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About Us
Why to Choose a Hunting Consultant
Knowledge – Working long hours, full-time, in the hunting and fishing industry, experienced consultants uncover and accumulate information no amateur sportsman would be exposed to. Real consultants are not just booking agents. Knowing which areas to hunt or fish, which operator to use for a particular quest and when to go for the highest chance of success, is the essence of our craft. (Beware of part-timers, they are really just amateurs in disguise.)
Experience – A good consultant’s experience allows him to edit the multitude of offerings in the marketplace, selecting precisely the right option to suit the individual taste and desires of each client. Bob Kern and his experienced staff have hunted in more than 50 countries throughout the world, over the span of more than 50 years. Bob has personally collected over 160 species of big game (over 500 trophies). They spend much of every year visiting hunting and fishing destinations, exploring remote territories, speaking with operators, old and new, and evaluating ever-changing conditions. They are the more experienced outdoor adventure team in the world today.
Insider Information – Consultants receive confidential information involving the financial stability of operators, pending new game regulations, and a host of other technical issues continuously. This, information is used to temper recommendations and guide clients’ decisions.
Advocacy – Every operator wants to fill his camps and sell his harvest quota. The consultant’s objective, on the other hand, is to please and serve his clients. If a dispute should arise between an operator and a client, an experienced consultant can often use his leverage to obtain an equitable solution. A customer can only represent his individual position to any operator, but the consultant represents the voices of many clients and can elevate any issue to market-wide exposure, when necessary.
Service – The staff at The Hunting Consortium routinely procures visas, firearm permits, and other travel documents, as well as issuing air tickets, making hotel reservations, and performing a host of other services to make travel easier and more interesting for clients. They also construct complex sightseeing programs to compliment any hunt.
The disappointment over a bad experience lingers long after the joy over the low cost has faded.
Leadership & Consulting
Bob Kern (U.S.A.)
Robert “Bob” P. Kern
President and founder of The Hunting Consortium, Ltd. , Bob Kern has been involved in hunting for 50 years and in the hunting travel business for 33 years. Bob has hunted extensively on 6 continents taking more than 170 species of big game. He travels continuously throughout the year visiting operators we represent and supervising our field staff. Bob is recognized as one of the most experienced and respected names in the hunt consulting industry. Bob Kern served in Vietnam as a combat helicopter pilot with the 101st Airborne Division and also flew missions for 5th Group Special Forces in Laos. Bob Kern has explored the remotest regions of Russia and the various republics of the former Soviet Union and developed dozens of new hunting tourism programs in that part of the world. Bob reopened Romania to hunting tourism in 1990 and Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan in 1992. Bob Kern was the leading explorer for new hunting areas in western and northern China in the late 1990’s and is currently involved in opening new hunting areas around the world, including in Uganda and in the Congo. Bob Kern is a life member of Safari Club International (SCI) has served as an International Director and as the Sub-chair for Asia on the Conservation Committee of SCI. Bob also served as the Sub-chair for Asia on the Trophy Records Committee. Bob Kern is a life member of the International Professional Hunters Association, International Sheep Hunters Association, Wild Sheep Foundation, Grand Slam Club – Ovis, Dallas Safari Club, Houston Safari Club, the National Rifle Association, as well as a member of the Alaska Professional Hunters Association, and the American Association of International Professional Hunting & Fishing Consultants (AAIPHFC).
Languages: English, German
Rob Kern (U.S.A.)
Robert “Rob” K. Kern
Vice President of The Hunting Consortium Ltd., Rob is instrumental in performing and managing the complex functions and tasks of the company; from consulting and coordinating itineraries, to escorting hunters in the most remote regions of the world. Rob attended Massanutten Military Academy for five years and graduated from George Mason University with a bachelor’s degree in Global Affairs. He has travelled the world since childhood, growing up in and around the hunting industry. Rob has hunted and fished on six continents and is one of the leading professionals in the hunting industry today. He creates and coordinates itineraries with outfitters and clients alike, to ensure that expectations are met and that clients’ goals are accomplished. Rob is the President of the International Professional Hunters’ Association (IPHA) where he served as a Vice President for six years. Established in 1969, the IPHA is the oldest hunter’s association of its kind in the world. Rob also serves on the Safari Club International (SCI) Exhibitor Advisory Group (EAG), where he liaisons between SCI and its exhibitors. Rob’s additional responsibilities include; social media management, trade show management, advertising management, and consulting. When not at the headquarters in Virginia, Rob travels around the world with clients, visiting operators that the Hunting Consortium represents, and exploring new areas being considered for new programs.
Languages: English, German
Administrative Staff
Margarete Kern (U.S.A.)
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for the firm, Margarete Kern has been involved in the hunting industry for over 40 years and in the hunting travel business for 35 years. She has managed a retail outdoor sporting goods store and accompanied Bob Kern to many remote areas of the world, evaluating operators and helping set up programs for the Hunting Consortium. Margarete supervises all travel arrangements and the construction of complex travel itineraries. As Chief Financial Officer for the corporation, she is responsible overseeing all financial operations and acts as comptroller and paymaster. Marg’s additional tasks include preparing the operating budget for the firm. She is an avid angler, having traveled extensively in pursuit of big game fish in many of the premier fishing destinations around the world. Margarete Kern develops and plans most photo safari and sightseeing itineraries in Europe and elsewhere.
Languages: English, German
Amelia Proffitt (U.S.A.)
Administrative manager, travel specialist, and customer service coordinator, Amy Proffitt has worked for the Hunting Consortium for 20 years and is an expert at managing complex travel itineraries. Amy is the senior manager in our office in Virginia, handling visa and firearm permit, and species import permit applications, and a myriad of other administrative tasks associated with hunting travel. Amy also assists our clients with travel insurance issues, trophy importation questions, firearm and hunting regulation questions, and coordinates the activities of other service providers and government agencies for the smooth execution of the often complex itineraries of our clients. She also supervises and trains our office staff in Virginia. Amy is acknowledged as one of the most experienced hunting and fishing travel professionals in the industry today.
Language: English
Trisha Clevenger
Administrative manager, travel specialist, and customer service representative. Trish has over 10 years in administrative and customer service experience in a variety of industries. She handles a number of administrative tasks, including; database management, scheduling, travel packets, COVID-19 entry formalities, and client file maintenance. Trisha also updates foreign country information for ever-changing situations, informs clients of changes in travel regulations and other news which may affect their trips and assists with social media. She handles routine correspondence, as well as other coordination necessary for the creation of smooth running, complex travel itineraries.
Language: English
Christina Schwarz (Germany)
Office Manager for the European office, located in Schwabach (Nürnberg), Germany, Christina Schwarz handles some correspondence for European customers, as well as coordinating customer service issues in Europe. Nina attends to visa applications and firearm permits, licenses, hotel reservations and plans sightseeing excursions, as well as itinerary adjustments, whenever necessary, for our customers traveling in Europe. She also assists with logistical matters connected with the firm’s exhibition at trade shows in Europe. She has traveled widely in Europe, North America and Africa and is a highly competent travel specialist.
Languages: English, German, Spanish, French
Field Staff & Program Managers
Eldar Shafiev (Russia, Central Asia)
Administrator and logistics specialist for The Hunting Consortiums programs in Central Asia and Team Chief in Tajikistan, Eldar Shafiev obtained his law degree from Moscow Humanitarian-Economic Institute. Before coming to work for the Hunting Consortium, Eldar was the Deputy Director, for National Projects and Administrator for Contractual and Environmental Law for the EU Project: Environmental Strategies for Sustainable Development in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. Eldar also served as the Head of the Tourism, Recreation, and International Affairs Division of the Department of State, Republic of Tajikistan. Eldar is a highly qualified attorney and administrator who handles the myriad of tasks necessary to create smooth running travel services under very difficult conditions. He provides interface with government agencies in the several republics of Central Asia, procuring the necessary hunting permits for our clients and insuring access to the finest hunting areas in Central Asia. He also accompanies clients and supervises the preparations and execution of our hunting programs in Tajikistan and other Central Asian countries. Eldar Shafiev is responsible for visas, area permits, firearm permits, local transportation, interface with local guides and field equipment distribution. He is a master fixer no matter what the challenge.
Languages: English, Russian, Tajik, Turkish
Oleg Stupar (Russia, Central Asia)
Administrator and logistical specialist, as well as Team Chief in Moscow, for The Hunting Consortiums Russian operations, Oleg Stupar has a Masters degree in philosophy from Moscow State University. He has been involved in hunting tourism since Russia was opened to foreign sportsmen in the 1980s. Oleg accompanied Bob Kern on many of the early regional explorations in Russia and Central Asia, in the early 1990s, after the fall of communism. He has exceptional knowledge of the hunting areas throughout the territories of the former Soviet Union. Oleg handles the myriad of administrative tasks necessary to deliver smooth running travel services, often under very difficult local conditions. He interfaces with local guides and coordinates services from our many service providers across Russia, and also provides interface with Russian government agencies. Oleg also accompanies clients, acting as interpreter-escort and supervises the preparations and execution of our hunting programs in Russia. He is responsible for all customer service in Russia, including subcontractor negotiations, area access, local transportation, and field equipment distribution. Oleg Stupar is a master at solving the many problems which can arise in remote locations and his jovial, easy-going personality has won him many friends among our clients and local hunting guides.
Languages: Russian, English
Chuluunbat “Chuka” Purvee (Mongolia)
Administrative and logistical specialist, as well as program manager in Mongolia, Chuluunbat “Chuka” has a Master’s Degree from Cambridge University in England, and is a candidate for PhD at the National University of Mongolia, in social anthropology. He has lectured at a number of institutions and worked with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in the protection of heritage sites in Mongolia. He has worked in the Mongolian tourism industry since 2012 and in hunting tourism since 2013. Chuka has travelled extensively throughout the country, amassing exceptional knowledge of the hunting areas, game populations, and their movements. He interfaces between the local guides and clients, and coordinates services from our many service providers (outfitters) in Mongolia, Additionally, he coordinates with various agencies of the Mongolian government and NGOs, with whom we sometimes work. Chuka also accompanies clients in the field, acting as an interpreter-escort for hunters who are in pursuit of all the huntable species in Mongolia. He is a master at coordinating the myriad of services required for a smooth-running hunting tourism program and is a very experienced tour guide for cultural excursions, before or after our hunts. His engaging personality has made him very popular with our clients.
Languages: Mongolian, Russian, English, French.
Adrian Bulbescu (Romania, Hungary)
Regional Service Representative in Romania and Hungary, Adrian Bulbescu has been in the hunting tourism industry since 1990, when the Hunting Consortium re-opened Romania to sport hunting, after the fall of the dictator Ceausescu. He is a highly skilled travel specialist who came to us from the Romanian Forestry Department just days after the Romanian revolution. He assisted setting up the first hunting programs in Romania in the post-communist period and now coordinates all of the Hunting Consortium’s activities in Romania and Hungary. He interfaces with the several forestry district offices in the areas we hunt and selects and trains local guides. Adrian was also the comptroller for our company in Tanzania in the 1990s. Adrian Bulbescu is an experienced guide and regularly accompanies clients in the field in Romania and Hungary. Today Adrian is recognized as Romania’s leading hunting travel specialist.
Languages: English, Hungarian, Romanian, German
Sergey Tishkevich (Russia, Central Asia)
Senior professional hunter and coordinator for mountain hunts in Russia and Central Asia, Sergey has been involved in professional hunting since 1978 and in hunting tourism since 1991. Sergey has a degree from the prestigious All-Russia Institute for Scientific Research in Kirov, majoring in wildlife management, professional hunting and fur farming. He has explored the most remote areas throughout Russia and the various republics of the former Soviet Union and is perhaps the most experienced professional hunter in Russia today. He is well-known for the articles he writes for various Russian hunting publications. Sergey manages our spring brown bear hunting program in Kamchatka and our mountain hunt programs throughout Russia and Central Asia. Sergey is best known for helping develop the Marco Polo sheep hunting program in the Pamir Mountains of Tajikistan in the early 1990s. He regularly accompanies clients in the field throughout Russia and Central Asia and is continuously exploring new areas and developing new programs for the Hunting Consortium.
Languages: Russian, English
Reşit Kaan Ӧzmen (Turkey, Central Asia)
Senior professional hunter for the Hunting Consortium in the Middle East, including Turkey, Azerbaijan and Iran, Reşit also accompanies clients of theHunting Consortium in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and in Russia. Reşit has been involved in professional hunting for over 30 years. He has guided hunters in Turkey, Azerbaijan, Mongolia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Pakistan and in Russia, in all more than 300 hunts. He has explored the most remote areas throughout Russia and the various republics of the former Soviet Union and is perhaps the most experienced professional hunter in the Middle East today. Reşit is well-known among local guides in many countries as an accomplished expert in mountain game and a hunter with superior skills. He manages our tur hunting program in Azerbaijan and assists in several other programs in Central Asia. He regularly guides clients in the field throughout the Middle East and Central Asia and is continuously exploring new areas and developing new programs for the Hunting Consortium.
Languages: Turkish, Russian, English
Orhan Konakci
Chief of Operations in the Middle East, including Turkey, Azerbaijan and Georgia for the Hunting Consortium, Orhan has a degree in civil engineering from Middle East Technical University in Ankara. He has been involved in hunting tourism since 1985 and owned his own outfitting company in Turkey for many years. Orhan has exceptional knowledge of the hunting areas throughout the Middle East and develops programs for all species found there. He handles the many of administrative tasks necessary to deliver smooth running travel services, often under very difficult local conditions. Orhan contracts with local guides and coordinates services from our many service providers, while interfacing with government agencies. Orhan also accompanies clients, acting as interpreter-escort and supervises the preparations and execution of our hunting programs in Turkey. He is responsible for all customer service in Turkey. Orhan is a master at solving the many problems which can arise in remote locations and his jovial, easy-going personality has won him many friends among our clients and local hunting guides.
Languages: Turkish, English, German
Soner Senbecerir
Chief, Client Services Istanbul, for the Hunting Consortium, Sonny has been involved in the tourism industry for over 20 years. He has exceptional knowledge of Istanbul and the surrounding area and provides clients of the Hunting Consortium with safe, timely transfers, hotel and restaurant reservations, sightseeing programs, assistance with firearms and trophies, and a host of other services in Istanbul. Istanbul has become the primary transportation hub for travels into Central Asia, Pakistan and Mongolia, as well as the Middle East. Sonny maintains a cadre of expert drivers and tour guides, who he evaluates and trains to handle any request by our discerning clients. He is highly regarded by the airport staff and authorities and especially by the airport police in Istanbul and is widely considered the “go-to-guy” for any issue which may arise. Sonny is a master “fixer” at solving travel problems and keeping itineraries running smoothly. His winning personality has won him many friends at home and abroad.
Languages: Turkish, English