I know mine have been. I'm a residential contractor who turned everything over to the bank this week. But I'm not alone -- seventy percent of builders in metro Atlanta are, or will be, out of business by the end of this year. And, there is no end in sight!

But it's all good, really! God blessed me enough that I got to hunt Africa twice, which is more than 99.9 perecent of the population! Actually, I had a pretty good run as a hunter over the last ten years: Newfoundland, Africa, Scotland, Canadian Arctic, five guided elk hunts in Colorado, duck hunts in Louisiana. I built a room on the back of my house to display the results of these hunts, some pictures of which are at the end of this post.

I also caught a every species of billfish in the world, with the exception of black marlin -- with all the Atlantic species being caught out of my own boat with myself at the helm! Even If I were to spend the rest of my life on the street eating out of a soup kitchen, I will consider myself blessed to have done all that I have done as a sportsman.

Will things get better? Who knows. But I do know that if we do recover, I (and most builders) will not have the working capital that banks are going to require to grow a construction business to the pre-crisis level. As a result, I fear that I have touched African soil, breathed the beautful smoke of a mopane fire, listened to the wonderful melodies of the African night and pursued the fleet-footed animals that call Africa home, for the last time.

And that makes me just a little sad.

So far, so good.

This crunch has definately effected the hunting business on both ends..Folks hunt and vacation when they have "extra" or "mad" money. whent times get tough they hunker down...and those in the business that say otherwise or just blowing smoke up the old keyster!

I would not want to be a young man today breaking into the booking business!

GAHUNTER: We sincerely wish you the best. They can't take away your memories. Did you lose your trophies too? Let's hope that it didn't go that far. It is definitely very tight for everyone in every walk of business life.

Oh no, U.E.G.! I have not declared personal bankruptcy and my house (which would include my trophies), since being built in 1989, has always been in my wife's name. I am not going to lose any physical assets, with the possible exception of my offshore fishing boat, which has been for sale for quite some time.

I also have a pretty good IRA (or, did have up until the last couple of days). I'm going to be fine.

That's good news!

GA,

I am on pretty wobbly legs being an airline pilot with one of the more questionable legacy carriers.
But like you I am thankful for the times I have been able to hunt Africa. Six trips later and I still haven't cured the bug.

Things will turn around eventually.

Back in 2002 I was looking to hunt Tanzania. I literally had outfitters and booking agents calling me asking me to make a deal. I think we'll see that again real soon.

Best of luck to you GA. I'm confident we'll get this turned around. I'm due to retire in two months and no prospect of a job yet. jorge

No doubt that hard times are ahead of us all, but it will come around, it always has..

Hopefully after the election things will settle down, the big money boys are hunkered down right now watching how things go...The cost of fuel is at the bottom of the problem IMO and until we drill, drill, drill, and get things a temporary fix, then put all this other fuel stuff like natural gas, food crop fuel, wind and water working for us it is not likely to turn around.

I know one thing for sure the liberals have pushed their agenda to the extreme without thought or compassion and it has to change if we are to remain a world power because without fuel we can't defend ourselves, and life as we know it will never be the same.

Ga Hunter,

Beautiful trophy room. I think I have one Africa trip left in me, but things are tough everywhere and airplanes aren't exactly selling like hot cakes, so I'll just have to gut it out.

Good luck.

That is a great ten year run, not a good one. I am a self employed land surveyor, therefore tied to the same market you are, and we're feeling the crunch up here too. I always try to save up using money not destined for the household, but the household seems to be getting more and more expensive these days. Like me, I think you'll manage somehow to touch African soil again... It's too cool to stay wawy from! BN

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
No doubt that hard times are ahead of us all, but it will come around, it always has..

until we drill, drill, drill, and get things a temporary fix, then put all this other fuel stuff like natural gas, food crop fuel, wind and water working for us it is not likely to turn around.

I know one thing for sure the liberals have pushed their agenda to the extreme without thought or compassion and it has to change if we are to remain a world power because without fuel we can't defend ourselves, and life as we know it will never be the same.

Wow, I never thought I'd live to see a post by Ray that I agree with 110%.

Especially the liberals digging our economic graves.

JPK

Thanks for sharing, GAHunter. That sucks! I guess we all are suffering, it will turn around. Good hunts to you!

GA hunter you have been blessed indeed, not many Africans get to shoot the quality or variety of trophies that you have and they live here.

Your full mount bushbuck is beautiful, what did it measure on the longest horn?

I have a hunt planned in November, my friend is after a leopard and myself plains game. I work as a surveyor (general practice), and last week I was made redundant, which was not good in the current economic climate and with so many other surveyors made redundant also looking for employment. Luckily I walked into a new job three days later the upside is I now have my redundancy money to blow on the trip.

The economic crunch if you will seems to have indeed spread across this great Country of ours. I have been giving some thought to making a move to Africa, Mexico or the like. I dont' really relish the idea of leaving the USA behind, but in retirement mode, other options may be something to consider? I have a trip to Moz planned, partially paid for, in Sept. of 09 and will go ahead with it, but beyond that will just have to wait this thing out. Like GAHunter's situation, I have made 12 trips to Africa, number 13 coming up, have hunted Five countries, taken lots of great animals, have stored up many, many memories and pics, but don't know if that will be enough to sustain the desire? If I were about 20 years younger, 65 now, I would not hesitate to bail out and be off in that direction. Ruark did it, so I guess we all have that option? Living in New Mexico puts me pretty close to the South of the Border thing as well. I have a lot of friends who own property down there and spend 6/7 months a year in Mexico and love it. I agree with waiting until after the elections and see how thing shake out. Oh well, back to reality, off to work in an hour or so.

Great looking trophy room GAHunter!!

Larry Sellers
SCI Life Member

Those of us in the health care field have been getting squezed for years. It has certainly been worse recently.
I hope it doesn't mean I wont be going back, but I am sure it will be longer between trips.

Scott450,

The bushbuck, shot in the Save Conservancy, measures 14.5 inches. For some reason, he looks bigger in the photo than he does in person. Some of the African animals were shot by my three sons who went with me to Namibia in 2002.

I wouldn't trade that trip for ten solo hunts in Tanzania or Botswana!

Let's not loose sight of how trully fortunate we all are if our only problem is having to cut back on our hunting trips.

GAHunter,

I hate to hear this kind of news especially when "Uncle Sugar" sees it fit to use our money to bail out a bunch of criminally run, mis-managed financeers!

The good news though is that guys like you (and me) have the sort of drive and independant mentality that will allow us to prevail in the long run. Tough pill to swallow right now I'm sure, but you guys will tough it out, rebound and get basck in the groove.

Best of luck - this too will come to pass!

JW

Larry, what country made it possible for you to go on 12 trips to Africa?

Hi GA Hunter:

I've been through this before in 2001. I ventured out on my own and was importing high end sportfishing boats from Australia and the economy turned south and the 911 happened. I survived on my own and came out fine. I went back into the business I know best.

Just remember tough times don't last, tough people do.

If you are in construction you may look to the Houston and E. Louisanna area for some opportunity. With the last huuricanes coming through there is some work to be done there. I'm in the generator business and it has been a big boom for me.

I wish you all the best!!

Sorry about your troubles, but for every boom there is a bust, Housing is just one of many. I been a professional pilot for some 33 years and guess what I been out on the streets since March. Its been tough going but like all down markets, this one will pass. So I be just hunkering down. I had one interview since March, and what I find really interesting is that I have not had a single call from anybody in 24 days. Oh well, I have an Elk hunt planned for Nov. I am going. I have all the Deer hunting I want in CT, so I will shoot a couple, that and 50 lbs of potato's will keep me going.

I just made my first (and only, as it turns out) trip to Africa. When I started saving for this six years ago, the CDN$ was at 63 cents US. This past year, our dollar hit $1.08 US at one point. Seeing as how a lot of the trip involved US$, I had the good sense to convert my money and take my trip at the right time, particularly since the CDN$ is back down to 92 cents US now.

So, your downturn actually benefitted me.

GAHUNTER

You know from adversity springs hope and challenge. I'm confident that the USA can turn it around in time. You need to remain positive and opportunity will come provided you hang in there and DONT EVER give up.

My immediate family (brother Alan & wife Jessie in South Africa) LOST their entire farm to the governemt land claim situation. That was home for 15+ years, their kids were born on the ranch and Alan developed it with wonderful lodges and hundreds of game animals ... THEN BANG BANG/ all had to be relinquished/sold to the goverment to settle the land claim issue.

Alan quickly put his thinking cap on and bought another ranch/land in Zambia near Kalomo which he loves and is in the process of developning. Alan has a mind set where unless you do it yourself, nothing will happin in life.

The moral of the story is DONT EVER let anyone beat you down, and if you look around there are always other opportunties to follow and which will present themselves, follow your dream

Cheers, Peter

GAHunter,
As someone who grew up in a general contractor's house during the 70's and 80's, I know the good times come and go. Things will turn around in the future as they have before. You'll see and feel, smell Africa again. You just have to hang in there.
Regards,
RO
(in Canton GA.)

GAHunter, sorry to hear of your troubles. I hope things will look better for you very soon.

It has affected me to the point that my hunting trips will be local whitetails and possibly some SD pheasants. I've been fortunate enough that I've already been more places and done pretty much everything I have dreamed about. Exceptions of course for elephant and leopard have to be made, I still need to keep working towards that goal.

I have already commited & paid half on a May 2009 brown bear hunt in Alaska next spring, but after that I'm on hold until things improve. My wife & I worked & saved for 40 years, invested properly, but now that things are in the dumps with the US economy & the markets, I'll have to tread water & hunt West Va. whitetails until further notice. It's pretty disheartening, but it's not like someone facing a family illness or losing your home to a flood, so I'm not complaining.

quote:

Originally posted by Balla Balla:
My immediate family (brother Alan & wife Jessie in South Africa) LOST their entire farm to the governemt land claim situation. That was home for 15+ years, their kids were born on the ranch and Alan developed it with wonderful lodges and hundreds of game animals ... THEN BANG BANG/ all had to be relinquished/sold to the goverment to settle the land claim issue.

Same property you were trying to flog off to AR members?

quote:

Originally posted by GAHUNTER:
I know mine have been. I'm a residential contractor who turned everything over to the bank this week.

...

Will things get better? Who knows. ... As a result, I fear that I have touched African soil, breathed the beautful smoke of a mopane fire, listened to the wonderful melodies of the African night and pursued the fleet-footed animals that call Africa home, for the last time.

And that makes me just a little sad.

Good luck. Keep in mind a change in career or business does not mean a end, just a bump along the way.

PS Lovely trophy room.

Hi NITROX

Hope you are keeping well in the wine region

YES that is/was the very same property / Gone .... dead and buried forever, wonder what it will look like in the next year or two

Cheers,

I went on my first safari in 1982.

I could not afford another hunt, despite an incredible urge to go again!

I set up a company with a friend of mine. I borrowed the money from the bank, and I jokingly told him all I wanted was that we make enough prifit for me to afford to go hunt in Africa.

In 1993 we made it, and I was able to go on my first of the annual hunts we have been going on ever since.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
I set up a company with a friend of mine. I borrowed the money from the bank, and I jokingly told him all I wanted was that we make enough prifit for me to afford to go hunt in Africa.

I measure income and profits in the number of safaris they could buy.

Well, I'm another one of the (apparently) few Canuck members here, so I haven't suffered the economic hit that many of you south of the the border have. I'm far from wealthy, just a working guy, and I've finally taken the bull by the horns and booked my African hunt for '09...and after talking about it, hoping for it, planning/fantasizing/daydreaming about it for only 45 years!

We've had out share of economic woes here in Canuckistan over the years, and I've gotta say that these things are always survivable. I spent many years in sales, finally switching to an honest job after suffering burnout. In either endeavour, people who want to work will succeed. People who don't...won't.

John

quote:

wonder what it will look like in the next year or two

Likely a lot worse than it does now...

quote:

Originally posted by NitroX:

quote:

Originally posted by Balla Balla:
My immediate family (brother Alan & wife Jessie in South Africa) LOST their entire farm to the governemt land claim situation. That was home for 15+ years, their kids were born on the ranch and Alan developed it with wonderful lodges and hundreds of game animals ... THEN BANG BANG/ all had to be relinquished/sold to the goverment to settle the land claim issue.

Same property you were trying to flog off to AR members?

Quite fishy! I recall Balla Balla listing that ranch for sale here on AR even though it was listed for expropriation by the RSA government. And it seems now the ranch has been confiscated. Hopefully no AR member actually considered buying the property.

Don't blame Balla Balla.

I know of farms that were listed, with a provision that if a foreign entity buys it with foreign currency, it would n ot be taken.

Just to explain more clearly the situation for those whom dont know or understand fully the SA land claim situation.

Apart from what Saeed mentioned, this is the way it works in some instances, dependant upon the specific situation of each individual claim.

No claim is exactly the same and that is why some get challenged and some get thrown out that are cheeky.

To Overview //

1) The Claimaints lodge a claim which is then government gazzetted, but at this point it does not mean the claim is valid or will proceed, it just means someone or group believe they might have a right to the property

2) If the claim is deemed to have some reasonable basis to proceed, the existing landowner will get a formal letter etc.

3) The Landowner can either decide to accept the claim or challenge it in a court of law

Note: Many claims are challenged and thrown out without any further ado as many are or can be bogus

4) If a claim does go through unchallenged by the landowner or even following a court ruling, then it does not mean you have to lose the farm, I will explain

A number of claimants would not know the first thing about running a farm or even want to know, they just want the money, and who can blame them ... threfore the options for the landowner can be as follows

1) Pay the claimaints the money which the landowner got from the government, so no loss of farm and no cost to landowner

2) The claimaints sometimes want to offer to lease the farm back to the landowner and it carries on a before

There are other scenarios as well, it all depends upon what the landowner and claimaints want to agree upon.

In our personal situation my brother accepted the deal/payment from the governement and did not challenge in court. The claimaints then pleaded with Alan to lease or rent the property from them but he told them NO and left them to their own devices

Summary

Where problems seem to have occured is when some landowners want to get more for the land than a reasonable fair market value and they spend a fortune challenging in court and throwing a lot of good money to the wind.

Finally, before any potential buyer overseas or local considered a farm or property purchase then we/they would always naturally do due dillenge during discussions to ascetain the current legal status as to whether there was a formal land claim on the property, and as pointed out there is more than one way to skin the cat including Saeeds overview

ALSO the whole process took a couple of years and only pertained to the LAND not the game animals ... WE threfore still totally owned ALL GAME on the ranch and disposed of them as we saw fit and to our credit, so sometimes land claims are not as bad as some might think

Cheers, Peter

The land claims in RSA worked out exceedingly well for a PH friend of mine. The claimants were very reasonable and wanted the hunting ranch to continue as it had right along. The PH got all the money he would of expected out of the deal and was able to desolve a partnership in the ranch that was not working. He is now leasing the ranch back from the claimants, is in full control of the ranch and everyone is happy.

Mark