Have any of you been on what you would call a bad safari in Africa? I know of terrible hunts in Europe, the states, Canada, etc. for various reasons but not really much bad about Africa in regards to calling the entire trip a failure.

My first safari could have been terrible as I did not have any of my gear, rifles, etc for 9 our of 10 days but I was borrowed enough stuff it was not an issue. The outfitter and PH (Blaauwkrantz Safaris) did everything they could to accommodate and I had an amazing trip.

Just wondering what others have experienced they would consider bad. I know some consider not taking their primary species a disaster, others a flat tire might ruin a trip. We all look at things differently and I am curious to hear about your experiences.

Not looking for names of outfitters or PH's just the experience itself.

I have had one bad one. In Zambia with Baobab Safaris and worthless drunk of a PH named Hartly Combrink. He is dead now, but his boss was a guy named Rasheed Rancine that was basically a crook. He lied to me and the other party on our hunt. We cut it short and left. Scumbags! Learned a lot of expensive lessons.

I have a trip where I did not get what I was after but would not call that a bad safari - we hunted hard and came up short. No problem with that.

All good so far but we do pick carefully and do our research. That said, it seems most hunts in Africa go well. We've had plans change and unfilled lists but all because of factors that couldn't be avoided.

Never had a really bad hunt but of six safaris I was lied to a couple of times. In '99 George Hallamore called to say I should come right away...a 60 lb. ele should be expected, lions are roaring near camp every night and should get a 40" buff. I went right away after borrowing the money at the bank (that was an experience). We did hunt very hard only to see exactly one ele and it was on the wrong side of the Limpopo, one lioness also on the wrong (south) side and three buff about 300 yards away. I did shoot a good eland bull and a 12 foot croc but the hides came back rotten. That was my third and last hunt with George. The first two hunts with him were great. I found out later he was having finance problems. Maybe that explains his actions. I suppose some of his clients will take exception to this so fire away. It will not change my perspective of that hunt.

I have been on 24 or 25 safaris. I need to count. Included in those trips were two that I would call bad safaris. While I was seriously pissed off at the time, in retrospect, I believe that both were caused by drought conditions. Granted there were other issues but I think the drought conditions were the main reasons for the disastrous safaris.

Worst thing that has happened to me was that I had to come home.

No.

No...but I only hunt with people I know real well. All of mine have been outstanding!

Bad African safaris, no. 2 bad hunts in northern BC, though, with different outfitters.

My first safari was in 2012. The first five days was archery with Rosslyn Safaris near Bulawayo Zimbabwe. That was terrific. Saw lots of animals and arrowed several.
The next seven days was in north Zimbabwe rifle hunting for buffalo and any Plaines game that we came upon. In seven days I took a shot a 250 yard running baboon. That was it. No shots at buffalo and we saw no Plaines game beyond immature bull kudu, immature impala and female warthogs. We walked from dark to dark. I was in the Omay south. To say this was a disappointment is an understatement!

Since then I have been on two archery safaris with Limcroma in SA and they were exceptional.

One. The PH.

Zimbabwe in 2008. It soured me bad enough that I haven't been back to Africa since.

quote:

Originally posted by surestrike:
Zimbabwe in 2008. It soured me bad enough that I haven't been back to Africa since.

Bloody hell, that is awful!

May be we should hear the whole story?

I enjoyed myself, and took some wonderful animals. However the guy went with who introduced me the possibility of hunting Africa turned out to be a wold class jackass. I'd known him well for several years before, but it is what it is. On the other hand I still seek with the PH a few times a year, and the hunt was 10 years ago.

My first one in SA was grossly misrepresented, but we managed to have fun anyway.

quote:

Originally posted by surestrike:
Zimbabwe in 2008. It soured me bad enough that I haven't been back to Africa since.

Disgusting that this happened.

I had a bad safari with Zengela Safaris in Zimbabwe in 2002. The lengthy details are still posted on the "Hunting Reports - Africa" forum, if you want to look.

But in brief, my son & I were supposed to be the only clients, but the landowner and his PH son booked several more hunters in on top of us, probably because of financial issues.

Most of the other hunters were after high-dollar trophies, like lion and elephant, while our safari was for my son to kill a Cape buffalo as his college graduation present.

He did kill a buff, on the next-to-last day, but it was soft-bossed. The PH told him to shoot, and he didn't know any better.

PH also had him kill a mediocre kudu.

A month or so after our safari the owner and his family were arrested, thrown into jail, and his property seized by Mugabe's goons.

Last I heard, the family had relocated to the U.K.

I had done a great deal of research before booking the trip, and had talked to references who had hunted with Zengela within 2 months of our trip. Everybody said they were an outstanding safari company.

Sad.

IMO there is no such thing as a bad safari,only some bad people, just some better that others! If I get to Africa, and get a shot,even if I miss, I'm good with that!

I ve been on many safaris and all my hunting ones have been great. The only problem is after one in Zimbabwe all our trophies, some 25, were destroyed in the Bulawayo warehouse fire. I did nearly die with 3 friends in a Artic tundra caribou hunt north of the Brooks mountains. Blizzard collapsed tents, no food other than snacks, ladt two days no water, three times grizzly came into camp, pick up plane some 10 days later crashed and we had frostbite for two weeks. Africa is much safer!

I had some bad safaris...
Didn't kill 100 lbs ele, didn't kill 50" buff, didn't kill 60" kudu and on and on...
Damn it was tough after seeing all those trophies in them damn magazines.
You would think them big ones are everywhere

quote:

Originally posted by boarkiller:
I had some bad safaris...
Didn't kill 100 lbs ele, didn't kill 50" buff, didn't kill 60" kudu and on and on...
Damn it was tough after seeing all those trophies in them damn magazines.
You would think them big ones are everywhere

Big trophies ARE everywhere.

Except where you are

I think it was conspiracy and all the game was warned before I was coming

I've never had a bad one, but I'm careful about who I hunt with. That said, I did a 24 day safari to Botswana back in 1989 and my PH showed up with quite an attractive blond. Turns out, he'd just met her and talked her into coming along on MY safari. A few times, when we had to go back to camp in the middle of the day I got pretty annoyed since he was just going back to get laid. She would go out with us nearly every day and when it was cold she was the one riding in the cab while I was freezing my ass off in the back with the trackers. That pissed me off but I did get a lion, leopard, 2 Buffalo and a bunch of plains game so I can't say it was bad, just a PH with the wrong priorities.

Yes my one and only safari had a lot of problems.

1. They woke up every morning with a hangover and if it wasn't for the natives putting out tea and cereal I wouldn't have had a bite until 9 or 10.

2. In that same vane, I don't remember a single hunting day starting before 0900.

3. I spoke passable Spanish back then and there was a Spanish couple at the ranch who were also paid hunting clients. Their problems became my problems, as we were considered to be in'kahoots.

4. Food was abysmal. Anything the men (mostly me and the Spaniard) cooked on an open fire was generally edible. Anything the lady of the house cooked was horrible.

5. Got threatened to be taken back to Windhoek most days.

6. Got fucked over by the taxidermist/shipper/expiditer and to this day I have no idea where my trophies are.

It has been 12 years, the good outweighed the bad. I booked through Tony D'Costa I was one of his last safari clients as booking agent before he retired. He took my money and offered no help. So he started my distrust of booking agents.

I saw a lot of Namibia for cheap, had problems with rifles, food.

It was ok for $5500, but I'd be leary of that kind of price again.

quote:

Originally posted by DLS:
That pissed me off but I did get a lion, leopard, 2 Buffalo and a bunch of plains game so I can't say it was bad, just a PH with the wrong priorities.

Did he give you a tip?

Yep Zimbabwe with HHK in 2009, no game, drunk PH, and many hunters run through our exclusive camp.

.

I have been on one . . . oddly enough it was with an outfitter that had been a DSC "Outfitter of the Year" in recent years. It brings up a good question and that is what makes a safari a "bad safari". On the hunt I am referring to we were successful in taking the main trophy sought on the hunt . . . but the overall experience proved that a "good safari" is much more than a trophy.

quote:

Originally posted by DLS:
I've never had a bad one, but I'm careful about who I hunt with. That said, I did a 24 day safari to Botswana back in 1989 and my PH showed up with quite an attractive blond. Turns out, he'd just met her and talked her into coming along on MY safari. A few times, when we had to go back to camp in the middle of the day I got pretty annoyed since he was just going back to get laid. She would go out with us nearly every day and when it was cold she was the one riding in the cab while I was freezing my ass off in the back with the trackers. That pissed me off but I did get a lion, leopard, 2 Buffalo and a bunch of plains game so I can't say it was bad, just a PH with the wrong priorities.

Hmmm.... I will bet I can guess who that was.

I've had two less than stellar safaris. On my very first safari the PH got so drunk with the out going clients the night before our first hunting day that he was still drunk when he rolled out the next day at the crack of 8:30 AM and wanted to go hunting. I forcibly declined and we had a very tense first day in camp. The PH sobered up and we actually had a very good safari from that point onward taking an unintended elephant, Dugga boy we pursued for four days and a very big sable for the area plus other PG. I could have thrown in the towel that first day but I would have missed out on a great experience.

Ten years after that first safari and several others we booked a long safari in Tanzania and right from the beginning neither Sadie of I were hitting it off with the PH. it became apparent there was something wrong but even after discussing some issues with the PH nothing really changed. What I found on our return to Arusha at safari's end was that the PHs Dad was dying slowly throughout our safari and the PH decided he needed to do our safari rather than be at his Dad's bedside. Poor decision as another PH was available to do the hunt and was offered as a fill in to the PH. Once again though we saw some amazing country and shot some great trophies.

I guess for me the moral of the story is twofold. Often times you may be able to make a tough situation palatable by being flexible and PH's are just people with all the frailties of the rest of us mere morals.

Mark

quote:

Originally posted by MJines:
I have been on one . . . oddly enough it was with an outfitter that had been a DSC "Outfitter of the Year" in recent years. It brings up a good question and that is what makes a safari a "bad safari". On the hunt I am referring to we were successful in taking the main trophy sought on the hunt . . . but the overall experience proved that a "good safari" is much more than a trophy.

For me, a bad safari is being lied to, misled, and an overall bad experience. The animals are important but the demeanor of the PH and the entire situation is what I am after. Further, I hate and will not tip the PH that has a "list" of expected tips. Bite me. I will never tip from an "expected" list. I make that clear from the first conversation with the outfit. When I hear, "oh, this what the guys expect", I do not tip. This makes for an interesting exchange when the PH is pissed or less that happy. I remind of my conditions and he says, "oh, yeah, I forgot". Well, "I forgot your tip".

Only had to do that once. Again that was in Zambia with Harley "Needs a Drink" Combrink.

I will tell you one thing for absolute certainty.

I will NEVER hunt with any PH that makes Professional Hunter of the year for SCI!

Too many of them have turned out to be nothing but crooks

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:

quote:

Originally posted by DLS:
I've never had a bad one, but I'm careful about who I hunt with. That said, I did a 24 day safari to Botswana back in 1989 and my PH showed up with quite an attractive blond. Turns out, he'd just met her and talked her into coming along on MY safari. A few times, when we had to go back to camp in the middle of the day I got pretty annoyed since he was just going back to get laid. She would go out with us nearly every day and when it was cold she was the one riding in the cab while I was freezing my ass off in the back with the trackers. That pissed me off but I did get a lion, leopard, 2 Buffalo and a bunch of plains game so I can't say it was bad, just a PH with the wrong priorities.

Hmmm.... I will bet I can guess who that was.

Initials C.R. Hunted for Vira Safaris. Actually, there was one very bad aspect to that safari. We were hunting out of James Camp, in the Linyanti Swamps, and we'd found a very good lion which we were trying to take. Cecil had mentioned this over the shortwave radio one evening and Alistair McFarland ( one of the owners of Vira Safaris) kicked us out of camp so that he could bring wildlife artist Gary Swanson in to hunt that lion. I was beyond pissed at this and Cecil had to pull me away from Alistair when they arrived in our camp. I was going to knock his teeth out, I was that mad. Anyway, Gary Swanson ended up getting that lion in short order while we were relegated to another camp. I got a lion two days before my hunt ended, but not nearly as old and nice as the one we were kicked off of. Alistair McFarland is a worthless piece of shit.

I've hunted Africa 5 times and have had 2 unfulfilling experiences, my first hunt and what most likely will be my last ( in Africa). I have been on dozens of guided hunts, domestically and globally. These were the only two that went flat, and both were issues with my "guide".

On the first, in the Bubye, I had an apprentice PH who just plain stunk. He phone-texted while hunting, was always pestering me to shoot animal$ I did not want to shoot, appeared more interested in
his upcoming holiday with his girlfriend (which was right after my hunt) than my hunt, and more. This was my first African hunt, booked through a well-known PH. If I only knew then what I know now...

The other hunt was with a former Zim PH who appeared to be dicontented guiding for plainsgame in an unfenced area in RSA. My hunt was predicated by the fact that, due to Lyme disease issues, my pace/energy were affected negatively. The PH was well aware of my limitations, but he would not adjust to my recently-new-reality. My wife shot most of the game that we were after, which made us both happy, but the overall ezperience was marred.

Only been on 3 safaris, and both were pretty much everything I have ever dreamed about.

Only disappointment was on my last safari and that was due to how expensive it has become to ship a buff skull and cape back to the USA from Zim. I have already spent over $2k USD and the darn things still in Bulawayo. If I had known how expensive it would have cost to ship it back home, I would have been more selective on the animal I shot.

Still I had a great time on the safari itself and could not have asked for a better experience with the PH, his crew, and the camp staff, food, and accommodations.

BH63

I've been on four African safaris, all with Jan du Plessis of Sebra Hunting Safaris in Kamanjab, Namibia. Although it sounds like a trite expression, each hunt was better than the earlier ones. Maybe it's because Jan and I now know each other pretty well, or because I feel more comfortable with Jan's choice of hunting areas and/ or species to pursue.

The only really bad guided hunting trip I've been on was in Montana in 2013. It was the ninth trip with the same outfitter, but he stuck me with a guide from Ann Arbor, MI who had never set foot on any of the properties. In addition, the outfitter lost his prime ranch that I'd killed lots of trophy mulies from in prior years. Compounding the crappy guide was a massive winter die off of Mule Deer in prior years, and a virtual extermination of Whitetails due to Blue Tongue. We saw two shooter deer in five hard days of hunting. One was just off the property we had permission to hunt, and the other was spooked by my guide just before I could get off a shot. The camp cook developed a major attitude, and in five breakfasts, we never saw a strip of bacon, and on two mornings, there was no morning coffee.

Had a great safari in 2003 with Usangu Safaris, then returned in 2006 for a horrible safari. The safari company was going under and it showed.

quote:

Originally posted by samir:
Had a great safari in 2003 with Usangu Safaris, then returned in 2006 for a horrible safari. The safari company was going under and it showed.

That is a good point Samir.

quote:

the overall experience proved that a "good safari" is much more than a trophy.

That is 100% the absolute truth and why I am extremely cautious about who I hunt with. A safari is much more than a hunt...at least to me...it is an experience and made up of a multitude of factors.

I had one. Zimbabwe 2014 in the Omay. No plains game for my boys. Never got a shot or even on the sticks for a buff which was my target animal. Shot a "huge Hippo". It turns out it was a cow. Was told before the hunt I would pay trophy fee only for a hippo or croc. the outfitter told the PH when we were on the ground in Zim that the prices for hippo and croc had doubled as he had to buy additional quota. IT turns out he was selling that additional quota at the end of the season for a discount. I negotiated down to $65oo for a cow hippo. I pulled the trigger and I accepted that. I had never been hippo hunting and shot the hippo in brain that the PH told me to shoot. On a positive, I did get to meet JTEX on that hunt. He was looking for bait for a leopard hunt with the same outfitter and my boys ended up shooting him a couple of Impalas.

$6500 for a hippo cow?? WOW! That sucks...