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TimV
.224 member


Reged: 16/01/03
Posts: 5
Loc: South Africa
What makes a safari better?
      #1134 - 21/01/03 07:17 AM

Hi there, fellow hunters. Being involved in the hunting safari/tourism industry, I often think of how to better my service and to get spot-on with what my clients want, and need. Now my question is to you, my fellow hunters:
What is the crucial factors that makes a safari a never to be forget experience? Is it an exceptional trophy, or a quality stalk or what else?
What is the main purpose or goal of your safari?
What species are you most interested in?
How much are you prepared to spend on a safari?
What is the most important item on a safari?

I am looking forward to your replies!

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Mac
.224 member


Reged: 11/01/03
Posts: 8
Loc: USA
Re: What makes a safari better? [Re: TimV]
      #1136 - 21/01/03 12:02 PM

1) I like to be treated honestly. What will the total costs be? Add ons should be he exception not the rule. I realize trophy fees will have to be paid, but unusual costs should not come to play.

2) Ensure that someone will be at the airport to meet me if I request it. Nothing starts out good if you are stuck in a strange country alone. This has never happened to me, but did to a friend of mine.

3) Be honest about the quality of animal available. If the average kudu is in the low 50's let me know. No reason to look for one in the 60's if they don't exist.

4) Be honest about what is available. I had a safari outfitter shut the quota on Nyala, in the middle of my hunt, because somebody just booked a hunt at a later date that included that animal. I saw a huge Nyala ram with both horns over 30 inches the next day and couldn't take him. The person the Nyala was saved for canceled the hunt and they later found the big ram taken down by a poacher. Net loss to safari operator $1200 trophy fee and a client (me) that will never book again. Take care of the man in the bush that day, future clients may never arrive.

That's what I look for and expect.

Mac

--------------------
A double rifle without hammers is like a hound dog without ears.

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gryphon
.450 member


Reged: 01/01/03
Posts: 5487
Loc: Sambar ground/Victoria/Austral...
Re: What makes a safari better? [Re: TimV]
      #1139 - 21/01/03 06:11 PM

to me mate the most important aspect is top line animals on offer,a lot of hunters scrimp and save and a good safari might be their only one hence good animals is definately the priority,me? i would sleep on the ground and eat rough and ready food if it meant getting into quality animal areas,i do see almost luxury accom on offer in my Safari mag and really lets face it a lot of those hunts are canned and not what the TRUE hunter wants..meaning yes quality stalking-hunting is all part of it not leaning on the roof of the vehicle and shooting game without putting in some effort first,to walk for days or weeks in search of the right one is all part of it and makes your trophy all the more worthwhile.I suppose we can all reply that good food, staff, beds,vehicles, game,hosts,and everything else is of utmost importance but the reason to me at least is to be there for the game give me topline animals anyday.

--------------------
Get off the chair away from the desk and get out in the bush and enjoy life.

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Mpofu
.300 member


Reged: 02/01/03
Posts: 141
Re: What makes a safari better? [Re: TimV]
      #1174 - 22/01/03 11:08 PM

TimV,

Everyone, I am sure, has their own set of priorities and likes and dislikes.
Personally, I look for a really rustic, traditional fly camp, as opposed to the stone under thatch 'houses', fans, fridge/freezers, and endless amounts of staff.
From experience, I know that PH's do not like using fly camps when the more luxurious camps are an alternative.
As far as the hunting goes, I am all for fair chase hunting, on non fenced areas. Maybe it is just something in the mind, but, I would not feel an animal is really wild if shot in a fenced area. This is a personal thing, and I certainly would not look down on my nose on anyone who thinks or does otherwise.
The quality of hunt is much more important than trophy sizes, in fact, trophy sizes are irrelavent to me.
For what it's worth.
M.

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NitroXAdministrator
.700 member


Reged: 25/12/02
Posts: 39877
Loc: Barossa Valley, South Australi...
Re: What makes a safari better? [Re: TimV]
      #1247 - 24/01/03 11:20 PM

TimV

In reply to:

What is the crucial factors that makes a safari a never to be forget experience? Is it an exceptional trophy, or a quality stalk or what else?



Personally I go on safari for enjoyable hunting. That is the most important. I always like a balance of difficult hunts and some easier hunts. Makes a difference to most other hunts around the world where a high percentage are good hunting without result.

Trophies should be representative. I'm not worried about "bragging" heads. Not my scene at all. However if someone is charging me a lot of $$$ I'm also not interested in immature and sub-standard heads. So its a compromise.

In reply to:

What is the main purpose or goal of your safari?




Good enjoyable hunting.

In reply to:

What species are you most interested in?




First safari - kudu was my number one game animal. But also liked warthog. Also took wildebeest, impala, common duiker, zebra. Wanted also klipspringer but sighted a record class buck but didn't get a shot off. Also wanted Tsessebe but took a nice eland instead.

Second safari my main two animals were bushbuck and hartebeest in South Africa, and Buffalo, waterbuck and Sable in Zim.

Took a very nice bushbuck and hunted very hard for hartebeest. Had one or two possible opportunities but again not enough time for a shot. Thats how it goes. Missed a rep kudu and took a nice impala

In Zim did eventually get onto an old buff. Took a Waterbuck in the first morning and never saw a good Sable (Sable was added when we switched properties - quota was full at the first property). Also took two Zebra, an excellent Chobe bushbuck and another impala.


In reply to:

How much are you prepared to spend on a safari?




Really I think the prices are way too high and have been pushed up by the high US $. I don't remember seeing any pricess DROP when the US $ strengthened. Funny that.

For plains game safaries I thinkanything over US$250 per day is too much.

Some trophy fees are really ridiculous as well in US$. That's why I always take some impala and warthog and similar cheapies and limit the over-priced animals.

Also not all clients earn US $ and a lot of consideration should be taken of that.

I want a lot, don't I.


In reply to:

What is the most important item on a safari?




The total package. Good hunting. Good camp. Lots of fun.

I see someone mentioned they like tented camps. Tented camps for me personally are fine if out in the wilds, especially if there is a thatched roof for insulation. But if in a settled area nice rondavals etc with ensuite etc are great. Funny story. I hunted on a property once where they had a fantastic camp with top class rooms in their own rondavel. But their hunters wanted an "African" experience so they built a tented camp. Everyone to their own but I hunt pretty rough back home usually just a swag among the mosquitos and ants . So when I'm paying for it I want luxury

I must give a plug for BigFive's camp I just stayed in. It was easily the best camp so far. Fantastic food by a Hilton trained chef, excellent service - aways a couple of staff (nicknamed "those damn people" - a joke to be revealed) with cold drinks and warm moist towels waiting BEFORE you enter camp. Good wines (which I had to buy but that was OK as I went looking for wines to try being in that business). Nice lodges as well.


Those Damn People !!!

******

Tim

Sorry about the long reply. Good thread topic.

--------------------
John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

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DUGABOY1
.400 member


Reged: 02/02/03
Posts: 1340
Loc: TEXAS USA
Re: What makes a safari better? [Re: TimV]
      #1416 - 02/02/03 08:22 AM

One thing I DON'T like is to go on Safari, and stay in a damn LODGE! That is OK for the women, and kids, but if I'm hunting I want to be in the thick of the hunting. My favorite camp are the Grass thatch camps on rivers, or lakes, miles on dirt tracks from any town, with my food cooked over coals, and my shower mixed in a barrel at the time I want a bath. I like the dineing area to be where you can watch animals come to the river for water. I want to hear lions roar, and hyenas laugh at night.

BUTTTTTTTttttttt, the main thing is the PH, and his attitude, and work ethic, along with his ability to track, and spoor the animals I want. I am 66 yrs old, and I'll not deal with a young buck who thinks he needs to show me how fast he can walk, though I like to hunt on foot. I'm one of the easyest people to deal with in camp, when the food is ready, I'll eat, when the PH is ready to come to camp, or leave to hunt, is fine with me. Every PH I've hunted with, have become life long friends, and this says something for the PH's personality, and general honesty!

--------------------
..........Mac >>>===(x)===>
DUGABOY1, and MacD37 founding member of DRSS www.doublerifleshooterssociety.com
"If I die today, I have had a life well spent, for I've been to see the Elephant, and smelled the smoke of Africa!"

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mikeh416Rigby
.450 member


Reged: 24/02/03
Posts: 6051
Loc: The beautiful Oley Valley, PA....
Re: What makes a safari better? [Re: TimV]
      #2008 - 12/03/03 11:02 AM

I think without a doubt that the P.H. is the single most important thing on Safari. They are generally the ones who can make or break a hunt. Second would be being in an area with good trophy potential. But the most memorable would be making that good stalk, and shooting well after all that hard work.

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Bigfive
Sponsor


Reged: 06/01/03
Posts: 362
Loc: Freestate,South-Africa
Re: What makes a safari better? [Re: mikeh416Rigby]
      #2016 - 12/03/03 05:14 PM

I'm a PH myself and for me it is to make the whole safari as relaxing as possible for my client.You guys pay a lot of money to come out here and you do it for your pleasure and if you leave I want you to say "Hell it was a pleasure hunting here with you",then I have accomplished my goal.
I hunt more for my own pleasure than as a ph and the most important for me on my hunts is that I must enjoy every second of it.

--------------------
"Hunting is a way of life"
Bigfive,South Africa

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NitroXAdministrator
.700 member


Reged: 25/12/02
Posts: 39877
Loc: Barossa Valley, South Australi...
Re: What makes a safari better? [Re: Bigfive]
      #2021 - 13/03/03 01:00 AM

Oops forgot to tell the story of "those damned people!"

Simple little story that illustrates the difference from what I regard as a normal hunting camp and what a normal African hunting camp is.

Dantri (BigFive) and I had driven out from Jo'burg North towards the area of the Northern Province near Thabazimbi - not far from the Limpopo.

We had driven on some dirt and gravel roads for some time and had entered the game property and approached the hunting camp. The hunting camp lay beside a water dam with several brick chalets, a dining chalet and the kitchens and staff quarters.

I had been told that I would be exclusively hunting the property though a PH or two might stay while checking out other properties in the area.

Driving towards the buildings circling the dam what do I see but several people come walking out from the dining area, a white fella and a couple of blacks. I thought to myself "Who are these damned people!" But kept it to myself. Getting out - of course you idiot - they are the staff - George the camp manager and chef (yes that is right he is a trained chef) and the two staff (I forget their names for the moment and would need to look up their names- Dantri ? do you remember?).

They greeted us and soon offered hot moist towels and cold beers and soft drinks. And this was the reception EVERY time we arrived at camp for lunch or in the evening or just dropping off game (except one time we sneeked in and caught them offguard). That was also the standard joke everytime we arrived. "Those damned people are here again!"

And that is the difference in most African camps. Good staff and good service. BigFive's camp here was top notch and excellent service. Sit and relax with a cold drink. Maybe a quick shower before a two, three or four course hot and delicious cooked meal. Another drink or two, perhaps a smoke and off to bed contented.

Now if they knew the camps we are usually used to. Arrive at camp perhaps after dark. Cook a tin of canned food with a torch (flashlight) over a fire or a gas burner. If lucky you have a camp fridge and can have freshish food for three or four days and a few cold drinks. Maybe not enough water to wash properly for a week (pew!) in drier places. Sleep not on luxury mattresses but on a bedroll and a sleeping bag sometimes with ants, bugs and snakes for company.

And some blokes want to rough it in Africa? No way if the camp is there make use of it and enjoy.



"Those damned people again!"

So good we needed to take a photo of them.


--------------------
John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

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