... if your (jr) PH was "helping" the tracker follow non-wounded, non-shot-at bushpig tracks while texting on his cellphone (about non-hunt related topic?) In a big concession, no fences...Only bushpig we'd spotted all week.

Pissed. I think cell phones should be something that the PH tells his entire team need to stay in camp every day.

I would have a heart to heart talk with my ph & give him the opportunity to correct this.
If at the end of the safari I was not pleased, my tip would be to both the ph & jr ph, BE PROFESSIONAL & PAY ATTENTION TO THE CLIENTS NEEDS!!!
I had a minor incident on my last safari, told my ph of my concern, he was embarrassed & took action immediately. I know there will be problems & I am sometimes THE problem, but I do expect them to be corrected promptly.

..................................................................

That PH needs to stay in town and leave the hunting to HUNTERS!

........................................................................

I had a guy (PH) who was on the phone all day each day. He was even on it while driving over a rugged mountain range with many curves. That was NOT his only flaw. I will never hunt with him or his outfit again.

I just don't understand the mindset of these guys. If they were paying the client thousands of dollars to go on a hunt they sure as hell wouldn't want the client on his cell phone. To me, it shows a mix of laziness and disrespect. Leave the damn phone in the Bakkie for a stalk.

Damn tossers, worth a bloody earful.

Did you think about asking the kid if you could see his phone, and then put it on the end of your gun barrel and pull the trigger? That would fix the problem for once and all.

A friend did that once to me with a watch, as I kept checking it to see what time I needed to leave the duck blind on Christmas day. He asked to see my watch, set it on the end of his shotgun barrel, blew the watch somewhere toward the moon and told me to quit worrying about when to leave, that we could leave when the ducks quite flying.

Boy, was my then fiancé ever pissed when I showed up about 2 hours late for Christmas dinner with her family!

quote:

Originally posted by bwana cecil:
I would have a heart to heart talk with my ph & give him the opportunity to correct this.
If at the end of the safari I was not pleased, my tip would be to both the ph & jr ph, BE PROFESSIONAL & PAY ATTENTION TO THE CLIENTS NEEDS!!!
I had a minor incident on my last safari, told my ph of my concern, he was embarrassed & took action immediately. I know there will be problems & I am sometimes THE problem, but I do expect them to be corrected promptly.

The more I read from Bwana Cecil, the more I like the guy.

I hope this is how I would handle it.

I actually had a "tracker" who got on his cell phone while tracking.

That shit got sorted out fast.

Simply not cool and not to be tolerated.

I had a "PH" in South Africa who was on his cell phone anytime we were in the bakkie and most of the time we were on foot.

He pulled over to the side of the road and stopped so that he wouldn't loose his signal and continued yelling into his phone. I happened to notice a nice reedbok had bolted and run a short distance and froze in the shadow of some brush while the "PH" was enthralled in his conversation.

I slipped out of the truck snagged my rifle out of the rack a shot the reedbok. The "PH" immediately hung up and started to jump on me about not shooting unless he was there and okayed it.

That did not work out well for him! I explained to him on the how and where I was going to stick that cell phone in short order.

I got a new PH that afternoon.

When I was in Zim last year Pete Fick told me that if he hears a single cell phone ring or sees someone talking on it (camp staff, trackers, regardless of if the client saw it or not), they get cut out of any tip for the safari. Never saw a cell phone the entire time I was there.

Someone had not explained to the young man what his responsibilities were as a PH. Namely the client's well being. No cell phones in the field!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mark

I'd feel amazed that he's got mobile phone coverage in the middle of bloody Africa when I can't get it if I go bush 10km from the nearest town here in Australia

quote:

Originally posted by Bakes:
I'd feel amazed that he's got mobile phone coverage in the middle of bloody Africa when I can't get it if I go bush 10km from the nearest town here in Australia

Yeah, but you see........

It shouldn't deed to be stated. Only client related business on client time. Sure there will be times when your PH needs to check on family, or to prepair for the next client, but not in the bush while hunting. Cell phones OFF.

In 2011 I spent about an hour a day on the airstrip in Sij. while my PH talked on the phone. Some of that was hunt related, but not all of it.

Bob

I was on a DG safari with a well-known outfitter here and the PH was on the cell phone with his girlfriend every other day during the hunting day. It was my first DG safari and a complete disaster, I think the clown drove up the miserable hill overlooking Lake Kariba just to get cell access from Zambia and not because it was a worthwhile place to hunt.

He was a nice enough guy but it was one of the biggest mistakes I've ever made to not bring it up (among many other problems on the hunt) to the outfitter and request a different PH. I think the outfitter fired him or he quit right after my "hunt".

On my first safari in 2010 my PH had to ge ton his phone a few times.

A coupel of times it was to callt eh lodge because the radios were not cutting it to tell them we wouldbe late coming in and to hold dinner tilla certain time. No problems with that.

Once was when I wounded my Kudu and we just could not find it so we decided to let it sit for a while while we went about 30 miles back to the lodge to get 2 more trackers and the head skinner (all liscensed PH's BTW) and enough guns to reenact the Battle of Shiloh and come back and find him. he called ahead to tell the correct people to gather thespecific gear he wanted and to be ready. We pulle din loaded up and headed back.

Again no problems as it was to help ensue the hunt was a quality hunt and we did not lose an animal.

When we found the kudu the head tracker pulled his cell phone out turned it on and sent a very quick text and shut
it right off.. Me being me and since he spoke pretty good english I asked hey man WTF? He answered that since this was a very nice Kudu I had shot he wanted to do the very best job he could on it for me and he wanted to alert his assistants to be at the skinning shed and ready when we arrived.

Again no problems here as it was client related.

This means the PH has absolutely no manners, and would only do it one time on my hunt.

I have hunted South Africa twice, in areas where there is cell phone coverage.

But, the PH we hunted with had enough respect to switch their cell phones off while out of camp.

I cannot say to much a I am on my phone alot between calls, texts, emails, etc.

I feel when you are hunting that phones should be turned off. A few years ago while in the middle of stalking an impala my PH'S cel phone started ringing. I turned around and went back to the landcruiser. I think the PH got the hint.

On my last safari the trackers and PH turned their cel phones off before we entered the hunting area. Never once did I hear a phone while hunting.

I just don't get that feeling of being in Africa with cel phones going off, if that makes any sence.

I hunted several times with a South African PH when I started going to Africa. Each of those trips involved some rather lengthy travel days as we repositioned to hunt different game. Every time, he spent just about the entire drive yelling into his cell phone. Most unpleasant. That and the fact they all spoke Afrikaans exclusively around the campfire. We don't hunt together any longer.

quote:

.............. That and the fact they all spoke Afrikaans exclusively around the campfire. We don't hunt together any longer.

"Laat hierdie klient se houding 'n les oor goeie maniere vir ally jong beroepsjagters wees!"

[Translation: "Let this client's attitude be a lesson in good manners for all young PH's!"]

In good hunting.

quote:

Originally posted by Andrew McLaren:

"Laat hierdie klient se houding 'n les oor goeie maniere vir ally jong beroepsjagters wees!"

[Translation: "Let this client's attitude be a lesson in good manners for all young PH's!"]

In good hunting.

I can understand that they do it because it's easier to talk in their first language and many are aware that their English isn't particularly good (probably better than my Afrikaans tho! ) but it is being very to the rude to the paying client.

Not to sidetrack this thread, but the Afrikaans thing in RSA is a big turnoff for me too. My Namibian PH was great about this, when we went to SA together, the guys in South Africa did it so much, on day two I stepped in between them and told them this was MY hunt, and I intended to participate in it, including making decisions. If they were going to leave me out of it, then there was no point in me hunting. Shocked, I'd say was the look, but then they agreed that although they were just more comfortable in their own language, they would refrain. I told them their english was very good, and it was, and I could be patient with that if it were an issue.

In two and half weeks, I never ever even saw a cell phone away from the camp, and was glad for it. My wife however, did run up an impressive AT&T bill while talking to home every night! To the 3yr old!!!

Most PH's will change their abberant behavior, if you, as the client, can diplomaticly point it out.

I had it were the roles were reversed. I guided a client who was on his phone most of the time, while driving he would be talking and while stalking he would be texting. All his animals had to make rowland ward so there was lots of pressure getting him what he wanted. I spotted a kudu bull suning himself some distance away and I told the client we will stalk closer, he was looking at his phone the entire stalk, I lost sight of the bull and moved slowly in the direction I last saw him. The bull stepped out from some bush less than 80 yards away, I motioned to the client to get ready and shoot. He replied that he needs to send the text first, he was scared he'd loose the message he had typed. Of course the kudu wasn't going to stand around while he sends his text message. I estimated the bull would have been at least 57 inches. He apologized afterwards saying that he was busy with some important work related stuff. I eventually got him his animals.

quote:

Originally posted by Bakes:
I'd feel amazed that he's got mobile phone coverage in the middle of bloody Africa when I can't get it if I go bush 10km from the nearest town here in Australia

I noticed that as well while hunting in Aus, no signal as you left the towns/cities.

Un-acceptable! But guys, remember the most important issue here. If your PH for example, is doing something like this - you voice your dis-like immediately, and forcefully. I can't tell you how many times I've heard a client complain to me about little issues like this (after the hunt), but when I ask them what the PH said, when the client lodged his complaint, I get this - "well, I didn't actually say anything to him about it - but it sure was a problem". Really?????

Interestingly enough, I had this exact same conversation with my 2 cameramen just last year. The same two guys I've used for all of my filming over the past several years. When we are hunting/filming, if I see your phone in ur hands, its gonna be a broken phone in short order.

On the other thread here about shooting schools, managing your PH ( or client as the case may be) is as important to the "success" of the hunt, as is your shooting.

Clients, ( or PH's ) that are too..... timid, to have a frank discussion, are much more likely to be unhappy at the end of the hunt, regardless of what was put into the salt.

That's an important lesson for us all.

quote:

Originally posted by surestrike:

I explained to him on the how and where I was going to stick that cell phone in short order.