What's the PH's responsibility--

[csutton7]

Let's say you've booked for a 10 day hunt and you're out in the bush and you finish in 6-7 days--what do you do for the remaining days--I know some places have bird hunting and fishing, but will the PH be with you or??? or do you just sit around and tell lies and crush beer cans all day--or do you go shoot some animals with a camera--what's the PH's responsibiliity when this happens---chris

 

[Andrew McLaren]

csutton7,

How long is a piece of string?

I would expect any PH working for me to remember the first three tasks on his job description: 1. Keep the client happy. 2. Keep the client very happy. 3. Keep the client extremely happy.

So I would expect the PH to discuss with the client what could be done to pass the remaining hunting time in the way that the PH can LEGALLY arrange at short notice and within his limitations. You must realize that you may have been hunting for a record kudu with the very best PH of all the known allround bushveld hunters next to a river full of fighting tigerfish. But this particular PH may have never fished in his life before, not know fishing seasons or where and how to get the required licenses and permissions.

I expect some very interesting discussions to come about as a result of this post.

In good hunting.

 

[JJHACK]

The Professional hunter is sometimes a bit of a tour guide. However he is a Professional Hunter and not a professional shopper. It's one thing to head into a town for an afternoon or eventing to let the folks shop and browse, it's another to end the hunt 4 days early and then expect this as a full time event for the remaining days. It's also very expensive to use a PH as a cab driver or errand boy. My suggestion would be to continue hunting for one more exceptional trophy. If you see it great if not then nothing lost, as you were paying for the PH anyhow. Lets look at this another way. You came all this way to see Afrcia and hunt. So by the time 5-6 days go by and your finished hunting is that the extent of your interest? Most folks spend the remaining days hunting just as they were, but maybe for a special huge warthog, impala, or some other affordable game animal. It keeps you in the bush and actively hunting. I have had a number of guys come across the biggest trophy of their lives when hunting with lesiure rather then the anxious anticipation of the first few days. Most places will take a credit card should you happen upon this massive trophy of a lifetime.

In my Zulu camp we are so close by the park that the PH would love to take you for a drive all day as much as you like through the park, A much better option then taking you back to Pretoria or Joburg for shopping! At our Limpopo camp we can go fishing or hunting along the river Where you can see across to Botswana and one never knows what will show up by that river! There are lots of crocs and other game in the area. Lots of options if you should finish hunting early.

 

[snake river rufus]

I have read a lot of stories about how some clients can try a PH's nerves, but are there really clients that want to go shopping in the middle of a safari? Maybe bringing wives/girlfriends along isn't such a good idea.

 

[csutton7]

I can't imagine wanting to go shopping while on safari--that's what you do the day(s) before or after---of course if there was a need to go into town to get some much needed supplies I might just to go along if I was done hunting, but JJ has a great point at keeping at it for the mega trophy--I like that---chris