WARNING: CONTAINS DISTRESSING CONTENT
A hunting website features proud testimonials from trophy hunters, mimicking Tripadvisor reviews often left for attractions and venues.
Discount African Hunts offers various hunting safari packages, including 'specialty' services involving permits that are usually difficult to obtain for animals such as honey badger, aardvark and mongoose.
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The company is managed by lifelong hunter John Martins of Palm Harbor, Florida, who says on the website: "From guided tours to renting a car and driving, we are able to advise you on the best way to structure your safari.
"I want you to have the best trip ever and refer your hunting pals and friends to me so that I may help them discover Africa too!"
Of the hunts listed online, there's a 15-day 'Zimbabwe Lion Hunt' that'll set you back $72,171 (£57,565), a 10-day 'Masailand Cape Buffalo Hunting Safari' costing $23,990 (£19,135), a 'Leopard Hunt in Namibia' for $19,800 (£15,793), among many others.
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One customer called Jacques, based in Florida, had been taken on a hunt in the South African Waterberg Mountains, in north Limpopo Province.
In an online testimonial, he recalled how he'd given his guide a target of a sable antelope with horns measuring 42 inches or bigger, and was also offered a discount on the April 2018 trip.
Jacques wrote: "I am a tape hunter and I make no excuses for it.
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"I set my goals high and don't believe in taking young or sub standard trophies. GO BIG OR GO HOME. My yardstick for SABLE has always been 42 inch minimum."
Jacques also used Discount African Hunts in 2015, when he killed a lion.
Reviewing the antelope hunt, he continued: "As my wife and I explore and hunt, we find it overrun with game and some 500,000 acres available.
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"It's mid April 2018 and everything is overgrown and green. Oh yeah thorns, thorns, and more thorns. After three days of non-stop hunting my legs looked like I had lost a war with a lawn mower.
"Target sable was given the name HOUDINI due to his ability to escape and evade. One quick glimpse of a horn tip was all he ever presented and he's still there along with the black mambas and leapards."
Jacques said he eventually found a beast with horns that measures 45.5 inches on the left and 45 inches on the right, saying the celebration was 'something to behold'.
He added: "The only other agenda item was a blue beast with very gray hide with definite black stripes. My wife had decided she needed another rug and who am I to argue with the boss?
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"[...] All in all an amazing adventure that surpassed expectations."
Another customer called John, who went to South Africa last year and took '9 trophies with 2 outfitters' also said: "Every one exceeded my goal including a 46 inch sable and a buffalo that I killed with my last shell at 12 feet charging!! Doesn't get any better than that!
"Perfect weather all 14 days, awesome food and top notch PH [professional hunter]. Used their guns and they shot very well."
Someone else called Justin, who went on a bowhunt with the company back in 2015, said: "To the next hunter I say be ready for the time of your life! Take plenty of arrows and broadheads! The blinds are great! The camp and staff are awesome."
Featured Image Credit: Discount African HuntsTopics: News, Hunting, Animals