As we had discusted in the past, I travelled for 3 weeks to South Africa, for an PH Course by Ian Goss.

It was an great (and cheap) expirience and adventure.

Ian is an great hunter, man and teacher.
I find him not "to hard", we had an good contact from the first moment as we meet in the airport (Ian holds at the exit an shooting-target in his handy, with my name on and three shoots in the 10 :-)).

I had learnd mutch in this weeks and some of my skills, like shooting, has been tested and it was (and is) okay.
I take this tests very easy, in other test-parts, like skinning or the game ordinance I had some little problems.

Of course, after you pass this school and the last two days of the final tests, as I did, you (or I) was not an complete and 100% PH, but he had opend the doors and it is to you now.

For my next safaris I will use my new knowledge. Many of them I will do on my own (but together with friends), so this will be an great help.

I had taken more than 5.000 Photos and I had written over 20 pages, witch I will use for some articles here in Europe.

I will post here later on more infos.

Best wishes.

SYLLABUS

1. FIREARMS: Sighting in - telescopic and open sights.
Firearm handling and safety
Practical shooting at 10cm targets, staggered at
30, 20 and 10m, within 15 seconds.
+tripod/bipod (shooting sticks) for shooting test 100 meters Bring tripod
Bore sighting practical
Client and firearm handling
Repair and maintenance
Shotguns and handguns
Firearm legislation N.B. Get New Firearm Act &
KNOW IT!!!
General knowledge - ballistics, calibres, makes and various actions.

2. HUNTING SKILLS: Tracking - animal identification and blood trails
Wind direction and use of cover
Distance estimation
Trophy estimation

3. ASSISTANCE TO CLIENT: When to give back-up
Shot placement on animals
Effective use of binoculars/scopes
Communication with clients during hunt

4. DANGEROUS GAME: Shot placement
Use of baits in hunting predators
Use of hides
General hints

5. ASSESSMENT AND MEASURING OF TROPHIES:
Field assessment
Assessment of trophies and skulls
Knowledge of RW and SCI minimums for
Southern African species

6. TROPHY HANDLING: Photography and traditions
Loading and transport of trophies
Skinning and caping
Trophy treatment and despatching

7. BOW HUNTING: Types of bows and terminology
Hunting methods, use of hides etc..

8. BIRD HUNTING: Shotgun types and game birds
Hunting methods and use of dogs

9. LIASON AND RELATIONS WITH CLIENTS:
Information to clients
Administrative information, airport
procedures
Planning a hunt
Client relations - integrity, honesty, business ethics and conduct of a host

10. MARKETING AND ADVERTISING:
Outfitting, brochures and attending conventions

11. HUNTING ETHICS AND TRADITIONS: Local and foreign
Approaches to improvement
of the hunt
Conduct after the hunt
Unacceptable practices

12. PROVINCIAL GAME LAWS AND CITES: Registers, permits, licences etc..

13. FACILITIES: Hunting vehicle requirements and maintenance
Accommodation - legal requirements and norms
Slaughtering and trophy facilities norms and standards

14. CATERING: Planning and control

15. FIRST AID: Basic requirements

16. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE:
FAUNA - Working knowledge of animal behaviour
and distributions and game management
Knowledge of foreign animals hunted

FLORA - General knowledge of SA trees, grasses and shrubs

S.A. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE - S.A. history and the history of hunting,
politics, astronomy, agriculture, tourism

17. AND MORE:
...
...
...

The entry of the camp.

Well done, some thing to remember for ever.

Would also love to do it some day.

well done ,please post some photos

The main building in the camp.

"My" House.
A very great one, nice, clean.
Normal day-rate 450 US-Dollar, in the course mutch cheaper.

A look inside.

The roof...

A non-catus tree in front of my house.

Now we start with photos from the course...
:-)

I spent many happy days and nights at that camp. Please send recent pics of Ian, I have not seen the old bugger for some years now...

DR.FM:

Congratulation on completing the course. I was going to be one of your classmates but had just gotten back from nearly a month in Namibia and needed to sort out some business things first. So......

I am on a plane back to ZA on 4 Oct and Mr. Goss's PH course starting on 8 Oct. and staying a few days after it finishes hunting on one of his properties.

Can't wait.

Please send recent pics of Ian
I will do it in the next days.
Sure

LT Col USAF (Ret)
He would told that you come.
It is an great adventure, so enjoy it.
And please learn the RW and SCI and the Game Ordince (he can send it to you) before the course. You will need it. Otherwise you will sit every evening in your room to learn only this and this is stress.

I leave for Namibia in some days.
We will see, if I can use my new skills there.

That would be quite an adventure in itself.

Curious what the total cost for such a course, including the course, room and board?

That would be an adventure in itself.
Oh, jes.
It is a great one.
:-)

Curious what the cost for such a course, including the course, room and board?
Jes, too.
The costs are 10.000 South African rand, this is near to 1.200 US Dollr. For more than 10 days, inkl. 3 meals a day, in a high standart camp, in witch the normal day rat is 450 Dollar a day, if you gon on an safari.
It depends on this: The normal SA-people dont have so mutch money and normaley the course is for them. So Ian let as an example some oversee-students trains there...

Every day in the morning, before the of. course start at 07.00, the students stands up at 05.30 o clock and practice theier horn judgement...

The sun comes up over the Zulu Land...

And here Im at 05.45 o clock, with my binocular, start the day with horn judgement a waterbock, a bonte- and a blessbock.
By the way:
Did you know the difference between this species?

After near 50 trophys a day, you have to measure them.
Here we are at 06.30 o clock with an eland.

You must use the offical material, here the Rowland Ward Steel Measure Cable.
You must do this proper, because:
- I ts part of the PH work
- It is part of the PH Test
- The US-Clients are gracy about SCI-Books... (Jocke :-))

A little part of the material for officle use.
As an PH, you are allowed to measure in the field and official, for SCI and RW, in some species, for example croc.

So gentleman and friends,

this was an little presentation about the course.
(It was -and still is- an great adventuer, so if you have the possibility, go for it!! Only for training reasons, this is more than enough!!))

We are here at day 1, I had tousends of photos more...
And enough storys to go on...

But:
- I dont know if there is more interessed in it here in the forum.
- I must ask Ian to continue, because I dont want to tell "secrets".
- I leave Germany now for an 14 day safari (my own) in Afrika.

Best wishes.
See you (and sorry for my bad german-school-english).

Congratulations Frank. I hope you get to use your newly acquired knowledge on your hunt.

Well done FM. It is one of the things I would like to do in the near future but you already have done it.
It must be a life time expirience and thank very much for sharing.

I hunted at Goss in June. Very nice place

got a Blue Wildebeast, Giraffe, Nyala

how much did you pay ,did yopu take some game during the course ....