SOUTH AFRICA: Koringkoopie Safaris *Warning* Stay Away

[Mtn_Infantry]

You can wonder all you want. How I wrote up the story is how it happened. I don't care what other people think. The report was to warn others. Bringing up ducking hunting and accusing me of flock shooting tells me not to worry much about your opinion. If you read the whole report we did talk about the giraffe that evening after wards so he was well aware I didn't want him to shoot the waterbuck. I actually told him I had no interest in hunting more if he had to finish any wounded animals.

You wrote the report of how it happened from your perspective. You’ve demonstrated there’s a lot more to your story than just your perspective

 

[TERMINATOR]

I'm surprised by guys thinking that RSA and/or Limpopo are all small fenced properties and canned hunts. I've been there twice and can attest they're not. I do understand that they can be and also understand that for some hunters, that's what they want. Similar to some US hunters who hunt the high fenced place near me in OH and MI. That's not my thing but I don't knock a guy who likes/wants that.

Anyone that thinks all hunting in RSA is all shooting fish in a barrel, small high fence canned hunting has never hunted with with Marius @KMG Hunting Safaris where most of what we took was free range humping of large hills/small mountains in the East Cape.

And I wouldn't have it any other way.

 

[LivingTheDream]

Wonder if the outfitter knows about this thread or if he’s letting the OP continue to expose his own story/complaint because of how much it bothered him.

He 100% knows. PHASA knows, random new members know. But I am assuming he has decided a pissing match on public forum might not be the best approach to resolving this.

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

Not once did I say I wasn't to blame for any of it. But I never swore at him, made him feel like he was going to get hurt, or told him he was a horrible at his profession.

I 100% agree with you, him cursing at you and raising his voice was out of line. You have zero arguments from me on that. Based on what you’ve said I can understand his frustration but I agree with you and think he should’ve bit hit tongue and brought you to the airport for your scheduled flight.

I might be overly critical of your role on pulling the trigger. We all make bad shots that’s not what I’m saying. I’m just trying to point out your blind trust of the PH in the waterbuck being up to your personal standards because that’s how past hunts went is also on you. You’ve had issue with multiple different areas of the hunt (reedbuck in breeding pen, hornbills, giraffe, taxidermy, meals, focus on logging, blinds, not shooting the 2nd gun, not having the air gun, him forgetting you don’t like onions or something, etc) and here you are leaving the judgement of whether or not you’d like the shape (not the size) of a Waterbucks horns up to him, when you’re the one who as to be happy with them just seems absolutely asinine.

Maybe I’m a cynic but I look at most everything in life as being my responsibility for the end result. From my overall happiness in life, work/income, safety/security, to trophy quality. It’s on me to communicate with the guide/PH if I want anything other than mature. If I’ve got an elk tag in a certain unit that produces better than average bulls and I want something over a certain size it’s my responsibility to ask the guide if he’s that size. If i want perfectly symmetrical I need to ask if he’s symmetrical. Thats all I’m trying to say

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

He 100% knows. PHASA knows, random new members know. But I am assuming he has decided a pissing match on public forum might not be the best approach to resolving this.

I very much also suspect that’s the case.

 

[LimbNoMo]

$735. Price is what you pay, value is what you get.

 

[Moe324]

I 100% agree with you, him cursing at you and raising his voice was out of line. You have zero arguments from me on that. Based on what you’ve said I can understand his frustration but I agree with you and think he should’ve bit hit tongue and brought you to the airport for your scheduled flight.

I might be overly critical of your role on pulling the trigger. We all make bad shots that’s not what I’m saying. I’m just trying to point out your blind trust of the PH in the waterbuck being up to your personal standards because that’s how past hunts went is also on you. You’ve had issue with multiple different areas of the hunt (reedbuck in breeding pen, hornbills, giraffe, taxidermy, meals, focus on logging, blinds, not shooting the 2nd gun, not having the air gun, him forgetting you don’t like onions or something, etc) and here you are leaving the judgement of whether or not you’d like the shape (not the size) of a Waterbucks horns up to him, when you’re the one who as to be happy with them just seems absolutely asinine.

Maybe I’m a cynic but I look at most everything in life as being my responsibility for the end result. From my overall happiness in life, work/income, safety/security, to trophy quality. It’s on me to communicate with the guide/PH if I want anything other than mature. If I’ve got an elk tag in a certain unit that produces better than average bulls and I want something over a certain size it’s my responsibility to ask the guide if he’s that size. If i want perfectly symmetrical I need to ask if he’s symmetrical. Thats all I’m trying to say

I understand what you are saying. Trust me I'll never assume a PH is looking out for me again unless it's someone I know already like the 2 I trust already. Part of the issue is ya all that happen but we started hunting that waterbuck on day one before anything happen so I guess I assumed it must be good if we went for it on day one. I did tell him that day it didn't need to be 30" but a good representative of the species. I don't think that waterbuck is a good representative. To me if someone googles waterbuck that has never seen one it should look like the pictures that come up. Not a twisted closed horns sharp pointed one like he had us hunt. I don't expect anything for come from this post. But just wanted to warn people he acted like this. Be that be old clients, new clients, potential clients, or even other PH's he works with.

 

[Moe324]

$735. Price is what you pay, value is what you get.

Once a outfitter donates the animal. He's out the animals either way if it sells for $735 or $3000. Why should the sale price effect the hunt. Especially if the client " me" in this case wants to add days, rent guns, hunt other animals, have his wife mount 3 birds. He can make money off that. It's not like he donates it and then I come shot it and then eat his food and leave 5 days later. Everyone bashing auction hunts but they are to raise money for good organizations. The reason they all seem bad is when they go bad people post about them. But when they go good people don't.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

$735. Price is what you pay, value is what you get.

I would not pay $735 for that scroungey waterbuck. Not even a "meat price" ... because the animal was killed on the lodge's property. So the operator owned the animal that he will sell to the butcher. If this cull bull had been shot the first day, then I think it could be an easy fix for PH. Just write that animal off, sell the meat, and move the client on to something else. But to waste days chasing that junker? Pfft. That's not right.

 

[Ridge Runner]

The outfitter and PH both seem very unprofessional, but at least some blame goes to you. You wrote you’ve hunted with several outfitters in South Africa but are still buying low price auction hunts with new outfitters instead of hunting with previous outfitters. I can only assume to find the best deal. You should be asking for quotes from previous or vetted outfitters at this point not auction shopping. Only buying auction hunts with new outfitters doesn’t look good on you as a client either.

Can't really fault a person wanting to hunt various areas in any country, which also requires hunting with different outfitters

As for buying or bidding on auction/donated hunts....why not?....outfitters auction/donate hunts to draw in clients and garner business.

Is it your intent/advocate that outfitters should not offer such hunts?
That organizations such as SCI, DSC, etc. that benefit from such outfitters' auction/donation hunts should not solicit outfitters for such auctions/donations?

IMPO.....It's on the outfitter to provide the winning client a good hunt and quality services. If the outfitter doesn't feel they need to provide a quality hunt nor quality services to an auction/donated hunt recipient then the outfitter shouldn't have offered such auction/donation hunt.
________________________________________________

Rhetorical question to those who have purchased auction/donated hunts.

In reality the priced paid for an auction/donated hunt....how much money was saved comparing the auction/donated hunt versus having straight out purchased a package deal from the outfitter?

Why I don't bid on auction or donated hunts/trips. For me personally, I find it less expensive to book a package hunt vs a somewhat inflated cost
_______________________________________________

Personally I choose to hunt with different outfitters based on their respective location which differs from previous outfitters' locations I have hunted with. Simply because I want to see more of the country, and not all outfitters provide 100% of the animals I would like to hunt or see.

Since I'm in country, if possible, I also choose to take the opportunity to visit, hunt, renew the friendships I have with previous outfitters/PHs, PHs, and others, I have met and/or hunted with.

 

[Mekaniks]

Once a outfitter donates the animal. He's out the animals either way if it sells for $735 or $3000. Why should the sale price effect the hunt. Especially if the client " me" in this case wants to add days, rent guns, hunt other animals, have his wife mount 3 birds. He can make money off that. It's not like he donates it and then I come shot it and then eat his food and leave 5 days later. Everyone bashing auction hunts but they are to raise money for good organizations. The reason they all seem bad is when they go bad people post about them. But when they go good people don't.

I agree with you that donated hunts can be a good way to raise money for organizations with all the good intentions...

I disagree with you that when hunts go good people do not say anything. We see positive hunt reports here on AH all the time. Even from donated, auction and raffle hunts.

But, IMO we also see a disproportionate number of negative reports come donated, auction and raffle hunts.
The truth is that too many times expectations and reality do not always align for the hunter or for the outfitter on these types of hunts. And the outcome is what we are seeing in this thread.....

Your expectation of what the hunt was going to be obviously did not turn out....
As well, if we ever hear from the outfitter, I will bet that his expectations of the hunt were not met either.....

 

[375Fox]

As for buying or bidding on auction/donated hunts....why not?....outfitters auction/donate hunts to draw in clients and garner business.

Is it your intent/advocate that outfitters should not offer such hunts?
That organizations such as SCI, DSC, etc. that benefit from such outfitters' auction/donation hunts should not solicit outfitters for such auctions/donations?

IMPO.....It's on the outfitter to provide the winning client a good hunt and quality services. If the outfitter doesn't feel they need to provide a quality hunt nor quality services to an auction/donated hunt recipient then the outfitter shouldn't have offered such auction/donation hunt.
________________________________________________

Rhetorical question to those who have purchased auction/donated hunts.

In reality the priced paid for an auction/donated hunt....how much money was saved comparing the auction/donated hunt versus having straight out purchased a package deal from the outfitter?

Why I don't bid on auction or donated hunts/trips. For me personally, I find it less expensive to book a package hunt vs a somewhat inflated cost
_______________________________________________

Personally I choose to hunt with different outfitters based on their respective location which differs from previous outfitters' locations I have hunted with. Simply because I want to see more of the country, and not all outfitters provide 100% of the animals I would like to hunt or see.

Since I'm in country, if possible, I also choose to take the opportunity to visit, hunt, renew the friendships I have with previous outfitters/PHs, PHs, and others, I have met and/or hunted with.

There is also a significant amount of pressure on outfitters from these organizations to donate hunts. The bigger outfitters can absorb it, however it can put a lot of outfitters under significant stress. If a person does the same research on an auction hunt they would in planning a hunt I see no problem with an auction hunt, but it seems most hunters don’t.

 

[Kharn]

I like how this thread has ...drawn out... certain personalities of members within the forum for us to see...