SOUTH AFRICA: KoringKoppie Hunting Safaris *Warning* Stay Away

[Mtn_Infantry]

Here's the video of girrafe

I’m glad you posted this because you can hear the outfitters tone change throughout the dialog starting with being happy and saying we got it.

You can hear your boyfriend state he feels he didn’t kill it, he only wounded it (looking at the shot placement (not sure if exit or entrance that’s more of a gut shot than 6” back from the vitals as previously stated). He receive an awkward laugh from the outfitter, then the outfitter asks if he’s not happy with him about finishing it off to which your bf (OP) says it is what it is, the outfitter brings it up again and the OP say no no, he’s glad it’s at least not suffering anymore. Then go into comments about his birds and party hunts.

That was your opportunity to say you were extremely upset. Not sure about the other stuff but seems like this is where the dynamic of the hunt and experience shifted

 

[sureshot375]

Here's the video of girrafe

At this point some of the things you two are posting are just kind of bizarre. Posting all these conversations with people who weren’t involved makes absolutely no sense.

This video also doesn’t really help your case. OP was specifically asked if he was upset that the PH had finished his giraffe. His response was “No it is fine. I’m just glad he’s not suffering”. Then you all turn around and text/call all sorts of people, make a Facebook post, and make two AH post. Seems like the problems with communication go both ways.

Also, OP has some bizarre ethics regarding someone shooting his giraffe. First off let’s be clear about what it means to shoot an animal as a client. You have a situation where another man scouts a location, takes care of all the logistics, makes a plan to locate the animal, coordinates the final approach, assesses the animal, recovers the animal after the shot, and process the animal afterwards. The client is merely a child who has but one task which is to make the shot.

In this case the client screwed up his only job. It is then somewhat bizarre to then act as if someone else has robbed you of an accomplishment because they had to “kill” the animal after you wounded it.

True accomplishment and fulfillment from hunting comes from learning the terrain, habits, signs, behaviors, of the animals and then developing a skill set to actually take that animal. Does that mean it is bad to be a client??? No, because being a “child” following along on a hunt is still a worthwhile experience.

My point is put the whole situation into context and humble yourself about “my giraffe”. If you want to have a better feeling of accomplishment, then focus more on the actual hunting. For you a start would be to improve your firearm skills though training.

Also, I still want to know how much you paid for this donated hunt. Ordinarily I wouldn’t push the issue, but you’ve disclosed most of the other financial details.

You have brought this disagreement to the court of public opinion. I have been pretty direct in calling out the outfitter. You may also need to get ready to hear some things you don’t want to hear.

 

[vlwtx348]

Here's the video of girrafe

I get it.
You're upset that he shot your giraffe. It's perfectly understandable to be upset.

THIS was your opportunity to tell him so.
He even asked you, and you denied.
Now that you have had time to sort through your feelings, you want to blame someone for your missed opportunity.
Move on.
Don't let this consume you. You have nothing to gain.
I have had an experience with a shady PH. I simply won't use him again and will use the lessons I learned when I vet future outfits.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Welcome to AH New users @Chadmr82 @Riski and @Jscheurich

Please write up your own hunt reports. The relevance of your current posts in this thread to this situation is minimal.
Eg:
"It rained when I hunted there!" "Hell, when I was there it was sunny the whole time! Not sure what this guy is on about."


Please get the Outfitter and PH's to chime in about this series of incidents.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I've heard both clients and PHs on here say shot placement for giraffe is CNS (central nervous system) ... i.e. brain or spine near the brain. So, was the client told to target this giraffe at CNS and chose boiler room instead (which he apparently missed)? I thought the gripe against PH was weak for giraffe episode. The recording seems to confirm nothing askance.

The waterbuck was a screw-up by PH. He should not have wasted five minutes chasing that cull. Find another property to hunt or offer client another species.

 

[Moe324]

I’m glad you posted this because you can hear the outfitters tone change throughout the dialog starting with being happy and saying we got it.

You can hear your boyfriend state he feels he didn’t kill it, he only wounded it (looking at the shot placement (not sure if exit or entrance that’s more of a gut shot than 6” back from the vitals as previously stated). He receive an awkward laugh from the outfitter, then the outfitter asks if he’s not happy with him about finishing it off to which your bf (OP) says it is what it is, the outfitter brings it up again and the OP say no no, he’s glad it’s at least not suffering anymore. Then go into comments about his birds and party hunts.

That was your opportunity to say you were extremely upset. Not sure about the other stuff but seems like this is where the dynamic of the hunt and experience shifted

At that time I was still in shock about what just happened. That recording is literally walking up after seeing him blow the hole in the neck. I also knew it was my package animal so what would be the point of arguing with him. I knew I had more days I had to be there. He knew I was upset. Even his tracker says I look upset in the video to him in another language. At that point I didn't know if a PH taking the gun and shooting a giraffe injured was normal or not. I knew it was common on dangerous game. This whole post wasn't to complain about the giraffe. Had the waterbuck been nice I would of just took the giraffe incident as part of it. But then when the waterbuck happened and how he treated me after. This video shows I tried to be civil even when upset. Misplaced shots happen. He never said anything about head shooting it. When driving looking for the giraffe he had me Google the vitals picture. That's where I aimed. I don't know why I shot back. Like I said I never shot that gun at the range. Just close up with the eland. After the other gun was out of bullets.

 

[TERMINATOR]

There are bad apples in every industry. What’s particularly galling is that not only thie guy is a member of PHASA, but they sold you the hunt.

This basically tells me that hunters should place zero value on the fact that a outfitter/safari operator/PH is a member of PHASA

It obviously means that being a member of PHASA is simply an indication that the person paid the PHASA bribe and should be taken as nothing more

 

[375Fox]

I've heard both clients and PHs on here say shot placement for giraffe is CNS (central nervous system) ... i.e. brain or spine near the brain. So, was the client told to target this giraffe at CNS and chose boiler room instead (which he apparently missed)? I thought the gripe against PH was weak for giraffe episode. The recording seems to confirm nothing askance.

The waterbuck was a screw-up by PH. He should not have wasted five minutes chasing that cull. Find another property to hunt or offer client another species.

A heart/lung shot is equally acceptable on a giraffe as a neck shot with a 375. Difference is one drops on the spot vs running a short distance.

 

[Moe324]

I get it.
You're upset that he shot your giraffe. It's perfectly understandable to be upset.

THIS was your opportunity to tell him so.
He even asked you, and you denied.
Now that you have had time to sort through your feelings, you want to blame someone for your missed opportunity.
Move on.
Don't let this consume you. You have nothing to gain.
I have had an experience with a shady PH. I simply won't use him again and will use the lessons I learned when I vet future outfits.

Did you read the whole post and see the waterbuck part. The giraffe is not why I wrote the report.

 

[Moe324]

At this point some of the things you two are posting are just kind of bizarre. Posting all these conversations with people who weren’t involved makes absolutely no sense.

This video also doesn’t really help your case. OP was specifically asked if he was upset that the PH had finished his giraffe. His response was “No it is fine. I’m just glad he’s not suffering”. Then you all turn around and text/call all sorts of people, make a Facebook post, and make two AH post. Seems like the problems with communication go both ways.

Also, OP has some bizarre ethics regarding someone shooting his giraffe. First off let’s be clear about what it means to shoot an animal as a client. You have a situation where another man scouts a location, takes care of all the logistics, makes a plan to locate the animal, coordinates the final approach, assesses the animal, recovers the animal after the shot, and process the animal afterwards. The client is merely a child who has but one task which is to make the shot.

In this case the client screwed up his only job. It is then somewhat bizarre to then act as if someone else has robbed you of an accomplishment because they had to “kill” the animal after you wounded it.

True accomplishment and fulfillment from hunting comes from learning the terrain, habits, signs, behaviors, of the animals and then developing a skill set to actually take that animal. Does that mean it is bad to be a client??? No, because being a “child” following along on a hunt is still a worthwhile experience.

My point is put the whole situation into context and humble yourself about “my giraffe”. If you want to have a better feeling of accomplishment, then focus more on the actual hunting. For you a start would be to improve your firearm skills though training.

Also, I still want to know how much you paid for this donated hunt. Ordinarily I wouldn’t push the issue, but you’ve disclosed most of the other financial details.

You have brought this disagreement to the court of public opinion. I have been pretty direct in calling out the outfitter. You may also need to get ready to hear some things you don’t want to hear.

The hunt was bought at auction for $735. Once again the giraffe is not why I wrote the report but the waterbuck and how they handled it is.

 

[375Fox]

The hunt was bought at auction for $735. Once again the giraffe is not why I wrote the report but the waterbuck and how they handled it is.

The outfitter and PH both seem very unprofessional, but at least some blame goes to you. You wrote you’ve hunted with several outfitters in South Africa but are still buying low price auction hunts with new outfitters instead of hunting with previous outfitters. I can only assume to find the best deal. You should be asking for quotes from previous or vetted outfitters at this point not auction shopping. Only buying auction hunts with new outfitters doesn’t look good on you as a client either.

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

At this point some of the things you two are posting are just kind of bizarre. Posting all these conversations with people who weren’t involved makes absolutely no sense.

This video also doesn’t really help your case. OP was specifically asked if he was upset that the PH had finished his giraffe. His response was “No it is fine. I’m just glad he’s not suffering”. Then you all turn around and text/call all sorts of people, make a Facebook post, and make two AH post. Seems like the problems with communication go both ways.

Also, OP has some bizarre ethics regarding someone shooting his giraffe. First off let’s be clear about what it means to shoot an animal as a client. You have a situation where another man scouts a location, takes care of all the logistics, makes a plan to locate the animal, coordinates the final approach, assesses the animal, recovers the animal after the shot, and process the animal afterwards. The client is merely a child who has but one task which is to make the shot.

In this case the client screwed up his only job. It is then somewhat bizarre to then act as if someone else has robbed you of an accomplishment because they had to “kill” the animal after you wounded it.

True accomplishment and fulfillment from hunting comes from learning the terrain, habits, signs, behaviors, of the animals and then developing a skill set to actually take that animal. Does that mean it is bad to be a client??? No, because being a “child” following along on a hunt is still a worthwhile experience.

My point is put the whole situation into context and humble yourself about “my giraffe”. If you want to have a better feeling of accomplishment, then focus more on the actual hunting. For you a start would be to improve your firearm skills though training.

Also, I still want to know how much you paid for this donated hunt. Ordinarily I wouldn’t push the issue, but you’ve disclosed most of the other financial details.

You have brought this disagreement to the court of public opinion. I have been pretty direct in calling out the outfitter. You may also need to get ready to hear some things you don’t want to hear.

Extremely well said.

While I’d really like to hear from the outfitter, I go back to my initial post about there being two sides to every story with the truth lying somewhere in between. As the OP and his girlfriend have continued to post those little oddities that raised flags for some members (myself included) have been expanded on and very clearly show there’s A LOT more to this story.

While I believe there’s no excuse for an outfitter to verbally assault a client I’m starting to wonder if that situation was over dramatized by the OP and his GF who joined to try and add further credibility despite this being her first time out of the Philippines and possibly her first experience hunting. If the Outfitter did call the OP out about his shooting, the lack of his perceived hunting ethics/morals, and him being a teacher I again don’t excuse it but I can see why he’d be frustrated after working so hard.

Wonder if the outfitter knows about this thread or if he’s letting the OP continue to expose his own story/complaint because of how much it bothered him.

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

The hunt was bought at auction for $735. Once again the giraffe is not why I wrote the report but the waterbuck and how they handled it is.

At least the outfitter didn’t finish the waterbuck off and learned from your reaction to the giraffe which you very clearly told him wasn’t an issue.

You’ve hunted Africa before. You know if you draw blood or they suspect you hit it, that animal is yours and you’re paying for it. How is shooting the waterbuck without seeing its horns and knowing if you’d be happy with it any different?

All this makes me wonder if you’ve ever just flock shot some ducks realized you were over your limit on one species and just left it not taking any pictures or claiming it.

 

[Moe324]

The outfitter and PH both seem very unprofessional, but at least some blame goes to you. You wrote you’ve hunted with several outfitters in South Africa but are still buying low price auction hunts with new outfitters instead of hunting with previous outfitters. I can only assume to find the best deal. You should be asking for quotes from previous or vetted outfitters at this point not auction shopping. Only buying auction hunts with new outfitters doesn’t look good on you as a client either.

The hunt was auctioned off from PHASA so I figured it would be a safe bet. It was not a drunken buy at a dinner. I don't even drink. Two of my hunts were not auction hunts. So what you saying is you automatically deserve bad treatment if you get a auction hunt. Someone has to buy them?

 

[Moe324]

At least the outfitter didn’t finish the waterbuck off and learned from your reaction to the giraffe which you very clearly told him wasn’t an issue.

You’ve hunted Africa before. You know if you draw blood or they suspect you hit it, that animal is yours and you’re paying for it. How is shooting the waterbuck without seeing its horns and knowing if you’d be happy with it any different?

All this makes me wonder if you’ve ever just flock shot some ducks realized you were over your limit on one species and just left it not taking any pictures or claiming it.

You can wonder all you want. How I wrote up the story is how it happened. I don't care what other people think. The report was to warn others. Bringing up ducking hunting and accusing me of flock shooting tells me not to worry much about your opinion. If you read the whole report we did talk about the giraffe that evening after wards so he was well aware I didn't want him to shoot the waterbuck. I actually told him I had no interest in hunting more if he had to finish any wounded animals.

 

[375Fox]

The hunt was auctioned off from PHASA so I figured it would be a safe bet. It was not a drunken buy at a dinner. I don't even drink. Two of my hunts were not auction hunts. So what you saying is you automatically deserve bad treatment if you get an auction hunt. Someone has to buy them?

There is a pattern of auction hunts with unknown outfitters turning into problems. What I’m saying is an auction hunt has a higher likelihood of not being the experience you want compared to a hunt you plan and pay for. I’d take it as a learning experience for yourself. Organizations don’t typically vet donations thoroughly. The warning you gave about outfitter is still valid.

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

Had the waterbuck been nice I would of just took the giraffe incident as part of it. But then when the waterbuck happened and how he treated me after.

THIS ….. YOU shot the Waterbuck without verifying it was up to YOUR standards.

After the giraffe incident and your reaction on the Waterbuck I can see how your Outfitter/PH might be upset and say what he said. I DO think the outfitter was wrong for saying it and not just concluding the hunt and taking you to the airport but every post you’ve made has only furthered my belief that you share in the responsibility for how this hunt ultimately went.

I place zero issue on how you acquired the hunt or what you paid. It was a donation to raise money for a specific organization. I don’t think you should be treated any different, but I realize this often does happen

 

[TERMINATOR]

I find it impressive that the CEO of PHASA made an account and addressed the issue.

"Responded to this post"

Personally I don't consider the issue "addressed" unless there was some kind of action taken against Koring-poopie Safaris.

The OP got ripped off in every possible way a safari operator could rip off a client from my perspective (4 trips to RSA and 1 to Namibia as my frame of reference)

There was very little about this hunt as described that I consider acceptable.

Having had outstanding hunts both from operators who are and are not members of PHASA, I place zero to little value in a operator having the PHASA logo unless PHASA does something to make this situation right at least to some degree. Because even though I feel the OP made some mistakes too, most of what I read was unacceptable conduct by Koring-poopie Safaris

 

[Ontario Hunter]

A heart/lung shot is equally acceptable on a giraffe as a neck shot with a 375. Difference is one drops on the spot vs running a short distance.

If it only runs a short distance. Heart and lungs of giraffe are massive. 300 gr 375 bullet is big but not nearly as massive, relatively speaking. A giraffe that runs even a short distance can quickly become a huge problem to retrieve. I can certainly understand why PHs want them dropped on the spot, usually within sight of the vehicle.

 

[Moe324]

THIS ….. YOU shot the Waterbuck without verifying it was up to YOUR standards.

After the giraffe incident and your reaction on the Waterbuck I can see how your Outfitter/PH might be upset and say what he said. I DO think the outfitter was wrong for saying it and not just concluding the hunt and taking you to the airport but every post you’ve made has only furthered my belief that you share in the responsibility for how this hunt ultimately went.

I place zero issue on how you acquired the hunt or what you paid. It was a donation to raise money for a specific organization. I don’t think you should be treated any different, but I realize this often does happen

I have always trusted my PH. I never would imagine that a PH would have you shoot something that wasnt of trophy caliber without discussing it first. I guess that's my fault for assuming that was part of their job. In the past that was how it was done. In 2017 I had a PH ask if I wanted to shoot a bent horn kudu in the eastern cape. Even in the states on an elk hunt I had a outfitter turn out of a spotting scope and ask if I cared about broken points. I don't look at African animals all year. It would be like me taking a Africa duck hunting and them shooting a loon and me saying you should of know it wasnt a duck. I have no problem taking the blame on missing the giraffe. My issue is him not talking to me after the shot about him taking the shot. No communication. Once again I wasnt there to only take the giraffe. I actually spent more money with them then the other hunter in camp. So I wasnt taking them for there donation only. Looking back on it as soon as he said he needed to make his money from donating it from the hornbills even if joking around I should of tried to pass the hunt to a first time hunter that would of been happy sitting in one of his blinds for warthog, Impala, etc. Not once did I say I wasn't to blame for any of it. But I never swore at him, made him feel like he was going to get hurt, or told him he was a horrible at his profession.