84 GAME & HUNT SEPTEMBER 201684

There are a few select countries on earth that revere the gladia-tor sport of rugby with as much

enthusiasm as the Southern Africans. To our international guests I always say, “Rugby is six days a week with church on Sundays.”

This adventure saw me going on a hunt with one of the heroes in my little world – an icon, a pillar of strength and definitely someone you want on your side while the ship hits the sand.

I have watched Danie Rossouw engulf his opposition, battering his body as if with no regard for it while representing his state, country and then club with the dedication it takes to be a professional athlete.

It was on one of my darkest days that the red icon on my Facebook messages lit up: “Hey Jofie, I would love to hunt buffalo with you.” – Danie Rossouw. His friends call him ‘Dana’ – I hopefully fall in this category after you have read the adventure that unfolded. You could have knocked me over with a feather. One of my heroes wanting to hunt with me ... wow!

A white-bellied sunbird was suck-ing nectar from a tree aloe within view. Excitement was tangible in the air after an evening around the fire with some wonderful red wine. We had no idea, no clue as to what adventures were in store for us when this day started.

I had watched Danie play rugby for many years. Little did I know that when surfing Google one day while playing rugby in Japan, he typed in ‘PH apprenticeship’. The first Google result was an article by my father, Joof Lamprecht. He read it and started doing research on my father.

This eventually led to him to sending me the message on Facebook.

This is what my father wrote: The Professional Hunter and The Safari byJoofLamprecht,PH.Reprinted by popular demand. “Long before the first translucent rays of the early morning sun start show-ing through the sleepy acacias and the last haunting jackal cries begin to fade, there is a lonely man out there

In this, the first of a three-part account of renowned rugby player Danie Rossouw’s buffalo hunts, professional hunter (PH) JOFIE LAMPRECHT also shares his late father Joof’s writings of what constitutes a good PH.

Part 1

There is a lonely man in Africa …

“... there is a lonely man out there in Africa, busy

preparing your day for you.” – Joof Lamprecht

Joof Lamprecht and Marina

85WILD & JAG SEPTEMBER 2016 85

in Africa, busy preparing your day for you. On his shoulders is placed the re-sponsibility of your well-being, safety and satisfaction.

“He will, during the course of your safari, live through the highs and lows of your good shots and your bad ones. He’ll be able to cheer you up when you believe that you cannot walk one more step and treat you when your stomach ache is so bad that you hope you are going to die. He’ll listen to your tales of good fortune and sad-ness and take care of your fragile ego. He’ll be the best friend you’ll ever have in Africa ...”

The author, Peter Capstick, wrote the following comical lines on what he deemed to be the requirements when looking for a professional hunter. I agree with most of the characteristics that this master of hunting tales wrote, but I believe that a number of addi-tional characteristics should be added to the list. He wrote:

“Professional Hunter wanted: Young, active man interested in low and infrequent pay to play Bwana in remote Bushveld. Must be proven raconteur and socialite without liver

trouble, expert card player, bartender, caterer, barbequer, philosopher and African historian. Experience in sani-tary engineering, local architecture, labour relations, navigation, medicine and pharmacology, botany, zoology, ichthyology, mineralogy, entomology, butchery, taxidermy, dietetics, optics, photography and radio operation essential. Applicant should speak at least two indigenous African lan-guages fluently as well as English and one other modern European tongue. A solid knowledge of mechanics, driv-ing, gunsmithing, toxicology, ballistics, tracking, marksmanship, handload-ing and experience as a professional bodyguard are required. Benefits are: twenty-four-hour day, unlimited fresh air, including rain, sun and dust, no medical, dental or life insurance and no retirement benefits. Applicant should supply his own rifles.”

Jokingly, Mr Capstick refers to a real man who is a true professional in the honest-to-goodness sense of the word. He, however, neglects to add that the wanted man must suffer through two years of apprenticeship before he can write his theoretical

exam and be tested in the field on his practical capabilities, which many fail the first time around. He also doesn’t mention that said man will have, dur-ing those two years, a status lower than the most junior camp staff mem-ber on safari. He will be the fetcher of the hunting vehicle, which was left way down on the other side of the mountain range. He will mix the sun-downers, to be served just right, around the campfire. He will be standing in for any member of staff not being able to perform because of sickness or absence. Once he has lived through all of this he may, if he is good enough, qualify as a profes-sional hunter.

He should never be called a guide, as so many hunting clients like to refer to their PHs in Africa. A guide is the faceless guy that drives a 60-seater bus along the coast of the French Riviera or shows you the sights of London, while speaking to you over the intercom.

Neither is he – and this unfortu-nately happens in a neighbouring Southern African country – what we

Continued ➻

86 GAME & HUNT SEPTEMBER 201686

refer to in the industry as a ‘14-day wonder’. This is a person who has heard that the money is good in the safari industry. He does a 14-day course, qualifies, buys a pick-up and rifle and still believes that a .308 is the best calibre to use, as that is all he knows, because he used it during his military training.

On a more serious note, you have to see your modern-day PH as your stockbroker, bodyguard and conser-vationist and as a businessman. You are going to entrust him with quite a lot of your cash and time to arrange your safari for you. You are going to rely on his skills and knowledge, not just for a good time, but to put you in a position to take top-quality trophies, which are, at the end of the day, your investments.

Remember, without the PH and trophy-hunting industry today, game would have very little more than meat value for locals. The old saying is very true: ‘If it pays, it stays.’

Do your researchA smart trophy hunter will first select the professional hunter he wants to hunt with and then start planning his

safari around the species that his PH has available. By checking references with hunting clients, who have hunted with the prospective PH, you will be amazed as to what kind of informa-tion you will be able to lay your hands on. Your next step is to meet with your PH and where could it be more convenient than at the annual SCI Convention in Nevada or Dallas Safari Club Convention in Dallas. You should meet the man face to face and then decide whether you are willing to live with him for weeks on end in some of the most remote and wildest parts of Africa.

Just a bit of friendly advice: When you meet him and he carries multiple scars of attacks from various wild ani-mals, stay away from him, unless you want to do ‘extreme sport’, become Rambo and stab your way out of the teeth, claws and horns of various animals.

Now you’ve met the guy and you like what you see. Do not, in heaven’s name, ask him whether he can guar-antee you those monster trophies that you’ve been dreaming about. My standard retort to a question like that is: “How much time do you have?”

Because, if the client is willing to book a six-month safari with me, he’s got a very good chance of getting all those monster trophies and more. In the limited time frame of a couple of week-long safaris, depending on one’s skill, luck and Diana’s goodwill, you will col-lect some dream trophies and some good representative ones. Another bit of advice: Do not think that you will shoot a 48” buffalo or a 65” kudu on your first safari. Any PH’s nightmare is a client with the record book in one hand and a tape measure in the other. If you like the trophy and your PH says he thinks you should take it, take it! If your PH says he thinks you can do better, don’t insist on shooting; listen to the man – you will in future have the opportunity to improve on that first tro-phy, maybe even on the same safari. And, for goodness’ sake, if the guy recommends that you use a solid on the dangerous, thick-skinned animals, don’t start messing around with some high-tech, brand-new bullets. He’s been there and done that. Take his word for it. Trust your PH!

Once you have booked with the PH, read through his literature care-fully, because by doing so most of

➻ Continued

87WILD & JAG SEPTEMBER 2016 87

your questions regarding clothing, calibre, temperatures, prophylactics, visas, etc should be answered. Don’t draw up one of those long question-naires, of which I have received too many. Read the literature again and make sure that your questions haven’t already been answered.

Make sure to tell your PH if you have a heart condition, if you do not eat garlic and if you cannot walk 20 miles a day. Be honest and tell him what he should know. He will, in most cases, still book your safari unless you are a raving lunatic, and he will in any case find out about your health condition when you have a heart at-tack.

Prepare yourself for your safari. Read about the area that you are go-ing to hunt in and about the species you are going to encounter. Don’t ask on arrival in camp: “Are we on the east or the west coast of Africa?”

Exercise, shoot your rifles, break in your boots and make sure you have bought the best available ammunition, weapons and scopes that you can af-ford. You are spending a lot of money on your safari – why jeopardise your chance of success by cutting corners? Make sure you are in the best physical and mental state that your body will allow. If you are taking a non-hunting companion along, make sure that the person will fit in and is completely in-formed about what you will encounter. If you have outlandish tastes in food or drinks, ask whether these items will be available in camp. If necessary, take them along if you must, other-wise live without them! Most African countries are not a shopper’s para-dise ...

Communicate and listenDuring your safari it is essential that you communicate with your PH. Tell

him if you don’t like the food, why you don’t like it and what you would prefer to eat. Tell him if you feel the towels need replacing or that he’s walking you to death. Be open and decent about everything. You are the custom-er – you have the right to complain.

However, never ever question his judgment regarding African stuff. Walk in his footsteps when out stalking; you will be safe that way. Don’t go walking off on your own; you are not safe that way, plus you will spook the game up ahead.

Respect the locals, which include the camp staff. Do not look upon them as savages – their culture is probably much older than yours and their Afri-can knowledge is valuable to you and your well-being during your safari. Do not try to make casual conversation with them as they will most likely not understand you and will be embar-

Continued ➻

88 GAME & HUNT SEPTEMBER 201688

rassed. Just be polite and always greet, smile and say thank you.

Do not bring gifts such as a bright red ‘Yankee’ baseball cap, cheap whisky or cigarettes, but rather a solid lock-blade knife, flashlight or a practi-cal African hat, shirt or pants. Ask your PH what the tipping procedure is in his camp. If you start tipping staff indiscriminately, you are invariably going to forget somebody and that will cause an upset amongst the staff.

ABSOLUTELY stay away from the women, if there are any in camp, or it might well be your last safari. HIV/Aids is a terrifying reality in Africa, not some kind of modern benefit pro-gramme, and there are far too many rifles in camp to warrant messing with your PH’s or fellow hunters’ daughters or wives!

Bullet placement is the most important rule in successful hunting. Ask your PH where he wants you to place your shot. Do not try to neck-shoot African animals because you will be amazed where the vertebra is located. If you are not happy about

the position of or the distance from the animal before a shot, don’t make the shot and tell your PH why you are not willing to do so. He will then try to get you in a better shooting position. If you are willing to pull the trigger you must also then accept that you may wound some animals. Accept the fact, do not sulk and do not blame your PH or your weapon. If you feel confident about the shot and feel that your weapon might have gone off target, ask your PH to let you test-shoot your rifle again. I have found that especially wood-stocked rifles tend to dry out during the first few days of your safari and therefore change point of impact

Do not bore-clean your rifle during your safari unless absolutely essential due to moisture, and then test-shoot again after doing so. Oil shots can be far off target. If you change ammuni-tion brands or bullet weights, tell your PH and test-shoot at a target before proceeding to shoot at animals.

Be suitably dressed. Leave those very light-coloured khakis at home. They’re better worn on tennis courts and bowling greens. Ask your PH,

depending on the time of year, which shade of green is appropriate. A medium-colour dirty green works most of the time. Law in many African coun-tries prohibits camouflage clothing.

Most running shoes have hollow soles. Walking in the bush with them produces a sound like a horse eating corn and monster thorns also easily penetrate those soft soles. Imagine having to take the shoe off with a thorn embedded an inch into your foot! Manufacturers such as the Rus-sell Moccasin Company know what footwear is suitable in Africa – ask their advice.

Do not pack tons of clothing. Most camps have a daily laundry service. Three complete hunting outfits plus some camp leisure clothing are all you will need. Leave unnecessary gadgets like rangefinders, compasses, GPSs, etc at home. If your PH does not know where he is, or does not know the dis-tance to the target, you and your fancy gadget won’t save the situation. This just means that you shouldn’t be there with a man who does not know.

One of the best-known and most

➻ Continued

89WILD & JAG SEPTEMBER 2016 89

respected modern American hunting writers, my good friend Craig Bod-dington, shared invaluable advice with me on one of our first safaris together, more years ago than I care to men-tion, when we were both just starting out in our respective careers. One evening, around the campfire, each with a perfectly chilled sundowner in hand, he shared with me the dream of the international trophy hunter. His theory was that every trophy hunter coming to Africa has a romantic image in his head of what Africa should look and be like. It is the job of the PH to make that dream reality. “If you can achieve this, you will be successful.” For those wise words I thank him, as this has always been my motto as well my goal and the reason for my

success throughout my career.Professional hunting is probably

one of the most satisfying careers in the world – it is, in fact, more of a lifestyle than a profession. Most PHs are passionate about their environ-ment and the well-being of the wildlife and local communities. We have the freedom to live our lives dancing to the rhythm of our own heartbeat – a rare privilege indeed.

I wish you happy hunting. Enjoy the tradition and romance of your African experience – an African safari should be far more than just a trophy hunt.

Do not forget that without your investment in wildlife through your hunt, conservation would not be suc-cessful anywhere in the world. You, as the trophy hunter, are the backbone

of conservation – and we, the profes-sional hunters and nature lovers, are extremely grateful to you.

PS from Jofie: I don’t agree with the old farts on using solids only on thick-skinned game ... specifically buffalo. This piece does bring tears to my eyes every time I read it because of the raw truth that it imparts.

About Joof Lamprecht: He was one of Namibia’s most

outspoken, internationally popular and successful

professional hunters. Joof owned and personally ran

his safari company, Hunters Namibia Safaris, with wife

Marina and their son and fellow PH, Jofie Lamprecht. Joof’s work has been published in

hunting publications worldwide. Joof Lamprecht sadly passed

away in September 2015.

3

Cecil Leonard and PH Joof Lamprecht with eland taken on Rooikraal game ranch, owned by Hunters Namibia Safaris