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My wife changed from an observer to a hunter. It's made safaris a lot more fun but also more expensive. Have gun- Will travel The value of a trophy is computed directly in terms of personal investment in its acquisition. Robert Ruark | |||
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After 15 safaris, I finally had a problem last fall. HHK ran ouit of motor boat oil at Chete and they couldn't find any granadila! Drats! 465H&H | |||
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HHK was still short of outboard motor oil this month, no big problem though...they borrowed some from one of the houseboat operators until they could get a resupply and we kept on going. I don't know what outboard motor oil sells for in the States, but they were paying $16.50 a liter and were happy to do so when they could get it. Karl Evans | |||
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On my very first safari I killed a nice leopard a 40" and 43" buffalo paid all my fees and had a wonderful trip. A few months later I got the D/P bill which I paid as well as all the shipping into NYC, NY. That was 7 years ago an to date still waiting for my shipment to arrive. On my second trip I sat in Dar Es Salom for 3 days at the Sea Cliff waiting to be picked up by the company. Four sat. calls to my booking agent of Harrisburg, Pa got me nothing but "sorry but I can't do anything for you" On day 4 he didn't answer his calls and day 5 he answered and told me the safari company isn't responding to him either. On day 6 at the Sea Cliff the whores were begining to look half way worth the $ so I called the airport and made arrangements to fly home. My agent in Harrisburg, Pa refused to refund any deposit money saying " he had forwarded the money to the company already" which was not the arrangement we had made. he was to hold the money here in the States and release it on my call from camp. Long story short I found out the booking agent was going thru a divorce and had let his business go down the tubes....I threatened this azzhole with everything I could unfortunately here in the States the laws are written for the criminals and they know them better than their lawdogs do...I'm still out $35,000 which was deposit and trophy fees on account. | |||
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Degas: I will bet I know who this guy is. I used him for my first 2 international hunting trips. I was not happy with him at all. He wouldn't help with anything once he got the money. There is a definite reason that I didn't use him again. His lack of service cost him commissions on 40-50 subsequent international hunts. | |||
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Yes that sounds like him it still baffels me how he has kept his hat in the game. I've seen him on several shows with some big name clients as too I've seen his name on the credit line of alot of shows. how does the old adage go...once burned twice shy! | |||
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The worst financial thing that has happened to me? Like others said on earlier posts, going on my first safari in '94 and becoming a full-fledged addict! Now with safari #15 scheduled in November I just chuckle when I think of the money spent on hunting and taxidermy. Expensive? No... priceless memories and a helluva good time! On the plains of hesitation lie the bleached bones of ten thousand, who on the dawn of victory lay down their weary heads resting, and there resting, died. If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch... Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it, And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son! - Rudyard Kipling Life grows grim without senseless indulgence. | |||
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And until the name is put out there, the problems will continue to cost honest hunters some big $$. Jim "Bwana Umfundi" NRA | |||
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Jim McCarthy | |||
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Degas: It's really none of my business but you'll probably cost the SOB more money if you'd start a thread something on the order of "Jim McCarthy of XYZ (company name) Adventures stole my money". That will show up on any goggle search for him or his company. xxxxxxxxxx When considering US based operations of guides/outfitters, check and see if they are NRA members. If not, why support someone who doesn't support us? Consider spending your money elsewhere. NEVER, EVER book a hunt with BLAIR WORLDWIDE HUNTING or JEFF BLAIR. I have come to understand that in hunting, the goal is not the goal but the process. | |||
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If I'm not mistaken, posts on AR are blocked from showing up on google. ____________________________ If you died tomorrow, what would you have done today ... 2018 Zimbabwe - Tuskless w/ Nengasha Safaris 2011 Mozambique - Buffalo w/ Mashambanzou Safaris | |||
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More quota available!!!!  JW | |||
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good stories | |||
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I've been blessed. The only problem worth mentioning is that I got the wrong cape on one of my eland. Everything else was grand. LORD, let my bullets go where my crosshairs show. Not all who wander are lost. NEVER TRUST A FART!!! Cecil Leonard | |||
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That is not strictly true. But, we do not actively encourage google robots. I find many stories on AR through google. Back to the subject at hand. I have only hunted with 4 separate outfitters in Africa. All have been extremely honest and straightforward about everything. No question whatsoever of any side pulling the wool over the other. | |||
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The worst was Hartley "Needs a Drink" Combrink in Zambia working for Rasheed Rancine owner of a few concessions (Nyampala Safaris, Baobab Safaris and other shell names) at the time. Both were low rent, underhanded, misleading and dishonest in their dealings with me. Cost me about $10k and more pain and aggravation. Myself and a good friend were conned by these two. I cut the hunt short and left early, very irritated. Learned a good lesson - get it in writing, leave no questions unanswered or unasked, and check references. | |||
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HHK ought to start running its boats on 4-strokes; more economical by miles and 2-Stroke outboard oil does not come cheap anywhere. Similar maintenance cost difference between a Land Cruiser and Land Rover.  | |||
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What is the worst financial thing that happened to you on safari??? I went....and went....and went....and went...and want to go again. But that is NOT a bad thing. | |||
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At the end of a 2 x 1 plains game safari where we spent quite a bit of money on a package deal that included three extra days, I asked Jim Hackiewicz for a copy of his book. He charged me for it! After 10 safaris that's about all I can come up with. Edit: Thought of another one. Back when I was still married my spouse fell while climbing a rocky ledge and cut her knee. It needed stitches. We drove to a clinic near Ohrigstad or maybe it was in Ohrigstad, for medical attention. We went in and the PH conversed with the nurse and then told us that the charge would probably be close to $45 U.S. total including the doctor's fee, and would that be ok with us. Ha Ha Ha! That would have cost $2,000 here. Elephant Hunter, Double Rifle Shooter Society, NRA Lifetime Member, Ten Safaris, in RSA, Namibia, Zimbabwe | |||
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I have really had only one single bad experience and it was financial and on my very first safari. A camp boy broke into my guncase and stole some travelers checks and several other items. He was tracked down by the tracker and the Leatherman he stole was recovered and eventually the police recovered the travelers checks from where he tried to cash them. Only problem in the whole event was making the report to the police. First we had to give them a ride to camp as they had no fuel,then after the camp investigation I had to go to their station and sign an accident report but when they tried to type it up they had no ribbon for the typewriter so had to find someone who could write English then had to find a pen with ink. Kinda like Keystone cops. The person who could write English turned out to be me and I actually had to use my own pen. I think it was at this time I really had the full understanding of 'third world country'. I still consider that to me the most wonderful experience of my life,my first safari and I got everything I went for but a Duiker - Leopard,Kudu,Warthog,Impala - all good trophies. SCI Life Member NRA Patron Life Member DRSS | |||
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That had to be in Zimbabwe. At any given time there are probably only two or three ballpoint pens that write in that entire country. Elephant Hunter, Double Rifle Shooter Society, NRA Lifetime Member, Ten Safaris, in RSA, Namibia, Zimbabwe | |||
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Hunting is not a matter of life or death....It's much more important | |||
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After 4 wonderful hunts With Bird Safaris in Botswana, I booked my fifth with Steve Williams and African Silwane Hunters in Zim. It was supposed to be a 2X2 10 day buffalo and plainsgame hunt in August of 2012. Once we got there it turned out to be a 9 day 2X1 hunt, in a different area than had been scheduled. My buddy got a buffalo; I never saw one after he shot his. Fortunately they had a tuskless on quota so it wasn't a complete bust but I obviously got much less than 9 days of hunting. I had prepaid trophy fees so when I finally was able to get in touch with Steve Williams after the hunt, we negotiated a refund of $6,465.00. Somewhat more generous to him than me. After many promises to pay He stopped replying to my emails. Needless to say, I do not recommend hunting with African Silwane and Steve Williams. | |||
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Technically this incident does not qualify, but it is definitely one of the most interesting things that has ever happened to me on, well actually after, a safari. It happened in 2005, and my wife and I will never forget it. At the end of the hunt, due to my shopping cart being a bit fuller than expected, I owed a balance of around $8,000. I suggested writing a check, which the outfitter said he would accept, but he suggested that if I could do a credit card transaction he would get his money a whole lot faster, so we went to a local bank and did a credit card payment. A few weeks after we got home I got an interesting phone call from my credit card company stating that I should not use my credit card because I was way over the limit. When I asked how much over I was, the agent told me that there was a charge of $73,000. It took a couple of weeks, with some screaming and shouting, to get it settled. To this day I have no idea how $8,000 could become $73,000. In the future it will be cash or check only, for obvious reasons.  Most of my money I spent on hunting and fishing. The rest I just wasted | |||
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Not in Africa, but in British Columbia this past October on a moose & caribou hunt with Cassiar Stone Outfitters, I endured a "hunt" that cost me $13,000. and everything was misrepresented. Guides that had never hunted moose or caribou, leaky tents instead of cabins as promised, extra hunter in camp that was supposed to be only me & my hunting buddy, malnourished horses (one horse collapsed from weakness), no opportunity for caribou & only saw one moose (a cow), no clean water in camp, terrible conditions in the camp, only my sat phone in camp (theirs had dead batteries), NOTHING was as promised, except me paying the $13,000. A terrible outfit. ____________________________ .470 & 9.3X74R Chapuis' Tikka O/U 9.3X74R Searcy Classics 450/.400 3" & .577 C&H .375 2 1/2" Krieghoff .500 NE Member Dallas Safari Club | |||
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Muletrain,you get the cigar it was in fact Zimbabwe. SCI Life Member NRA Patron Life Member DRSS | |||
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I should have added that at the young age of 72 I have already been on 63 hunting trips; four to Africa, one to New Zealand, and a whole bunch to Canada and a number of the other 49 states, and I can count on the fingers of one hand the unpleasant experiences I have had. On one trip, a guy I had hunted with a number of times threw a huge temper tantrum when he didn't get his way, thus ending a friendship. On another, the outfitter took it upon himself to lecture us about how he thought we should tip his guides. On a third trip, I was supposed to be hunting mountain goats, but due to a blown out knee, could not make the climbs. The outfitter cheerfully converted the hunt to one I could manage for grizzly and black bear. There have been a few southern whitetail hunts that were nowhere as good as advertized, but I still had a decent time on them. Southern whitetail hunts have been the worst for misrepresentation in my experience. Oh, and I did get sick on one hunt (tick bite fever). So, I suppose I have really been lucky.  Most of my money I spent on hunting and fishing. The rest I just wasted | |||
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This is not in Africa but here in the states. A guy Butch Manasse was selling hunts on the internet, we my son and I were looking for a Mule deer hunt he hooked us up with David Pereda as the hunter. $6500.00 each was the price and $4000.00 each was forwarded. Pereda was to pick us up in Tuscon and drive us into Mexico for the hunt where he had ranches to hunt. Our flight out of Baltimore, MD was early morning, we arrived got our gear and guns on the plane and pulled out a cell phone to check email. There was message from Pereda to not come as it was too dangerous in Mexico, but the email only arrived during the night. Our luggage and guns went to the west coast and back with out a hitch. We asked him for a refund but he alleged that he had already sent the funds to Mexico. Watch out for him. | |||
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On my second safari in Namibia with Jan du Plessis of Sebra Safaris, his beautiful wife Mariesje asked me what my favorite foods back in the USA were. When I told her "steak fajitas", she had never heard of the dish. When I described it, she said... "Oh I can make flat breads, and Jan can stir fry gemsbok fillets from one of the bulls you shot" plus onions and peppers. The next night, we had the most delicious gemsbok fajitas that tasted like they were made from fillet mignon. The " worst" thing about it was a lack of sour cream. Since Jan's ranch is 50 miles one way from the nearest town (Kamanjab), I thought it was unreasonable to expect a 100 mile roundtrip for a couple of ounces of sour cream. I'm willing to bet Mariesje will have sour cream when I come back in June 2015. Jesus saves, but Moses invests | |||
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My tale of woe: in 2011 I caught the fever of a once in a lifetime trip of going to South Africa to see the country and shoot birds. It is now 2014, I've been to South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Botswana. I've taken a total of 22 plains game and one Cape buffalo. I did shoot a few birds along the way. I've never added up the cost of transport, hunting, tips, side trips, shipping and taxidermy. That way I can't be accused of lying to the wife if she ever asks for the accounting. | |||
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Damn what resurrected this? I see that I started the thread but I don't even remember it. Old age! | |||
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Boy, you're optimistic when you book! That's a LONG ways out there! NRA Life Member Gun Control - A theory espoused by some monumentally stupid people; who claim to believe, against all logic and common sense, that a violent predator who ignores the laws prohibiting them from robbing, raping, kidnapping, torturing and killing their fellow human beings will obey a law telling them that they cannot own a gun. | |||
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Sad to see Zim appear here quite a bit! | |||
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I am lucky. I have had some of the best and most honest African, North American, and European outfitters in the business. They have taken checks from me as well as a simple promise to pay in coming weeks for animals shot over my short term budget. They have also refused to charge me for animals they incorrectly estimated below a certain trophy quality (and price). I have simply never been surprised in a negative way by an outfitter. Have been surprised in a positive way though. Went on a "management" hunt once chasing does but had a buck tag in my pocket too. After three strange days of no does in the area, the outfitter just said, "Well, you are getting a hell of a deal...might as well shoot that bruiser over there for the catalog". BANG! Not a dime in excess of what I had paid was requested. Also had an interesting experience where MY shot was encouraged by an assistant guide saying "There's X, shoot!" followed by the actual guide saying "There's X?". Of course I didn't hear the question mark in the second case and shot. Outfitter didn't seem concerned as we walked up to the downed game until he realized I had not shot X with a fee of $X but rather a Y with a fee of $YYYYYY. He sent the trophy anyway and just trusted me to pay him as I could. A bit more money that I had anticipated (not a disaster by any means) but probably suits the topic of this thread. Still, it seems like most posts here are all about "bad outfitters" which is a real shame. As I said, I am generally a lucky person but especially lucky in the hunting sphere to come into contact with such good people. | |||
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Very true Buzz, and sadly it is getting worse and worse. I understand that some of previously big names are getting very negative reports. I hade a message a while back about one of these companies that has more than one concession, and due to their connections, they shoot the hell out of one concession - transferring quota from another concession that has no animals!! As far as I am concerned, this is just legalized poaching! | |||
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After some of the horror stories, I feel fortunate that I have not been "taken" by any one of the outfitters/PH's that I have been blessed enough to hunt with 7 times. Well, there was that bird hunt I won in Florida where the guy that donated the hunt assisted me in flushing my system with Scotch!  | |||
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Not Africa, but had a bad caribou trip. 17 hunters not one sighting. At the next hunting show there he was advertising 2 bulls 100% I understand now it was not uncommon at that time. | |||
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One of the worst things must have been the sudden, mid season trophy fee increase that happened a few years ago but I've also had not one but two clients go home after their safari and walk into a totally emptied and deserted house where their wives had done a completely unexpected bunk and taken absolutely everything with them when they left!  | |||
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As a guide long time ago I worked for couple of asses outfitters One was Iron Horse out of Hamilton Art Griffin ( deceased ) and Medicine lake outfitters ( Tom Heinz ) one time head of Montana outfitter association. Tom was first class asshole. Hav ent had a problem as a client " Until the day breaks and the nights shadows flee away " Big ivory for my pillow and 2.5% of Neanderthal DNA flowing thru my veins. When I'm ready to go, pack a bag of gunpowder up my ass and strike a fire to my pecker, until I squeal like a boar. Yours truly , Milan The Boarkiller - World according to Milan PS I have big boar on my floor...but it ain't dead, just scared to move... Man should be happy and in good humor until the day he dies... Only fools hope to live forever “ Hávamál” | |||
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While we were on a 21 day safari in the Selous, in October of 2008, there was a global financial crisis that rivaled the Great Depression. It was a fantastic safari, though.  Mike Wilderness is my cathedral, and hunting is my prayer. | |||
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