Cameroon Hunting feedback

Spear Safaris · Mar 9, 2023

We are back, I had to go see a Lodge on our Thornybush Photo area in the Greater Kruger. The bush is amazing at the moment after great rains. Lots of Elephant around eating Marula fruit.

So as things go in the African Wilderness, things do go wrong from time to time.

After a fairly long stalk on Buffalo, we got back to the Car at dark, about 15 miles from camp and started back to camp. As we rounded a bend in the road, the clutch of our Hunting car gave in..... and that was it, no going forward or back wards. I was in no mood to walk the 15 Miles to camp, in the dark, Neither was I in the mood to wait for one of the tracker to walk the 15 miles and we wait for a car to come fetch us. For these situations you have Technology. I always have a satellite Phone in my back pack. The camp has Wifi, but there is no way you can make a call to a WIFI device, nor is there cell service in Camp. So I had to call Marita, my wife, which was stil back in the USA. Then she had to send a whatsapp to someone in camp, with a message to send a car to fetch us, and hope that the message gets read not too long from then.

We had two other hunters join us by now, so the message could only be delivered once they returned to camp. My Client and I made a small fire next to the road, cut some green leaves for beds and settled in for the wait. It was Wonderfully quiet and peaceful. I used this opportunity to take some nice iPhone pics and showed my Client a few tricks with the cell phone, those are the Photos added here.

It was not 45 minutes and a rescue arrived, Lucky for an amazing wife back in Civilisation and sat phones.
The driver and crew stayed behind, when I asked why, they just said, Patron we are going to fix the clutch. One thing I do know, replacing a Clutch on a stick shift, is a massive job, when you have all the lifts and jacks. Out in the sticks with a small Bottle jack....... I had my doubts........ but off we went to have another great dinner and cold beer.
I did tell my Client that maybe we should plan for a late start to following day.

Spear Safaris · Mar 9, 2023

Our wake up call was at 5 am, with breakfast scheduled at 5:30.
When I came out of my room, our Car was parked in the garage and ready for the day.
Amazingly these guys replaced the clutch, in the dark with a fire as light, small Bottel jacks and a Corn meal bag full of tools. These remote places never seizes to amaze me.
Our other Friends in camp were also after LD Eland, but they were quite particular on what they wanted. I cannot really relay the details of their hunt, but I will post pictures of their animals as I go along with my story.
We had a lot of help from the second Hunting party in Burning the excess grass.

Wishfulthinker580 · Mar 9, 2023

Enjoying the report. Those guys who fixed the car deserve a healthy tip!

Spear Safaris · Mar 10, 2023

Earlier on I mentioned the 2 guys that joined us.

So two Hunters from the UK joined our party, it's so refreshing to know that there are still hunters in the United Kingdom. Both of them were great gentlemen and a pleasure to share the camp with.
Both of them were quite particular on what Eland they wanted, they were after age and color, as opposed to Length of Horn. So hunter no 1 passed up on 3 shootable Bulls, before he took the Bull in the Picture.
He actually had a bit of a Mishap on his first shot, they got themselves in the Middle of a large herd with cows all around and the Bull they wanted chasing a cow straight towards them, at around 30 to 50 yards. They were worried that the animals were going to spook, and risked a shot at the bull with lots of obstacles in the way. At the shot the Bull just stood there, but the rest of the herd Bomb shelled. " I recall their comments." There were Eland everywhere, and a massive dust could arose. Then from everywhere and nowhere, Eland came out of the woodwork, and joined until there were at least 150 animals. Imagine the chaos. On inspection they discovered that the bullet hit squarely in the middle of a stump.
They managed to circle around again and intercepted the stragglers, where another Good bull followed and received a well placed Bullet.
What an experience.

Spear Safaris · Mar 10, 2023

Now it was Hunter no 2's turn.
This guy had taken a Good Eland in the Faro region a few years back, a great Bull but he did not have the Maturity that he was hoping for.
The trackers had mentioned a Bull with hardly any Horn left, which they spotted while opening roads, but what were the chances of finding Him in more than 200 000 acres. At least we knew that Bulls like that were around.
After he also passed on a few Bulls the trackers were becoming a bit agitated, as you can Imagine. .....
But on they went in their searches. Some of the problems they incurred were trying to stay on tracks, when the size of the herd turned everything into dust and criss crossed over their own path.
They did however see Eland every day.
A type of a Pre-hunt ritual was also performed by everyone to help with " Hunt luck" where a Goat was slaughtered and every one shared in the feast.
This must have really helped as a day later we had the traditional Eland pre-arrival" Gun shot" alert and the drums were sounded.
Staff, families and children came streaming from the woodwork, to congratulate the hunter and view the Bull.
A proper Black faced Bull.

Ravensview · Mar 10, 2023

That is a beautiful picture of the eland with the sunset behind it, than you for sharing these and the stories behind them.

Spear Safaris · Mar 11, 2023

From here on the Hunting tales will become somewhat boring, so I am just going to Dump Photos of the rest of our trip, which was just amazing. These are from 3 Hunters sharing the camp over a 12 day period.
Enjoy and I hope to see all of you that dream about LD Eland in Cameroon one of these days.

Agrarler · Mar 11, 2023

Really amazing pictures and trophies taken. Looking forward to hear your stories in two weeks at the camp fire…

Spear Safaris · Apr 18, 2023

Some of you may have wondered what the camp is like, especially someone thats been to west Africa before, and have experienced a shitty camp before. lol. Here you'll find comfort.