Need a little advice on JP Safaris

[baldwin1968]

Back in 2019 my wife and I went to Africa on a pure photo safari with Mafageni safaris. We had a great time and our guide Leo was awesome! Super accommodating, wonderful individual, and was crazy good (from our perspective) on spotting animals. I had told Leo I'd come back one day to hunt Kudu.
Fast forward to now. Leo and I are friends on Facebook so I reached out to him as I want to go back to Africa to hunt Kudu and Oryx. He's guiding and working for a different place, that happens to be Juan Pace's JP safaris.
Leo is awesome and he was going to come get me at the airport and even let me crash at his parent's house as I'm getting in a bit late so we could get up early and hunt the next day. My real concern is with who he works for. I've read quite a few bad reviews of Juan Pace and apparently he's even lost his PHASA Membership back in 2017. Forum consensus seems to be to run from this guy. Leo on the other hand has been great and was great 4 years ago when we went on photo safari. So I guess my question becomes, how much am I really doing business with Juan Pace and how much am I doing business with Leo acting as an agent for him?

Any advice would be appreciated!

 

[Scott CWO]

I would tactfully talk to Leo about it. See what he says. If he’s oblivious to the earlier problems, ask him if he’s worked there in the past.

 

[Dinsdale]

Why would you run into a train wreck?

No one has anything good to say about JP not even others in the business.

But it sounds like you already have your mind made up and want someone to reassure you are making a good choice.

 

[baldwin1968]

Why would you run into a train wreck?

No one has anything good to say about JP not even others in the business.

But it sounds like you already have your mind made up and want someone to reassure you are making a good choice.

Actually, I'm leaning more toward NOT booking with him due to JP's bad wrap. I don't in any way have my mind made up, however I was looking for more constructive feedback. Something akin of the relationship you have with your PH versus the relationship you have with the outfitter and what each is accountable for.

 

[baldwin1968]

I would tactfully talk to Leo about it. See what he says. If he’s oblivious to the earlier problems, ask him if he’s worked there in the past.

Thanks Scott, I did speak with him briefly about it. He's aware of the rap Juan has for hunting rhinos, but said it was legal so he had no issue with it. Rhino hunting was not what I had read that concerned me about JP Safaris. Seems he's cheated folks out of $ and promised things he hasn't delivered. Leo says he's been hunting with him for years without issue, but I'm thinking I'd prefer not to have anything to do with someone who has a questionable past regardless of how much I like Leo.
Since I'd be hunting in the field with Leo, I'd likely have no dealings with Juan outside of payment and lodging, but I'd prefer to be able to hold an outfitter accountable if something is amiss and I keep thinking my actual contract will be with the outfitter, not Leo

 

[375Fox]

80% of South African outfitters are offering almost the same hunt. There are a lot of hardworking PHs that are enjoyable to hunt with. I only know what I’ve read here about the outfitter, but I think there are much safer choices to make. Even though you are choosing your PH, he’s still an employee of the outfitter. Unless you are hunting exclusively on property he owns, you are trusting the outfitter to pay landowners for the trophies you hunt and submitting proper paperwork to allow export. If his reputation in his area is the same as on AH, I’d be also concerned if landowners allow him access to their properties.

 

[baldwin1968]

80% of South African outfitters are offering almost the same hunt. There are a lot of hardworking PHs that are enjoyable to hunt with. I only know what I’ve read here about the outfitter, but I think there are much safer choices to make. Even though you are choosing your PH, he’s still an employee of the outfitter. Unless you are hunting exclusively on property he owns, you are trusting the outfitter to pay landowners for the trophies you hunt and submitting proper paperwork to allow export. If his reputation in his area is the same as on AH, I’d be also concerned if landowners allow him access to their properties.

I agree! The more I think about this, I'm just going to have to be honest with Leo and tell him that although I'd love to hunt with him personally, I just can't have any association with someone with a past like Juan appears to have.
Thanks all for the advice,

 

[gillettehunter]

Good choice. There are so many great safari operators to choose from that there is no need to take a chance.
Bruce

 

[COACHMAN]

I have Hunted Elephant, Buffalo, Lion and PG with Juan on 2 occasions and never had a problem. It was a good price and He did a great Job for me. That was a while back and I have since talked to him several times at the shows. I do no that there are many Outfitters that are great that had some kind of problem with something along the way. Everyone deserves a second chance. You like your Guy or you wouldn't even consider hunting with him. The best part of any Safari is enjoying whom you are hunting with. Everything else will fall into place. I really enjoyed Hunting Juan

 

[COACHMAN]

With Juan, Sorry for the mistake at the end