I was curious how often people communicate with their PH before the trip. I mean do you email with every question you have, call him? When does the red flag go up if you haven't got a response to your email sent 10 days ago? Possible senarios could be he is out with clients and not checking email, and no one in his staff is equiped to handel communication with inquiries, or his computer crashed. How can one establish a rapport with them before the trip, after signing the contract. I don't mean to sound alarmed but understand the way they operate. We expect timely responses here when conducting business, their way may be not as efficient? I'd like to hear your experiences.

In my experence, PH's are usually poor communicators. Yes, they might be away,in the bush,or some other place, but with email, sat. phones, etc. they could do a better job.-some-not all PH's - seem to drop off the face of the Earth after they get your deposit.....

This is another good reason to use a booking agent whenever possible. I would not worry too much. One PH friend of mine only replies to my emails once a year - late November/early December when the season has closed in Namibia. Another will generally reply whenever he is back from being out with clients and often it might be several weeks before I get a reply. Another will have his wife reply within a few days if he is with clients but here I have found that about 1 in 3 or 4 emails will get lost. I would recomment using a read receipt if you are concerned that emails are going unanswered.

quote:

Originally posted by Jorge400:
This is another good reason to use a booking agent whenever possible. I would not worry too much. One PH friend of mine only replies to my emails once a year - late November/early December when the season has closed in Namibia. Another will generally reply whenever he is back from being out with clients and often it might be several weeks before I get a reply. Another will have his wife reply within a few days if he is with clients but here I have found that about 1 in 3 or 4 emails will get lost. I would recomment using a read receipt if you are concerned that emails are going unanswered.

Good summation and good suggestion!

My PH communicates with me all the time. His wife also handles a lot of the correspondence when he is out hunting. He calls me when he is at the SCI show in Reno. I never lack for information. I feel very, very confident in my PH. I have never experienced a more class act in any of my business dealings. I have already booked for 2009.
My trophies from last August are done @ today. They will ship in a week. Right to the day he said they would ship. From last shot to shipping= 6 1/2 months. Not bad compared to all the horror stories I have heard.

Trophyman

Trophyman, who is your PH?

Every company does it differently. We use a BGAN satellite link and check our e-mail at least once a day, every day when we're in the bush. We also have sat phones which are turned on every evening............

bengaltiger,

I think a client should get every question answered. The only STUPID question is the one the hunter didn't get answered and comes back to bite you.

A lot of the smaller operators that offer inexpensive safaris just do not have a full time office person to handle all the correspondence. Often the wife handles it as well as managing the ranch, supervising the staff, raising the kids etc etc. Of course most are on DIAL-UP. And worst of all is the operator that is a one man show, keeps everything in his head and doesn't answer e-mail or calls until he his home. This all can be frustrating particularly for a hunter on his first or second safari that has a million questions that are all important to him.

I guess this is all making a case for booking through an agent and letting him be responsible for answering the questions. An expienced agent can handle all manner of general questions and knows who to contact if they cannot answer a question. In the best case scenario the agent will have hunted with or has had several clients with the operators and can answer further questions from peresonal experience. If the agent can't answer a specific question it will be his job to get the answer for you.

What does happen but not too often is that an operator may just have a shaky business and the guy may not be the most honest PH in Africa. A reputable agent will know that also and not be booking for him. We dropped a dishonest operator just recently.

I quess to answer your original question most all safari operators are honest and a delay in answering your question may be just that a delay. Don't fret but be persistent.

Mark

I must agree with Mark. I worked with him on my trip to Zimbabwe, and although the folks at Mokore were great, a lot of email messages did seem to "dissappear" somewhere. It was very comforting to have someone who not only had been there, but also was able to check on things for me while I was out trying to earn the money to go on my trip.

As an aside, my PH said he wants to communicate with his hunters, but that communication can be really spotty, and sometimes things just "don't work right" in Africa.

My take after all of one hunt is communication is best when there is multiple avenues of it, and having a reputable agent on your side is VERY comforting when you don't quite know what is going on. I expect I will pester Mark less than before, but still will have questions that he will help me with.

Is it possible to get by without help? Certainly, but you will be using a lot of your time to do it, and you will be at the mercy of your sources; every once in a while you read about someone who thought they knew their outfit was trustworthy, and something happens... Then, the more folks on your side helps. It is money, but having a good safari company, a good agent, a good travel company, and a good PH will mean a good experience, barring calamity. If that happens, having all those folks helping you means that hopefully something will still be salvaged.

quote:

I think a client should get every question answered

If PH gets the same questions I get sometimes, they would gladly tell the prospective client that they are fully booked to the year 2050!

Of course, a client should expect to have all the relevant questions answerd, but some so called clients are so ignorant about basic things such as their own rifles and ammo, and hunting in general.

To me those should really stay home and play golf. They have no business going to Africa.

I sometimes book my hunt a year in advance, giving the relative time. The exact dates can be worked out a couple of months before.

I talk to my PH, who is a personal friend, quite often during the off season.

During the hunting season, I hardly talk to him more than once every 3 to 4 months or even longer.

People should be aware that in Africa, even with all the modern facilities for communications, sometimes things do break down, and one has no contact with the outside world.

I had to laugh at Steve's comment above. They really do have great communications, both during the season and off season, too. In fact, I was in a camp with Steve and they built a "comm shack" like the ones you used to see in WWII movies, grass roof and everything. I half expected to have to turn a crank and get to talk to John Wayne, off shore on a submarine or something when I first saw it. It surely was nice to be able to fix a crisis back at work from the middle of the Selous on Steve's computer, btw.

As to Saeed's comments, I think that there are some really great books that a first-time safari-goer can use to avoid many beginner questions.... not to mention the wealth of information available right here on the forum.

As to the original question, ten days, particularly if departure is neigh and it's an important question, can cause some angst. I'll bet there is a good reason... that is, if you've done your homework and the PH is one of the good ones. Reputations are earned. If your guy has one, rest easy.

After all, what do you really need:
1. Gun permits and U.S. customs form
2. A .375 with good softs (and solids if DG)
3. Three changes of clothes
4. Your meds
5. Sun screen and bug stuff
6. Camera and batteries
7. Extra ticket to take me

Almost forgot... Fuentes Maduros and a good book! Your PH should have the single malt.

Saeed, being a "virgin" african hunter, I immensely enjoy visiting and reading the posts. If your Ph has no booking agent, or "go to" guy other than his previous clients it makes things harder, to get answered. By the way he is not the cheapest outfitter either.
A bit of humor- I feel like the woman getting ready to give birth for the very first time You ready about it, talk to everyone who will listen or PUT UP you want your doctor or PH in this instance to put their life on hold and hold your hand till you are done!!
In the end it is Africa afterall.

thats why i use mark young - he's so good at talking

quote:

Originally posted by yukon delta:
Trophyman, who is your PH?

Neil Barnard at NB Safaris. Limpopo region of RSA. Outstanding !!!

www.nbsafaris.co.za

You won't be disappointed. I'll be there the first ten days of August 2009 for my second trip with Neil.

Trophyman

I have booked with two different outfitters in Botswana. In both cases the outfitters Wife handled the communication. In both cases they responded relatively quickly, keeping in mind the time difference and the fact that they tend to be busy. In both cases all my questions were answered before I left, but not the same day that I emailed them. Frequently the response came a couple of days later. I book directly with these outfitters because my late brother developed a close personal relationship with them over several hunts. Once I began to hunt with them I was treated like a trusted client and a friend. (By the way, you will develope a friendship with the people that you are hunting with, but never forget that this is a business tranaction).
Were I to book a hunt somewhere else, doubtful because once you've been to paradise it's hard to go anywhere else, I would use a booking agent as they should be better able to match you up with the proper outfitter and PH. Booking on your own may very well be a bit of a crap shoot. Because a USA based agent is closer, your communication should be better than with an Africa based outfitter or PH. If you know someone, whom you trust, and who knows you well enough to understand what it is you want, and has experience with outfitters where you want to hunt, than it may be OK to book direct. Otherwise I'd suggest that you talk to several of the booking agents who vist here.

My 2 cents.

quote:

Originally posted by bengaltiger:
Saeed, being a "virgin" african hunter, I immensely enjoy visiting and reading the posts. If your Ph has no booking agent, or "go to" guy other than his previous clients it makes things harder, to get answered. By the way he is not the cheapest outfitter either.
A bit of humor- I feel like the woman getting ready to give birth for the very first time You ready about it, talk to everyone who will listen or PUT UP you want your doctor or PH in this instance to put their life on hold and hold your hand till you are done!!
In the end it is Africa afterall.

The best ones are never cheap.

Guys.,

I have too ask for forgiveness as well, I am a small outfitter, and We do have a Satellite phone in camp, but much too our dismay, and my wifes absolute hatred, the thing works as good as a piece of !#@$@#$

When we bought the darn thing I gave them gps pos for where I am in Moz, and yeah we were told we would have signal 24/7, whata lotta a crap

This thing only works hen it wants too and not on weeknds, now they tell me we are in a bad coonection area ? what the hell does that mean when it is a sattelite phone,

So now we are putting up HF radios with Bushmail for emails only, so progress is happening,

But please be patient, with your ph, @#$% happens and we can not communicate for a while, giv the chap a chance and try and phon his Office/Home and speak too the wife,

I know mine has had too anser the calls at 3 in the morning,

Walter

Walter,

Would that be a Thuraya? About halfway down Mozambique is about the limit of their range. You might like to consider the new BGAN which would give you internet and VOIP facilities in one unit.

I went on my first safari last year and had a horrible time communicating with PH over many different issues. It seems that the business practices they follow are vastly different from what we're use to. If the PH would have looked at things from a client/vendor relation and been a little better at communication, many hard feelings could have been avoided.

I agree with Trophyman, I am dealing with both Neil and Karen of NB Safaris via Email getting answers to what I called "Dumb" questions and was told that they were not "Dumb" in anyway as if you don't ask, you will never find out the answer and this creates uncertainty. I will be booking for 2009 although there are still some 2008 bookings available when we last spoke about a week ago. I have found them very helpful and have seen some of the trophies that have come out of there hunt areas... Bloody Beautiful.

In most cases, if the PH is a good one, he is out hunting or setting up camps and you can't hardly get in contact with him, in other cases you can expect the lines to be down a good part of the time in 3rd world countries..

Your booking agent has probably hunted with the PH many times and has spent hours with the PH discussing most of the issues your talking about. Your booking agent is normally available and can answer all those questions for you and expidite things in a hurry, that is his job, and that is why the Safari Company employes him. In some cases he is a partner or actually has paid the trophy fees and owns some of the game to be hunted such as elephant and Lion in most cases..

Saeed is the perfect client, his advise is always good on this subject. He is well versed in African hunting and he turns it over to his booking agent or Safari outfitter and expects it to be done properly and thats the way it is supposed to work...He is truly a pleasure to work with, he does not go to Africa with unrealistic expectations and makes the best out of any situation. He enjoys the hunt, and doesn't let little hiccups become a major problem, he goes with the flow..Folks that can do this really enjoy Safari life.

I have booked wth Andrew McLaren who posts on this forum, for a family hunt in October this year.

Andrew has provided an answer to all my e-mailed questions promptly and in great detail.

It is often hard to judge what is a relevant question and what isn't, but Andrew is the personification of patience.

I'll through my two cents into this if I may.
We have hunted Zim 3 times with the same ph and often have long periods when he is out of comms. when the power and landlines do not work in Harare, email is nonexistent. His camp, in the Doma area is not serviced by a cell phone tower, so, no cell phone. I use an iridium sat phone and often have hell's own time getting a good signal there. I have considered bringing a BEGAN unit, but considering the sat phone service I get with my iridium I have not spent the money. Also, I suppose that when he returns to comms there are lots of things he has to do, so, he delays responding. not good P.R. I suppose, but, I have been trying to get a supplemental contract issued on one of our contracts here in St. Thomas for a year and the primary way I get answers is to sit on the Governments doorstep. All relative I suppose, but, we do not get unduly concerned when delays occur with comms.

I met my PH at SCI in Reno. I asked every relevant question I could and became comfortable with the fact of spending two weeks with him in the Selous. I may not speak to him again until my arrival in Tanzania as he is now hunting in Zim. I do talk to my outfitter in San Antonio about every two to three weeks. He has answered every question to date. As this is my first trip it has been comforting to have questions answered in a professional timely manner.

I communitcated with my PH, Nihan Engelbrecht of www.Huntersgame.co.za by email for about a year before I arrived. Nihan is a one man show, no clerical staff, at night he was entertaining us, looking after our trophies etc. He didn't check his email every day and sometimes when my questions clearly had no time line on the answer it took a while. I never got upset and neither did he with my endless list(lots were stupid) questions, I'm sure I asked the same questions more than once.

I was confident I would have a good trip and I did. I tried to phone him once and the call was really laboured, heavy afrikanns accent and 20,000 km make for poor conversation.

We still keep in touch via email and he uses me as a reference.

if I am in the bush, my emails are either set up to respond with an "out of office until..." or my wife will respond. If she annot give the info she will ask the client to hang on until I get back, or since I chat to her as often as possible, if it is urgent I will relay an answer asap.
Fortunately most of RSA has some type of mobile phone footprint, it is just north of the Limpopo that we get hassles

quote:

Originally posted by 500nitro:
it is just north of the Limpopo that we get hassles

That's why the better hunting is north of the Limpopo.

I've been exchanging emails with a PH lately with an eye towards booking PG for 2009. I went into the exchange knowing the season is underway and I might not receive a reply for a while. The replies have come about once a week, which is much better than I expected and I'm quite pleased with the responses to my questions so far.

Yukon,
zigacktly!
I just got back from Moz, and the client was curious about fences, and wanted to know where the closest one was. I pointed out one that was enclosing a local village maize field one morning, and said that was probably the closest he would get to a fence in the area.
Next closest would be about 100km south, and then I was not sure how many fences between us and the Tanz border about 1900km north

i dont expect my ph to answer every email while he is out hunting. I would hate be out hunting with a ph who had to spend lots of time on a bush computer. Don't worry if you did your home work your fine