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There are any number of disciplines which come in handy for a PH. Zooligy, auto mechanics, linguistics, ballistics, meteorology, along with all the skills normally attributed to boy scouts: camp building, fire starting, latrine building, tracking, etc. Then there's the essential aspects of
trophy care, skinning, and meat preservation.

But, the single most important skill of the successful PH is that he be (dare I use the cliche) people person. He must be friendly, gregarious, a gracious host, a patient teacher, as well as having the ability to size up the personality and shooting skills of a total stranger within an hour or 2 meeting him.

If what I described above fits you to a T, great. But, since you're an American, the hardest parts are yet to come.
First is the language barrier. I don't know too many fellow Americans who have even a slight knowledge of Swahili, Setswana, Shona, Ndebele, mine language, kitchen caffer, or whatever the local dialect may be. True, these can be learned, but it takes a while to be proficient.

Second is the fact that, as far as I know, there is only one African country which allows non-citizens to hold a PH license, Tanzania. (This was true in '95, though they may have tightened things since). And some, like Zimbabwe, allow only the native born.

If I haven't discouraged you yet, you might try talking to the only US native I can think of who's done it (in Tanz.), Ross Seyfried. r1313s at eoni.com.

Good luck. You're on a pursuit that I dreamed of for most of my life.

SOS

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"I've this damned cannon." - Robert Wilson

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