In memoriam - Professional Hunter Greg Michelson killed by Buffalo

[TERMINATOR]

Easier to say or “claim” then actually do. Of the few that might “claim” they are ready/willing to “stand fast” & perhaps die while hunting DG — maybe 1% really would and unless they have faced that situation before and “stood fast” they don’t really know. We’d all like to think we would “stand fast” but very few can demonstrate they did. I do believe that most accept there is a “risk” of death …My goal when hunting - is for all to return alive & well

100%

I hope I never have to find out. I just know I will do everything possible to make sure my PH, Trackers and I are never in that situation.

But like WAB said..."Shit happens".

 

[Hoas]

 

[SRvet]

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I nearly pressed the like tab but that seemed slightly disrespectful. Thanks for sharing. A terrible loss indeed.

 

[Neophyte]

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The client is why I can’t stand most people.

Tired is no excuse when lives are on the line. This PH lost his life doing his job when the client failed to do his. His job was to make a good shot but things happen and I don’t condemn someone for a bad shot. Shoot long enough and you’ll make one too.

My condemnation comes from leaving the PH. I can understand if the PH didn’t want the client there because of poor gun handling, marksmanship, or a variety of other factors but that doesn’t appear to be the case here seeing as how both the client and the observer went with the tracking party.

If you are allowed to go after your animal, since you wounded it, you have a duty and an obligation to see the endeavor through to the end no matter the outcome. Being tired is a piss poor excuse.

Maybe I’m too old fashioned but that’s how I was raised. Likely the client thought he’d just shoot his quarry, pose for a photo, and then everyone else would do the grunt work. I’m not like that. If you’re sweating I’m sweating too.

To me the hunt doesn’t end when the animal is down. That’s when the work is just beginning and to me it’s a big part of the hunting process.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

The client is why I can’t stand most people.

Tired is no excuse when lives are on the line. This PH lost his life doing his job when the client failed to do his. His job was to make a good shot but things happen and I don’t condemn someone for a bad shot. Shoot long enough and you’ll make one too.

My condemnation comes from leaving the PH. I can understand if the PH didn’t want the client there because of poor gun handling, marksmanship, or a variety of other factors but that doesn’t appear to be the case here seeing as how both the client and the observer went with the tracking party.

If you are allowed to go after your animal, since you wounded it, you have a duty and an obligation to see the endeavor through to the end no matter the outcome. Being tired is a piss poor excuse.

Maybe I’m too old fashioned but that’s how I was raised. Likely the client thought he’d just shoot his quarry, pose for a photo, and then everyone else would do the grunt work. I’m not like that. If you’re sweating I’m sweating too.

To me the hunt doesn’t end when the animal is down. That’s when the work is just beginning and to me it’s a big part of the hunting process.

I guess it was better to have one fatality instead of two. No sense in the client killing himself if he's not up to it. At least he gave up his gun to someone who was capable of continuing the task. If I had been the PH I'd have given him a choice: go back to the truck without your gun or stay on the tracks. Frankly, I would have been more confident in my staff doing the job in a crisis than most clients I don't know. I'm sure Mr. Michelson was fully confident in his support staff to take the client's gun and back him up. The bull just bushwacked them. Whoever was on the end of the line was going to get it.

 

[TERMINATOR]

The client is why I can’t stand most people.

Tired is no excuse when lives are on the line. This PH lost his life doing his job when the client failed to do his. His job was to make a good shot but things happen and I don’t condemn someone for a bad shot. Shoot long enough and you’ll make one too.

My condemnation comes from leaving the PH. I can understand if the PH didn’t want the client there because of poor gun handling, marksmanship, or a variety of other factors but that doesn’t appear to be the case here seeing as how both the client and the observer went with the tracking party.

If you are allowed to go after your animal, since you wounded it, you have a duty and an obligation to see the endeavor through to the end no matter the outcome. Being tired is a piss poor excuse.

Maybe I’m too old fashioned but that’s how I was raised. Likely the client thought he’d just shoot his quarry, pose for a photo, and then everyone else would do the grunt work. I’m not like that. If you’re sweating I’m sweating too.

To me the hunt doesn’t end when the animal is down. That’s when the work is just beginning and to me it’s a big part of the hunting process.

Somebody will surely get upset about what I am about to say...but I am gonna say it anyway.

I also think this raises a question about having the wife tag along on a DG Stalk.

I am not being sexist and saying they "shouldn't" or "can't"...because I know many spouses are up to a day long track. And many women have been the hunter on one. So it isn't that I think women are not up to the task...many are. But some are not. I think you need to take a hard look at the wife and ask yourself "is she up for the worst case?" If so....awesome! Good for her!

But if not... politely suggest she relaxes at camp that day.

Because knowing husband/wife dynamics, it could very well be that the wife was exhausted and the hunter did not want to force her to carry on or send her back alone with the game scout by herself if she felt uncomfortable about that, and therefore bowed out with her. I have no way of knowing if that was the case, but I would not be surprised if that was the case. Or maybe he really was exhausted too and just wimped out as is implied here. I don't know.

I love my wife and she is a trooper...she has been on 3 of my 5 safaris with me and I love that she has...but I know she is not gonna be able to keep up if we get on a 3,4,5,6 hour stalk and so does she. So she stays in camp and reads or goes on a photography drive on "Buffalo Days" and comes out with me looking for PG after the Buffalo is down. Days where it is unlikely we will be working that hard.

When I read that the husband and wife got tired, I had to wonder if it wasn't really the wife got tired and then the hunter was in a tough spot. Better to not be in that spot IMHO and think about this and make this evaluation before you take off after a wounded buffalo. Hell, if you can't look in the mirror and honestly think YOU are up to it.... then you probably should pass on hunting Buffalo period.

 

[Certus]

Fatigue leads to mistakes. He said he was too exhausted to go on. Take him at his word, since you don’t know him.

Fatigue is a killer, whether it’s a bad call or just simple dropping from the exhaustion or heat. Client made a choice that the PH was fine with, it seems.

 

[Fatback]

Vince Lombardi said “Fatigue makes cowards of us all”. If I have heard that once I have heard it a thousand times. Was a favorite saying of one of my football coaches growing up.

I have no idea what type of condition the hunter or his wife were in and can understand how being in poor condition would lead to them asking out of the follow up due to fatigue. Also, in fairness, nobody thinks that the follow up is going to turn out the way it unfortunately did. That is a regret the hunter will have to live with.

To me this illustrates the importance of being in the best possible condition you can be in both physically and mentally and being as proficient with your weapon as possible because while the majority of the time it isn’t, hunting buffalo or other dangerous game can absolutely be a matter of life or death and not just for the animal. I think for a lot of us that is part of the allure of hunting DG, to find out if we are up to facing that level of challenge.

Knowing that I am intentionally going to pick a fight with an animal that could kill me is one of the main motivations that gets me out of bed every morning to go exercise, gets me to spend the time and money to become proficient with an appropriate weapon and to do all the other things so that when I find myself in the “moment of truth” hunting DG I will know I’ve done everything I could to be as prepared as possible and that’s really all any of us can do. I believe that is the lesson to take from this, be as prepared as possible. My prayers and condolences go out to the PH’s family and friends as well as the client and his wife.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

It seems it would have made little difference if the client had not run out of gas or his wife being along. Would have just been two more inexperienced people thrown in the mix when shit hit the fan. I see no benefit in that. Zero. Same guns were still in play whether the client and wife were there or not. If anything, having them out of the way may have been beneficial.

 

[Wheels]

In looking at some of these posts, it's easy being critical of the clients from half a world away. A couple thoughts come to mind. Was the wife dehydrated and no water brought on the stalk? Had the hunter been sick and in camp the two previous days? Did the hunter and wife explain their physical limitations to the outfitter/ph prior to the hunt and the outfitter book the hunt anyway?

There are many things that most of us don't have a clue about, yet some still rush to judgement.

This entire situation is unfortunate. In hindsight I am sure there are plenty of regrets to go around. From the clients who made a less than perfect shot and went to the vehicle to trackers who wished they had circled the tall grass to pick up the spoor on the other side and/or isolate the buffalo in the long grass. Then thrown rocks, burnt the grass, brought up the vehicle to push the buffalo into a more open area. Michelson could have made these decisions too.

In the end, a situation many of us have been in that works out positively 99% of the time cost a man his life. Learning for the experience is great. Condemning others without full knowledge, not so much.

 

[Tokoloshe Safaris]

The PH has the final word. Period
I assume death certificate will read buffalo or wounded buffalo. Not heat, thirst, fatique or client made a bad first shot or should have used a bigger or smaller caliber.

I greave for the family not the hunter he is in a better place.

Lon

 

[WAB]

The client is why I can’t stand most people.

Tired is no excuse when lives are on the line. This PH lost his life doing his job when the client failed to do his. His job was to make a good shot but things happen and I don’t condemn someone for a bad shot. Shoot long enough and you’ll make one too.

My condemnation comes from leaving the PH. I can understand if the PH didn’t want the client there because of poor gun handling, marksmanship, or a variety of other factors but that doesn’t appear to be the case here seeing as how both the client and the observer went with the tracking party.

If you are allowed to go after your animal, since you wounded it, you have a duty and an obligation to see the endeavor through to the end no matter the outcome. Being tired is a piss poor excuse.

Maybe I’m too old fashioned but that’s how I was raised. Likely the client thought he’d just shoot his quarry, pose for a photo, and then everyone else would do the grunt work. I’m not like that. If you’re sweating I’m sweating too.

To me the hunt doesn’t end when the animal is down. That’s when the work is just beginning and to me it’s a big part of the hunting process.

I tend to agree, however, we don’t know the circumstances. A PH I hunted with had one of Condoleza Rice’s security detail on a hunt in Zambia after she calmed things down in Kenya. The guy was having trouble keeping up on a buffalo. The PH looks back and the dude is stone dead. Heart attack in the bush! My point is that we don’t know what the hunter or observer were struggling with so we should probably show some grace until all the facts are known.

 

[WAB]

Somebody will surely get upset about what I am about to say...but I am gonna say it anyway.

I also think this raises a question about having the wife tag along on a DG Stalk.

I am not being sexist and saying they "shouldn't" or "can't"...because I know many spouses are up to a day long track. And many women have been the hunter on one. So it isn't that I think women are not up to the task...many are. But some are not. I think you need to take a hard look at the wife and ask yourself "is she up for the worst case?" If so....awesome! Good for her!

But if not... politely suggest she relaxes at camp that day.

Because knowing husband/wife dynamics, it could very well be that the wife was exhausted and the hunter did not want to force her to carry on or send her back alone with the game scout by herself if she felt uncomfortable about that, and therefore bowed out with her. I have no way of knowing if that was the case, but I would not be surprised if that was the case. Or maybe he really was exhausted too and just wimped out as is implied here. I don't know.

I love my wife and she is a trooper...she has been on 3 of my 5 safaris with me and I love that she has...but I know she is not gonna be able to keep up if we get on a 3,4,5,6 hour stalk and so does she. So she stays in camp and reads or goes on a photography drive on "Buffalo Days" and comes out with me looking for PG after the Buffalo is down. Days where it is unlikely we will be working that hard.

When I read that the husband and wife got tired, I had to wonder if it wasn't really the wife got tired and then the hunter was in a tough spot. Better to not be in that spot IMHO and think about this and make this evaluation before you take off after a wounded buffalo. Hell, if you can't look in the mirror and honestly think YOU are up to it.... then you probably should pass on hunting Buffalo period.

The same is true of the husband. Some guys have no business on a DG hunt. My wife did 100 miles with Len Taylor and I in the Zambezi Valley. When the chips were down she made a one shot kill. I know a lot of dudes that could not pull that off.

I suggest we stop speculating and criticizing with incomplete knowledge. The bottom line, a good man is dead and his family is grieving. Let’s raise a toast to a life well lived and remember a family in need.