Professional Hunters How Do You Judge Game?

[tigris115]

I'm legitimately curious about how a PH judges game animals and how do they pick the ones their clients will take.

The only ones I'm really familiar with are lions and buffalo to some extent.

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

Since 2019, we moved over to focussing more on age than score only. My PH's know, even if something will enter in the top 5, if its still young, don't come back with it.
To answer your question regarding judging of game, that will only come from experience, looking over countless and successfully hunting 100's of animals each year.

 

[tigris115]

Since 2019, we moved over to focussing more on age than score only. My PH's know, even if something will enter in the top 5, if its still young, don't come back with it.
To answer your question regarding judging of game, that will only come from experience, looking over countless and successfully hunting 100's of animals each year.

Yeah a lot of PH's I saw on YouTube emphasized taking only older specimens that have had a decent breeding tenure

 

[grand veneur]

Yeah a lot of PH's I saw on YouTube emphasized taking only older specimens that have had a decent breeding tenure

I don't know if that's always 100 percent true. Many, if not the majority of hunters, want big trophies, although the age of the game does not always seem to play a role. As a European hunter and especially a hunter from German-speaking countries, I am used to concentrating under other things on old game without considering the trophies. Management of hunting areas is very important in our countries, no place for trophy-hunting.

I hunted very often in Africa and my attention during the hunting was in the majority of the cases drawn from the PH to younger or middle-aged antelopes with big trophies and not to the old bull that dragged itself through the bush, with certainly less magnificent horns. I was never interested in shooting the biggest of the species and personally attach importance to the age of the game or whether it needs to be shot for some reason. That's why I prefer to discuss everything with the PH in advance.

I was hoping that more Outfitters and PH would comment on this topic.

 

[Pilgrim]

I don't know if that's always 100 percent true. Many, if not the majority of hunters, want big trophies, although the age of the game does not always seem to play a role. As a European hunter and especially a hunter from German-speaking countries, I am used to concentrating under other things on old game without considering the trophies. Management of hunting areas is very important in our countries, no place for trophy-hunting.

I hunted very often in Africa and my attention during the hunting was in the majority of the cases drawn from the PH to younger or middle-aged antelopes with big trophies and not to the old bull that dragged itself through the bush, with certainly less magnificent horns. I was never interested in shooting the biggest of the species and personally attach importance to the age of the game or whether it needs to be shot for some reason. That's why I prefer to discuss everything with the PH in advance.

I was hoping that more Outfitters and PH would comment on this topic.

If what you are saying about most hunters is true, I'm definitely an exception. I really done care about Trophy size at all, especially since I generally don't notice much of a difference between a nice one and a spectacular one. I prefer character that can only come with age.

 

[grand veneur]

If what you are saying about most hunters is true, I'm definitely an exception. I really done care about Trophy size at all, especially since I generally don't notice much of a difference between a nice one and a spectacular one. I prefer character that can only come with age.

That's where the problem lies. If you want a good trophy you have in this case to shoot a middle-aged game and not an very old one whose trophy has already suffered a bit. Sure, one cannot compare horned game and game with antlers, but when it comes to the role that it can still play in the reproduction of the species, everything is comparable.

The topic is but about the concept of outfitters and PH when it comes to game management. Normally, they would have to decide what we can shoot or not, taking game management requirements into account.

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

That's where the problem lies. If you want a good trophy you have in this case to shoot a middle-aged game and not an very old one whose trophy has already suffered a bit. Sure, one cannot compare horned game and game with antlers, but when it comes to the role that it can still play in the reproduction of the species, everything is comparable.

The topic is but about the concept of outfitters and PH when it comes to game management. Normally, they would have to decide what we can shoot or not, taking game management requirements into account.

This is certainly something that we pride ourselves in. I'm not saying that every single animal we are taking are in its last Winter. This is certainly not the case, because that is simply unrealistic, but we are actively focusing on leaving animals of better genes that are still immature and have many years of breeding left in order to find the older animals.
My personal opinion is also that hunters can do more in educating themselves, what to look out for when they are out on safari so that they have the necessary knowledge to make a decision when being incorrectly advised on which animals to take. There are far too many photos of immature animals with the hunters smiling, not knowing any the better.

 

[30.06king]

The attitude of seeking the older, more mature specimans, divorced from just the physical dimensions, is commendable. Over my hunting career I have come to appreciate this in knowing my own standards for what constitutes a trophy. If hunting with a guide / PH I like to have a conversation early on so this is understood. Of course I'm absolutely delighted if a well hunted trophy has both great size and age but I really do value the age factor in a trophy hunt these days. And I want to have earned the trophy by hunting my heart out.
As an observation I think this is coming more to the fore. Not mainstream, yet, but quietly moving in that direction. Just judging by pics I see in hunting mags and online.

 

[jomw10]

I don't know if that's always 100 percent true. Many, if not the majority of hunters, want big trophies, although the age of the game does not always seem to play a role. As a European hunter and especially a hunter from German-speaking countries, I am used to concentrating under other things on old game without considering the trophies. Management of hunting areas is very important in our countries, no place for trophy-hunting.

I hunted very often in Africa and my attention during the hunting was in the majority of the cases drawn from the PH to younger or middle-aged antelopes with big trophies and not to the old bull that dragged itself through the bush, with certainly less magnificent horns. I was never interested in shooting the biggest of the species and personally attach importance to the age of the game or whether it needs to be shot for some reason. That's why I prefer to discuss everything with the PH in advance.

I was hoping that more Outfitters and PH would comment on this topic.

I'm not sure what you mean by " management of hunting areas". If refer to grow animals with bigger/desirable characteristics or to have sufficient numbers to balance an ecosystem.
If the second, it really doesn't matter if you shot a young or old animal. Nature will find it's way as long as the balance of male/female of reproductive age is there and you are not above the carrying capacity of the land. The first one, well that is a difficult case to make in a free range (low fence) environment as animals will come and go. The reality is that hunting for older animals (either in their prime or past prime) only serves us as hunters.

 

[grand veneur]

I'm not sure what you mean by " management of hunting areas". If refer to grow animals with bigger/desirable characteristics or to have sufficient numbers to balance an ecosystem.
If the second, it really doesn't matter if you shot a young or old animal. Nature will find it's way as long as the balance of male/female of reproductive age is there and you are not above the carrying capacity of the land. The first one, well that is a difficult case to make in a free range (low fence) environment as animals will come and go. The reality is that hunting for older animals (either in their prime or past prime) only serves us as hunters.

It has nothing to do with breeding game and also it is not just to serve us as hunters. The areas of Southeast and South Africa where most of us hunt are far from being untouched wilderness. Everything no longer regulates itself and also in an untouched wilderness you have to be careful what you do because in the long term a lot will be noticeable. Just ask yourself where the heavy tuskers are, one should have been careful about that early and not shoot each 100 pounders that was sighted. Many of us declare trophy hunting to be a form of species conservation and then for this reason we have to get to work and only make selective shooting of game.

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

I'm not sure what you mean by " management of hunting areas". If refer to grow animals with bigger/desirable characteristics or to have sufficient numbers to balance an ecosystem.
If the second, it really doesn't matter if you shot a young or old animal. Nature will find it's way as long as the balance of male/female of reproductive age is there and you are not above the carrying capacity of the land. The first one, well that is a difficult case to make in a free range (low fence) environment as animals will come and go. The reality is that hunting for older animals (either in their prime or past prime) only serves us as hunters.

Well, we hunt quite a bit of low fenced areas, and we still practise the same management strategy. I can tell you that the land owners certainly appreciate it, as do our hunters. Even on free range areas like the ones that we hunt, there are still home ranges of animals. Just because they have enough space, doesn't mean they only travel in a straight line.

 

[PARA45]

If what you are saying about most hunters is true, I'm definitely an exception. I really done care about Trophy size at all, especially since I generally don't notice much of a difference between a nice one and a spectacular one. I prefer character that can only come with age.

I'm with you 100%. I don't care about the measurement tape, give me a great experience and an old warrior, and I'll be very happy. None of the animals I have taken have been measured into SCI. The Gemsbok on my avatar was measured by the PH, and I was very proud, but didn't go anywhere with those measurements. I did post them here on a Gemsbok thread.

 

[dchum]

I'm not sure what you mean by " management of hunting areas". If refer to grow animals with bigger/desirable characteristics or to have sufficient numbers to balance an ecosystem.
If the second, it really doesn't matter if you shot a young or old animal. Nature will find its way as long as the balance of male/female of reproductive age is there and you are not above the carrying capacity of the land. The first one, well that is a difficult case to make in a free range (low fence) environment as animals will come and go. The reality is that hunting for older animals (either in their prime or past prime) only serves us as hunters.

Politely disagree.

From Texas to Africa

 

[tigris115]

I do assume every PH gets that one guy's who's chronically obsessed with scoring "The Big One" and who's eyes have gone red from pouring over SCI records.

I know being a PH is essentially customer service and every customer service job has ""that guy.""

 

[Rule 303]

If what you are saying about most hunters is true, I'm definitely an exception. I really done care about Trophy size at all, especially since I generally don't notice much of a difference between a nice one and a spectacular one. I prefer character that can only come with age.

I am the same. My view is they don't get old by being stupid, I will however take a younger one if it is a genetic misfit. Let the good ones grow and breed. I have always had this outlook.