What are your Thoughts

[Mark H. Young]

Guys,

We represent multiple safari operators in 10 different African countries. None of them charges a missed shot fee. What BS! Every hunter misses and wounds on occasion. It's just part of hunting that we all will expereince sometime. I'm always the last one to accuse an operator of gouging a client because there is usually a good reason for any charge. I think this charge ISnothing more than a gouge!

Mark

 

[TerryR]

I have never heard of a missed shot charge, and would not hunt with an outfitter who assessed one. Frankly I would be concerned that this is a guy who is going to nickel and dime me to death in order to jack up his revenue. If I shot and wounded, and couldn't recover the animal, I would expect to pay the full trophy fee. That alone should be reason enough to prevent me from taking poor shots.

 

[Bobpuckett]

Well guys let me hit you with one more I've never heard of, I was looking at a Outfitter in Namibia and I don't remember which one that Charges
1 us$ per Kilometer driven between hunting areas, Makes me wonder how far it is between their hunting areas that they would have to charge you to drive you where the game is. Like I said I READ EVERYTHING NOW

 

[Diamondhitch]

Well guys let me hit you with one more I've never heard of, I was looking at a Outfitter in Namibia and I don't remember which one that Charges
1 us$ per Kilometer driven between hunting areas, Makes me wonder how far it is between their hunting areas that they would have to charge you to drive you where the game is. Like I said I READ EVERYTHING NOW

$1/km is rediculous. I was charged $300+observer day rate for a 10 hour transfer from KZN to Limpopo (agreed upon in advance - no suprises). At $1.50 per liter ($6.60/Gallon) the extra $300 just covered the fuel. The 2 days that we had to travel 30-40 min (60km) to hunt a specific area, no additional charge was made.

 

[PaulT]

I whole-heartedly agree with M.H.Young.

Charging for missed shots is ludicrous.

In our operation we enforce a wounded-animal-trophy fee-payable policy out of respect for the animal, a limited resource, and to ensure that some modicome of responsibility for shot placement is excersised by the hunter.
If there was no onus of payment for wounding game it would create all sorts of unpleasant scenarios.
Wounded game will no doubt perish and it is our responsibility for payment to our traditional landowners for EVERY animal that we are responsible for its demise, if that is instantanous or not.

But to physicallly charge for MISSED shots ??, heck I'd be retired on that one by now !
On a typical Herd Reduction hunt for buffalo, on my concession, an average hunter will fire (past records) about 70 - 80 rounds per 10 buffalo taken.
Admittedly, quite a few follow up and finishing shots included here, but ???

Personally, I prefer to see a clean miss than a poor hit.

I fail to see how a missed shot penalises or incurs additional expense to the outfitter.

It seems that some operators have reduced there opening offers for hunts by so much that they now need to include all sorts of "extras" and additional payments to make ends meet.

 

[classicsafari]

I have hunted with an outfit in Zim (a highly regarded one) that charges the fee on any shot at Crocodiles as the feel it is often impossible to determine if it was a hit unless killed outright.

 

[nsok]

As they must think that these things are very normal, I hope they advertise them

 

[Bobpuckett]

I have hunted with an outfit in Zim (a highly regarded one) that charges the fee on any shot at Crocodiles as the feel it is often impossible to determine if it was a hit unless killed outright.

OK now that one would scare me. I've seen packages for Crocs and they are not that cheap if I've already payed the package price then the croc is payed for missed or not, Did this outfitter raise and stock these Crocodiles and this would be a loss to him or does Zim Gov. have a levie they charge to the outfitter for shooting at more then one Crocodile if they can't figure out if it was a hit or not come on REALLY the Daily fees on a Croc should be more then enough to cover these missed shots. Now I Don't have a degree in Rocket Science but if I were the outfitter I would hold up for a day and see what floats to the surface if nothing then continue the hunt if it was a hit and it dies and not found then the other Crocs will eat it making them BIGGER and STRONGER. charge a little more for that Monster.

 

[enysse]

I think the problem is crocodiles don't float to the surface, they sink...and you can try to grapple hook them....they can float down river...be eaten up. Missing a crocodile is a nightmare of mine....I wouldn't want to hunt and miss one.

 

[Bobpuckett]

I think the problem is crocodiles don't float to the surface, they sink...and you can try to grapple hook them....they can float down river...be eaten up. Missing a crocodile is a nightmare of mine....I wouldn't want to hunt and miss one.

Now thats something I didn't know that crocs when dead will not float back up. I always thought that anything that died and sank when they started bloating would float back up unless of course another Croc had it for lunch. Learn Something new everyday.

 

[James.Grage]

BobPucket

This is one of those issues where a determined yardage is mapped out and then your rifles sighted to that distance and you have to be able to hit a golf ball every time...if you are shooting the spine and brain...

a crocodile in the water after it is shot is a 90 percent or higher lost game animal...that is an expensive splash if it occurs...

I think the problem is crocodiles don't float to the surface, they sink...and you can try to grapple hook them....they can float down river...be eaten up. Missing a crocodile is a nightmare of mine....I wouldn't want to hunt and miss one.

Now thats something I didn't know that crocs when dead will not float back up. I always thought that anything that died and sank when they started bloating would float back up unless of course another Croc had it for lunch. Learn Something new everyday.

 

[Bobpuckett]

BobPucket

This is one of those issues where a determined yardage is mapped out and then your rifles sighted to that distance and you have to be able to hit a golf ball every time...if you are shooting the spine and brain...

a crocodile in the water after it is shot is a 90 percent or higher lost game animal...that is an expensive splash if it occurs...

That again is the reason I wouldn't want to hunt with an outfitter (Especially for Crocs) that charges for missed shots. I'm not bragging But I am a very good shot 30 years in the Army Expert Shooters Badge nothing less but I do miss, I guess if I get the chance to hunt Crocs I better look for one thats sitting high and dry Sunning they have a hard time sinking in the sand.

 

[Brian G]

IMHO I would guess that this is summed up by "Caveat Emptor".... Buyer Beware!. Any endeavour be it expedition, mission, African hunting, seems to require forward planning. The 7 P's! Prior planning & practice prevents piss poor performance! You wouldn't skim read any contract! thus armed with knowledge you can always vote with your feet! (and even tell the outfitter WHY you are doing so)