By Sonja Harmse, Muvhimi Buffalo Safaris, South Africa
Surely it is not difficult to be a Professional Hunting Guide? I grin or grimace each time I hear someone utter these words. Our fellow Professional Hunters will agree that this is not a profession for the individual looking for a job of ease and comfort. Being the Professional Hunter on a hunting Safari means you are responsible for doing the heavy lifting to keep the clients, landowners, and outfitters happy.
You must adapt to individual personalities, be consistent, and work extremely hard. The Professional Hunter in camp is up before everyone else to ensure that all is in place to offer the client the best experience for the day.
You are last to bed, having to stay up and entertain the clients, and then ensure everything is ready for the following day’s hunt. You do not sleep in the luxury accommodation, although the PH quarters are usually comfortable. During the hunt, you are in charge of scouting and working with your trackers to find the perfect trophy animals for your client. Horn judgment, aging, and sexing are done from a distance, through binoculars, to ensure that the correct animals are harvested. The law around hunting is intricate, and changes from state to state in South Africa. As a Professional Hunter, you must know the law by heart, as it is your responsibility to ensure that clients conduct hunts on animal species within the law, to avoid serious consequences. When it comes to dangerous game hunting safaris, it gets even more challenging. Guiding a client to harvest a buffalo, leopard, or elephant, for instance, means that if all goes well, it is incredible. But when things go wrong and all hell breaks loose, you as the Professional Hunter must stand your ground and be between the charging animal and your client. We have seen some of the greatest, and most experienced Professional Hunters lose their lives due to misplaced shots and charging animals.
This is the risk we bear, but the reward is so much greater. Being out there in the field most of the year, observing the spectacular wildlife, walking, and stalking for days on end, and harvesting only a select few, is an honor. The privilege of offering our clients an experience that they will remember to
The end of their days is magical. Sharing stories of the hunt around the fire at night and creating memories with unknown individuals from faraway places, who leave as friends, is one of the most satisfying things a human can do. Yet, the most important part of working in this industry is the pivotal role we play in educating clients, sharing knowledge of our Fauna and Flora, and contributing to the conservation of our wildlife through sustainable, ethical hunting practices. We are excited to host you on an African Hunting Safari soon.