Would you hunt with a operator hunting illegaly?

[Tokoloshe Safaris]

I have given a lot of thought to even starting this post. I have reached a stage in my life where I would like to bring a few things to light. That some members especially the average working guy, who we always directed our hunts too.I will be posting a few stories. As far as I know I will not mention any sponsors.

Lon

 

[flying sailor]

No. If they have not served their apprenticeship and not a licensed PH, no. If they are not registered ( whatever the process for their particular govt) no. They are cheating money from the govt. and also the money for the infrastructure that supports sustainable hunting. There are a host of things I am ignorant about concerning licensing of PH's and licensing of Safari outfitters. If they are unwilling to do it right then what other items do they cheat on? Un ethical hunting of game? Only been to Africa once, so I do not know what hoops PH's and outfitters jump thru. In my machine shop business, it's do it right or don't do it at all.

 

[revturbo9967]

Please tell all. I doubt anyone here will have a future hunt with an operator who is breaking the law.

 

[grand veneur]

Never, but if it is not just about Africa, I have to admit that I didn't always know in some countries whether I was hunting legally or not. In my opinion, that is the problem and not that someone is intentionally hunting illegally with an operator. That probably exists too, but it is extremely dangerous, as is any illegal hunting for a client, intentionally or not.

 

[Tokoloshe Safaris]

These storied will not be directed toward PHs who are very much pawns. No names will be used. Locations and countries will in some cases.

 

[grand veneur]

My question again, is it just about hunting in Africa ?

 

[SFRanger7GP]

No. Nor will I tolerate it from others.

Safe hunting

 

[Hunter-Habib]

Never. They are swindling money into their own pockets which should have gone into wildlife conservation. Conservation which is absolutely mandatory to keep our passion of sustainable hunting possible in the long run.

Even if it’s for the most selfish reasons, we should never support this practice because we have to look at the big picture. Wildlife conservation needs funds and those funds are generated by hunting. If those funds aren’t going into wildlife conservation, then this is plain thievery.

I did do something legally grey though, in Africa. It happened a long time ago, so I can freely talk about it now. During my life’s first African safari to Kenya in 1974, I hunted a Cape buffalo with a .375 Holland & Holland Magnum. My white hunter permitted me to do this, even though the minimum legal caliber for hunting thick skinned dangerous game (elephant, rhinoceros, hippopotamus, Cape buffalo) in Kenya was .400 bore from 1958 to the year of the hunting ban in 1977.

I’m sure no one will begrudge me that. But it did happen.

 

[grand veneur]

Unfortunately, never is quickly said.

I have to say again that it is not always easy for an unsuspecting client to find out whether everything is going on with legal matters. I had rarely something to do with the authorities in an African country, except at the airport when the weapon was imported.

But maybe the discussion is just about whether someone would do something like that intentionally.

 

[CBH Australia]

No, on short No to the question posed in the thread title.

On principle No,

I may not be perfect but I have some hard boundaries.

 

[grand veneur]

I am very sensitive to the topic because myself, like some other hunters, have probably hunted illegally more than once in the new Russia of the nineties.

 

[wesheltonj]

No. And I do know of some outfitters/PH's who have broken the rules in Africa. And I would not book a hunt with them. Nor would I book a book with an agent who has broken the rules too. Reformed or not.

 

[thriller]

I would Not Knowingly do this but I am interested what instance this is referring to. Would probably help avoid doing it unknowingly in the future.

 

[Hunter-Habib]

I am very sensitive to the topic because myself, like some other hunters, have probably hunted illegally more than once in the new Russia of the nineties.

I can relate. I hunted Seladang In Chiengmai in 1978, because I was very close friends with the ambassador to Thaialand at that time. I don’t know if it was strictly legal or not. But the locals definitely didn’t try to get me into any trouble. Northern Thailand was still very wild country back in those days.

 

[Nyati]

Something like shooting an animal which should have a permit, but there is no permit, and the hunter is not aware of that ?

I know firsthand of a couple of cases, plus a few stories I cannot certify.

 

[Aaron N]

How many of us have shot from a bakkie?

 

[Hunt anything]

Not knowingly, as a client I try to do my homework on a PH and outfitter but at times it can be hard to find accurate information. In the states I’m pretty well versed on regulations but over seas at times it’s hard to find them out such as legal shooting hours, baiting or how far you must be away from the vehicle.

 

[Hunt anything]

How many of us have shot from a bakkie?

Some places it’s legal, but I frown upon it. I did shoot a problem baboon of a truck once though.

 

[Aaron N]

Some places it’s legal, but I frown upon it. I did shoot a problem baboon of a truck once though.

It happened, but I wasn’t a fan. One of those situations where being a first timer I didn’t speak up.

 

[mdwest]

How many of us have shot from a bakkie?

In most cases that’s going to be a question of ethics, not one of legality…