Guidelines to Choosing a Good Outfitter for a Hunt in South Africa
Guidelines to Choosing a Good Outfitter for a Hunt in South Africa
This is a very difficult and controversial matter and there is no exact science to choosing the best Outfitter to hunt with however these steps should insure that you get your money’s worth.
1. The most important thing is to establish before looking for the Outfitter is what species you will be interested in hunting certain species can only be hunted in their native province.
For example Springbuck cannot be taken in the Limpopo province however the trophy quality for certain species in the Limpopo province might be better than in other provinces, the best thing to would be to focus on each province according the species that are indigenous to the province.
2. Questions that your Outfitter should respond to:
• Is the operator a licensed Outfitter in RSA and how long has he been a Outfitter.
Ask for the license information.
Does he belong to PHASA and if not why not?
The following should be provided and is very important:
• All terms and conditions
• Safari Contract
• Letter of invitation (even if one does not intend on bringing your rifle with this is still a good document to view since it has the Outfitter’s license number as well as signature on it).
• Indemnity form
• Extra documentation or information such as the rifle importation process would be helpful to have
• The Outfitter should provide his Outfitter license number
• The PH should provide his PH licensed Number
• In a lot of cases the Outfitter and PH can be the same person please bear that in mind
• Does the outfit belong to SCI, Dallas SC, Rowland Ward or other hunting/conservation organizations (if there are problems there is some fall back on these organizations ethics committees)?
• Ask for a list of references/clients for the last three years
Please bear in mind that certain Outfits are still young and need to build up a client base there is a big difference between a young Outfit and a bad one (we all need to start somewhere in business). As long as the outfitter is honest about his position and informs the potential client beforehand one should not have any problems honesty is sometimes the hardest thing to do and telling a potential client something that he might not want to hear should count in your favor.
The Size of property to be hunted needs to be determined and whether it is a put and shoot operation or an operator who has breeding herds and manages them for trophy quality and the land base. If the hunt will be on several farms, how big are the fenced areas on each of the farms and how much travel time is involved between farms?
Does the operator own some of the land being hunted on or does he simply jump around from one place to another on a tarmac safari. Will you be staying at one lodge or bouncing around from one facility to another?
Ask about the species of big game that you want to hunt and how many do they take on average during a season and what was the average trophy size. Not to be a record book nut but to have an idea of how things are being managed and to establish reasonable expectations for your hunt.
How many hunters does the operator run per year and how many people should you expect to be in camp during your hunt? (Is it a whackem and stackem outfit slamming hunters through?)
Some outfits book their camps/camp out on a one group at a time basis others will prefer to have the camp full with different hunters and cultures neither one is good or bad it would depend on the client and his preferences?
Who is going to be your guide/PH?
What is the vintage and state of repair of the safari vehicles?
Does the operator run safari companies in other countries and if so where? (Gives an idea of their 'worldly experience'.)
Does the hunting Outfitter have facilities specifically built to accommodate the field preparation process in other words skinning parlor, salt room and cleaning facilities such as a bath to soak the skins in to ensure all the blood is washed out of the skins before drying.?
How are the trophies handled and who does the operator use for dipping and packing or as a recommended taxidermist. Do you get to meet the taxidermist that the Outfitter recommends?
And he should have some decent information on these people, website, prices etc in advance so the hunter can also check references on their services. Is he willing to ship the trophies to a different company if the client requests it?
Please remember to ask your Outfitter if you will get the opportunity to fill in the PH register after the hunt, this is a vital piece of documentation that has to be filled out since no hunt can legally take place without the completion of this document.
The last but very important thing to keep in mind is you get what you pay for; owning land, upgrading facilities and keeping your hunting equipment in good condition takes a large financial investment every year.
Best Regards
Louis van Bergen
