Hello jb

Can’t wait to get back and try for lion again. I will be in Burkina March 31 through April 14. It is thanks to you that I discovered this new and exciting country.

It will be great to have Toufic at SCI next year. I will make sure I attend.


Regards
Aziz

Hi Wink

Of course Toufic will have a booth at Rambouillet's Fair. We'll meet him and have together too much Champagne, as usual

Ahmed, Aziz

You're lucky guys, I envy You. Lions occurences will dramatically decrease when You'll have fulfilled Your tags I suppose?

Toufic will attend next SCI shows, with the help of his brother who is a computer wiz in the USA.
In fact Toufic has many brothers, he is the only one not being either an engineee or a physician either in France or in the USA.

Good luck

quote:

Toufic will attend the SCI shows in the USA next year. That's good news for Americans who'll be able to discuss with him and see his book.

Hopefully the prices not going up for this reason...Americans usally are willing to pay a bit more IMO

Seloushunter

mbogo bigga bwana
The price list is the price list, there are no reasons that an American should pay more than an European.
Perhaps has Americans to pay the agent's fees. In Europe we usually deal with the outfitter, when most of the Americans feel more secure to deal with an agent. This can explain a little difference. But as Toufic will show up at the SCI shows, You'll have the opportunity to deal directly with him and count on me to produce what the Europeans are supposed to pay. This way You can comparate and make Your mind.
Toufic is an absolutely cool guy, not greedy at all. What he wants is only the permanence of his outfit and a variety of hunters. Lions' fees are rocketting when it's so cheap in Burkina. A roan is an expensive rarity in the southern hemispher when it's one of the most usual game in Burkina. Many opportunities for a blasé hunter.
I will add that Toufic is mostly dealing with Frenchmen coming again and again every year, let alone weird people from East Europe. No doubt that American hunters would renew his routine. And American hunters will absolutely be amazed by the country, the game, and the way tracking down hunting is realised. Sort of a winner winner transaction.

Just got back a few days ago from Toufic's operation, as described here originally by Aziz. In fact, as I was leaving I met Aziz's brother, who was just getting started on his hunt. Aziz's comments are right on the money.

Flying thru Paris toting a rifle was absolutely no problem. In fact the only place I was hassled was in Atlanta, on the way back.

I did a 12 day hunt in Burkina, with my primary target being a lion. I did not get one, but did get among them twice. The first time, at 30 yards, the male was accompanied by a female and two cubs, and they just slowly strolled away. Shooting was, of course, not feasible under the circumstances (e.g., cubs). The second time, several days later in the hunt, we spooked a big male in thick cover at about 10 yards. He took off like a bat outa hell into tall grass before I could get off a shot (we had known he was close, but didn't know exactly where). Although I certainly would have liked to bag one, getting among them itself was worth the price of admission.

While I didn't get my lion, I did shoot an outstanding roan, and very nice buff and bubale (hartebeast), and somewhat foolishly shot an autard (a beautiful bustard or egret-like bird). The bird seems to be a desired trophy there, and they are certainly impressive in the flesh (or on the wing). I assumed that a 300 grain Swift Aframe would pencil thru it, never having before shot birds with my .375. Instead, the bird almost blew up, presumably from the effects of kinetic energy on its light construction. My taxidermist is outstanding, and I hope he can put it back together. Unless you also take a 22 hornet, I'd avoid shooting birds with a big rifle.....By the way, it costs $300/firearm for Burkina importation.

Although brushy, its a little more open in Burkina than I had anticipated, and shooting ranges were a little greater. Shots ranged between 150-200 yards for the roan and buff and a little under a hundred for the bubale. Although I never shot at a lion, it looks like under these circumstances it would most likely be up close and personal (10 feet to 50 yards max).

I also saw outstanding waterbuck, greibe, oribe, reedsbuck, bushbuck, and the best tusks on wart hogs (bush pig) I've yet seen in Africa (Zim and Namibia). I did not try for these animals, as I've shot them elsewhere, and did not want to get distracted. Too, the Burkina regulations specify only one animal per day.

As Aziz and/or others have discussed already, lion hunting there is done by stalking, and no baiting is allowed. Hence, it is a tough hunt. Conditions were dry and dusty. The temperature hit 104 on some days, although its not usually humid, and typically you spend the very hot early afternoon holed up in shade near a waterhole. They do not have much experience with Americans, and seemed to have the preconception we need to blast away at something every day or will become unhappy. Obviously, this sort of temperment is not ideal for lion hunting in Burkina, and I tried to assure them that I knew this hunting would be tough, with success by no means assured. On the other hand, the cost for lion hunting in Burkina is much less than what I've seen in other areas, and I figured too that an animal taken under these circumstances was an especially worthy trophy.

The guide, tracker, porter, and driver were local guys. Altogether, their competence, bush skills, including "game eye", and courtesy were at least the equal of any crew I've hunted with in Africa, Canada, the States/Alaska.

Few of the employees or other client-hunters spoke much English, and my French is very "small-small" (or "petite-petite"). This is not an insurmountable problem, but greater French fluency would have enriched the experience for me, and certainly made some things (like wire transfers of money after I got there and the dollar kept plummeting) easier and/or more enjoyable. On the other hand, it did cut down on the small talk.

All-in-all, it was a first class operation. It came out in a conversation with a visiting game biologist from Switzerland that Toufic also funds well drilling to provide the local villagers with water, and gives money to area schools, specifically to promote education of local girls past primary grades. Toufic of course never mentioned this himself, nor does he advertise same. To me, this gets him a solid listing in the too-small book of "Class Acts".

A few recommendations for anyone considering going:
1. Learn a little French (optional, but desirable).
2. Take a lightweight mosquito net (bar) to hang over the bed, and some cord to suspend it. My wife and I had one of the two rondovals that were air conditioned, so bugs were not much problem. However, if you end up without AC and/or want to leave the (un-screened) windows open to catch night breezes, you'll be pestered all night. Too, and I don't think I'm unduly hypochondriacal, there's too much malaria, yellow fever, encephalitidies, and other insect-borne diseases in Burkina for me to feel comfortable just letting them bite me all night. Their screening the windows, or providing a mosquito bar, would be a big help, but hey, its a small thing to bring yourself.
3. Get your required (to enter Burkina) yellow fever vaccination early. They've had some problems stocking the vaccine, although this may have since been resolved, and my wife and I got the last two doses in our area.
4. Be patient, if lion hunting....

When I go back too, I'm taking my .416, assuming it now works flawlessly (it decided to quit reliably ejecting two days prior to my leaving). I think a big-bore double would be perfect for lion here, and am trying to convince my wife that purchase of same is now an absolute necessity. Too, I will try to learn a little French at one of the local "Adult Continuing Education" courses around here, assuming old dogs can learn new tricks.

Bottom line: I am looking forward to going back, hopefully next year. There's a lion in Burkina with my name on it.....

If I can muster the patience to deal with this computer business, I'll also try to post some pictures, but I like things like hammers and bolt action rifles more than these electronic gizmos.

Hello ICUdoc

Congratulations, I am glad to hear that you enjoyed your hunt and got to stalk the lions. I hope you get the lion you want the next time.
How did your wife like the experience? I am looking forward to see your photos.

Best regards
Aziz

Aziz,
My wife is a very good hunter, and up for adventures, although sadly she is not much of a shooter. She had a great time in the bush and camp, although she would prefer to give the towns there a pass. She went out tromping thru the bush with us everyday. She will also be my hunting buddy on a float trip for moose on the AK pennisula this Sept (she can help haul meat too if I get lucky). I am lucky she is such a trooper. I felt a little nervous having her along on the lion stalks, but she would not stay back at camp. It was a little more incentive for me to have shot well, had I gotten the chance.

As an aside, they mentioned you were going back soon and they universally spoke highly of you. You made a good impression on them and I think they believe you are the prototypic American hunter. Hopefully, I did not spoil the image for them.

Good luck on your hunt! Any word from your brother? I hope you both get good lions, but leave a big one for me to chase next year.

I'm still working on the picture thing......

There are tutorials here on how to post photos or you can send them to me and I will do it for you. PM me for my info if you like. I'm curious about ballpark pricing on your hunt...daily rate and trophy fee for lion?

Yukon Delta-

I've got their printed trophy fees and cost list somewhere (maybe the bottom of my Tuffpak), but these should be in the ballpark:

The cummulative daily "fee" was a little less than $7000 Eu for 12 days hunting + a day in camp on each end of the hunt. All transfers were included, which notably includes the 3 hour drive from the airport to the camp on what my wife and I called "Thunder Road". You can also do a 9 day hunt, essentially at the equivalent prorated daily rate, and then pay an additional fee, only if you get a lion, for about 1600 Eu. There is also a 6 day hunt for PG or wingshooting ("Petite Chasse"). The trophy fee for lion per se was $2200 Eu. This does not include cape prep, some other licensing or CITES stuff, and shipping of the cape, but these particular fees were not much. I think the observer cost was about $100 Eu/day. If you need additional details, I'll PM you when I finish unpacking, hopefully this weekend, and find the printed sheet.

When I first booked this hunt the exchange rate was much more favorable than it is now (now about $1.56 USD to 1 Eu and I'll bet it gets worse). I'm glad my deposit was paid in Eu.

I'm still trying to extricate myself from under a pile of crap that accumulated at work while I was in Africa, and my time (and energy) now is not my own. I'll try posting pictures this weekend, and/or then send jpegs to you if I cannot unravel the intricacies of the process. Thanks for your offer.

Thanks ICU. PM to you.