Gifts you have received from your Professional Hunter

[358 Norma]

Friendship!

 

[PARA45]

When I hunted with Game-4-Africa, I received a nice short sleeve shirt and cap. Towards the end of the hunt, we saw some Egyptian Geese, and I shot one with Wik's 222. Also on the last day, Wik gave me some place mats to take to my wife. Oh, and Wik's dad took me shooting, and we shot some of his rifles. On the way back, Wik's dad came to me and gave me a beautiful Crock skin sling.

 

[Randy F]

Canvas print of he and I under their sign and a fresh Zebra hide.

 

[HankBuck]

Gunter Bierbaumer surprised me with an excellent bullet holder with a Cape buffalo emblazoned on the front and my name on the back. After I got my Cape buffalo, a couple of days before the trip ended, Gunter also provided me with a canvas photo with the bull, which is proudly displayed in my office at work. I found it very thoughtful and they are among my most treasured possessions. While not all guides/PHs do this, I have seen others who received some very nice and thoughtful gifts on hunts for various achievements (birthdays, completing a spiral horn slam, for making their first safari trip, etc). I'd love to see what others have received and hear your story about it.View attachment 686216View attachment 686217View attachment 686218

@gcbailey - those are very nice gifts, High Quality leather work and a thoughtful PH to have your name embossed on them. My PH gave me NOTHING, and I didn’t expect anything. My hunt was pleasant, he worked hard, was easy to get along with but it was Business-as-usual for him

 

[gcbailey]

When I hunted with Game-4-Africa, I received a nice short sleeve shirt and cap. Towards the end of the hunt, we saw some Egyptian Geese, and I shot one with Wik's 222. Also on the last day, Wik gave me some place mats to take to my wife. Oh, and Wik's dad took me shooting, and we shot some of his rifles. On the way back, Wik's dad came to me and gave me a beautiful Crock skin sling.

The crocodile sling is a fantastic gift, but that hunting experience sounds incredible!

 

[gcbailey]

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That's a great memento!

 

[gcbailey]

Just recently on my hunt in Bissau the chap that helped me on the trip called me into the dinning room & handed me a home made envelope !

I thought arr bugger a bill or something, he said take this from the Boys & him !

I was stoked as they didn’t have much to give & most likely regifted but still great to me !

Oh I don’t drink much either.

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Also some arrows from my boys in Kenya & Elephant skin belt from a PH colleague !

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Those are AWESOME!

 

[Russ16]

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I have a medal from one of the days that I shot 1000. Did it again on the next trip but that outfitter didn’t have a gift.

FYI the barrels on a Beretta SxS can get very hot.

 

[Hyde Hunter]

Gunter Bierbaumer surprised me with an excellent bullet holder with a Cape buffalo emblazoned on the front and my name on the back. After I got my Cape buffalo, a couple of days before the trip ended, Gunter also provided me with a canvas photo with the bull, which is proudly displayed in my office at work. I found it very thoughtful and they are among my most treasured possessions. While not all guides/PHs do this, I have seen others who received some very nice and thoughtful gifts on hunts for various achievements (birthdays, completing a spiral horn slam, for making their first safari trip, etc). I'd love to see what others have received and hear your story about it.View attachment 686216View attachment 686217View attachment 686218

those are great gifts!

 

[gcbailey]

those are great gifts!

Thank you! Gunter is a true gentleman all around.

 

[Nyati]

My first PH was the real deal, a true Boer, born and raised on a farm, no formal education, his english was basic, but his Tswana was fluent. Both his father and granfather, whom I met had been PH´s.

A bit rough around the edges, but nevertheless a gentleman. His interaction with his tracker was incredible. Of course, he did his best to find me what I asked for, mature animals, forget the tape !

His gift was an understanding of African hunting and South Africa, visited his farm, with his family,
a sincere conversation about their lives. Also met some friends of him, a complex society, easier for me to understand as my own family had also been in Africa for three generations.

 

[SaintPanzer]

I know it's taken a bit, but I found my goblet. Now that I've seen it again, it seems they are red stag, and not roebuck. I like that better, I think. Hochwild, and not Niederwild. I know it is hand painted, and it brings me fond memories.I need to use it more, and not just keep it on the bar.

 

[BeeMaa]

I’d like to hear from some PH’s on what they believe a gift to a client should be, if anything at all. Obviously it would depend on how long they’ve known each other and the level of friendship, but still…I’d be curious.

 

[gcbailey]

I know it's taken a bit, but I found my goblet. Now that I've seen it again, it seems they are red stag, and not roebuck. I like that better, I think. Hochwild, and not Niederwild. I know it is hand painted, and it brings me fond memories.I need to use it more, and not just keep it on the bar.

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That's a fantastic memento!

 

[Odinsraven]

LJ safaris shirt and jacket. But more importantly so much knowledge.... From all the places in Africa I have hunted. Learned the most with them.

 

[Odinsraven]

Irish guides usually abuse mostly ...it's a long shot for you must be 80m. Take any of the three to the right(there were only 2 deer.) I will make a cup of tea while you get on that deer. Good shot thought we were out of miracles today. FFS shoot. I am Irish myself

 

[Osama Mahdi]

From the lady running the camp, I received some nice kitchen utensils—spoons, forks, and knives—as well as pillowcases and earrings, all featuring South Africa’s national flower, the King Protea.

On another hunt, Bossie from Limpopo Big Game Safaris gifted me a baboon and two Genet cats. His wife also gave me a stuffed animal for my child, along with a book about South Africa and Kruger National Park, as well as a few other books.

 

[THAT'S AFRICA SAFARI]

I’d like to hear from some PH’s on what they believe a gift to a client should be, if anything at all. Obviously it would depend on how long they’ve known each other and the level of friendship, but still…I’d be curious.

We are so grateful that clients have worked hard, saved up and trusted us with their hard earned money to provide a truly unique African adventure that we feel the least we can do is give them something small as a thank you, upon arrival. We also appreciate the fact that clients have been on a plane for a considerable amount of time flying around the world to get to us, dealing with customs and travelling with rifles which can be stressful. We want to give our clients the very best welcoming reception Africa can provide. So when our clients arrive in camp, we have a welcome basket, cap & shirt, welcome note on their beds. The welcome basket has a few things from Africa, a Skullie, some freshly baked biscuits, this particular client is a return client whom we know very well and know that he loves South African wines so that went in his basket. Sometimes we give branded keyrings, coffee flasks, some spices or condiments from Africa. It all depends on the client and how well we know them. Valie is an avid book collector and has sometimes bonded with clients over that and so he has given rare vintage hunting books to clients.

We also have a welcome drink, some Amarula liqueur waiting for our clients. We also have snacks/cheese platter/charcuterie board as some clients may be hungry from the long day(s) travelling.

We also sometimes give clients ammo pouches with our branding on.
It really all depends on the friendship that has been formed but the basic premise is that we want our clients to feel welcome and therefore we do not mind spending a little extra and make a little less so that we have happy clients who enjoy their hunting safari and want to come back year after year.

When our clients go home we give them something photo-wise to remember their trip with us. Sometimes we give them a postcard with a photo of their trophy with a hand written thank you note on the back. Sometimes we give a branded USB with all the photo's of their trip, sometimes we give a photobook for their coffee table. Again it all depends on our relationship and the client and what we think would mean the most to them.

We would love to hear from clients what they would like to receive as gifts from us outfitters/PH's?