AGENT: Anyone Have First Hand Experience With EAI Outdoors?

[Tn_Huntaholic]

I hope I don't step on any toes here but I was just wondering if any of yall have been hunting with EAI Outdoors? Ive got a buddy here that works with them doing shows here in the states and has been multiple times that Im planning on going over with but I was curious if anybody here has been with them? Im just in the beginning stages of planning this trip so of course I want to know all I can!

 

[Brewster6514]

I hope I don't step on any toes here but I was just wondering if any of yall have been hunting with EAI Outdoors? Ive got a buddy here that works with them doing shows here in the states and has been multiple times that Im planning on going over with but I was curious if anybody here has been with them? Im just in the beginning stages of planning this trip so of course I want to know all I can!

Went on our first safari with eai outdoors in may of 2017, had a great time. Our ph went above and beyond to make us happy. We hunted every day and finished our list with about a half day left so we didnt do anything extra. Prices are very good there compared to most places and i liked the idea of having everything except the taxidermy paid for before we left. (no extra fees)

Our second trip was through Hercules safaris and when we go back it will be through him. Total $ were higher through Hercules but we liked it better. Food was OMG, Hercules and his team treated us like family, and we shot our whole list by the second day. The taxidermist that Hercules uses(bulls eye) is far above the onsite place at eai.
For your first trip you can't go wrong with eai and their prices, but Hercules is our place from now on.

 

[Bruce]

Went on our first safari with eai outdoors in may of 2017, had a great time. Our ph went above and beyond to make us happy. We hunted every day and finished our list with about a half day left so we didnt do anything extra. Prices are very good there compared to most places and i liked the idea of having everything except the taxidermy paid for before we left. (no extra fees)

Our second trip was through Hercules safaris and when we go back it will be through him. Total $ were higher through Hercules but we liked it better. Food was OMG, Hercules and his team treated us like family, and we shot our whole list by the second day. The taxidermist that Hercules uses(bulls eye) is far above the onsite place at eai.
For your first trip you can't go wrong with eai and their prices, but Hercules is our place from now on.

I can HIGHLY recommend Craig at Bullseye Taxidermy...he has done some GREAT work for me in the past!!

 

[Tn_Huntaholic]

Taxidermy is a non issue, my daughter in law is what is considered to be one of the best in the business and if I mount anything it goes without saying that she will do it. To be honest though Im not sure I will even have anything mounted except MAYBE a kudu. I can take all the pics I want for free and have them blown up and framed and save a metric ton of money on fees and taxidermy bills. In the end, after we are dead and gone, all these mounted heads mean NOTHING to anyone except us and for the cost of taxidermy I can be halfway or more toward taking another trip. Ive been to way too many estate sales and witnessed peoples prized lifetime possessions thrown in a box and sold for $2. Yes, this is coming from someone with enough mounts already in it to look like a small cabelas. LOL. Bears, turkeys, caribou, whietail, mule deer, antelope, fish etc... all are scattered around the house.

 

[everett]

Used them basically as a booking agent on 2015 hunt. Couldn’t resist the prices they were offering. Ultimately had numerous issues with our booking agent, but he booked us with a great outfit that made everything good. Had a great trip. I would try to find out everything you can about who you’ll be hunting with and where. That will be more important than who you book through.
Hunted this year with Game4africa. They can probably get you as good a deal on prices (if that’s why you’re choosing Eai) and you’ll be dealing directly with your outfitter/ph.

 

[Ridge Runner]

Ed of EAI is a booking agent. I used him to book my first safari in 2017. Again in 2018. Again for 2020.

I originally booked my hunt in 2015 for June of 2016. Dept of Vet Affairs scheduled me for a hip replacement for spring 2016 thus postponing my safari for later in the year. I had to postpone or cancel my hunt altogether for 2016, due to physical therapy (with a 100% full refund), if I had to cancel. Other outfitters I checked out would give a refund minus a % or no refund). Ed worked with me go get my hunt confirmed for June 2017.

2017: I had a great 7 day trip PG hunt and added 2 extra animals. My PH was Themba. You can check out my hunt report for more details.

2018: I booked my second safari, 10 day trip, another great hunt for PG. My PH was Piet. Had Warthog on my package deal we couldn't find a quality warthog compared to 2017 hunt. Impala was an add on animal and Piet allowed me to exchange the warthog for an impala.

Charl is another PH I met at Kubusi Safaris, Tuskers Lodge, in 2017 and he picked me and his clients up at PE airport. He is a really good PH.

2020: will be 20 days: Charl and I were suppose hunt hippo. James, owner /operator of Kubusi, couldn't garuntee a nuisance hippo for me and asked Ed to find an outfitter that could put me on a trophy hippo.

Ed also set me up with an outfit that provides 2 different camps with 2 different trips to Kruger National Park. Then I will be heading back to Kubusi for 5 days.

Danwyn is the resident lead taxidermist at Kubusi. I am very satisfied with his work.

What I like about EAI: A "one stop shop":

I didn't have to search:

for a taxidermist,
shipping of taxidermy to the states/home, thru customs
(for me) affordable hunting packages,
Split payments: hunting paid in advance/taxidermy paid when ready to be shipped go my home,
100% Full refund if I cancelled my trip prior to getting on the plane---for any reason,

What I didn't like in 2017, however Ed did improve on (my experience) in 2018 and for 2020: Communications.

Had it not been for AH, I may not have made the 2017 hunt.

Ed was somewhat negligent in getting information in a timely manner to me regarding: SAPS 520, CBP 4457, legal weapons for South Africa, (i.e. no semi auto's, lever guns, pump actions),

Getting in contact with CDC for required and recommended vaccines, other health advisories, and emergency medical services/evacuation, travelers insurance,

Will I use and recommend EAIOutdoors to book future hunts: YES.

 

[Numanii]

I hope I don't step on any toes here but I was just wondering if any of yall have been hunting with EAI Outdoors? Ive got a buddy here that works with them doing shows here in the states and has been multiple times that Im planning on going over with but I was curious if anybody here has been with them? Im just in the beginning stages of planning this trip so of course I want to know all I can!

Sorry for joining the party late. Hopefully my experience and insight can help someone reading this thread. So we met Ed at an outdoor show, and were looking at a trip approx 3-4 years after that first meeting. We looked around and like what he had to offer. 2 years later we booked for the following year. So just be aware if you are purchasing a trip under a Outdoor Show crazy pricing, you are probably going to have less date slots open as you could be possibly filled in to untaken slots that aren't the prime times. BUUUUT with that being said, it did not make our trip any less fun or any less successful, Kabusi doesn't care how you got there, they will take care of you.
One of my favorite things regarding this trip is that the PHs were kind of assigned after we got there, meaning they matched the right people to the right party. (You want to party a little more and stay up late, maybe see the town after successful hunts, they have that GUY. You want to be in bed early, they have that guy too. Also the attention payed to the 2 Junior hunters was appreciated, we had a day off and our tracker took my son out to look for snakes, on his own time. We had delicious Italian food with a view of blue ocean, we had a drink at the oldest operating pub on the continent, and they took the time to include some cool things that weren't part of the initial booking. IT NEVER FELT LIKE IT WAS ABOUT MONEY. It was 100% about us, plus it was our first time.
Listen, was the trip perfect? No and it never will be . Did we encounter issues, sure. Welcome to life. Bottom line, Ed did what he promised when threw out this affordable deal to us in the very beginning, and Kabusi delivered the results.
My only gripe is I wanted to go fishing, a little disappointed since I am in South Africa during the largest Sardine run in the world, and that is actually kind of my thing, more so than hunting. That part they just couldn't get lined up for me for whatever reason. So if you want to fish, try to line that up before you go.