Responsibility and Evaluation: Q & A

Remember this: The glare will blind you. Know yourself.

I was looking around social media, following the tunnels of hunting participants. This is what it looked like from a couple of professional African outfitter/hunters.

A herald walks out to the castle keep tower, holds his hands up to the masses and says in a very obvious stream of words, “Listen to me peasants. This killer of lions. This poacher in the dark. We rebuke him.” Then everyone shuffles away.

When you consider the Media giants out there, this commentary becomes no more than watching grass. Somewhere in that grass is a squeak, that no one hears.

I have read everything from don't look at that lion, look at those rhinos, Africa doesn't care, no one in Zimbabwe knows the lion is dead, and Africa has bigger problems to handle.

The villagers are standing around, with there hands out declaring, “What is going on?”

I don't know what is going on in Africa. Only Africans know that. If you went by the commentaries of some professional hunters, no one cares in Africa, especially the poor.

There were some questions I had after reading some articles. This one statement kept jumping out at me. Dr. Walter Palmer stated, “I relied on the expertise of my local professional guides to ensure a legal hunt.”

My questions are these:

If you are a professional hunter/guide/outfitter, selling a service at a business you own, based around trophy hunting, are you not in control of that business and the client during a hunt?

How much of the legalities and details do you dump on the client before and after landing?

Is there no guides to monitor the actions of paying clients to keep them out of trouble and make that business look bad?

Are foreign hunters lured to Africa to hunt big game trophies, then left to their own device once there, like wayward children without adult supervision?

Are foreign hunters being put in senseless situations that could lead to the destruction of their life, at their expense, and thinning their wallet?

Is there no system in place between hunting concessions and research stations, where communication is available to determine points of potential illegal taking of wildlife and flora in that designated area?

Specifically, who is in control and who is ultimately responsible?

I could go on but no one is paying me for this. Where is my donations? I would like to finish those two classes on my biology degree but that ain't happening. I am sitting here spinning my little chair around, trying to make sense of the debacle hunting has gotten into. There is a fine line between hunting and poaching. It is like the wolf with the sheepskin hiding in the flock. You never know when one is going to run out and eat the sheep.

Baa Ram Ewe!

I recalled a conversation I had with a hunter. I am not going to divulge the name because he didn't see me coming. I approach things with a professional attitude when it counts. I decided maybe this would help some people out there. This was my evaluation of references provided and feedback for that particular business, in the hopes it would improve the services given to the consumer. For that one guy that I told this to, take it that you're helping other hunters. 

I am a boss. Enjoy.

Here is a conversation I had with a hunt broker on feedback from the people using his service. These are comments most people will not verbalize to the broker/guide/outfitter.

I did not make this up. I kid you not. I actually did this.

Subject stated: When a celebrity arrives in camp, paying customers are pushed to the background. The celebrity then distracts away from the paying clients.

Subject arrived into camp on different locations where the guide or manager of the camp did not interact with the client, seemed resentful, which caused a sense of isolation instead of camaraderie while in camp. Camp was ill run or the managing guide was not interesting in the business, which caused the subject to decide not to return to particular camp and move on to another guiding service.

More attention needs to be centered on the client. Several subjects voiced this. There might be some disconnect with the condition that the hunt broker, or a member of the brokerage firm goes on a hunt as a hunter with the client, which confuses the client. The client expects to be under the care of the brokerage firm and the guide is secondary. 

There needs to be some specifics on the triage of who is going to be responsible for what, when, where and how. The guide seems to be relieved of this issue because the client initially invests money with the brokerage. There may be some misunderstanding or misconception here as to the true role of the broker, differentiating the broker going on a hunt with a client, but not necessarily involving himself in the process and when the guide actually takes over the responsibility of the client on the hunt. If the client is there to hunt, the client doesn’t need to be confused by administration or feeling they are about to be lead into a ditch.

Subject noted a conversation between guide and broker where guide told broker, the broker needed to pay more attention to the client.  Guide may not understand his role or responsibility during the hunt as it pertains to the broker, if he is hunting, as well or present and the client. There needs to be a clear definition of roles. 

Conversations between hunt broker and guide should not be in the view of client who may not understand what he is seeing or know the content of conversation unless client is simultaneously voicing displeasure to both individuals.

Subject noted interaction by e-mail, up to the beginning of the hunt, was frequent. Later, the communication appeared sparse. When information did come, it was close to the departure date which put stress on the client. This pressure caused client to do research to deal with unforeseen details that might hinder or cause client problems pre- and post- departure from and to hunt location. 

Client felt hunt brokerage firm and guide, having performed the general paperwork and information minus the actual work of hunting should have done these requirements in route enough that the process should have moved along smoothly without the client doing much work. Process needs to be evaluated for loopholes, forms that could be utilized, etc. If the hunt broker or the guide is afield doing a service then there should be a person that is delegated the role of mediator at all times for clients to have someone available to help them through the process and gather information to and from guide service while the guide or hunt broker is involved with some other function.

Multiple subjects mentioned they were put in uncomfortable situations where they questions the actions going on in camp and during the hunt that caused them to reserve their complaint or observation to avoid insulting the hunting guide or broker. The client didn’t want to get blacklisted for being a trouble source but instead endured the scenario. This reservation or lack of a communication outlet with broker or guide potentially caused client to not return again for service at particular sites or using in the future.

Subject stated there did not exist a plan of action during hunts when client could be put in potential danger. Client would also assume all responsibility of harm or death to self; even if guide or broker made suggestions or direction that lead to eventual harm or death.

Subject divulged there was distress at the lack of information that could cause a hindrance of client returning to place of origin.

Subject felt after returning from hunt that they were forgotten or excluded from future hunts; they may have unintentionally insulted or annoyed hunting guide or broker that caused a blacklisting or they were just forgot. There was also the comment about not being appreciated as a client for using the service even if enduring a less than pleasurable experience.

When questioned about costs for shipping body parts of animals for taxidermy into the US or having taxidermy done in Africa then shipped to US---hunt guide and broker couldn’t provide information that should have been referenced from past client hunts and interactions.

Subject voiced the laid back style of the hunting broker clashing with the different personal style of the client but client was made to fit into laid back style. Here this became evident by the lack of addressing issues that arose as problems that needed to be solved or lack of dealing with pertinent details.

Suggestions:

Hunting broker and guide need to have a pau wau on definition of roles when interacting with client. Who is ultimately responsible for the client experience? There would seem to be some issue that exists between the three entities that causes a problem with flow and easy of service. This could be from the moment you meet the client to the final goodbyes or return service. 

There needs to be a delegation of duties. Breakdown exists in communication. If you don’t know what the issues are, write the problems you have had in the past then find a solution. Most requirements are repetition. These requirements should be outlined and set in Moses tablets so when unforeseen issues arise it will cause less stress, less time, and the client should never have to know there is a problem because the problem was dealt with before it occurred. Unless it can’t be avoided. Prior planning prevents piss poor performance. 

One of the main points that stuck out to me was the confidence in the hunt broker and guide. I have thus far received more information about the process from clients not the staff. In most of the businesses that I ever worked in, I was responsible for communicating the products and services to the client in a timely manner. 

This incurred confidence in the client that I was knowledgeable about the process, the service, the product and how they fit into this picture. People do not want to feel like they are not looked after. Confidence in the person providing the service is key. If it is not there, the client will question everything you do, even your validity, as a provider and will doubt your expertise. This is not what you want because once it takes hold it can cause you long term problems with return clients or future clients.

Subject directly said this would probably not be for me. If women didn’t have money do not waste person's time.

Subject didn’t seem to have recollection of hunting; only the mark but did enjoy himself.

I hope this has helped you some and I have a lot to think about here. There was a lot of positive information but this was based around conversation about personal hunting philosophy, hunting goals, and experiences when not addressing a reference.

I will suggest, with all the administration, dealing with clients and paperwork details is not your thing then find a savvy person that can set clients at ease, answer their questions, and a pro-active person that covers all the details so you don’t have to spend time on this. You could spend more time on the client or hunting. You need a constant initial contact person.

As hunters, people rely heavily on outfitters/brokers/guides as authorities of hunting, then hand over their sense of reason, to make decisions for themselves when guided by others.

Outfitters/brokers/and their guides are not always trusted authorities on hunting. They are more experienced but you should know yourself. If not, you might want to get more acquainted with the way you want to hunt verses the way you are lead to hunt, local or foreign.

My moto has always been: Do not try to lead me in a ditch. I will not follow you.

I invite anyone to write about this because this is a crucial trouble source for foreign hunters on African soil. This doesn't need to be bandaged. It needs to be treated like a cancer; cut it out.

You can go donate a dollar to my blog.

After this, I was told to find someone else.

Written by: W Harley Bloodworth