This month I had an opportunity to go to CAR in French Equatorial Africa. It was a cancellation hunt with Aouk-Sangha Safaris. I had always wished for such an opportunity to hunt a remote spot in Africa, so I jumped on it. I need to think twice about sudden impulses like that in the future. Please excuse my frank and gloomy report.

It was difficult to get a Visa for travel to CAR. I spent $500 just in passport agency costs trying to speed-up a slow process in time to make it for my flight. One day before my departure I had the blasted Visa. Trying to get a visa on the spur of the moment is not worth the hassle and expense.

It is important to realize that CAR is not a good place for Americans to go (or for any foreigner for that matter). I read our State Department warnings about the ongoing border hostilities and the unpredictability militarily and politically and economically. For some reason I guess I had to find out for myself that it is true. So let me save you the trip to find out for yourself. It's all true! Expect to see a "Coup d'Etat" in the near future. The place is in chaos, horribly mismanaged. The French are washing their hands of it. Tempers are flaring.

Because of many factors (poaching, invasion by large herds of cattle from the north, drought, etc.), game populations have diminished. As a consequence, hunting is a real challenge. Where once you would have seen game everywhere, now you are lucky to see an occasional oribi or a bushbuck. Perhaps the animals are just good at hiding, but I saw a tremendous amount of country that appeared deserted.

I got a Lord Derby eland on this trip, along with roan, bushbuck, oribi, duiker and hartebeest. I hunted with P.H. Nicolas Le Conte. He worked hard for me in the 120-degree heat to get these triphies, so he got a tip. On the other hand, he also made the experience difficult with his temper outbursts. With his many worries he was not a happy camper, so the camp had to adjust to whatever mood he was in on a day-by-day basis. Also, getting in and out of Bangui Airport is a traumatic event in itself. If you have a non-hunting companion, don't even think about taking them along.

It is my hope that good management will return and the hunting areas will be allowed to regenerate. Unfortunately, things are not headed that way any time soon. It's the story you have heard over and over. It's all vanishing. Soon it will only be in the memoirs of those of us who witnessed it first hand and lived to tell.

Is this the company that Boetie Bothma owns? Or is it one of the French outfits?

Yes, this is Mr. Bothma's operation.

Hopefully, you brought good pics home? Sorry to hear your hunt was testing you on a daily basis but it gives one serious facts to consider. Once you've had time to rest and recover, I'd like to see your photo's and read the upside to your hunting...I understand if it's a sore spot right now. Thanks for posting and good hunting, LDK

Sounds like a tension-filled hunt... never enjoyable when you and the PH had so many issues to worry about! Sounds like you had some success though! Would more time to plan the hunt and obtain visas have made a difference and was the cancellation price worth your hassles?

Thanks for your question. As you can tell, I would not recommend anyone going to CAR if you are trying to make up your mind on which place to go. In hind-sight, no pricing benefit from a cancellation is worth the uncertainty of being in a country in polical and military crisis. Add to that the game depletion, the deplorable airport experiences and the last minute fire-drill obtaining a Visa and vaccinations. You can see it all adds up to a bad idea.

Would it be likely to make a difference if I had more time to plan? Costs of Visa would go way down, but you would still not know if you are going to fly on the date the ticket specifies. Air France just changed their flight schedule into CAR and they reserve the right to make further adjustments/cancellations as needed depending on safety issues.

As hunters, we are a force in the market-place. We have lots of options at our disposal. It is experiences like mine that will help shape our collective hunting patterns. Gradually we will determine which countries get our business and which are left in the trash.

I hope to have more to say about the actual hunt experience later. We have a great group of hunting associates in our organization. I certainly wish the best of hunting experiences to us all. I must acknowledge that other hunters in CAR will come away with a different reaction than mine. Thank goodness for a forum like this. Yours, Bill

Bill, I somehow missed this report when it was first posted, but found it after reading your other post about CAR in the general African forum.

Congrat's on the LDE, but sorry to hear of the problems you experienced in CAR. I considered a cancellation hunt to this same area last year (2006). At that time there was some cause for concern, but nothing as specific as what you describe. I do thank you for posting your comments, as this type of information and feedback is important for prospective hunters to read and discuss with their PH/outfitter/agent.

I would love to see picts of the Lord Derby, as well as the other animals. If I can be of assistance in posting them, please email or PM me. Regards, Bill

Thanks for your report. My comments echo the others. Glad you made it out safe and I look forward to any other comments and photos as you have time.

Thanks for the report! It is a good warning to us all.