Hi folks,

I've been snooping around a bit, mulling over a return to Namibia and have a coouple of questions about PH's.

First, I noticed Claude Thorburn is no longer listed as a member on the NAPHA site. Any one know what the W.A.B. is up to? Last I heard, he and his daughter were involved in a new (to them anyway) ranch.

Second, does anyone have any recent info on John Wambach. Aside from a mention of him carrying a double rifle, I didn't find anything younger than 2006 involving him on AR. The backpack hunts mentioned on his website sound interesting and I'm not bothered by the negative review he got in The Hunting Report a couple years ago. While the rebuttals sounded more convincing than the original report to me and any one who has ever worked retail knows how many strange customers there are out there, any additional input would be welcomed.

Thanks,
Dean.

Maki,

Claude is still hunting and I'm sure pulling pranks on folks as always . I am scheduled to hunt with him again in a couple months. The new farm deal fell through from the sounds of it so he has a couple other spots lined up for us. Claude's email is: claude@iway.na if you want to contact him.

K

Kernel,

The farm deal falling through would explain why I couldn't find the website again. If you haven't already, ask Claude about the hartebeeste farm. Spectacular!

Dean

Is that the place with the owner named Cookie or something like that? We hunted that place in 2006 with Claude and it was truly amazing. I've never seen that many hartebeast and oryx in one spot!! We got a couple of dandy warties too.

I had such a good time hunting with Claude. Everything I shot was a pregnant female. (At least that's what he said as we walked up.)

quote:

Originally posted by Kernel:
Is that the place with the owner named Cookie or something like that? We hunted that place in 2006 with Claude and it was truly amazing. I've never seen that many hartebeast and oryx in one spot!! We got a couple of dandy warties too.

I don't recall the name of the family, but the description of the game sounds right. The place I'm thinking of was run by a German speaking family. After driving on to the farm via an unimproved sand track, I was surprised to see how large and organised the buildings were.

Dean

Last I heard John Wambach was thrown out of Namibia for being a little to loose with whose property he hunted and how much money he screwed his clients out of.

I hunted with him a couple of times on back pack hunts for Gemsbok and Mt Zebra. A nice guy to hunt with and very easy to get along with. Unfortunately he liked to add in additional charges not contracted for and then complain to the Nambian Government when you refused to pay. This would get your ticket out pulled and you had no choice.

I know a few guys who went to NAPHA about it and were put in touch with their Lawyer to get it resolved but some people just paid up.

This month's Magnum magazine has a hunt story called "Backpacking the Namib" by Pete Cottrell with John Wambach as PH.
When I hunted with John (2004), he seemed honest enough.

I know the Wambach was selling some hunts in the caprivi until last year. An american hunter hunted a couple of very big tuskers with him. I dont know if now he had lost his concession. I've contacted him a couple of times for a hunt there but I had always incomplete and contradictory responses.

Wanderer,

'Ol Claude seems to have some quick comeback for about everything. It is sad on my part because I've hunted with him several times and I know those things are coming, but he invariably gets me with one or two things each time. The "does this water smell funny" gag is a classic that he pulls off rather well too

http://www.pro-guiding.com/about_us.html
this is the Wmbach's website

Thanks for the input guys. Claude I know and like, and I'm starting to get a picture of Mr. Wambach.

Dean