ZIMBABWE: African Trails Safaris & PH Shingi - Don't Let The Website Fool You!

[Mtn_Infantry]

Sorry, I’m in a turkey coma. I hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving with family. Well, I don’t want to derail this thread about our adventures in Mozambique 30 years ago but yes there where absolutely red flags although this was before the internet and I was a 31 year old first time African hunter. It was the cheapest buffalo, lion, and leopard hunt at the time. Suffice it to say, with the internet and great sites like AH, the hunt would have never happened but looking back I honestly enjoyed the adventure and will post a story about it someday.

I can appreciate applying leadership principles to the thought process, something I’ve done myself for more than half of my lifetime both in the marines then a career in law enforcement in command level positions, however a solo hunter new to this area is essentially only in charge of themselves but they can make a decision based on the information they have with boots on the ground, but only they can make that decision with vastly more information than which is being provided, not you or I, sitting in our home relaxing over a glass of good whiskey, stomach filled with turkey..

Personally, if I’m there, have maybe 50% already paid, and have a viable opportunity to still hunt buffalo, I would stay and make the best of it like the OP but IMO that is a subjective decision only the hunter can make based on realtime information and I don’t think that means they are a poor leader whatever they decide.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family as well.

I completely get and understand what you’re saying. Like you I know people often get blinded by how deep they are in a situation and keep bypassing red flags and exits they should get off. As a moderately experienced African hunter who’s been on more than 10 safaris across 5 different African countries it’s very easy for me to armchair quarterback this, hence the 5 obvious takeaways from the OP’s version of the events and additional questions. Hopefully with the availability of information on the web others will also be able to notice those 5 Takeaways and avoid the same cautionary tale. That said the OP’s been fairly silent since the post.

When you have some time, start a thread on your Moz Hunt. It sounds like an amazing adventure and one I likely would’ve considered, given the current events in Niassa this year wouldn’t have stopped me from hunting there if I was booked, and like I told my outfitter for next year’s hunt there; it won’t stop me.

 

[BRICKBURN]

 

[yukonspirit]

I’m not the outfitter, but I am well informed about what actually happened. The PH and the operator are unlikely to engage in an online debate — they haven’t been approached directly, and they generally avoid public arguments. Still, the original post omits several important facts, which creates a very misleading narrative.





Before any hunt, outfitters and PHs typically speak with the client to assess physical condition and expectations. In this particular case, the client — despite being over 70 years old — insisted he was in excellent shape. Once in the field, that clearly wasn’t true. If a PH recommends hunting from a vehicle, it’s almost always because the client cannot physically track buffalo on foot.





According to the hunter’s own account, by the fifth day he had already received two opportunities at buffalo, even while staying in the car. On the second one he almost certainly wounded the animal, which explains why the rest of the safari was spent trying to recover it. And wounded-animal fees are standard everywhere — that’s not something invented by this outfitter.





When someone tries to cut every possible expense, refuses to track on foot, and then wounds a buffalo they are responsible for paying, frustration is predictable. That doesn’t mean the outfitter acted improperly; it simply means key context is being excluded.





I’m not here to label the outfitter as good or bad. But considering they take 20–30 clients a year without incident, their version is far more credible than the account of a first-time international hunter who may have assumed buffalo hunting works like shooting a whitetail from a tree stand after a short domestic flight.





And it’s also worth noting that this specific client — whose name I know — has apparently attempted to prevent this outfitter from advertising on BookYourHunt. That alone suggests motives extending well beyond an “honest review.”





Thanks for watching

No Tusker, I am in good shape and had no problem keeping up with the PH and tracker. In fact I did this for most days of the hunt, walked 3-4 hrs in the morning and 2-3 hrs late afternoon. I carried the rifle during that time, even though one of the trackers offered to carry it for me. I hunt in the mountains of western Canada under far more strenuous conditions, often with a backpack. The African hunts I’ve been on are not even close in terms of a workout compared to western Canada. In fact they are not much different in terms of energy expended than walking my dog in the park…

No Tusker, the PH didn’t recommend hunting from the vehicle. We only used the vehicle to travel between different sections of the hunting block, in search of buffalo tracks. Once we found a fresh track we would follow it. I think he wanted me to sit in the back to optimize getting a shot at a buffalo. He seemed to be getting pretty desperate, and so was the tracker, when it was obvious that the changes to look over some daga boys appeared pretty slim.

Yes Tusker, I wounded the buffalo I had a shot at on day 5. We clearly saw the blood, that afternoon and some the following day when we found the tracks again. And I didn’t complain about tracking the animal. In fact I would be glad to track it another day, if the PH had looked a bit harder to find the track. I didn’t’ complain about the trophy fee; that’s all understood when an animal is wounded.

No Tusker, I am not a first-time international hunter who assumes hunting buffalo works like hunting deer from a tree stand. I have hunted mountain sheep, grizzly, moose, caribou, black bear most of my adult life in the wilds of northwestern Canada, often on solo hunts. I have never hunted deer or from tree stands.

No Tusker, I have no motives beyond an honest review. And I didn’t attempt to prevent this outfitter from advertising on BookYourHunt (BYH). I did ask BYH if they would help me to retrieve a refund that the outfitter owed me. I did tell BYH that this outfitter hadn’t honored his contractual obligations with respect to the area I was supposed to be guided in. When BYH heard this they considered this serious enough to pull the outfitter from the platform. Seems fair to me. Of course, the outfitter is welcome to tell his side of the story to BYH.

 

[yukonspirit]

I Am sorry to hear this tale but it has been told before. Sadly we have heard many bad reports of black PH's and the terrible areas they take clients to. I am sure Martin had some insight to share with you when you met.

Yes, Martin was the one who told me later that they must have lied to me about having permits available for that good unit next to Hwange Park. Chap Esterhuizen who guided me in the Bubye told me some more about these outfits as well. Having had such a wonderful hunt with Chap I can now laugh it off, but I wanted to post this story so that other wannabe buffalo hunters can avoid these situations.

 

[yukonspirit]

I had a problem on BookYourHunt last year, with the same outfitter! It involved charging booking fees and the quoted price changing by several thousand dollars. I sent BYH( bookyourhunt) the whatsapp conversation and Elephant Trails was removed from the site..... less than a week later they were back on. BYH sent me a message simply stating that BYH has spoken with Elephant Trails and they admitted their mistake and were warned and they promised not to do it again, so they were re-instated. I spoke with a previous hunter who had used them and was very upset with them as well, with similar problems about fees being raised AND not hunting in the promised area.
Ultimately, I decided not to hunt with them because I felt they were deceptive. NOTE: all my interactions were with the co-owner who lives in Florida and handles the bookings. I never interacted with Shingi. Still, I feel I dodged a bad experience.

All my interactions before the hunt were with the owner living in Florida. You were lucky that you dodged a bad experience. But Shingi simply doesn’t have the right attitude to be a PH. Even under the circumstances, i.e. minimal animal sign, very few buffalo tracks he could have made the best of it by, relating his experiences, explaining what to look for in a good buffalo trophy, put a positive spin on the whole thing. I was more than willing to learn and make the best of a bad situation. But no, practically no communication, dragging me out of the truck when I didn’t respond quick enough to get ready for a shot, comments like “don’t look through your binocs, I’ll tell you what to shoot”, or “ARE YOU DEAF” when I didn’t understand his strongly accented, grumbly English… In short, a very unpleasant man. My sense was that he must have been frustrated that they could no longer hunt in the prime Unit5. He must have been wondering about his future as a PH, with no longer getting permits for Unit5, and being stuck in a pour, poached-out area (Matetsi ECA). Even his trackers were looking for work elsewhere.

 

[yukonspirit]

The simple fact that ‘BookYourHunt’ even carried them tells me that BYH is an agent to avoid.

There actually was a positive story about the outfit on the BYH site last year, so I can't blame BYH for carrying them. Another hunt I had a few years ago in Cameroon was with an outfitter listed on BYH, and that turned out to be a great outfit. And BYH took my complaint serious and put some pressure on the outfitter in Florida to refund me some money he was owing me. Without that pressure I might not have seen my money...

 

[yukonspirit]

Was it really arranged this way? I believe is best to get informed before making any assumptions. Maybe you know things I don’t, but I really doubt is the case on this particular matter.

I’m not here to defend any side of the story, but I took the time to ask the operator and there are evidences that show that what is exposed on the first message is not completely true, therefor its a lie.

Yes I insisted that the outfitter put hunting in Unit 5 in the contract, which required some pressure on my part. You see, I had talked to a hunter who hunted both Matetsi ECA and Unit 5 last year and basically told me to steer away from ECA for buffalo. The outfitter tried to steer me away from hunting there ("your trophy fee will be more expensive"). But I insisted and the contract says: 1 buffalo in Unit 5 and PG in ECA.

 

[mark-hunter]

I had talked to a hunter who hunted both Matetsi ECA and Unit 5 last year and basically told me to steer away from ECA for buffalo.

What were the reasons stated for this advice?

 

[yukonspirit]

Firearms hunting etiquette, or safety depends on where you come from. And where you actually are.
In my country, (EU), rifle is empty in car, transported in bag or case empty, unloaded in safe, loaded only in a hunt, or on the range.
Besides, that is the local law. No choice

But in Africa, if you have elephants or buffalo passing near camp in the night, perspectives are different.
It is not surprising that PH is asking for loaded rifle to be chambered and locked during DG hunt.

Sure, I like to have my rifle loaded and on safety when I leave my vehicle too. In this case, the rifle that was available to me was one with a very flimsy trigger safety. I once had a rifle like that, I think it was a Zastava-type trigger safety, but I had my gunsmith exchange that with a Recknagel 3-way firin pin safety. We Canadians cannot export firearms to Zimbabwe so I had to use the camp rifle. Having this unsafe, cocked rifle sit, rattling, in behind the cruiser cabin, with 3-4 guys getting in and out, sometime close to the barrel, was IMO very irresponsible and I refused to keep it loaded in the rack. Once I climbed down from the back of the truck I could have it chambered as soon as I hit the ground.

 

[yukonspirit]

What were the reasons stated for this advice?

Well, in Matetsi he saw very little buffalo activity, while in unit 5 (which borders Hwange Park) he saw many buffalo.

 

[375Fox]

Well, in Matetsi he saw very little buffalo activity, while in unit 5 (which borders Hwange Park) he saw many buffalo.

Just FYI, buffalo aren’t always in every Matetsi unit. They move in and out between units. A couple days can make a big difference. Also, community areas near villages and farms might not look as nice, but old buffalo bulls do go into them to escape lions. I’m not doubting there were issues on the hunt, but animal numbers can vary based on a lot of factors. I’ve hunted areas I thought nearly devoid of PG then hunted following year and had a huge number of opportunities. You really need to compile a lot of references to get a full understanding of a concession area.

 

[mark-hunter]

Sure, I like to have my rifle loaded and on safety when I leave my vehicle too. In this case, the rifle that was available to me was one with a very flimsy trigger safety. I once had a rifle like that, I think it was a Zastava-type trigger safety, but I had my gunsmith exchange that with a Recknagel 3-way firin pin safety. We Canadians cannot export firearms to Zimbabwe so I had to use the camp rifle. Having this unsafe, cocked rifle sit, rattling, in behind the cruiser cabin, with 3-4 guys getting in and out, sometime close to the barrel, was IMO very irresponsible and I refused to keep it loaded in the rack. Once I climbed down from the back of the truck I could have it chambered as soon as I hit the ground.

This is reasonable. Most likely I would do the same.

 

[yukonspirit]

Just FYI, buffalo aren’t always in every Matetsi unit. They move in and out between units. A couple days can make a big difference. Also, community areas near villages and farms might not look as nice, but old buffalo bulls do go into them to escape lions. I’m not doubting there were issues on the hunt, but animal numbers can vary based on a lot of factors. I’ve hunted areas I thought nearly devoid of PG then hunted following year and had a huge number of opportunities. You really need to compile a lot of references to get a full understanding of a concession area.

Sure, your point about buffalo and some PG moving around is well taken. However, sedentary antelopes like bushbuck and impala were absent from prime habitat. And there was a lot of prime riverine bushbuck habitat with no tracks.. This points to poaching IMO. That the Matetsi ECA area is heavily poached was recently confirmed to me by two other PH’s that have hunted most of their lives in Zimbabwe.

 

[TTundra]

Definitely always two sides, but if was agreed to hunt in a particular matetsi safari area then taken to a Matetsi ECA I’d think that would warrant bookyourhunt looking into.

@yukonspirit Can you post (redact your name if needed) the contract stating unit 5? In my opinion, the debate starts and stops there if in fact it was in a contract. If you had an agreement for a certain area based on your ask, and were taken to another without prior approval no other information is needed to make my determination this report. Beyond that, having the operator give their account in their own words would be beneficial for all reading this.

There are positive reviews on hunts from Elephant Trails on AH, including a report by @Tusker . Some 1 offs, but at least a couple good remarks from members beyond a "join and post once". I think its fair to post the contract to back your claims.

 

[coreydb]

I've booked hunts from the BookYourHunt website in the past and had great results. Unfortunately there are less than ethical people everywhere.

 

[yukonspirit]

@yukonspirit Can you post (redact your name if needed) the contract stating unit 5? In my opinion, the debate starts and stops there if in fact it was in a contract. If you had an agreement for a certain area based on your ask, and were taken to another without prior approval no other information is needed to make my determination this report. Beyond that, having the operator give their account in their own words would be beneficial for all reading this.

There are positive reviews on hunts from Elephant Trails on AH, including a report by @Tusker . Some 1 offs, but at least a couple good remarks from members beyond a "join and post once". I think its fair to post the contract to back your claims.

 

[yukonspirit]

So here is the contract, which clearly states 1 buffalo for Unit 5. The contract was dated February 18, 2025. Acccording to Martin Pieters who has hunted this area for many years, no permits were issued during 2025...and the outfitter would have known that.

 

[TTundra]

@yukonspirit. Thank you. No question about it now. Elephant Trails is in the wrong from the get go here.

Thank you for your openness on your experience so members here can make more informed decisions.

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

So here is the contract, which clearly states 1 buffalo for Unit 5. The contract was dated February 18, 2025. Acccording to Martin Pieters who has hunted this area for many years, no permits were issued during 2025...and the outfitter would have known that.

Your contract clearly states Unit 5 - but my questions from before remain the same

1) Why would you hunt with/request to hunt there with an outfitter that doesn't hold the concession?
2) Did you not think it was a Red Flag for Elephant Trails to undercut the concession holder when he/she has to buy the quota off the concession holder and they normally charge other outfitters a premium to operate in their area because it removes daily rates and trophy fee dollars from their own pocket or in this case there was No Quote for 2025 and checking with the concession holder would've revealed that?
3) Did you speak to references from BYH that had hunted with Elephant Trails? How about ones BYH sent to Matetsi Unit 5 the prior season?
4) Aside from talking to your friend who hunted in Unit 5 earlier and saw more buffalo than the ECA, had you done any other research on Unit 5?
5) Did you ask BYH if they ever hunted with Elephant Trails in Unit 5 or the ECA?


I should add, I'm not asking these questions to cast blame on you. I'm asking them more to highlight some of the things that myself and other members like @375Fox ask or consider when looking at potential outfitters or areas that can hopefully help you or other AH member on future hunts.

 

[yukonspirit]

Your contract clearly states Unit 5 - but my questions from before remain the same

1) Why would you hunt with/request to hunt there with an outfitter that doesn't hold the concession?
2) Did you not think it was a Red Flag for Elephant Trails to undercut the concession holder when he/she has to buy the quota off the concession holder and they normally charge other outfitters a premium to operate in their area because it removes daily rates and trophy fee dollars from their own pocket or in this case there was No Quote for 2025 and checking with the concession holder would've revealed that?
3) Did you speak to references from BYH that had hunted with Elephant Trails? How about ones BYH sent to Matetsi Unit 5 the prior season?
4) Aside from talking to your friend who hunted in Unit 5 earlier and saw more buffalo than the ECA, had you done any other research on Unit 5?
5) Did you ask BYH if they ever hunted with Elephant Trails in Unit 5 or the ECA?


I should add, I'm not asking these questions to cast blame on you. I'm asking them more to highlight some of the things that myself and other members like @375Fox ask or consider when looking at potential outfitters or areas that can hopefully help you or other AH member on future hunts.

Here are my answers Mtn_Infantry:

• I wasn’t familiar with the Zimbabwe permitting system, i.e. how permits are allocated. I assumed that since Elephant Trails stated they had permits for that area, that things would be ok. The Florida owner had stated, referring to Unit 5, “since we go often, they grant us more priority than to other outfitters”. So he made it sound that he was one of the preferred outfitters for that area…
• Again, as in (1), due to lack of familiarity with the Zim permitting system, I assumed that it was a special price to fill his spots. Thoughts about “undercutting concession holders” never occurred to me..
• No, and looking back, I sure wished I had done more research. Live and learn.
• Same as (4).
• Same as (3,4).

These are all good questions, and it is good to emphasize how important it is to do one’s homework.

I did more research for my subsequent hunt in the Bubye Valley Conservancy, from which I just returned a few weeks ago. This turned out to be a fantastic hunt made possible by Martin Pieters. The PH was Chap Esterhuizen; couldn’t have wished for a more fun, kind, professional PH. Now that I have dealt with these guys, I know I will be in good hands for future hunts in Zimbabwe!