PHOENIX PHIL
AH ambassador
I could have put a number of titles on this thread such as:
1. What the f&*^?
2. Are you serious?
3. You must be kidding!
4. Phil you sure got lucky!
So a little visit back in history. In 2008 I was at the International Sportsman's Expo here in Phoenix. The ISE show is a relatively small show but it has a number of African outfitters who attend. I met and eventually booked with an American guy who was supposedly a PH in RSA. We booked for 2010 right in the middle of the World Cup that was being held in Johannesburg.
About a month before I left I got a phone call from the mother of my "PH" to let me know he had been in a terrible car accident and would not be able to meet me in Kimberley or hunt with me. But it was all okay, there was another PH that would take his place. So off my wife and I go on our first African adventure. At the start of our trip we spent several days on a photo tour of Kruger Park before returning to the Afton Guest House to overnight before flying out to Kimberley the next day.
While sitting in the garden at the Afton that evening getting excited for my hunt, my wife came out to tell me I needed to come in and take a phone call. It was once again the mother of my "PH" desperately trying to reach me to tell me that my hunt would not take place and to not get on the plane the next day. I have faith that this woman was telling me what she thought was the truth. However this was being fed to her by her son who I now believe is a pathological liar. Well his mother worked very hard during the night and eventually got me booked with another outfitter, Wayne Wagner Safaris. The hunt went well and I consider Wayne and his PH Ian Brown to be friends who I look forward to seeing and talking to every year at SCI.
Now this all started with a visit to a show and being captivated with how much a PG hunt could be had for. I can remember getting a bit carried away with the emphasis I was putting on price and not putting in enough thought to other considerations.
So here's where some irony comes in. ISE continues to do this show every year in Phoenix. Sometimes I go, sometimes I don't. But this year I am at the show as an exhibitor for HartzView Safaris. ISE has a website where anyone can see the list of exhibitors at the show. I was taking a look through the list to see what African outfitters would be there. One of the outfitters is named Gers Safaris who hunt on Klein Papkuil farm. Klein Papkuil farm is the name of the farm that I was supposed to hunt on in 2010.
Now through the years since 2010 I hear little of this and that about Ethan Thomas, the "PH" I booked with. But never much from any one particular source. That changed Thursday. I dropped by Gers Safaris booth which is a mere 30 feet away from ours. A couple of American gents are manning the booth, they've hunted there since 2009. Their first hunt in 2009 was booked with Ethan and all went well, they have since then continued to hunt with Gers but booking directly with him. Ethan in that year was working directly with the owner of Gers. But I think he tried to break off with the intention I guess of trying to make more money. Or maybe he's got serious mental issues? I got a bit more information from these gents on Mr. Thomas.
Here's a recent article on Ethan and his activities since making it back to the USA from his "accident" in South Africa. I think it speaks for itself why you need to research your prospective outfitter thoroughly. Perhaps an extreme example, but then I never thought I'd ever get mixed up with such an individual either. After you've read the article, you can perhaps understand why I could have had many titles for this thread.
http://www.al.com/news/birmingham/index.ssf/2015/02/former_cop_who_lied_about_mili.html
1. What the f&*^?
2. Are you serious?
3. You must be kidding!
4. Phil you sure got lucky!
So a little visit back in history. In 2008 I was at the International Sportsman's Expo here in Phoenix. The ISE show is a relatively small show but it has a number of African outfitters who attend. I met and eventually booked with an American guy who was supposedly a PH in RSA. We booked for 2010 right in the middle of the World Cup that was being held in Johannesburg.
About a month before I left I got a phone call from the mother of my "PH" to let me know he had been in a terrible car accident and would not be able to meet me in Kimberley or hunt with me. But it was all okay, there was another PH that would take his place. So off my wife and I go on our first African adventure. At the start of our trip we spent several days on a photo tour of Kruger Park before returning to the Afton Guest House to overnight before flying out to Kimberley the next day.
While sitting in the garden at the Afton that evening getting excited for my hunt, my wife came out to tell me I needed to come in and take a phone call. It was once again the mother of my "PH" desperately trying to reach me to tell me that my hunt would not take place and to not get on the plane the next day. I have faith that this woman was telling me what she thought was the truth. However this was being fed to her by her son who I now believe is a pathological liar. Well his mother worked very hard during the night and eventually got me booked with another outfitter, Wayne Wagner Safaris. The hunt went well and I consider Wayne and his PH Ian Brown to be friends who I look forward to seeing and talking to every year at SCI.
Now this all started with a visit to a show and being captivated with how much a PG hunt could be had for. I can remember getting a bit carried away with the emphasis I was putting on price and not putting in enough thought to other considerations.
So here's where some irony comes in. ISE continues to do this show every year in Phoenix. Sometimes I go, sometimes I don't. But this year I am at the show as an exhibitor for HartzView Safaris. ISE has a website where anyone can see the list of exhibitors at the show. I was taking a look through the list to see what African outfitters would be there. One of the outfitters is named Gers Safaris who hunt on Klein Papkuil farm. Klein Papkuil farm is the name of the farm that I was supposed to hunt on in 2010.
Now through the years since 2010 I hear little of this and that about Ethan Thomas, the "PH" I booked with. But never much from any one particular source. That changed Thursday. I dropped by Gers Safaris booth which is a mere 30 feet away from ours. A couple of American gents are manning the booth, they've hunted there since 2009. Their first hunt in 2009 was booked with Ethan and all went well, they have since then continued to hunt with Gers but booking directly with him. Ethan in that year was working directly with the owner of Gers. But I think he tried to break off with the intention I guess of trying to make more money. Or maybe he's got serious mental issues? I got a bit more information from these gents on Mr. Thomas.
Here's a recent article on Ethan and his activities since making it back to the USA from his "accident" in South Africa. I think it speaks for itself why you need to research your prospective outfitter thoroughly. Perhaps an extreme example, but then I never thought I'd ever get mixed up with such an individual either. After you've read the article, you can perhaps understand why I could have had many titles for this thread.
http://www.al.com/news/birmingham/index.ssf/2015/02/former_cop_who_lied_about_mili.html
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