Planning a Hunt: Bombazi Wilderness - Cameroon, Congo West Africa

The cost is $9000 each for two or more hunters going together. It is $10,000 for a single hunter. These charges include gun import permit (we help you organize, and provide credit for funds spent), hunting license (we organize in Cameroon), and concession fees (we organize in Cameroon).  You organize your visa.

Our basic hunt has always been a fully outfitted hunt, without a PH.  This proved to be a very successful and economical hunt.  Guided hunts are the exception and are arranged directly with Cam. I will personally work with you to have as many of the details organized as possible.  You will have my dedicated staff that has hunted with me for over 20 years.  I have pre-scouted the zones and set up your hunt.  My staff has conducted these hunts over 100 times.  You are in very experienced hands.  More than 50% of my hunters are repeat clients. 
This hunt is for 15 days in-country, of which you usually have ~11 days of hunting.  My staff are with you the whole 15 days.

BEFORE YOU LEAVE:

• You get a complete list of what to bring and what is provided, down to your toothbrush.

• I will recommend airlines and dates.  You pay travel to and from the country.

• I will work with you ahead of the hunt to get your gun import paperwork, visa and hunting license in Cameroon completed.  You will be responsible for visa and gun import permits, but I will help you.  Costs of the gun import are deducted from your fee as they range widely between countries.

• All paperwork must be started and payments must be received three (3) months before departure if you want them on time.  You can not start sooner due to visa restrictions.

WHEN YOU ARRIVE:

• I have a crew in-country that picks you up at the airport, Yaoundé (NSI airline code).  My staff is used to handling English and French speaking clients, but French is their primary language.

• I arrange local transportation, which includes trains, my vehicles and/or a hired car to take you to the village and drop you off.  There are local flights, but they are not recommended due to unreliable service.  You may choose them, at your own expense, and we will help book the flights.  You may be on foot the whole rest of the time, depending on the type of hunt booked (see below).  I have vehicles, but most of my hunts are foot safaris and you will only get to the game by walking a ways from civilization, in road-less country.  In-country transport is included in your fee, except air travel.  New zones in the far north are vehicle hunts without porters.  You go out daily from a permanent camp, in my vehicle.

• I arrange to loan you some basic bulky and camp gear and give you a list of your personal gear you bring.  You are responsible for all of your own personal gear.  It is easily packed in two 50# bags, including your gun(s).

• All your in-country food is purchased for you, along with provisions for the staff.  I pay for these.  I highly recommend you bring some freeze-dried food and snacks, but basic food is provided.  Camps with permanent lodging will have a better quality food, but food is not gourmet on any of the trips.  Almost all cooking, except the Kings concession is done over an open fire.  At the government concession (#2 below) there is a hotel/bar about an hour’s drive away.  You can choose to stay there if you wish, at your expense.

• I arrange to have some one to boil water (not to be confused with a real cook) for you, trackers (usually pretty sharp) and porters (usually pretty dull).  You will have a staff of 7-9 personnel unless hunting in the north where there are fewer.  I pay for them.

• My personal tracker (~20 years experience in this type of adventure) will most likely go with you and likely at least 2-4 others who have gone with me numerous times before.  They are experienced skinners, but you are still responsible for the oversight of the skinning.  This is especially true if an animal is shot late in the day and skinned at night.  Skins must be removed, cleaned of all meat, washed with soap, brined and salted as rapidly as possible.  Delay will cause hair slip!  Please bring knives and flashlights to help with this.

• On arrival and before departure in Yaoundé we leave you at a hotel and pick you up the next morning.  A range of quality is available.  If you prefer you can stay at my flat.  It is very basic one room and a kitchen, but safe.  The water is usually not running. TIA (This  Is Africa) I charge $25/night for the use.

• If your baggage is delayed I can lend you everything, including rifles.  (see misc. below).

 AT THE END OF THE TRIP:

• Trophy fees must be paid in local currency near the hunting location, very far from a bank or any wire service.  Credit cards are not honored anywhere.  You will need to bring local currency or pre-pay the trophy fees, which will be reimbursed if you do not collect your desired animal(s).  I recommend $4000 - $5000 changed to local currency if you do not want to pre-pay the trophy fees.  Daniel, my Cameroun partner, will help you change money.  It is done in the capitol before embarking on the trip.

• I will arrange to have paperwork completed at the end of the trip so trophies can be exported.  This includes all CITES and veterinary paperwork for export, even if you did not shoot any CITES controlled animal.  In fact if you shoot more than 4 trophies you need two CITES forms by Cameroun interpretation of the law.  Custom metal shipping containers are used.  Preparing the shipment, crating charges, required bribes are part of the fee.  All this is detailed in paperwork which will be given to you once you sign up for the hunt.  I arrange for air shipping (Swiss Air is the only carrier operating out of Cameroon.)  I charge $2000 for all the export work.  This includes a $500 credit on shipping fees.  You arrange for an import broker to receive the trophies and clear customs at your cost.

If you go, I require that you sign a waiver that you will not use my staff or go to any place I have shown you without my written permission.  Some of the areas I hunt are open zones, but have taken me many years to develop and I am the only one who hunts them, other than local people.
I highly recommend a satellite phone and am on call 24/7 for assistance.  My satellite phone may be available, you can check.  If so you buy the SIM card for it.
I am currently hunting a number of areas; these change yearly so talk to me about what you want to do.  I can set up a hunt for any animal in Cameroun, but cannot set up a hunt for all of them on one hunt.  Here are some samples of what we are doing at the moment:

# 1  is a new 115,000 acre hunting concession that is the personal hunting concession of the King of Cameroun in the north.  Waterbuck, kob, warthog, bhor reedbuck, Cameroun bushbuck and duikers are common.  So far we have found a lot of roan as the larger species.  We have found some eland and buffalo, but they are not prevalent.  You stay in the most comfortable camp we operate, next to a nice river with good fishing.  There is a regular kitchen with dining room to eat at.  Solar power provides light and necessities.  Beds are supplied with mosquito nets.  It is generally a hot hunt.  You go out daily from camp in a vehicle or on foot and return at dark after following tracks or sitting in some of the blinds overlooking salt licks.  Spike camps will get you further into the bush.  You will have an audience with the king, if he is in court, should you wish.  He speaks some English.

#2  These are “open” zones from the government.  We use established camps and vehicles to go out daily. These are the best zones we hunt for game harvested.  Roan and/or buffalo opportunities have been 100% in this zone.  You can expect multiple opportunities at game and eland are in the zone.  You return to the main permanent camp each night.  Cooking is still very basic.  One option is to stay in the National Park headquarters.  You will be responsible for any charges associated with this, but it is a nice camp and run a generator every evening for several hours.  The rooms have AC for this short period of time.  This is BY FAR the least strenuous and most successful hunt we offer.  It is my recommendation for all first time hunters.

#3  This is a foot savannah hunt for lord derby eland, northwestern buffalo, roan, western kob, warthog, oribi, bohr reedbuck, red river hog and others, this is in a community hunting zone where I have exclusive rights.  The area is about 250,000 acres in size.  A hard hunt and there are few of the smaller game, but good herds of buffalo and we pull eland from this area every year.  This zone is our best if eland is your prime trophy, but it is a hard hunt.  You are on foot for the whole hunt and there are no established camps.

#4  This is a forest elephant hunt (trophy not importable to the USA, but legal to hunt.)  There are almost no other game, as it is a forest elephant hunt.  Elephants in this zone are very prevalent and often are near villages destroying crops.  Typically it is a 2 day walk into the forest to find the herds.  This ivory is “pink” in color.  5 kg. is required for ivory weight of the bulls to ensure maturity.  There are no pygmies in this zone.
A second forest elephant area is on that is a deep forest hunt with pygmies, but as is true in any true deep jungle hunt, the game is scarce.  The adventure is the hunt with the pygmies.  You will get into herds of elephants and call in duikers.  This is our hardest hunt, in deep forest with high humidity and hard walking every day.

#5  I have a new bongo area with good success so far.  Animals are tracked on foot and dogs released when you are close.    This area has a very good chance at forest buffalo.  You are also likely to see some animals like bushbuck, kob, and you will get a chance at the forest duikers.  It combines forest and savannah hunting and has the widest variety of species.  You are on foot the whole time.

#6  A second hunt in a zone near here has very high numbers of forest buffalo, but almost no bongo.  It also has our best chance at the forest sitatunga as well as forest duikers.

CUSTOM HUNTS:

I am currently taking a few clients on custom hunts to Congo Brazzaville.  Inquiries welcome.

As you can see we offer a wide variety of hunts depending on your desires, so contact me so we can discuss your requirements.  Each hunt is basically a custom hunt, starting with the animal you wish most to pursue. 
The only charge for extra animals is the trophy fee. Here is a representative sample of the trophy costs:

Trophy fees for Cameroun Hunt

* Denotes group 1 animal of which you are only allowed 2 on a hunt. Four other animals are allowed per hunter/year (Group 2)   Only males may be shot.  Six animals total.
Wounded animals are charged at full rate.  Females are charged at double (2X) rates. (Cameroun law).

PROTECTED:

Leopard, pangolin, water chevrotain, chimps, gorillas, Colobus monkey, yellowback duiker

Miscellaneous fees:

You are responsible for all hotels and restaurants.  A range of hotel quality ($40-300) is available.  If you prefer you can stay at my flat.  It is very basic; one room and a kitchen, but safe.  I charge $25/night for the use.
A PH may be available for ~$4000.  Cam may accompany a hunter for a mutually agreed upon fee.
If your baggage is delayed I can lend you everything, including rifles.  I can arrange to have your lost baggage brought to you for $200. 
If you wish to use my rifles and shotguns that can be arranged.  I have .375 H&H available with Leopold scope.  I rent it out for $300/trip with 1 box of shells.  12 ga. shotgun for $200/trip with 1 box of shells.
There is a $500 fee for an additional interpreter, if requested. 
Changing of hunting sites will incur a fee of $500.  There is no charge if this is due to lack of game (unanticipated poaching pressure, etc.). 
Tips in the range of ~$500 (total) are welcome by those assisting in your memorable experience.  US dollars are welcome.
Non-hunters can come for a fee of $2000.  Additional days can be negotiated with Cam for ~$500/day. 
No alcohol is provided on these trips.  If you want some we can take you to a store to purchase it.  No alcohol is to be offered to any employee.
Lion and Hippo permits are additional in Cameroun.  It costs $200 to apply and special trophy fees will apply if you are successful.  These permits are the only ones required to be purchased ahead of time.  They are not guaranteed.
Cam will arrange to have paperwork completed at the end of the trip so trophies can be exported.  This includes all CITES and veterinary paperwork for export, even if you did not shoot any CITES controlled animal.  Cameroun issues CITES permits for any and all species irregardless if they are listed or not.  In fact if you shoot more than 4 trophies you need two CITES forms by Cameroun law.  Custom metal shipping containers are used.  Preparing the shipment, crating charges, required bribes are part of the fee.  All this is detailed in paperwork which will be given to you once you sign up for the hunt.  Cam arranges for air shipping (Swiss Air is the only carrier operating out of Cameroon.)  Cam charges $2000 for all the export work.  This includes a $500 credit on shipping fees.  You arrange for an import broker to receive the trophies and clear customs at your cost.

Cancellation/postponement policy:

If the hunt is postponed the deposit will be good for the following year, at the charges in effect at the time.  Only one postponement will be honored.

These hunts are true African adventures for experienced hunters.