Some postings of questions like: What caliber should I take? At which range should I zero my telescope? Which bullet should I load? Which shooting sticks to use? How to shoot off shooting sticks? An almost endless list of similar questions that are asked by guys that have already booked with some or other Hunting Outfitter can be drawn up. A recent one again got me thinking about these aspects and the Hunting Outfitters’, and possibly the Booking Agent’s role in preparing the client for his hunt.

Whenever a potential client shows any interest in possibly hunting with Andrew McLaren Safaris I immediately feel totally responsible for ensuring that the client is properly prepared for and has reasonable expectations for his safari. I feel that it is my responsibility to anticipate if the client is likely to want to ask such questions, and provide answers even before him asking.

My view is that it is the Hunting Outfitter’s responsibility to make sure that his client knows all the correct answers to such questions well in advance to his actual safari.

What are the thoughts of the other Hunting Outfitters about this? What role does a good Booking Agent play in preparing a client for the actual safari?

How do the hunters that have booked hunts with Hunting Outfitters feel about this matter? Would you rather get the info from the Hunting Outfitter, or Booking Agent or the considerable combined wisdom of helpful guys on AR Forum, even though these are often gussing about the actual situation on the ground?

In good hunting.

Andrew McLaren

Good question! We do a lot of client communication. First thing e do is send each client a safari information pack with hard copy of their contract, travel itinerary copy of our 'Handy Little Hunting Book' and lots of other info.

We also direct them to our site at www.shakariconnection.com where there's a lot of info on safari preparation etc. There's everything there from downloadable firearm import, visa and CITES forms and instructions etc to health info to firearms advice.

FWIW, our colleagues in the industry are more than welcome to take advantage of the facilities if the wish. It's a free information site rather than a commercial site and we encourage everyone to take advantage of that.

Andrew,

All the points you have raised above are valid, especially for a hunter who has never hunted in Africa.

But, it seems we have quite lot of complaints about outfitters, which are not brought out in the open.

Some of these complaints as so rediculous, the outfitters SHOULD be named and shamed for doing them.

Sadly, the people involved prefer to keep this to themselves, which means the culprits can continue their mistreatment, and others suffer in the future.


Some of the complaints I have heard from very reliable sources.

1. A client arrives in Tanzania, and his outfitter from over seas has not managed to get his hunting license issued! He sends him off to hunt with a PH he has employed to conduct the hunt, with promises of getting the license done before the hunt is over. This, of course, places both the PH and client at the mercy of the game scout, who has to be bribed to look the other way.

It is either this, or the poor hunter has to sit in camp twiddling his fingers.

The license eventually does come, but only because the PH had his own contacts to sort the problem created by the outfitter.

2. Client arrives in Tanzania, wanting to shoot a particular animal. He goes out, hunts all his days, and never sees single one of the animals he wanted. I am talking about common species here. It transpires that the outfitter should have known that this particular animal is not found on this concession.

3. Over seas outfitter employs PHs in Tanzania to conduct hunts for his clients. Outfitter gets paid well in advance for this, but he hangs on to the money, and does not pay his PHs for months afterwards, and only after being threatened with disclosure.

Those are some of the sad stories I hear in private, which really have no reason to happen.

Good post Andrew.

I would presume that every outfitter do this with his clients to some extend. How else would clients know what to expect?

We were very fortunate to get hold of an inforamtion writ from Terry Blauwkamp on this forum that informs American clients down to a tee about EVERTHING they should know when visiting Africa. Shakari connection is very informative as well and Steve and the missus put in a lot of work there. I sometimes refer clients to the site.

We are very personal in our handling of inquiries, and make sure MOST eventualities are thought off. That said, it is international travel, and for a first timer a different country and hunting experience, and you cannot prepare someone to much on what HE will expect.

I also think it is important to give people enough information about the company and people they will spend there time with:

Are you a member of PHASA or relevant hunting organization of the destination country?
Are you a full time Pro Hunting outfit?
Do you have hunting rights to the land you claim to hunt on?
Who will be my PH, and will I meet you (the outfitter) during my hunt?
What kind off terrain will I be hunting in? (remember that a lot of folks see Africa as bushveldt Savanaha, so pitching up in the Karoo or Free State flat open grass plains might be a surprise. Explain that there are different biodomes in Africa, each with its own unique species, and they occur here and there and here and there, and this is what the terrain will be like if you want to hunt this or that)

NEVER MAKE A PROMISE YOU CANNOT KEEP.

NO HIDDEN COST.

Questions like equipment and the practical hunting will be covered by ALL outfitters as a matter of course.....it is the nature of hunters to talk about it....is it not???????

That covers it for me I think.

Saeed and Charl both make very good points. As Saeed says, there's all kinds of odd things go on with some companies and to a large extent, that was one of the major factors in spurring us on to write the shakari connection site. All you have to do is sit in Johannesburg Airport and see the number of dazed and confused hunters wandering around looking lost. A few years ago we met 4 hunters there who had all booked a 21 day hunt in the Selous at one of the conventions and the only info they had was a few short handwritten lines on a grubby piece of paper. They'd got that from the guy at the show and hadn't heard anything from anyone since. Not only were they in the wrong airport, they were in the wrong country!

Fortunately, we were able to help them out by organising flights and hotels etc for them with a few short phone calls........ That, incidentally, is just one example of an endless list of major stuff ups we've come across in the last 30 years........ BUT it goes to show how important all aspects of client communications should be.

Charl's points of promises and costs are also very important.... but you wouldn't believe how many people fall for impossible promises and hidden costs etc. We had a guy come to us a few years ago and ask if I could guarantee him 2 Buff over 45 inches. When I told him no, he went elsewhere........ and then came back to us a year or two later having learned a tough lesson from the guy who made the impossible promise.

Charl,

Glad to hear you use the site and find it useful.

add to it - i've had a hunt where neither the PH or tracker had ever been in the area before & didn't know what was even there. they just got hired a couple weeks before because the outfitter had overbooked. the hunt ended up rather spectacular, but only because of lady luck