Intro

[Old welder]

Hey y'all! I am from East Texas. Been an avid hunter for 30 years. Place Ning my first African hunting trip kind of as we speak. Anything I should keep a look out for. Looking at hunting with Hennie Viljoen in South Africa. Anyone heard of him? How do I go about verifying if he is legit? Any help would be much appreciated.

 

[Royal27]

Welcome!

Check references.
Where did you meet him? How did you decide to hunt with him over others?

 

[Bos en Dal SAFARIS]

Welcome

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

Old Welder: Welcome! From East Texas you say, I started my oilfield career in the early 80's in Kilgore. Lots of fond memories of East Texas. What's the saying about old welders? They don't fade away, they just use a hotter rod!

The outfitter you are considering might be perfectly legit, however before locking in the deal I would suggest you read a bunch of hunting reports on this site and see what many of the sponsors here have to offer. Contact people that wrote the hunt reports using the PM feature on the site. Heck, some will give you their phone number and you can call and talk with them. Doing all the research and planning is part of the fun and it just makes sense to do the due diligence before dropping a bunch of money on plane tickets and a hunt.

All the best to you

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

Welcome to AH. Glad to have you join the forum!

Take Care,
Marius Goosen

 

[enysse]

Welcome to AH!

 

[Old welder]

Old Welder: Welcome! From East Texas you say, I started my oilfield career in the early 80's in Kilgore. Lots of fond memories of East Texas. What's the saying about old welders? They don't fade away, they just use a hotter rod!

The outfitter you are considering might be perfectly legit, however before locking in the deal I would suggest you read a bunch of hunting reports on this site and see what many of the sponsors here have to offer. Contact people that wrote the hunt reports using the PM feature on the site. Heck, some will give you their phone number and you can call and talk with them. Doing all the research and planning is part of the fun and it just makes sense to do the due diligence before dropping a bunch of money on plane tickets and a hunt.

All the best to you

Yes sir, I am not to far from Kilgore. Dunno about the hotter rods, but for sure stronger spectacles.

 

[Shootist43]

Welcome to AH. Be careful in your selection of an outfitter. As stated previously you need to "vet" or verify any outfitter you are looking at the possibility of hunting with. He should be able to give you the details of his hunting operation, how many years he has been in the business, a long list of references and their contact information etc. etc. Once you get that information, compare it to the offers made by the numerous outfitters/sponsors of this this website. They are vetted on a daily basis by a whole host of AH Members.

 

[cpr0312]

Welcome aboard! Do lots of research, speak with references. Lots of fine outfitters on this site. Best of luck

 

[CAustin]

Welcome to AH sir! Good advice offered above. Check out the guy three ways to Sunday before sending money!

 

[Old welder]

Welcome!

Check references.
Where did you meet him? How did you decide to hunt with him over others?

It is a contact I made via social Media. Haven't decided to hunt with him. Just checking him out because his prices seemed fair and close to my realistic budget. I will entertain all options offered.

 

[Royal27]

It is a contact I made via social Media. Haven't decided to hunt with him. Just checking him out because his prices seemed fair and close to my realistic budget. I will entertain all options offered.

I'd do a lot more research and make sure that the prices still seem fair, and that you've compared offers. Read here and other forums, go to a big show if you can, and talk to people who have done a hunt similar to what you want to do.

Budget is very important, but getting the wrong hunt in order to stay inside of a budget can also be very expensive.....

Enjoy the planning process. It's truly half the fun.

 

[JamesJ]

Budget is very important, but getting the wrong hunt in order to stay inside of a budget can also be very expensive......

Wise words

 

[AfricaHunting.com]

Welcome to AH Old welder! Take your time, do your research and pull that trigger when it feels right...

 

[Old welder]

Welcome to AH Old welder! Take your time, do your research and pull that trigger when it feels right...

That's the plan. That is the reason I am planning over a year in advance. Lots of info to take in and process before deciding. Have to get the best bang for my buck seeing as how it may be years before I could do it again.

 

[Nyati]

Welcome to AH !

 

[Shootist43]

Old Welder, I just finished a search on Hennie Viljoen. His Hunting Operation had 0 (zero) references. Once I saw that I quit looking at anything else on the site. If I were you I'd begin looking for another outfitter immediately.

 

[billc]

Welcome to the site enjoy the planning.

 

[petrusg]

Welcome to AH, allot of good advice listed above....

 

[AaronN]

Welcome to the forum Old welder, you are in the right place!