SOUTH AFRICA: Kuche Safaris - Free State - August 2024

I would rank it at around 3.5 stars out of 5. Most of my group went with shoulder mounts with back skins. The angle of the mounts was not always the easiest to work with once we got them home. If you examined them closely, there were obvious stitches in areas. From a distance, they look fine. For the price probably got what we paid for.
 
HuntDoc said:
I would rank it at around 3.5 stars out of 5. Most of my group went with shoulder mounts with back skins. The angle of the mounts was not always the easiest to work with once we got them home. If you examined them closely, there were obvious stitches in areas. From a distance, they look fine. For the price probably got what we paid for.
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Any idea on the size of the crate and cost for shipping?
 
375Fox said:
You made this argument several years ago. As far as I can tell you’ve still never been to Africa and aren’t planning to, so it’s really a non-issue. As far as sponsors (really they are advertisers), some are very good, some are only ok, and a few I wouldn’t take a free hunt with. The options with sponsors cover very good options within Namibia and South Africa, outside that there are some deficiencies you wouldn’t understand.
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I only deal with two outfitters in South Africa. Neither one of them are sponsors "advertisers" on this site. They are excellent at what they do and can handle every need you would ever have within South Africa and have good partners in Zimbabwe, Botswana, Uganda and Zambia to handle any hunt there as well. They stay pretty well booked up with return clients and word of mouth. They haven't seen the need to advertise here yet. I may try to get them to try this site, but I'm sure they have weighed the pros and cons of doing so.

I am leaving for buffalo hunt in a couple of weeks with one of them and returning with a group next year as well. I have a double buffalo hunt booked with the other outfitter in 2028.

I would love to try to get them to advertise here and get a group together from this site to do a buffalo hunt along with some plains game. I would love to meet and hunt with some of you. I know you would have a great hunting experience with either of them.
 
jt13 said:
Any idea on the size of the crate and cost for shipping?
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The crate for 5 animals (2 shoulder mounts Kudu and Nyala and 3 euro mounts) was about the size of a medium ATV. The total cost was just under $2,600 ... note there are US Fish and Game inspection fees that are often not noted in your import fees that can surprise you...$500+ so ask about that with your importer.
 
I came here to see if I could find out some
More info on where my mounts were that Kuche was supposed to send me. Glad to see I’m not the only one who got screwed over. Hunted there July of 2023. My buddy and I paid 50%. We’ve both sent numerous emails to Koos asking where our mounts were and have been completely ignored. So yeah at this point, after 3 years I’m assuming we were scammed. So just a warning that if you go with kuche do not pay him a dime to do your mounts. Because you’ll never see them.
 
sureshot375 said:
These guys are a total scam. Someone with connections at DU needs to put a stop to this.
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If you want to send a letter to ducks unlimited on this scam artists here’s the first place to start. I have already sent them a letter and so has the other guy I hunted with who paid for taxidermy and never received it.
 
Ih2ofowler said:
I came here to see if I could find out some
More info on where my mounts were that Kuche was supposed to send me. Glad to see I’m not the only one who got screwed over. Hunted there July of 2023. My buddy and I paid 50%. We’ve both sent numerous emails to Koos asking where our mounts were and have been completely ignored. So yeah at this point, after 3 years I’m assuming we were scammed. So just a warning that if you go with kuche do not pay him a dime to do your mounts. Because you’ll never see them.
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:S Welcome:to AH. Wish it was under better circumstances
 
I am so glad that we cancelled our safari with Kuche Safaris!!! We rebooked with Hotfire Safaris, and couldn’t be happier!!! I’m so sorry you all are going through this!!! Unfortunate and unconscionable!!!
 
Ih2ofowler said:
I came here to see if I could find out some
More info on where my mounts were that Kuche was supposed to send me. Glad to see I’m not the only one who got screwed over. Hunted there July of 2023. My buddy and I paid 50%. We’ve both sent numerous emails to Koos asking where our mounts were and have been completely ignored. So yeah at this point, after 3 years I’m assuming we were scammed. So just a warning that if you go with kuche do not pay him a dime to do your mounts. Because you’ll never see them.
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Sorry to hear about your troubles, I wouldn’t completely right off your trophies. Granted they have an absolutely atrocious track record there have been several people in the same boat as you. Eventually they did receive their trophies. One recently also waited 3 years the thread is “after 3 years it’s time” I think.
My wife’s cousin and nephew hunted with them 6 or 7 years ago and it took a long time for them to receive their trophies as well.
Welcome to the forum, great place to learn and make future plans.
Where are you located?
 
Ih2ofowler said:
I came here to see if I could find out some
More info on where my mounts were that Kuche was supposed to send me. Glad to see I’m not the only one who got screwed over. Hunted there July of 2023. My buddy and I paid 50%. We’ve both sent numerous emails to Koos asking where our mounts were and have been completely ignored. So yeah at this point, after 3 years I’m assuming we were scammed. So just a warning that if you go with kuche do not pay him a dime to do your mounts. Because you’ll never see them.
Click to expand...

We hunted in '03 as well and ours are done. My buddy's are on a ship and should show up before too long. I had mine sent to another taxidermist as I had planned to try and bring them (just skulls and capes) back on the plane this past summer. Someone convinced me not to try it and I'm still kicking myself. I wish I'd at least tried bringing the warthog back. Maybe next time.

If you'd like, I can send you the e-mail my buddy sent his messages to. They were able to get them to respond each time.

Pablo
 
DonPablo said:
We hunted in '03 as well and ours are done. My buddy's are on a ship and should show up before too long. I had mine sent to another taxidermist as I had planned to try and bring them (just skulls and capes) back on the plane this past summer. Someone convinced me not to try it and I'm still kicking myself. I wish I'd at least tried bringing the warthog back. Maybe next time.

If you'd like, I can send you the e-mail my buddy sent his messages to. They were able to get them to respond each time.

Pablo
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Wow 23 years for trophies ;):LOL:

‘03 was a long time ago
 
.

Reading the very first post & the offer '4 hunters, 16 animals, 5 days 6 nights' & you got it for $ 2.800,- , I would have been running for the hills !

I am genuinely sorry that they messed you about with price hikes for the additional hunters & the taxidermy & that you were with a larger group of hunters all hunting smaller properties scattered around the Free State. That is not what good RSA hunting is about or should be. But you got your animals & everyone was reported as being happy & thats what counts.

There are a lot of great outfitters out there that will work their fingers to the bone to get you great trophies & will not stop till they are on your wall back home but most are not offering those kinds of deals.

I hope you return & have a second hunt - try the Eastern Cape for just 2 or 3 animals with a top outfit or the Limpopo.

Again shame that you did not have a great first safari & taxidermy experience. It should be better than that!

Cheers

Charlie

.



.
 
So here's an interesting update...

A few days ago I took some time to write an email to Ducks Unlimited and express my displeasure (along with that of other members as well) with our experience dealing with Kuche Safaris. I went on to recommend that DU stop advertising Kuche's hunt packages as they did not reflect the standard of service that DU members deserve.

Well, apparently they relayed that message to Koos de Meyer, owner/operator of Kuche Safaris. He reached out to me and asked to speak about what I wrote and why. I believe everybody deserves the truth so I laid out for him exactly what my (our) issues were and how I did, in fact, reach out to DU and recommend the dissolution of their arrangement.

To my surprise, he was very apologetic and explained that the company went through a very rough patch (which may or may not be true) and that they are just now coming "out of the woods" from all of it. He explained that new processes and people are in place and it will take some time for the ship to completely right itself, but ultimately he cannot change what has already been done, and for that he was sorry. Whether it was lip service or not, I can certainly appreciate and respect the humility.

I did offer him some constructive feedback: the ONE thing that could have made this entire experience easier to digest is timely, explicit communication. Even if it means you have to call me to say my items had been eaten by stray dogs. As long as it's the truth then we can work together to find a solution. Stringing people along with the "they should be ready any day now" line for 2 years is unacceptable. He took the feedback humbly and agreed they needed to do better.

He was determined to make it up to me, and offered a visit while he was in the States, which I politely declined. I explained that his sincere apology and ownership of what happened was enough for me and went further than any reimbursement or discount.

So, conclude from this what you will. For what it's worth, I genuinely appreciated that he took to the time to hear me.
 
DonPablo said:
]as I had planned to try and bring them (just skulls and capes) back on the plane this past summer..... I wish I'd at least tried bringing the warthog back. Maybe next time.
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No way you get a warthog home on the plane, even if it was a "finished" euro or tanned skin. All swine entering the US have to go through a USDA inspection and 30-day quarantine.
 
Arty0802 said:
So here's an interesting update...

A few days ago I took some time to write an email to Ducks Unlimited and express my displeasure (along with that of other members as well) with our experience dealing with Kuche Safaris. I went on to recommend that DU stop advertising Kuche's hunt packages as they did not reflect the standard of service that DU members deserve.

Well, apparently they relayed that message to Koos de Meyer, owner/operator of Kuche Safaris. He reached out to me and asked to speak about what I wrote and why. I believe everybody deserves the truth so I laid out for him exactly what my (our) issues were and how I did, in fact, reach out to DU and recommend the dissolution of their arrangement.

To my surprise, he was very apologetic and explained that the company went through a very rough patch (which may or may not be true) and that they are just now coming "out of the woods" from all of it. He explained that new processes and people are in place and it will take some time for the ship to completely right itself, but ultimately he cannot change what has already been done, and for that he was sorry. Whether it was lip service or not, I can certainly appreciate and respect the humility.

I did offer him some constructive feedback: the ONE thing that could have made this entire experience easier to digest is timely, explicit communication. Even if it means you have to call me to say my items had been eaten by stray dogs. As long as it's the truth then we can work together to find a solution. Stringing people along with the "they should be ready any day now" line for 2 years is unacceptable. He took the feedback humbly and agreed they needed to do better.

He was determined to make it up to me, and offered a visit while he was in the States, which I politely declined. I explained that his sincere apology and ownership of what happened was enough for me and went further than any reimbursement or discount.

So, conclude from this what you will. For what it's worth, I genuinely appreciated that he took to the time to hear me.
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Until they change their business model to rely on recommendations from past clients instead of free safari coupons with purchase of gun and DU banquet auctions to bring in new clients, I think they are going to have a long “rough patch.” I’ve been on this forum 6 years, I don’t think there is another outfitter more frequently and consistently mentioned.
 
Arty0802 said:
So here's an interesting update...

A few days ago I took some time to write an email to Ducks Unlimited and express my displeasure (along with that of other members as well) with our experience dealing with Kuche Safaris. I went on to recommend that DU stop advertising Kuche's hunt packages as they did not reflect the standard of service that DU members deserve.

Well, apparently they relayed that message to Koos de Meyer, owner/operator of Kuche Safaris. He reached out to me and asked to speak about what I wrote and why. I believe everybody deserves the truth so I laid out for him exactly what my (our) issues were and how I did, in fact, reach out to DU and recommend the dissolution of their arrangement.

To my surprise, he was very apologetic and explained that the company went through a very rough patch (which may or may not be true) and that they are just now coming "out of the woods" from all of it. He explained that new processes and people are in place and it will take some time for the ship to completely right itself, but ultimately he cannot change what has already been done, and for that he was sorry. Whether it was lip service or not, I can certainly appreciate and respect the humility.

I did offer him some constructive feedback: the ONE thing that could have made this entire experience easier to digest is timely, explicit communication. Even if it means you have to call me to say my items had been eaten by stray dogs. As long as it's the truth then we can work together to find a solution. Stringing people along with the "they should be ready any day now" line for 2 years is unacceptable. He took the feedback humbly and agreed they needed to do better.

He was determined to make it up to me, and offered a visit while he was in the States, which I politely declined. I explained that his sincere apology and ownership of what happened was enough for me and went further than any reimbursement or discount.

So, conclude from this what you will. For what it's worth, I genuinely appreciated that he took to the time to hear me.
Click to expand...


I can appreciate someone taking ownership. But as @375Fox said, there is a long history of bad reputation with them, that would be very hard to explain with a "rough patch".

An apology without changing behavior is just manipulation and gas lighting. Unfortunately, I would lean towards believing that was all this was considering how long they have had the same business practices.

I sincerely hope I am wrong and they do better, but I wouldn't book a hunt with them in the near future to test it out.
 
375Fox said:
Until they change their business model to rely on recommendations from past clients instead of free safari coupons with purchase of gun and DU banquet auctions to bring in new clients, I think they are going to have a long “rough patch.” I’ve been on this forum 6 years, I don’t think there is another outfitter more frequently and consistently mentioned.
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Yeah that's a valid point. After experiencing their outfit first-hand, I think I can confidently say they tend to attract a certain type of client, and that's fine. More space for the rest of us elsewhere.
Sabre said:
An apology without changing behavior is just manipulation and gas lighting. Unfortunately, I would lean towards believing that was all this was considering how long they have had the same business practices.

I sincerely hope I am wrong and they do better, but I wouldn't book a hunt with them in the near future to test it out.
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It may very well have been BS. What I can say, though, is that for me personally, it doesn't matter. I have no intention of hunting with them again (I have a sneaky suspicion he was going to make some free/discounted offer as an olive branch) and my recommendations to others to avoid them will not change. But with our business dealings complete, he had no reason to ever talk to me again so I don't really think he had anything to gain from it. I certainly never expected to hear from him again.
 
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