How many outfits you contacted before booking?

[BRICKBURN]

Cliffy started me on this line of thought after asking a question about where did you book your "bad hunt" from.

I wanted to see how many Outfitters hunters contacted before they decided to book their hunt.

 

[enysse]

About a dozen, that was over 6 years ago before AH.

 

[BRICKBURN]

I thought I would throw my response in here as a likely anomaly.
As you might guess my numbers of contacts were up in the hundreds.
Just reviewing web pages; into the thousands.

 

[enysse]

Well I looked at probably 50 to 100, but I only contacted about a dozen, because I had a strict budget, which after the first trip got blown way out of the water.

Since I have been on here for a long time, I would rather spend my money with one of the family (AH outfitters) than look elsewhere.

 

[James.Grage]

I did the internet searches. Got on e mail list for outfitters and PH's to obtain updates on there operation and learning important information.

Then i have done the conventions. And visited with select PH's and outfitters. I never book at a convention, unless i have the time to do research on them and obtain reference and do my check. If i like an outfitter one year i maybe will book with them the next year for a time in the future. Example was this year looking for 2016 as i have 2014 and 2015 booked. I am always looking out into the future. New countries, experiences that i am interested in.

Visited with hunters who had went on many different safari's to different countries and learned to ask the question one needed before booking. Plus learning some places on not to go or who to book with.

Narrowed it down, and began talking to a few before deciding on a safari.

One safari was just a wild hare and call an outfitter and i wanted to go in the next few months, was wanting to go to Namibia or Botswana. The outfitter was booked in these countries i wanted to go to and steered me another direction and i Went to a spot i had never considered and had a great time.

 

[dobber]

without this forum, I likely would have stopped looking and went for elk, with the forum I have searched many of the AH family, and a few others that have been mentioned in threads. Shared a few emails with some, had some good responses, had some not reply and to be frank I didn't want to waste anyones time when I had a short list by adding to it, hate for an outfitter or anyone to go through the process of quoting/answering emails/general pestering from me when I found someone that I had a good feeling about.
Even got in touch with the local AH travel agent and got a prompt "approx." price due to it being in 2015

 

[Wheels]

I thought I would throw my response in here as a likely anomaly.
As you might guess my numbers of contacts were up in the hundreds.
Just reviewing web pages; into the thousands.

Brickburn,

Why am I not surprised.

You are one of the most detailed people I am acquainted with. This also makes you an endless source of good information. I am glad you are on AH.>:thumb:

 

[BigSteve57]

I took the poll instructions literally - how many did you actually contact.

I did not count the scores of outfitters I looked at online, breezed by at shows or whose literature I simply read.

The very point of all that research after all was to limit the candidates to a very select few.

So that is how I voted.

 

[Buff-Buster]

I took the poll instructions literally - how many did you actually contact.

I did not count the scores of outfitters I looked at online, breezed by at shows or whose literature I simply read.

The very point of all that research after all was to limit the candidates to a very select few.



So that is how I voted.

+1 That's how I looked at it also.

 

[BRICKBURN]

I took the poll instructions literally - how many did you actually contact.

I did not count the scores of outfitters I looked at online, breezed by at shows or whose literature I simply read.

The very point of all that research after all was to limit the candidates to a very select few.

So that is how I voted.

Exactly what I wanted an answer to.
The ability to post allows us to expand on our process and makes the discussion more in-depth.

thank for answering the actual question.

 

[BRICKBURN]

I Appreciate the folks voting in the Poll even without comment in the thread.

It is useful to see just how far people go in their research and at what point they actually contact outfitters.

(I think this will make a great anonymous test for other more difficult questions members want asked.)

 

[kal]

I guess I am that shoot from the hip guy on this subject. I contacted 2, would have been one but they never responded back to me. I had been watching the auction hunts at my local SCI banquet for a few years. I had all the intentions on booking with a outfitter that had been donating to our chapter for many years, but for the life of me I could not get any responses from them. When the banquet finally came around I was a little disappointed. I decided to spend some time talking to the owner of a operation that was new to our chapter. I ended up purchasing his donation for a steal and went to work upgrading the hunt. Sometimes I just go with my instincts on if a deal seems good and if a person will burn me.

 

[Blue Skies Hunting Adventures]

Not many for me as most of my trips have been with someone I know, but looking to head into the dangerous game hunts soon, and my biggest wish is for a buffalo, with that said all my time on forums have lead me 2 choices, as I have been watching for years and fill confident I will be in good hands with little research when the time comes.

 

[sestoppelman]

I actually didnt contact but a couple of actual outfitters, as mostly what I did was contact booking agents and discuss various operations with them, and peruse tons of wonderful color brochures. This was before I barely knew what a computer was, being the mid 80's.

 

[Spooksar]

Used a booking agent that I new well for the first, used the same outfit 3 times. boxed my next 3 from meeting them at shows, narrowed it down to a couple each time, then did research,read articles ect.. Before deciding

 

[Diamondhitch]

Like most have said, I checked out every website I could find then emailed a dozen or so and finally phoned 4.

This is my 1st African hunt, my first guided hunt I contacted (real mail before internet) and studied brochures from about 10 outfits then, following a hunch, called only one and went on to have a great hunt and collect one of my best trophies to date.

 

[Red Leg]

I use a consultant/booking agent - saves a lot of grief.

 

[JamesJ]

A good agent can save a lot of time and BS , even if you don't end up using him. Most agents will steer you in the right direction away from bad outfitters. If a client or potential client mentions someone really bad, I will advise against using them. Another big mistake is even after many people do some checking on outfitters and safari clients they still book with the cheapest priced outfitter. a good hunt may cost a few buck more but the headaches are always less.

 

[Diamondhitch]

Good agents are an asset, bad agents pose the same problems as bas safari companies and seem equally prevalent.

 

[Hogpatrol]

I actually contacted none before the first hunt as I went with a personal reference from a fellow hunter who's been hunting Africa for years, probably ten countries, killed the big five and is now on his 18th trip as I write. I'm lucky to have him as a mentor.