Journey to becoming an American PH in Africa
 

Hello All,

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

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 Beavers
@sambeavershunting on Instagram

Good luck and watch your back trail.

This is a neat post to read. Keep us updated and congrats on getting to live out your dream!

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 competition 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 monster cat to boot.

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

So are you working for a PH?

I came very close to doing this. I have a friend that is a PH in 4 different countries and he offered to apprentice me. I had just gotten married, had just made Chief Petty Officer in the USN, and had just reenlisted for a 4 year hitch. Had to pass but I admit it was very tempting.

I am working for Bullet Safaris and have been an apprentice for the bast 3 years.

I will sitting my PH exam in May and will be a fully licensed PH once I complete all of the requirements for that

Its a hard lifestyle to get into thats for sure! That was one thing I was told from when I first started this whole adventure. Be prepared to not have a family or any real job as this will consume your whole life and it either works or it doesn't. I've loved every minute of my adventures and wouldn't change it for anything else in the world.

It sounds very interesting and worthwhile for you to pursue. Many people have dreams and give them up early in life only to look back when they are much older and wish they would have spent a few years at least to scratch that itch or dream.