Time and again on the forums people post what they think of a particular PH actions or reactions .. Often from the comfort of your home in front of your computer your wants and needs are way different than in front of the animal.
Just for fun, I thought I would post a poll for you to answer. Whats the perfect PH ?

Question:
How much babysitting do you want/need

Choices:
lots
some
none
only around dangerous game

Question:
Do you want a tracker to carry your rifle

Choices:
yes
no
sometimes

Question:
Do you want your PH to back you up

Choices:
yes
no
Only if an animal is going to escape
Only if a wounded animal threatens us
only on DG

Question:
How accurate do you expect your ph to be when judging ivory

Choices:
Within a pound
within 5 pounds
not important

Question:
How accurate do you expect your ph to be when judging trophies

Choices:
Within an inch
in the ball park
not important

Question:
Whats most important in a PH

Choices:
personality
hard work ethic
Ability to accurately assess trophies
all the above

Question:
If you could only have 2 of the three above .

Choices:
personality and hard work ethic
accurate trophy assessment and personality
hard work ethic and good ability to assess trophies
I wouldnt want a ph who doesnt have all three

 

My votes reflect that I want to work hard and have fun on my hunt and am less concerned about trophy quality. The trophies are the memories.

My votes reflect what I consider important. Trophy quality is very important to me and it doesn't bother me to go home empty handed...done it many times. The memories come from many facets of the hunt and I'll have them regardless if I shoot or don't. Some of my favorite memories of hunts are those that produced nothing but a long walk, packed with close encounters and tense moments!

My perfect PH would offer the best adventure and most fun not inches and pounds.

Fred

are the questions the same if the PH is cindy??

Ivan,
The only question that I wish I could have answered 2 times was "When do I want a PH to back me up" I personally think that if the animal might get away due to a poor shot on my behalf, the PH certainly should be shooting. The second choice of answer, or perhaps first, would be for the PH to shoot if we are in a charge situation. For me, the safety of the crew and my hide are certainly worth the PH shooting. I'd much rather be sitting aroud the fire that night having a cocktail and talking about the charge we stopped than having to sit there in silence thinking about someone hurt because I insisted on the PH not shooting and me flubbing the shot. Too bad your in Tanzania in September 09, I'd love to hunt with you in Chirisa. Jennifer with BTC said your committed then. Great Poll!

It is all going to depend on the situation. There are (I think) two basic types of hunters 1. those who hunt and have trophies that are the culmination of that hunt and 2. those who want to put trophies on the wall that can be completely separated from the hunting experience where the trophy itself comprises the experience or reward.

The first type will likely have a good amount of experience and will want to do as much himself as possible. From carrying his rifle, to adjusting the scope to wishing the PH not to shoot unless absolutely necessary (after all, he did take that huge Elk all by himself, a Kudu is no less to him). Part of what he takes home from the trip is the knowledge AND SATISFACTION that he did it as much on his own (albeit in a foreign land) as possible.

the second guy generally wants to say he's been to Africa and look at these trophies on the wall. The hunt in and of itself comprises a much smaller role in the overall experience. Maybe he's just caught up in safari hype and has of late felt the need to see if he could do the things he reads about, may be he hit the lottery and doesn;t know what to with himself and thinks safari would be cool and is on his "What to do if I ever hit the lottery" list. In this case, the second fellow doesn't generally know his ass from a hole in the ground in regards to general hunting so the need to do things himself is not there. In this case, it is the ends that justify the means, the "Just tell me what to do and i'll pull the trigger." or "I'll be sipping on this scotch and soda until you get back with my Kudu."

Maybe it's from experiencing the mix of the two that PH's sometimes 'cross the line' by either expecting too much, or too little from the clients and vice versa. That's where the communication comes in and expectations are set way in advance to avoid a pissed off hunter because he feels the PH has no confidence in him or a guy who doesn't know what to do shooting bad or the wrong animal etc and the PH wanting to strangle him.

quote:

My votes reflect that I want to work hard and have fun on my hunt and am less concerned about trophy quality. The trophies are the memories.

Awesome mike , my thoughts precisely

My perfect PH?

WILL

my perfect PH?

IVAN



Oh,what a suck up....



Dan

My perfect PH is the one that knows the most about elephant hunting and is capable and willing to pass that knowledge on to me.

465H&H

quote:

Originally posted by Bwanamich:
My perfect PH?

WILL

Mich, just so we all are on the same page, on this forum "PH" stands for Professional Hunter, not Pecker Head.

Seriously, my "Perfect PH" must be in no less then two major hunting DVD's and preferably be a regular on Bubba TV.

Okay...I echo MikeJ's post/selections. In no particular order...professionalism, attitude, ethics, sincerity, loyalty, experience. It is okay to balls-up now and then, but as a client you want to walk away feeling good about yourself and your experience. Big animals are nice, but they are just a reminder of the hunt/adventure.

Question 8: Do you want your PH to haul you along through the undergrowth by the collar?

Ha ha, sorry Ivan I couldn't resist it. Now, before I get gunned down in an inglorious blaze, please remember that this guy is family, sort of. Our siblings met and became betrothed. This kind of barb is not only tolerated in our family, it is encouraged.

By the way, why are you trying to steal my poll thunder?

Hope all is fine in Michigan

Dave

On second thought...

My favorite PH?

One of the Hulmes

Because I can maybe afford non Hollywood types...

See,sucking up with a good barb,just for David


Dan

dave , yes i am trying to steal your thunder.. yes i haul my people through the bush by the collar and yes all is good here in michigan !!!!

hope you are fine buddy ... any cooler there since our last hunt !?

woodmanDan,

My kind of hunter! If you want to hunt with one of the Hulme brothers, however, it will have to be with the larger one, who is the only PH. The smaller one could keep you entertained though, and carry your water supply!

Ivan,

I am glad all is good with you. Here it is 40 degrees and rising - stifling at midday, you know. Take care

Dave

Interesting poll. Ivan, could you expand on the first question. Babysitting has a negative connotation and I didn't know if you meant as in the bush or around camp... I mean we have to have a PH with us in the bush to be legal and I expect a PH to be an amiable host, but I never want to be babysat!

It is thirteen days until I leave Idaho for Zimbabwe, Makuti for Cape Buffalo. This has been my dream since I was ten years old!! I want a PH who can give me the magic that is Africa, show me a good Buffalo, and leave me sad to leave and already planning my return...

Is that enough?

Yes!

Rich
DRSS
Knowledge not shared is knowledge lost...
13 days!!

If Ivan doesn't mind me responding to his poll..

I said no on babysitting because hopefully I won't need it..but as necessary in the PH's estimation

Ivory- ballpark, more important is the hunt and stalk

Good personality and work ethic

No tracker carrying rifle, unless I need it- dehydrated- touch of travel flu

Back up anytime the PH deems necessary

I've never had a P.H. that didn't work hard, have a good personality (or one I couldn't "adapt" to) that wasn't a competent tracker, trophy assessor and, eventually, welcome in my home.... and that's a lot of P.H.'s.

But, I wonder what they'd say about me!

quote:

Interesting poll. Ivan, could you expand on the first question. Babysitting has a negative connotation and I didn't know if you meant as in the bush or around camp... I mean we have to have a PH with us in the bush to be legal and I expect a PH to be an amiable host, but I never want to be babysat!

russell , probably just bad choice of words ,not sure how else to put it , simply put , some guys need a LOT of help and guidance , others almost none ... i have my fair share that sometimes i feel i almost have to pull the trigger for them , others (whom i prefer greatly) who are well informed , well prepared , genuinely interested and allow you to "guide" them yet are completely proficient ..

sorry about the rambling answer !

quote:

If Ivan doesn't mind me responding to his poll..

404 , of course not, the more the better , thats what makes this such a great forum , lots of great views and opinions ....

GREAT answers to the key points by the way , thats the kind of guy we like !!!!!

quote:

russell , probably just bad choice of words ,not sure how else to put it , simply put , some guys need a LOT of help and guidance , others almost none ... i have my fair share that sometimes i feel i almost have to pull the trigger for them , others (whom i prefer greatly) who are well informed , well prepared , genuinely interested and allow you to "guide" them yet are completely proficient ..

ROFL... well I guess that was what I thought it meant but I know few who would answer "yes" to that question. The PH has to make that call soon after he meets his client!

The best PH is a guy you like being around whether you in the bush, or in town, so personality is very important! The PH is a hunting buddy, that you would hunt with if he were not your PH. He needs to be there in Africa, because I don't understand Shona, and someone has to run the camp, and join you at the dinner table, and around the fire in the lappa at night. The tracker is as improtant as the PH, in many cases, and without the cook,tea boy, skinner, and water boy, the safari is not going to go well, for sure!

All and all, I have never hunted with a PH I didn't like, mainly because when booking if his personality, was not good, I avoided booking with him, because nothing can ruin a safari like a personality conflict! The same goes for any hunting, I won't hunt with someone I don't like, and I'm not interested in record books, and I can tell if the animal I'm looking at is what I want! The other big thing is when SHTF with dangerous game, I want a PH who understands the urgency and joins the dance, till the music stops!

Being in the bush and getting on with the PH is worth everything. I don't hunt with a tape measure and as long as the animal is an old, representative specimen, I'm fine. While I'm no expert, I know, in general, if the animal is worth pulling the trigger on...and I've never passed on something my Ph's have said is a shooter.
As far as back-up...I make it known right away, if I made a bad shot and the animal has any possibility of escaping and/or endangering anyone (DG), I want the PH's help....to me, that's only common sense.

I must say that I have always had fantastic times in Africa...and I hope the PH's have enjoyed having me for a client.

Gary
DRSS
NRA Lifer
SCI
DSC

Interesting poll. As in any multiple choice, my answer wasn't at times. One of my most annoying qualities (I'm sure I have many)is asking questions of a PH. I try to show some judgment by not asking at critical times, or questions that he might not know the answer to in front of the crew, but I generally want to know about birds bugs trees,tracks etc. I'm not there for a hike and to shoot something. If that's babysitting, I'm sorry.

As far as backup, that's a total judgment call. If a good PH thinks I need a backup on a particular shot, I want him to take it. I hope I don't, generally don't, but that's why you hire a professional. If it became routine, I'd find a new PH.

Hello Ivan, interesting poll but not too surprised at the results....I believe most guys here at AR are passonate about their African hunting sportsmanship.

It was cool to see you in the Airports last month as Blanton and I traveled to Zim. Thanks a bunch for helping us get the guns through permitting in the Harare Airport that night.

You were right...Peter Barnard did a fantastic PH job for us. Our Tuskless ele hunt included harvesting Sable, Eland, warthog, bushpig, Tssessbe, zebra, and ALMOST a big male lion (just a little too slow on the trigger). Peter was generous enough to let us stay at his house and drink with his girlfriend. Peter a good man, a great friend and an exceptional PH.

Cheers and we'll see you in Dallas and Reno !

Ivan,

For the record my kind of PH is Jonathan Hulme. I would say his personality can go a long way to make up for anything lacking. But when you hunt day and night as hard as you can and shoot all kinds of wonderful trophies...what is lacking????

Ah...I can smell the Mahenye bush from here!

May 2009!

Dr. Tim

great answers men , looks like we are all out there for the same reasons ... great hunting and a love of the outdoors...

quote:

You were right...Peter Barnard did a fantastic PH job for us. Our Tuskless ele hunt included harvesting Sable, Eland, warthog, bushpig, Tssessbe, zebra, and ALMOST a big male lion (just a little too slow on the trigger). Peter was generous enough to let us stay at his house and drink with his girlfriend. Peter a good man, a great friend and an exceptional PH.

i am pleased that you had such a good time , Peter is top drawer !

quote:

For the record my kind of PH is Jonathan Hulme. I would say his personality can go a long way to make up for anything lacking. But when you hunt day and night as hard as you can and shoot all kinds of wonderful trophies...what is lacking????

i dont know another guy who regularly takes the quality he does, works as hard as he does and is as much fun to be around ! you dont get to choose family , i guess i just got lucky !

quote:

Originally posted by Dr. Tim Burkhart:


May 2009!

Dr. Tim

Dr Tim,

You rescheduled! That is great news, see you soon.

Dave

quote:

Originally posted by john e:
Peter was generous enough to let us stay at his house and drink with his girlfriend.
!

IS that safe ??

quote:

Peter was generous enough to let us stay at his house and drink with his girlfriend.

Hmmm... much more to this story than I have heard! Think I am booking my next trip with Barnard!

Oh, and John e... Hunt Report? We are waiting!

For those of you that voted in the poll for a tracker to carry your rifle for you. Why don't you just go on a freakin photo safari. Your no damn hunter. I don't care if you hunt year round to me if you expect someone else to carry your rifle you're a disgrace to hunting. Its that simple.

quote:

Originally posted by Jarrod:
For those of you that voted in the poll for a tracker to carry your rifle for you. Why don't you just go on a freakin photo safari. Your no damn hunter. I don't care if you hunt year round to me if you expect someone else to carry your rifle you're a disgrace to hunting. Its that simple.

Why not have the tracker carry your rifle? He's not doing the shooting!

And any good PH will tell you when it's time to take over the gun. (And I could take over the gun anytime I wanted to anyway.)

In fact I've see more than a few lauded African hunting videos where in a few clips you can see a tracker carrying the PH's gun! Those lazy PH's! They are a discrace to hunting!

If well respected PH's are willing to let thier trackers carry thier rifles until they need it - who am I to second guess them.

Besides over a several hour stalk rifles get heavy, and if a tracker carries it, my arms won't be as fatigued for shooting. Why not improve my chances for good shooting?


.

I had a guy who was the perfect PH IMHO.

We hit it off immediately, and normally 5 minutes into each day we were trading barbs like we were old friends. I was in my early 20's and he was in his early 30's so we got along well. His trophy judgment was good, and I had a good hunt. By day 3 of 10, he stopped carrying his rifle (plains game hunt). All my animals fell with one shot, and he said, since I was shooting so well, he didn't need to worry about it. (I am glad he did take it along for kudu though as I did get nervous.) I am hunting so i carried my rifle, and it paid off. If I didn't I wouldn't have been able to get a quick shot on a Steenbok that measured over 6 inches a horn.

While that PH was a good fit for me, I believe he may have been a little to aggressive for some, as some people may not like to be given crap. I do, and we had fun because of this.

I have no problem at all letting a tracker carry my spare rifle, but the only time I want them carrying my main rifle for me is for safety purposes: climbing a fence or such. Actually in that case it would be more of holding it than carrying it for me.

I voted but I am adding these comments.

I am an amateur (a devotee of African hunting) hunter who has never hunted Africa.

My expectations of the PH only make sense within my expectations of the African HUNTING experience and particularly my expectations of myself as the client hunter.

I see my tasks as follows:

Make the first shot.

This means

Shot placement

All first shots should be intended as one shot kills HOWEVER as long as the animal is standing and even after down, insure a clean and quick kill with follow up shots

This requires

Practice in conditions that simulate the probable hunt experience as much as possible

Inform the PH when I feel that I can’t make the shot.

Enjoy the hunt

This means

Physical conditioning

Be able to carry my own rifle

Be able to walk the distance and pace necessary for stalking

Be able to make the first shot after having done so

Mental conditioning

Have a learners mind

Be present in mind as well as body

Mentally rehearse the hunt

I see the PH’s tasks as follows:

Insure the safety of the entire hunting party during the hunting experience

This means

Based on experience and knowledge, the PH takes whatever actions are necessary. If there is time, would like to be informed of the action before it is taken. However, the PH is not asking my permission; rather the PH is teaching me.

Insure respect for the animal being hunted.

Given whatever conditions that exist at the time of the hunt, create the best possible opportunity for a memorable hunting experience for the client hunter.

If that results in a trophy, so much the better

I see my and the PH’s joint task is to create a common understanding of what expectations we each have of the other and of our self.

Dream hunts require a awful lot of communication, comprehension and empathy between the client hunter and PH.

quote:

Originally posted by cable68:
I have no problem at all letting a tracker carry my spare rifle, but the only time I want them carrying my main rifle for me is for safety purposes: climbing a fence or such. Actually in that case it would be more of holding it than carrying it for me.

+1 my thoughts exactly. I will say I have not been on on African safari yet. But for any kind of hunting. I don't care what state, province, country, continent whatever, what cable68 said above applies for me.