Who’d be 1st choice PH

25 March 2019, 10:53

Thierry Labat

I was recently asked once by a client who’d be my first choice PHs in Zimbabwe I’d chose for different hunts. This is obviously a very tough question to answer as you’d imagine but my list would go something like this.

Elephant - Buzz Charlton + Pete Wood
Lion - Cliff Walker + Brent Hein
Leopard - Spike Claassen + Neil Duckworth
Buffalo - Alan Shearing + Brent Leesmay

Like I say this is a very hard question to answer as there are many, many great PHs and of course there are lots of others that I’ve never shared a camp with or don’t personally know well.

25 March 2019, 11:09

Beretta682E

The more appropriate question would be which of Zim’s much vaunted PHs could deliver a bush pig

Mike

25 March 2019, 11:11

Todd Williams

quote:
Originally posted by Thierry Labat:
I was recently asked once by a client who’d be my first choice PHs in Zimbabwe I’d chose for different hunts. This is obviously a very tough question to answer as you’d imagine but my list would go something like this.

Elephant - Buzz Charlton + Pete Wood
Lion - Cliff Walker + Brent Hein
Leopard - Spike Claassen + Neil Duckworth
Buffalo - Alan Shearing + Brent Leesmay

Like I say this is a very hard question to answer as there are many, many great PHs and of course there are lots of others that I’ve never shared a camp with or don’t personally know well.

Got to give a nod to Rich Tabor as well for Leopard.

25 March 2019, 11:21

Thierry Labat

quote:
Originally posted by Todd Williams:
quote:
Originally posted by Thierry Labat:
I was recently asked once by a client who’d be my first choice PHs in Zimbabwe I’d chose for different hunts. This is obviously a very tough question to answer as you’d imagine but my list would go something like this.

Elephant - Buzz Charlton + Pete Wood
Lion - Cliff Walker + Brent Hein
Leopard - Spike Claassen + Neil Duckworth
Buffalo - Alan Shearing + Brent Leesmay

Like I say this is a very hard question to answer as there are many, many great PHs and of course there are lots of others that I’ve never shared a camp with or don’t personally know well.

Got to give a nod to Rich Tabor as well for Leopard.

Like I say it’s a hard question. Yes Rich is good, Vallaro a killer on leopard, Smythe and lots more

25 March 2019, 11:23

Thierry Labat

quote:
Originally posted by Beretta682E:
The more appropriate question would be which of Zim’s much vaunted PHs could deliver a bush pig

Mike

Most in the right location will get you a pig.

25 March 2019, 11:54

30.06king

I think very good Zim PH's are multi talented. While they have overall control of the hunt and it's ultimate success or otherwise, they work in tandem with ingdigenous Zim men comprising a team that tracks and locate games, sometimes by application of the senses, other times seemingly by instinct or by reading spoor, knowing fresh from stale. The PH takes this in and makes his plan while assessing how to get his hunter the best opportunity. Keeping this sort of show moving constantly forward must burn up quite some intelligent thought.
After twice hunting Buff with Alan Shearing I would not hesitate to do so again. I hope to again.

I have met Rich Tabor. I guess he is in similar league. I will find out when I hunt with Rich next year.

I know others will speak highly of Zim PH's. The good ones deservedly attract favourable press.

25 March 2019, 12:36

DCS Member

Thierry,

I don’t know you other than this forum, but you’re damn near 100% on spots and a preferred PH in the jungle areas.

25 March 2019, 12:59

fairgame

quote:
Originally posted by DCS Member:
Thierry,

I don’t know you other than this forum, but you’re damn near 100% on spots and a preferred PH in the jungle areas.

Yeah I would put Thierry at the top of the list as an excellent all rounder.

Brent Lee Mays is now my neighbour in Zambia and manages the Mushingashi estate owned by Paul Tudor Jones.

25 March 2019, 13:15

Thierry Labat

quote:
Originally posted by fairgame:
quote:
Originally posted by DCS Member:
Thierry,

I don’t know you other than this forum, but you’re damn near 100% on spots and a preferred PH in the jungle areas.

Yeah I would put Thierry at the top of the list as an excellent all rounder.

Brent Lee Mays is now my neighbour in Zambia and manages the Mushingashi estate owned by Paul Tudor Jones.

Yip. I’d have to say Zim has for the moment lost one of their best and no doubt he will be doing a great job there in Zambia.

Thanks for compliment.

25 March 2019, 13:59

DCS Member

You and Andrew seem top be tops. One of these days.

25 March 2019, 15:29

fairgame

quote:
Originally posted by DCS Member:
You and Andrew seem top be tops. One of these days.

Thierry has youth on his side and what I know about elephant is anyone's guess.

25 March 2019, 15:49

Saeed

Zimbabwe has some great professional hunters, and some who are just plain crooks!

Ask questions here, hunt with the real pros and avoid the crooks!

25 March 2019, 16:33

Sunshine

quote:
Originally posted by Saeed:
Zimbabwe has some great professional hunters, and some who are just plain crooks!

Ask questions here, hunt with the real pros and avoid the crooks!

I fully agree with you. Last year I wasted time and money because I had booked with the wrong ones...

25 March 2019, 18:03

subsailor74

Mike Payne

25 March 2019, 18:52

Jeff SN

I hunted with tabor, and think he is one of the best. I have been good friends with Blake for a while and think he will be one of ghe best ever. I would love to hunt with Johny Hulme at Hammond. Would love to be shown around Hammond by him.

25 March 2019, 19:10

Todd Williams

quote:
Originally posted by Jeff SN:
I hunted with tabor, and think he is one of the best. I have been good friends with Blake for a while and think he will be one of ghe best ever. I would love to hunt with Johny Hulme at Hammond. Would love to be shown around Hammond by him.

No doubt Blake is top shelf. I've had great success with him. Got my lion with Blake in the hottest part of the year, late October, early November back in in 2012. Also got an ele bull with him during an even hotter stretch of December 2013 when the rains were late arriving. Both hard fought hunts that Blake pulled out of the hat. I also consider Blake a good friend.

Just to take that one step further, getting that lion on bait in the extreme heat was a feat with much more background to consider than meets the eye at first glance. With the heat, baits were lasting about 3 days max before turning into maggot soup. We were at the end of the season, with limited quota available for refreshing baits. The amount of coordination Blake put into action was impressive.

First, he found out that Alan Sherring was asked by Parks to put down an injured buff cow a few days prior to my arrival. He coordinated with Parks to get 1/2 of that cow and stored it in the Pedza cooler until I got there. I had a buff bull and tuskless on my quota and there were two additional CMS clients in another camp. He was able to beg and borrow bits and pieces of their tuskless's and buffs, along with us shooting some left over kudu cow quota, and kept fresh meat swinging in the breeze each day, taking into account abandoning certain bait sights in a timely manner when conditions and activity dictated. At times that meant utilizing the cooler and at other times simply planning out when to focus on the other animals so as to keep fresh meat available.

These are the types of considerations a PH has to take into account and manage that we as clients often don't think about. I largely believe the difference between good and other PHs comes down to the efforts they make behind the scenes in order to give us, as clients, a seamless (as much as possible for Africa) experience and a better than average chance at success.

Obviously, guys like Theiry, who's own reputation is stellar, is a master at this type of management as well, especially considering the varied locations he hunts.

25 March 2019, 20:31

Balule

quote:
Originally posted by Beretta682E:
The more appropriate question would be which of Zim’s much vaunted PHs could deliver a bush pig

Mike

After sharing camp with Buzz and Mike Jines many years ago, my wife still refuses to shoot, eat or think about bushpig. We had bushpig on the spit, bushpig for breakfast, bushpig for lunch; it took us days to finish off all the bushpig they shot.

25 March 2019, 21:04

FishN4Eyes

quote:
Originally posted by Thierry Labat:
I was recently asked once by a client who’d be my first choice PHs in Zimbabwe I’d chose for different hunts. This is obviously a very tough question to answer as you’d imagine but my list would go something like this.

Elephant - Buzz Charlton + Pete Wood
Lion - Cliff Walker + Brent Hein
Leopard - Spike Claassen + Neil Duckworth
Buffalo - Alan Shearing + Brent Leesmay

Like I say this is a very hard question to answer as there are many, many great PHs and of course there are lots of others that I’ve never shared a camp with or don’t personally know well.

My list looks a little different:

Elephant -Thierry Labat
Leopard - Thierry Labat
Buffalo- Thierry Labat
Lion - Taking applications.

25 March 2019, 21:09

fairgame

quote:
Originally posted by Todd Williams:
quote:
Originally posted by Jeff SN:
I hunted with tabor, and think he is one of the best. I have been good friends with Blake for a while and think he will be one of ghe best ever. I would love to hunt with Johny Hulme at Hammond. Would love to be shown around Hammond by him.

No doubt Blake is top shelf. I've had great success with him. Got my lion with Blake in the hottest part of the year, late October, early November back in in 2012. Also got an ele bull with him during an even hotter stretch of December 2013 when the rains were late arriving. Both hard fought hunts that Blake pulled out of the hat. I also consider Blake a good friend.

Just to take that one step further, getting that lion on bait in the extreme heat was a feat with much more background to consider than meets the eye at first glance. With the heat, baits were lasting about 3 days max before turning into maggot soup. We were at the end of the season, with limited quota available for refreshing baits. The amount of coordination Blake put into action was impressive.

First, he found out that Alan Sherring was asked by Parks to put down an injured buff cow a few days prior to my arrival. He coordinated with Parks to get 1/2 of that cow and stored it in the Pedza cooler until I got there. I had a buff bull and tuskless on my quota and there were two additional CMS clients in another camp. He was able to beg and borrow bits and pieces of their tuskless's and buffs, along with us shooting some left over kudu cow quota, and kept fresh meat swinging in the breeze each day, taking into account abandoning certain bait sights in a timely manner when conditions and activity dictated. At times that meant utilizing the cooler and at other times simply planning out when to focus on the other animals so as to keep fresh meat available.

These are the types of considerations a PH has to take into account and manage that we as clients often don't think about. I largely believe the difference between good and other PHs comes down to the efforts they make behind the scenes in order to give us, as clients, a seamless (as much as possible for Africa) experience and a better than average chance at success.

Obviously, guys like Theiry, who's own reputation is stellar, is a master at this type of management as well, especially considering the varied locations he hunts.

Good PH to keep those baits going in October. The Zim chaps are noted for making a plan.

26 March 2019, 00:06

drj

Rich Tabor knows his way around Hammond as well.

26 March 2019, 00:21

drongo

I have hunted with Rex Hoets twice and each time was a very successful hunt. First hunt was for leopard and second for buffalo. Plus, he has a great sense of humor, which I think is important. After all, I am there to have fun. When I go back for another buffalo it will be with Rex.

26 March 2019, 00:53

bwana cecil

Legend Labat!

26 March 2019, 01:34

mbogobutch

Brian Van Blerk, and Cliff Walker

26 March 2019, 02:47

Safari2

I have not hunted Zim since the late 80's early 90's but I will list some from that era:

Con Van Wyk
Roy Vincent
Roger Whittall
Peter Johnstone
Rusty Labuschagne
Johnny Johnson
Greg Butler
Barry Duckworth
Mark Element
Piet Hougaard
Piers Taylor

26 March 2019, 03:14

MARK H. YOUNG

Guys,

Well! I just don't think you can go far wrong with the Duckworth. I've had an awful lot of happy clients with them. There are several other excellent Zim PH's I have worked with but these guys just keep delivering year after year.

Mark

26 March 2019, 07:27

Dead Eye

Gary Duckworth is top in my book.
Great ph's with great areas make the Duckworth family a legend in Zimbabwe and Mozambique

26 March 2019, 07:50

jjbull

I have trusted Thierry on Buff and looking forward to having him show me around Hammond in June for another.

2021 has me slated to go for Leopard and again I have chosen Thierry (No doubt he will steer us towards Sango)

Elephant and Lion are down the road but I am sure I will touch base with T somewhere near the beginning of the process.

26 March 2019, 08:10

H T

Add Guav Johnson to the list. Especially for elephant. He's been Zim PH of the year for elephant he took in Matetsi, and his dad Johnny Johnson has among the very best as well. Must be something in the genes !!

26 March 2019, 08:38

Michael Robinson

Guy Whittall would be high on my list.

26 March 2019, 08:59

Joe-S

My pick is Len Taylor
My son and I hunted elephant and buffalo with him
He knows his elephants and goes out of his way to make your hunt a great hunt
Joe

26 March 2019, 10:21

DCS Member

How is Stu Taylor these days?

26 March 2019, 12:12

Carl Frederik Nagell

Must be Buzz - the rock star of eli hunting

Good Hunting

Carl Frederik

26 March 2019, 12:56

Guy Whittall

I personally believe all of The Phs registered with the Zimbabwe professional Hunters and Guides Association are very good hunters/guides. As current Zimbabwean Professional Hunters we are extremely thankful to the last couple of generations of Pro hunters for passing on their experiences to make us a safer and more professional unit. Who is the best?? I hope most have enjoyed the warm hospitality the Zim Phs and their teams offer.

26 March 2019, 13:37

Neil-PH

quote:
Originally posted by Guy Whittall:
I personally believe all of The Phs registered with the Zimbabwe professional Hunters and Guides Association are very good hunters/guides. As current Zimbabwean Professional Hunters we are extremely thankful to the last couple of generations of Pro hunters for passing on their experiences to make us a safer and more professional unit. Who is the best?? I hope most have enjoyed the warm hospitality the Zim Phs and their teams offer.

Best reply so far. Zim has far too many top quality, experienced Professionals for this type of topic. By all means, potential clients must research their planned safari first though.

26 March 2019, 13:46

Buzz Charlton

Guy is correct- with the Zim PH standard been high with a little research you will be well looked after.

I think a more Valid question would actually be - who has the best team as in reality thats really what lends to a successful safari if you are looking purely at trophies secured.

The PH rounds off the whole experience but in a proper free range area it is the trackers and driver to a certain degree that actually make the difference despite what us PH think

26 March 2019, 13:47

Saeed

quote:
Originally posted by Guy Whittall:
I personally believe all of The Phs registered with the Zimbabwe professional Hunters and Guides Association are very good hunters/guides. As current Zimbabwean Professional Hunters we are extremely thankful to the last couple of generations of Pro hunters for passing on their experiences to make us a safer and more professional unit. Who is the best?? I hope most have enjoyed the warm hospitality the Zim Phs and their teams offer.

I do not think this correct.

Of course, we have the majority of them who are exceptional professional and honest.

But I do know of a few members who are nothing but bloody crooks!

Are the ones we hear complaints about not members of this organization?

26 March 2019, 16:02

Bwana Bunduki

Rich Tabor All around excellent PH

In Zambia Andrew Baldry

Jeff

26 March 2019, 17:21

Thierry Labat

quote:
Originally posted by Guy Whittall:
I personally believe all of The Phs registered with the Zimbabwe professional Hunters and Guides Association are very good hunters/guides. As current Zimbabwean Professional Hunters we are extremely thankful to the last couple of generations of Pro hunters for passing on their experiences to make us a safer and more professional unit. Who is the best?? I hope most have enjoyed the warm hospitality the Zim Phs and their teams offer.

Guy answer the question I was asked. We all know that there are many many many good PHs in Zim which is why I stated twice in a short post that it was a very difficult question to answer.

.
The names I came up with were the first to come to mind, for those individual species. For example there is no doubt that Alan Shearing can get you all those species but his name doesn’t jump at me for lion or leopard although he’s guided many successful leopard and lion hunts. Just saying