Let me start this report by saying this hunt is not for someone with out having done some hunts in Africa.

I arrived in Accra, Ghana about 8:00PM and was met by my PH Gidoen Joubert a nice young man and not hard to pick out from the crowd 6'8". We then drove to Hans Cottage Botel (camp for 10 days) arriving at about 11:30 PM. Botel is a bioligical motel which means they have a croc pond and other bio things on the property you know a greenie thing. Yes we kept a low profile. and this part of the hunt was not very good.

The hunting was tough but good. The first night we started about 8:30 and hunted until about 11:30. This hunt is different than most any African hunt you have ever done. The tracker leads the way using a soft white head lamp, followed by the hunter with a red head lamp and then the PH with a red head lamp. The tracker also carries a small red lazer pointer. When he sees a Royal or Maxwell he will put the lazer pointer on the spot of the animial and you just shoot to the spot. You will not see the animial unless you have extreamly good eyesight. This is the way of the hunt. We hunted the 3 hrs without any luck.

The second night was just like the first but with one exception. We were walking thru the bush and the tracker stopped dead in his tracks and started to back up. In the vine ahead of him at eye level was a vine snake - yea they bite and are poisioness. He proceded to beat it to death. This was the high light of the evening.

On night 6 we found a Maxwell Duiker and I put some shot into him and had my Maxwell. I should have said you use a shotgun, and in this case a single barrel 12 ga using #2/4 shot. The shot is usually close so you must be careful to not destroy the animial, I was lucky and did not hit it too hard. I was also lucky and got a good Maxwell that green scored SCI gold.

The next night we got real lucky and after about a 10 min walk into the bush the tracker spotted a Royal and I was able to shoot him. He also green scored Gold.

We then truned our attention to some bird shooting. I was able to get a Woodland Kingfisher, White Throated Bee Eater, Piping Hornedbill, Black Crowned Night Heron and a pair of African Pygmy Geese. The hunt for the Pygmy Geese took place on a small lake. We were hunting from a Makoro and saw the geese it was a pair the male and female. I wanted the male as they are the brighter colored. I lined up on the male to the right and fired. I then found myself flat on my back on the floor of the Mokoro - the o/u doubled on me. I was glad I was facing forward and not off to the side. Yea I got both geese. Had a good laugh about that one.

I should tell about the single barrel shot gun used for the Royal. When G (PH) handed me the gun the first night I looked at it and it had many names carved into the stock. G told me they were the sucessful Royal hunters. It was nice looking at the names carved into the stock. Boddington, Shockey, Rex Baker, Irvin Barnhart and may others. I was happy to add my name at the end of my hunt.

This is a very specialized hunt. I did not see a live animial on the hunt the two I got I only saw after they were shot. It is a lot of walking thru the rain forest and the edges of the rain forest. It is thick and hot. Every night when I came out of the forest I could wring the sweat out of my shirt, pants and other garments. I was lucky I only fell on my ass once. Even as I type this it causes me to think about the nights and I am again sweating.

It is a good hunt for very specific game. It is a hunt that takes patience and dedication.

quote:

Originally posted by Die Ou Jagter:
It is a good hunt for very specific game. It is a hunt that take patience and dedication.

You got that right. And hats off to you for making it happen.

It's a long way to go for short animals. But those hunts can have the same satisfaction of hunting their bigger bretheren.

I love the small, unusual stuff. Please post some pics!

Thanks for the report

Excellent!!! But, we gotta have some pics!!!!

How do you judge trophy quality before the shot?

Outstanding! We need the pics!

good on you ed - now the pictures

Can you import the birds?

This was a report I have been waiting for. Well done and congratulations on a couple of very special and rare trophies! I too am looking forward to pictures.

Well done! I find the hunts for these little speciality animals to be very interesting.

Mark

I've been waiting for this report. Congratulations on a successful hunt! It sounds like quite an experience.

Ed, where are the photos of the critters?


Mike

Congrats, Ed - well done!

Now for the pics...

I have emailed Black Fly some photos, I think, will see if he gets them and can open.

Fjold, you don't judge the trophy because just getting one is OK.

Frostbit, yes you can import the birds and as I understand Ghana is the only country in Africa to allow the export of these birds.

I might add according to G, I am the only hunter lucky enough to take both species on back to back nights and they were both Gold. I feel blessed.

Malcolmn King of London was finishing up his hunt when I arrived he had extended his orginal hunt for two weeks for birds and he shot 41 different species of bird.

As to the taxidermy aspects of this project Steve has manikins of the Royal which one can purchase for their taxidermist so as to have the proper form - no jury rigging. My understanding a taxidermist from Europe came and shot a royal and she then proceded to "take it apart" for the muscle and bone structure and produced the mold.

Now time to start planning the next adventure.

Congratulations on your very rare trophies

Where next?

Very nice. Would love to see the pics and some scenery pics as well.

Here are the photos:








I'll let Die Ou Jagter give the descriptions.
Bfly

From the top down:

Royal
Maxwell
Black Crowned Night Heron
Pair of African Pygmy Geese - male with Green head
Woodland Kingfisher
Piping Hornbill
White throated Bee Eater

Not a good picture of the Royal I will try to find a better one and send to BF.

A few more!

Wow!

That is an amazing adventure, DOJ.

Thanks for sharing your story and pictures.

The added pictures show the good horns on the Royal that didn't show on the first pic. the horns measured 1 1/16 left and 1 on right. The bases were each 12/16 for total of 3 9/16.

The Maxwell was 1 4/8 left and 1 3/8 on right and both bases were 1 7/8. Total 6 5/8.

The other pictures show the bush and how dense it is and the hunt was a night.

pretty incredible- congrats!

SHAZAAM!
That looks like one tough hunt.

What an interesting report! This is quite unique!
Congrats and thanks for sharing!

Congrats!!!! Thanks for sharing.

Ed, what are you up to now...the Tiny 37?...the Flying 40 :-)

Ha, no just the "dainty dozen". It is getting more expensive to continue my quest for them. Pound for pound these (Royal and Maxwell) are by far the most expensive trophies in the world. Just a guess but about $1500+ per pound! I may get diverted next as I would love to go to Ethopia for more spairal horned (my second most favorite game) but there are Dik-
Dik there.

Very, very good report and I really enjoyed the photos. Thanks for posting this most unusual hunt.

Thanks, BF.

Above is the Royal on the left with Maxwell backstraps and Pygmy Geese. I am not a duck or goose fancier but these geese were very good and were cook med rare. The back straps were just not cooked correct, the Royal hind quarter was very good.

As I read and reread the org post and replys, I noticed I did not express my real feelings about these trophies. They rank right at the top of my list. The truth be known (not suprising) I covet these little guys more than the "Big Five" when hunted as specific quary (pygmy antelope) they are tougher than any other game I have hunted. One thing for sure if you get gored by a Royal you have F*cked Up Royaly.

Great report! Thanks for sharing

Totally amazing! Congratulations and well done!

Best regards, D. Nelson

Awesome.

Great job on one of my "bucket list" hunts. I have to go in the next couple years.
I think the BBQ pic is funny. It is strange to think you can cook up an entire antelope and 2 whole geese and still only have a light snack.

Ed just sent me these photos. Now this is a gun with provenance.

Good stuff Ed.

Hey old friend how you and the family doing?

Outstanding Ed, congrats!

I just got back from lunch and had a nice box with all Ghana trophies, I am a happy man. Now when I get back from Montana week after next I can start with the taxidermists.

Interesting continuation to my Ghana hunt.

I shipped the birds to Shawn Smith in Bridgeport Al. for mounting (Royal and Maxwell to Marcus Zimmerman). On Tue I got a call from Shawn, Ed this Black Crowned Night Herrron is a protected bird I can't have it in my shop and you must ship it back to yourself. Start of an interesting adventure. I called F&F who cleared the shipment and John says everything is OK F&W cleared the shipment and you can mount it. Back to Shawn and he says NO so I call Stefan Savides in Oregon and tell him what I have and he says "do you have the proper permit and are you afiliated with a museum"

I then call John at F &F and he says the bird cleared OK, but with such commotion he is going to do some research and talk with F & W. Well I know now I will be hearing from F & W and am I going to jail or be fined.

This morning Deb my sec. busses me "Ed, Fish and Wildlife New York is on the line."

The young (every one is young to me) lady ask me to identify myself which I did. She then explains to me I must return the bird to them. I tell her ok when I receive the bird from Shawn. I ask if I will be fined or arrested and she say no as I cooperated with them.

I ask her how I got the bird and much to her credit she said "I missed it on the inspection" - good for her admitting her errror that is rare today when people want to blame it on someone else.

Just waiting for her fax with address to send and I will ship it today - just want rid of it I still have the pictures and the memories.

I guess the good from this is F&W (in my case) wasn't so bad to deal with.