Cameroon
We strongly urge that the following insurance (available commercially) be obtained prior to undertaking any hunting trip abroad.
Emergency medical evacuation. Accidental death/disability. Medical insurance. Trip cancellation. Loss of baggage/personal items.
Health: Immunization against Diphtheria, Hepatitis A/B, and Typhoid is recommended. Also Poliomyelitis is endemic and inoculation is strongly advised. Vaccines are also advised for Meningococcal Meningitis, Rabies and Tuberculosis. Malaria exists all year throughout the country and a course of preventive treatment should be discussed with your Dr.
A Yellow Fever vaccination certificate must be presented on arrival by all travelers.
piCFM 08 Portaged Safaris hunt
Portaged Safaris
$9,500.00
Brief introduction to Chasse Libre.
Thanks for the interest in hunting in Cameroon.
I was born in Cameroon to a missionary doctor. I spent 11 years there and have been back close to thirty times since to hunt. I know and understand the bush and the people of the areas we hunt. You will be using my personal staff. My main tracker has worked for me of one of my good friends for over 20 years. I have successfully helped hunters like yourself numerous times.
The Trip: This is a true portaged hunt. All of your gear will be carried in on the backs or heads of porters. You will be on foot or in a hand-dug canoe for the whole trip. There are no established camps, houses, showers or toilets. The nearest road will be up to 5 day's walk away. A vehicle is used only to get you to the village where we pick up your porters. You will have a native gun bearer/guide as well as someone assigned to wash, cook, and take care of you. If you come with the intention of a large bag (# of species) this trip may not be for you. If you want to have a true African experience that includes hunting then it may be a good fit. (Every once and a while we also take a nice bag.)
Hunting: The license in Cameroon allows you to take 2 larger species and 4 smaller species, males of each, or up to 6 smaller ones. Gorillas, chimps and leopard are protected. Hunting is by finding game as you move from one area to another or by tracking. Tracking is for larger game and is best accomplished when there have been rains. The duikers are called in, but this only works if they have not been extensively trapped, so you must really be a long way into the bush. Animal shot for camp meat are generally not counted against your bag. I am currently hunting 4 areas:
#1 is an area with good herds of forest buffalo and western kob. There are other species available like sing-sing waterbuck, warthog, some duikers and a good number of sitatunga.
#2 is an area for bongo and forest animals with a chance for forest buffalo and some plains game. This area has the best chance at the forest duikers; Peter’s blue, yellow back, white belly and others.
#3 is a savannah hunt for northwestern buffalo, lord derby eland, western kob, warthog, oribi, bohr reedbuck, red river hog and others
#4 is an elephant hunt (trophy not importable to the USA, but legal to hunt) where there are some buffalo, but it is mainly an elephant hunt
Guns: A rifle capable of taking a buffalo is recommended, 375 H&H magnum or better. As a second gun I recommend a shotgun in 12 gauge with a long full choke in the jungle and a light rifle in the savannah.
Typical Day: Try to wake at 5:00 to get camp going and out by 7:00. I eat only 2 times per day so a good breakfast is in order. You usually walk ahead with the guide and take breaks every couple hours until about 3:00 in the afternoon. Camp is made near a stream and you have from then till a 6:00 dark to try to kill dinner. It is reasonable to expect to shoot a duiker or some game each day for meat. Back in camp I bathe in the stream, and eat before turning in to start all over again the next day. If you find good tracks or a good area you do not need to move camp each day. The porters and guide will be very willing to stay close to home and hunt duikers. You will not have chances at big game every day so make sure to take full advantage of each encounter.
Conditioning: You do not have to be in great shape, but the better shape you are in the better off you will be. It is mostly long, hot, hard walking. Be in your best cardiovascular shape and do a lot of walking before we go. I would have the porters carry everything for you. If you have them carry your gun make sure it is the person next to you, but it is best to carry a gun yourself. You will be sweating from the moment you leave camp. Long sleeves and long pants will protect you from scratches. You will need to have gaiters or someway to tie up the cuffs of your pants to keep out the ants, which are a major nuisance. In the jungle no hat is needed, on the river or grasslands you will want one. We generally walk all day long so you need boots that are well broken in. In the jungle true military specification Vietnam jungle boots work well as they let out the water from the many streams quickly. Your feet will be wet a lot. You spend a lot of the time in the jungle stooping under and around things.
Porters/Guides: All your gear and food for the whole team will be carried in. This is a true portage safari. Each porter will carry about 40 #s on the way in and as much dried meat as they can handle, hopefully, on the way out. They will have a small bundle of things to tie onto their load for themselves. I make the porters carry the gun bearers/guides load so he is free to carry my gun, water, and day sack. You will have 5-7 porters in your group. One guide, 2 for personal gear and two for rice/manioc at a minimum. I have a list of gear to bring attached. I hire and pay the porters/guides/staff.
Food: As a rule we eat what we can find, and usually that is not much except meat. For the hunt we buy rice and pasta which is allocated to each team to have 2 meals a day, morning and night. Bring a couple dozen hooks and some 20# line to give to the porters who will set out lines at night for fish. Be very sure that you eat only fresh meat and have it well cooked. (I can attest to the problems of not following that advice.) I suggest you take at least one snack for each day you will be hunting. The only thing you can count on is water, so dry food or non-melting candy works well. Dehydrated meals and some instant oatmeal for breakfast will also be welcome on the hunt, but you must keep weight down or you will need to hire extra porters. Once you shoot a large animal such as elephant or buffalo the porters lose interest in hunting. An elephant kill effectively ends the hunt as you must now butcher and move it out. Since it is already more than they can eat and carry they do not want to hunt any more. All water must be treated before drinking or even brushing your teeth. Bring tablets to treat the water. The backpacking pumps with an extra cartridge also will work well. You can buy German water drops (Micro pure) in the pharmacy at the airport in France or bring iodine from the USA. You will lose weight on the trip. Purification data is on your list of gear to bring.
Camp: Generally we make camp around 3PM every day, leaving time to hunt before dark. Running water is a nice thing to have nearby, as they will fish if you bring some line and some hooks. They should make your camp first, clearing the area (I've had vipers under my proposed bed site) and bring water and wood for the fires. It gets dark at 6:00 and light at 6:00 virtually every day of the year. This means you have 12 hours of dark each day to contend with. I personally bring AA flashlights with LED bulbs (light wave or Rebel with headband the best they last forever on just 3 batteries with no bulb replacement needed). A curious thing is that the Africans sleep and talk in turns so almost any time of the night they will be up talking. This is a good reason to have their camp away from yours, but the further in the bush you go the closer they will want to sleep to the guns, so it is a bit of a battle.
Clothes: Bring the new age clothes. Polypropylene socks (6 pr.), coolmax long sleeve T shirts (3 pr.) and supplex long pants (2 pr.), Spandex underwear (3 pr). Everything needs to dry quickly as you get wet from perspiration and rain often. Two sets of clothes in the bush are all you need. Have your clothes washed every day and bring some light nylon string (parachute cord) to hang the clothes by the fires. This way you do not need to bring a lot of clothes, but the clothes will be clean each day. Watch how big the fires are in order to not burn your stuff.
Transportation: You are responsible for your transportation to the country and any additional flights. I will arrange a car and driver to the village for you as well as any canoe trips needed as part of the fee. Some hunts require the use of a train. I will arrange the tickets and pay for them.
Language: The general population all speaks French. The more you know the better off you will be. I also speak a local Cameroon language, Bulu, which helps in negotiations. If you want an additional translator it can usually be arranged.
Conclusion:
This is a “chasse libre” hunt. That means that you are going hunting without the oversight of a professional hunter. I do not carry insurance for you and do not guarantee anything except a true African experience. The service I am providing is to help you to run your own hunt. In many cases that will take the same form as the services provided by a PH, but I want to be sure you are clear on the distinction. I will try hard to set up a memorable trip that you will enjoy, but many things can go wrong, and on most trips they usually do!
It is not an easy hunt, but it is the best. I do not know of another hunt offered at any price that competes with this for a true taste of Africa. I heartily recommend it but you need to go with your eyes open. To me this is the way all hunting should be no 4X4's and cold drinks but elephant trails and buffalo wallows. This is how it was in the 1911 when my grandfather went to Africa. I love it. You are on your own on a portaged safari. You are responsible for your own welfare, as well as that of your staff. If you hunt hard you will have success, but even that is measured in different terms for different people.
You will have to sign a release form. If you send that back with a deposit I will know you are serious. I will send you a very detailed description of the hunt once I have received the deposit and waiver. Tom Powers can provide you details if this is the hunt you would like to try.
piCM 08 14 Day Guided Forest hunt for Bongo
This hunt consists of 12 actual hunt days and 2 transfer days. $18,750.00 April/May 2008
Included in hunt: Transfer from/to International airport. Assistance with Customs at airport. Accommodations during transfers. Transportation to/from hunt area. 4Wd transportation during hunt. Accommodations/meals/unlimited use of bar during hunt. Laundry/ironing on demand. Field prep of trophies. PH/Staff and use of hounds.
Not included in hunt cost: 2nd Group 1 trophy/Sitatunga/Forest Hog (if a 2nd group 1 trophy/Sitatunga/Forest Hog is wanted, there is a $5,000.00 surcharge) International/National/Charter flights. Accommodations before/after hunt. Required license for hunting ($1350.00) Hunting and accident insurance (these are mandated by the Cameroon Govt.) Trophy fees + an additional 15% of each trophy fee which goes to anti poaching and comm. Development, on trophies taken or wounded. Crating/documentation/shipping of trophies. If required rental of our firearms and cost of ammo. Observer fees. Gratuities.
As requirements for obtaining a Cameroon Hunting license are involved we will help apply for the visa, firearm import permit and the hunting license.
Forest Hunt Trophy Fees:
Forest Elephant (cannot import to US) $3850.00 Bongo $3850.00 Dwarf Forest Buffalo $1950.00 Sitatunga $1850.00 Giant Forest Hog $850.00 Red River Hog $500.00 Yellow Back Duiker $850.00 Bay Duiker $450.00 Peters Duiker $450.00 Ogilby's Duiker $450.00 Gabon Duiker $450.00 Red Fronted Duiker $450.00 Blue Duiker $350.00 Bates Pygmy Antelope $350.00
Game in Cameroon is separated into 2 groups. A hunter can take a Bongo from Group 1 and a maximum of 4 species from group 2. (Sitatunga & Giant Forest Hog are not included in this hunt
Group 1: Elephant. Bongo. Buffalo.
Group 2: Sitatunga. Giant Forest Hog. Red River Hog. All the Duikers & Bates Pygmy Antelope.
piCMS 08 Savannah Hunt Cameroon for a Lord Derby Eland.
14 day hunt (12 actual + 2 transfer days) $17,750.00 May 2008
Included: Transfer from/to airport. Customs assistance. Accommodation during transfers. Transportation by 4wd during the hunt. 12 days accommodations/meals & unlimited use of bar. Laundry/ironing service on demand. Field prep/trophy processing. PH/Staff & use of hounds.
Not Included: 2 nd Group 1 Trophy (if 2nd trophy is wanted there is a surcharge of $5,000.00) Accommodations before/after hunt. Required license $1,350.00 Hunting and Accident insurance (required by Cameroon govt.) Trophy fees + 15% additional of each trophy taken/wounded, for anti-poaching/community dev. fund. Forwarding/shipping insurance of trophies. International/National & Charter airfare. Rental fee on firearms/cost of ammo (if required) Use of satellite phone. Observer fees. Gratuities.
As obtaining a Cameroon hunting license is bit involved, we will apply for the visa, gun import permit & hunting license.
Trophy Fees Savannah
Group 1
Lord Derby Eland $3600.00 Western Roan $2250.00 W.A. Savannah Buffalo $1750.00 Western Hartebeest $650.00
Group 2
Sing Sing Waterbuck $850.00 Western Kob $450.00 Harnessed Bushbuck $550.00 Nigerian Bohor Reedbuck $400.00 Common Oribi $350.00 Red River Hog $500.00 Wart Hog $350.00 Western Bush Duiker $250.00 Red Flanked Duiker $250.00 Baboon $200.00
By special arrangement: Spotted Hyena. Civet. Serval.
Each client can take 1 Lord Derby Eland from Group 1 & maximum of 4 species from Group 2
