Upon watching many of the videos out there on African hunting, and reading many works about the same, I find few places where the hunter was permitted to shoot at an animal without the aid of shooting sticks. Now, after attending many North American camps and watching the shooting that takes place there, I can understand this. I would like to pose this question to the forum in reference to this practice. Can you "opt out" of this with most PH's? I shoot very very well and very often and I would not choose to use these sticks. But I believe that may be an issue from what I have seen and read. There is just some part of me that despises being treated like a child. I am a grown man and I can handle my rifles without the aid of those clumsy things.

Joe

Of course you can. It's your money and your hunt which makes you Bwana Wa Safari, and if you don't want to use sticks, I doubt you'd hear many PHs object.

Of course, you probably wouldn't get much sympathy if you stuffed a shot up because of it.

Joe,

There is no issue as far as I can see.

You are very welcome to shoot off hand, if you are able to, and I doubt whether the PH would say anything about it.

The main reason for using the shooting sticks is to help you hit whatever you are shooting at.

And at least in my case, I find that they are of enormous help. In fact, I use whatever rest I can find whenever possible.

Sure, I can shoot reasonably well off hand, and do quite often.

Where the sticks do come into their own is when you are trying to shoot an animal through brush. And you have to place the bullet between branches to reach whatever you are shooting at.

I don't understand why you feel like a child if you use shooting sticks!

I have a friend here who think using scopes for hunting is only for sissies.

Trouble is his shooting is not worth writing home about!

I guarantee you no PH would complain about what method you use to shoot. You can stand on your head if that turns you on, as long as you hit what you shoot at.

joe ,
its entirely your choice .. and there are few PHs who will argue with you.

I have never seen anyone who can shoot better without a rest than they can with one. the sticks are merely a "mobile rest".

Most people who hunt africa will shoot off sticks (by their choice) and i doubt if they feel they are being treated like children.

Thank you all for the replys. Perhaps comparing shooting from sticks to being treated like a child would have made more sense if I clarified it. In all the videos I have seen, most of the hunters seem to want the PH to set them up for the shot. When I was a child that's how my father would treat me while hunting. He would get me to the animal, or as close as possible and then make sure I had every advantage given to me in order that I might be successful in the shot. If that meant that he cut a branch with a "Y" at the top for me to shoot from, then that is what he did. And today, I often carry something called a pole cat today, and find it to be a fine rest and it doubles as a walking stick. My point with the original question, was is this something the PH demands because the client wants to be catered to or is there another reason? I see now that it is a choice and that makes me feel much better. I have a very stubborn independent steak in me and at times it clouds my opinion about things.

Saeed, I meant no dis-respect to any one whom chooses to use the sticks, and I can see your point about shooting through brush. I am still trying to understand all the differences between North America and Africa. Here, I hunt elk, at 11000-12000 feet solo or with a limited few hunting friends. We use bows and there is no one there to help with the shots. In contrast, African hunting seems to be much more a group effort.

Very often there is grass/ground cover which make sitting or prone shots impossible. Likewise, a tree or rest often isn't there. It then boils down to free-hand vs. sticks.

I would say to get or make sticks and practice with them before you go. Also, when you're sighting in your guns, have the PH put up the sticks. I've found that most PH's put up sticks lower than I prefer and making your preference clear beforehand will avoid frustration.

Joe,

have a look at the following link.

Sable

I suggest you right click, and save it to your disk.

We saw a sable bull, which was hidden behind so much brush, there is no way in hell I could have taken the shot if I did not have the shooting stick.

Now have a look at this video.

3 buffalo

We followed some buffalo, and caught up withem, We saw one bull, partly in the open, and I shot him off the stick.

The other two were running about in long grass, and it was not possible to use the stick, so my only option was to shoot them off hand.

If I had any choice, I would have preferd to use the sticks.

quote:

Originally posted by Joe Miller:
When I was a child that's how my father would treat me while hunting. He would get me to the animal, or as close as possible and then make sure I had every advantage given to me in order that I might be successful in the shot. If that meant that he cut a branch with a "Y" at the top for me to shoot from, then that is what he did.

Joe, Your father has the makings of a great guide, I believe that the guide should do everything possible to make sure the hunter is capable of making the shot. I would not see this as "Babying" the hunter, but having respect for the quarry, ensuring a clean kill.
I have guided a client or two that prefered not to use the sticks, and faired pretty well. But I have to agree with Saeed that in most cases it will improve ones chances for a better shot, and we owe that to the animal.
JL

Thank you Saeed,

So many of the videos on the market feature hunting in much more open country. Yours seem to always be in a tangle of some kind. Reminds me of hunting Whitetails back east. Some of those hollows are so thick it was all you could do to walk, but I have hunted and killed game there. A rest, be it a tree trunk or a clump of saplings pulled together make a shot in the brush much easier. In conditions such as shown in the videos posted, I would be glad to have a rest of any kind.

Joe

Well, I believe in stacking the odds in my favor as much as possible; so, I use sticks for deliberate shots. My two elephants were off-hand and I find that if I must shoot follow up rounds then I, for some reason, fire them offhand.

Just bring you pole cat and use as you see fit...it is what you are used to using and I see no reason to change just because you are on another continent.
Robert

When I was in Africa,I used my own NATURALLY OCCURING shooting sticks.458Win Mag SHOOTER]Naturally Occuring Shooting Sticks

When I shot competition, offhand was my favorite position, and I generally preferred a gusty wind because it cost me less points than most. But I'll always use sticks given time. I'd always used bipod sticks, but used tripod sticks in Tanzania this year and definitely prefer them. Weight and speed can be an issue though when there isn't someone to set them up for you.

Here in south eastern Wisconsin the only way to get a shot at deer is to put on drives. It would be really nice to be able to use sticks but usually our shots are at anywhere from 20 Yds to 150 Yds at running deer. I used sticks on all my trips to Africa and it sure did make life easier. My advice is practice with sticks and be comfortable. If you have never shot at deer running flat out you haven't lived. And by the way very few get past us, but it does happen usually when the deert is not running and the shooter has too much time to think. Instinctive shooting does work.

Joe:

I thought the same as you prior to going to Tanzania on a lion hunt. All my whitetails were off-hand shots from 30-135 yards. However, once you baked in the 105 degree sun for 2-4 hours bent over following you PH on numerous stalks I wasn't too proud to put my rifle on the sticks or to tell him to lean into me to steady me.

You pay a trophy fee for a wounded animal as well as a dead one so it is your buck. However, I didn't relish the thought of wounding and losing an animal regardless of the fee.

Dutch

i duno, i gues i can shoot OK having lifetime masters in both rifle and pistol, but i'll take any kind of a rest any time i can get it

I can only imagine what hunting in the heat would be like. I am totally adapted to frigid temps. This month in Wisconsin, muzzle loader season kicks in and its nothing to hunt in wind chills of -40F. Just this morning when we walked out at 4:30 am to get started, the wind chill was -11. Would you all say that hunting in the heat is more difficult than hunting in the cold?