Self guided hunts organized by Bombazi Wilderness in Cameroon still provide the only opportunity for a forest elephant on your own. One lucky hunter just returned with a spectacularly good elephant; 38kg. (83.8 pound) for both tusks.

http://i304.photobucket.com/al...08/elephantChris.jpg

This hunter had only 9 days to hunt and took this superb bull after tracking 4 other bulls but losing them in the dense foliage. He shot it on the 4th day. There are plenty of elephants in this zone.

Cost is $8000 for 2 hunters going together for all self guided Cameroon hunts. This includes a government concession fee of $1000. You get help organizing your hunting license and gun import. (Cost ~$1000) This makes a total of $9000@ for 15 days in country, of which you should get in ~11 days of hunting. This is all inclusive until a trophy is shot.

BEFORE YOU LEAVE:
• You get a complete list of what to bring and what is provided, down to your toothbrush.
• I will work with you ahead of the hunt to get your gun import paperwork, visa and hunting license in Cameroon completed.

WHEN YOU ARRIVE:
• I have a crew in-country that picks you up at the airport, Yaoundé (NSI airline code). My staff is used to handling English and French speaking clients, but French is their primary language.
• I arrange local transportation, which includes trains, my vehicles and/or a hired car to take you to the village and drop you off. You may be on foot the whole rest of the time, depending on the type of hunt booked (see below). In-country transport is included in your fee. New zones in the far north are vehicle hunts without porters. You go out daily from a permanent camp, in my vehicle. (This includes the February offered hunt.)
• I arrange to loan you some basic bulky and camp gear and give you a list of your personal gear you bring. You are responsible for all of your own personal gear.
• All your in-country food is purchased for you along with provisions for the staff. I pay for these. I recommend you bring some freeze-dried food and snacks, but basic food is provided. At the government concession there is a hotel/bar about an hour’s drive away. (This is the hunt highlighted.)
• I arrange to have someone to boil water (not to be confused with a real cook) for you, trackers (usually pretty sharp) and porters (usually pretty dull). You will have a staff of 7-9 personnel unless hunting in the north where there are fewer. I pay for them.
• My personal tracker (~20 years experience in this type of adventure) will go with you and most likely at least 2-4 others who have gone with me numerous times before. There are experienced skinners, but you are still responsible for the oversight of the skinning.

AT THE END OF THE TRIP:
• I will arrange to have paperwork completed at the end of the trip so trophies can be exported. (elephant have some restrictions, see below.) This includes all CITES and veterinary paperwork for export. I arrange for air shipping (Swiss Air is the only carrier operating out of Cameroon.) I charge $2000 for all the export work. This includes a $500 credit on shipping fees.

Trophy fees For Cameroon Hunt


animal $ cost
Elephant * $ 4,000
Bongo * $ 4,000
Eland * $ 4,000
Buffalo * $ 2,500
Roan * $ 2,000
waterbuck $ 900
hartebeest $ 500
bushbuck/reedbuck $ 500
Red river/wart hogs $300
giant forest hog $ 1000
sitatunga $ 1500
Yellow back duiker
Temporarily blocked $750

peter & other duiker $ 400
Western cob $500
Oribi $400

* Denotes group 1 animal of which you are only allowed 2 on a hunt. Four other animals are allowed per hunter/year (Group 2) You may take up to six total animals and they can all be group 2 animals, just not more than two of the group 1 animals.

I am currently setting up hunts in a number of other Cameroon areas as well:
# 1 is a new 115,000 acre hunting concession that is the personal hunting concession of the King of Cameroun in the north. Waterbuck, kob, warthog, bhor reedbuck, Cameroun bushbuck and duikers are common. So far we have found a lot of roan as the larger species. We have found some eland and buffalo, but they are not prevalent. You stay in the most comfortable camp we operate next to a nice river with good fishing. There is a regular kitchen with dining room to eat at. Solar power provides light and necessities. Beds are supplied with mosquito nets. It is generally a hot hunt. You go out daily from camp in a vehicle and return at dark after following tracks or sitting in some of the blinds overlooking salt licks. Spike camps will get you further into the bush. You will have an audience with the king, if he is in court, should you wish. He speaks English.
#2 There are “Open” zones from the government. We use established camps and vehicles to go out daily. These are the best zones we hunt for game harvested. Roan and/or buffalo opportunities have been 100% in this zone. You can expect multiple opportunities at game and eland are in the zone. You return to the main permanent camp each night. Cooking is still very basic. One option is to stay in the National Park headquarters. You will be responsible for any charges associated with this, but it is a nice camp and run a generator every evening for several hours. This is BY FAR the least strenuous and most successful hunt we offer. It is my recommendation for all first time hunters.
#3 This is a foot savannah hunt for Lord Derby eland, northwestern buffalo, roan, western kob, warthog, oribi, bohr reedbuck, red river hog and others, this is in a community hunting zone where I have exclusive rights. The area is about 250,000 acres in size. A hard hunt and there are few of the smaller game, but good herds of buffalo and we pull eland from this area every year. (see photo below) This zone is our best if eland is your prime trophy, but it is a hard hunt. You are on foot for the whole hunt and there are no established camps.
#4 This is a forest elephant hunt (trophy not importable to the USA, but legal to hunt.) There are almost no other game, as it is a forest elephant hunt. Elephants in this zone are very prevalent and often are near villages destroying crops. Typically it is a 2 day walk into the forest to find the herds. This ivory is “pink” in color. 5 kg. is required for ivory weight of the bulls to ensure maturity. There are no pygmies in this zone.
A second forest elephant area is on that is a deep forest hunt with pygmies, but as is true in any true deep jungle hunt, the game is scarce. The adventure is the hunt with the pygmies. You will get into herds of elephants and call in duikers. This is our hardest hunt, in deep forest with high humidity and hard walking every day.
#5 I have an area with very high chance of forest buffalo and there are decent numbers of sitatunga and duikers.
CUSTOM HUNTS: I am currently taking a few clients on custom hunts to Congo Brazzaville. Inquiries welcome.
As you can see we offer a wide variety of hunts depending on your desires, so contact me so we can discuss your requirements.

Note: The EU has put a hold on Cameroon export of its elephants due to the poaching issues in Bouba Njida park where over 300 were slaughtered. The USA has had a ban on importation for a number of years, but the reality is you can still hunt them legally and there are very few places a forest elephant can be still hunted at a reasonable cost.

Camshaft

So what are the options to be done with the ivory once harvested? I understand it cant be imported here. Can it be sold or donated in Cameroon? Also, what about importing to other countries like RSA or Namibia?
Lastly more interested in bongo, LDE, and giant forest hog. If I could do it reasonably I would be interested in just hunting the pigs.

Ivory would have to be stored in Cameroon until laws change. Not sure on sale of ivory, but do not think it would be a good idea. Everyone so far has me just holding it for them.
This is a hunt for someone who wishes to hunt elephant on their own or needs a forest elephant.
I do not have a giant forest hog honey hole. I do have several spots where we get into them, but would not wish to sell a hunt just for this species. Red river hogs and pigs are much more available. Lord Derby is an animal we take every year but you have to be in good shape.
Camshaft

quote:

Originally posted by Mike Smith:
So what are the options to be done with the ivory once harvested? I understand it cant be imported here.

I have a place in Canada where you can stash it. All of my non-importable trophies will be there to keep your tusks company.

I am interested in an elephant ONLY hunt (2 hntrs/2 ele). Maybe I missed it but, will the hunter be generally tent camped in the village as a base or will it be moved daily and you just sleep in the bush as circumstances dictate?
QUOTE "Elephants in this zone are very prevalent and often are near villages destroying crops. Typically it is a 2 day walk into the forest to find the herds"QUOTE. Does this mean 2 days distance from the village or does it mean you usually need about 2 days to find them? While I understand this is a self guided hunt, I am assuming that the trackers and staff will at least provide some basic info like "they are usually over that hill, or they are normally in the valley below" which would at least give a person a starting point. Are the porters carrying everything between moves, or is it more of a backpack type of situation carrying my own gear. My son and I (very fit at 21 & pretty fit at 51) are interested in a trip like this. I am just trying to get a feel for how much support I would be receiving. We obviously can not bring the ivory home to the USA so. Once the ele are down, do your crews take over for ivory removal. What about meat distribution to locals. Are we going to need to bring cash with us or can the bulk be paid electronically. Who/how does one pay the trophy fees of $8K for the ele. Any detailed reports of previous hunts would be GREATLY appreciated.

EDIT; No need to reply to my questions. I just went to your website and see that it is $9k EACH not the "$8k for two hunters plus $1k for gun/paperwork for a total of $9K". You might want to make that a little clearer in your post. I'm out.

Tendrams, That was exactly the kind of thing I was asking about.

Looking back I can see how that was confusing…sorry. Yes, it is $9K each for the hunt. $10K if you go alone.

On an elephant only hunt for forest elephants we work with the Fish and Game personnel. They steer us to the areas where they are having the most problems. Typically you follow the elephants back 1-2 days from the village as they have left by the time you get there. You bring a hammock or tent to sleep in.

Camshaft