NAMIBIA: Buffalo Hunt In The Caprivi

[Skyline]

Mr. Fulton,

Thank you for taking the time to post your side of things on this unfortunate situation. Hopefully this will give all on here something to digest and reflect upon.......... the fact is there are always two sides to the equation.

I do not like to see these sorts of things on the internet because in the end there are no winners and everyone goes away with a black eye.

To all..........I mentioned this previously and I will mention it again. My eyebrows rise when the very first post by someone on a forum is one in which an operator is raked over the coals. This usually indicates to me that someone has gone out of their way to track down appropriate websites and that they are on a mission.

I do do not personally know either of these gentlemen and I do hope that they can sit down 'off camera' and sort this out. I know many think that this sort of thing on the internet is just great and keeps them informed. I do not. I personally view situations like this as one of the basic problems in todays society and that is an inability to sort things out face to face...........it is much easier to throw rocks back and forth from behind a computer monitor.

Invariably these distasteful situations are initiated by a client complaining about an operator...............most operators would not even think about posting a 'watch out for this client' topic. Once something like this has been initiated it leaves the operator only one of two options..........if he/she is even aware that a complaint has been launched on the internet......... respond to what has been said or do not reply at all. Inevitably though it is a no win situation.

I know many do not share my views on this...........and so be it. In the end it brings us back to 'effective communication' and just how important it is. Mr. Fulton also touched upon another issue and that is that clients should raise any concerns they have as soon as possible with their PH and if that does not have the desired affect, with the owner/operator directly. Don't wait until the end of the hunt when it is too late to 'fix' anything.

Cheers,

Kelly

 

[safari hunter]

... In the end it brings us back to 'effective communication' and just how important it is ... Don't wait until the end of the hunt when it is too late to 'fix' anything.

Skyline this is very well said. Communication is really the most important thing before, during and after the hunt, it will alleviate most problems or would be problems.

In my opinion the internet is a train that has left the station, whether you like it or not. It is great tool that must be used wisely.

 

[robert tolliver]

:vomit:inocchio:

 

[robert tolliver]

did not have time to post last night. but not to beat dead horse, this person ikeda sounds like cry baby to me , may be not i don't know, never the less a real man goes to the person he has gripe with and they sort it out. i'd bet a dollar to a doughnut hole you would have made it right. some old dogs won't hunt others will and i think this feller needs to man up.

 

[enysse]

My response after reading both sides is this. It sounds like the client wanted to buffalo hunt in this area, it was going to be a hard hunt because buffalo don't hang in the general area to hunt. As a client, unless I was plains game hunting in the area...with a chance for buffalo (And I didn't care if I saw many buffalo)....I would hunted somewhere else.

It sounds like the ph guiding the hunter didn't have his heart in the hunt. And Mr. Fulton should have been very clear to him if he wasn't seeing buffalo there is chance to move areas...but it will cost the client this much $ because I told him this area doesn't have a resident herd.

Moral of the story....Don't go hunting for cape buffalo in area that doesn't have a resident herd.

 

[LouisB]

Eric I would have to say that I agree with you 100%. It sounds to me like the ph did not do his job and unfortunately it all falls on the Outfitter. V.Fulton you did the right thing by calling it what it is and owning up things do go wrong when hunting it is nature I’m afraid, I can sympathize with you as well.

Good luck to the both of you.:nailbiter:

 

[robert tolliver]

there you have it the end:goodbye:

 

[robert tolliver]

:dramaqueen:

 

[mikeh416Rigby]

The quote below from Mr. Fulton's reply to the negative hunt report posted by his client speaks loudly to the importance of being honest and upfront about ones physical ability and disabilities.

"Kasika hunting is physically challenging 90% of the time, reason being flood plains and swampy area. Ikeda sent me an e-mail several weeks before his hunt and informed me that amongst other things he is 300lbs and has knee problems."

Before I begin a conversation with any outfitter, agent or P.H. about hunting with them, I make it quite clear that I've some physical problems that limit where I can and can't go. I've had 2 knee operations and need a knee replacement. I've had a chain saw cut through a knee cap, and I've had an ankle reconstruction due to a rugby injury. When I first contacted Mr. Fulton, I told him about my restrictions and asked very bluntly if he felt he could accommodate my injuries as one of the animals I wanted to hunt was Mountain Zebra. Vaughan replied that he would take good care of me and assured me that he would select our hunting area carefully so as to maximize my chances while minimizing the chance for re-injuring my knees and ankle. True to his word, Vaughan was able to get me safely into position, using fair chase, to take a beautiful Mountain Zebra Stallion. I was sore, and tired, but Vaughan worked at my pace, and I persisted and was successful. As a result of this, I booked a Cape Buffalo hunt with Vaughan in the Kasika Conservancy and was able to take a wonderful old Bull. The waters in the flood plain were still high, but my P.H. was able to get me into shooting position following a stalk of several hours on hands and knees, and belly crawling. Here again, persistence paid off. I didn't give up and my P.H. worked within my capabilities.

The author of this hunt report just plain out quit. He's a quitter. He didn't want it badly enough. Sometimes hunting hurts, but you have to make up your mind how badly you want the trophy that you've traveled half way around the world to take. Maybe I'm too old to know better. It's been several years since I turned 60, but once I start something I see it through. You've got to keep your eye on the prize.

 

[ikeda]

After reading some of the uninformed and quite frankly rather boorish replies to my warning about my hunt in the Caprivi, I decided to post the following that I just received this morning.
To those who called me a “quitter” and a “cry baby” I would urge you to buffer your comments in the future until you know what you are talking about. Making such rash comments without knowing the facts can make you look pretty foolish.
The following letter from NAPHA speaks for itself…..

Dear Mr. XXXXXX

This case of yours was a difficult birth. But getting hold of the various witnesses and getting statements out of them was as difficult as getting hold of Mr. Fulton.

Allow me to sketch shortly of what was done and who was contacted and what statements were made.
1. XXXXXX witness on your Safari
2. XXXXXX your PH (only available in November 2010)
3. XXXXXX, PH in area and lender of vehicle (June 2010)

XXXXX was the toughest to get hold of, he came to see me personally and confirmed most of what you had described of your botched hunting trip.
When I had all the confirmations I tried to get hold of Vaughn and to urge him to give you the requested refund with an apology, which I found was due. Unfortunately he was not contactable. Then came December, all the offices closed including mine. In January all and everybody was in the States and Europe and at the selling shows, only returning just recently.

I compiled a list with a summary of events regarding your hunt as described by you and confirmed by the witnesses. It is very clear that it was an unprofessional and unsatisfactory performance by Vaughn Fulton and his outfit, which yes, reflects poorly on a NAPHA member and the industry as a whole. That list comprised 15 points of unprofessional behaviour.

An email was sent to Vaughn Fulton which will be followed up by a registered letter by the NAPHA Office. He is urged to explain how he is going to meet all the other financial obligations, including yours.

It is always sad to see a collegue drift into debts, out of which it will be very difficult to rehabilitate. There is a strong movement rising to look into the conditions under which PHes have to operate in the communal concessions. It is a wellknown fact, that prices are exorbitant to the outfitters. This unfortunately brings along that all kinds of unprofessional conduct that offers itself is applied, just to meet the conditions. Many of Fulton's misdemeanors are based on that. Not that this is an apology for what happened. It is also sad that I have to share with you, that Vaughn Fulton lost his concession. Reasons have not been explained fully yet, but it appears that he could not meet the financial requirements of the conservancy in the year that you have hunted there. So I am rather skeptical whether he is in any financial position to meet your requirement.

He was requested today to make contact with my office to state what his intentions are to meet the demands of the various creditors.

Lastly and again please accept my apologies that this specific case took so long and it was not my intention to doubt your integrity. I only wanted to get all the witnesses together to be able to confront Mr. Futon in this matter.

I will keep you informed of what Mr. Futon's response will be as soon as we have heard from him.

With best personal regards,
XXXXXX XXXXXXXX
Ombudsman NAPHA

As I'm sure you can relate, I would have much rather have been posting details of my successful buffalo hunt. I had no ulterior motives. Nor did I have any desire to “bash” Mr. Fulton. I was simply putting the facts out there as a warning to other potential clients.
As with most affairs in life, an apology and a refund, instead of lame excuses and accusations, would have gone a long way toward resolving this matter amicably a long time ago.
I wish to thank NAPHA for their efforts to get to the bottom of this problem and despite the results from one bad apple I plan on hunting Namibia many times in the future.

 

[35bore]

ikeda,

Pardon me for being to frank here, but, if you would have posted your last post first, maybe the people who responded would not have been as uninformed! I am not going to try and get into a argument here, but, in my reading of this thread, it is apparent that everyone that replied was pretty receptive of your warning and also sympathetic of what happened to you. Although I am just now posting, You just shot down alot of nice and knowledgable people here. Just because you started this post does not make it yours, and if you decide to get pissy about it because people have a different point of view than yours, then maybe you shouldn't have posted.

This is the best site that I have found about hunting in Africa, as I am sure others would agree, and i still think everyone here ws very supportive of your situation, sorry if you found the comments boring, maybe you need to be on another site. Scott.

 

[mikeh416Rigby]

ikeda, upon reading the findings of the ombudsman, I extend to you an apology. My comments supporting Mr. Fulton were based on my personal hunting experiences with him, and based on them, I found your description to be unfathomable. I'm stunned that he has apparantly fallen on such difficult financial times.

 

[Bushbuck]

ikeda, Thank you for taking the time to come back and continue to post a follow up. It is dissapointing to hear how you were treated and I thank you for thinking of others and trying to save them from making the same mistake. I am sorry to read you may not be able to recover your investment. I hope you return to Africa and have a trip of a lifetime next time.

 

[ikeda]

ikeda,

Pardon me for being to frank here, but, if you would have posted your last post first, maybe the people who responded would not have been as uninformed! I am not going to try and get into a argument here, but, in my reading of this thread, it is apparent that everyone that replied was pretty receptive of your warning and also sympathetic of what happened to you. Although I am just now posting, You just shot down alot of nice and knowledgable people here. Just because you started this post does not make it yours, and if you decide to get pissy about it because people have a different point of view than yours, then maybe you shouldn't have posted.

This is the best site that I have found about hunting in Africa, as I am sure others would agree, and i still think everyone here ws very supportive of your situation, sorry if you found the comments boring, maybe you need to be on another site. Scott.

I couldn't very well have posted it first if I just got the reply yesterday, now could I ?
Perhaps it is you who are getting pissy without researching the history of the thread.
I did not find the comments boring, I found some to be boorish.

 

[ikeda]

ikeda, upon reading the findings of the ombudsman, I extend to you an apology. My comments supporting Mr. Fulton were based on my personal hunting experiences with him, and based on them, I found your description to be unfathomable. I'm stunned that he has apparantly fallen on such difficult financial times.

Thanks to 416Rigby and Bushbuck, I appreciate the kind words!

 

[35bore]

Ikeda, apologies, pm sent

 

[nsok]

Hi Ikeda,

Are you the owner or PH in Namibian Safari Hunts?

 

[enysse]

Call me a skeptic, but I've been on this website for 2+ years, and have heard people praise Mr. Fulton over and over again. So I'm not changing my stance.

Plus, I recall today you bashing RSA ranch hunting....whenever someone talks negatives too much....I'm inclined to believe them less and less. My brother acts that way and I don't trust him either.

Just my two cents.

And I'm sorry Mr. Fulton has fallen on hard times!

 

[ikeda]

You can take whatever stance you want, makes me no never mind. I just related the facts as they happened.
Never bashed anything. Just tell it like I see it. I don't hunt on high fenced ranches here in the states either. If that is what floats your boat then have at it my friend.

 

[jaustin]

I still think ikeda is full of shit! NAPHA has made some screwy decisions and statements in the past and by their own admission did not even talk to Vaughan. There are always two sides to every story. I would still hunt with Vaughan.