I agree that this would be interesting to find out also.  I remember watching a brown bear hunt in Alaska where the client has a shot at a bear.  Just as soon as he pulled the triger the PH took a shot also.  Both shots were within a second and there was no way that the PH knew if the clients shot was a good one or not. 

I do know that when I took my bear hunt in Alaska in 72 that the PH had a backup rifle with him and was ready for a shot when I took mine.  But he never even shouldered his rifle.  He just watched the bear while I put two shots into it with my trusty .30-06 and it went down for good.  I don't know what I would of done if he had taken a shot when it wasn't needed. 

I think I saw that show really.

On my goat hunt, after I got the goat I went looking for a black bear with a bow.  The guide brought along a rifle and I made it very clear to him do not shoot my bear.  He said he wouldn't.

I think the reason he wanted the rifle was to try to talk me into taking a bear with the rifle so he could collect an extra trophy fee, but I wanted one with the bow and didn't want a bullet hole in it.

I would not have a problem if it was a buffalo at close range, or an elephant, something dangerous, and if they clearly could tell that I had a good shot on it first.  However, if it's a Kudu or an oryx, something like that, then there should be no need.

I can understand the need for a guide with a rifle just in case the hunter does not do his job or freezes at the wrong moment such as a dangerious animal charging them.  But they really shouldn't be shooting the clients animal and in a lot of areas it would be ileagle for them to do so unless it was a life of death situation. 

One way to look at it is how many times have you watched a hunter work the action of his or her rifle without pulling the trigger when they get a little excited.  I know that I have seen it on an animal as dangerious as a deer or an elk.  Can you imagine the same hunter with an animal that has the idea of finding and killing you?  I know that I got quite excited one year after shooting a deer.  I hiked to the bottom of the hill and looked and saw that my rifle didn't have the safty on so I tried to put it on.  It wouldn't go on so I decided to take the round out of the chamber.  To my suprise I had an empty round in the chamber, I had never chambered a new round after the last shot.  So we all get excited but when an animal has the intention of eating you that is not the time, and that is when I would want the PH to take a shot and make it good. 

Even if I didn't make a perfect shot the first time I want the opportunity to finish the animal except in the case of a dangerous game animal charging and my life was in jeopardy.  Then, by all means, the PH should err on the side of caution and take the shot and not wait for me.

But if it is, say a cape buff and it is running away, let me do the follow up shot.  It is my animal and if the PH kills it, it won't be my animal. 

I am, of course, basing this just with what I've seen on tv which might not be real life (ya think).  On some episodes I've seen the PH and others just start flinging lead for no reason other than they wanted to get in on the action or that is how it seemed to me.

On my mountain goat hunt, the guide didn't carry a rifle so it was up to me to take the animal.  Now, fortunately, I made a humane one shot kill so there was no need for a follow up.

We spent the night on the mountain and the guide made sure I had my rifle nearby and loaded in case of grizzly.  Wonder if one came into camp if he would have tried to take my gun?

I think it really comes down to the ability of the animal being hunted to kill you. If it is dangerous game than it is an obvious choice to have extra rifles on hand... and in the hands of someone with a lot more experience under pressure than the hunter does. While hunting plains game there is not really a need to protect yourself from the prey that you are pursuing but there is always the chance of running across dangerous game while hunting plains game and therefore the PH should still have a back up rifle. 

I think the most important thing is communication. You need to communicate with him that you do not want him pulling the trigger unless your lives depended on it. If you avoid having that talk than you just might end up with extra bullet holes in your animals hide. I would highly suggest just having that conversation up front. 

I did have that conversation with my guide on the BC hunt.  I think the conversation should happen even before you book the hunt.  Feel the outfitter out on their philosphy and get a sense if they will shoot your animal when not necessary.  And that is the key of my post, shooting a client's animal when not necessary.  By all means shoot and shoot again if my life is in danger, but shooting just for the sake of shooting is wrong in my book.

I am a PH in Southern Africa, South Africa and Zimbabwe. I agree with you that too many PH's shoot too quickly after the client shot. My opinion, 4 reasons why they do that 1) Lack of confidence in the client's ability to pull of a good shot (Maybe client did some bad shooting on a previous occasion - reason 3 done too often). 2) Inexperienced on the PH side. 3) Too damn lazy to follow blood track if the shot was bad. 4) Anchor shots - watch closely they sometimes they do shoot very quickly but it is not a kill shot but as we call them an anchor shot. On Buffalo it is on the back just above the tail, and on Elephant it is either a Hip shot(Elephant is the only animal that cannot run on three legss or also just above the tail. These shots will not kill the animal, just slow them down or stop them from fleeing. A wounded Buffalo that can still run for a day or two is a very dangerous beast, and wounded Elephant that goes back into a herd... boy oh boy you do not play around with that.

I do not shoot unless the animal is charging or I need to do an anchor shot and if the client ask me to shoot, if the client asks I will again confirm if he is sure. My rule is, and I tell you this upfront if the animal is coming towards us the 15 yard rule comes into play, the animal crosses that line it dies... I am not going to ask you... it is easier that way then I do not have to tell the loved ones that I failed to do my job. I agree with you and I will be peed off if someone else kills my trophy.

The videos/DVDs and shows are made for sensation, the better ones Boddington DVDs, yes the PH's on Boddington's DVDs also shoot but the ones I watched was only anchor shots.

a lot of what you see on shows is not necessarily what happens on real hunts (meaning no TV show in mind).  the PH really has no clue to most clients' shooting ability, when the first shots he sees are from a bench at a target to verify zero, usually at 100 yards for plains game. all my Phs had their own rifle, especially on the buffalo hunt.  none of them actually shouldered their rifle during any shooting opportunities.  some of them shot jackals or bait for the leopard or just for house use during the hunts, but this did not interfere with my hunt.  that is a topic that one needs to cover before heading out to hunt, and for dangerous game it is mandatory to cover it.  i doubt the people on a tv hunt want to spend two days tracking a wounded buffalo!!