Has your PH ever sent you out without him?

[Houlainol]

I found a review where a PH/owner sent the client out hunting without him. The client went hunting with a licensed guide/driver and the tracker. In the review it said something about the PH needing do something else that day and then another day (on the same hunt) something else on the farm needed his attention so the client went out without him but took the rest of the crew.

Is this common?

In the review the client did not seem to mind and left a glowing review of the entire hunt. I'm just curious if this happens on a regular basis.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

I think I remember that hunt report. I wouldn't say it's common and so long as there was someone still with the client and licensed can't see where it was inappropriate.

Will it happen again in the future? I'm sure it will as one can't plan when an emergency will happen.

 

[gordon kings langley]

It has happen to me. Never hunted with the outfit again

 

[Spooksar]

I've been asked if another PH could take me out as the owner had some paperwork to do, not I big deal got my Steenbok that afternoon. As long as there is someone qualified shouldn't make a difference

 

[BRICKBURN]

I have been out wandering on my own in many circumstances and enjoyed it. However, my qualifications are slightly different than a first time plains game hunter.

 

[akeate]

It's actually illegal I believe to hunt in S.A. without a licensed hunter. Not saying I haven't done it before but I still had a tracker and had hunted with my PH a cumulative total of 70 days before I may or may not have done that. Less people = less noise = increased odds.

 

[Code4]

Illegal in SA. I believe in Zim too unless on private land and you borrow rifles.

 

[James Cook]

Our PH did this, after discussing with us to ensure it was ok. He needed to handle insurance arbitration matter with attorneys for a couple of days. It was at the end of the hunt & we had tagged our main targeted animals. He assured us the sub-PH was very qualified and we were ok with it. The sub-PH was indeed very good & we enjoyed the couple of days with him. Preferred our PH, who was more experienced, but hey, life happens and you deal with the unexpected sometimes.

 

[Brent in Az]

I would love to hunt the wilds of Tanzania by myself. Its not allowed without a licensed PH present.

 

[K-man]

Had a P.H. that was so distracted by his phone he may as well have stayed in camp. I would be comfortable with any of the trackers/assistants I have met but we would have a lengthy discussion about rules/rates etc. if any had wanted or needed to be away. Not a good idea where I have been with all of the big 5 roaming free. Might be O.k. on a game farm with plains game.

 

[lcq]

My first trip the PH sent me off on my own so we could track a wounded wilde. The second and third hunts with SSPro my PH's wouldn't let me out of their sight. With hind sight it was utterly irresponsible to let a new client wander around unfamiliar country (snakes etc) without supervision. I'm still a neophyte with only three hunts but I now know what to look out for and that knowledge was imparted by the PH's. The first guy was very lax with client safety and education

 

[wapiti]

I was put in a blind with just myself, a radio and my wife for the whole hunt in RSA. We were on a game farm with only one of the dangerous 5. (cape buffalo) I was bow hunting plains game. I've been assured a PH will be with me this time as I'm using a different outfitter.

 

[Spooksar]

I was put in a blind with just myself, a radio and my wife for the whole hunt in RSA. We were on a game farm with only one of the dangerous 5. (cape buffalo) I was bow hunting plains game. I've been assured a PH will be with me this time as I'm using a different outfitter.

This is not expectable on my first hunt not knowing the animals I would have shot a young Gemsbok if not for the PH telling me to wait. Even now with 6 hunts in Africa it's hard to tell the difference between a good trophy and a really good one. They should know what's in their area, the hunter wouldn't.

 

[jeff]

I've hunted on my own several times and thoroughly enjoyed it . The kudu in my avatar was taken with only my wife with me. I've also had good hunts with a PH by my side and I have had hunts where the PH played on his phone constantly, had to have smoke breaks every hour or so and a couple of times the PH was sick and couldn't stop coughing. A couple of times have been with first season PHs that only had a couple of months of professional hunting under their belts and it was amazing how little they new on how to bow hunt.

 

[Divernhunter]

My PH/owner was with us every dad all day

 

[Lrntolive]

How far is a hunter allowed to move away from his PH if he's doing a spot and stalk with bow? As another poster said, it is easier and quieter to stalk by oneself. I'm just curious as to whether there is an acceptable distance a bow hunter can travel on thier own once a target animal has been spotted. Is it visible distance? Voice distance? Radio? Etc?

 

[siml]

The law says a PH must be with you and under his direct control. I am glad we don't have cell phone signal on our area except on the hill above camp. Cell phones seem to becoming a bigger problem on hunts, you often hear of clients complaining about ph being on the phone.

As the owner and PH it's not always possible for me to do all the guiding, but the client will always be in the hands of a licensed PH.

 

[Dudders]

I found a review where a PH/owner sent the client out hunting without him. The client went hunting with a licensed guide/driver and the tracker. In the review it said something about the PH needing do something else that day and then another day (on the same hunt) something else on the farm needed his attention so the client went out without him but took the rest of the crew.

Is this common?

In the review the client did not seem to mind and left a glowing review of the entire hunt. I'm just curious if this happens on a regular basis.

It sounds like my hunt report so I shall jump in.
When I booked the hunt I never expressed that I only wanted to hunt with a particular PH. Namibia have PH's Master Hunters and Hunting Guides. All can guide clients legally.
I hunt different countries as much for the whole experience of being there not just for the shooting ,being guided by Isaak and Adab was an experience I would not change for anything .
I come from a farming background myself and know when you deal with animals and government departments they don't care what day or what else you have on. One day was a meeting requested by MET in Windhoek and the other time was problems with the new solar water pumps which delivered water for the cattle and indirectly the game.
At no point did I feel uncomfortable with any of the above.
Thanks Richard

 

[bdavis1960]

I found a review where a PH/owner sent the client out hunting without him. The client went hunting with a licensed guide/driver and the tracker. In the review it said something about the PH needing do something else that day and then another day (on the same hunt) something else on the farm needed his attention so the client went out without him but took the rest of the crew.

Is this common?

In the review the client did not seem to mind and left a glowing review of the entire hunt. I'm just curious if this happens on a regular basis.

This has happened to me ... and I love it. My wife and I drove to a waterhole and sat alone one afternoon. Another day ... same as you ... I went after a huge gemsbok bull the fourth day in a row, but asked the PH to stay behind as he had tons to do. The tracker and I took that gemsbok after a 3.5 hour stalk.

I've been to this location twice now, loved being trusted to go without the PH, and would recommend it to any true hunter. It's different when you don't have the PH there watching your back. You have to watch your own!

 

[bdavis1960]

This has happened to me ... and I love it. My wife and I drove to a waterhole and sat alone one afternoon. Another day ... same as you ... I went after a huge gemsbok bull the fourth day in a row, but asked the PH to stay behind as he had tons to do. The tracker and I took that gemsbok after a 3.5 hour stalk.

I've been to this location twice now, loved being trusted to go without the PH, and would recommend it to any true hunter. It's different when you don't have the PH there watching your back. You have to watch your own!

View attachment 183741

I said tracker, as that's what he always served as on my hunts, but he's a licensed and extremely good game guide as well.

Also, I forgot to mention, the bull was just over 41". Spent roughly 20 hours over 4 days trying to get a chance, and persistence paid off in the end.