I enjoy watching “Untamed productions” and “This is Africa” on YouTube. I learn a lot from the DG hunts filmed. Basically a filmed AAR
The defects I see most often are(
walking like a pregnant Yak
Taking too long to shoot
Not immediately being prepared for a quick follow up. Many stand there in shock and need to be told to reload.
It’s apparent they are not practiced with the weapon.
It’s a sad fact that a PH is financially forced to hunt with unqualified DG hunters.
I will not speculate on the causes of this sad incident. It does hit home since I have a buff on my list for this year. It is unfortunate that a PH is compelled to hunt with many inexperienced hunters. Even one safari gains a hunter years of comparable North American big game hunting experience. Seeing the African animals and how they respond to human contact is revealing and highly educational. That is why I went on a "Practice Safari" last year for PG just to learn the ropes and to get familiar with my PH and he with me. It was well worth the trip.
I too like to watch videos and read hunt reports as a mean of gaining some lessons learned from others. I do cringe sometimes at the level of unprepared hunters out there. I watched a hunter miss a buffalo three times at 20y with a 600NE double rifle. Why? He was in love with the idea of killing a buff up close with a big double but could not accept the fact that for him the 600NE was too much recoil. In my opinion, he was lifting his head in anticipation of the punishing recoil of that beast and was shooting high, well over the bull in his sights. He did finally wound the animal as it ran away, ugggh. And later with help from his PH, they managed to kill the animal. Not a good look.
Despite my best efforts, I did make a number of rookie mistakes on my trip. The most egregious being me failing to chamber a round on a Gemsbok leading to the dreaded "Click" when I pulled the trigger. Some more shy animals like Kudu may only grant you about 3 seconds to mount the sticks, aim and fire from the time they make eye contact with you. So, how you carry your rifle and how you aim and fire is something well worth practice. I like to squirrel hunt with a rimfire rifle off sticks and a grey squirrel is a great practice animal for Safari. You learn to be quick and decisive and aim fast.
I carry using the Rhodesian carry with rifle slung muzzle down on the weak side shoulder. This enables me to mount the sticks in one smooth, fast motion and be aiming down range in about 1.5seconds. It is safe and easy to learn and beats the hell out of the African carry or most others.
I like to aim fast but shoot slow. Once on the sticks and having the animal in the crosshairs, I will take my time squeezing the trigger in effort to make the first shot decisive. It works. As for dust and cleaning the rifle every day? That is partly why the old CRF Mauser design is so popular in Africa. It is reliable even with dust and dirt in the action and will function with a minimum amount of service in the field. Push feed actions little ejector plunger can and does get fouled with dust. But if you feel compelled to strip the rifle, then take the time to go back to the test range with the PH the next day to confirm the function prior to hunting with it. I remove all of the oil from my action when hunting in dusty environments. I will wipe it down including the bolts but never disassemble the bolt while on a hunt unless something is broken. If your rifle is that finicky, then find a different rifle IMO.
Being emotionally prepared to decisively take the shot and quickly reload for a followup is important. And if the beast is still on its feet, take a 2nd or 3rd shot if needed. Don't stand there with your teeth in your mouth dumbfounded after the first shot like you have never done that before, even if it is your first time. Last trip, I took five animals all with one shot but only two of them travelled more than two steps and neither gave me time for a follow up. I did kill a nice Blue Wildebeest with the 375HH with a frontal shot at 180y. The shot was true but I hate frontals and even though it was down, I put in two more insurance shots to anchor the animal. They are tough.
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