HELLO EVERYONE IF YOU WERE GOING TO HUNT ONLY CAPE BUFFALO WHAT OUTFITTER WOULD YOU BOOK WITH . THANKS AGAIN...........

Mark Sullivan!

What country? for buff only, propably Zim or Tanzania? Both have a lot of reputable outfitters, but also some shady operators. PM me for more info on Zim.

There's a huge range of choice out there and you need to be more specific in your question. African hunting camps range from adequate all the way to persian carpets on the floor, silver service and fine cuisine the same thing equally applies all the other factors involved (including customer service regarding pre and post safari Q&As)...... and it's all reflected in the price.

Every client has his (or her) own criteria for selecting a safari. Some want extreme comfort, some want to hunt with a famous PH, some want the cheapest deal available and will accept a degree of discomfort in exchange for it and some something 'middle of the road' .... and so on.

There's also a wide range of African countries out there for a Buff hunt. Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Mozambique and RSA to name but a very few. Some have unfenced areas and some don't.....

You really need to decide your own criteria before you begin your research......Hope that helps

What's with the Caps Lock?

I don't have a world of experience but I had a great experience and saw just a huge number of buff in Chewore South in Zim with Roger Whittall Safaris. I hunted with Richard Tabor and he was great to hunt with. I have met several of Roger's PH's - Roger is still a PH but pretty retired - and every one I met was a great guy.

RWS is not the least expensive outfit to hunt with but a hunt is not a commodity.

JPK

Are you trying to start another PVT vs. other outfitter thread?

Your true motivations for asking are suspect and you're not pulling the wool over anyone's eyes.

I'll tell you who I would NOT go with, and that, IMHO, is PVT - there are several other options out there without as much controversy or silence on both PVT's part and that of his booking agent, Ray Atkinson....

CANADIANLEFTY im not trying to start any crap im only doing my homework before i book with an outfitter iam not going to get burned again like i did on my 2005 cape buffalo hunt im not a trouble maker what so ever thanks for you time......

capebuff,

May I suggest you do a search of this forum. many quality outfitters/PH's have been discussed.

Most inportant though, once you have someone you would like to hunt with, check all referances with vigor.

BigBullet

I don't know Capebuf from Adam, but I just don't find his post anything other than those of a guy looking for a great hunt and to avoid what must have been a huge disapointment.

Maybe some are way too sensative to the PVT et al issue, huh? Give the guy the benefit of the doubt.

Capebuf, as I mentioned in my earlier post RWS wouldn't do you wrong. I booked a safari with them and ended up having a hell of a lot better experience than I could ever have imagined. Others here have had great experiences too. And RWS is the lease holder for their Chewore South concession and have been for many years and the place is thick with buff.

Please do yourself a favor and read my hunt report in that forum. My hunt was in Oct of '05. I am hunting with RWS and Richard Tabor again this year in late Sept.

Also, I think you would be doing yourself a favor talking to Keith Atcheson of Atcheson and Sons. They are a booking agent and square shooters. Every bit of advice that Keith gave me and every suggestion was just spot on. He laid out plusses and minuses and gave fantastic advice. You can reach Keith at 406-782-2382. Tell him JPK from AR sugested that you call.

There are also some other great booking agents on this site that I don't have personal experience with. Mark Young and Wendall Reich are two that come to mind and strike me as straight shooters. I'm a fan of using a booking agent in most situations, even with the trouble noted, but choose your booking agent with the same care you would use choosing your outfitter or PH.

Hope this helps,

JPK

I second the vote for atcheson and sons. Keith has hunted with all of the people that he recomends. Ive used Russ Broom Safaris four times through Atchesons and am going again in august.

Gunny,

Thanks for the second on Keith.

Capebuf, The outfit that Gunny hunted with is another outfit with a great reputation and long history of success.

JPK

I would never hunt with Mark Sullivan...I want to tell the truth and say I shot my own buf and not out of a truck but on foot...

Mike

My experience with Mark Kyriacou in Botswana was very good.

TerryR

quote:

Originally posted by retreever:
I would never hunt with Mark Sullivan...I want to tell the truth and say I shot my own buf and not out of a truck but on foot...

Mike

quote:

Originally posted by capebuf:
HELLO EVERYONE IF YOU WERE GOING TO HUNT ONLY CAPE BUFFALO WHAT OUTFITTER WOULD YOU BOOK WITH . THANKS AGAIN...........

CapeBuf...I had fantastic results with John Sharp out of Zim. First class operation all the way.
Check John out:
http://www.john-sharp-safaris.com/

Steve

John Sharpe, another guy with a fantastic reputation and lots of very satisfied hunters.

JPK

Another strong endorsement for John Sharp. Hunted with him twice and soon a third. Can't give a better recommendation than that. jorge

Have never hunted with him, but have met Phil Lozano that hunts buff in Tanzania. He seems like an upstanding guy and knows his buff.

He posted some pics of some pretty impressive buff from 2005 here on AR some time ago. If I was in the market for a buff, I'd definitely give him a try.

His web: go-on-safari.com

No question, it would be with John Sharp. You have seen other posters saying the same thing. 1st Class hunt, on foot, tracking like it should be. 1st class treatment ,food and you will see a lot of game. Will never forget the thrill of the hunt for buffalo with John.
bobga

I will be booking with HHK safaris in Zim for 2008. Keith Atchenson (Jack Atcheson and Sons) books them, and i will be taking his advice.

John Sharp. Three of us hunted with him in 2003 and were all extremely satisfied; I'm booked with him again. For insight into John's personality and values, see the latest "African Sporting Gazette" (vol 11, issue 3) for an article that he wrote.

jmn

quote:

Originally posted by retreever:
I would never hunt with Mark Sullivan...I want to tell the truth and say I shot my own buf and not out of a truck but on foot...

Mike

I, on the other hand, am very much looking forward to my hunt with MS this summer. There are other PH's on this very board which I would also be proud to share a hunting camp with, and whom I am confident, would put in that little extra bit of effort for the client's enjoyment. But at some point I had to decide where to spend my money, and no one as far as I've been able to tell has been able to promote his product as well as MS. Hard work, good ideas and the courage to follow through are the things which are rewarded in our culture.

I can think of four instances in MS's videos where he acknowledges he made a poor shot. There is also much of his shooting where you just have to say....I wish I had the confidence to know I could do that. I wonder how many of the MS bashers would be willing to produce their hunts on visual media....and see how their shooting and ethics stand up to public scrutiny?

I would go with Gordon Duncan and Shangaan Hunters, I took a 44" buff with him in the Save' Conservancy in '02.



Shangaan has had a lot of bow hunters since then, and the bulls that I estimated at 45" to 48" are still out there in Gordon's area. They are booked for '06 though.

jim

Arcticblaster,
first let me start out by wishing you a safe and fun hunt.

But using MS and ethics in the same sentence is a bit much. If you watch his videos quite closely you will see that very often the " charging " animal has blood coming out of its nostrils indicating a lung shot with a lesser caliber weapon, which makes it mad enough to charge. No I think you will have to agree its not very ethical to wound an animal for the sake of video footage.

And as far as my hunts being on tape, yes you would see me miss on occasion, but the fundemental difference between MS and myself is my miss's/wounding would not be intentional...............JJ

quote:

Originally posted by Arcticblaster:
I wonder how many of the MS bashers would be willing to produce their hunts on visual media....and see how their shooting and ethics stand up to public scrutiny?

I think our honorable host, Saeed, does it year in and year out.

HHK - call Graham Hingeston - go to Chete or Dande.

quote:

Originally posted by JJ_Miller:
Arcticblaster,
first let me start out by wishing you a safe and fun hunt.

But using MS and ethics in the same sentence is a bit much. If you watch his videos quite closely you will see that very often the " charging " animal has blood coming out of its nostrils indicating a lung shot with a lesser caliber weapon, which makes it mad enough to charge. No I think you will have to agree its not very ethical to wound an animal for the sake of video footage.

And as far as my hunts being on tape, yes you would see me miss on occasion, but the fundemental difference between MS and myself is my miss's/wounding would not be intentional...............JJ

JJ -

Thankyou for the good wishes on my up coming hunt.

As an experienced hunter yourself, you certainly realize that things do not always go as planned. What should have been a good shot ends up wounding because the game moved just as the trigger broke, or perhaps the shot was taken while you were in a precarious position, and your foot slipped just as you fired.

The PH has a far more complicated job than simply guiding the client to the game. Once the client fires, everyone is obligated to see things through - up until then everyone could call it a day. If the client is unable or unwilling to bring things to a conclusion, then the PH has no choice but to step in, paticularly with DG.

The PH has no control over the abilities of his client or the rifle he carries provided it meets the legal minimum caliber for DG. The client is qualified by the thickness of his wallet rather than his prowess as either a hunter or a rifleman, and this is the situation faced by every PH. MS has simply found a way to market this situation, which brings up two interesting points. One is that, if the client kills his buff outright, there is seldom much material for a video - although several such events have been included in the videos - I have them all by the way. Point number two is that if there was no market for this type of thing, MS would have to find a different subject for his videos.

Danger and adventure is what has driven hunters after DG for centuries. It has been written about in books and magazines, abut when it is presented in real life drama, some find it a bit hard to watch - yet the subject remains the same.

I do not believe that any animals are intentionally wounded - and had I believed this to be the case I would not have booked a hunt with MS. People who I believe to be of good character and who have actually hunted with the man, have nothing but praise for him. That is good enough for me.