Cell phone calls and texting is ruining the hunting experience in Africa

[Hogpatrol]

Unless it's necessary for a successful hunt or a safety of personnel issue, I see no reason for any communications while in the field. Sitting in an aluminum tube for 18 hours, spending untold thousands of dollars and time preparing for the hunt should preclude the needs for a PH or support person to chitty-chatty on the phone while being paid to provide a service. If this happened to me on a hunt, I would let it be known who the miscreant guide services and PHs are to SCI and whatever PH association they belong to.

 

[enysse]

I sometimes carry my cellphone throughout the hunt, but where my property is there is no signal, it is mainly take some quick pics to use as reference and check time. But I do carry a Nikon with upgraded lens to take pictures of my clients with their trophies, and for surveying purposes. We use trail-cams at feeders, to keep track of "inventory" and show clients what our property is capable of sustaining. however the phone is only out of my pocket for about 5 seconds. I would find it very disrespectful for my client and their hunt to be playing games on the phone while waiting in the blind.

I agree with your trail camera use, as a outfitter, I think it is important to know what's on your property. It helps sell hunts and keeps clients hopes and dreams alive. It also proves to the client, if you go hunting the chance to tag a mature animal is possible!

 

[neckdeep]

I would have pitched the phone into the nearsest watering hole full of croc's, I hope you left an appropriate tip, zilch

 

[KAROO WILD Safaris]

There's no signal on our main property and on our concessions and area in general it is patchy. There is a landline at the lodge. Honestly, not having signal puts everyone at ease. A lot of our clients are constantly "wired in" in their everyday lives and I think the technology break makes for a more memorable and relaxing experience. They get to phone their family after the days hunting and communicate with the people who matter by talking to them. This is a free service. PH's shouldn't take or make calls not related to that hunt, period. You do that first thing in the morning, late at night after the clients gone to bed or briefly at lunch away from the client. A hunting safari for a PH and his crew is like a duck swimming - calm on top of the water but paddling like crazy underneath.

 

[SNIPER59]

There's no signal on our main property and on our concessions and area in general it is patchy. There is a landline at the lodge. Honestly, not having signal puts everyone at ease. A lot of our clients are constantly "wired in" in their everyday lives and I think the technology break makes for a more memorable and relaxing experience. They get to phone their family after the days hunting and communicate with the people who matter by talking to them. This is a free service. PH's shouldn't take or make calls not related to that hunt, period. You do that first thing in the morning, late at night after the clients gone to bed or briefly at lunch away from the client. A hunting safari for a PH and his crew is like a duck swimming - calm on top of the water but paddling like crazy underneath.

I agree with you 100% Karoo Wild, but believe me, this is not the case out there unfortunately. It would make a client feel like a client, not just another ''income source''.

 

[Vintageguy]

I don’t mind cell phone usage while in a blind, it can help pass the time. My buddy and I often will take turns napping when in the blind for hours. Our incentive to watch is the guy who spots it first gets first go.
The worst incident I’ve saw was another friend I invited to my place to hunt pheasants. These are birds I release throughout the season and then have friends and family come out to hunt, no charge of course. In this instance, we were following our dogs and they slammed into a point when his phone rang AND HE ANSWERED IT! I said out loud, “you gotta be kidding me”. Just a how ya doing call, nothing important. A little later we were split up on opposite sides of a strip of corn when his dog pointed just off the end in high grass in plain view of both of us but we couldn’t see each other. I hustled up there expecting him to appear from the other side and he didn’t, I waited, I called to him with no reply and then I walked over to where I could see up his side and he was 100 yards away chatting on his phone again!?!? I shot the bird for his dog and called it a day. We’re still friends but I haven’t interrupted his phone time with my pheasants since, LOL.

 

[Chago]

I am not sure I understand? Who is making the calls? The guide or you??? My cell phone is with me on all hunts but its truly a camera as signal is brutal. I love taking pictures as it helps me relive the hunts. I spent 9 hours on horse back in BC mountains and was snapping pictures a long the way. No its not for Instagram, just for my own albums I like to create of my adventures. If people call you just put your phone on Do not disturb. If your guide is taking calls all day that is a terrible guide. And if you are hearing random cell phones in the bush, you need to leave the zoo and start hunting elsewhere lol. Maybe I am missing the point of this thread.

 

[rinehart0050]

On our recent trip to Zim, we were surprised that all of our trackers, scouts, and even the poor local villagers all have cell phones now (most kept charged with rudimentary solar panels).

Some of the guys on the truck would be texting while we were driving somewhere or if we were taking a lunch break. Our tracker not so much, always focused on looking for tracks or animals in the bush.

We never ran into any issues with phone calls or people being distracted. When it's time for business, everyone got to work.

For me, I love disconnecting on safari. I carried my cell phone in the truck only for photos and to take notes about the hunt.

 

[Dee S]

Just spent 9 days in a tent camp in Botswana, zero cell coverage. During the day I left my phone turned off and in the tent. Just used my phone at night for an alarm clock the next morning.

 

[leslie hetrick]

on two trips botswana, i also had no coverage. didn,t mind it at all.

 

[spike.t]

Plenty places here still don't have coverage...but unfortunately it's creeing in ....we didn't have any...now in odd places it appears when driving around....on a hunt if any if our people had their phone on or used it if in signal I would be very pissed off with them....and they would know it......

 

[Ragman]

I took mine on both my hunts (Namibia and RSA) and it went out with me every day. First, it is now my only camera and that was its primary use. Then at camp where there was wifi I would text daily updates to my Dad, no one else. Then I would quickly check AH or show others my previous hunting/fishing pics. At bedtime I always take a book to bed to read until I can't keep my eyes open, so I use the flashlight on it to read by. Finally when I've read enough I set my alarm on my phone for the next morning. Quite a handy little gadget!

 

[WAB]

Thankfully where I typically hunt there is no coverage. As stated above, my phone is a camera and alarm clock on Safari.

 

[TNDave]

Thankfully where I typically hunt there is no coverage. As stated above, my phone is a camera and alarm clock on Safari.

What he said…

 

[Daggaboy375]

Anywhere can have " no coverage ". Just turn off all phones.

DB

 

[Doug3006]

Whenever I'm paying someone for a service, whether it's getting a haircut, having work done on my house, or being guided on a hunt, I expect that the person I'm paying is focused on the task at hand. Taking or making non-urgent calls/texts while they are supposed to be focused on what I'm paying them for really frosts me. Since we are joined at the hip with our PH for days at a time, some accommodation is required. There's a time and place for such things. A PH just chatting away on the phone while on the trail is NOT okay, unless it's urgent or somehow connected to the hunt I'm on. "Hey, your hunting buddy just shot a 105 pound ele!" Totally OK.

 

[Lead]

Hunting is a one time experience. You may not see that big buck tomorrow, so I never crack out my phone mid hunt. You have the rest of the day to be on your phone, give that hunt your full attention.

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

My buddies father in law is a retired PH. Out hunting buff near GacheGache on Kariba and it goes pear, he ended up on the buff's horns and they eventually shot it from under him. As fortune would have it there was a glimmer of signal and they got in a casevac. Without that he would certainly have died, took several months to recover. So, be careful what you wish for, you can leave it off until you really need it.

 

[Lead]

My buddies father in law is a retired PH. Out hunting buff near GacheGache on Kariba and it goes pear, he ended up on the buff's horns and they eventually shot it from under him. As fortune would have it there was a glimmer of signal and they got in a casevac. Without that he would certainly have died, took several months to recover. So, be careful what you wish for, you can leave it off until you really need it.

Wow, that’s amazing!

 

[PerH]

Just be aware with Whatsapp since they were bought by FB a while back, few months ago,all their data and so on is shared wih FB. There was a message if one were not to agree with that, after a certain date one would not be allowed to use Wa any longer .