I hunted with a couple of buddies, Luca and Luca, both with a very good experience of safaris hunting. Was a sort of exploratory hunt offered us in Senegal. Two days of birds shooting in centre of the country and 5 days of self guided hunt (hunter + pisteur) in the south, in the ZIC Zone d'intérêt cynégétique de la Falémé. The outfitter told us in advance that the big game was very rare there, so we knew before leaving that it would be e a very difficult hunt with the risk of taking anything. What that actually happened… The first two days were of relax, shooting francolins, doves and sand grouse. The last five days very hard. Terrible heat (42/45°celsius) and scarce animal. We have seen many warthogs(my friend got two), rare bushbuck, one red flaked duiker and only tracks of Roan, Oribi and Buffalo. Must be said the la Falémé is very big, over 1000000 of hectares, and ther’are many areas where big game is absent. In other areas instead we found signs and tracks, and probably ther’is game, rare, but ther’is. One limit is that at 6pm the hunt must be finished and the hunting license must be displayed at the forestry police. This unreasonable rule prevents hunt in evening hours, when the animals are approaching the water points and allows you to hunt only in the morning hours. Probably if we could hunt in the evening we would have had more success. Must be also said that the local organization is focused mostly on birds and warthogs and that they havent so much experience on the big game. Futhermore the car we used (a chinese 4X4) was in very bad conditions and we lost lot of time with flat tires and miscellaneous faults. However was an interesting experience: the “brousse” is simply marvelous with lot of water points inside and I think that with a bit of serious management the animal population could grow in few years. Also was a self guided hunt: very exciting but of course a different type of hunt.

few photos:


the big python taken by Luca, over 4 meter!!!





the goat killed from the python

dead ...dog? outside a village


crossing the Gambia river


ladies on the Gambia


the mauser 416

our safari car: still broken

historic hornet's nest


my pisteur in the burned
bush


Young baobab

Dakar: view of the fortress of the slaves

Congratulations on the ADVENTURE!!!
Well done Mario...I have much respect for you

Maybe area will get better in time.

So how many times did you hear toubab

Check out the link, we have a few photos that are very similar from Senegal

http://forums.accuratereloadin...043/m/2161099591/p/1

Outstanding adventure - that is TRULY an adventure! Thanks very much for the report and pictures. More pictures?

Cool adventure... even if it was unsuccessful!

quote:

Originally posted by bwanamrm:
Cool adventure... even if it was unsuccessful!

I agree 100%! You have an experience that few can claim. Bravo!

Thanks for sharing mario. Was looking forward to read your report. You sometimes have to try it and see how it goes!

Dennis

Thank you for sharing this wonderful report, Mario.
I consider this in the realm of REAL ADVENTURE!
There is a certain accomplishment in creating you own adventure that money simply can't buy.

Congratulations!

Ciao, Mario!

It sounds as if you had Much Success ( only not in big game taken)

Thanks Guys. I was very surprised to see that Southern Senegal (we where at the border with Mali)is still real Africa, maybe too much...and overpopulated but ther'is still lot of space for the game. Of course is something different from the southern Africa we are use to visit and not many toubab there...

"Unsuccessful" is a relative term. I've failed to take my target species (and on a few occasions failed to take antything whatsover). But I could hardly classify your trip as "unsuccessful". Congratulations.

Looks like an adventurous place to hunt.

Was there much indication of poaching etc in the areas you hunted? Did you hunt along water courses or waterholes or just in the bush? Very challenging but certainly interesting.

What were the trophy fees for the game animals if you had of taken them?

Thanks for the post.

CH,
we chacked many water points and we didnt find any traps or snares nor poachers around. But ther'are many villages around and I think that someone there owns guns. The people there told also us that thar'are many indipendent gold diggers in the bush.

Mario, good for you. I think I would trade some of my "successful" hunts for this one. Few would dare to take on such an adventure. I would not say it was unsuccessful, but rather a success in almost every way.

An adventure you will not soon forget.

Any more photos?
Again its such a great adventure!!!

quote:

Originally posted by Mario:
CH,
we chacked many water points and we didnt find any traps or snares nor poachers around. But ther'are many villages around and I think that someone there owns guns. The people there told also us that thar'are many indipendent gold diggers in the bush.

Thanks for the reply Mario. These type of countries are certainly of great interest to a number of hunters who seek challenges and adventure and not necessarily a bag full of game.

If you had more time did you get the feeling you would have encountered some of those larger game species? Did you hike many kms or just travel in the 4wd?

would do a little more research they are in the middle of an Ebola outbreak in that area of africa

quote:

Originally posted by bwananelson:
would do a little more research they are in the middle of an Ebola outbreak in that area of africa

There has never been an outbreak of Ebola in Senegal.

I have been in Guinea and I am going to Liberia.
If you are afraid of dangers it is better to stay home.

CH,
in this type of hunt you use the car only for to reach the hunting area after you walk for 7/8 km until the temperature dont go up too much.
Unfortunately we found the best areas for big big game only the last two days, where a buffalo was taken the week before our arrival.
I think that if I had ten days of hunting I had the opportunity to take at least a buffalo or a roan

ahh no problem with ebola and very few mosquitoes there.
last photos:
again the Gambia river

water point

following track s

quote:

Originally posted by Caracal:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by bwananelson:
would do a little more research they are in the middle of an Ebola outbreak in that area of africa

There has never been an outbreak of Ebola in Senegal.

I have been in Guinea and I am going to Liberia.
If you are afraid of dangers it is better to stay home.[/QUOTE
the border is closed its all around you can chance it but they have posted travel warnings, its a chance thats all

Congratulations Mario on a most successful adventure!

quote:

Originally posted by bwananelson:

the border is closed its all around you can chance it but they have posted travel warnings, its a chance thats all

Not to start a fight, but you are more likely to be killed by gang-bangers in Florida than to killed by ebola in west Africa....

We all take chances.

Well done guys, we nee to all enjoy the adventure of the hunt, not just taking animals!
Cam

Sounds depleted and poached out. Whilst it maybe an adventure the few tracks that you came across indicate the remaining few animals will be already full of lead.

Good on you though to give it a bash and I know you have always wanted to hunt Roan.

But at what price?

Yet I've taken Roan and Buffalo in the other self guided hunt in Cameroun made few years ago. And for that I must say thanks to mr camshaft... So this time we just tried and was however an african experience and not very expensive .

quote:

Originally posted by Mario:
Yet I've taken Roan and Buffalo in the other self guided hunt in Cameroun made few years ago. And for that I must say thanks to mr camshaft... So this time we just tried and was however an african experience and not very expensive .

Will you go back?

quote:

Originally posted by fairgame:
Sounds depleted and poached out. Whilst it maybe an adventure the few tracks that you came across indicate the remaining few animals will be already full of lead.

Good on you though to give it a bash and I know you have always wanted to hunt Roan.

But at what price?

I have wanted to hunt in Senegal for a while and read this report with much interest!

The main hunting area for big game ZIC Falémé is very big (936,000ha) and boarders Nikolo-Koba (910000ha) NP.
However if you look at the wildlife counts you can see there is a about 1200 Roan in 18000 km². (20 years ago they counted more then 6000 just in the NP).

I have hunted across the boarder in Guinea and the wildlife is depleted...........

I learned that is not the best come back in the same place another time ... better change... Africa is very big... However wold be a challenge to come back for ten days in the proper area. I'm sure I would have at least a chance. Maybe it's time for Caracal...

What's next Mario?

Cheers,

Dennis

I've an open account with the sitatunga in uganda...

A interesting hunt seems like one really needed the evening hours and a reliable vehicle.

As we all know in pressured critters don't move much in midday and one has to cover large areas to find them.

Man, I don't think there's anyway you can consider that an unsuccessful hunt. Thanks for the report and pics

Congratulations my friend for another great adventure .Hope to see you soon here or there .