Journey of becoming an American PH in Africa

[Sam Beavers]

Hello All,

My name is Sam Beavers, I am 24 years old from a small town in Iowa. I am apprentice Professional Hunter for Bullet Safaris. Also, a deer hunting guide in Iowa, Missouri, and Indiana.

This thread will be following my journey on becoming an American PH in Africa...


My first time going to Africa was in September 2014. It was a Safari that I actually ended up winning in an SCI new member raffle. I was 16 years old. This is how the African continent and everything she has to offer was first introduced to me. And I haven't looked back since!

I went on a 10 day, plains game Safari in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. My father decided to accompany me along on the Safari because for some reason he did not think a 16 year old would be okay traveling half way around the world to hunt for 2 weeks. I think he was just in fact jealous and did not want to be left out!

I was able to harvest 5 animals in my 10 days and was blown away about everything that Africa had to offer. The people, the food, the hospitality, everything was above and beyond what someone who loves hunting could dream of. It consumed me. So much so that I spent every waking moment I could trying and talking to anyone and everyone who would listen about how one day I would be back to Africa. This time as a guide. And how I dream of one day becoming one of the best PH's in the industry. Someone who has such and impact on not only the hunting community, but the conservation and wildlife community. It is more than a hobby, it is an obsession that consumes every moment of my life.

That first step into the African bush is a moment that I am able to feel to this day. The Gemsbok, Impala, Zebra, Baboon, and Warthog hanging on the wall are a daily reminder of why I want to pursue becoming something that not a lot of Americans have been able to do.

Finally, after 5 years I have been given the opportunity to pursue my dreams of becoming a Professional Hunter in Africa.

Hopefully you all will follow along on my future adventures as I have many more stories and experiences to share!

--Sam

 

[Sam Beavers]

LAST DAY LEOPARD 2019

I had a very close relationship with this Leopard. After 2 months of constant baiting I’m sure he figured me his personal chef! I was still riding around on the bait truck with the guys and we fed this old boy anything and everything we could get our hands on. We could just never get him patterned consistently. Even lowering the bait to make it harder for him to get at, to moving a couple trees over in a little bit thicker cover to make him feel more comfortable. He just never acted quite right and knew what the game was I was trying to play. Over 3 safaris we hunted him. There were multiple times we thought we had him figured out. Then all the sudden out of the blue he would decide to switch it up. From feeding 2 evenings in a row, to feeding at 8 am the next day, then coming in at 1 o’clock in the afternoon the following day. There was just no fooling this big guy!

While I’m stuck messing with this one single cat, Nathans off hunting and killing 3 other big Leopards. So of course there was a bit of a completion between Nathan and myself, and it’s safe to say he came out on top 3-0.

This cat finally settled into a somewhat consistent feeding pattern. With the way the terrain was down along the river a mashan was the way to go to try and get this cat. Well, that didn’t work. He went back to his antics of showing up and disappearing whenever he felt like it again. After a lot of work and maneuvering, we were able to get a very small ground blind cut into a thick patch of small acacia trees. Big enough for 2 guys, barley.

The last Safari of the year is coming to a very quick end. Everything on the clients list has been filled except for the Leopard. A plan was made to try and sit for this cat one last time in the morning and if it didn’t happen, we shift to another cat that has been feeding on another bait a couple hours from camp the past 3 evenings in daylight.

Unfortunately, I was not there when the cat was shot. But everything worked according to plan. The guys were in the blind before daylight per usual and set until 8 am with no sight of the cat. At 8 the truck came and drove straight to the tree and a fresh bait was hung. The guys then drove out as if just another baiting session. 15 minutes later our long awaited Leopard was in the tree. 5 minutes after that, we had one happy client with a great cat in the salt.

After all the time and effort I had put into that cat, and to hear he had finally been shot, I was almost as excited as if I had pulled the trigger myself, almost.

--Sam Beavers

@sambeavershunting on Instagram
https://bulletsafaris.com/
https://iowatrophyhunts.net/

 

[Sam Beavers]

“SCAR FACE”

The wail and giggle of a Hyena is one of the quintessential sounds associated with Africa. Not a night goes by that you don’t find these humpbacked predators lurking around a hunting camp. Coming in to the smell of a fresh meat hanging in the skinning shed.

Nathan, myself, and our 2 clients had just spent 5 days in the spike camp, on the northern boundary of the concession, in central Tanzania. And the “Chui” spike camp had paid off yet again. Taking a fantastic, old Leopard and a magnificent, hard bossed Buffalo we were all feeling good approaching the latter part of our 21-day Safari. This was the first, true Safari I had been a constant part of in my 3 years of apprenticeship. Being along on the hunting vehicle more days than not and watching everything up-close and personal.

It was a good 6-hour drive back to the main camp and we were going to hunt our way back throughout the day. Looking for another good Buffalo or maybe a Lichtenstein Hartebeest as that was something we hadn’t had an opportunity to hunt yet. About halfway through the day Nathan asked the client if hunting a Hyena was of any interest. “Well of course!”, was the instant reply. Now, anyone who has tried to hunt these nervous creatures know it can be difficult. Even more so in the daylight! In Tanzania we are not allowed to shoot anything at night per government regulations. So, trying to nab one of these guys wasn’t going to be an easy task. A lion bait we had previously hung was a known hangout of Hyenas. In particular, what appeared to be one old man, who’s right side of the face had a large pink scar that was very noticeable. For a Hyena to feed on a lion bait, he better have hops like MJ or find another way to feed. And that’s what ole Scar Face did. He would crawl up and nestle himself in the crook of the forked tree the bait was hanging in and proceed to help himself to whatever was on the menu that day. He was feeding both night and day, and was never too far away after a fresh bait was hung. According to the trail cameras he was showing up within 5 minutes of us leaving the tree. With a blind already built, all we had to do was slip in a couple hours before dark and wait to see if we could get a crack at this particular Hyena.

Settling into the blind, Nathan, the two clients, and myself got comfortable excepting that if he was going to make an appearance it would be at least a couple hours from now. Forty minutes after the truck left, with the clients playing candy crush on their phone, and Nathan who may or may not have been resting his eyes, leaving me, the ever vigilant Appy to keep an eye on things…. Out of nowhere I see a blur of movement and in the next instant there is a Hyena hanging from the bait. As quickly and quietly as I could, I alerted everyone because this was fixing to happen fast. Confirming this was indeed Scar Face all we had to do was wait for him to let go and stand broadside. Sure enough everything worked as it should. He let go and flopped to the ground, stood up broadside, and Nathan told our shooter to send it. A perfect shot was made, and that old, smelly, Hyena was heading back to the camp with a very happy group of hunters.

--Sam Beavers
@sambeavershunting on Instagram

 

[eriknezbeth]

Following Nice work.. congrats !