This show wrapped up this past weekend. I was there last Friday and noticed that there were alot of outfitters from RSA and a few from Namibia, but none from other countries. Dudley Moore was there, but he didn't even have his own booth. I recognized him hanging out in someone else's booth. How come none of the outfits from Zim, Tanzania etc. attend this show?

Do these outfitters prefer to concentrate on the premier shows like SCI and the Dallas Safari club shows? My guess is not enough "high rollers" at the PA show. Lots of high priced Elk and Alaskan hunts were being offered. What's the AR concensus?

My guess is you're right. But I'll also say if they've been here for DSC and SCI, they may be out of money budgeted for shows, with the likelyhood of fewer potetial clients vs. the time, money and wear/tear of trying to exhibit that show.


Mad Dog

Harrisburg show caters more to PA hunters than SCI or DSC. More turkey and local hunting stuff and less of the high-dollar stuff. Paying to hunt itself is pretty alien territory for most PA hunters.

The Harrisburg show also get a lot of mom, pop and the kids. Not a lot of the high rollers except Retreever.

Not true. Theo deMarrillac was there hunting Buff in Zim, and Gordon Stark from Nhoro Safaris was hunting in Moz. Both really nice guys.

Theo DeMarillac is known to have hunted on confiscated lands in Zimbabwe. This is not a nice guy!

After 7 years we have finally decided to kick this show. We have made a few great friends but it is not the market we are looking for.
Would have made some money if we had charged a dollar for every brochure that we gave away.

John will miss you and R.

Mike

I've never heard of one outfitter from Africa who did well there. So why on earth would it surprise you that companies who are top dollar destinations like Tanzania, zambia, Mozambique, etc...would be there! It's not cost effective to sit there for 10 days to give out brochures and talk to tire kickers. Serious sportsman who are looking to hunt these type of destinations will make it to sci or dsc!

This is like the auto market, ther are more Ford and Chev buyers than Caddy and Lincoln buyers.

I was the guy who actually booked a Tanzanian Safari at Harrisburg. Yes, the one guy. . You guys are right though, in all the years I've been there, I've seen very few hunts booked. Lots of looking, but little money changing hands. It's a shame, because its a nice show...

I have some good friends from Namibia that have attended the show for years and in the past they have always had good bookings at the show. I spoke with him yesterday before he flew out and they only booked 1 hunt this year in Harrisburg.

Bwana, you must drive a Jag, eh.

DOJ, historically, I am not a lucky man. However, I booked my 07 safari in TZ for $600/day. This is winning. And, for what its worth, I drive an 04 Chevy Silverado with 215k on it. And I love it!

Mine is an 06 with only 98K on it. I thought you booked a hunt this year. Was the 07 a plains game only. I have never looked into Tz hunting.

Tanzania is a great place, but they have funky license arrangements.

No, it was a 7 day Buffalo hunt. I got a great deal that day!

We have done that show in the past. It is a long show and decided for the amount of time and effort the return was also not there.

I attended the show on the last Friday. I try to make it to the show at least two or three times. It's a great time at the end of the season to relax and soak up the hunting ambiance.

I saw the same thing with the African outfitters. There seemed to be a lot more of them, but they were all RSA and Namibia. (Sorry Phil, I didn't see the Moz and Zim outfitters) There is one outfitter from Zim that I visit every year and they weren't there this year. Great people and I enjoy talking with them. They sell some trinkets along with their hunts. I always buy a giraffe hair bracelet for my wife. Also, last year I bought several elephant skin mouse pads and gave them to my coworkers. You have to be there for this one, but the mouse pads had holes in them due to deep wrinkles, I told my colleagues that the elephants had been attacked by lions and that this was from the scars. Whether they believe me or not, they loved it.

Anyway, I have digressed. That's sad to hear that the show is not a money-maker. Several of my friends have bought african hunts there and I was planning on doing a Namibia hunt next year. I hope things improve for everybody as the outfitter hall is my favorite place to be... and to dream.