I’ve been watching quite a few hunting shows lately and it seems like of those filmed in Africa the PHs aren’t armed. I have watched a couple elephant hunts where they were, but for just about everything else they have a pair of binocs and that’s about it. Is this just for the camera, and porters are holding them, or are there laws or policies against PHs carrying arms less they succumb to temptation and take the shot for whatever reason. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks!
All the hunters, trackers and guides I personally know (and that’s at least a dozen or more) will usually be armed -either they’re in a park with dangerous wildlife (so, most of them) or they might encounter poachers. Plus a professional guide has to be ready to kill poorly-shot animals. It varies by region, but I’d say my friends and acquaintances go armed about 90% of the time, with the ones on parks with lions & leopards & the like doing so 99% of the time. They may not be carrying them all the time, but they certainly keep them close.