Mike & Karen Farris
When Karen and I met you and Jr. at the Dallas Safari Dallas Safari Club show, the first thing that I noticed was the openness and honesty that was in your faces. I had no doubt that I could trust you from the moment I met you. The first thing Karen noticed was the pictures of those damn baby cheetahs.
Our trip to Namibia was easy and the first face we saw after we cleared customs was Sr. The ride to the lodge was beautiful and Jr. and Connie were there to meet us. From that moment on we were not clients, we were family. We also found that those baby cheetahs had grown into very friendly, very large house cats. We also met an adorable baby Kudu that you let Karen name Kacey, after our new granddaughter. The lodge was beautiful we felt at home.
The next day, after sighting in the rifles, the hunt began. Over the next ten days my friend Gary and I both took Kudu, Springbuck, Gemsbok, Warthog, Red Hartebeest, Mountain Zebra, and Karen took a beautiful Blue Wildebeest. Every animal that Karen and I tool was of top quality.
If my math is correct, we hunted over 300,000 acres and animals were everywhere. I saw more trophies in one day on this trip than I have seen the rest of my hunting career.
Hunting with Jr. was incredible. I have never seen anyone who could spot and judge game as well as he can. He is enthusiastic, fun, and we really enjoyed our constant joking with him. His knowledge of the country, animals and people is truly amazing. I really do not know who was happier when I took my Kudu, Jr. or me!
Connie was a true gift to us during our stay. The best cook in Namibia and maybe the world. A wonderful woman who Karen and Jodie just fell in love with. The girls were just as happy staying at the lodge with Connie as they were going out with the boys. She made us feel more than welcome. She made us feel like we had known her all our life. She is even a pretty good doctor. She did a good job patching up my “Namibian Kiss” that my .375 gave me on my nose.
Last but not least. My good friend Hoekus. The long talks we had while traveling from ranch to ranch are something I will cherish forever. You are truly a man of your word, and that is not as common as it should be. I am honored to be considered your friend.
To end this letter I would like to say that every hunt that I have ever been on has surprises. The surprise on this hunt is that it far exceeded our expectations. From the sundowner the first night, the wonderful hunting, the spectacular sunset at Karen’s birthday party, and especially the closeness we feel to you and your family, which was the best surprise of all.
Castroville, Texas
