PROFESSIONAL BIG GAME HUNTING
WITH THE HUNTING CONSORTIUM
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.
Robert P. Kern
Position/Department
President and Founder
Areas of Operation
Worldwide
Languages Spoken
English, German
Bob 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).
Robert K. Kern
Position/Department
Consulting & Marketing
Areas of Operation
Worldwide
Languages Spoken
English, German
Rob Kern is a distinguished leader in the hunting and conservation industry with over 20 years of experience in travel logistics, client consultation, and program development. As Vice President at The Hunting Consortium Ltd., Rob oversees complex itineraries, coordinates with top outfitters globally, and ensures seamless client experiences in some of the world’s most remote and challenging environments. A graduate of George Mason University with a degree in Global Affairs, Rob has traveled extensively, gaining firsthand expertise in over 50 countries across six continents. His career reflects a deep commitment to delivering world-class hunting adventures while fostering conservation and sustainable resource use. Rob is the current President of the International Professional Hunters’ Association (IPHA), where he has served in leadership since 2017. Under his guidance, IPHA continues to uphold its legacy as the world’s oldest and most respected professional hunting organization. Additionally, Rob serves on the Safari Club International (SCI) Exhibitor Advisory Group, where he collaborates with industry leaders to shape the future of the world’s largest hunting convention. In 2021, Rob co-founded Wild Strongholds, a groundbreaking documentary series that highlights hunting’s role in global wildlife conservation and the empowerment of local communities. As Project Manager and Associate Producer, he applies his strategic planning skills to create compelling narratives that demonstrate the impact of sustainable hunting practices. Rob’s expertise extends beyond operations and conservation. He is instrumental in The Hunting Consortium’s marketing and business development efforts, including social media management, trade show coordination, and advertising. His dedication to excellence and innovation solidifies his position as one of the most influential figures in the global hunting industry today.
Margarete Kern
Position/Department
Vice President, Chief Financial Officer
Areas of Operation
United States of America
Languages Spoken
English, German
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.
Amelia Proffitt
Position/Department
Office Manager
Areas of Operation
United States of America
Languages Spoken
English
Administrative manager, travel specialist, and customer service coordinator, Amy Proffitt has worked for the Hunting Consortium for 30 years and is an expert at managing complex travel itineraries. Amy is the Office Manager at our headquarters 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.
Trisha Clevenger
Position/Department
Administrative Manager
Areas of Operation
United States of America
Languages Spoken
English
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.
Eldar Shafiev
Position/Department
Program Manager
Areas of Operation
Central Asia
Languages Spoken
English, Russian, Tajik, Turkish
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.
Chuluunbat “Chuka” Purvee
Position/Department
Program Manager
Areas of Operation
Mongolia
Languages Spoken
Mongolian, Russian, English, French
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.
Adrian Bulbescu
Position/Department
Field Staff/Program Manager
Areas of Operation
Romania
Languages Spoken
English, Hungarian, Romanian, German
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.
Orhan Konakci
Position/Department
Program Manager
Areas of Operation
Middle East
Languages Spoken
Turkish, English, German
Progam Manager 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.
Soner Senbecerir
Position/Department
Field Staff/Program Manager
Areas of Operation
Turkey
Languages Spoken
Turkish, English
Chief, Client Services Istanbul, for the Hunting Consortium, Sonny has been involved in the tourism industry for over 30 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.
