Leaving on tuesday the 26 of april from Norway arriving jnb 27 0715 , rcb 1125 , 10 days of ph course, returning from rcb on the 10 of may and back home in Norway the 11 of may

Good luck!

Is that with Ian Goss at the Goss Estates PH Academy?

yes !

Good Luck! Let us know how it is. I've been thinking of getting shakari's book and then doing a PH course myself.

Thanks !
I will keep you informed.

jvalha,

You're going to work your arse off and you're going to have an absolute ball. That course is a life changing experience.

I wish you all the luck in the world.

cj,

The book will give you an immense leg up prior to attending the course because the course syllabus is examined in detail and then continues onto how to further develop your skills.

Shakari,

Thanks, I will be getting your book soon!

Hello all been back for a few week after the course. Shakari said it will be a life changing experience and I do belive he is right.In my case it was to get an insight on the industry. I was starting up as a booking agent, but wanted to do it right. That course really made me realise what the ph has to know, what he is capable of, and how things work.
I passed all the practical tests and made an impressive (for me) written exam thanks to Shakaris book...
That book is compulsory reading before you attend mr Goss course
-Jostein

quote:

Originally posted by shakari:
jvalha,

You're going to work your arse off and you're going to have an absolute ball. That course is a life changing experience.

I wish you all the luck in the world.

cj,

The book will give you an immense leg up prior to attending the course because the course syllabus is examined in detail and then continues onto how to further develop your skills.

Now look ar what you gone and done. Ruined some other poor bastard's life. You just couldn't leave well enough alone!

I want to go to an PH Course too.
Only for my personal development...

PLEASE:
Are they man man from other countrys?
How many pas the test?
How difficult was the test?

Thanks Frank.

P.S.: The book from Shakari is great.
:-)

quote:

Originally posted by Jvalha:
I passed all the practical tests and made an impressive (for me) written exam thanks to Shakaris book...
That book is compulsory reading before you attend mr Goss course
-Jostein

quote:

Originally posted by Dr. FM:
P.S.: The book from Shakari is great.
:-)

Guys,

Very glad you enjoyed the book and found it useful and please do feel free to post your reviews/opinions of it here: http://www.shakariconnection.c...ng-book-reviews.html

quote:

Is that with Ian Goss at the Goss Estates PH Academy?

This is the best choice !

How much does a phcourse cost?
What's the benefit of doing such a course? Ok you get some experience but besides that?

Prices vary but are not particularly expensive and certainly well worth the money.

As for what benefits..... there's no end of benefits to doing a course. You'll learn an immense amount, improve your hunting skills dramatically and have an absolute ball.

I'd recommend it to anyone who hunts Africa!

At the risk of plugging my own book, I'd say the same could be said for that....... the book is a lot cheaper though!

As has been said, Ian's course has the reputation of being one of the best and probably THE BEST in RSA. He's a hard taskmaster but the experience of being one of his students is well worthwhile.

About this and that !
On the course I attended there were only one overseas student, me! we were 9 students that started the course, and 3 that passed as a PH. In other words 6 student were not yet ready! My exam was not official as long as I am a Norwegian resident. The whole course is build up on check outs , theory every morning and out in the bush doing practical hunting every afternoon.
The language was a problem for me, english is not my first language and that became a challenge. I thought my english was good enough but obviously not!
The ordinance is one of the 2 written exams, I did not get hand of a copy before course start and therefor didnt get to read up on it.
I will advice anybody whos doing the course on prepare youself good on the ordinance, that is quite an extensive study
Also study trees, birds, mammals of course, even beetles and international animals is on the agenda!
Another big challenge was the trophyjudgement, everything is inches and feets.In Norway we use cm and meters, therefor I had to convert eveything to cm before giving the answear in inches!! But we practised a lot on horn judgement so on exam day I managed it

What you gain for it ? Well , that a good question , for me it gave me 2 weeks hunting in the african bush without paying a huge dayfee.. But also the knowledge , the experince, the people I met and so on.. Bottom line I did it , liked it , and really dont regret it Great fun

Ian Goss is a real character, He has been a proffesional Hunter since 1968 and as Shakari says, really has walked the walk and talked the talk.. Just to hear his storys was worth the trip
You can get a 7 day course with 100 % guarante that you will pass for less than Mr.Goss course costs you! The course costs nowadays 10000 rands, and has a duration on 12 days..(and you need every one of them )
well as I said I wouldnt have gone any were else

-Jostein

quote:

we were 9 students that started the course, and 3 that passed as a PH. In other words 6 student were not yet ready!

What are the reasons for that?
Did they give up?
Or are they thrown?
Or had they problems with the exam?

quote:

Originally posted by Dr. FM:
What are the reasons for that?
Did they give up?
Or are they thrown?
Or had they problems with the exam?

The course consists of ongoing assessments as well as exams. As far as I'm aware, it's very unusual for a student to give up etc but if they're not good enough to meet Ian's high standards and pass the course, they have to come back and try again and often go and get additional experience before they attend the course for another try.

Even without passing, the student will improve his hunting skills and knowledge immensely and learn a huge amount about the hunting industry. If he does pass, just the fact that he passed with Ian will give him kudos/benefit as he progresses through his entire hunting career......... I passed with Ian 21 years ago and people still sometimes say to me "Well if you passed with Mr Goss, you must be good".

As you know Steve, Im a part-time gun writer.
I will go for sutch an course only for my personall skills and for an adventure...
And for an report.

So I had written 5-times your great book.
:-)

And then I had contact different PH-Schools, with different expirience. I dont want to write this now..., it is for the (pro-active) report.

I had contact Mister Ian and some weeks later I get an mail from him.
I think he had an good reputation and is an greatguy, now questions.

So lets see...
:-)

Success rate varies because Ian and indeed the game dept will only pass a student if it's felt that they're truly capable of going out and operating in a wholly professional manner.

If they don't make the grade in all of the many subjects, they fail everything and then have to re-attend and/or improve in the stipulated/relevent fields and then prove that to Ian's satisfaction.

Ian's course is tough to pass but will stand you in very good stead for many years thereafter. - I should also say that to some extent, you get out what you put into the course. The more you work, the more you learn, the more you gain.

Sounds like a blast! Time in the bush is always that @ my desk behind my computer doing powerpoint.

However, I have absoluetly zero intention of ever working as a PH. Not that I don't dream about it every once in a while... blowing it all off and going to do what I like doing in my free time; its just that its for my free time.

However, would love to hear from those who have done it: is it worth it for someone just looking to spend time in the bush (vs going on a RSA / Namibia PH hunt for example)?

Cheers!
D

I'd recommend it to any hunter (no matter how experienced they are) as a way to sharpen his/her hunting skills but it's also a whole lot more than that. Either way, it's well worth the time & money.

I suppose i need to clarify some about the "not yet ready" percentage. of the 8 possible (excluding me , beeing from Norway) .3 students went out the gate ready to work as PH`s. 2 had to come back for ordinance test, 1 had to come back for general knowledge test and one needed to work at a game park , learning for a couple of years. 1 had to work as a apprentice with a experienced ph for 21 days, before he was ready.. So as you understand it is not like you get kicked out : you are not suited! Ian made plans for all of them to get them ready!

Everybody completed the course, and only one had to take the full course over again.

Ian Goss takes pride in his students, if there is a spark of hunter in them he will blow until there is a good fire ! but sometimes that can be very difficult, but he will really try

-Jostein

Ian made plans for all of them to get them ready!
Who is the "boss" in the testing.
Ian or an person from an government department?
Who said he is faild or he passed, Ian or...?

Photos
Can you post some?

there were a sensor from the park and wildlife board of Kwazulu Natal! He did all the written exams! You have to pass the written exams firstly, no matter what!
Those that got extra developement assignements, did that in a mutual understanding with both the student , the sencor and the school director..
You need 70 % percent to pass! thats easy, only numbers.
-Jostein
I will see if I have a few pictures to post, later on.

Are all PH's in RSA required to take these classes?

Thanks
Tom

quote:

Originally posted by shakari:
I'd recommend it to any hunter (no matter how experienced they are) as a way to sharpen his/her hunting skills but it's also a whole lot more than that. Either way, it's well worth the time & money.

Sorry but I somehow doubt that.
Why should a client do such a course?
The best way to sharpen your hunting skills is to hunt. The more time you spend out stalking, hunting and watching the better you get. I doesn't really matter if you take a gun, bow or camera as long as you spend some outside.

Doc

I'm a bit out of touch with how the marking is done nowadays but as far as I know,and as has been said, the game dept mark the legal papers at least and Ian also sometimes/always brings in other PHs to help him assess the other factors of the course.

Tom,

Yes.

More generally, there has for some time been plans afoot to alter the training/examination process and (IMO) the new version will be an absolute stuff up (and considerably more expensive)...... If anyone is thinking of doing the course, esp if they're from overseas, I'd recommend they do the course sooner rather than later and at the risk of plugging my own book, I'd strongly recommend they buy and study my book before they attend.

Why should a client do such a course?
- They learn mutch.
- They get a great expirience.
- It is an adventure.
- A great deal, fur less money.
- He see the hunting from the view of the PH.
- For his personell skills.
- ...and 100 other good reasons :-)

The Threat-Starter send me in the moment some pictures.
He wants, that I post the pictures, later on he will wrote some comments.

I wish you mutch fun and informations with this inside-view.

The Thread-Starter had send me some pictures from the course. He wants, that I post them here.

Later on he will wrote some comments.

Have mutch fund, with this inside view.