I've just had a major blow-up of my ZA leopard hunt scheduled for June 29-July 14 2013. My wife is going for the first time, and one requirement was a nice lodge to hunt out of. She had many reservations, mostly due to the fact that my last safaris were spent in a tent (which was great), and her idea of roughing it is unheated bath towels in a 5-star New York hotel.

She definitely said "lodge". I didn't hear the word "tent" at all.

Ok, yesterday I got an email saying the leopard I want is somewhere else, so we have to go "somewhere else" (not named) and stay in a tent! "Luxury tent" at that. Still pay the per diem that we would spend at the lodge.

Wife said "have a good time by yourself". Did I mention we have been married less that 2 years?

So far, I've bought the airline tickets to Joburg, and sent a healthy deposit to the PH. Spent about $10k in the process.

Opinions?

Should I go by myself? Leave the wife home for half a month? Not a good idea.

Cancel everything?

Try for a different hunt with a different PH on the same dates? Would that be possible?

Or...?

Find a new wife, one that would just like spending time with you no matter the situation.

Damn man what a dilemma..........

Does she really understand what a "Tent" camp in Africa will be like?

Maybe show her some pictures of the luxury tent camps???

She will be the Queen of the camp and waited on by all, perhaps my purvies is limited but I can't imagine her not enjoying the camp, if she is not bored by the hunting aspect.

As WH said.........there are other women out there.......


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Tough deal for sure. Show her some classic tent camp pics, it could help. But I have seen many clients safaris who would have otherwise be having the time of their lives ruined by an unhappy wife in camp. Better leave her at home, or go into the lodge camp knowing beforehand what the result will be. My girl knows exactly what her fate would be. Hello tent city! Exactly where she will be July first in Zim. Best of luck.

quote:

Originally posted by WORLDHUNTER1:
Find a new wife, one that would just like spending time with you no matter the situation.

I say you bought her for what she is worth , now sell to someone else for what she THINKS she's worth, and go hunting!

.....................................................................

Personally I would tell the operator TOUGH and you and your fine lady will be staying in a Lodge as per original agreement. At his cost if need be.

She's definitely not cut out for African hunting. Best to just leave her behind or take someone else more adaptable.

I can't disagree much w/fairgame's reply...Your outfitter should be obliged to send you ample photos, if not a walk-through video clip, of his tented camp. the "ensuite" tents can often feel more comfortable, and private, than many purported "lodges". Best of luck to you!

This is s total speculation on my part:

• this is bait-and-switch, pure and simple
• the quota in your original area was either oversold or non-existent
• the outfitter's costs in the original area spiked and he won't make enough profit off you, so he wants to move to a more cost-advantageous area (for himself)

The outfitter should have immediately offered a discounted rate. If you go to the lodge, you are unlikely to be shown a good leopard.

Cancel the hunt (due to materially different arrangements from your original deal), get your deposit back, and look for a different outfitter so you can still use your tickets.

George

This thread makes me feel lucky!!

poprivit I feel your pain. Maybe you can ask the outfitter to have other wives email yours about the fun they had in that camp.

My wife is not interested in coming on an Elephant hunt. She can't explain why. Buzz had some wives contact her about their feelings and experiences and although Joyce hasn't changed her mind yet she has thought more on the idea.

Good luck with sorting it out.

George may be on the right track in this case. It could be a quota issue. That would also be my guess, but only a guess. Give the operator the chance to make it right.

Personally I'd rather stay in a tented camp any day. But that's just me.

I agree with Dave give the guy a chance to make it right if he can't provide as per your original contract. No matter what happens from there on if he doesn't fix it to your satisfaction you won't be happy with the hunt. Your wife won't be happy with you and the whole deal has a very good chance of blowing up in your face.

Just a note, it sounds to me as though your wife doesn't really want to go in the first place.

I agree with George and Dave, but if everything is up and up, my thoughts are this...go without her if you go on that particular hunt. I know if I took my wife on a trip for two weeks where she wasn't happy, it would totally ruin my safari. Better to have fun without her than be miserable with her.

For suck fake I can't believe you are asking this question. Fate delt you this hand for a reason. Go hunt leopard. Take a buddy if need be. Many of our wives get along just fine without us for 2 weeks. You can take her someplace to her liking in the future if need be.

Ok she will not have a masai guarding the tent but tent vs lodge I take the tent everyday of the week.

Go alone. Don't let a woman ruin your safari! Besides, she might get pissed and come down with cockee fever while you're in the leopard blind.

quote:

cockee fever

Its Khaki Fever Don. and I would bet most guys know that they have left the leopard back in camp prowling before anything like that happens.

quote:

Originally posted by Hunting the Box H:

quote:

cockee fever

Its Khaki Fever Don. and I would bet most guys know that they have left the leopard back in camp prowling before anything like that happens.

You mean the "cougar" back in camp?

Is this in the Save ?

By "ZA" I assume you are referring to Zambia? (edit, leopard closed here for 2013) Or did you mean “SA” as in South Africa?

Regardless, in my mind, this could be a big "change of scope" and as was stated above given your initial agreement I would want all the details on the new offer (area, camp, picts, etc).

I have been in tented camps that were nicer than lodge camps where I have stayed...it all depends and the SERVICE QUALITY should not change (making some assumptions here) and really this is the key.

Personally, I would keep my wife, and be a bit suspicious regarding the "change of plans". But then again I have only been married once for 26 years.

This being said, a leopard hunt can inherently not be the best of hunts to have a non-hunting companion along, especially somebody not comfortable with the bush. Lots of driving, stinky bait, mornings and evenings sitting in a blind, etc. All depends on what level of participation your wife is planning on.

Good luck!!!!

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
Is this in the Save ?

That was my first thought also Larry, and we know what the circumstances there would be...but he wrote "ZA leopard hunt".

quote:

You mean the "cougar" back in camp? Wink

That would be right, strange I just had a vision of Courtney Cox on all fours wearing.... best go take a cold shower.
Those cougars are much hotter than out leopards.

I take it the ZA is South Africa,
Leopard hunting in SA is very different to other countries like Zimbabwe Zambia Mozambique where you hunt huge areas and hang many baits, if this hunt is in Limpopo check the legality of the hunt, permits in SA are issued for a specific farm or area and not per province, so if the outfitter says that the leopard you are after is in a different area then I smell a rat,
If it is a Luxury tented camp ask him for pictures, i do not personally know of many luxury tented camps in hunting areas in SA,
Is the outfitter a well known company ? there are too many shady characters in this game, a friend of mine just pulled the plug on a 14 day leopard hunt in Limpopo when the Outfitter started hanging baits 200km from where the permit was issued for, he was on day 2 of the hunt.
I would be more worried about the hunt than your wife at this stage
JK

ZA = ZAUS AFRIKA

Take me!

poprivit,

First don't encourage your wife to go if she is already convinced she will not be happy. As others have said if she's not happy on the safari you will be F@#$ing miserable. Second there seems to be a bunch of info left out. Like why your safari operator had to move your hunt. As Larry said many of the SAVE bookings last year and this year had to be moved due to no fault of the operators so let's not draw and quarter the PH just yet.

Mark

quote:

Originally posted by MARK H. YOUNG:...many of the SAVE bookings last year and this year had to be moved due to no fault of the operators...

This is true Mark, yet there are some operators who chose to NOT sell hunts until the issue with National Parks and the quota is worked out. I worry about the hunters who were sold hunts w/o knowledge of what was going on, and then "learn on the plane" (or shortly beforehand) that their hunt plans have been changed. Yea they might have great hunts elsehwere with super PH's, but if an outfitter was gambling on my behalf, I would want to know. And perhaps they all do....but I hightly suspet some don't. Just sayin.

Hey, I was in that very same boat a few years back on a Safari, and when I told my wife that we would be moving camp and what the new accommodations were really like, she nixed that idea in a New York second. Suffice it to say, we stayed in the nice lodge accommodations that we were already in, and I and the PH drove to the new area to hunt DG early every morning. It was more important to me to stay where we were at, and for me and the PH to drive some every day, than to move my wife into accommodations less than ideal and have her hate the Safari. Been there, done that one!

I agree that a leopard hunt is far from the perfect first safari for the reasons Bill spelled out, and not for just for the spouses. That said, I'm about to do exactly that to my girl on just such a hunt. The good news is that she has been living with me for years, and that proves she can take anything!

If this hunt has anything to do with Baobab Safaris or Nyampala Safaris or Rasheed or Hartley Combrink, you may be getting hosed.

quote:

Originally posted by A.Dahlgren:


Ok she will not have a masai guarding the tent but tent vs lodge I take the tent everyday of the week.

Very nice but not what they will get. At the end of the day the operator sold the hunter a safari with specific conditions which he has been paid for and I for one find it unacceptable that the goal posts have been moved after deposits have been received.

Ask for your money back.

quote:

Originally posted by fairgame:

Very nice but not what they will get. At the end of the day the operator sold the hunter a safari with specific conditions which he has been paid for and I for one find it unacceptable that the goal posts have been moved after deposits have been received.

Ask for your money back.

I think working with children and animals
is the appropriate saying.

Do animals sit around just so the PH can
satisfy a clients requirements ?

Chaps,

You are missing the point. A member has booked a hunt under specific conditions. The operator who accepts a deposit and then change the goal posts is questionable.

Sounds like a money back scenario to me.

quote:

Originally posted by 505G:

quote:

Originally posted by fairgame:

Very nice but not what they will get. At the end of the day the operator sold the hunter a safari with specific conditions which he has been paid for and I for one find it unacceptable that the goal posts have been moved after deposits have been received.

Ask for your money back.

I think working with children and animals
is the appropriate saying.

Do animals sit around just so the PH can
satisfy a clients requirements ?

Read that ten times and not sure what you are saying?

quote:

Originally posted by fairgame:
Chaps,

You are missing the point. A member has booked a hunt under specific conditions. The operator who accepts a deposit and then change the goal posts is questionable.

Sounds like a money back scenario to me.

Agreed. Plus this is coming from a well-respected PH.

quote:

Originally posted by dogcat:
If this hunt has anything to do with Baobab Safaris or Nyampala Safaris or Rasheed or Hartley Combrink, you may be getting hosed.

Note leopard and Lion are off quota for this year.

quote:

Originally posted by tygersman:

quote:

Originally posted by fairgame:
Chaps,

You are missing the point. A member has booked a hunt under specific conditions. The operator who accepts a deposit and then change the goal posts is questionable.

Sounds like a money back scenario to me.

Agreed. Plus this is coming from a well-respected PH.

Never have I not given what I have promised and whilst I realise Zim has problems this sort of crap is becoming common place.

If you knew this going into the marriage than you only have yourself to blame. If you do not trust her alone than get proof of your suspicions or save the money and just get a divorce. Being married to someone you do not trust is not a marriage. Safaris are cheap compared to divorce. You will enjoy it more without her with that attitude she has. Have a hunt with a good friend and enjoy it more. You can send her on a spa vacation of her own while you have your trip.

fairgame

"that the goal posts have been moved "

and I said

do animals sit around ?


The reference to "working with Children and animals" is a common saying in films / TV
as neither of them - children or animals - will do what you want when you want !!!

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