What makes or breaks your decision to book a hunt

[Kevin Peacocke]

A hunt is all about the ambiance of it all. I want as wild a setting as I can get, I don't want to see any humans, dogs, cattle or goats, so I am absolutely fine with a fenced concession , it keeps them all out. Next comes the camp - please no bricks and formal roof, it must preferably be tents, but thatched dwellings are ok if not. A really nice fire pit, not a formal affair like a Bryanston restaurant, we are in the bush after all. Canvas and wood chairs, if there is plastic anywhere that is a killer. No cold white lights anywhere, even in the bathrooms. Paraffin lights even better. No blue anything, table cloths, bed covers, whatever. Yes cost is important, but the worst is to pay top dollar and not get the correct feel. I don't hunt for trophies or inches, I just want old old animals that have outsmarted everyone else so far and will do their damndest to outsmart me too. Food must be interesting, especially snacks around the fire. Lots of different game to try. Real coffee, no instant.

 

[Aaron N]

Meeting face to face is a big stepping stone for us but this only happens if references check out, posted fees seem reasonable and if the property size/location is acceptable for us.
I prefer to be hunting with an owner/outfitter, no middleman if at all possible.

For my own curiosity, how much stock do you guys put in references?

 

[Tanks]

For my own curiosity, how much stock do you guys put in references?

References from people I personally know, a lot. Otherwise not much, the outfitter is not going to use someone that had a bad experience as a reference. Heck, one outfitter that I had contacted a while ago listed his USA booking agent as a reference.

 

[Aaron N]

References from people I personally know, a lot. Otherwise not much, the outfitter is not going to use someone that had a bad experience as a reference. Heck, one outfitter that I had contacted a while ago listed his USA booking agent as a reference.

My thinking exactly. I see it all the time on here where members say to check references. What outfitter would put a prospective client in contact without being 100% certain they would be given a glowing recommendation.

 

[firehuntfish]

For my own curiosity, how much stock do you guys put in references?

References can be an extremely valuable tool in researching outfitters provided that they are used in the proper context. In my experiences with clients, more often than not they are a misused resource. Obviously, every reference offered by an outfitter is going to tell you that they had a great time and that they highly recommend the outfit. If that's all you are looking for in a reference inquiry, you are missing out on the true value of making the contact.

References can be excellent sources used to verify all sorts of information that the outfitter has advertised. Don't simply ask the reference if they had a "good time". Ask if they got the experience that they were promised. Ask them detailed questions about things like the hunting properties, quality of game, the amenities, or whatever qualities that are most important to you in your own safari.

Furthermore, references can be used as a standard of consistency. If you speak to a half dozen references who all had different types of safaris, yet all claim that their expectations were met or exceeded, it tells you a lot about the reliability of the outfitter. If an outfitter can exceed the expectations of a hunting couple, a family on safari, or an experienced dangerous game hunter all at the same time, chances are they know what they are doing. If you are just going to reach out to a reference and ask if they had a good time, then you are significantly limiting the value of your efforts in regard to that specific resource.

 

[Stephen Ausband]

A hunt is all about the ambiance of it all. I want as wild a setting as I can get, I don't want to see any humans, dogs, cattle or goats, so I am absolutely fine with a fenced concession , it keeps them all out. Next comes the camp - please no bricks and formal roof, it must preferably be tents, but thatched dwellings are ok if not. A really nice fire pit, not a formal affair like a Bryanston restaurant, we are in the bush after all. Canvas and wood chairs, if there is plastic anywhere that is a killer. No cold white lights anywhere, even in the bathrooms. Paraffin lights even better. No blue anything, table cloths, bed covers, whatever. Yes cost is important, but the worst is to pay top dollar and not get the correct feel. I don't hunt for trophies or inches, I just want old old animals that have outsmarted everyone else so far and will do their damndest to outsmart me too. Food must be interesting, especially snacks around the fire. Lots of different game to try. Real coffee, no instant.

Perfect reply, Sir.

 

[Rare Breed]

I'm sure its a knee jerk reaction but price is a big reason for me. But not just price, I met our potential PH and the rep and they both had my sense of humor and seemed good to spend a week with. I have a dark/sarcastic sense of humor and "stuffy" people make me uncomfortable to be around. I've been fortunate to hunt with almost all guides/camps with similar personalities and makes a huge difference.

Edit: our first Africa hunt was 2 weeks ago. PH and wife were awesome. Had a family from NC come to camp at end and they wanted to debate politics. My PH avoided it like the plague. I dont care what someones political/religious views are but having fun at a hunt is not time to talk about it and then try to argue with who takes the bait.

A few things. Value is most important to me not just the lowest cost…talk to me about the experience. I am a stalk hunter so dislike sitting in blinds unless Leopard hunt. Really key for me…please do not forget we are visitors and don’t speak the local African language…I am very laid back and easy going not much ever bothers me but during one of my Safaris I had to spend a dinner listening to a PH and their friend have a full conversation with me there using their African language…where I am from that is very rude and made me completely rethink rebooking with them given I was completely left out of the conversation. Last but not least remember almost all of us are a full continent away and probably by ourselves…providing that family atmosphere is extremely important…my hunt with TSALA is a great example of an outfitter who does all the right things in this message and none of the bad things. Hope this helps

 

[Rare Breed]

A hunt is all about the ambiance of it all. I want as wild a setting as I can get, I don't want to see any humans, dogs, cattle or goats, so I am absolutely fine with a fenced concession , it keeps them all out. Next comes the camp - please no bricks and formal roof, it must preferably be tents, but thatched dwellings are ok if not. A really nice fire pit, not a formal affair like a Bryanston restaurant, we are in the bush after all. Canvas and wood chairs, if there is plastic anywhere that is a killer. No cold white lights anywhere, even in the bathrooms. Paraffin lights even better. No blue anything, table cloths, bed covers, whatever. Yes cost is important, but the worst is to pay top dollar and not get the correct feel. I don't hunt for trophies or inches, I just want old old animals that have outsmarted everyone else so far and will do their damndest to outsmart me too. Food must be interesting, especially snacks around the fire. Lots of different game to try. Real coffee, no instant.

Nicely done as always Kevin!

 

[Tundra Tiger]

The references that carried the most weight with me were phone calls with a specific focus: can this outfitter provide a positive experience with a reasonable chance of success to my (at the time) mobility limited teenage daughter. I was able to ask very pointed questions of dads who had hunted with their teenage daughters. In the end it proved all for naught: covid erased my daughter's chances of going when things got bumped back a year. I stayed with the outfitter anyway, in part because of the answers I got when talking to past clients. They were not wrong.

 

[lockingblock]

Biggest initial factor is information- who they are, where exactly they hunt, what exact species are available and what time of year, accurate prices that have clear rules, trophy quality average, lodge or camp, PH name or if PH is temporary hire for a larger company…and big one for me is fence vs no fence and if animals are put and take or habituated to feed and humans.

I like to see that initially, then contact them directly to ask about dates and final details.

a good website can have all this.

 

[Mopani]

I was very much looking forward to a recent hunt, but then, in one of his last emails prior the hunt, the PH had told me, the average tip is US$ 1,400. Bloody hell, I hadn’t asked that question! I nearly cancelled.

I didn’t get anything but the PH asked me: how much tip can we expect? A tip what for? I still regret that I didn’t cancel the hunt.

 

[WAB]

This is a great thread! Here is what I look for:
1) a truly wild area. I want to hear lions roar and leopard saw. I want to have to work around elephant as we try to sort things out. I want a true bush camp with stars so bright they look like you could pick them out of the sky.
2) I want a PH with a sense of humor who creates an environment that makes my wife and I feel at home. I don’t appreciate off color jokes or drinking to excess.
3) I don’t want other hunting parties in camp. This is not typically an issue in a bush camp, but I always check.
4) I want to hunt hard and I want a PH and tracker who know how to hunt. I grew up hunting in Canada and have hunted all over Wyoming and Alaska without a guide as my career took me through those great states. If I am going to hunt with a PH I want him to be good. Not all are. One thing I appreciate about Zim is the standard they set for PH’s. If you get through their program you know your business.

On this note, one of my best friends will not go back to Africa because the PH on his one and only safari was a terrible hunter. This friend has taken somewhere around 30 dall rams unguided, three that went 43x43, so you get a sense of how good a hunter and pilot he is.
5) if I get any sense that the plan is to drive around and look for stuff to shoot I’m out.
6) I am likely a bit of an aberration, but I don’t need to shoot a bunch of game to have a great safari. I had one safari where I fired two bullets; one in a target and the second in a buffalo. I had a great safari!

 

[375Fox]

I always enjoy reading these type of threads. The answer really depends where I’m looking for a hunt. I finished my 10th safari this year and get more selective with each hunt.
Hunting a wild area my search is more simple. I just look for an area and outfitter with a quality reputation from that country, then talk about what I want to see if their goals and mine line up. I would also like to meet my PH prior to hunt and request a specific PH for these hunts because I feel my best hunts have really been because of the PH not the hunting itself. I’d rather spend money to hunt a quality area on this type of hunt than try to save.
Hunting South Africa, there is a lot more I will look into. I feel I’ve had a learning curve there. The level of intense game ranching, outfitter competition, and variance in PH quality is shocking to me. I’ve actually had my buffalo photos stolen and used for a different outfitter’s advertising. Thankfully the website he posted them to was professional enough to remove them after I proved it was my buffalo, although his listing remained. I want a PH who is enthusiastic about hunting and wants to start day as early as possible. I’m not interested in spending extra time in camp during hunting hours. I want a PH who has significant experience hunting his areas over years (and will explain that and the game management there) and not just hunting various game farms based on available animals. I have no issue with fencing, but the level of game farming in some areas has gone too far. I’ll actively seek out an outfitter with traditional hunting in proper areas and largely ignore outfitters advertising color variants, huge trophies, and other byproducts of intense game farming. I’d prefer a small outfitter who operates from a private camp over a larger outfitter, so I can plan my hunt with the PH I’ll be hunting with.

 

[Happy Myles]

Read Kevin Peacocke’s comments. Then read them again.
If possible go to a convention like Dallas Safari Club but do some homework on African outfitters and take notes and notebook otherwise you can be overwhelmed. Drop by booking agents booths and do not be afraid to ask stupid questions. Please ask questions here on AH. I have been adventuring all over Africa annually for fifty years. Can think of only one trip i should have done differently and it was not half bad.

 

[375Fox]

For my own curiosity, how much stock do you guys put in references?

I put a lot of value in references, but I don’t want 3 or 4. I want 15 or 20 recent references. Ask the right questions and see if the answers overlap or vary significantly, if the answers vary (even if all saying good things) it can tell you a lot about an outfitter.

 

[Aaron N]

I put a lot of value in references, but I don’t want 3 or 4. I want 15 or 20 recent references. Ask the right questions and see if the answers overlap or vary significantly, if the answers vary (even if all saying good things) it can tell you a lot about an outfitter.

This is a perfect example of why a site like this is so important, as are the reports posted. Numerous references at our fingertips!

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

This is a questions I think we as outfitters would like to know the answer to, What makes you the client decide on which and whom to book a hunt with?

View attachment 469410

@MORETLA SAFARIS
My hunt was booked Thu a third party that had hunted with the PH 6 times before. I was able to call the PH as well and talk to them as well.
Prices were also in Australian dollars and this made it easy to budget for the hunt and not try and convert from US dollars to Australian. We were also told what was required in tipping costs.
All this information made it easy to work out our budget.
What out a damper on things was the cost of freight to get my skins and horns home due to the massive price hike due to the China flu.
Was it worth it all. MY BLOODY OATH IT WAS.
Bob

 

[BRICKBURN]

This question has been asked, in a variety of forms over the years. Here are some of my considerations to digest.

Breakers:

Sliding scale trophy fees.

Misleading information. - Sales spiels, misuse of trophy photos. Changing prices.

Failure to be transparent. Tell me you can't do something, if you can't.

Bait and switch; What ever we agreed to for species and quality of trophies better be present.
Free day fees combined with a $12,000.00 Kudu trophy fees ala "I won this hunt"

Refund policy.

Boma hunting. If I can shoot across the entire available property and take an animal we have a problem.

Revolving doors. Are the seats at the dining table ever cold?

Makers:
Character- Honesty & Respect. Customer focus. Professional.

Community and conservation involvement.

Flexibility; Deposits, cancellations, dates, etc.

Loves to hunt. Knows when they need a break from it.

Be willing to make a reference to another Outfitter.

Recent Legitimate trail camera images are always nice to see.

An expression I had only heard in Southern Africa before but it makes sense: Value for Money.

Exclusivity.

References of value. Someone who shares the good, great and bad or low points.

 

[375Fox]

Really key for me…please do not forget we are visitors and don’t speak the local African language…I am very laid back and easy going not much ever bothers me but during one of my Safaris I had to spend a dinner listening to a PH and their friend have a full conversation with me there using their African language…where I am from that is very rude and made me completely rethink rebooking with them given I was completely left out of the conversation.

I’m really surprised to read this. I’ve never had that happen and wouldn’t expect it to happen, usually PHs are there for you as the client. I didn’t know this was unusual but on my first two African hunts, the PHs didn’t eat dinner with you. I was there with my Dad and a family friend, and there were 2 other small groups of hunters in camp so it was still a good atmosphere, but they just dropped you off at lodge at end of day and the lodge manager was your host at dinner. I didn’t know until I went on more hunts.

 

[Hunt anything]

For my own curiosity, how much stock do you guys put in references?

To me not much stock if it’s a first Safari, a lot of stock if the person has been multiple times. They need to have something to compare it to.