GreenT
AH senior member
I've written a lengthy report of my hunt which failed to upload, perhaps because it was my first post on the site. If this goes through I can see if the actual story will post, so stay tuned.
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MOZAMBIQUE: My safari With Juan Pace Of Chasseurs de Mocambique
- Thread starter GreenT
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Flipper Dude
AH fanatic
Come on with it
GreenT
AH senior member
I've recently returned from hunting with Juan Pace of Chasseurs de Mocambique (August 20-Sep 17, 2023). My brother and I spent the first 15 days in Niassa province, Mozambique, where I was successfully guided on rifle hunts for Leopard, Cape Buffalo, Niassa Wildebeest, Roosevelt Sable, and Warthog, and my brother got a really nice Waterbuck. Then we moved to Limpopo, South Africa, where my brother got a Kudu and Gemsbok, and I got another (common) Sable.
I can very much recommend Juan (pronounced "Jon", not "Wan") and his outfit Chasseurs de Mocambique (which is Portuguese, not French, as Mozambique was a Portuguese colony before its independence). Yes, I've read the reports about him on this site, and it looks pretty bad, but I'd just like to relate my personal and recent experience as a client of his.
Juan proved to be very accommodating. He arranged a package deal for us, and was very flexible about payment, travel, trophies, etc. CdM is the outfit he runs in Mozambique, and JP Big Game Safaris is his outfit in South Africa (although he's passing that business on to his two sons, both of whom I met in camp and was thoroughly impressed with). He also runs Stillbay Investments, which is where all the billing goes through. So yes, you'll find his name associated with different companies, but that's because he's got separate businesses for different purposes in different countries, not because he's trying to dodge a bad reputation.
The concession he's a part of in Niassa is absolutely massive, something like 1,000 square miles, right up against the southern border of the Niassa Reserve, which is itself on the southern border of Tanzania. It's completely wild - no fences, and no roads other than the trails they've cut in themselves. The concession is owned by a trio of men, operating Mozambique Wild Adventures (MWA Safaris - check out their website for some nice photos of the accommodations). They allow a select few outfitters to hunt there, including CdM, which is why you might see another outfitter advertising hunts in the same area. There's a main camp, near the town of Marangira, and three spike (“fly”) camps. We primarily hunted out of a fly camp that was fully operational, visited a second that was established but not operational, and the last one is still being established. One of the other outfitters was primarily operating out of the main camp, but we only crossed paths with him and his clients at breakfast and dinner during the week or so we were there. You're just not going to be hunting over each other with all that room to roam, and some areas are better than others for specific species, so that also separates hunting parties as they fulfill their trophy lists.
Seeing the different companies involved was a bit confusing at first, like maybe an attempt to avoid transparency, but it's nothing like that. It turned out to be a matter of cooperation and mutual benefit (with the concession owners and other outfitters), as well as establishing different business interests as their own entities (for Juan himself). Juan's operations are a matter of efficiency, and he's able to offer great hunting opportunities at very competitive rates because of that.
The food and accommodations were fantastic, even at the fly camp; the staff incredibly professional and friendly. I've never received service that good in the U.S. Our guide, Leo, and his main tracker, Maxwell, were absolutely phenomenal. They worked so hard and were entirely devoted to making our safari successful. Poor Leo, though... he gashed his leg, got stung by a swarm of wasps, fell out of a tree and cracked a rib when installing a trail camera, had parts of his truck's suspension break, and was diagnosed with malaria on the day we left. But he never complained, never slowed down, never wavered from going all out for us, all day every day. And these guys are funny, too! (Juan, totally serious: "See that boulder up there, on top of that mountain? You know how hard it was to get that thing up there?! Took us two days...") They like to joke around, but never once took the hunting lightly or lost focus. They were really good company to be with for an extended period of time. I can’t even imagine better hunting partners.
There were a lot of animals, and very good quality, due in no small part to the anti-poaching efforts that MWA provides in the concession. We had trail cam evidence of several different male leopards hitting our bait sites, as well as a couple of females with cubs. I thought leopards were few and far between, but there is an impressive population of them in this concession. I lost count of how many sites we baited (6, 10?), but we sat in three different blinds on five separate occasions and I was successful the last time, right at dusk, on our eighth day of hunting, with a big mature male. Then we turned to buffalo, and we only went after the old dugga boys, not herd bulls. Again, plenty to choose from, and Leo put me on one that had just the kinds of features I was looking for. Then there was cruising for plains game, and Leo had us pass up a lot of nice animals so he could get us onto some great animals instead. You could definitely hold out for really impressive trophies if you want to, and have the nerve or the time - they exist here, but they're rare in the wild. The hunting is not easy; it's challenging and strenuous, 12 hour days of heat, dust, bouncing around in the back of a truck, and tracking through the miambo under a blazing sun. This is no stroll through a game park, and your hunting skills will be tested. I was committed to going home empty handed if I didn't get a shot at the kinds of animals I wanted, but that proved to be no problem - I just had to decide which one to take.
The one caveat I'd mention about the service, though, is that even though all your requests will be answered affirmatively, that doesn't mean they'll be fulfilled. Ask if there will be electricity and the answer is yes, but then there's no electricity because the generator isn't running. Is there Wi-Fi? "Yes". But, again, it’s not always working. I think there's a different style of communication involved, along with their very genuine desire to please. Just beware that if you're told something is available that it doesn't mean it's working or you'll be able to use it. And it affects everyone, not just guests - even the locals shrug and say, "That's Africa."
Speaking of communication... be sure to read and fully understand the contract you're given in its entirety, and absolutely get clarification on the terms if you have any doubt. I made three payments for our safari before it started and was provided a receipt that said I had paid for "Daily Fees and Trophies". I followed that up by asking a few times if there was anything else we would owe or have to pay for once we got to Africa, and each time was told no. Then the week after I got home I got a final invoice for $25,000. It was quite a shock, to say the least. Turns out the trophies listed in our contract weren't all included in the receipt I got for paying "Daily Fees and Trophies". I went through the contract again, got some clarification from Juan, and realized that there had been some misleading communication on his part - which I firmly believe was unintentional - and terribly optimistic/willful ignorance on my part, but there was nothing corrupt or nefarious going on. I should emphasize that it was overwhelmingly my fault for not fully understanding the terms of the contract, and not being much more specific in my questions. Juan was not being deceitful. It was all there in writing, and I should have been more attentive. I just wish there had been an acknowledgement that the payments I made before the safari did not cover the entire cost of the safari, and I regret that when I asked about additional cost I was told "no", when in fact the answer should obviously have been a resounding "YES".
Hunting guides and outfitters have really tough jobs, even if it is something they're passionate about. And they're in business to make a living. Client relations and word of mouth are crucial to their success, but there's a scale of doing favors to please hunting clients versus maintaining a profitable business. Juan was perfectly willing to negotiate, and his prices are very competitive for the market he's in. He also indulged us with some generous deals, perhaps in light of the scope of our safari. He is by no means some hard-nosed greedy Scrooge of an outfitter.
So the bottom line is, would I book a hunt with Juan Pace again? Without question or hesitation, I absolutely would! Should you? I highly recommend it, especially if you're after some of the Big 5, or looking for an authentic, old school safari experience. I've been home for a month and still miss being in Africa with him, the guides he’s got working for him (“Leonhard” was our guide in S.A.), the trackers and staff, and the terrific hosts of the lodges we stayed at in Limpopo. My brother and I hunted South Africa for the first time in 2010, for plains game, and I'd been yearning to go back ever since. Our safari this year was pretty intense, very much the once-in-a-lifetime experience I was hoping for. Niassa is one of the few truly wild places left to hunt in Africa, and I'm extremely thrilled and gratified to have gone on the safari Juan provided us.
I've got hundreds of photos, as you might imagine, but I'll leave you with one of my favorites, taken at main camp the day we left Niassa. Starting from the left is tracker Phillipe, tracker Maxwell (his missing teeth the result of being charged by buffalo on two separate occasions), camp manager Jaco, our guide Leo, my brother, Juan, and me. (That belly's not photo shopped, by the way; that's the real deal.) I wish them all nothing but the best and hope they stay safe for a very long time.
Tom
I can very much recommend Juan (pronounced "Jon", not "Wan") and his outfit Chasseurs de Mocambique (which is Portuguese, not French, as Mozambique was a Portuguese colony before its independence). Yes, I've read the reports about him on this site, and it looks pretty bad, but I'd just like to relate my personal and recent experience as a client of his.
Juan proved to be very accommodating. He arranged a package deal for us, and was very flexible about payment, travel, trophies, etc. CdM is the outfit he runs in Mozambique, and JP Big Game Safaris is his outfit in South Africa (although he's passing that business on to his two sons, both of whom I met in camp and was thoroughly impressed with). He also runs Stillbay Investments, which is where all the billing goes through. So yes, you'll find his name associated with different companies, but that's because he's got separate businesses for different purposes in different countries, not because he's trying to dodge a bad reputation.
The concession he's a part of in Niassa is absolutely massive, something like 1,000 square miles, right up against the southern border of the Niassa Reserve, which is itself on the southern border of Tanzania. It's completely wild - no fences, and no roads other than the trails they've cut in themselves. The concession is owned by a trio of men, operating Mozambique Wild Adventures (MWA Safaris - check out their website for some nice photos of the accommodations). They allow a select few outfitters to hunt there, including CdM, which is why you might see another outfitter advertising hunts in the same area. There's a main camp, near the town of Marangira, and three spike (“fly”) camps. We primarily hunted out of a fly camp that was fully operational, visited a second that was established but not operational, and the last one is still being established. One of the other outfitters was primarily operating out of the main camp, but we only crossed paths with him and his clients at breakfast and dinner during the week or so we were there. You're just not going to be hunting over each other with all that room to roam, and some areas are better than others for specific species, so that also separates hunting parties as they fulfill their trophy lists.
Seeing the different companies involved was a bit confusing at first, like maybe an attempt to avoid transparency, but it's nothing like that. It turned out to be a matter of cooperation and mutual benefit (with the concession owners and other outfitters), as well as establishing different business interests as their own entities (for Juan himself). Juan's operations are a matter of efficiency, and he's able to offer great hunting opportunities at very competitive rates because of that.
The food and accommodations were fantastic, even at the fly camp; the staff incredibly professional and friendly. I've never received service that good in the U.S. Our guide, Leo, and his main tracker, Maxwell, were absolutely phenomenal. They worked so hard and were entirely devoted to making our safari successful. Poor Leo, though... he gashed his leg, got stung by a swarm of wasps, fell out of a tree and cracked a rib when installing a trail camera, had parts of his truck's suspension break, and was diagnosed with malaria on the day we left. But he never complained, never slowed down, never wavered from going all out for us, all day every day. And these guys are funny, too! (Juan, totally serious: "See that boulder up there, on top of that mountain? You know how hard it was to get that thing up there?! Took us two days...") They like to joke around, but never once took the hunting lightly or lost focus. They were really good company to be with for an extended period of time. I can’t even imagine better hunting partners.
There were a lot of animals, and very good quality, due in no small part to the anti-poaching efforts that MWA provides in the concession. We had trail cam evidence of several different male leopards hitting our bait sites, as well as a couple of females with cubs. I thought leopards were few and far between, but there is an impressive population of them in this concession. I lost count of how many sites we baited (6, 10?), but we sat in three different blinds on five separate occasions and I was successful the last time, right at dusk, on our eighth day of hunting, with a big mature male. Then we turned to buffalo, and we only went after the old dugga boys, not herd bulls. Again, plenty to choose from, and Leo put me on one that had just the kinds of features I was looking for. Then there was cruising for plains game, and Leo had us pass up a lot of nice animals so he could get us onto some great animals instead. You could definitely hold out for really impressive trophies if you want to, and have the nerve or the time - they exist here, but they're rare in the wild. The hunting is not easy; it's challenging and strenuous, 12 hour days of heat, dust, bouncing around in the back of a truck, and tracking through the miambo under a blazing sun. This is no stroll through a game park, and your hunting skills will be tested. I was committed to going home empty handed if I didn't get a shot at the kinds of animals I wanted, but that proved to be no problem - I just had to decide which one to take.
The one caveat I'd mention about the service, though, is that even though all your requests will be answered affirmatively, that doesn't mean they'll be fulfilled. Ask if there will be electricity and the answer is yes, but then there's no electricity because the generator isn't running. Is there Wi-Fi? "Yes". But, again, it’s not always working. I think there's a different style of communication involved, along with their very genuine desire to please. Just beware that if you're told something is available that it doesn't mean it's working or you'll be able to use it. And it affects everyone, not just guests - even the locals shrug and say, "That's Africa."
Speaking of communication... be sure to read and fully understand the contract you're given in its entirety, and absolutely get clarification on the terms if you have any doubt. I made three payments for our safari before it started and was provided a receipt that said I had paid for "Daily Fees and Trophies". I followed that up by asking a few times if there was anything else we would owe or have to pay for once we got to Africa, and each time was told no. Then the week after I got home I got a final invoice for $25,000. It was quite a shock, to say the least. Turns out the trophies listed in our contract weren't all included in the receipt I got for paying "Daily Fees and Trophies". I went through the contract again, got some clarification from Juan, and realized that there had been some misleading communication on his part - which I firmly believe was unintentional - and terribly optimistic/willful ignorance on my part, but there was nothing corrupt or nefarious going on. I should emphasize that it was overwhelmingly my fault for not fully understanding the terms of the contract, and not being much more specific in my questions. Juan was not being deceitful. It was all there in writing, and I should have been more attentive. I just wish there had been an acknowledgement that the payments I made before the safari did not cover the entire cost of the safari, and I regret that when I asked about additional cost I was told "no", when in fact the answer should obviously have been a resounding "YES".
Hunting guides and outfitters have really tough jobs, even if it is something they're passionate about. And they're in business to make a living. Client relations and word of mouth are crucial to their success, but there's a scale of doing favors to please hunting clients versus maintaining a profitable business. Juan was perfectly willing to negotiate, and his prices are very competitive for the market he's in. He also indulged us with some generous deals, perhaps in light of the scope of our safari. He is by no means some hard-nosed greedy Scrooge of an outfitter.
So the bottom line is, would I book a hunt with Juan Pace again? Without question or hesitation, I absolutely would! Should you? I highly recommend it, especially if you're after some of the Big 5, or looking for an authentic, old school safari experience. I've been home for a month and still miss being in Africa with him, the guides he’s got working for him (“Leonhard” was our guide in S.A.), the trackers and staff, and the terrific hosts of the lodges we stayed at in Limpopo. My brother and I hunted South Africa for the first time in 2010, for plains game, and I'd been yearning to go back ever since. Our safari this year was pretty intense, very much the once-in-a-lifetime experience I was hoping for. Niassa is one of the few truly wild places left to hunt in Africa, and I'm extremely thrilled and gratified to have gone on the safari Juan provided us.
I've got hundreds of photos, as you might imagine, but I'll leave you with one of my favorites, taken at main camp the day we left Niassa. Starting from the left is tracker Phillipe, tracker Maxwell (his missing teeth the result of being charged by buffalo on two separate occasions), camp manager Jaco, our guide Leo, my brother, Juan, and me. (That belly's not photo shopped, by the way; that's the real deal.) I wish them all nothing but the best and hope they stay safe for a very long time.
Tom
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Gerry Addison
AH veteran
I'm glad you had a good trip. I certainly didn't when I hunted with him. I wrote a report about my trip with him and I'll stand by it. I've been lucky enough to hunt all over the world, I've had some guide that weren't great, and I've never written a negative report on anyone except Juan if that tells you what I think about him.
DCH Hunting
AH senior member
Green T, I agree with Gerry Addison, I have hunted > 50 buffalo with a range of PH's and in most African countries. You are very lucky as Mr Pace is NOT to be recommended at all. See all my previous posts about him and his outfit when I hunted with him in Southern Mozambique. He was thrown out of PHASA, The Sheep Show in Germany etc etc. after I exposed him
USD 25k?? That is not a small amount to have missed and be billed to you later -- You were caught with your pants down my friend!! You can hunt 2 x Buff on a 10day 1:1 in > 80% of African Concessions for that "little extra bill" which was "overloooked" by you
I guess All is Well that Ends Well
Not for me thanks
USD 25k?? That is not a small amount to have missed and be billed to you later -- You were caught with your pants down my friend!! You can hunt 2 x Buff on a 10day 1:1 in > 80% of African Concessions for that "little extra bill" which was "overloooked" by you
I guess All is Well that Ends Well
Not for me thanks
Flipper Dude
AH fanatic
This just doesn’t pass the smell test for me. I might not be right, but it has served me well thus far. Just sayin’
WAB
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Sounds like a PR write up....never read/heard anything good about Juan pace
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Never heard a good thing about this man either
Only ever heard terrible things
Only ever heard terrible things
Joao Frazao
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Congratulations. Excellent choice!
I've been to Marangira twice (MWA Safaris) and it's simply fantastic!
I've been to Marangira twice (MWA Safaris) and it's simply fantastic!
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Joao Frazao
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I'll clarify that I never met Juan Pace.
I'm just talking about Marangira
I'm just talking about Marangira
Hunt anything
AH legend
My BS meter is off the charts, a $25,000 over site, especially when you get a receipt saying paid in full, unless you added the leopard and most of the other game to your list after you arrived, I’ve hunted Mozambique but not Niassa and that hunt should have totaled about $32,000 don’t know what you put down on the hunt but it just smells fishy but what can you do? They have your trophies and if you want them you have to pay.
Thanks for giving it a whirl.
Are you kidding me? Pay for a safari through an investment company!
Can you smell the laundry soap?
That thirty second google search and magically, Poof.....
https://b2bhint.com/en/company/za/still-bay-investments--K2018374964
This is the listed Officer of the Investment Company you sent your money to.
Bloody hell.
375Fox
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I’m glad you had a good hunt and a hardworking PH, but I have to ask what would make you book a hunt with this outfitter when there is so much bad information out there? From some of the wording in your report you have read it all. There are outfitters providing the same hunt with good reputations. It’s a lot of money to risk on someone with a reputation like he has.
WAB
AH ambassador
I googled him, he looks legit. Probably running an account at the investment firm for him. At least it’s RSA based. An offshore investment arm would be raising FCPA concerns.
LivingTheDream
AH legend
I saw the report title and thought, "wow no way that is the same Juan Pace". And then get to the part where you got a bill for 25k and thought, "yup definitely the same Juan Pace".
Glad you got your leopard, and had a good time.
Glad you got your leopard, and had a good time.
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Grz63 wrote on Werty's profile.
(cont'd)
Rockies museum,
CM Russel museum and lewis and Clark interpretative center
Horseback riding in Summer star ranch
Charlo bison range and Garnet ghost town
Flathead lake, road to the sun and hiking in Glacier NP
and back to SLC (via Ogden and Logan)
Rockies museum,
CM Russel museum and lewis and Clark interpretative center
Horseback riding in Summer star ranch
Charlo bison range and Garnet ghost town
Flathead lake, road to the sun and hiking in Glacier NP
and back to SLC (via Ogden and Logan)
Grz63 wrote on Werty's profile.
Good Morning,
I plan to visit MT next Sept.
May I ask you to give me your comments; do I forget something ? are my choices worthy ? Thank you in advance
Philippe (France)
Start in Billings, Then visit little big horn battlefield,
MT grizzly encounter,
a hot springs (do you have good spots ?)
I plan to visit MT next Sept.
May I ask you to give me your comments; do I forget something ? are my choices worthy ? Thank you in advance
Philippe (France)
Start in Billings, Then visit little big horn battlefield,
MT grizzly encounter,
a hot springs (do you have good spots ?)