BENIN: Hunting Benin With Atacora Safaris & Christophe Morio

[jasyblood]

Beautiful bushbuck Hank! Congrats!

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Great adventure Hank, thanks for taking the time to do a report!

 

[Hank2211]

I'm surprised so many seem to think this report is done! I can go on . . . as many know all too well.

 

[Hank2211]

Day 10

I had all of the animals I really wanted, and wasn’t about to spend a scorching day tromping through the savannah looking for a red flanked duiker. And if I did get one, I would lose a reason for coming back here! So, as I said, we decided to visit Pendjari National Park.

Pendjari National Park (or “biosphere reserve”) is about 2,700 square kilometers in size, and is part of a complex of parks which include Arli National Park in Burkina Faso as well as additional parks in Niger. Overall, a huge complex reserved for wildlife. We saw only a very small part, but it is impressive. Even more impressive (from a selfish perspective) is that there is almost no one else there.

We spent a few hours at a water hole, and saw hundreds of animals come to water just past mid-day. Roan, bushbuck, waterbuck, kob, warthog, baboons, monkeys, crocs (by the dozens), hartebeest, all were there at one time or another. And more birds that you can imagine – including a large, cream coloured, bat, which alternated between hanging from a nearby tree and sweeping over the water from time to time.

A great day in the park, and well worth taking a day from hunting.

 

[BRICKBURN]

I'm surprised so many seem to think this report is done! I can go on . . . as many know all too well.

I know it's not over until the Sumo sings.

 

[Hank2211]

I know it's not over until the Sumo sings.

A wise man.

 

[Hank2211]

Random Reflections

1. Hunting Benin is how I imagine hunting was in ‘the old days.’ All wild, all free ranging, nothing assured or guaranteed. Away from everything, including cell phone signals.

2. The staff at Atacora will go the extra mile for you. I can’t tell you how many times they did something or noticed something to make life just a bit easier for someone suffering from the effects of heat. Maybe it’s the French, but clearly, there are some things no civilized human being should be expected to do without in the wilds, and good food and bread made fresh daily are apparently among those things. French wine is another! Good for them.

3. If you aren’t heat sensitive, go any time. If you are, go in January or earlier in February. The trade-off is that you may get more of the Harmattan, but we got some of that in March as well.

4. Hunting with Christophe is great fun. He clearly loves what he does, knows just about everything there is to know about the animals and birds of the area, and will stop any time, any where, to get that perfect picture. He’s also charmingly juvenile, and I mean that in a positive way. If things get quiet, he will stir the pot to get things simmering again! If he would hunt with me again, I would certainly hunt with him.

5. Tsetse flies. Much is made about tsetse flies, and I was a bit worried about them before I left. It turns out I was right to be worried, but for the wrong reasons. Yes, there are tsetse flies in this area, but they are not spread uniformly throughout the area, so are not of concern all of the time. I was concerned about being stung – I was under the impression that the sting was quite painful – akin to a bee sting. It is not. The sting ranges from painless (at the moment) to a bit like a needle (the injection kind). What I did not know was that the worst was yet to come. The bites become extremely itchy (on most people). This was the big problem. It was difficult to sleep at night with all the scratching, and you risk infection as you scratch yourself bloody. The solution comes in the form of topical cortisone cream and an oral antihistamine. Combined, the issue is manageable. I wouldn’t let the flies deter me from hunting anywhere, although I would be prepared. Oh – one other thing – they sting through fabric.

6. I’m told that about 60 hunters a year come to Benin – in total! Of that number, 17 or so come to Atacora Safaris. Quotas are kept low, so animal numbers and trophy quality is high. As an aside, those hunters have a combined value which far exceeds the 5,000 annual visitors to national parks.

7. Bullet performance. In the my early hunting days, I would often recover a Barnes bullet from an animal. Often all four petals would be present, and the bullets would look like a dirtier version of what Barnes gives out at SCI. It’s been some time, though, since I’ve seen that. Petals come off and bullets deform. I don’t know if the bullets have changed, but I do know that what I see has changed. And on this hunt, the .416 didn’t open up. I actually don’t mind solids, but I want them to be my choice, not the bullet maker’s. I can’t say many animals are getting away, and maybe that’s the ultimate test. But I still have this nagging feeling that all isn’t as it was, or should be.

8. Cost. A number of people replied to Christophe when he first posted this hunt that it was expensive, or too expensive. I’ve done the math, and I really have to disagree with those who say this. Here’s a comparison I’ve done. Note that this is for a comparable hunt. If you are only after plains game (not including the Roan) then South Africa/Namibia will be cheaper, because of the day rates.

The South African numbers are a composite of different outfitters, all of whom are sponsors on this site. I’ve picked sponsors only because I think most of them are pretty reasonable – you can find higher prices (and lower as well) if you look elsewhere, but I don't think the differences will be enough to change the conclusion. The South African hunts are high fenced hunts, but are large areas. I haven’t used free ranging buffalo hunts which are available from, for example, Coenraad Vermaak Safaris (a first rate operator), but are considerably more expensive in terms of day rates (and I think trophy fees for the buff) than what I’ve shown here for South Africa. In fact, the day rates I’ve used for South Africa are only for plains game, so the comparison isn't entirely fair to Benin.

I’ve converted Euros to US$ at $1.07.

Comparison of Hunt Costs: Benin and RSA 10 day hunt: Buffalo, Roan, Hippo and Plains Game

Benin:

Day rates: $12840
Buffalo: 1007
Hippo: 2675
Roan: 1500
Other Costs: 1000

Total: $19,022

South Africa:

Day Rates: $3800
Buffalo: 12000
Hippo: 8500
Roan: 9500
Other Costs: ?

Total: $33,800

You might be able to get buffalo a bit cheaper (a lot cheaper if you want to shoot one in a pen), and I’ve seen roan in the $8,000 range, but neither of these will change the fundamental conclusion, which is that Benin is a true bargain in terms of hunting this type of game. I haven't included the plains game I shot, but the more animals you take, the better the bargain.

Bottom line: I’m going to return to Benin. The hunting experience is one of the best I’ve had.
​

 

[BRICKBURN]

.................
4. Hunting with Christophe is great fun. He clearly loves what he does, knows just about everything there is to know about the animals and birds of the area, and will stop any time, any where, to get that perfect picture. He’s also charmingly juvenile, and I mean that in a positive way. If things get quiet, he will stir the pot to get things simmering again! If he would hunt with me again, I would certainly hunt with him.
....

Insightful.
My impression of Christophe was one of an Imp.
I think it is the mischievous grin.

I was wondering about the antihistamines.
Balancing the heat and the dust would be a big consideration.

It appears a Bow hunt for those Buffalo is quite feasible from what you are describing.

Thanks for the effort in your report. As always.

 

[gillettehunter]

Thanks for the report. Well done and allows us a glimpse into hunting there. Something that I would like to do. Looks to be a very interesting hunt. Congrats on your animals. Some excellent trophies. Bruce

 

[Aaron N]

Another great report! Glad you had an amazing hunt. Hunting with Christophe would be a dream come true!

 

[Hank2211]

Insightful.
My impression of Christophe was one of an Imp.
I think it is the mischievous grin.

I was wondering about the antihistamines.
Balancing the heat and the dust would be a big consideration.

It appears a Bow hunt for those Buffalo is quite feasible from what you are describing.

Thanks for the effort in your report. As always.

I agree about the grin!

They had prescription antihistamine pills, which worked quite well. I would bring my own though, just to be sure and so as not to go through their supply, which I can only assume isn't easy to replenish. The heat was obviously a big factor for me, but it's quite dry, so for those used to warmer climates, it might not be so bad. In addition, the heat is easily addressed - go earlier! As for the dust, the dust storm at night seemed to be a bit of an anomaly, and the Harmattan was as well. Earlier in the season I think you'd need to be ready for some potentially dusty conditions. I wouldn't let it stop me from sleeping outside though. A high point of the hunt.

And yes, bow hunting can be done, for buffalo and any other species, although I don't know about lion and hippo. There was a bow hunter in camp when I arrived.

You're welcome!

 

[rinehart0050]

Great report- as always! Thanks much for sharing.

I appreciate the cost breakdown Benin vs. RSA. The pricing system used by Christophe and others use (fixed high day rate cost, and then low trophy prices from category A,B,C, etc) sometimes comes off as confusing- especially for those accustomed to RSA/Namibian pricing styles. I think its often easy to get caught up in high daily rates or low trophy costs. Once you start adding up the animals, the prices often start to equal out. Then it just becomes a question of what sort of accommodations you'd like while hunting. 5 star lodge or bed with a mosquito net set up outside your stifling hot tent!

 

[Hank2211]

A final footnote to the trip.

Some of you may recall my post when I first received my custom made Martini Gunmakers .300 Win Mag. I love that gun, and it's served me well on a number of hunts since I received it. Well, this is what it looked like when I unpacked it from the Tuffpak it was packed in:

The gun (along with a .416 which was undamaged) was well packed in a soft sided case, in a bag, with a pillow at one end to cushion any shocks. It was in perfect condition when I checked it in Cotonou, Benin - the police and security verified it!

I tell myself it hopefully wasn't intentional, but I just don't know how you'd do this if it wasn't.

Not sure who did this - Air Canada or Air France, but thanks guys. Good job.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Holy SH*T


That looks like it was stomped. Any boot prints on the side of the tuffpak?

 

[Redruff]

That just sucks. Sorry to see it happened to your beautiful 300.

Great report though. All the best with the repairs. Sure hope Ralph doesn't cry too much when he gets it.

R.

 

[Hank2211]

Holy SH*T


That looks like it was stomped. Any boot prints on the side of the tuffpak?

The tuffpak looks no different than when I checked it in - a bit dirtier maybe, but no damage to it. I have a TSA lock on it, and maybe that let someone get into it? Who knows. I just know that this must have taken an awful lot of force.

 

[Nyati]

Congrats about your great adventure, you seem to really have enjoyed it, despite the heat.

Sorry about your rifle, that hurts !

 

[sierraone]

Can not imagine that rifle damage without it being taking out of the Tuffpak.

 

[Hank2211]

Congrats about your great adventure, you seem to really have enjoyed it, despite the heat.

Sorry about your rifle, that hurts !

I think the key words are "great adventure". I've been on a fair number of safaris and this did feel like a great adventure. You are dead on.

Can not imagine that rifle damage without it being taking out of the Tuffpak.

Exactly where I am.

And airlines will pay almost nothing towards the damage.

 

[sierraone]

I think the key words are "great adventure". I've been on a fair number of safaris and this did feel like a great adventure. You are dead on.



Exactly where I am.

And airlines will pay almost nothing towards the damage.

If you have specific firearm insurance, they should pay for most of it. But since your damaged piece is a Martini vs a Winchester, your coverage may be questionable. I checked with my insurance about a month ago for my upcoming trip to South Africa and was advised my rifle/scope are completely covered. I am interested to learn how it all turns out in having it repaired!