Huntingadventures
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This post has been in the making, and I will try to keep it as concise as possible. I do not wish to tarnish the reputation of any specific outfitter or country, but I would like to gather some opinions.
I hope this is in the right thread. If it needs moved sorry, I am new to this.
Little backstory. My Uncle decided to fufill his lifelong dream and go all out plains game hunt. When I say all out I am talking about 15+ species. He natrually invited his son who purchased 10 species. I was invited last minute, 7 months, and could only afford 3/4 animals with 10 days of hunting. Note: my uncle and cousin went for 18 days
Now, each of us had a very unique experince/ treatment.
My uncle was given the red carpet. Which I will get into later
My cousin had to fight for similar treatment
I was coddled to say the least.
Do not mistake me for an amature hunter, I grew up hunting all over the USA and Canada and have been shooting all my life (28 years old at the time of the safari).
I had paid for an Eland, Bushbuck, Warthog, and an Impala. It was June, but we had unusual storms that brought light showers most days.
Day 1: I arrived from the airport without any problems and reached the property. My gun and I still shot lights out.
Day 2: We drove in a truck, searching for game when we came across a large Bushbuck bull. The boss and my cousin began yelling at me to shoot it. Here lies the problem: I didn't want to hunt from a truck, as the bull didn't appear to be scared, and I felt pressured into shooting what I can only assume was a pen-raised Bushbuck. It seemed like they wanted me to quickly finish my hunt so they could focus on the others. I regret giving in to that pressure.
Days 3-10: My PH and I spent our time sitting in a blind at a waterhole, waiting for an Eland bull. However, my PH kept insisting, "There's no reason to sit here; it has rained, and they won't need to drink."
We both tried speaking to the boss/owner about this issue, but to no avail. What's more, my PH even told me, "If we get a big bull in, you must wait for me to be ready because I will need to follow up on your shot. These bulls will not go down and I dont want to search all day"
I was honestly offended by this statement. I am capable of shooting very well, even up to and beyond 300 yards, let alone just 50 yards from the watering hole. During our gun testing after the flight, my shots were consistently sub-MOA. Despite the grueling and slow days in the blind, I managed to tag out, and no, I did not have him follow up on my shot.
Now, onto my cousin's story. His main target species was a Kudu, and he spent the better part of 10 days searching for one, but couldn't find one let alone a "trophy" specimen.
Despite being instructed by the boss to "sit in a blind," my cousin's PH decided to take matters into his own hands and took my cousin to a "special area." Whatever that meant. Not surprisingly, my cousin spotted an impressive bull (58") and made a terrific shot.
The boss was furious, completely unhinged, and complained about how difficult it is to access or leave the area. The boss was very upset. Nevertheless, my cousin's hunt concluded with 4 days remaining.
Moving on to my uncle, he was treated exceptionally well and given every opportunity to harvest his animals. After my bushbuck mishap, we went out again and successfully stalked a very large warthog. However, when I went to position myself for the shot, as i was told to by the boss, I was then told to step aside and that it was too big for me and that my uncle needed to fill his tag first. It's worth noting that we paid the same price for our warthogs.
Furthermore, my uncle encountered significant challenges while pursuing the elusive gray ghost. So, where did the boss tell him he HAD to go? "The special place."
Please note that this special place was a vast area, and I didn't misread or misunderstand the situation regarding my cousin's experience. There wasn't just a single large bull in that area; hence, my uncle also shot a magnificent bull (60"). This disparity in treatment was evident.
Okay, so it wasn't all bad, and I genuinely enjoyed my time in Africa. However, I left with a sense of unfulfillment and slightly disheartened.
As I prepare for my upcoming hunt in summer 2025, which coincides with my honeymoon with my soon to be wife, I realize the importance of being more upfront with my PH. Reflecting on my past experience, where I felt somewhat neglected, I acknowledge that I should have clearly communicated my expectations more effectively (with the exception of the Bushbuck, which I regret shooting).
So, what is the best way to avoid similar issues in the future?
I hope this is in the right thread. If it needs moved sorry, I am new to this.
Little backstory. My Uncle decided to fufill his lifelong dream and go all out plains game hunt. When I say all out I am talking about 15+ species. He natrually invited his son who purchased 10 species. I was invited last minute, 7 months, and could only afford 3/4 animals with 10 days of hunting. Note: my uncle and cousin went for 18 days
Now, each of us had a very unique experince/ treatment.
My uncle was given the red carpet. Which I will get into later
My cousin had to fight for similar treatment
I was coddled to say the least.
Do not mistake me for an amature hunter, I grew up hunting all over the USA and Canada and have been shooting all my life (28 years old at the time of the safari).
I had paid for an Eland, Bushbuck, Warthog, and an Impala. It was June, but we had unusual storms that brought light showers most days.
Day 1: I arrived from the airport without any problems and reached the property. My gun and I still shot lights out.
Day 2: We drove in a truck, searching for game when we came across a large Bushbuck bull. The boss and my cousin began yelling at me to shoot it. Here lies the problem: I didn't want to hunt from a truck, as the bull didn't appear to be scared, and I felt pressured into shooting what I can only assume was a pen-raised Bushbuck. It seemed like they wanted me to quickly finish my hunt so they could focus on the others. I regret giving in to that pressure.
Days 3-10: My PH and I spent our time sitting in a blind at a waterhole, waiting for an Eland bull. However, my PH kept insisting, "There's no reason to sit here; it has rained, and they won't need to drink."
We both tried speaking to the boss/owner about this issue, but to no avail. What's more, my PH even told me, "If we get a big bull in, you must wait for me to be ready because I will need to follow up on your shot. These bulls will not go down and I dont want to search all day"
I was honestly offended by this statement. I am capable of shooting very well, even up to and beyond 300 yards, let alone just 50 yards from the watering hole. During our gun testing after the flight, my shots were consistently sub-MOA. Despite the grueling and slow days in the blind, I managed to tag out, and no, I did not have him follow up on my shot.
Now, onto my cousin's story. His main target species was a Kudu, and he spent the better part of 10 days searching for one, but couldn't find one let alone a "trophy" specimen.
Despite being instructed by the boss to "sit in a blind," my cousin's PH decided to take matters into his own hands and took my cousin to a "special area." Whatever that meant. Not surprisingly, my cousin spotted an impressive bull (58") and made a terrific shot.
The boss was furious, completely unhinged, and complained about how difficult it is to access or leave the area. The boss was very upset. Nevertheless, my cousin's hunt concluded with 4 days remaining.
Moving on to my uncle, he was treated exceptionally well and given every opportunity to harvest his animals. After my bushbuck mishap, we went out again and successfully stalked a very large warthog. However, when I went to position myself for the shot, as i was told to by the boss, I was then told to step aside and that it was too big for me and that my uncle needed to fill his tag first. It's worth noting that we paid the same price for our warthogs.
Furthermore, my uncle encountered significant challenges while pursuing the elusive gray ghost. So, where did the boss tell him he HAD to go? "The special place."
Please note that this special place was a vast area, and I didn't misread or misunderstand the situation regarding my cousin's experience. There wasn't just a single large bull in that area; hence, my uncle also shot a magnificent bull (60"). This disparity in treatment was evident.
Okay, so it wasn't all bad, and I genuinely enjoyed my time in Africa. However, I left with a sense of unfulfillment and slightly disheartened.
As I prepare for my upcoming hunt in summer 2025, which coincides with my honeymoon with my soon to be wife, I realize the importance of being more upfront with my PH. Reflecting on my past experience, where I felt somewhat neglected, I acknowledge that I should have clearly communicated my expectations more effectively (with the exception of the Bushbuck, which I regret shooting).
So, what is the best way to avoid similar issues in the future?
