I am trying to get all the info I can to boook my first hunt in Africa. I have spoken with a Mr. Vance Corrigan from the above mentioned out fit. I want to hunt Cape and plains game. Mr Corrigan seams to think that Zimbabwe is the best option as far as price and hunt quality. He mentioned using Jumbo Safaries. My wife also wishes to accompany me. Amy sugjestions?

Thanks and Semper Fi

I have no personal knowledge of the above mentioned outfitter or the booking agent/ "hunting consultant". I have "heard" that Jumbo Safaris is a good outfit.

But I will tell you this. Buyer beware. Booking agents will sell you the hunt with the outfitter they book with. This is not always based on quality but rather, it's who they book with. There are a whole buch of one safari bwanas out there who call themselves "hunting consultants."

While I am not aiming this comment at your guy as I don't know him. I am just telling you how the hunting business is now days. You've got to watch it!

Here is one piece of advice. In the future after you've got some personal experience with this game, book direct and save yourself 15% on the daily fee's.

I had my first "hunting consultant" experience in 1998 and it was good one. Like was said earlier, some are good and some are bad. They are like a marketing dept from a hotel, it is not alwasy what is on the brochure. Make sure you get everything in writing, and I mean everything down to the drinks and phone charges.
The Zim is great but I would rather see someone in there first Safari go the the TZ in the Selous. I think it is a little less $ and tons of game. It also depends if you are on a 7-day or 21 day license.
However, for your first hunt in Africa, just enjoy the experience. Have resonalbe expectations of what you will see and have an oppurtunity on.
Best of Luck!

Will,

I know Vance Corrigan, he is a member of my SCI Chapter. I haven't booked a hunt with him (I do my own ), but otherChapter members have. He also books in Asia and other continents.

jim

458Lottfan

I don't know the agent you spoke of but I believe Jumbo Safaris is run by Jumbo Moore. I have a client that has hunted with him several times and speaks highly of him.

As for what surestrike told you about agents I really can't disagree and I'm in the business. Previous to me being an agent I booked some of my own hunts and some with agents. My experience with agents was mixed. I felt in some cases information was conveniently left out in the booking process and that at least on one occasion I was really filled full of crap about expectations. On the other hand some agents would rather loose a booking than sugar coat anything and are positively anal about making sure you have everything in order before you go on your safari. I like to think Adam and I are more like the latter.

I see agents being most useful in three ways. First for the novice safari hunter they can be enormously helpful. You just can't know everything when booking that first safari. After my first safari I couldn't believe how ignorant I was when booking it. A perfect example is all the gun import problems at the airport in Joahannesberg. A large portion of the problem is caused by people not having all their paperwork in order. A competent agent would have worked with them on this and saved them time and a huge hassle. Second an agent is very useful for a hunter going to a hunitng destination in a country that is brand new to him. Each country has its own twists and turns involved in booking a hunt and it can save you a bunch of grief to let an agent help you with it. Lastly there are quite a few people that just honestly don't have time or the inclination to do all the research, send the e-mails and make the calls so agents do it for them. I also should mention that safari operators are just hard to get a hold of sometimes and an agent that knows the people he works with can fill that gap easily.

You definitely can do it all yourself and I have but that is no guarantee you 'll get the best hunt, best deal or that you'll save anything. Many times I can offer an option the client might not have ever thought of or didn't know was even available to him. This often times can save a client a load of money or let him do a hunt that he thought was beyond his reach.

In your case your first consideration should be what are your priorities as far as the hunt goes. Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe all offer 7-10 day buffalo/plains game hunts that in the very end will all cost nearly the same but Tanzania offers 2 buffalo, Zambia an option for hippo/crocodile and Zimbabwe a greater variety of plains game. Look at other options before booking your hunt.

Regards,

Mark

458Lottfan, I've never booked a hunt with Mark but that right there was some good advise.

458Lottfan,

I just booked my first African hunt with Mark and was in the same position as you a few months ago. It would be well worth your time to give Mark a call. He and Adam are very well thought of around these parts.

Andy

Thanks for the solid advise from all of you. I have been doing a ton of research on hunting in Africa. My first choice is Tanzania! but I want to leave my options open to advise from those that have been there. There are so many safari operators out there that it is hard to sift through them all. I found out that the US Gov has major issues with the Zimbabwe goverment and you have to becarful how you give your money to. Has this situation caused any problems entering or exiting the country for any one.

Come to Dallas and meet some safari operators first hand... Tanzania outfitters will be there in full force..

Mike

19 days till the Selous

I would not take your wife on a Cape Buffalo hunt. With a couple of exceptions, these hunts take place in some pretty remote places and often involve a lot of walking. For your wife, this means either sitting in camp with camp staff that may or may not speak any English while you are gone all day, or coming along and getting her own blisters and coating of dust. And an entourage is the last thing you need while sneaking up on a herd of animals that would just as soon kill you as take a siesta.

I would also not advise hunting Cape Buffalo and plains game on your first trip. Instead I recommend that you pick a PH that does offer buffalo hunts but buy a plains game hunt, from a lodge with real beds and en-suite facilities. That way, you will iron out the kinks and develop a relationship before applying stress in the form of a DG hunt. Your hunting experience will be full enough without the buffalo, and you won't be stressed out trying to punch your ticket in a limited amount of time. There is a reason that most Buff hunts are 7 days dedicated to buffalo only. Doing the PG first will also give you something to go back for, and the anticipation will be sweeter since your fantasies will have a concrete foundation. And if by chance the PH is not to your liking, you have only spent a few thousand and can switch horses for the more expensive DG hunt.

In terms of countries to hunt, and considering that you will be back for buffalo, I would hunt Zim or Botswana (depending on your pocket book). Both are easy to get to, are "wife friendly", offer great plains game hunts, and good buffalo for later. I would have added Moz to that list but the wife factor precludes that (hotter, more buggy, and mostly fairly primitive camps).

You might also hunt Namibia but only with a PH who also travels to other countries for buffalo. I can put you in touch with one that does, if you want to do this.

Finally regarding agents, let me ask you whether you would rather send your deposit money to a country your bank never heard of that might change its name before you get there, or to an agent here in the USA within reach of the law if the hunt turns out to be a scam. And you will get answers from your agent pronto. As someone else pointed out, it's hard to get a hold of PHs esp. during the hunting season.

Finally, while it's worth a try, it's not as simple as saving yourself a commission by booking direct. The commission is paid by the safari operator to the agent to cover marketing expenses, handling of funds, and chaperoning of clients. If you call them up and say "Hi, I would like to book a hunt direct, but I want a 15% discount because there is no agent commission" you might be surprised at the answer. Final comment, 15% is pretty rich, I get 10% and I often end up with less when the deposit comes via credit card (try offering to pay a PH by credit card while you are asking for your 15% discount...he'll probably laugh at you).

Regards,

My wife and I do quite a bit of trecking around and camping here in the desert south west with the dust, heat, snakes and we even have a pet scorpion that we caught in the house! The kids think it's cool to watch it eat the crickets.

Tania is a tough Kiwi girl and up to alot (if she puts her mind to it) Besides the deal is that I have to go on the trip of her choice 2 years later when she turns 40. I can just see me amungst all the @#$%^%$ little Frenches now dragging through the art galleries. But I will do it with out protest just as she will with me on my trip.

A good point on the Booking agent and money. There is lots to plan on a first trip to Africa

Thanks to all

Semper Fi

458Lottfan,

FWIW, the hunt that I have booked is for 10 days with Johnny Duplooy in Zambia for buffalo, crocodile, hippo, and some plains game and my wife IS going with me, I think if I tried to leave her at home she would divorce me. Also, Mark tells me that according to Duplooy buff/croc/hippo and some other species are no problem on a 10 day hunt or even a 7 day safari so I wouldn't see a problem with combining buffalo with plains game.

If Tanzania is what you are after you should do a search for the thread on the Mahenge North hunts that Adam is offering which are downright cheap for a Tanzanian buffalo hunt with a reputable outfit. Just my 2 cents.

Andy

quote:

Originally posted by Russ Gould:
I would not take your wife on a Cape Buffalo hunt.

I would also not advise hunting Cape Buffalo and plains game on your first trip.

I would have added Moz to that list but the wife factor precludes that (hotter, more buggy, and mostly fairly primitive camps).

Russ, We operate in Mozambique and hunters bring wifes all the time - many on their first trips to Africa. No problems ever and they love the experience.

Mozambique camps primitive? That's too general. We have permanent wooden cabins, en-suite bathrooms with flush toilets and hot & cold running water, daily laundry service, the best food man can make, electricity, a runway with aircraft, many vehicles, borehole water supply, cold beer, cold coke ... and the ice machine. Maybe you must come and have a look!

Johan
BAHATI ADVENTURES
www.bahati.co.za

Hello 458Lottfan,

I would contact Col. Bill Williamson at Fair Chase, Ltd. (http://www.fairchaseltd.com). and discuss your plans with him. His telephone number is (512) 345-4891. I don't have experience with other booking agents, but after three safaris booked through Bill, I don't think anyone could be better.

As to the original question, Vance Corrigan is a fine gentleman and will deal fairly. I have had some experience with him in the past. He was with Safari Outfitters before going out on his own.
Doug

I totally disagree with Russ Gould. I took my wife on my first safari in Tanzania for cape buffalo and plainsgame. She loved it. She not only loved the hunting, but the cultural exchange with the Masai was great. It was because of that experience, that we are going back and back again..


I hunted the same camp that Mark Young is now representing with Adam Clements. This is a great area for your first safari.

I'm in agreement with SBT on this. I took my wife to Zimbabwe on a buffalo/plainsgame hunt in the Zambezi Valley.

My wife is not a hunter or a outdoors gal. The conditions were rustic compared to RSA. It was hot. There were bugs. There was a lot of walking. She did not stay in camp. She went out with us every day. She got tired and dirty. She stalked buff on her hands and knees. She saw buffalo, leopard, lion and elephant (as well as lots of plains game) up close and got lots of great pictures. She experienced wild Africa and loved it.

Based on comments by Mr. Gould in other threads, its obvious he prefers safaris to be a boys only event. I have had trips to Africa with my wife, and a couple without my wife. If she wants to go, I see no good reason not to take her.