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Here's the bad news:-

Not an easy thing to get into anymore. A lot also depends on what level of Professional Hunting you want to get involved in. The lowest level (or to put it more politely the first rung of the ladder) is PH on plains game in countries such as South Africa. Most of those guys don't have enough work to operate anywhere near full time and consequently have other jobs and as they get so little experience are not particularly good. (in fact, some are bloody awful) Even when they do get work the money is minimal.......and unless you're a SA resident you won't even be allowed to sit the final exams. Most of these guys who do work in the business full time have families who own their own game farm and generally don't get to hunt elsewhere.

It's the same story as many other things in life. If you are not experienced you don't get the work and if you don't get the work you can't get the experience.

Another option is to offer to work FOC for a safari company in more remote countries but be warned, your first couple of seasons will be spent fixing trucks, toilet systems and building camps etc.........and those companies won't even look at you unless you have previous hunting experience and a good mechanical background. Finally you'll get to start an apprentiship, do whatever study is applicable in that country and begin hunting (probably part time) as a #2.

To be perfectly honest you would be much better continuing your education or other job training to allow you to get a good job that pays well and then use some of that money to go on a few hunts as a paying client. If you hunt with good safari companies and good PHs you'll begin to pick up what goes on and what is needed to become a Professional - Professional Hunter. Once you've got that experience then you are in a much better situation to decide if that's really what you want to do with the rest of your life.

A lot of people look at the work of a PH and think it's glamorous............ believe me it's not. It's often bloody hard, dangerous and dirty work........it's not so glamerous when the skinner has disappeared up his own ass and you're out in the skinning sheds at midnight with a torch in your mouth caping out a bushbuck or a buffalo and knowing you have to put in a full days hunting a few hours later.

The good news is that nothing is impossible and if you are prepared to work hard enough and pester enough people for long enough you just might manage it.... but remember there's a hell of a lot more to the job than just wandering through the bush and getting to hunt lot's of animals..........that's actually the least important part of the job. To be a good PH you need to be good at all aspects of the job and if you want a good job description then you can do no better than read PHC's description of a PH.

We are often contacted by people who want to become a PH. Many have never even been to Africa and occasionally don't own and have never even shot a rifle.........but for some obscure reason feel they're ideally suited to becoming the rising star in our company...........Christ knows why. But I do get the odd laugh out of some of them. My favourite one was a few years ago and he felt that as he had a Masters Degree in Medieval History and had once run a clay pigeon shooting club for a few months he was perfectly qualified for me to employ him.....hell, he hadn't ever shot a rifle or killed anything that didn't have feathers!

The very best thing for me as a PH & outfitter are the people I meet - and the friendships I make through hunting. I have met and become friends with many truly incredible & honourable people over the years. Not only the clients, most of whom are woderful and very accomplished people - but also other PH's and even native staff............. I guess I must have one of the most diverse groups of friends of anyone I know............. I also love the wilderness areas I'm lucky enough to spend time in.......... and most important of all, I'm lucky enough to have a woman in my life who feels the same way.

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Steve "Shakari" Robinson
Kuduland Safaris (Africa) Ltd
info@kuduland.com
www.kuduland.com