TANZANIA: Tz Safari Disagreement

[santiagoescobedo]

This report aims to reveal the bad practice of its director Félix Barrado Ratanakani Safaris with the client. The Nachengo hunting area is very good for cats and buffalos and some species of Plaines games. The camp is very good. The staff is very good. Now Felix behavior is a disaster. no communication with the client. At no time was he interested in the trophies and poor food, six days with chicken, the food in the bush one sandwich, two sausages and an egg. The client was accompanied by two observers, his daughter and a 22-year-old friend from the first time he saw him in Africa. Félix's behavior was indifferent and shabby. May this serve the appropriate purposes

 

[CBH Australia]

Wow, you just joined today and you are calling out a safari operator I have not seen mentioned here previously.

 

[Rickmt]

Sounds like he is pissed off!

 

[thriller]

damn this guy doesn't like chicken or sandwiches. In all seriousness, we usually don't see someone join just to talk trash about an outfitter that to my knowledge has not been mentioned here before. you may want to start by introducing yourself and then move into what happened on this hunt.

 

[HankBuck]

I have never - Never booked a hunting trip based on the food, never cared about the food, and as long as the hunting was GOOD —- don’t even remember the food.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

This report aims to reveal the bad practice of its director Félix Barrado Ratanakani Safaris with the client. The Nachengo hunting area is very good for cats and buffalos and some species of Plaines games. The camp is very good. The staff is very good. Now Felix behavior is a disaster. no communication with the client. At no time was he interested in the trophies and poor food, six days with chicken, the food in the bush one sandwich, two sausages and an egg. The client was accompanied by two observers, his daughter and a 22-year-old friend from the first time he saw him in Africa. Félix's behavior was indifferent and shabby. May this serve the appropriate purposes

Sir I agree with all of the previous replies. This is not to say your post is not valid. But no one here knows you. With all first posts that come out swinging on an outfitter, I am skeptical.

 

[Firebird]

Is he reporting for himself or for someone else? Did they kill anything in this area that is very good for cats and Buffalo?
I do care about the food and if the hunting is good I expect to eat what we are shooting.
This post is more confusing than anything and raises more questions than addressing legitimate issues

 

[Tanks]

So, where is the detailed report with pictures?

 

[C.W. Richter]

Borrowing from what I think I might've read above, on my 2nd safari many moons ago I was paired up with a cranky, old PH (who'd been through the mill in life and war prior-i'd not want to walk 1/8 mi in his shoes!!!)...he found the fault in everything; he cursed his staff, made other colorful comments, spoke of earlier conquests, even raised his voice at me a couple times, gruff, short-fused, etc. etc. etc. (that stuff stuck in my mind for quite awhile)...but as the decades go by and I look at the spiral horn slam on my wall (and then some-in one trip!) I have to say he was one of the finest, most organized and experienced PH I've ever hunted with. There was some lack-o-communication at the moment of truth (no words spoken when he spotted the Kudu of a lifetime-I peeked around him on Kopje ledge and that Kudu ran to Zambia! lol I got the contingency prize a week later.) He was also HELL on a would-be thief at Tambo (he picked me up in RSA, we did some hunting, then crossed over into Zim (giving the long-line customs folks a Jedi wave and we passed through in minutes-he did same w/ the police and guns clearance at Tambo!!) which was the main focus of the trip.) The point of all the colorful descriptions was: 1) I could NOT have been in better hands, in Africa, 2) I got ALL species I was after (including some rarer, more difficult to obtain...Nyala, etc.) Are all boxed, cold bush lunches in Africa what I'd typically eat (or want to eat?) No. Does it matter? No. I suppose the rest was just the unique character of this particular model....I'm no Dr., but Mr. retired PH was v likely in-need of BP meds (I'd be if subjected to all he had been in his life!) Otherwise, expert at his craft and the proof is in the pudding! If anyone can translate the story of the 22 y/o gal on safari, I'm interested in hearing all about it...

 

[R.M.C.]

Welcome to the forum!! Some more info would be great, I swear I hunted with the guy you're talking about in south Texas once lol he was a miserable bastard but he put us on more hogs and javelinas than we could shake a stick at!! Please make a hunt report so we can all read it.
So did you actually hunt with this outfit or did someone you know hunt with him?

 

[Scott CWO]

No communication is not good. No interest in trophies is not good. Chicken every night would get old. Sandwiches, sausage and a boiled egg for lunch (out in the field) would be fine by me.

Did the hunter get any animals? If so, were they mature? We need more information.

 

[SFRanger7GP]

Was it fried chicken?

Safe hunting

 

[sestoppelman]

Sometimes the old guard of PH's can be a little surly, no doubt. If you hunt with enuf different outfitters you will probably hunt with a crank, I did once as well.
And food does matter to me as well. My first trip to Zim was the same thing, chicken every day until I told my PH, 'put some game meat on the table' and things changed. Its one of the perils of hunting on a farm and often they think hunters dont want game meat! I never understood why.
My older cranky PH also didnt care about trophy size and as much as told me to put my tape measure where the sun dont shine, and also offered to produce a certain anatomical appendage for measurement if so desired, to which I declined as gracefully as possible!
Still in the end it was probably my most treasured African experience as it took place in the Okavango delta for 2 full weeks and all things considered a fantastic hunt, cranky PH notwithstanding.
As others mention, much more info would be needed to pass any sort of judgement on this hunt.

 

[DieJager]

Sounds like a great start of a hunting report.

 

[Nyati]

Felix Barrado is very well known in Spain

Very experienced Outfitter/PH, definitely old guard, just one year younger than myself.

Heard many stories, but don´t know him personally, or know anybody that hunted with him.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

My lunch when hunting in South Africa is usually half a ham and cheese sandwich. I'm not big into eating, here or there. I go to Africa to hunt and be outside in a very special environment.

I'm thinking there MAY be some substance to the OP's complaints but his unfortunate poor command of English language is a barrier to communicating them effectively.

 

[Hunter-Habib]

Why are you pretending to be Mr. Santiago Escobedo ?

I know the real Mr. Escobedo. He is a very respected white hunter and sold a Pedro Arrizabalaga sidelock ejector in .500 Nitro Express to a friend of mine. I doubt that he would ever talk like this.

 

[mark-hunter]

This report aims to reveal the bad practice of its director Félix Barrado Ratanakani Safaris with the client.

So, welcome to the forum.
Being a new member, pls allow me to make some highlights on positive / or negative safari reports.

Usually, making positive or negative hunt report, in first post by new member does not have too much gravity.

There have been some negative reports on the forum, and their outcome sometimes is positive for the OP, sometimes is negative for the OP.

If forum member has established his reputation on the forum as reliable person, with numerous posts in the past, then the report will carry more gravity. One post members do not boost confidence.

What I have seen on negative reports is that moderators of the forum tend to be just, and when negative report comes out, they usually inform the outfitter to give him a chance to comment and defend his business reputation.

Once discussion starts between complainant and the outfitter, the outcome can go both ways for each person.

If, the clients proves right in his complaints - outfitter offers him some satisfaction, or tries to make things right. (there have been cases on the forum when outfitter offered free hunt, or high discount on next hunts to make things right).
And there were cases were upon complaints it was taken that the complaint was without grounds or unreasonable, and then the clients looses reputation, and does not get any corrective action from outfitter.

One-post-forum-members: sometime they complain on reputable outfitters, sometimes they jump in to the forum giving high praises to their outfitter, going in both extremes.
So, the premotivated idea is either to help marketing the outfitter business, or to come to cause bad rep. Motivation may vary. Sometimes, I remeber, the clients were asked on other social networks by outfitters to say few good words for them, on their experiences.So they register, give high score, and go away never again posting on the forum. We have seen all options.

However, in order to give some weight on your report, it would be helpful to give more details about the events on safari. Add some photos, some more deatils about yourself, your previous safari experiences, how you book the hunt, what you did expect and was not delivered, etc... like entire story, and your expectations from the hunt when you booked.

Try to paint us the full picture.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Why are you pretending to be Mr. Santiago Escobedo ?

I know the real Mr. Escobedo. He is a very respected white hunter and sold a Pedro Arrizabalaga sidelock ejector in .500 Nitro Express to a friend of mine. I doubt that he would ever talk like this.

That Santiago Escobedo is:
@santiagoescobedo4137

 

[BRICKBURN]

This report aims to reveal the bad practice of its director Félix Barrado Ratanakani Safaris with the client. The Nachengo hunting area is very good for cats and buffalos and some species of Plaines games. The camp is very good. The staff is very good. Now Felix behavior is a disaster. no communication with the client. At no time was he interested in the trophies and poor food, six days with chicken, the food in the bush one sandwich, two sausages and an egg. The client was accompanied by two observers, his daughter and a 22-year-old friend from the first time he saw him in Africa. Félix's behavior was indifferent and shabby. May this serve the appropriate purposes

It helps if you get the company name correct.

RATANAKIRI SAFARI LTD.

I have emailed the company informing them of this thread.