I guess I will report on my first unsuccessful hunt hunting overseas from USA. Hunted for 12 days bongo in morning and dwarf forest buffalo in afternoon. Had a hard working PH and tracked 3 bongo bulls but never got to see one.
Booked thru Club Fauna and this year they happened to be 1 for 3 hunters on the concession I hunted. I did learn a lot about Cameroon forest hunting and the country.

Sorry to hear about your lack of success. Always tough on an expensive safari like bongo but Africa is a fickle mistress, and the red gods don't always smile on us. Was there a lack of rains and did you use dogs?

Sorry to hear that you came home without a bongo. The forest is an unforgiving place. If it is any consolation you got to experience one of the most unique hunts in the world IMO. I hope you have the chance to try again in the future!

I hate to hear that.
How much rain did you have?

Sorry to hear. It's a very rewarding hunt when successful, but a hard hunt when it's not going well.

It was very dry in some parts of Cameroon, that might have been part of the lack of success.

Well that is a bummer.

I know that sometimes it takes a trip or two for one to be successful.

However, you had a proper hunt and learned a few things and that will be useful going forward.

It's always a possibility when hunting free and wild game. It has to be accepted if you want to hunt ethically and fair. And if the worst scenario eventuates the financial cost can feel like an unbearable weight.
I can imagine what was going through your mind as you hunted and day after day perhaps realised the chances were ever diminishing. The reason I relate is something similar occured to me on a Cameroon hunt for Lord Derby Eland. We saw many Eland and even had shot opportunities but one thing after another just refused to fall into place and we couldn't make it happen. I had all but written off the hunt and my mind was feverishly calculating how I could make another attempt one day. But things also turn in a heartbeat. We had finished hunting, packed up and were driving out of the concession. We stopped to check a saline on the way, saw fresh tracks and decided we had time to follow to just see what the hell. Unbelievably, we found two bulls, alone, and I shot my long sought for trophy. Something I will never forget.
I hope you get the chance to try again.

It did rain 3 times. More would have helped though. One night rained good in my opinion. Water on trails. Jonathan said it should be good for 3 days. One bull tracked 1.5 hours and joined a group. One we tracked 3 hours and my PH said the dogs didn't get it to bay. The 12th day we tracked for 8 hours and it was getting dark so had to give up!!! Asked my PH, he said we worked our butts off.We were mostly on the fringe of the rain forest so they had to come to the salt licks to find tracks. I did experience the rain forest!!

Its always a risk of no success.

The rain forest is so much different than other areas that you don't generally get a chance at "other" animals like you do in south/east Africa.

I got very lucky in my Bongo hunt in that we had poor rain and few tracks to chase. The first several days the only animal found was a female, and because of the risk of charge, I was not even allowed to get close enough to see her as they pulled the dogs. Then we had a mature male, and I got mine. I saw next to no duiker, but did see a really good sitatunga that I shot as well. Others who came in when I did had less luck than I did with some not shooting anything.

You certainly put in the time. Hopefully some good karma is on its way for you!

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Great shame, as others said, a real bummer when you go on what is likely a once in a lifetime hunt and draw a blank......


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Easily one of the toughest hunts mentally. I struggled just to navigate the jungle.

We took ours but was rough.

I talked to Peter Flack about bongo before I went and he agreed that the mental part is the hardest. If I recall correctly, he had one or two unsuccessful hunts as well.

Club Faune has a good reputation, so I would consider going again after you heal up. That is assuming you were happy with them.

Cameroon is not for risk averse hunters. I have been three times and each was an unpredictable adventure - some good and some bad.