Does anyone on AR have experience buying and going on a donated hunt at DSC or SCI?
Good - bad- normal?
What was your experience?

Ross, I knew you were going to bid on that black rhino hunt, I just knew it.

My experience is limited to purchasing six or seven donated offerings at two different SCI local chapters.

Mixed results; couple very good, couple okay to ~marginal, and one very poor experience.

Do your research on the outfits and talk to references outside the group benefitting from the donation (that is very important). And be sure to read the fine print and know what is included and what is not. It's been my observation that it is very good form and appreciated it you add onto the basic hunt and bring an additional person.

Knowing what I do now, I'll book direct.

I've bought a total of four hunts at SCI over the years and they have all been excellent. The hunts were in Africa, Alaska, New Zealand, and Canada. I did make sure I talked to the outfitters prior to bidding on the hunts and also let them know that I was interested in bidding on their hunts.

I've subsequently hunted with the outfitter from Africa three additional times, twice in Mozambique and once in Namibia and he has become a good friend.

Good luck!

Do your research BEFORE the auction specifically on the Outfitter conducting the hunt your interested in. The board members that choose which hunts that they are going to allow to be auctioned get bombarded by emails from outfitters wanting to donate hunts. So much of the times they don't even know the quality or the details of hunts being auctioned. But none the less if you do your due diligence there is some amazing deals to be had.

quote:

Originally posted by MJines:
Ross, I knew you were going to bid on that black rhino hunt, I just knew it.

You are on to my tricks!!

I've bought hunts from charity auctions here before now and I find the providers tend to go over and above to make sure the charity is not let down.

I understand that DSC and SCI are not charities but most donating a hunt would be keen to provide as good a service as they usually would.

We have donated a stag hunt to DSC and would offer exactly the same as any other paying client would expect.

K

Just read all the particulars "very carefully" to see what's "included" in the donation and what's not and yes, talk to the outfitter donating the hunt.

I purchased a hunt at the MN SCI in Feb 2011. Hunt donated by Fernando Saiz in Spain. They were very flexible with scheduling as I did the hunt in Sept of this year. I paid an embarrassing small amount based on their rates and my wife and I were treated as if we were full paying customers.

Crl

I have bought many donated hunts at the DSC convention, one from the local SCI banquet and a couple from RMEF. All but one exceeded my expectations (outfitter went out of business)and the organization (RMEF) refunded my purchase price. Can't speak for SCI, but DSC has a process for buyers to seek a refund or a credit if something happens beyond the buyers control. The donors at DSC have a pretty good record, I am on the board and we have had only a couple of buyers seeking auction credit for "bad" donations over the past 3 or 4 years...if you see something you want, go ahead and bid on it.

Karl

I can vouch that Karl stands behind donated hunts 100%

I have purchased several hunts at the banquets of charitable organizations. All have been good. I would follow all of the advice listed. You can have an excellent time with a banquet hunt, just research the outfitters before you go. Saying that, I thought I would add a little humor to this thread. The first hunt I won, I kind of won by accident and I would not recommend this way of doing things. Here is the story…

It was at the Maryland Bowhunters' Society banquet. My table was mostly former Marines (retired and otherwise) and an Army friend. A pretty rowdy crowd. I was the designated driver and all of the rest were "well" into their cups. One of my huntings buds was convinced that we needed to bid on a hunt to Africa. I had talked to him about Africa for several years, but he always declined. However, NOW he was absolutely certain that this was what we needed to do. It was a ten day hunt for two hunters and two observers and was valued at over $12,000. Given his "frame of mind" and that we had just found out about this trip, I didn't want to bid on it. At the same time, I did want to go hunting in Africa. I also thought, given the retail price, that there was no way I would win this hunt. So, I agreed to bid.

The auction started and someone bid on the hunt. I just sat back and watched. My friend nudged me and repeatedly told me that I needed to bid. As he got louder and louder, the other guys heard him and started saying the same thing. Next they started shouting "Sherrill! Sherrill! Sherrill!" and pumping their fists in the air and otherwise making fools of themselves. So, bowing to public pressure, I bid... and no one bid against me! I won! The table erupted with cheering with back slapping and hand shaking. It took a while for it to sink in, but I had just won a $12,000 hunt in South Africa! All I thought was "What in the world did I just do?" and then "Oh crap! What is Liz going to say?!?!?!"

It turned out that my wife, after I learned "what was what" and was repeatedly asked "what the hell was I thinking?", was actually pretty excited about it. However, comma, my friend's wife went ballistic. She thought for sure that he was going to be eaten by a lion or chopped up by cannibals or "who knows what else could happen over there". After a week of this, he dropped out of the hunt. I wasn't to worried about it and in the end, my father, two of my sons, and I went on the hunt.

To make a long story short, as with almost all "first hunts to Africa", it ended up being the trip of a life time. The outfitter was Van Wijk Safaris and they treated us right. I am not trying to make this a commercial for them, but Steffi and Andries Van Wijk are just the nicest people. Prior to going they were very flexible with the scheduling and very helpful with information and advice. While we were there the food and accommodations were outstanding. The hunting was fantastic. I had such a great time that one of my sons and I went hunting with them again two years later.

The Van Wijks are members of the DSC, will have a booth at the convention, and repeatedly donate hunts to the DSC. I would recommend them to anyone who is looking for a hunt in South Africa.

Anyway, sorry for the long post and the digression. As I was typing, it brought back a lot of good memories.

over the last 20 years, i have bought a dozen donated hunts( all at SCI- 9 at the Convention and 3 at local banquets- DCS auctions are essentially the same). 1 was a non starter and SCI quickly refunded my money when they( nor I) could find the donor- long story. on the others, i was treated royally, with all expectations met. however, i have a few caveats.
1: never bid on a hunt where the outfitters does NOT have a booth at the show.
2: never bid on a hunt where you do not go by the booth and talk to the outfitter personally BEFORE BIDDING . it is amazing the amount of gut feeling you can get looking a man in the eye, looking over his booth/photo albums, and asking serious questions. i always tell the guy i am interested in bidding on his donation.
3: MAKE SURE YOU KNOW WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED!. TANZANIA, ESPECIALLY, WILL ROB YOU BLIND ON AIR CHARTERS AND TICKY/TACKY HIGH DOLLAR ADD ON FEES!!!!
I have bought a lot of high dollar donated hunts over the years and saved tens of thousands of dollars- but DO YOUR DUE DILIGENCE!

quote:

Originally posted by dogcat:
Does anyone on AR have experience buying and going on a donated hunt at DSC or SCI?
Good - bad- normal?
What was your experience?

I have gone on several hunts that were donated to various conventions, including to SCI. Have never had a bad one. The New Zealand hunt I bought at SCI Reno was outstanding and the outfitter went way beyond what was necessary to make it a great experience. On one hunt to British Columbia that I bought the primary species was to be mountain goat, but two weeks before the hunt I blew out a knee. The outfitter cheerfully converted it to a bear hunt for no extra charge and allowed me to take a grizzly for the trophy fee. I've gone on two donation hunts to Africa that were wonderful, and because I took the W 1 FE unit along on the first one, got to go three more times.

In recent years I have moved toward supporting local chapters, and have bought several hunts at such auctions. So far, knock on wood, I have not had what I would consider to be a bad one, but then my standards may be a bit lower than some.

quote:

Originally posted by jdollar:
over the last 20 years, i have bought a dozen donated hunts .......

3: MAKE SURE YOU KNOW WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED!. TANZANIA, ESPECIALLY, WILL ROB YOU BLIND ON AIR CHARTERS AND TICKY/TACKY HIGH DOLLAR ADD ON FEES!!!!

Jerry:

Why are you so rabid about Tanzania?

1. What was the original cost of the donated hunt against the money you paid?
2. Who was the outfitter who donated this hunt and ultimately screwed you?
3. Don't expect charters to be included in the value of a TZ hunt as they are ALWAYS excluded in any hunt quotation (as far as I know).

Yes, I agree, TZ charter rates are a rip off in comparison to other countries but I would be more inclined to blame all the exploration companies (oil/gas/minerals)that have mega budgets to splash and create a ludicrous market for the charter companies.
Tanzania has been on the oil,gas and gold map for years and is currently booming in the gas/oil exploration.
Do you for one moment expect TZ charter companies to have separate charges for those who pay in petro-dollars and budget tourists? Hardly so, and they would also be in a secure enough position to tell you to walk if you cannot afford it.

Jerry:

Definitely agree with your comments about reading the details and not knowing what is included. At one banquet I was checking out some hunts in the Silent Auctions. They had a Marco Polo hunt that looked to be the "deal of the century"… until I read the small print. There were approximately $20,000 in assorted fees and costs that were not included in the hunt!

quote:

Originally posted by fujotupu:

quote:

Originally posted by jdollar:
over the last 20 years, i have bought a dozen donated hunts .......

3: MAKE SURE YOU KNOW WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED!. TANZANIA, ESPECIALLY, WILL ROB YOU BLIND ON AIR CHARTERS AND TICKY/TACKY HIGH DOLLAR ADD ON FEES!!!!

Jerry:

Why are you so rabid about Tanzania?

1. What was the original cost of the donated hunt against the money you paid?
2. Who was the outfitter who donated this hunt and ultimately screwed you?
3. Don't expect charters to be included in the value of a TZ hunt as they are ALWAYS excluded in any hunt quotation (as far as I know).

Yes, I agree, TZ charter rates are a rip off in comparison to other countries but I would be more inclined to blame all the exploration companies (oil/gas/minerals)that have mega budgets to splash and create a ludicrous market for the charter companies.
Tanzania has been on the oil,gas and gold map for years and is currently booming in the gas/oil exploration.
Do you for one moment expect TZ charter companies to have separate charges for those who pay in petro-dollars and budget tourists? Hardly so, and they would also be in a secure enough position to tell you to walk if you cannot afford it.

the hunt i got screwed on( although it turned out OK, as SCI quickly refunded the money) was a deer hunt in Montana. my only hunt in TZ was in the Selous about 12 years ago- buff hunt donated to SCI by Pano Calavrias and conducted by Adam Clements. no complaints at all and the charter was in line with everywhere else in Africa at the time. but that was then and this is now. when you look at SCI TZ donations and see charter estimates of $6-10K, plus all the community dev fees, anti poaching fees, conservations fees, license fees, etc( usually at least an extra $500+/day) and you DON'T see those fees tacked onto donations elsewhere in Africa, you begin to get a pretty clear picture- and it ain't pretty. check this link to see.

http://www.showsci.com/static/...fm?Item=5&With_Img=1

Won a hunt at the 2010 DSC silent auction. It was not an all in donation, in that it included 2 hunters for 4 days, and 2 trophies. You don't fly around the world for 4 days and 2 trophies split amongst you.

We saved a bit by winning, and had a great time, but we spent more than the auction was valued at with extra days and more trophies.

Everything above board, but cannot comment on "not a paying customer" because we made more of it.

I would bid on an auction hunt again in a heartbeat, but... CAVEAT EMPTOR. Not all donations are the same.

I think one of the Tanzania donations this year at DSC does include Charter but that is a rarity. Time talking with the outfitter about the costs before bidding is never wasted.

Discretion is always smart as well. I only seriously consider bidding on auctions that are with companies I want to hunt with/ feel comfortable booking with without the auction. If I can win the auction great for everyone.