Photos below courtesy of Don Heath, Editor of Afrian Hunter magazine. The photos were taken during the 2007 Zimbabwe professional hunters proficiency examination. Don should pop up in a few hours to describe the photos to us.

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Photo 1 Tracking a wounded buffalo in the jesse. Great fun. The old boy finished off with a charge from about 20 m and droped to a .416 walterhog bullet in the spine from Doug Campbell.



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Photo 2 Group D L-R Dirk Mostert, Doug Campbell, Ray Makweh (National Parks examiner), Chris Sibanda and Mat Gotora



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Photo 3- Wednesday night was the souce of great excitement. An old Lioness decided that eating buffalo was just too much like hard work, and that she fancied something with no teeth, horns or even excess hair- something that looked like Clinton Rodgers in the shower to be precise. In the comotion and Clint objecting to being dinner, she pushed off, but around midnight ripped the fly sheet off a pup tent in which a camp hand was sleeping - a burning brand and much noise chaced her away. At some point in the night she walked into the tent pictured, where Doug Gilbert was sleeping. Doug didn't wake up when she was arround and left to go on an elephant recovery at 4 am. Here one of his camp hands is pointing out the spoor to senior Warden Norman Monks (Officer comanding mana pools park)



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Photo 4- At 4:30 AM Norman Monks and I along with three candidates made our way to a blind built by Dirk Mostert about 75m behind Clint Rodgers camp. It had been from this blind that I had seen the lioness the previous afternoon. The bait had hardly been touched (her teeth turned out to be all broken), and she wasn't lying up nest to the spring either...so rather than wait for another attemp, I organised a sweep. Just beyond Doug Gilberts camp we heard a bush buck bark, and moved out from the old dam wall. Shooting left handed, I took the right of the line.


After about 50 m I had that watched feeling, and stopped the sweep whilst everybody checked everything in sight and especially behind. We began to move forward again and Iwith Doug Campbell on my left veered off slightly to check a thick sheperds bush. ( Norman and the other two candidates moved towards a thick tangle of combretum). About 15 metres out I saw a tail flick and doug said he could see 'a blazing yellow furnace' watching us. I stepped forward onto a small ridge and told doug to shoot as soon as he had a target,

When I spoke the lioness shifted to get a better angle on me, and Doug smoked her neatly. Front, L-R Clinton Rodgers, Doug Campbell, Dirk Mostert. Behind, myself and Norman Monks



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Photo 5 - Hard to beet a red dot for close and fast!



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Photo 6 - Practicing getting in close



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Photo 7 _ Dirk Mostert showing how it is done



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Photo 8- Just got to boast Big Grin Find some other PH exam that offers this

Thanks for posting these dan - the internet is too slow to allow it from here.

Basically a good exam- held at Chimutsi dam at the base of the Zambezi escarpment in Nyakasanga safari area.

Photo 1 Tracking a wounded buffalo in the jesse. Great fun. The old boy finished off with a charge from about 20 m and droped to a .416 walterhog bullet in the spine from Doug Campbell

Photo 2 Group D L-R Dirk Mostert, Doug Campbell, Ray Makweh (National Parks examiner), Chris Sibanda and Mat Gotora

Photo 3- Wednesday night was the souce of great excitement. An old Lioness decided that eating buffalo was just too much like hard work, and that she fancied something with no teeth, horns or even excess hair- something that looked like Clinton Rodgers in the shower to be precise. In the comotion and Clint objecting to being dinner, she pushed off, but around midnight ripped the fly sheet off a pup tent in which a camp hand was sleeping - a burning brand and much noise chaced her away. At some point in the night she walked into the tent pictured, where Doug Gilbert was sleeping. Doug didn't wake up when she was arround and left to go on an elephant recovery at 4 am. Here one of his camp hands is pointing out the spoor to senior Warden Norman Monks (Officer comanding mana pools park)

Photo 4- At 4:30 AM Norman Monks and I along with three candidates made our way to a blind built by Dirk Mostert about 75m behind Clint Rodgers camp. It had been from this blind that I had seen the lioness the previous afternoon. The bait had hardly been touched (her teeth turned out to be all broken), and she wasn't lying up nest to the spring either...so rather than wait for another attemp, I organised a sweep. Just beyond Doug Gilberts camp we heard a bush buck bark, and moved out from the old dam wall. Shooting left handed, I took the right of the line.

After about 50 m I had that watched feeling, and stopped the sweep whilst everybody checked everything in sight and especially behind. We began to move forward again and Iwith Doug Campbell on my left veered off slightly to check a thick sheperds bush. ( Norman and the other two candidates moved towards a thick tangle of combretum). About 15 metres out I saw a tail flick and doug said he could see 'a blazing yellow furnace' watching us. I stepped forward onto a small ridge and told doug to shoot as soon as he had a target,

When I spoke the lioness shiifted to get a better angle on me, and Doug smoked her neatly. Front, L-R Clinton Rodgers, Doug Campbell, Dirk Mostert. Behind, myself and Norman Monks

Photo 5 - Hard to beet a red dot for close and fast!

Photo 6 - Practicing getting in close

Photo 7 _ Dirk Mostert showing how it is done

Photo 8- Just got to boast Find some other PH exam that offers this

Sounds like the man-eating lioness proficiency test was going on at the same time as yours! Glad this particular lioness failed!

By the looks of that hole in her shoulder, Doug must have been using a cannon. Any info on caliber and load?

Having hunted in South Africa, Tanzania and Zimbabwe, I have to say that there is simply no comparision when it comes to the professionalism and training of the professional hunters. Zimbabwe is heads and tails above the rest. There were several occasions at lunch when Buzz would quiz our videographer who was an apprentice on trees, shrubs, tracks, etc. I was very impressed with both their knowledge and the seriousness with which they approach their training.

What rifle is the red dot mounted on? Looks like a sweet package.

Very interesting. I was looking forward to this info so thanks for posting it. Looks like a great class Ganyana. What did the students have in their packs?

Mike are you referring to Guy? He took his written exam after you left but no word yet on the outcome. He was on my hunt as well and Alan spent a lot of time asking him the same things. It was funny because after several times on the same question I would know the answer and Guy wouldn't. We laughed about it but Guy is a good egg.

No, Guy was in town for my hunt. The videographer was Justin. I think he has actually decided to focus on filming and not pursue being a PH, but as I recall he is still considered an apprentice. My sense is that while Guy might not have all of the trees and bushes down he certainly has the partying part of being a PH down.

Kind of hard to get after Guy when you know who he works for.

I know who that guy is in the pic with the lioness Clinton Rogers of Tshabezi safaris...
Met him while hunting with his Dad in 04..

Mike

Rifle was a .416 Rem shooting a Walterhog bullet on top of 82grns S355.

The wound in her shoulder is the exit from the back up shot. When Dougs' bullet hit she did a neat 180 deg flip But I felt an insurance what was called for.

The red Dot is a Burris TSX mounted on a Damoulin 9,3x62 - note the extended magazine

Yukon _ Candidates on the exam are required to carry water for the examiners (Clients) first aid kit, skinning knives etc- in brief, everything they would normally distribute between their trackers/crew. On the exam, they are not allowed support staff to help them. They have to prove they can track and skin as well as set up an approach, judge trophy quality - oh and shoot well enough to protect their clients if all goes pear shaped.

If there is a fault- it is on trophy judgement of plains game. The South Africans and Namibians eat us on this score. It forms a very minor part of the exam.

Fantastic pictures and story!
Thanks Don for sharing it with us.

Good show Don. Nothing like getting to play a little cat and mouse with a big, old, worn-out pussy cat eh?
Keep up the good work and Cheers to you,
Brian

Thanks Don. The exams are really interesting and I bet that most of us would like hearing more about all of it including the written. I know some of the examiners get heavily into the flora side of it due to eco side of the business. If I understand it correctly, there is one exam for both eco and hunting PHs?

That Dumoulin is an interesting setup. I hadn't noticed the extended mag at first. That would make carrying it a little tougher. Any idea how much ammo it held?

Sounds like the guys did pretty good. I have heard stories from current PH's of exams that did not go so well. By the time they get here you would think they would be weeded out.

Thanks for the pictures Don. Did any of the candidates end up getting fully licensed?

Thanks Don ,your exams and tests are now pretty popular in our gun club ,in future PHs courses we will be using your system .Ihope in the near future to atted this course as observer .I spoke about your combat experience too to a local swat team class ,thank you your real experience is very usefull .Juan

Great stuff.

Looks like the red dot scope is tuff enough.

Gerhard

Bwana

Iternet is a trouble from zim today....

Several candidates passed

After all, before they can come on the proficiencey they have
1) written 4 x 3hr theory exams
2) Served a minimum of a 2 year apprenticeship
3) Shot a minimum of 5 dangerous game personally (composed of a mix of lion, elephant and Buff)
4) Passed the MARS advanced first aid certificate
5) Passed the ZSSF Shooting exam
6) Passed an oral exam/interview to make sure they have a resasonable chance on the proficiency

G -
Did the Prinsloo kid come to take the exam and if so, did he pass?

Ganyana,
Thanks for the info. That's good news. With all one can criticize Zim over, the proficiency and training of it's PH's is not one of them.

Ganyana: will you or the association publish an updated list of PHs? jorge

Don
Thank you for the post. Question If I hunt Zim again do you think that it would be effective to use Clinton as my lion bait. Seems that he did pretty well in that capacity during the exams

els - anything you hunt with Clinton around is successful! I seem to remember Dudley's ability to get you a great tusker with Clinton in tow. Was Clinton the bait for that one?

Clinton is a Wonderful hunter and person with a great family. I have had great hunts with him and Dudley.
He is supposed to get on the forum when he comes out of the bush with these last hunts that he has. It will be joy to have him here.