My 2cents worth. It is quite possible that Safariman was just as much a victim as the paying hunters. I've had two excellent hunts with Steyn Safaris out of Barberton, SA. Both of these hunts were absolutely fantastic. I found the Steyns to be honest, hardworking professionals. If Abie (my PH) tells you, that he can get you within 20 yards of a buff, Believe It (he got me within 8 meters of a herd). If your chances for leopard are less than 20% over bait, he will tell you up front. I would book with them in a minute. However, that doesn't mean I will always get a super hunt, but I do believe they will never cheat me or misrepresent the current situations.
But as someone said, "hunting is not a sure thing". That is true, but misrepresenting the area "oh, its full of buffalo", when there hasn't been a fresh track in months, is not "just hunting", it is blatant "lying".
Should Safariman be responsible for outcome of the hunts? Not unless he knew in advance that the areas to be hunted were less than desirable.
As for the outfitter, the fact that a land owner wouldn't let him hunt his place, because the outfitter still owed him money, says it all for me.
One of the side effects of the Zimbabwe political situation, is that white people are leaving in droves. Those that are still there, are probably trying to get as much money as possible before they decide to abandon their homes and businesses.
Although ZIM still has areas with a lot of game and good tariffs, things seem to be spiraling downhill at a faster rate.
Just my thoughts.
