries(sub -Saharan) they do quite well. Crying poor is a tip solicitation technique proven effective over the years.

quote:

Originally posted by crane:
By the earning standards of their respective countries(sub -Saharan) they do quite well. Crying poor is a tip solicitation technique proven effective over the years.

On what information do you base that statement -or put another way, how much do you think a PH who is employed by an outfitter earns?

Newly qualified PHs will very often be prepared to work for nothing except keep and tips and even many experienced PHs will often earn no more than US$100 per day. For that they're up an hour before the client and go to bed an hour later, so it's often an 18 + hour day in a job that is considerably more dangerous & uncomfortable than most. They then usually have to pay their own medical and other insurances, buy their own rifles, ammo & other equipment and a million and one other things...... Believe me there's very few PHs that couldn't earn a more financially rewarding living doing something else. I honestly don't know a single PH that does the job for the money.

I'm basing it on the lack of opportunity for white males to prosper financialy in the era of BEE or however that acronym changes to from country to country. A PH who "graduates" to the concession holder/landowner/ outfitter and or agent stage has significant opportunity. And yes, I agree that the PHs I have been around are passionate about what they do. Almost to a man, they indicated if they were not in the hunting industry that they would emigrate to a country where the economic opportunities were not based on race. And Steve- in your second paragraph you are REALLY working the tip thing!

Crane

If you don't believe me I suggest you read "The Safari Experience" by Craig Boddington....

We regularly get e-mails from newly qualified PHs offering to work for nothing as it's the only way they can get experience and I guess we also get something like half a dozen e-mails a year from American/European/Brit guys who haven't hunted Africa but want to become a PH offering the same thing. Funniest one I ever had was from a guy who had a masters degree in medieval history, had never shot a rifle over .22, never shot an animal bigger than a rabbit or a pheasant and his only experience was being president of a clay pigeon shooting club for a year and for some bizarre reason, felt these qualifications made him suitable for us to employ him as a PH...

We actually pay our PHs more than I mentioned and we also pay their insurances and expenses etc but many/most companies don't. The reason we do so is that we believe it's the only way to get top class staff and is the fair way to operate.

As to tips, (IMO) they're entirely optional but if it's a choice of the native staff getting a tip OR the PH, I'd prefer it to go to the native staff every time........

.

Eagle11,that is no mystery in my oppinion.When they need somebody they start looking around for the first unemployed soul who can shoot a rifle.

Alf,

I'm not suggesting he couldn't do it necessarily.It's not impossible that he might turn out to be a good PH. Unlikely, probably highly unlikely, but not impossible...... I just found it funny as hell that he had the arrogance to think he could gain all the required experience at my expense!!!

Oh and I forgot to mention that he'd never been to Africa.......

At Reno in 05 Mark Sullivan told me he was charging $30,000usd to Americans who want to come work for him. According to him, for their $30k they get to spend a season learning "HIS way" of doing things and then they can pass the exam and start working for him.

As outrageous as this sounds it is about half what it would cost an American to go the traditional path in this day and age.

The truth is, unless an outfitter is going to get something out of it he is not going to employ an American, even if he works for free.

George Hoffman made it because he was a stand up guy with a large group of loyal clients who he had guided in the U.S. PHC made it because he was connected in the hunting industry and had already published a few stories. MS? I think he was successful as a businessman before breaking into the industry. Rann? I was told he had some family connections.

I REALLY think luck has played a huge part for most, but that lucky usually only came after many years of hard work in other lines of work. To do it would take great luck and a lot of hard work or a lot of hard work and a lot of patience.

Jason

Not that I have met them and I dont personally (know their story) but JJHack whom posts here often is a good example of a gentleman from the good OL USA whom has made it as a PH in RSA.

Also another chap whose name springs to mind, and some guests will no doubt rememeber him is Africa afficionado Tink Nathan, also whom made it and lived for some time in Southern Africa.

Now to be fair, I dont believe they were only PH's per se, they were more entreprenual and ran Outfitting or similar operations as well, so they branched out with their PH expertice which was only one string to their bow so to speak

More recently of cource things are changing in Southern Africa in particular so I dont know how easy it might be today to get started, I guess with determination one can achieve most all goals.

BTW in SA ( with local political) conditions compounding things there is a large surplus of (white chaps) in particular whom are falling out of trees and trying to make it as a PH even as a back up employment opportunity, what I am saying is they are a dime a dozen and not enough PH jobs to go around really to employ them all.

The standing joke in SA is shake a tree and watch the PH's fall out (-:

Have a wonderful day

Cheers, Peter

That's a funny story Shakari! I have some similar ones.... One time at our booth in Reno, the boss had me talk to a young man (who I thought wanted to book a safari). To my amazement, he had no thoughts of booking; instead he wanted to be hired on as a Professional Hunter (in Tanzania, where all safaris involved DG). I asked him how many safaris he had done as a client, and how many big five he had killed? His answer: "NONE" (not even plains game). I asked if he had in fact ever been to Africa? Answer: "NO". Next, (while biting my lip trying hard not to laugh) I asked if he were a hunting guide in North America? His an answer: No, BUT I shoot a deer each year in Pennsylvania!" I suggested he book a 21 day hunt with me, shoot some animals, gain at least some experience and perhaps work as unpaid apprentise for a few years. This idea did not seem to appeal to him. He then said: "I have read ALL of Capstick's books...so I'm pretty sure I can do it!!" I politely said "Thanks Bwana...Good luck!". True story.

I usually meet at least one of these guys each year. I think its rather insulting to a PH to suggest that his career is so simple anyone can do it. I always tend to admire dreamers, but this this guy was living in a Fool's Paradise thinking that being a PH is so easy! Like every other career, one must start at the bottom of the ladder and work your up! And for gosh sakes, at least get a few safaris under your belt before contemplating becoming a PH.

These are some of the attributes that separate PHs from the rest of us mere mortals:
1. Ability to speak several native languages;
2. Excellent knowledge of resident animal, bird, and plant life;
3. Superior physical condition;
4. Proficient with firearms and shooting of big game;
5. Ability to drink too much and do without sleep with little ill effects.
Some of us can do some of the above but few of us can do all five well.

they were left alive after their parents plane crashed in the bush, grew up with apes and now have a wife, jane, and a son boy

I have hunted many times in africa and it has always amazed me how hard a good PH works and that is why I have the highest respect for the PH's I have had the privledge to hunt with. They seem to be able to fix anything put up with all types of people and make sure you are comfortable at all times even when they may not be. While the job sounds glamorous from my point of view it is only a very hard working man can be a good PH.

"I usually meet at least one of these guys each year. I think its rather insulting to a PH to suggest that his career is so simple anyone can do it. I always tend to admire dreamers, but this this guy was living in a Fool's Paradise thinking that being a PH is so easy! Like every other career, one must start at the bottom of the ladder and work your up! And for gosh sakes, at least get a few safaris under your belt before contemplating becoming a PH."


I feel the same way -- insulted --- about guys who think anyone can be a professional outdoor writer/editor/author without a lot of dedication, hard work, training, talent and luck.

Bill Quimby

I have experience with only one African country and that is Zimbabwe. I have spent quite a bit of time there in most parts of the country especially in the Bulawayo area. I have found most people there to be consistently bi-lingual. It is most common to me to hear English,Africaans,and Ndebele spoken fluently in most homes and by most peoples. Maybe another native dialect by some.I have quite a few friends who are PH's and quite a few more who are hunters. Most seem to be more than proficient in the field. As to their hard work and inventivness I find that to be quite common to all who live in Zimbabwe and it seems to be necessary to survive there in that environment. Most PH's I know actually had other skills and training ,one an apprenticed machinist,one a Mercedes Mechanic,several farmers that managed large farms when not acting as a PH. One whose family owned a candy factory. Some had taken the test and were licensed properly and some were not. I have and would hunt with almost all I have met. They don't seem to have any desire to go elsewhere or do otherwise than work in the field. Most I have met were exceptionally skilled at what they do but were otherwise just normally intelligent people. I have never thought it to be an extermely difficult occupation to learn as the skillset required is possessed by most people. The primary requisites I see are opportunity and environment and above all the desire. I would think being a nuclear physicist,skilled surgeon,sculptor and similar jobs all require much more training and than being a PH. Certainly they are a unique group of people but the same can be said of many occuations. The one thing they all seem to have in common is the unbounded love for what they do. I admire them greatly for being able to what they like to do in the place they want to be.

ALF,

I couldn´t agree more!! Good!!!

PH

I would not be a PH for 2X what they make a year - putting up with the clients and the mess that goes with them...
They are under-paid and over worked from what I can see. They love what they do and I guess that makes up for it.

quote:

Originally posted by zimbabwe:
I have never thought it to be an extermely difficult occupation to learn as the skillset required is possessed by most people.

I agree with everything you said except for that. I know very few people who possess the patience and mental toughness to be GOOD at guiding clients. The interesting thing about Zim PHs is that so many of them ARE good, if not excellent. Zim PHs (on average) are the best in Africa. I have heard that said many times by many different people. Their testing is certainly the toughest in Africa.

Like any profession there are good PHs and some not so good ones. (Beware the PH who does most of his hunting on the internet!)

My older son (19) asked about it, he's hunted and shot rifles since he was 12, right now he's enlisted in the Army Ranger contract and will soon be going to Airborne and then hopefully Ranger school. Seems like if it's still his interest when he gets out, he'll have a head start on things.



Chuck

The Knowledge required to be a good PH is huge after 20 years of hunting my life was changed on my ph course. there is so much to learn somedays you feel like a complete idiot but thats what it is about learn learn and learn some more and you never stop learning.

can you talk for 5minutes non stop without repeating yourself about a pangolin. try doing that as you sit there and then for all the animals,plants you find in africa. then you will see how much there is to learn.

I think there is a lot of people who wants to try to be a PH, my self included.
I`m also have a great respect for the PH and the job they are doing, all the times for the client.
It`s also some hunters who think they are proffesionals at the moment they shoot a deer or a animal.
I started my hunting life in 1974 16 yaears old. I shot my first rawdeer the first season. I also worked as a mountain ranger in the reindeerhunting season. This is the closest I can get a PH`s job, we do help the others hunters and also guide them so they can shot their reindeer. As a mountain Ranger the job is also too catch pouchers, I doing this for 10 years.
I also do all the big game hunting in Norway and Sweden.
My list of shot big games is several hundred, but,I have still much too learn, My experience in Africa is plain games hunting, I enjoy the hunt in Africa, you get to know other people. still the prizes for BG hunting is too high for a civil servant, I`would hunt buff if the prizes had ben a little bit less.

One of the finest PHs I have ever known and my very good personal friend was George Hoffman, who PH'ed in Tanzania for many years. He was a good old boy and lived in Sonora Texas at the time of his death. George was born in Oklahoma as I recall..He was looking forward to going to Tanzania with myself and Saeed with Pierre van Tonder Safaris at the time but Prostate Cancer cancelled his hunt, he passed away shortly thereafter but the planning of the hunt made his life easier in his last days I believe...That year I shot the best buffalo of my life and Pierre and I toasted and dedicated this great bull to this great hunter..

His daughter still holds a PH license in Tanzania last I heard. His lovely wife Mary still lives in Sonora and George passed on to the happy hunting grounds about 3 years ago, and he is deeply missed..

His book A Country Boy In Africa is worthwhile reading and the 416 Hoffman was the forerunner of the .416 Remington..Basically Rem made a very minor change and renamed the cartridge, so that George wouldn't get any royalties..

His life was one that most of us only wish for.

500grains wrote

quote:

(Beware the PH who does most of his hunting on the internet!)

ditto

Seloushunter

I don't want to the PH. Gone from home and family for months. Logistical nightmares, corrupt government officials, Bad hours, sometimes impossible clients with impossible requests.

I want to be filthy rich and hire some one else's to do the bad hours, deal with corrupt officials, and generally cater to my impossible demands.

That might be the best statement in this thread.

If you want to make a small fortune as a PH, start off with a large one......

quote:

Originally posted by Pete Millan:
If you want to make a small fortune as a PH, start off with a large one......

well said its because of too much internet LOl

quote:

Originally posted by 500grains:
Like any profession there are good PHs and some not so good ones. (Beware the PH who does most of his hunting on the internet!)

Too true!

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
One of the finest PHs I have ever known and my very good personal friend was George Hoffman, who PH'ed in Tanzania for many years. He was a good old boy and lived in Sonora Texas at the time of his death. George was born in Oklahoma as I recall..He was looking forward to going to Tanzania with myself and Saeed with Pierre van Tonder Safaris at the time but Prostate Cancer cancelled his hunt, he passed away shortly thereafter but the planning of the hunt made his life easier in his last days I believe...That year I shot the best buffalo of my life and Pierre and I toasted and dedicated this great bull to this great hunter..

His daughter still holds a PH license in Tanzania last I heard. His lovely wife Mary still lives in Sonora and George passed on to the happy hunting grounds about 3 years ago, and he is deeply missed..

His book A Country Boy In Africa is worthwhile reading and the 416 Hoffman was the forerunner of the .416 Remington..Basically Rem made a very minor change and renamed the cartridge, so that George wouldn't get any royalties..

His life was one that most of us only wish for.

It is a good book and I would recommend it.