This address to the Annual General Meeting of the Zimbabwe Professional Hunters' and Guides' Association is long, but very well worth reading. Pity it doesn't look like the illustrations came through.

Don McDevott is a public relations consultant who helps companies with their image.

THE MAIN ENEMY OF THE HUNTING INDUSTRY IS THE IRRESPONSIBLE MANNER IN WHICH MEMBERS USE FACE-BOOK AND THEIR WEBSITES.



A CONVERSATION ON HUNTING
Presented by Don McDevott
at the ZPHGA Annual General Meeting, 27 November 2015
Introduction
There is no luxury tent, no out of place candelabra, no waiting butler with today’s favourite wine, no five course meal to be enjoyed and compared with the great restaurants, no sturdy bed covered in finely woven cotton sheets or the comfort of a duck feathered duvet for the cold.
There are rules of engagement and safety that are ignored at one’s peril. There are only aching limbs, broken souls and stout hearts that rise with sleep to conquer the challenges of the new day.
There is only what can be carried on a long journey. There are sturdy clothes, rough protection that can be worn for a week, strong shoes, specifically engineered to meet the challenge, eyewear, protection against the glare, cream that inhibits the bite of unknown insects and creams that heal the wounds of the long hike. There is water, the heavy water and the energy bars that weigh little and replenish plenty. Ground sheets and sleeping bags and coffee granules wrapped in plastic.
There are the sounds of the night, the calls and howls of the elements as they arrive and leave, the eerie and the ghostly whispers of what may be tomorrow.
There is the challenge, there is real seen and unseen danger and there is the opportunity to rise above fear. The most exciting part is the presence of death and the ability to look it in the eye.
There is an understanding of man’s smallness in nature, that life threatening circumstances are real and primal. There is the plan that goes awry, the solution that fails, the humility of a broken ego and the triumph of respect. There is no winner, just the bond between the way of nature and its most protective and destructive creation, man!
This is the hunt. This was how I imagined it to be.
I am not the only one
I am not alone in the belief that the industry is in a crisis and quoting from Richard Lendrum, Editor of the African Hunting Gazette, “and unfortunately this industry is in a crisis”. Fixing the problem is not going to be done with strong words or strong arm tactics when the adversary is the court of public opinion.
So let‘s have a conversation on the crisis in the hunting industry, put forward some ideas both realistic and unrealistic, and perhaps find our way to a series of conclusions on the way forward.
Please forgive the bluntness, it is intended to stimulate resolution not offence.



Image
Modern hunting is portrayed as a short kill excursion, with the kill guaranteed, devoid of any hardship or threat, whereby the shootist arrives and kills between his enjoyments of a luxury tent with Egyptian cotton sheets, his five course meal washed down with the days favourite wine, his journey in his luxury land cruiser whilst keeping in touch with the world on his iwhatever, clothed in today’s hunting fashions that will be cleaned and pressed during the night.


The bush experience of African Hunting Safari Lodge.
The investment has moved from the thrill of the hunt to an investment in the pillow justified on the understanding of a simple truth that “money” wants what “money” wants.
But
Hunting is supposed to be an adventure. Ask for this luxury at base camp on K2 and everybody will have a laugh.
Where is the adventure, the living it rough, the real possibility of a predator investigating your campsite and presenting a clear and present danger. It exists in many of our camps but the dominant impression is that hunting has become a luxury weekend away that includes a lazy, over organised, baited and unskilled murder of a defenceless, god forbid vegetarian, animal.



Demographic
The luxury and fully pampered safari outfitter has changed the customer demographic to include those people who do not hunt, they shoot and want to hunt but can’t unless assisted.



I do not like prejudice of at any level and that include discriminating against obese people.
Here the argument is not one that says obesity should deny someone the opportunity. It is the type of structure that the provision of that opportunity takes, that creates issues. Millions of people saw this on facebook and the driving criticism was no-one could see this man walking a single kilometre let alone 30.
To the facebook viewer this meant that the kill was structured and a structured kill is not hunting.
Optics, the new buzz word in the life of a PR spin doctor, matter and this picture sends a poor message.



Sustainable Conservation
The cartoon bellow highlights the reality of public perception on the sustainability argument.


This misperception is probably the greatest challenge facing the industry for the sustainability argument has always been the one consistent argument put forward and it is has been debunked.
Population statistics that include animals bred in captivity are a FARMING statistic and are irrelevant to the status of animals in the wild. Animals successfully relocated back into the wild are a valid statistic. For the record, there is no success story yet on lions and this comes from hunting publications not the court of public opinion.



Community Contribution
Charity is neither economic contribution nor a measure of sustainability.


We really need to stop stating the provision of meat as one of the key beneficiation arguments
History shows a different picture with schools, clinics and utility investments that would not be there without the hunting investment.
The traditional argument requires a new approach.
With 700 000 families, at an average of 2 adults and 4 children, this means the gross population under some form of beneficiation is 4.2 million people. At a GDP contribution of US$21million this results in a maximum beneficiation value of US$5 per person which is tantamount to nothing at all. At 40% contribution of total fees this would create a beneficiation fund of US$2 per person or US$4.4 million. It would be interesting to review Campfire’s revenue structures from hunting but the general understanding is that today, very little money finds its way into sustainable projects.
Poverty is not alleviated by charity. The need to continuously show the impact, even in the toughest of times is necessary.



Production for Hunting Purposes and the Influence on Statistics.

The industry lost the empathy of the borderline sympathisers with canned “hunting qualified” farming,



The “canned farm”, “breed variant” and “colour breeding” industries have done more damage than any other single factor to modern hunting. Despised by many highly vocal hunting traditionalists the message to the public is contradictory and in conflict resulting in an entrenchment of resistance to hunting rather than an easing of it.
Farm bred animals are farm animals no matter their origin. The Ostrich is both a natural wild bird and a farmed source of protein. The number of the birds farmed should not form part of the wild bird population. The same can now be said for crocodiles, (about to become the next darling of the greenies). The same applies to lions.
The public opinion of canned hunting is that it is hunting with special effects. Bred in captivity to be killed in captivity and if possible taught to pose. It is seen as a loss of dignity of the magnificent.



A State of Denial



When public opinion swells to the point, that only legal argument protects a behaviour, people become inspired to change the law. We need to understand that around the world people are inspired and working hard to ban hunting. This would be the death knell of an industry critical in my belief system to conservation so instead of defending the above with arguments that will not sway public opinion perhaps we need to change, manage and control the argument.



Argument 1. Come Out of Denial. The hunters are killing the hunting industry
Stop using the social networks for the hunt.
The 4th quarter edition of African Hunting Gazettte has an excellent editorial by Richard Lendrum titled “ Shooting ourselves in the foot.”
And I quote
“A picture says more than a thousand words. Photographs of hunters grinning next to their trophies, publically flaunted and spread across the social media is possibly the industry’s greatest threat.”
An argument never defeats a picture. Think of a mercenary standing imperiously atop the woman he has just killed. Think of the damage done when the Iraqi soldiers were abused by the American troops. You cannot undo the visual and the power of a picture.
“The industry should stop, ban, cease ALL trophy pictures…..without the picturees there would be nothiing to plaster on the fornt page of newspapers or ciirculate to 20 million people in the blink of an hour.”
This is sound advice. The industry needs to start taking the social networks and the circus that comes with it seriously. Optics matter.
Get off the social network or the industry will surely die before it has the chance to reclaim its legitimacy. Make this a rule.
The Dramatic Solution.
Any breach of this rule should immediately initiate a world-wide ban lasting 5 years and a fine of US$50000, for which an irrevocable guarantee bonded by an insurance company must be proven prior to the acceptance of any hunting booking. Get serious about this before public opinion shuts the industry down.



Argument 2: Image
Begin Rebuilding the Hunters Brand.
Professional Hunters are highly qualified people in Zimbabwe. They are not highly qualified in SA and barely break out the intellect in qualifying in the USA.
Professional Hunting is a profession not a past time. This is not really understood.
The military stands on the premise of honour, whereby brave men and woman are prepared to stand in the line of fire to protect the nation. We abhor what they have to do but admire them for doing it and protecting us.
Hunters are the protectors of Nature in every sense, and bring both an indirect and direct influence.
In addition;
The Zimbabwean PH is recognised as being the best trained in the world. His USA counterpart is not a PH but a shootist. The SA training happens over 7 months, (The African Outfitter Nov/Dec 2015, article on the Northern Cape Professional Hunting School). The curriculum between that for the obtaining of a licence in Zimbabwe and SA is chalk and cheese and the lack of standardisation is a major drawback.
We need to define what a PH is, what is the training required and we need to make it an international requirement.
The poor entry qualification requirement in becoming a professional hunter is why public opinion marries the poacher and the hunter together. The ability to kill or shoot is not what a PH is about. It is a primary skill requirement but that is like saying that being strong is the only ability of a rugby player.
The Right Stuff
Hunters are there to ensure that the environment is not encroached upon by development, that the population levels remain at sustainable levels, that when on a hunt they may be called to assist in the capture of poachers limiting their activities, that when executing their authority the strongest and most varied DNA lines are protected and when the public are undertaking non consumptive safari’s that the public is protected from both injudicious behaviour or threat of attack. The hunter protects the community and takes responsibility for the removal or relocation of animals that have encroached upon the community. The hunter protects the environment, interferes as little as possible, kills when necessary and ensures wastage does not occur with any kill.
The hunter is expected, to be fit, to walk for miles, to identify and track the spoor, to administer first aid, and to put him or herself in the face of danger to protect those under their charge.
We are not alone. The Hunger Games trilogy has at its central character a young girl called Katniss Everdeen. The importance of the character as a hunter and the principles eschewed in this smash hit have never been questioned by the public. In fact, the ideals and the role would not work if she was not a hunter. 
The Hunger Games
Heroine: Katniss Everdeen
Profession: Hunter
Role: Provider of food, courage, leadership and the pursuit of right.




The right kind of personae. Use it!!





Argument 3: The Demographic
The structure of the hunt and the hunter
Hunting is for the tough, it is for those who want to be in touch with nature, who want the hike, the tracking of the spoor, the change in fortune when the wind blows, the song of the bird and the advance warning of the go away lurie, the smell of fresh droppings and the information contained therein.
“the most interesting and enjoyable part is the tracking over long distances, picking up signs like newly broken branches or warm dung…” (John Coleman on big game hunting).
It is impossible for an experienced and unqualified climber to climb Mount Everest. It should not be possible for an unqualified shootist to shoot one of the big five.
Some Ideas.
The rules prior engagement should be crystal clear.
1) Only one of the big five may be hunted by any individual in given year.
2) All big five hunts must begin from a starting point of not less than 1km from the identified “kill” with no mechanical assistance given on the hike. You walk to and from the base camp and camp out if necessary.
3) No baiting is allowed.
4) No dogs are allowed.
5) No long range rifles are allowed and no laser technology. The scope is allowed to ensure the cleanest of kills but some skill must be exhibited in the hunt and not just the shot. If the shot is the critical component refer the shootist to a range.
We need to establish a pecking order
1) To shoot a lion you must have first shot a leopard
2) To shoot a leopard you must have first shot an elephant
3) To shoot elephant you must have first shoot a buffalo
4) To shoot a buffalo you must have the following:

i) At lets five years hunting experience
ii) Past the professional hunting examination required in Zimbabwe. ( A lawyer/doctor etc. must pass the local exams in order to practice)
iii) Proof of fitness.
iv) Be a minimum of 30 years old. This is not an initiation test for a maturing teenager. A limit of +/- 60 years should be established.
Note
The rhino is missing. This is not an accident.
A statement by the entire hunting fraternity that the Rhino has been designated a protected species and that no hunting will be allowed until the population has returned to a sustainable level would go a long way to creating a positive impression. Pass this at your AGMThe PH community must be actively engaged with anti-poaching units in respect to rhino’s and the world informed accordingly. Take a leaf out of Prince Harry’s book.

Argument 4 Sustainability
Concentrate on, communicate to and educate all the Time.
From the literature that is available to read on hunting the dominant factor is the thrill of the kill, with the stories on how sustainability is attained being low key, and not comprehensive or frequent enough.
The 4th estate and the social network information should be informed of the sustainability initiatives and this should be posted daily.
Graduates of the PH training should be fussed over and the movement of people highlighted.
The structure and complexity of the training program and what it entails needs to be in the public eye constantly.
The role of the PH in the photographic safari, as the protector of the adventurer needs greater emphasis and respect.
The building of a clinic to the drilling of a borehole, the contribution of the hunting fraternity should be ever present.
A weekly newspaper feature on the activities and accomplishments of the industry should be initiated.
The public should be educated incessantly
When the sadness of a death in action is overshadowed by an animal kill, the alarm bells should resound loud and clear that in the forum of public attention the empathy towards hunters, guides and rangers’ needs urgent attention.
What we do not need
The empathy needs to be won back and, with respect, articles such as that written in the African Outfitter by Ron Thomson, blunt, factual and opinionated, truly do not help the cause. This is the argument the hunter wants to hear when the opinion that needs to be persuaded is actually with someone else.
“The animal rightists….there is no place for them in civilised society”
The divide is made and perhaps the sheer frustration of the man is shining through but no matter how just the argument may be, we need a different tack because the world has stop listening to this one.



Argument 5
Beware the Balance Sheet investor
Turnover must grow, costs must be curtailed and the return to shareholders is the dominant conversation.
The hunting industry appears to be dominated by investors who espouse the return on investment with the hunter relegated to being an employee only.
To ensure a balance between the entrepreneur and the investor, the rules of engagement and the adherence to them, the quota of animals, their identification and selection for kill, and the environmental impact on all safari concessions, whether consumptive or non-consumptive, should only be granted to a qualified Professional Hunter, who in turn may seek partners to fund the infrastructure and operating capital.
The concession will at all times remain 100% owned by the hunter and any breach of the rules of engagement will see the cancellation of both the licence to hunt and the immediate cessation of activities on the concession.
This structure will keep the relationships between the various parties balanced and honest. Everybody loses on a breach of rules and the comprehensiveness of the negative impact will create confidence in the industry.
Legal structures, compiled by the hunting industry to criminalise breaches of the regulations should be pursued and when a PH and any of his partners are found to be errant, the PH body must demonstrate its commitment to prosecution whilst always appreciating that guilt is determined by a court and not by an association.
Insurance structures should be negotiated so that if found innocent, loss of earnings are protected.
The single greatest threat to business in Africa today is the balance sheet investor, and I will steal a note by Neels Glendenhuys, used in a different context, but one that perfectly describes the intent.
“And here I believe lies one of the major problems of Africa’s professional hunting industry, - the fly by night operators, thieves, and scumbags, those who are only in it for the quick buck”.



Argument 6: Be Expensive, Be Difficult
Our wildlife is a precious resource. Make it expensive.
Do not ban hunting. Make it worthwhile.
Ban canned hunting with an inclusion that a PH may lose his licence if he/she works for a canned farming outfitter.
Photographic safari protection must be worthwhile and structured in a manner that the PH is not a glorified butler.
Make hunting available to those who want to hunt and prohibit those who want to beef up their ego or status.
Get expensive and get agreement. Get Botswana on board. Identify the lions in advance of the season and put trackers on them. Only tagged animals may be hunted.
A lion should go at US$500k of which 50% goes the state, US$50k goes to the hunting association for development investment and US$200k goes to the concession and partners.
Hunting must include a one week anti-poaching duty. A good shootist is always welcome.



Conclusion

“Only those who cling to the way things have always been done have no future.”

The world needs hunting and hunting needs to be made relevant again.



It is time to change and I truly hope that the courage to change happens and happens quickly.

Thought provoking to say the least . . . what is particularly interesting is that you are starting to hear some common themes from a variety of different hunting writers and commentators . . . all rooted in the notion that continuing to operate as we have been and hoping the problem will go away is not the answer.

Thought provoking even if it is a bit unreasonable for an industry that is on the brink in a country that is teetering.

Jeff

I do not by any means consider myself a great thinker, but I am a business man of 25yrs with quite a few employees.
When there are problems among them I look for the common denominator & address that. Either by correction or elimination.

Argument 1 - Absolutely. Openly posting hunting pictures and videos all over social media is sending the wrong message. It needs to stop, but it's obvious that the glory hounds will not comply.

Argument 2 - Agreed. The term "Professional Hunter" should be retooled to be "Professional Guide" in many parts of the world.

Argument 3 - Agreed to an extent. Hunting has become more akin to a casual dove shoot. Not sure the limiting factors suggested are going to fly however. Everyone wants a sure bet and to go home with a trophy regardless. The rest of the suggestions are nonsensical.

Argument 4 - Agreed. There are many in the industry doing great work that goes unnoticed and unrewarded. It's a strong message that we are missing.

Argument 5 - Agreed. Operators are first and foremost being run by the balance sheet. Not sure anything can be said or done to change the economics of hunting. Bad operators should be drummed out of the industry, however, many times that is not possible due to politics. Not sure how to break the cycle of corruption and nepotism within the industry.

Argument 6 - Agreed to an extent. Not sure a $500K lion is going to fly with anyone. But in the face of a declining resource, trophy prices must rise. But this should be on the permit side so that it is a level playing field for all and the extra funds should go directly to the local communities and not the government. In addition, anti-poaching should be part of every operator's responsibility. Many are already doing this.

And finally to the statement - "Farm bred animals are farm animals no matter their origin." Is a very valid point, but farm hunting does serve a purpose. The whole color variation nonsense needs to stop and SCI should be leading that charge not encouraging it.

Interesting points but most are impossible to do. The cost of enforcement would be prohibitive. A fella must be fit to hunt. How long will it be before a lawyer sues for his wheelchair-bound client. Obese--what definition? 40 years ago a medical clinic wrote "obese" in my medical records. I was 6' tall and weighted 260 pounds. I was obese? No, I was a competitive weight lifter. I could go on but there is no point to ramble.
We are at the end of the line, or the end is in sight.
Cal

Some of this is no doubt good. However a hell of a lot of it is simply impossible. These impossible items will wreck the industry. Then there are the arbitrary ages, obese or not, etc. That is a disaster waiting to happen.

The biggest thing is social media. This is NOT our friend. It make me wonder just how many subscribers the Big Buck Down app has? This was suppose to be a place where pictures could be posted and not be hammered on by the antis.

Anyone who thinks any of this is possible or reasonable are crazy!

Don better come up with some new ideas! lol

quote:

The rules prior engagement should be crystal clear.
1) Only one of the big five may be hunted by any individual in given year.
2) All big five hunts must begin from a starting point of not less than 1km from the identified “kill” with no mechanical assistance given on the hike. You walk to and from the base camp and camp out if necessary.
3) No baiting is allowed.
4) No dogs are allowed.
5) No long range rifles are allowed and no laser technology. The scope is allowed to ensure the cleanest of kills but some skill must be exhibited in the hunt and not just the shot. If the shot is the critical component refer the shootist to a range.
We need to establish a pecking order
1) To shoot a lion you must have first shot a leopard
2) To shoot a leopard you must have first shot an elephant
3) To shoot elephant you must have first shoot a buffalo
4) To shoot a buffalo you must have the following:

i) At lets five years hunting experience
ii) Past the professional hunting examination required in Zimbabwe. ( A lawyer/doctor etc. must pass the local exams in order to practice)
iii) Proof of fitness.
iv) Be a minimum of 30 years old. This is not an initiation test for a maturing teenager. A limit of +/- 60 years should be established.

Really?


.

I agree. Other than the $500k lion, those are the stupidest. Having just turned 60, looks like I would be done. Never mind that i can walk all day every day in extreme heat.

quote:

Don McDevott is a public relations consultant who helps companies with their image.

I could be wrong but after reading this I suspect Mr. McDevott does not hunt nor has he spent much time in the bush.

$500,000 for a Lion? Corey Knowlton paid $350,000 for a Black Rhino and that did nothing to stem the tide of opposition.

No dollar amount in trophy fees would ever be enough to change public opinion about "Trophy" hunting.

Cheers
Jim

quote:

Originally posted by JTEX:

quote:

The rules prior engagement should be crystal clear.
1) Only one of the big five may be hunted by any individual in given year.
2) All big five hunts must begin from a starting point of not less than 1km from the identified “kill” with no mechanical assistance given on the hike. You walk to and from the base camp and camp out if necessary.
3) No baiting is allowed.
4) No dogs are allowed.
5) No long range rifles are allowed and no laser technology. The scope is allowed to ensure the cleanest of kills but some skill must be exhibited in the hunt and not just the shot. If the shot is the critical component refer the shootist to a range.
We need to establish a pecking order
1) To shoot a lion you must have first shot a leopard
2) To shoot a leopard you must have first shot an elephant
3) To shoot elephant you must have first shoot a buffalo
4) To shoot a buffalo you must have the following:

i) At lets five years hunting experience
ii) Past the professional hunting examination required in Zimbabwe. ( A lawyer/doctor etc. must pass the local exams in order to practice)
iii) Proof of fitness.
iv) Be a minimum of 30 years old. This is not an initiation test for a maturing teenager. A limit of +/- 60 years should be established.

Really?


.

What a minute, is this for real? I'm actually being serious, as just the info above in item #3 is so outrageously laughable that I sincerely hope that by the time this guy reached this point in his presentation that those still listening booed him off the stage. I sincerely hope this guy wasn't paid for this - please tell me nobody was foolish enough to waste hard earned money on this crap?

Obviously he's NEVER stepped foot in the bush, the wild bush in particular. Secondly, I thought the idea here is to perpetuate the business of safari - so in doing so he suggests a dozen or more ways to further limit / restrict potential clients thus reducing the desire for folks to hunt Africa and of course limiting safari operators further from doing business. Ya, great idea bro!!! Especially considering African hunting is sinking like the Titanic as it is - why don't we slam one more torpedo into the hull???

Let me see - how many ways myself and pretty much every African hunter I have ever known have violated these stupid / idiotic suggestions.
1. Only one of the big 5 may be hunted in a single year? My first safari ever I took buffalo, lion, leopard - in that order. I've done 35 DG safaris, I'm certain that in at least 30 of those I have taken more than 1 DG animal on the same hunt. The boys in Zim better be prepared for a lot of excess quota paid for by them, but unused at year's end!

2. Walk to / from base camp? This is so absurd it doesn't even dignify a response!!!!!!

3. No baiting allowed? More evidence of this guy's complete and total lack of field knowledge / experience - shocking!!!

4. No dogs allowed? A debatable idea, but I would never agree with it personally.

5. No long range rifles, etc, etc? What in the world is this guy talking about. I've seen a lot of places where long range rifles / marksmanship is important, but Africa in general sure ain't one of em.

Establish a pecking order, items 1 - 3? Excellent idea, place stipulations upon potential clients that tells them how they will buy safaris, rather than them buying what they want, with their own money - excellent idea!! That'll go over tremendously well, I have no doubt! I'm sure safaris will fly off the shelf like hot cakes!!!

Item 4 - to shoot/hunt a buff one needs the following i - iv items to do so? Pass the Zim pro hunters exam - really? Ya, I'm sure every potential buff hunter will have no problem spending a week or two of their spare time in Zim taking the exam - so they can then go spending another week or two hunting??? Proof of fitness - so what, they have to pass the run / jump / swim exam? And then be a minimum of 30 yrs of age (by age 29 the only Big 5 / Dangerous 7 species I was missing was a rhino) and no older than 60 (cause by the time you want someone to pay $500,000 for a lion - most of them will have to be 60 yrs plus just to be able to afford it pal) another great idea so as to severely limit potential customers - brilliant!!!

Rarely am I shocked, surprised and dumb founded anymore - but reading all of this has renewed my faith in my ability to be just that. Without any doubt, the single dumbest compilation of idiotic suggestions ever put forth as a way forward for the betterment of African hunting safaris!!! And honestly - that's sugar coating it IMO.

quote:

Originally posted by JTEX:

quote:

The rules prior engagement should be crystal clear.
1) Only one of the big five may be hunted by any individual in given year.
2) All big five hunts must begin from a starting point of not less than 1km from the identified “kill” with no mechanical assistance given on the hike. You walk to and from the base camp and camp out if necessary.
3) No baiting is allowed.
4) No dogs are allowed.
5) No long range rifles are allowed and no laser technology. The scope is allowed to ensure the cleanest of kills but some skill must be exhibited in the hunt and not just the shot. If the shot is the critical component refer the shootist to a range.
We need to establish a pecking order
1) To shoot a lion you must have first shot a leopard
2) To shoot a leopard you must have first shot an elephant
3) To shoot elephant you must have first shoot a buffalo
4) To shoot a buffalo you must have the following:

i) At lets five years hunting experience
ii) Past the professional hunting examination required in Zimbabwe. ( A lawyer/doctor etc. must pass the local exams in order to practice)
iii) Proof of fitness.
iv) Be a minimum of 30 years old. This is not an initiation test for a maturing teenager. A limit of +/- 60 years should be established.

Really?


.

I agree with you this guy is so far out in left field he doesn't know a game is in progress. He has a few good points and a lot of bullshit.

All you old guys are just upset that you can no longer hunt in Africa. I still have 8 years to hunt.


He does have some good comments but mostly unworkable solutions.

What thought provoking?

Sadly, all this just plain bullshit!

We are bending to the pressure of antis to the point that it won't be long before we just keel over and die!

I agree with Aaron, this sounds like someone from the other side had paid him to write it!!

I can just see his next piece.

NO travel by jet to another country to hunt.

One must travel by sail boat to Africa, to hunt plains game.

And for one to be able to hunt dangerous game, one has to build his own balsawood raft and sail across to Africa.

What a bloody stupid article1

A public relations consultant??

What does he know about hunting??

what does he know about hunting???? obviously very little.....

quote:

Originally posted by jdollar:
what does he know about hunting???? obviously very little.....

Actually, this man should not even be calling himself a "public relations consultant"!

Shouldn't he have made an effort to learn about hunting before coming up with this sort of utterly stupid suggestions??

And to think that a professional hunters association has actually employed him in the firs place is mind boggling!

Shouldn't they have made some effort on who to employ to improve our image??

Instead of finding someone who is obviously so ignorant of hunting as to come up with this sort of rubbish??

All of us at the AGM threw questions at him after his ' speech' and we ( or most of us ) threw his rhetoric out the window immediately! What we did agree to is the social media issues, the rest.......well total bullshit. And yes he introduced himself to us as a ' non hunter '

quote:

Originally posted by martin pieters:
All of us at the AGM threw questions at him after his ' speech' and we ( or most of us ) threw his rhetoric out the window immediately! What we did agree to is the social media issues, the rest.......well total bullshit. And yes he introduced himself to us as a ' non hunter '

Who hired him to do the report?

quote:

Originally posted by Frostbit:

quote:

Originally posted by martin pieters:
All of us at the AGM threw questions at him after his ' speech' and we ( or most of us ) threw his rhetoric out the window immediately! What we did agree to is the social media issues, the rest.......well total bullshit. And yes he introduced himself to us as a ' non hunter '

Who hired him to do the report?

first question to be asked for sure.

quote:

Originally posted by martin pieters:
All of us at the AGM threw questions at him after his ' speech' and we ( or most of us ) threw his rhetoric out the window immediately! What we did agree to is the social media issues, the rest.......well total bullshit. And yes he introduced himself to us as a ' non hunter '

Bloody hell!

Doesn't say much about ZPHGA does it??

When one over writes , even a good message is lost , there are some good issues but these were lost by over playing the middle ground.

The media issues are real and mostly correct , the rest is trying to explain a boot camp for non hunters.

The reality is african hunting is going to become more and more expensive should it survive , so the age demographic will continue to be 35-75 on average for big game .

I dont think we should throw away everything but extract the issues that are common and real.

quote:

The rules prior engagement should be crystal clear. 1) Only one of the big five may be hunted by any individual in given year.2) All big five hunts must begin from a starting point of not less than 1km from the identified “kill” with no mechanical assistance given on the hike. You walk to and from the base camp and camp out if necessary.3) No baiting is allowed.4) No dogs are allowed.5) No long range rifles are allowed and no laser technology. The scope is allowed to ensure the cleanest of kills but some skill must be exhibited in the hunt and not just the shot. If the shot is the critical component refer the shootist to a range.We need to establish a pecking order1) To shoot a lion you must have first shot a leopard2) To shoot a leopard you must have first shot an elephant3) To shoot elephant you must have first shoot a buffalo4) To shoot a buffalo you must have the following:i) At lets five years hunting experienceii) Past the professional hunting examination required in Zimbabwe. ( A lawyer/doctor etc. must pass the local exams in order to practice)iii) Proof of fitness.iv) Be a minimum of 30 years old. This is not an initiation test for a maturing teenager. A limit of +/- 60 years should be established

Each time I read the above I keep wondering what sort of mind altering medication this guy is on!!

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Originally posted by medved:

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Originally posted by Frostbit:

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Originally posted by martin pieters:
All of us at the AGM threw questions at him after his ' speech' and we ( or most of us ) threw his rhetoric out the window immediately! What we did agree to is the social media issues, the rest.......well total bullshit. And yes he introduced himself to us as a ' non hunter '

Who hired him to do the report?

first question to be asked for sure.

Martin - This is the real question IMO, who hired/invited this guy? I sincerely hope good money was not wasted on this drivel, and if so - those responsible for inviting this guy should immediately reimburse the AGM.

No doubt change is needed and help wanted, but when suggestions are so outrageously impractical - its nothing more than a waste of time. Bring in someone who's experienced in the industry, and perhaps some good will come from it.

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Originally posted by Saeed:

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The rules prior engagement should be crystal clear. 1) Only one of the big five may be hunted by any individual in given year.2) All big five hunts must begin from a starting point of not less than 1km from the identified “kill” with no mechanical assistance given on the hike. You walk to and from the base camp and camp out if necessary.3) No baiting is allowed.4) No dogs are allowed.5) No long range rifles are allowed and no laser technology. The scope is allowed to ensure the cleanest of kills but some skill must be exhibited in the hunt and not just the shot. If the shot is the critical component refer the shootist to a range.We need to establish a pecking order1) To shoot a lion you must have first shot a leopard2) To shoot a leopard you must have first shot an elephant3) To shoot elephant you must have first shoot a buffalo4) To shoot a buffalo you must have the following:i) At lets five years hunting experienceii) Past the professional hunting examination required in Zimbabwe. ( A lawyer/doctor etc. must pass the local exams in order to practice)iii) Proof of fitness.iv) Be a minimum of 30 years old. This is not an initiation test for a maturing teenager. A limit of +/- 60 years should be established

Each time I read the above I keep wondering what sort of mind altering medication this guy is on!!

Maybe it is just the opposite. With ideas like these, maybe he needs medications. LOL

The chairman and the committee invited him, and his talk was free. As I said his main point was social media, personally, I feel he had NO clue about hunting, in fact he admitted it,he rambled on and when questions were thrown at him from the floor they were all against his ' ideas'.

Don used to work at National Tyres and then at Toyota Zimbabwe. He clearly hasn't got the faintest idea of hunting and conservation and the wildlife industry. We all know social media is one of the main causes of our hunting fraternity problems, we see guys posting photos of trophies before the are even in the salt.. Most camps now hv sat communications in them or are close enough to a mobile phone tower etc.

It's pretty simple, our zphga and soaz memberships are at their lowest ever. It is more like a small club of hunting buddies than a national association. A far cry from what it was in the 1980's. Until such time as there is a complete overhaul of how the association was or has been run for the past 10-15 years, you will not see many of the original members rejoining.

Zimbabwe hunting and photographic industry associations require paid, industry savvy personnel to run their affairs on a full time basis.

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It's pretty simple, our zphga and soaz memberships are at their lowest ever. It is more like a small club of hunting buddies than a national association. A far cry from what it was in the 1980's. Until such time as there is a complete overhaul of how the association was or has been run for the past 10-15 years, you will not see many of the original members rejoining.

Zimbabwe hunting and photographic industry associations require paid, industry savvy personnel to run their affairs on a full time basis.

I would also add, from what I've heard, NAPHA is a mess as well.

The question I pose to any organization is this: What are the benefits of being a member?

This is the question I ask myself about every association that in some way wants to separate my hard earned dollars from my pocket. It even applies to clubs that I'm passionate about including hunting organizations.

In order to reach younger crowds, which is where all organizations rely to grow/sustain, this is something that is often overlooked. You comment to over-haul the failing organization is probably exactly what needs to be done. Funny how the old guards, will run the organization to zero membership.

I'll give you an example, there's a club in town that has a monthly dinner, which is 50-65$ per person, and $10/drink. The food is garbage, seating is uncomfortable, and the drinks suck! Speakers are ok, often not something I'm interested in, but that's just me. However, I would go, if it didn't cost me 150-180 for myself and my gf to attend. For that money, I'm going to go eat a nice dinner somewhere else. (Now before anyone jumps on the how expensive food prep/banquet stuff is, don't even go there, my family owns multiple successful business in the food/catering/events/event facilities. There is no excuse at those prices.)

Or your tangibles are a magazine with the same people writing the same story every issue depending on the season, it just goes straight into the trash! I don't need to hear again how hunting hogs around the world is a great past time, just to see the same article recycled in another publication that same month.

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Originally posted by Oryxhunter1983:

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It's pretty simple, our zphga and soaz memberships are at their lowest ever. It is more like a small club of hunting buddies than a national association. A far cry from what it was in the 1980's. Until such time as there is a complete overhaul of how the association was or has been run for the past 10-15 years, you will not see many of the original members rejoining.

Zimbabwe hunting and photographic industry associations require paid, industry savvy personnel to run their affairs on a full time basis.

I would also add, from what I've heard, NAPHA is a mess as well.

The question I pose to any organization is this: What are the benefits of being a member?

This is the question I ask myself about every association that in some way wants to separate my hard earned dollars from my pocket. It even applies to clubs that I'm passionate about including hunting organizations.

In order to reach younger crowds, which is where all organizations rely to grow/sustain, this is something that is often overlooked. You comment to over-haul the failing organization is probably exactly what needs to be done. Funny how the old guards, will run the organization to zero membership.

I'll give you an example, there's a club in town that has a monthly dinner, which is 50-65$ per person, and $10/drink. The food is garbage, seating is uncomfortable, and the drinks suck! Speakers are ok, often not something I'm interested in, but that's just me. However, I would go, if it didn't cost me 150-180 for myself and my gf to attend. For that money, I'm going to go eat a nice dinner somewhere else. (Now before anyone jumps on the how expensive food prep/banquet stuff is, don't even go there, my family owns multiple successful business in the food/catering/events/event facilities. There is no excuse at those prices.)

Or your tangibles are a magazine with the same people writing the same story every issue depending on the season, it just goes straight into the trash! I don't need to hear again how hunting hogs around the world is a great past time, just to see the same article recycled in another publication that same month.

Thats exactly why our associations are in a mess here in Zimbabwe ... What do you get for being a member? More often than not, chairman and committee members are not elected from the membership, rather members offer their services as no one else wants to do it..with associations being run on a part time basis, it's no wonder our industry is in a tail spin.

The guest speaker at our AGM was not paid. the written presentation posted here is 40min of a 8 hrs AGM. the discussion that surrounded this presentation was thoughtful and productive. the reason for his presentation was to make us think about the perception we as hunters have, dangers of social media and was the foundation for an AGM that showed how badly we are threatened. His suggestions on hunting are laughable for sure, and he admitted that they are most likely impracticable and out the box but that was not the point being made.So you can all relax as we will not insist you shoot a leopard before you can hunt buffalo. The point made was that PH's and PG's are the custodians of our wildlife and we should be proud. But we are sending the wrong message and we need to re-look at the message and we should not tolerate any threat to our wildlife, if that is internal, external or social. Its good to have dialogue on this forum, but I can assure you that drawing a perception or conclusion based on the speakers presentation, is far from what ZPHGA stands for or is trying to achieve. Zimbabwe was the epicenter of the biggest earthquake in wildlife history with the Cecil incident. Never has our wildlife been as threatened as it is now due to airlines closing transportation of trophies. Stopping hunting in Africa is not an option. Full stop. Without hunting our wildlife outside protected areas is gone within months. Jobs and a better life are important but the wildlife, habitat and Eco-systems must be protected at all cost. To invite a pro hunting "us against them" speaker to our AGM is inviting a singer to the choir practice. So the committee decided to invite a trouble shooter and have a discussion. Every member we asked after the AGM, thought that the presentation and discussion around the speaker was spot on considering recent events.

As for the importance of associations: unfortunately its hard for people to see benefit unless its in their pocket. ZPHGA and SOAZ managed to contribute to keeping the TOTAL hunting ban in august 2015 down to 6 days due to the workshops held prior to Cecil and through fierce lobbying. Yes, we now have more regulation to deal with, but a disaster was avoided. That's Benefit. ( Zambia remained closed for 2 years)

In the USA you have lobbyists.
We have associations. You get a voice.
ZPHGA membership is the highest its been since 2006 in numbers.(records i have only go that far back) Further Zimbabwe has about 580 odd fully licensed PH and PG but only 270 odd renew their licenses every year, and ZPHGA currently has a 50% strike rate of those. So membership is ok under the circumstances. membership can be free if you support organizations that offer discount plus we have Loss of Income insurance available for our members. Those are pocket benefits.

There will be some structural changes at ZPHGA (Employment of CEO) to give it the attention it deserves to address the threats we are facing but it comes down to money. Committee members don't have enough time. We only have a potential 270 members, but I can assure you the committee is doing what we can to save our wildlife.

Perhaps, this topic should be discussed by a panel at upcoming conventions DSC and SCI as we do believe we are at a crossroad and we need to change course as our wildlife might not survive this new major threat?

Well said Louis and thanks for clearing up that post which was taken out of context. You athe the association have done an amazing job this year under extremely trying circumstances- hats off to you!

Well said Louis!! Although he was a non Hunter and didn't know a lot about hunting he still had some valid points. As our industry faces many problems I believe any help is welcomed.

Well said Louie , very good explanation of what we need to be aware of and what actually transpired at the AGM. Thanks for your continued efforts representing the ZPHGA.

Unfortunately this report made it onto AR but I am pretty sure that most of the AR guys will know that the ideas presented by this fellow were just his opinion and it was really meant only for the meeting which was held and not meant to actually get posted on AR or anywhere else on social media as that's the very thing we are trying to control. ( Bad press )

Best regards

Wayne

Thanks for the explanations Gentlemen!

We had no idea the context.


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