The first morning I apparently wanted to go skiing much to the amusement of Faisal who would often be translating my schoolboy French. And a French fry is not a French fry in French, which was all quite confusing. From then on I used a combination of international swear words and hunting sign language that seemed to work fine.

Faisal had been offered an upgrade option on Lion in Benin and very kindly invited me along as a companion and advisor. Being born and raised in Nigeria and having once lived in Burkina I was not new to West Africa and this safari bought back some interesting memories especially of the culture, vegetation and style of cuisine.





My first impressions of the hunting in the Batia concession is that they shoot a lot of shit from the car and the local femmes seem to be some of the most sought after trophies for many European clients. Combine that with a cool box of Red wine and you get the general picture. There also seems to be little trophy selection and if a male is identified then the overly excited trackers want you to put it on the ground. This was very frustrating to begin with but things settled down after a bit of a parley with the operator. We fired one of the team on the second day, which seemed to improve everybody’s English and the staff started to understand what our hunting was about.

Lion was a priority and to cut a long story short there simply was not a good male in the immediate area, never saw or heard one and never came across a big track. I had taken a big funnel to manually call in a big male but this implement is not to be used carelessly and I never felt the occasion was right to call. Nevertheless we had excellent cat hunting and a number of close visual contacts. By the end we were confident that we identified all the females and young males in the concession. A sudden influx of poaching was to be a serious problem and impacted the movements of game around waterholes and the few seeps that sprang out of the nearby escarpment. Combine this with a full moon and the hunting was going to be tough.




A Roan head was placed on the road to warn us off.

This was excellent looking Lion country and held many good areas with cover that a big male would seek. The country itself was very similar to the Lower Zambezi valley but with the addition of large stands of Terminalia.

I am sure we would have picked up a good male and many told of us of two big boys who often frequented the concession. The poaching was simply too disruptive and seemingly the operator could not afford to police his concession, but he did take immediate action and a truckload of battle-hardened soldiers arrived as we departed. Apparently their anti poaching tactics reverberate across borders. This was very encouraging and I am positive that things would have settled down by now.

However the game was there and the hunting for Buff was excellent. Buffalo were common and it was good to see a healthy number of Dagga boys. To me the Western Roan looks to be more slender and a tad darker that the Southern and I never saw anything with the mass that we have in Zambia and never came across anything above average that is apart from an awesome ancient trophy that a Lion had killed on the first morning.



As baiting is prohibited we had to leave the carcass but set up behind some bushes till dark. The Lion fed late and left early and we managed to track it into the escarpment and down into the Penjari river system where it crossed into another concession. This was very fine hunting indeed and he led us into his secret place of dense bamboo thickets and a cool shady valley that was obviously his haunt.

Bubels Hartebeest were seen daily and having seen a couple of whoppers in the skinning shed young Faisal had set his sights quite high.



We did hunt a couple on but were more intent on Lion. Faisal took a great Defassa Waterbuck early into the safari and these handsome animals were fairly common along the base of the escarpment. Bushbuck and Red Flanked Duiker were in scant numbers but when hunting hard for Lion and Buff these animals were only going to be taken as targets of opportunity. Kob are absent in this concession and we were unlucky not to see Bohor Reedbuck. Some of the Olive dog baboons were truly massive. Elephant were often sighted and Leopard and Hyena looked to be in good numbers but not on license in Benin.





The camp was comfortable but basic. It is poorly situated next to a village and outside the concession but within walking distance of an impressive set of falls and pools.





The camp amenities were all there but now and again required a bit of attention. Same with the cars. However the hunting superseded the rough edges and one needs to arrive in Benin with that mentality and a degree of patience. Basically if something bothers you speak up and get it sorted out best you can.

I thought the food was very good especially when there was game meat in camp. Mutton, goat and chicken were otherwise the order of the day. We also took some fish from a fisherman and this was excellent. For breakfast we stuck with an omelet and we had bought some good ground coffee and a press. Cold beer, bottled water and ice was available as was red wine and some hard liquor. On occasion we lunched in the field and the trick is to find a shady cool spot and string up a hammock preferably close to water or the sweat bees would bother you.

There were three main areas that held good water and the resident females and young males were often encountered here. Once we had checked the surrounding roads for Lion tracks we would then concentrate on Buffalo and the hunting of them was electric and very satisfying indeed. On average we would track up buffalo for two to three hours before coming upon them. The old bulls would walk into the wind and then double back before choosing a place to lie up, thus they could detect anything that was following them and we would often blunder into them. As mentioned in my other post they have an amazing turn of speed and on one old fellow I simply could not swing fast enough to pick him up in my sites. Hunting had to be wrapped up by midday as it got too hot and you run the risk of heat stroke and dehydration. The wind is fickle then and it is a good time to take a few hours rest. Although much of the hunting is fairly easy walking you have to be in reasonable shape.

















Faisal’s last buffalo was taken in the hills when checking a seep for Lion tracks and we encountered them there in a dense thicket. He did well to identify a good bull and had a small shooting window which to squeeze a bullet through and the bull felt the full force of the .450 and he stumbled down a rocky ridge mortally wounded. How he did not go down to this shot I do not know. Like I said these buff are really tough and we had to put in another to send him on his way. By the time we had cut a road into this spot the sun was scorching but we were in good spirits as this was hunting at it’s best.

The first buff was probably the most thrilling of hunts and we had spotted a trio of good bulls from the road and tracked them in. They had no idea that they were being followed and we caught them as they wandered back towards us and into a small depression. There was a terrific bull in the group and unfortunately for him he was the first to put his inquisitive head up over the grass. The wind was good for us but the wary old buff had heard or sensed something. These Western varieties tend to stick their noses very high into the air and thrust their large tasseled ears forward. It was a classic picture and young Faisal had to guess at the vitals through the cover. We both presumed the buff was full frontal but it would seem he was quartering ever so slightly and the bullet went off center knocking the bull off his feet and then back into a cloud of dust. Fully expecting him to be on the ground we moved cautiously forward. The trackers again had to be warned, as they wanted to move in immediately. This is not my style and in the thick stuff I prefer to give the animal some time, Roughly about two cigarettes. In the past I have had animals go down to shock and recover soon after and you do not need to be in close proximity when this happens as they tend not to like you.

The bull had indeed regained his feet and his tracks headed toward a nearby tree line. Funny how country that is fairly open and where visibility if good suddenly turns into a ball of thorns and impenetrable thicket. The grass goes from knee to shoulder high. Moving cautiously now we needled through the thicket. I had detached my scope and the open sights supported a large ivory bead. The tracks are now splattered with much blood and the bull is dragging a leg. Unbeknown to us this was an old injury. The bull had spotted us and bolted for cover but he was starting to tire and we noted he soon reverted back to a labored walk. We inched forward and the grass here was a bitch. Rivulets of salty sweat tainted my sight. The cicadas screamed at us and overhead a lone hornbill wailed like a baby. A tracker was interfering with my sight picture and I had him move away. We kept the lead tracker Christo in front and put the guns left and right. Seeking a visual advantage the bull climbed an anthill and Faisal quartered him as he turned to flee. He was now visible and we moved in Faisal to the left and me behind the beast. I watched as two more shots rocked the bull but still he stood defiant. The bull had taken an incredible pounding from the large bore and it was to be the fifth shot that finally bought him to his knees.

Faisal like all of us are keen to kill quickly and without suffering. With the exception of the first shot, which on analysis had smashed into chest and broken bone and rib, the other shots had pin pointed the vitals. This was a new experience for me and never have I come across game that absorbed so much punishment. The old grey battleship has taken three broadside hits from the .450 cannon and still refused to sink.

The ancient bull finally listed and keeled giving up the fight. It was with much respect that we approached this animal and quietly I blessed him for providing us with our sport. A hot harmattan wind swirled dry leaves and picked up dust, the hornbill and cicadas silent now and we saluted the beast.

Back at camp the bull was measured and weighed and processed into portions for the attached community. The drums spoke that night and all seemed well in Africa.

Wonderfully told Andrew! Your vast experience plus your ability to speak candidly made this a very interesting and entertaining report. I would love to read any additional thoughts you may have.

Was there a local "PH" or was he really more of a tracker?

Very well written report. I'd love to learn some of the international cuss words and hunting sign language.

quote:

Originally posted by Bill C:
Wonderfully told Andrew! Your vast experience plus your ability to speak candidly made this a very interesting and entertaining report. I would love to read any additional thoughts you may have.

Was there a local "PH" or was he really more of a tracker?

The tracker was the so called PH. It would seem that there is the self guided option and I would not recommend this at all for DG. It would be wise to have a PH along and negotiate a deal with him. Even if he has to come along as an observer.

...I plan to do sutch an hunt in the near future too.
Great adventure.

Andrew,

Written so well it's like watching a movie in my head. Thanks for such a great narative. I had no idea you were born and raised in this part of the world!

thank you Andrew.

i really like your vision and certainly will improve all their set up and hunting way.

Awesome Andrew - very well written!! Well done gentlemen - that first bull looks terrific!!

Andrew;

Fantastic report, pics, and adventure! Congrats to you & Faisal for a "proper" hunt!
Thanks for sharing!

Best regards, D. Nelson

Great Report Andrew

Be keen to read a few more details of the equipment used, guns, ammo, ....boots?

Lekker report and those are some nice buff for sure...

Nice going Faisal - Enjoyed the read, Andrew!

Well done and well written Andrew. A very interesting place and hunt.

quote:

Originally posted by GBE:
Great Report Andrew

Be keen to read a few more details of the equipment used, guns, ammo, ....boots?

Faisal had taken along a custom built non nonsense .450 and his trusty .375 H&H

I maybe corrected but the .450 was loaded with Woodley softs & solids. The softs in the magazine started to deform after a few shots and had to be trimmed with a blade. I think the .375 was loaded with swift A frames?

I used the very durable boots you gave me mate and they are now very comfortable and do not seem to get hot.

A camel thingy carrying 3L of water is an essential bit of kit plus another 10L carried by the trackers. Once you have used half then turn back. Do not rely on the car coming into help you out if you have a problem. We tried that much to our discomfort.

If there is dust in the air then the temperatures are mild. If it gets too hot then simply find somewhere shady and cool to rest up. Pointless driving back to camp in the heat.

Andrew,

A proper adventure and well written indeed. This obviously is not the safari for everyone although I expect it was relatively inexpensive.

Mark

quote:

Originally posted by MARK H. YOUNG:
Andrew,

A proper adventure and well written indeed. This obviously is not the safari for everyone although I expect it was relatively inexpensive.

Mark

Mark there is a plan to be made here. Quotas have not been sold and therefore there has been very little investment into the infrastructure. It requires some simple management.

Their style of hunting is everything that we are against however once you take the reins the hunting especially for buff is as good as anywhere I know.

.
Andrew - as always great report / read and
great pictures.

Did you start out of Cotonou ? Also what did you do as regards taxidermy arrangements (if any) ?

Thanks for the write up. A great story and great read.


Charlie

.

quote:

Originally posted by Charlie64:
.
Andrew - as always great report / read and
great pictures.

Did you start out of Coutinho ? Also what did you do as regards taxidermy arrangements (if any) ?

Thanks for the write up. A great story and great read.


Charlie

.

Yes Cotonou and we travelled by car which was ten hours and this was crap.

The trophy prep in camp was flawless and I understand that there is a fee per animal for dip & pack. By all accounts this was cheap. Not sure about freight.

The charter option was also extremely competitive. The charter is operated by a responsible individual.

You make us hunters dream! Pm send

wow, what an adventure, I am envious. Congrats to both of the hunters.

Great trophies and photos.

Great report and very well done to you both.

Brilliantly written report!

Great stuff, Mr Baldry.

Hi guys!

I've known the area for 40 years, and I went there last year.
As far as poching is concerned, the last French PH Michel COATMELLEC was expulsed from the area because he had asked the minister to stop poching. His answer was that he would be sent to prison if he came back to Benin. No more French PH wants to hunt there.
FAIRGAME
If Christophe has got his hunting rifle on his shoulder, that's to protect himself, considering what happened last year with FAISAL. Christophe and his brother Alidji are known as the best trackers in high grass in Benin and buffalo and lion tracks specialists. You would have a lot to learn from them!
I'm warning you concerning the accidents that happened with lions. Last year in Kondio, a French PH was injured (160 stiches). Lions in Benin are always by 2 or 3. Good luck if you want to hunt them in high grass!
Concerning Ebola, there's another fever: Lassa fever (see Wikipedia) 90 people died in November in Natitingou (60 km far from the camp site)
For your rifle, I advise you the same rifle as Thierry LABAT or a double rifle to protect your clients.
I wish you good luck for your hunting to come. (with a license of course, in the area not inside the park)

Andrew,
I am glad you enjoyed the trip.
I organized this hunt for Faisal after his last trip ( Last report) because he wanted to get another chance on his west african lion.
Unfortunatly Faisal has no luck with lions in this area but seems to attrackt the big buffalos.

Regards,

Dennis

Very nice report ,great adventure congratulations .

quote:

Originally posted by Caracal:
Andrew,
I am glad you enjoyed the trip.
I organized this hunt for Faisal after his last trip ( Last report) because he wanted to get another chance on his west african lion.
Unfortunatly Faisal has no luck with lions in this area but seems to attrackt the big buffalos.

Regards,

Dennis

Hi Dennis,

Faisal is away at the moment and he will add to this report and no doubt will credit you for organising the safari.

There were no big Lion in the area and the trackers were desperate for us to take male whatever the age.

quote:

Originally posted by odoysakia:
Hi guys!

I've known the area for 40 years, and I went there last year.
As far as poching is concerned, the last French PH Michel COATMELLEC was expulsed from the area because he had asked the minister to stop poching. His answer was that he would be sent to prison if he came back to Benin. No more French PH wants to hunt there.
FAIRGAME
If Christophe has got his hunting rifle on his shoulder, that's to protect himself, considering what happened last year with FAISAL. Christophe and his brother Alidji are known as the best trackers in high grass in Benin and buffalo and lion tracks specialists. You would have a lot to learn from them!
I'm warning you concerning the accidents that happened with lions. Last year in Kondio, a French PH was injured (160 stiches). Lions in Benin are always by 2 or 3. Good luck if you want to hunt them in high grass!
Concerning Ebola, there's another fever: Lassa fever (see Wikipedia) 90 people died in November in Natitingou (60 km far from the camp site)
For your rifle, I advise you the same rifle as Thierry LABAT or a double rifle to protect your clients.
I wish you good luck for your hunting to come. (with a license of course, in the area not inside the park)

Odoysakia,

The hunting here seems to be a self guided affair. Whilst the trackers were good at tracking and spotting they lacked experience with Lions and it would seem that in the past Lion were shot from the vehicle as a target of opportunity. We were pressured to shoot a young male which we declined. Their mentality is if it is a male then it is fairgame irrespective of age.

If the poaching is not checked in this concession then this are will be depleted within a couple of years.

Very well written report. Thanks for sharing and great looking old bulls that were taken.

quote:

Originally posted by MANDLAZIM:
Nice going Faisal - Enjoyed the read, Andrew!

+1

Andrew and Faisal, I had a very similar experience on my Burkina safari. It is essentially a self guided hunt, and while the trackers are very good at tracking, they are no good at strategy or planning or trophy judgement. And I found them very fleet of foot and excellent climbers! The elephants have been poached and harassed and are vicious, charging our jeep on sight. The trackers have great respect for them and avoid them, frequently setting fire to the grass as a barrier. It is a great hunt for an experienced hunter who can take charge, and can go with the flow. Not for the faint hearted or beginner, and I think Faisal did very well to ask you along.

great report hunted Burkina last January . You are right those Buffalo are tough put 5 good shots in him with a 375 HH

I wondered how I missed this and then saw it was posted when I was in Cameroon last year! Well written account of an adventure in a land few travel to. Well done and some nice trophies! I hunted in Porga concession of the Pendjari Park system next door to Batia back in 2008. Some excellent game there.

What a great adventure and well written report. The photos are excellent too! Thanks for sharing.

A wonderful, well-written report Andrew - you need to take your littery skills further.
Your comments regarding the old buff taking such a pounding are really interesting. Have experience such times myself. Over more than two decades and many, many buffalo I never had to shoot a buff more that twice with my .505 Gibbs. And then in 2007 in Mozambique's Coutada 12 we had an experience with an old lone Dagga Boy that thought otherwise. The initial shot at him was unfortunately poorly placed - the bull had sensed us and started to run away just as the initial shot was taken. In a flash he was gone but I did manage to throw a backing shot at his rear end when he was just a dark blob in head high grass. To cut a long exciting follow-up short we ended up shooting that bull 11 times! 5 shots from my .505 and 600 grainers and 6 from my clients .458 Lott and 500's. My .505 has a Brevex '98 action and can take 3 rounds in the mag. Given my previous 'only two shots required' experience and not wanting to override the Mauser's extractor I usually only loaded 3 cartridges into the magazine and then chambered the top one. On that occasion however something made me load 4 cartridges. I chambered a cartridge, then turned my rifle over and filled the magazine with another three cartridges from below by opening the magazine floor plate. Just as well because I dropped the bull with that fourth shot from my .505. My clients rifle was also empty at that time. I have often wondered what the outcome would have been had I only loaded my usual three cartridges! In the end there were 5 shots through the center of that bulls vital triangle so close together that I was able covered them all with the spread of my hand. His heart was a shredded mess, his lungs were collapsed and blood filled, my backing shot had scrambled his left kidney and yet he still came towards us at some speed. It was a spinal shot in the neck which finally dropped him! Such experiences are well-documented. If the first shot at a buffalo is not a fatal one, the next half a dozen of so can have little effect. This is the influence of adrenalin - and buffalo seem to produce this stuff by the bucket full!!!
And this is of course what makes them so special.

Hi Kevin,

Darius, another friend of mine and myself just shot a buff in Burkina 11 times! 8 shots hit it, not all properly I may add but many were still vital shots. The first shot was a raking shot with a 375 H&H at a very shallow angle while it was walking away which should not have been taken, but our blood was up as we had been after the herd for a mile...All the best, Arjun

Sounds like some shoddy shooting to say the least... leading up to the Mark Sullavin show.

Gee wiz

Great Trophies!!!

quote:

Originally posted by doctari505:
A wonderful, well-written report Andrew - you need to take your littery skills further.
Your comments regarding the old buff taking such a pounding are really interesting. Have experience such times myself. Over more than two decades and many, many buffalo I never had to shoot a buff more that twice with my .505 Gibbs. And then in 2007 in Mozambique's Coutada 12 we had an experience with an old lone Dagga Boy that thought otherwise. The initial shot at him was unfortunately poorly placed - the bull had sensed us and started to run away just as the initial shot was taken. In a flash he was gone but I did manage to throw a backing shot at his rear end when he was just a dark blob in head high grass. To cut a long exciting follow-up short we ended up shooting that bull 11 times! 5 shots from my .505 and 600 grainers and 6 from my clients .458 Lott and 500's. My .505 has a Brevex '98 action and can take 3 rounds in the mag. Given my previous 'only two shots required' experience and not wanting to override the Mauser's extractor I usually only loaded 3 cartridges into the magazine and then chambered the top one. On that occasion however something made me load 4 cartridges. I chambered a cartridge, then turned my rifle over and filled the magazine with another three cartridges from below by opening the magazine floor plate. Just as well because I dropped the bull with that fourth shot from my .505. My clients rifle was also empty at that time. I have often wondered what the outcome would have been had I only loaded my usual three cartridges! In the end there were 5 shots through the center of that bulls vital triangle so close together that I was able covered them all with the spread of my hand. His heart was a shredded mess, his lungs were collapsed and blood filled, my backing shot had scrambled his left kidney and yet he still came towards us at some speed. It was a spinal shot in the neck which finally dropped him! Such experiences are well-documented. If the first shot at a buffalo is not a fatal one, the next half a dozen of so can have little effect. This is the influence of adrenalin - and buffalo seem to produce this stuff by the bucket full!!!
And this is of course what makes them so special.

Last year me and PH Leon Kachelhoffer put down a charging buff and my aim was where the spine dips in the neck which put him straight down. This buff took multiple bullets from .375 and one each of .577 and .500

The elderly client proclaimed that he was never going to hunt again unless the PH carried a minimum of .500