Is there a best way to handle a poor African 1st experience and move on?

[HeinrichH]

Damn thats bad! Sorry to hear about your bad experience!

 

[sestoppelman]

The OP really should name the outfitter. I cannot believe that they held some "kangaroo" court over the golden gnu! Never heard of such nonsense! The whole thing just sounds awful!

 

[sierraone]

I read the entire thread again. Have to agree with Ses, this is not just a bad experience. Everyone involved should be named and the S. A. authorities and all hunting related groups need to investigate. This comes across as an organized scam.

 

[PeteG]

That sounds all jacked up.
PM sent.

A 3 hour tribunal? I would have told the outfitter to shove it, and walked out.

Are you willing to share the names of these people?

Not trying to nitpick here, but it sounds like that was a set up.

Sorry to hear about the shocking hunt, hope you have a better experience on the next go around.
There are a lot of reputable outfitters on AH that you could consider.


All the best with your future hunt.

 

[Spear Safaris]

It sounds like one of those real Cheap package deals that you see a lot nowadays, where the Outfitter hopes the Hunter shoots extra animals to cover his expenses, worked out great for him this time. Golden Gnu must have been a real bonus.

 

[Josh Neal]

1st off sorry to hear of the awful experience, and I commend you for not landing in a SA jail like many others would have! (maybe myself included)

Here is the conversation your Camp owner had with your PH prior to your hunt that day..

Owner: Ok PH, take them on a ride to the back of the property at dusk.
PH: Ok, Why?
Owner: That's where the Golden boy stays.
PH: But they don't want a Golden.
Owner: Wait until dusk, then instruct them to shoot the golden, hopefully they will fall for it!
PH: Good idea, this will get us out of the great deal we gave them... but I don't know if this is morally the right thing to do.
Owner: Listen, ill give you $2,500 to make it happen.
PH: Golden boy is going down at Dusk!!!

 

[petrusg]

Sorry to hear about your bad experience!
To me what happened during your hunt is unacceptable! any good outfitter/PH will be ashamed if a punt went down that way. I think an important think you have taken from this experience is to make sure of your facts before booking your next hunt.

There are many reputable outfitters on this site that will ensure that your next trip would be a success! and i know i cant afford a bad review like yours, it would be devastating for my company.

the best way to get over this is to come back to Africa and have a good hunt and forget about your bad experience.

Hope to see you in Africa soon!

 

[petrusg]

@Waterbuck please let everyone know who this outfitter is and the PH, this is the kind of scum we want out of our industry.

 

[Tally-Ho HUNTING SAFARIS]

100% sounds like totally unprofessional operation
and a shambles with golden wildebeest
hope u at least got the trophy from that

i dont like to point fingers but this sounds like a "BIG" enough of a cockup to name the PH and outfitter etc

regards

 

[rinehart0050]

Very sorry to hear about your experience.

That is some totally Outrageous stuff that they pulled- and honestly I wouldn't be surprised if the PH and land owner were both in on it.

I hunted on properties with golden wildebeest, golden gemsbok, breeder waterbuck, etc. In every case, my PH pointed the animals out, so we could enjoy seeing them- but no chance of shooting at anything near them. There are usually more than enough herds of various species on properties that there's no need to even risk it.

Is your buddy getting to keep the golden wildebeest??

Please reveal the identity of the PH/Outfitter so that the greater AH community can benefit and avoid them.


Regarding how to recover, I agree with everyone recommending you go back. For all the bad stories you hear about, there are so many more good ones. I know my family loved our safari and can't wait to go back. I recommend looking at any number of the sponsors on this site, read the reports, etc.

Nothing like a great hunt to wash the bad taste out of your mouth.

Best of luck.

 

[ScottG]

I have no experience in Africa, but I would say the people that frequent here would be where I would start.

 

[brettp]

So, I would say two things. One, only book through someone you really trust. I would suggest my friend Wikus Groenewald. If you'd like contact info, PM me. Beyond that, a lot of what you dealt with was related to hunting fenced property vs free range.

These fences operations are, in many cases, just for profit animal breeding farms and don't have much to do with actual hunting. Free range hunts offer much lower success rates, much less game/ day and much MORE satisfaction and happiness in knowing that you are truly hunting Hemingway's Africa and not some game farm that might as well be in Texas.

I know a lot of people on here hunt fenced property and I'm sorry if this is offensive, but I believe there is a massive difference between hunting a wild conservancy and a fenced property.

 

[HeinrichH]

So, I would say two things. One, only book through someone you really trust. I would suggest my friend Wikus Groenewald. If you'd like contact info, PM me. Beyond that, a lot of what you dealt with was related to hunting fenced property vs free range.

These fences operations are, in many cases, just for profit animal breeding farms and don't have much to do with actual hunting. Free range hunts offer much lower success rates, much less game/ day and much MORE satisfaction and happiness in knowing that you are truly hunting Hemingway's Africa and not some game farm that might as well be in Texas.

I know a lot of people on here hunt fenced property and I'm sorry if this is offensive, but I believe there is a massive difference between hunting a wild conservancy and a fenced property.

Brettp, i dont agree with this. There is a difference yes, but not based on this. We hunt both fenced and unfenced concessions, and a hunting operated fenced area, with the right management is in a lot of cases a lot better hunt than an unfenced hunt.

And I'm not speculating, this is a fact!

 

[KAROO WILD Safaris]

I'm sorry to hear about your experience. I would report it to PHASA. With the decline in profits that rare game breeders are receiving from their investments I know a lot of them are turning to outfitting hunts to as they put it "add value". I think we will see more of this kind of thing in the future. They're not prepared to put in the hard yards to get to know the hunting / hospitality industry. Being a good outfitter is a full time professional business of which a lot of them have no understanding. Of all the successful outfitters I know of, being an outfitter is the meat and potatoes of what they all do. Try in future to screen your outfitter better. All successful outfitters IMHO either presently guide or would have guided their own clients at some stage. If your outfitter isn't your PH ask why. In certain cases there are valid reasons like he's got older, his business has grown and he takes multiple clients at the same time etc. But you'd get an idea of his motivation for hunting. Being a good hunting outfitter takes hard work and lots of experience. You have to want to and need to do it in bounds.

 

[brettp]

Brettp, i dont agree with this. There is a difference yes, but not based on this. We hunt both fenced and unfenced concessions, and a hunting operated fenced area, with the right management is in a lot of cases a lot better hunt than an unfenced hunt.

And I'm not speculating, this is a fact!

I agree this is a particularly bad example, but IMHO, no fenced property can compare with the wildness of a place like the Selous for example.

 

[siml]

Brett and Heinrich, you both wrong, there's a medium and what it boils down to in the end is ethics!!

I truly hope this report ends up on PHASA desk.

 

[Shootist43]

Your hunt was terrible, just terrible. I took my entire family to San Antonio, TX for my 50th Anniversary. The gals and younger kids stayed on the "River Walk." The guys, my two sons, two older grandsons and I went "Hog" hunting. I paid for the total hunt up front. We harvested a third of what I paid for. I was completely dissatisfied let alone p.o. At first, I blamed the "outfitter" now (several years later) I have to put some of the blame on me. I didn't do a good job of "vetting" the outfitter or his operation. This is the first time I've mentioned my bad hunting experience on-line. However not every outfitter cannot be stereotyped as bad because of the behavior of one. As stated several times in posts preceding this one, African Outfitters are vetted on a daily basis by AH members. To you, my advice is this; make up a list of what you want to hunt and your preferred hunting method and post it on AH asking for recommendations. YOU WILL GET THEM. Once you select an AH recommended outfitter, make sure he knows of your "first" experience. No doubt, he will make sure that he and his team provide you with the "time of your life."

In turn, your first contribution to AH would be to name the outfitter used on your first hunt in Africa. That may just keep a fellow member from experiencing what you did.

 

[Philip Glass]

It sounds like one of those real Cheap package deals that you see a lot nowadays, where the Outfitter hopes the Hunter shoots extra animals to cover his expenses, worked out great for him this time. Golden Gnu must have been a real bonus.

I agree with Ernest. This whole story smells!
They should have told you when you started the hunt there were golden wildebeest so you would know to be looking for Them. Otherwise they seriously took advantage of you.
Plan your next safari, get references, and have fun!
I believe you should post a full report and name names!
Regards,
Philip

 

[Bhfs300]

This might be another reason that the owner wanted to have some one shoot his golden Wildebeest. Looks like the people that were borrowing money off their land to buy colored animals are having the price drop out from under them.
An article from last month about the prices.
https://www.businesslive.co.za/fm/features/2017-01-26-colour-game-is-over/

 

[CAustin]

Many request here sir to name the outfitter and PH ! I hope you will do so in short order. This does sound fishy to me and it also sounds like a silly hearing was held. That's why you travel with a cell phone that works in the country you are hunting and you keep the phone number of the American Embassy in that phone as I do!