Trophy not delivered to dip and pack - Need some advice!

I and a friend went on a buffalo hunt in Zimbabwe last September. TO date, our buffalo still haven't been delivered to be dipped and packed. The whole hunt was a train wreck and we got nothing that we paid for exept the buffalo.
I was getting the run around from the PH, but now no replies to my emails. This hunt was bought through SCI and not sure if it would be a good idea at this point to contact them or just wait to see what happens. I'm a bit concerned that if I file a bad report that my buffalo will be gone forever.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Sorry to hear about your poor experience in Zimbabwe. It has been a year now and your trophy should have been delivered to the taxidermist and/or dip and pack facility already a long time ago... From what I've gathered from your post, things do not look too promising. Persistence might get your Buffalo trophy back so be prepared to take some actions, put it out there and fight the battle...

Have you contacted the hunting outfit (Not the PH) that you hunted with?

Do you have a taxidermist and/or dip and pack person in Zimbabwe with whom you were looking at working with to process your Buffalo trophy? Have you contacted them to try to have them assist you with this matter?

Did you already take steps to contact some local agencies here in the US as well as organizations in Zimbabwe?

At this point I think that you need to be more proactive... Here is a thread that you should read: Problem w/ PH not completing paperwork to ship

Here below are a few organizations that you may want to contact... Not all might be able to assist you with your issue as the PH or hunting outfit would have to be a member of that organization in order for them to have any sort of recourses or even be able to help you...


Zimbabwe Professional Hunters & Guides Association (ZPHGA)
Zimbabwe Professional Hunters & Guides Association (ZPHGA) is dedicated to maintain the highest standards of professionalism amongst their members and are committed to the long term management and utilization of wildlife. However it is important to mention that Zimbabwe's hunting outfitters, hunting guides, master hunting guides, bowhunting guides and professional hunters are not required to be members of ZPHGA to conduct hunting safaris. Click here to visit ZPHGA web site for more information regarding basic hunting laws and regulations and more.


Safaris Operators Association of Zimbabwe (SOAZ)
Safaris Operators Association of Zimbabwe (SOAZ) is an organization with members that range from touring, photographic excursions to hunting safaris operators. Click here to visit SOAZ web site for more information regarding basic hunting laws and regulations and more.

Safari operators in Zimbabwe are required to be registered and licenced by the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority. Ask for your operator's number when booking your hunt and, if he does not have one, check his bona fides through SOAZ by emailing them at the following email address soaz@mweb.co.zw.

Operators must hold a lease or agreement on a suitable concession with an approved quota of animals. They are responsible for the official paperwork and permits connected to the hunt.

Bow and handgun hunting are permitted on an experimental basis, but require special permits. Black powder is legal provided the weapon complies with the requirements of the Third Schedule of the Firearms Act. This also applies to handguns.

Hunting operators are required by law to provide the services of a Zimbabwe Licenced Professional Hunter to accompany foreign hunters in Zimbabwe. Licensing is undertaken by the National Parks & Wildlife Authority. Professional Hunters write a Learner Examination, and are then apprenticed to a fully-licenced Professional Hunter for two years. During this time they must pass a shooting test set by the Zimbabwe Shooting Federation and obtain an Advanced First Aid Certificate.


Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZPWMA)
A hunt must be organized and carried out by a safari operator that is registered and licensed with the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZPWMA). Safari operator are obliged by law to employ a licensed professional guide or professional hunter to accompany hunting clients into the bush. To visit Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority web site click here.

Zimbabwe Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET)
All operators in Zimbabwe must be registered and licensed with the Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET) to be legal. Operators are responsible for obtaining the permits and supplying the necessary services such as camp accommodation, catering, trackers, skinners, vehicles and a Zimbabwe licensed and registered professional guide or professional hunter. To visit Zimbabwe Ministry of Environment and Tourism web site click here.

Zimbabwe Government Online
Welcome Zimbabwe's Web Portal

Some valuable side info regarding Zimbabwe:
Professional guides and professional hunters are required to have a valid license and be registered with the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZPWMA). The full license is issued on a plastic identity card which includes the photograph of the holder, license number, date of issue, year for which the license is valid for and a stamped along with a signature from the Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZPWMA). Those still in the training process carry paper licenses.


African Professional Hunters Association (APHA)
https://www.africanpha.com


International Professional Hunters Association (IPHA)
http://www.internationalprohunters.com

Thanks for the great advice!
The PH I have talked to is also the owner operater. I do have the name of the park manager where the buffalo were taken and understand that they are being kept there. I also contacted the taxidermist in Zimbabwe and they have tried to help. They told me they would pick up our trophies, but can't without paperwork from the outfit we hunted with.
Would contacting SCI be a smart move?
I understand this PH is donating 2 buffalo hunts this year in Zim.

I guess I'm a bit scared to rock the boat to much as I think maybe the PH (owner) will make sure we will never get our trophies!
Frustrating to say the least

After you try all the positive channels .....
Make it worth his while NOT to lose your trophies.
At least you will help a fellow hunter stay away from this guy.
SCI promoting/or accepting more hunts from the same guy with this type of problem still happening! Hmmm.
Perhaps if the guy got cut off from his next victim your buffalo might show up. If not, you are not really any worse off than you are now.

===If not, you are not really any worse off than you are now.===

This is my thinking. After a year and several unsuccessful attempts on your part to get your buffalo, what do you have to lose? Clearly, "not rocking the boat" is not working. Time to step up the effort and put the pressure on him. For example, in this age of social media and the internet, you could easily put the hurt on his reputation in a matter of hours. A website with his name and operation, detailing the whole ordeal could prove fatal to his livelihood. Eventually, if you keep at it, he will come to the point where it is better to deliver your buffalo and get you off his back.

Best of luck.

Thomas Taxidermy said:

I was getting the run around from the PH, but now no replies to my emails.

Click to expand...

How long has it been since you last received a reply by email from the PH? When was the last time you emailed the PH? Have you tried to call him?

Please can I have the

Name of the PH
Name of the outfit
Name of the area/ concession
Dates of the hunt

Perhaps I can put a few feelers out and see what is happening

Martin, ZPHGA, chairman

Thank you Martin.

Sorry to not reply sooner, been in BC.
I got my last email from the owner 2 months ago telling me all paper work was complete and my buffalo would be deliver asap. He blamed his guy for not picking it up. Since I have writen him twice and no reply from him or his staff. I've also contacted the dip and pack place but nothing from them either. Last letter from them stated that they were always chasing the guy for paper work.

Thanks for all the helpful advice! I think I will give him one more chance and also let him know my plans to contact SCI and this forum if my buffalo is not delivered ASAP.

Was this hunt in Zimbabwe conducted by South African PH Riaan Vosloo of Shingani Safaris?

Just got an email and he said our buffalo in are their possession and they will be delivered to dip and pack tomorrow!

Thomas

Here is the information i found on the web for Shingani Safaris - Riaan Vosloo.
These are th econtact number and e mail address i found. check to see if they are different than what you have and give it a try.

It looks like they hunt both South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Riaan & Charmaine Vosloo
Telephone Number: +27 14763 4988
Cell Number: +27 82 322 4995
Cell Number: +27 82 872 0535
E-mail: safari@shingani.com

ThomasBeaham said:

Was this hunt in Zimbabwe conducted by South African PH Riaan Vosloo of Shingani Safaris?

Click to expand...

Thomas Taxidermy said:

Yes it was! Just learned he got in some trouble recently in Zimbabwe!

Click to expand...

marty said:

....
Martin, ZPHGA, chairman

Click to expand...

Martin what is the scoop with this guy.
I have no idea about Zim laws or requirements about being a ZPHGA member (mandatory or not)
and I keep hearing issues about illegal hunting in Parks and now stories of not bothering to contact clients and following through on contracts, never mind the fiasco that has been alluded to above with the whole hunt in general.

How can this outfit/ guy be operating in Zimbabwe?
Illegally?
Through bribes how is this guy able to get away with this type of performance.

Thanks for your help.

A response from Martin about this operation:

Here's another one for Riaan Vosloo!!! I get these all the time from clients that have booked Zimbabwe hunts with South Africans......folks Zimbabwe and South Africa are different countries in case you did not realize that!



I didn't realize that Riaan wasn't licenced in Zimbabwe. I bought the hunt at the SCI convention through the SCI auction. I do know Riaan had 35 buffalo hunts in Zimbabwe last year and his father operates out of Zimbabwe.


Thank you, from what I understand, you booked this safari with a South African operator, NOT a ZImbabwe operator, secondly, the PH, Wentzel is a South African licensed Ph, NOT a Zimbabwe licensed Ph, this is the problem. Effectively, they conducted an illegal safari. I believe in your case, the incorrect paperwork was completed and the money you paid for the safari was never banked in accordance with our regulations, therefore the trophies cannot be exported.

My advice if you decide to hunt in Zimbabwe again, is to book with a registered Zimbabwean operator with a concession who uses Zimbabwean licensed PH's



martin@bulembisafaris.co.zw

Got word today that my buffalo arrived at the taxidermist for processing!

Thomas,
Sounds like you are on the way to a succesful outcome and I hope your buff arrives in the near future.

Perhaps you should also confirm with taxidermist that it is in fact your buffalo given some of other threads on the forum in recent time.

Only a suggestion.

Well it will be interesting to see if the cape buffalo will be shipped out of the country, because unless the hunt took place under a licensed Zimbabwe PH, I can see the cape buffalo being mounted with no paper work to get it out of the country.

And I'm not blaming you Thomas, there are way to many shady operators selling cape buffalo, elephant and other animals in Zimbabwe, that have no license or authority to hunt in Zimbabwe. You as a hunter go there, pay the PH, maybe get your animal, but you will never be able to ship it out of the country.

This is sad lesson I have learned being a AH member.

Thomas would like to clear up if it was a legal hunt?

My buffalo finally was delivered to Matabeland Taxidermy a couple weeks ago and I was sent a photo of it, pretty rough shape to say the least! Now I'm told there is paperwork with it!
What a nightmare!