Let me start off by saying that 10 years ago there wasn't a more enthusiastic African hunter alive. I love Africa I love hunting there still to this day but it's changed for me, the passion level has definitely been tempered.

I am a rifle looney and own four very nice heavy caliber DG rifles. A .470 double, a custom .458 Lott(not that POS Brockman rifle that failed on me, read on) , a M-76 African in .404 Jeffery... of course and old reliable is my M-70 in .375H&H.

I enjoy the sights, the smells, the sounds, the game, and the people. I hunted Africa six times in the last decade killing 5 buffalo an elephant and a pile o plains game in Tanzania, Zimbabwe and South Africa.

On my last trip I started the hunt with full blown enthusiasm. By about day 6 I had the feeling that the hunt was "same old, same old". By day 7 I wanted to call it off and go home. My heart wasn't into it and truthfully I was completely let down and bored.

A brief synopsis of the hunt went something like this.

Two days before I am to leave the main action spring on my Searcy .470 NE snaps and leaves the right barrel inoperable. There is no possible way to fix it in time so it goes into the mail back to Butch. I have my old standby .375H&H that is working perfectly and I grab a spare Brockman .458 Lott built on a Montana action that I've shot about a 100 rounds through with no issues and not having time to take it to the range throw it in the gun case pack up and leave for Africa.

I get to Africa pull out the Lott at the range my first round is dead center on the bull at 50 yards. My next one is about a half inch right. What a freaking stud heavy rifle shooter I am! The third shot makes a very loud click no bang. Eject the shell it has a very weak primer dent. I try it again, click. Put in a new shell bang! Try another one CLICK! Again CLICK! Now the Lott is FUBAR too, so I hunt with my .375H&H no big deal it works great. BUT I really wanted to hunt with my double because I really like hunting with my double..STRIKE ONE!

Day one of the hunt no game scout shows up we spend the whole day trying to rustle one up. And I am paying a full daily fee for this remember. We finally get a scout on the truck and make a cursory BS attempt to hunt the last hours of the afternoon. Hey it's Africa and shit happens but this is kind of gnawing at me a bit. Not having a game scout ready to on day one, REALLY! Seems pretty basic to me. STRIKE 2!

Now when I booked this hunt I specifically requested that we do lots of foot work and minimize the truck time as much as possible AND I specifically requested that we concentrate on an area within the concession (Dande North) that I wanted to hunt. I got the standard old "Right! we'll make a plan" line. Day 1 through 3 were spent driving with almost no walking and we never got near the area I wanted to hunt which is some of the more mountainous stuff in the area.

Day four we got into some buff and it was the experience I was looking for. Lots of tracking lots of walking and the really cool part we put the buff to bed and spike camped out.

Day 5 we get back on the buff and after a long stalk/push we find a buff to shoot a nice old bull and another candidate a one horner that was nice and old and gnarly but I'd turned him down several times as I didn't want a unicorn.

In any case I'll save you gory details BUT I shot the unicorn.. It was mutual F'up it's pretty hard not shoot sometimes when your PH is insisting that you, Shoot! Take HIM! Shoot! I even asked "Are you sure that's the right bull" as I couldn't see his head before I pulled the trigger. He was sure it was the right bull, but it wasn't! Hind sight twenty twenty I should have waited until I WAS sure, that will never happen again, in any case that was a $2,700 dollar screw up. STRIKE 2.5! (Half my fault so I don't give it a full strike.)

I politely asked if there was any recourse to this mistake which I got the Zambezi middle finger no way white boy! Well knowing that bull was not coming home with me and I just paid a full trophy fee on what is going to be claimed as a rations bull on the camp quota. Now I am in slow boil, simmer mode. This hunt probably can't be fixed at this point.

Now it's one excuse after another. I was told that we could hunt a cow hippo at a reduced rate. That was not true. How about a bull then at full rate? Nope it's to far of a drive and we can't get a boat....

OK lets hunt a cow buff but lets do it up in the hills where I wanted to hunt in the first place. "No worries we'll make a plan". We get up there and start on a big herd we are entering into the part of the country that to me is getting exotic and exciting and I'm feeling happy and feeling like we are seriously hunting again things are good and the spoor is getting hotter. When the PH and the tracker stop abruptly to have a pow wow in muffled tones speaking in Shona. "We are turning back". Why I ask? Because these hills are to steep to get the cruiser in if we kill, I'm told. I'm thinking you've got to be SHITTING ME!! I'll quarter it up and pack it out myself..

I am disappointed but I don't argue what's the point really? If these guys don't want to hunt here I can't make them. I follow them back to the truck. It's probably for the best because on the way back I start to get light headed, feverish, sweaty and develop a grand case of the Zambezi trots.

The rest of the hunt was more of the same. We couldn't get a hyena to come to bait but we never put out fresh bait either for which I could never get an explanation as to why not. I really wanted a nice bush buck but I never felt that we put any serious effort into one. We'd go sit for an hour during the heat of the day on a dry wash when nothing showed up we packed it in. I am no bush buck expert but I'm thinking that probably isn't the most productive way to hunt them.

The last morning was the final straw for me. We are going out to look for a cow buff to shoot and come across El Guapo the king of Kudu! This guy is seriously pushing 60". My heart rate elevates and the spark instantly returns. I tell the PH lets shoot this guy! "You don't have one on license". He says. We shot two nice kudu the last time I was here I say I didn't have to prearrange them then! What gives? "Sorry you don't have one on license they are all taken this year".

That was it! He might as well as stuck a rusty nail in my eye. Why the HELL hadn't he mentioned that to me before the hunt started! I had him take me back to camp and got motherless drunk for the rest of the day. Put a fork in that SOB of a hunt it was done. I spent 10 days hunting and fired one shot and didn't accomplish one single thing that I set out to do! It was the WORST hunt of my career.

Icing on the cake when I get home and go to settle my bill I get charged more than the contracted daily fee rate!

Note.

The PH is a very professional hunter and many of you have hunted with him before in both Zimbabwe and Tanzania.I had hunted with him before and had a very satisfactory experience. I am not trashing him what we had was a major failure to communicate on all levels.

The daily rate thing still pisses me off and I've never got a plausible explanation for that other than "we decided to charge you a different rate deal with it". But I am not blaming the PH for that. That was an issue between the PH and the concession holder that filtered down to me.

The whole hunt was ten bad hair days.

When I sit down and really thin about it. I just can't get excited to hunt Africa anymore. I feel that the risk of a crappy hunt outweighs the cost now. I have to work hard to put these things together it isn't easy for me like it is for some.

I am not looking for sympathy or support and I'm not trying to start a trash fest or call anybody out.

I am simply telling my story of how African hunting lost it's shine for me.

You can have too much of anything. I suggest you organize a "self guided" type of hunt (not necessarily in Afrioca because it's not legal)where you set up your own camp somewhere and cook your own food. Then gut your animals pack them out etc. you get the point. Sometimes it's just better to rough it on a hunt, and do it all your own way. Thats what us poor folk usually do and we have a ton of fun.

That is how I do the vast majority of my hunting. In fact I am doing a solo goat hunt way up in the Rockies next month. I do a deep wilderness hunt or two on my own almost every year.

I think part of my issue with the whole African thing is that I don't like being led around by the nose so much.

surestrike - Before too many jump on board with the "you shoulda" diatribe, let me just say that I've had a few similar experiences, some as recently as a hunt I returned from just over a week ago, but I am truly sorry you experienced all of them on one hunt. A couple of things I've noticed, but no one ever talks about - 1. PHs get excited too, and 2. Even the best PHs make mistakes. And, a little different than how we do business here in the states, whoever makes the mistake, the client pays for it, except under exceptional circumstances. (No offense is intended towards our PH/Outfitter AR members.)

I too will be at least taking a break from the continent for a few years, for various reasons, but hope to return to one of the more exotic locations someday.

In the mean time, I'll be planning plenty of hunting in this hemisphere and I hope you will too.

It's very easy to see how Africa has lost its luster for you. I have had some very similar experiences with every issue that you raised, although not all of your issues have happened to me all at once on the same safari. Hang in there. By the way, do you care to name names so we know who not deal with?

quote:

You can have too much of anything.

Same has happened to me! I shot a ton of stuff on my last trip back in Sept of '08. 6 Buff 5 Eles - 14 days.

OK, so it was a fantastic -all out - balls to the walls trip - now what?

It has taken a few years, but I'm back in with "Africa Fever"...

This time I'm going to go after a specific species and will throw in some wingshooting to break it up a bit...

We all have different tastes and aspirations, but when it comes to the whole ball of wax - Africa has something for everybody - just mix it up a bit!

quote:

A couple of things I've noticed, but no one ever talks about - 1. PHs get excited too, and 2. Even the best PHs make mistakes. And, a little different than how we do business here in the states, whoever makes the mistake, the client pays for it, except under exceptional circumstances. (No offense is intended towards our PH/Outfitter AR members.)

I too will be at least taking a break from the continent for a few years, for various reasons, but hope to return to one of the more exotic locations someday.

In the mean time, I'll be planning plenty of hunting in this hemisphere and I hope you will too.

Cazador,

I agree with your synopsis word for word and that is exactly what happened. WE got excited and we made a mistake. I got to pay for it.

As far as this hemisphere. This year my hunting plate runnith over! I have a mountain goat hunt here in Colorado next month. I am packing in on foot, solo, for 10 days. I've got an elk and deer tag to fill. My daughters both have deer and antelope tags and my wife has a late season elk tag. So my hunting season is full up as I am the girls guide, tracker, skinner, outfitter, cook and chief porter on all of their hunts and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Surestrike
Really sorry to hear about the hunt. It sounds like it deserved the three strikes.

I think you need to book a hunt with PH Leo van Rooyen.
Preferably for Elephant, and if its your thing take it with a bow, up really close. That should put the spark back.
When I say really close I mean 5 yards close.
This guy lives for hunting and if you give him the challenge to get you up close you will be in for a lot of walking, a lot of stalking and probably the hunt of your life.
Good luck
HQ

In 2007 I took my father and in 2011 I took my brother. I got just as much of a charge out of wathing them hunt buff as I ever did for myself. Next October it's my turn again for another ele.

Jeff

quote:

By the way, do you care to name names so we know who not deal with?

UEG,

Both the PH AND the concession holder have excellent long track records of providing top notch hunts. My deal was definitely not typical of the services they usually provide. With that in mind as I stated in my OP I won't trash or attempt to trash anybody. In fact I was asked for a recommendation on the PH recently and I gave the guys both the good and the bad of my experiences with him. They decided to do the hunt had both hunters had an EXCELLENT hunt.

quote:

Originally posted by Jeff Wemmer:

quote:

You can have too much of anything.

Same has happened to me! I shot a ton of stuff on my last trip back in Sept of '08. 6 Buff 5 Eles - 14 days.

OK, so it was a fantastic -all out - balls to the walls trip - now what?

It has taken a few years, but I'm back in with "Africa Fever"...

This time I'm going to go after a specific species and will throw in some wingshooting to break it up a bit...

We all have different tastes and aspirations, but when it comes to the whole ball of wax - Africa has something for everybody - just mix it up a bit!

Very true my friend.

Good post Surestrike.

I was in just about the same boats as you after my 2009 fiasco in Zim, same deal, an outfitter everyone here knows and some of the bigwigs here claim to be better than sliced bread.

Re-used water bottles, my exclusive camp run over with other hunters, bumping into other hunters continuously in the safari area. A PH that drank way too much and hunted more for himself than me.

This years hunt more than made up for it!!!!!

With another outfitter of course

.

I understand why nobody wants to post names, but how can reports like the OP and others who have had negative experiences while on safari...help others to know who to be cautious about!

I thought that was one of the primary objectives of this forum...

However, I do understand that folk who do so get bashed here for doing so...

I am saddened by hearing of your terrible experiences and offer my condolences genuinely!

Surestrike, thank you for sharing the good and the bad for an HONEST report I appreciate it!

One of the issues I have found with anything expensive is that your expectations are raised to the level of the cost.


Whether it is a new BMW, a fancy dinner, $100 bottle of wine, $80 bottle of scotch, $20,000 hunt etc you are paying a premium so you expect a premium product or service

The real challenge in Africa is that things are priced for perfection at this point. If things start going wrong you are left with a bad hunt and some serious bills to pay for that bad experience.

I'm doing a DIY Elk hunt in Colorado this year and my costs are under $2,000 all in so if it doesn't go well it ins't a huge loss. I would have very different expectations if I was paying 5,10,20K for the hunt.

Surestrike, I know just how you feel. A couple of years ago I had the same sort of experience with a well know outfitter. Problems included a lack of communication, general misrepresentation, cheapening out aspects of the hunt, and worst of all, a general lack of game in the area (I was told otherwise) the time of year I went. The reason that I didn't post a negative review is because I honestly believe this wasn't the norm for this outfit and many happy clients and my references concur. I believe he was just off that week, probably distracted with events in his personal life. That being the case, I remember sitting in camp near the end of the hunt and saying never again. Too much money, time and mental anticipation to risk it on Africa again!

But Africa is like one of those beautiful exotic women that have broken your heart and you vowed to never see again, but end up obsessing on over time. So give it some time and you may come around. As for me? Yep, I leave next Friday on SAA for another safari.

quote:

Originally posted by G L Krause:
The reason that I didn't post a negative review is because I honestly believe this wasn't the norm for this outfit and many happy clients and my references concur. I believe he was just off that week, probably distracted with events in his personal life.

That really bothers me because this leaves only positive reports for the most part. Maybe your hunt did fall on the wrong week, or maybe the outfitter was just beginning his downward spiral.

We are all rational adults here. We should be able to separate the wheat from the chaff without getting nasty.

I've never lost my love of Buffalo hunting in Africa, only the easy ability to do it!

I certainly understand the "BURN OUT FACTOR" I've been in one of those for several years for deer hunting in North America. I've simply shot too many deer in my life, and it has become mundane to me. The only thing that gets my blood up is dangerous game! Nothing else even interests me any longer!

Good post and this year in Omay North I felt a bit the same. No communication to the operator (until this day) and also no hunting success while spending all these heavy daily rates. However, the PH did really work hard and I tried to make the best out of it. Also I had very sucessful hunts in Zimbabwe and other African countries so I think one cannot be to depressed. Having said that the idea of spending the heavy daily rates is a principle I am getting slowly very bored with. In the future I will try to link the total costs of the hunt much more to the success and the quality of the setup.

surestrike, when was your hunt?

I'm sure the next one (with your double rifle this time) will be better!

I was in Dande in 2008 and one day we saw a kudu sleeping under a tree. Everyone agreed he was 60 or better. I didn't have one on license either. Wonder if it was the same one, since there aren't many kudu in those parts. He was too far away to take a photo. I also hunted for bushbuck and spent eight hard days looking for one so I know that hunting for a bushbuck takes a major effort.

quote:

Originally posted by MacD37:
I've never lost my love of Buffalo hunting in Africa, only the easy ability to do it!

I certainly understand the "BURN OUT FACTOR" I've been in one of those for several years for deer hunting in North America. I've simply shot too many deer in my life, and it has become mundane to me. The only thing that gets my blood up is dangerous game! Nothing else even interests me any longer!

Mac,

Know exactly what you are saying and I'm having the same feelings. May be it is OGS (Old Guy Syndrome).

465H&H

I'm with Mac and 465, the thrill of Africa has burned itself into my core.

I just have to save enough $$$ to go every other year.

This is why one gets everything in writing ahead of time I expect.

That said, this is why they call it "Hunting" instead of "Shooting", eh?

better luck next year...

regards,

Rich

Nothing wrong with your changing your interests. I just hope it was your choice and not forced on you by a bad experience.

The great thing about this thread is that it lets other people with similar experiences know they are not alone. It's like a support group: at least you realize there are other folks who have shared some of the same disappointments.

I keep trying to remember my last safari in a positive light, but I can't--it was a college graduation present for my youngest son, and we went to Zimbabwe so he could shoot Cape buff, sable and as many other plains game as I could afford. It was a complete disappointment.

We were supposed to have exclusive use of the camp; there were five other hunters there. The PH had no personality and was a terrible communicator. My son and I placed our trust in the PH as a good judge of game as we were both tyros--he had my son shoot a soft-bossed buffalo. He let him--TOLD him--to shoot a 2-curl kudu. The other hunters--rich folks after lion, etc--got the better areas and we were relegated to whatever was left over. The PH would stop the cruiser, take off with the trackers in some direction and not bother to tell us what we were tracking--I finally called him on that. He smoked constantly, even when we were making a stalk. And on and on--

It was only my second trip to Africa and the first had been so good, I guess I was kind of like the guy who, when told women sometimes complained of bad sex, said, "Bad sex? Hell, the worst sex I ever had was outstanding!" I thought the worst safari you could have would still be great. And back in the early '90's, that might have been close to true. Not any more.

This forum is undoubtedly the best resource for factual, accurate info on hunting in Africa--or about any place else. And although I'm sure it hurts someone like surestrike to make a post like this, perhaps he can take some solace in the knowledge it helps others of us who have shared some of his experiences, and even more important, is a wonderful tool for those who are planning a safari.

Thanks, surestrike, for your candor--it is appreciated.

I feel for you and totally understand.

In 06, I went on the most anticipated and expensive safari of the 16 I have been on. To make a long story short, it sucked BADLY. There was little game and incessant riding in the truck. One day we left about 5 am and got back about 9 pm seeing 4 zebras all day. I would rather have walked all day and seen nothing than ride all day.

It about killed me. I almost quit hunting all together. I had an elk/mule deer hunt about a month after I got back. I didn't want to go. It was fully paid for. I gave it away to a friend of mine.

I got over it. I am as excited as ever now.

Do what makes you happy. If Africa doesn't any more don't go. Take a break. After all it is your time and money.

Come on men. Why do you pay for crap and keep quiet. Throw your toys right out the cot. Demand to speak to the outfitter. Sort the BS out there and then. You are the customer, paying for a service. If the PH does not shape, for whatever reason, he must be replaced.
Surestrike, did you sign a contract which stipulated your daily rate. If so, tell the bastards to take a dump. For poor service demand a refund and sure as hell, not one cent in gratuities to anyone in camp.
If the camp is full, ask to be taken elsewhere. Let the other members have details so that they at least do not end up "down town on market day."
If you have "gonads," stand up for yourselves.

Great post Surestrike,

If you hunt enough you are going to have one of those hunts. It takes a while for the pain and swelling to go down and and for the rash to go away especially when it cost the price of a new car to get the condition... I've been there done that got the t- shirt and know how you feel.
Having not one but two guns go titts up on a hunt just garrantees a Hi stress start to any hunt.

We all have our fantasies about what a hunt to the dark continent is supposed to be like. Raurk, Hemingway and all that you know. In a best world a great PH will be able to figure out what your hopes and wishes are and will work like hell to mesh with those and get you into the area that you want to hunt an hunt the way you want to. Unfortunately a lot of P.H.'s don't recognize this part of their job. They either don't understand or even worse feel like they "know what they are doing" and don't want a tenderfoot telling them how to hunt buffalo etc. These types of PH's have no idea how much business they are driving away when they send some one home feeling like they have been cheated. Thanks again for the post. good to get things like this out in the open.
Any way you will feel a little better in time.

Man, my problem is just the opposite, I am burned up with African hunting fever. The books I read are largely about Africa, the guns I buy are tied to something I can hunt in Africa, when I am not on a trip, I am planning a trip, . . . . I am sorry you had a negative experience and consider myself fortunate that I have not to date. I hope you are able to move past this negative and recapture your passion for hunting in Africa.

quote:

Originally posted by MJines:
Man, my problem is just the opposite, I am burned up with African hunting fever. The books I read are largely about Africa, the guns I buy are tied to something I can hunt in Africa, when I am not on a trip, I am planning a trip, . . . .

Exactly. Just about all I ever think about, read about, and dream about is Africa and African rifles.

Assuming the story is true, and I do. Then what responsibility does surestrike bear for the next victim of "Safari From Hell, Outfitters"?

I would feel terrible for the next guy if I didn't try to warn others, but that's just me.

Scriptus

I appreciate surestrikes honesty in writing about his adventures and misadventure and it got me thinking.

Is there a bias that PH's walk on water and are we hero worshippers?

Talented and great people but it is a business. We understand that things go wrong and most of us can accept that but if you waste a day trying to find a tracker or a mistake by a PH shouldn't they make it right? That is just good business taking care of the customer be it shoot another animal free or deduction in daily rate.


It seems if you pay 100% of hard earned after tax money the Ph should give 100% effort

No business is perfect and the better business make things right for their customers. If not they should be called out for it. The business or PH if they are worth their salt should admit we made a mistake, make things right for the customer and move on.

quote:

Originally posted by MJines:
Man, my problem is just the opposite, I am burned up with African hunting fever. The books I read are largely about Africa, the guns I buy are tied to something I can hunt in Africa, when I am not on a trip, I am planning a trip, . . . . I am sorry you had a negative experience and consider myself fortunate that I have not to date. I hope you are able to move past this negative and recapture your passion for hunting in Africa.

Same for me. There is not an hour of any day while I'm awake, that I don't think of Africa and getting back there. Yea, I had some experiences that are better than others but luckily to date, the "not so great" experiences have been relatively minor. But I certainly can see how a really bad trip like Surestrike had could cool the flame.

I'm really sorry to hear of your bad luck Surestrike. I hope that in time, the desire to go back to Africa will burn again for you.

quote:

Originally posted by Singleshot03:

...Talented and great people but it is a business. We understand that things go wrong and most of us can accept that but if you waste a day trying to find a tracker or a mistake by a PH shouldn't they make it right? That is just good business taking care of the customer...

I have a very limited experience with a completely different type of business, however it was headquartered in southern Africa. I learned very quickly that the way Americans do business ain't automatically the way the rest of the world does business. Don't let the common language of English fool you. I'm not saying they're all out to screw you, just that we sometimes have a tendency to have a bit myopic view of the world.

Where is the third STRIKE,sureSTRIKE? Don't stop till you get enough!

Close to 3 years ago I stumbled across the secret to hunting Africa. I implement it every time I go, EVERY trip is better than the one before, as I get better at what I discovered. The amount of money (cost), length of trip, PH, staff, camp, or species hunted has nothing to do with the quality of the trip.

quote:

Close to 3 years ago I stumbled across the secret to hunting Africa

505Gibbs can you share that secret?

Jim

quote:

Surestrike, did you sign a contract which stipulated your daily rate. If so, tell the bastards to take a dump.

Scriptus.

I did and I did. I refused to pay the difference between the contracted daily rate and the gratuitous add on.

I used to work as a booking agent and am the LAST guy you want to try and pull that kind of shit on! Believe me we had some VERY heated exchanges.

----------------------------------------------

PSmith,

Same year and probably the same bull!

Reminds me of my last charter fishing trip.

quote:

Originally posted by surestrike:

Scriptus.

I did and I did. I refused to pay the difference between the contracted daily rate and the gratuitous add on.

I used to work as a booking agent and am the LAST guy you want to try and pull that kind of shit on! Believe me we had some VERY heated exchanges.

Good on you...

Surestrike, I've also been there, done that. The anticipation of the trip makes it even worse when you're finally there and see it working out that way. Next time over, go with 3-4 friends, and without focusing on high expectation game, like Leopard or 70lb Elephant. The cameraderie and prank-pulling throughout the course of the hunt will make it enjoyable almost regardless of the bag. It takes a while to put a bad hunt in perspective and move on, especially a big dollar and big expectation African hunt. It has made me much warier in booking hunts than I used to be.