ALWAYS Do Your Homework
This weekend I got an email from a gentleman I know in Montana. A smart man, an attorney and someone who I think, given what I am going to explain, has enough experience. “Richard, what do you know about XYZ Outfitter, as I am looking at a hunt in Namibia with him.”
Well, the operation’s website has no PH names or any other people to speak to, no telephone or email. It’s one of these sites that you fill in and then “submit” the enquiry. I hate those.
This operation is based in Zimbabwe yet has no Zimbabwe association logo. They appear to have no link to Namibia and/or a Namibian association stamp of approval, yet are offering a Namibian hunt.
My best advice to the writer was, if in doubt – don’t go. It was one of the probably hundreds of hunts offered at a Donation Auction where scant vetting is done. I wrote about this earlier in the year, but I have to keep repeating myself.
There’s a booking agent, I also read this weekend, who is offering elephant in Botswana: “All in for $27,900.”
When Botswana opened up some years back, this particular agent offered elephant hunts there, non-exportable because his trusty Botswana operator was trying a fast one and offering (illegally) the Botswana ‘citizen elephant’ to be hunted by foreign tourists. Unreal, but true. I warned him about this; he removed the posts. At a sensitive time for Botswana, as the country was coming back to the international hunting stage, it did not need this. Said booking agent moved to Zimbabwe in pursuit of selling the cheapest elephant.
In his next move, he then started espousing how Zimbabwe was the best deal – selling elephant for discounted prices through his trusty operator there. Well, no guessing how that ended up.
Now he is back, offering Botswana hunts and telling everyone how ‘crappy’ (his words) Zimbabwe is on his latest promo post. Just incredible. He sent many clients to Afton until his clients opted to use my TTS (Taxidermist & Trophy Shipping) operation over the one he ‘strongly recommended’. He did not like that freedom of choice and now tells everyone how he prefers an alternate lodge for arrivals!
I won’t mention names, but what unsuspecting hunters don’t know is that this one-man booking agent roams the floors of the major shows, has no booth, and offers only the cheapest hunts. He tarnishes the reputation of solid and reputable booking agents – those you see on the list of the Show Directory. Ones you can meet along with their outfitters. And so, while you may be lucky and have a great safari, you certainly will not be guaranteed one if you don’t do your homework – it is just as simple as that.
On a lighter and very exciting note – as something to really drive you to sign up for the AHG Membership, or sit back and hope you win if you are already a member – is this incredible DRAW.
Have a read. It is huge and it is an ALL INCLUSIVE prize. I am not sure such a lucky draw has ever been done before.
Regards
