Has anyone booked their African Hunts through either of these two companies? Look to see how it worked out.

Thanks,
Paul

Atchesons = First Class !

Years ago I would book N. American hunting trips thru Atcheson and was always satisfied with their recommendations.

I met a fellow at the Victoria Falls airport once who had booked with Cabelas. No P.H. showed up at the airport to meet him. That was one lost looking dude. Brent Hein and I took him to town and got him a room and found the missing P.H.'s wife. She found her husband and got the guy together with him with only a day lost.

Seems that Cabelas and the P.H. had mixed up the month of arrival. Luckily for the client, the P.H. and the concession were available and the twain met (with a huge bit of luck and Brent Hein's selflessness).

I don't know whose fault the screw up was, but there was no individual available to fix the problem at Cabelas even though we called them from Zimbabwe. I think that the problem is that the corportation so big that I'm not sure they really know the quality of the concessions and P.H.'s they represent, nor do they have a lot of personal contact with those to whom they send you.

I'd stick to Atchesons.

If you do a search, there seems to have been some hunts booked through Cabella's that did not turn out as planned.

Atcheson's have a great reputation, Cabela's, not so good.

465H&H

i wouldn't book a pair of wet pants thru cabelas

Cabelas sells gear and "stuff". Good luck on one of their hunts.

I have booked with Acheson's and Jeff Neal Inc. Both do a super job. Go with someone who makes their entire living booking hunts, not as a sideline.

this is not looking good for Cabela's...

And i was looking at using them to use up some of my points...you can spend them that way...

Here's a lawsuit involving Cabela's and their booking of hunts in Africa:

http://journalstar.com/busines...4f-7cb674c16893.html

I’ve had a long, but thin, booking experience with Atcheson’s starting after I met Jack Senior in Alaska back in the 70s. Hunts have been in Alaska, Western US, Mexico, Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe. There isn’t a hunt or Outfitter/PH they’ve steered me to that I wouldn’t recommend highly or try again myself.

With Atcheson, I’ve enjoyed personalized service from people who know and have hunted with those they recommend. I cannot imagine getting that kind of tailored service and follow-up from a Cabelas kind of operation – and out of curiosity, I’ve checked pricing enough to know that’s not a differentiator…

Good hunting,

I have booked several hunts using Atchesons and have always had great hunts. I will us them again.

A friend and I booked a PG hunt thru Cabelas. Everything went very smooth----I did book the flights myself since I have been to SA a couple times. Everything with the outfitter was spot on. As with any hunt, communication is the key. If you have a question, ASK! That's why we use the agents. Good luck which every way you go.

Have not used Atchescon, but have used Magnum Hunt Club. A+ for them.

Booked our first Safari in Namibia with Atcheson probably 15 years ago.(we chose the outfitter) It was an awesome Safari. All the agent did was to take the money,send us a generic list of what to take and did not even call us to see how the hunt went. Since then,I book direct if I know who I want to hunt with.

quote:

Originally posted by Bwana338:
this is not looking good for Cabela's...

And i was looking at using them to use up some of my points...you can spend them that way...

I'd say use your points for more or new gear or clothes. Book with the full time Booking Agents mentioned or who post here regularly.

Or, best of all book directly with an outfitter recommended by someone that you trust. [Though usually using a booking agent will not be any more expensive!]

Until Skip, above, I had never heard anyone say they would ever use Cabelas a second time.

That was our experience, though all the bad actors then are gone on to other bad acts. Not much help, no support, no followup at all.

I know one of their South African outfitters to be reputable [though his prices are high, likely due to Cabelas outrageous commission demands], but observed another in Zimbabwe hunting with Cabelas clients on the Wooodlands Estate, which is really "stolen" lands at best.

Les

I never personally used Atcheson, but this is not the only place that I have seen rave reviews by those who have.

In the 21st century, I think the idea of booking through an agent is becoming nearly obsolete. We have the internet now and can check dozens if not hundreds of references and hunt reports for almost any outfitter. Often even the most obscure outfitter or PH operating in remote areas and hunting for the most obscure species will be mentioned somewhere online allowing you to contact them and request references. As for the issue of money and clients being unwilling to simply wire thousands of dollars overseas, consider how easy it would be to get your money back from even a big agent (much less a small one) if things go sideways after they have sent your money to Mongolia or Uganda or up some other third world backwater. A small agent will simply fold up and plead poverty while a big agent will fight you tooth and nail until it is no longer worthwhile to fight back.

Further, if AR is any example, most agents (though certainly not all) will more often than not side with their outfitter (with whom they obviously seek to preserve a longer term business relationship) in stead of with the client who often represents a single purchase and little more. Keep in mind that I am not saying that agents are bad or useless...just that their relevance has diminshed substantially in the last 15 years or so. In a nutshell, I would book with neither Atcheson nor Cabelas...but in stead do my own homework.

Frank Cole from Cabelas has been booking for us at Pro Safaris Africa in Zimbabwe for the past 2 years, so far everything has run smoothly. He did insist on checking all our camps himself befor they sent any clients .No complaints from our side .

First of all, let me say that I really like Cabela's as a source of supplies, but if I were going to book a hunt, I wouldn't want to call a company -- I'd want to call a human being with whom I had a relationship and some trust.

That's tough to achieve if it's your first hunt, or even your first hunt to a totally new place. But that is where an agent adds value, in my opinion.

It's on that point that I disagree with tendrams. The reason I quit booking with agents is not because of the impersonal internet -- I wouldn't rely on the internet for anything.

I haven't used agents in years because I book on the basis of personal relationships and introductions and recommendations from the folks I actually know and trust. As the years go by, and the connections increase exponentially, I have less and less need for an agent.

I would never book off the internet. If forced into that situation, I'd use an agent. They definitely add value in the right circumstance. And there are some very good ones on this forum.

My experience booking a buff- leopard hunt to Zim through Atchesons was great. Keith was a huge help in covering all the details.

Scott

The Atchesons are first class people all the way. I've booked hunts through them and everything went smoothly, and even though I have not booked a hunt with them in many years, I wouldn't hesitate to use them again.

To give you an idea of the kind of people the Atchesons are, I was once hunting with Keith Atcheson for mule deer in the Madison Range, near Ennis, MT. We backpacked up into the mountains and hunted for a few days. Being late November, it was really cold and snowy so after a few days we headed out of the mountains. Keith made a few phone calls and then came back and told me we had to take a day off. I was puzzled, but then he explained that his mom had invited me to join their family for Thanksgiving dinner in their home. Keith and I ran up to Butte and they put me up in their home, and his mom fixed a fabulous Thanksgiving dinner. We got out and hunted another couple days afterward, but being a guest in the Atcheson's home for the holiday was something that I didn't expect when I booked that hunt with Keith. I don't remember if I ended up shooting a buck or not, but I'll never forget the warm hospitality of Jack Sr. and Mrs. Atcheson by including me in their family's Thanksgiving celebration. Sitting at the dinner table with Jack Sr., Jack Jr. and Keith made for some interesting listening, that was for sure.

Another time, I hunted with Jack Jr. and it was the same. He could have put me up in a motel and I'd have been perfectly happy, but instead he hosted me in his home. Some people just have genuine good character and hospitality, and I've always regarded the Atcheson's as some of the most genuine, friendly people I've had the privilege of knowing.