The "Shame on You Wendell Reich" thread gives one very good reason why I would not hunt with this person.

Here's another.

I booked an elephant Hunt with Tshabezi Safaris (Dudley Rodgers) for September, 2007. I paid a $4,000 deposit. In May I had prostate surgery. In July, as the result of this, I had two incidents which, had I been more than an hour from a modern hospital, would have caused death. Hospital stays corrected these but my doctor looked kind of funny when I asked him if I should go the the Zimbabwe bush in six weeks. The answer was, "No."

I asked Rodgers if I could postpone my safari until 2008. He said that he "might" apply my $4,000 to such a hunt. I guess he wanted to decide later. He tried to persuade me to come in late November, instead. Now I abominate truly hot humid weather, and it seemed that he was giving me a sugar coated description of the climate at that time of year relative to what I got on the Internet from other experienced hunters. There was just something wrong, I sensed, with the communication.

Eventually he stopped communicating at all. I asked him if I could get a buffalo as well in 2009. No answer. I asked if there were an additional fee for an airplane charter (after reading someone's post who said there would be). No answer.

I never heard anything from him or his agent (who was NOT Wendell Reich, by the way) until March, 2008.

By that time I had booked a combined elephant and buffalo hunt with Russ Broom Safaris. I figured to heck with the $4,000, which was only a "maybe" anyway, as the time and effort saved by not returning to Africa for my first buff would be worth it.

And the very first flyer on Broom which the booking agent (Atcheson's) sent me said that if a medical problem occurred, Broom would let the client apply deposits to a hunt the following year.

I heard later that Rodgers had lost his elephant hunting concession. So maybe he thought he should just keep my $4,000 and shut up about it. Well, he's welcome to it. But one would think he would know how to get his clients' trophies shipped before two years or so.

To be fair, maybe something happened to his Email. Maybe I should have had trip cancellation insurance. Maybe Broom is the only safari company in the whole world who gives you a "bye" if you have a true medical emergency. But there are just enough things about this situation to make me feel awkward.

I first met Dudley Rogers in 1998, when a friend booked a hunt with him through another friend. That hunt didn't turn out too well. He was turned over to an appie and they were told by DR to stay out of a particular area. The appie took my friend into that area and when questioned about their location assured him all was well. The appie then told him to shoot an obviously immature Waterbuck, which he did, after assurances it was a "good" animal. DR is not someone I would ever book with. He usually has a booth at SCI, if anyone wants to ask him about trophy shipping.

actually i can't think of very many outfits that wouldn't apply money to another hunt in the future if you have a medical thing

quote:

Originally posted by butchloc:
actually i can't think of very many outfits that wouldn't apply money to another hunt in the future if you have a medical thing

+1

An AR member canceled a hunt with us (that he booked on the forum) a couple of days before his arrival due to medical problems. His (very substantial) deposit is safe with us but he can only return in 2010. We keep the money and the terms as he agreed to them, but with an increase on day rates as will be relevant at the time of the hunt. So if he booked at $100.00 per day in 2008 and the rates in 2010 is $200.00, he will have to pay in that $100.00 extra. He is happy with that deal, and we all look forward to have him (whole) with us in 2010!

There is something called common sense in business as well.....

It is true that deposits are non refundable, and I stand by that, but every FULL TIME SERIOUS OUTFITTER should be able to carry it over to another date....as you will still make the other bit out of the hunt???? Or am I missing something

Craig Robinson (my Zim PH on a 2006 buff hunt) introduced me to DR at the Bulawayo "airport" after DR had "accosted" me asking who I was hunting with. He gave me his card and said if I wanted a "real African experience" to give him a call. Now knowing how a "real African experience" can make your butt severly hurt....I understand what he meant!
By the way...in the interest of not getting censured, I won't tell you what Craig said about him.

Gary
DRSS
NRA Lifer
SCI
DSC

I hunted with Dudley Rodgers outfit in 2006. Kirk Mason was my PH and I'd put him against any PH in Zim. He is an incredible hunter and walked me to death. I was hunting elephant, buffalo and leopard. We were in the Gokwe area, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I would have liked to have opportunities at better animals, but then again that's hunting. Not Dudley's and certainly not Kirk's, fault. Dudley was honest with me, but it was always clear to me that he was running a "for profit" business and that was foremost in his mind in dealing with me. I don't necessary fault him for that, but it's nice to work with an outfitter where the outfitter's focus on profit, even if it's there, is not at the forefront of the relationship.

Bwanna.....Craig was freelancing for Carl Mason....Kirk's brother....when I was in Zim in 2006. Carl was "overbooked" on his time and asked Craig to hunt me. I was not disappointed as Craig was awesome and I took a nice buff after some hard hunting. I think Carl has lost some of his "luster" by doing similar things with other clients.
When I saw Carl in Reno after my safari, he was distant. Too bad.

Gary
DRSS
NRA Lifer
SCI
DSC

quote:

I heard later that Rodgers had lost his elephant hunting concession

I warned the members of AR about the shaky concession thing early last year and got nothing but denials and crap in return from a host of members of this forum (not to mention a threats from Wendell, which seems to be his default response to a negative posting on AR).

The chorus seems a little quiet now.

quote:

Originally posted by Russ Gould:

I warned the members of AR about the shaky concession thing early last year and got nothing but denials and crap in return from a host of members of this forum (not to mention a threats from Wendell, which seems to be his default response to a negative posting on AR).

The chorus seems a little quiet now.

What you got was a request to back up your assertion, which you did not do.

Dearest Russ,

Indy is talking about Rogers loosing Mahenya at the end of 07. You started your BS about Gokwe in 08.

But, facts have rarely changed your opinion in the past ... I do not know why I bother.

quote:

Originally posted by Wendell Reich:
Dearest Russ,

Indy is talking about Rogers loosing Mahenya at the end of 07. You started your BS about Gokwe in 08.

But, facts have rarely changed your opinion in the past ... I do not know why I bother.

Don't listen to him Russ!! Even a broken clock is right twice a day and given the infinite nature of time you will be right one of these days also!!

I don't know anything about Mahenye, but I know a lot about Gokwe N. I just choose not to disclose my source of information. The information was provided in confidence.

I did hear that Dudley managed to hang on to Gokwe, around the middle of this year, but when I read this thread, I assumed wrongly that he had lost Gokwe since that time. I had not been following that situation recently. I take Wendell's word for it that it was another area that was lost.

So Wendell, since my credibility is on trial and you claim to be the fountain of truth, I challenge you to deny in writing on this forum, that Dudley came within an inch of losing Gokwe North last year.

Then let's see what comes out of the woodwork.

I came within an inch of being hit by a bus yesterday. Had I waited another 15 seconds to cross the street, I would surely have been in a terrible accident.

The community was discussing taking a part of Gokwe North. They didn't. End of story.

Russ, this is African politics. It is a bit crazy like that.

quote:

Originally posted by Russ Gould:
Then let's see what comes out of the woodwork.

Why don't we, this should be fun.

Why would a community take a part or even a whole concession away from someone when it is making money?

They wouldn't unless they already had someone else lined up to take it who would pay more!

Oh heavens no, could it be that there was some African politics going on in Zimbabwe! Someone was trying to steal Dudleys concession! Say it isn't so Russ.

You were the only one who had anything to say about him "loosing" Gokwe.

Hmmm, how did you know so soon? Russ, how did you know so quickly that the community was trying to take that part away?

Where did you get your info about this?

quote:

Originally posted by Russ Gould:
... but I know a lot about Gokwe N. I just choose not to disclose my source of information. The information was provided in confidence.

Remind me to never tell you any secrets. Your not very good at keeping them.

Where I get my info is not the issue. Let's just say I know a lot of people in Zim. The issue is whether my original warning, to a person interested in buying an auction hunt in that area, was a fabrication or negative propaganda (as many including you insinuated) or not. I warned SBT I think it was, that if he bought the hunt on auction, that there may be a problem with the concession. SBT's post requested intelligence, I provided it. That is the purpose of this forum.

My God man, YOU should have been the guy cautioning SBT, not me. Just as you should be the guy trying to answer the Adams' questions, not me.

I will take your posting now, a year later, as an admission, that you acknowledge that my warning was not a fabrication. Why you didn't just fess up a year ago, that the situation was indeed shaky, instead of telling me to "watch my step" or words to that effect on the thread, and then sending me a PM asking me to hush it up? If you had said "Yes, there is something of this sort brewing and I will keep the AR folks posted", instead of trying to cover up the affair, I wouldn't have felt the need to bring this up again. However because you and your buddies put me in the position of having to prove that I am not a liar, I had to persist.


QED.

Wow, Russ. I am amazed at your ability. I don't know anyone else who could have interpreted my post that way.

You da man Russ!

Now, as for me asking you to "hush it up"?

Give me a break. I simply asked you to stop being an ass.

More wasted words ...

Carry on Russ ... carry on.

Didn't someone say Dudley Rogers was at the Dallas show. Did anybody have chance to talk to him about his situation. I am curious were you, Wendell at the show and did you have a chance to talk to Dudley Rogers. I would think by now all the paperwork would have been corrected and Adams trophies would be on there way. If you did maybe you could enlighten us on the progress. I am sure the Adams would have appreciated it if you had.