CHAD: Western Greater Kudu & Red Fronted Gazelle Club Faune & ACN

[JES Adventures]

The thought of hunting Chad was far from my mind until recent years. Having first learned about this destination and the rare Western Greater Kudu back in the 90’s it was always a place of mystery to me. I didn’t think I’d ever be able to take a Safari in this obscure place but fast forward 30+ years and I am enroute to N’djamena!

I made an inquiry to Club Faune a couple of years back on a whim and Phillippe must’ve kept my email address. Then, out of the blue last October he sent out an email with a cancellation hunt for this season. After an email exchange and my questions answered about security and success I asked for the contract and booked the hunt.
During the process, I reached out to fellow AH members for any information on Chad which there was little. Many had mixed opinions on whether or not it is a safe destination for American hunters. After gathering all the data and speaking with some past references my decision was solidified and the deposit sent.

My old friend and videographer Melcom Van Staden will accompany me on the trip to chronicle the adventure in film. He’s become a great friend, hunted with me and my family on several occasions and most recently has been assisting me with the website for my hunting property the Reserve Ranch in Texas.

My wife dropped me off at Houston Intercontinental and I chose Air France for this journey as they have the best routes to Central and West Africa in my opinion. I am travelling without guns so check in took about five minutes. It’s a reasonable itinerary, 9 hours to Paris then a four-hour layover and 5 hours to Chad. Hopefully I will get some sleep on the overnight flight.

I will meet Melcom at Charles de Gaulle and we will fly together from there. The plan is to overnight in N’djamena then charter to camp the next day. I will have ten full days of hunting for Western Greater Kudu and Red Fronted Gazelle and a couple of small animals should they present an opportunity.

Temperatures will be in excess of 100 degrees, but the saving grace is the permanent camp chalets have air conditioning so sleeping will be comfortable. I am on the last Safari of the year and water sources should be limited therefore game will be concentrated.

I monitored the security situation throughout the weeks up to the Safari and with the uprising in Sudan, there was some concern that the situation could spill over to neighboring countries. Phillipe had just been in Chad and had a client go in a couple of days ago and he assured me all is well there.

It was a cool Spring morning when I arrived in Paris and the airport was bustling as usual. I took the internal train to my terminal and gate are then had to go through security screening again. This took about 15 minutes then I was off to the Air France lounge for a cup of coffee.

 

[JES Adventures]

Day 1

We arrived N’Djamena just after sunset and the temperature was still close to 100. It reminded me of South Texas in the Summer. As usual there was a mad dash for passport control, and I had a nice surprise when a man came up and greeted me by name and asked me for my passport. He walked me straight through, no hassles. He works for the outfitter to assist and expedite clients with the entry process.

Once we retrieved our bags, we walked out to the parking lot where we met the PH Francois Guillet. A pleasant man, French of course and after exchanging greetings we headed to the hotel which was very close by. A seasoned Professional Hunter having conducted Safaris in Benin, Burkina Faso and Tanzania over the years I look forward to hunting with him.

After checking in and a quick shower Francois took us to a nice little Italian place where we had pizza and a couple of beers while discussing the season and our upcoming Safari.

He said the season has been very good and he seems confident we will have a successful Safari. It’s the end of the dry season so game is concentrated to the water points. The rains can come any time now, so we remain hopeful it is dry the next ten days.

After dinner we got back to the hotel just before 10 and I went right to bed. I slept well, waking a few times in the night.

 

[JES Adventures]

Day 2

Sunlight started to peek in the room, so I was up around 6:30 and went down for breakfast after a shower. Francois met Melcom and we chatted a bit over coffee about the plan. The hotel was nice, and I asked if it was the best in the city. Francois said there are a couple of others, but we like this because it is close to the airport (less than a half mile). He said, should a situation arise in the city, the airport area will be heavily protected, so this is the most secure hotel. Once we finished breakfast and grabbed our bags, we were off for the airport.

We had to scan all our luggage upon entering the airport. Then, once the luggage was weighed, we proceeded to the departure lounge where we passed through security once again. Even though this is a private charter, the standard security rules applied.

Around 9:30 we took a bus to the plane where we were met by the pilot a Kiwi by the sounds of his accent. He said the flight would be one hour twenty minutes to the strip near camp.

The flight in the Grand Caravan was comfortable and surprisingly smooth despite the heat. It only got a bit bumpy on descent from the thermals. Camp was only a kilometer away and staff was waiting to greet us as we arrived.

A very nice camp situated under the canopy of massive trees, a series of stucco buildings with a central dining veranda. After settling into my room, it was lunchtime and we dined on Reedbuck filet, fried potatoes, green salad and fresh fruit for dessert. Francois said we would go check the rifle at 3pm then have a drive until sunset. It is 105 degrees at the moment, so I went to my air-conditioned room for a siesta.

Shortly after three we left camp and stopped near the airstrip so I could shoot the rifle. A Winchester model 70 in 300 Win Mag. It was topped with a Leupold 3x9, reminiscent of my first hunting rifle. The factory trigger was very heavy but crisp. One shot at a hundred meters and we had confirmation the rifle was still on.

The temperature was 105 but with some cloud cover it was bearable. Shortly after 4 we had a few raindrops hit the car which caused Francois to use the wipers a few times.

We spotted Warthog, Bush Duiker and Guinea fowl as we drove through the bush. At 4:49 we rounded a corner and there in front of us was a Kudu bull, less than 50 yards away. I instantly said “Kudu” and Francois stopped. The bull remained calm, and we studied him as he watched us. Melcom was able to get some footage and he appeared too not be fully mature. He has two twists to his horns but was maybe 33-35” at best. Francois said, “no, we will pass this one as he is too young”. I watched him walk away and melt into the bush as I heard thunder roll off in the distance. My first thought was I hope we didn’t make a mistake passing the bull as if heavy rains come the game will disperse and be even more difficult to find. But as I always try to do I remain confident in my PH’s judgement we carried on.

Francois mentioned to me he would stop the car at 6 so the men could pray and have some water. Being Ramadan, they do not eat or drink while sun is up and with this heat, they must be thirsty. After they finished, we took off for camp with the last few minutes of light remaining. At last light we stopped to glass a water hole and saw movement by the edge of the water. Francois said “Side striped Jackal” so I quickly got into position for a shot. It was difficult to make out the vitals but as he raised his head, I caught the outline of the ear and followed down the back and settled on the shoulder. The 300 barked and a cloud of dust erupted from the spot by the water’s edge. When the dust cleared the Jackal lay dead. We got some photos then made way for camp.

We got to camp shortly after 7 and had a cold beer then relived the day. Dinner was baked Nile Perch with vegetables. I had some nice cheeses with my wine while Melcom and Francois enjoyed crepes for dessert.

We spoke of many things, after dinner mostly the people we all know in common and before we knew it Melcom said “we have an early day tomorrow”. I checked my watch, and it was 10:14 so off to bed we went.

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

Looking forward to the rest!

 

[JES Adventures]

Day 3

I was in a dead sleep at 4:30 when the alarm went off. Out of bed and dressed, I was off for coffee. Melcom was at the table enjoying his first cup waiting for his eggs. I opted for cake and two cups to get my blood pumping.

We left camp a little after five and the sky just began to light up as the sun was on the rise. The plan is to go to a waterhole this morning while the men return to camp to pray as it is the last day of Ramadan. They will take a sheep and slaughter it to prepare for their celebration tonight.



We set up about a hundred yards from water behind a camouflage screen and waited. Within minutes a Bush Duiker appeared and went to water. A few minutes later another walked though. They seemed unaware of our presence, and it was nice to watch them. I enjoy all aspects of hunting and sitting quietly watching nature is always a rewarding pastime for me.

The bush murmured at a high pitch from the sounds of uncountable numbers of doves and other birds calling. A Secretary Bird strolled by, going down for a drink. The sounds and smells of Africa are unlike any other and I feel calm and immensely Blessed to be in the fascinating place.

By 8 we had seen dozens of Warthogs, many Bush Duiker and a handful of Oribi. About 8:09 Melcom said “Kudu”. Off to our right a calf appeared and slowly walked out of the bush. We scanned the bush but could not see others. Francois said he heard something in the bush and possibly they smelled us as the wind has begun to swirl. The calf went to water then about ten minutes later went back the way it came.

For the next hour we saw more Oribi and Warthog. Francois radioed the driver to come, and it wasn’t five minutes later the first cattle showed up. This is a continuing problem all across Africa. The human encroachment which adds stress to the already fragile habitat from domestic livestock is changing Africa. Every year with each Safari I take there are more livestock, illegally grazing in the hunting areas.

We moved on to check another water hole. We stopped short and walked in slowly. It’s 106 now and I can feel the heat when you are walking. Some Baboons saw us and ran away but as we got closer Francois froze and started glassing. I eased up alongside him and could see three Roan. They were young bulls but showing lots of promise. The car came and we carried on to another water hole where we will sit for a few hours.

As we approached, I could see lots of game moving about. Francois says “Kudu” and we bail out. I chamber a round and step up to see them running away. Four in all, cows and calves. They ran about a hundred yards and looked back at us. As we walked to the other side of the water the tracker stopped and looking said “there is a young bull with them” as they melted into the bush.

We made a ground blind and got set up for the afternoon. Almost immediately game started to come back with Patas Monkeys being the first. A beautiful monkey being predominantly red with white legs and a black face mask.

Only minutes later Melcom said “Kudu” and out of the bush came two cows and three calves. While we watched them drink Francois said, “three more kudus are coming from the left”. Now we have seen fourteen Kudu in less than an hour so it’s only a matter of time and a bull will show up.

The cows made their way off and baboons, monkeys and a female Bohor Reedbuck came to water. I am feeling the heat and start to become sleepy. I rest my eyes but cannot fall asleep as I am sitting up in a chair.

Then I hear Melcom say “Bushbuck coming from the left, it’s a Ram”. I am to the left of him and Francois to his right. I cannot see the Bushbuck as Francois studies him. He said, “that is a very nice, old Bushbuck, you will be hard pressed to find one better”. He is broken off a bit on one side but very heavy. So, I moved over slowly and got a look at him through my binoculars. I said “yes, I’ll take him” and Francois set the sticks.



I got up and settled in on his shoulder for the shot and just then a big male Baboon approached him, and the Bushbuck jumped. I followed him as he walked around the water, but he would not stop to drink. It seems the Baboon has made him nervous. I continue to follow and finally he stops so I settle the crosshairs. Just as I begin to squeeze, he walks again so I follow. The next time he stopped I got on the shoulder and squeezed the trigger. The 300 cracked and the Ram dropped to the ground. I checked my watch and it was 11:45.

After congratulations, we went to the Ram to see he was neck shot. The trigger is so heavy in this gun I pulled the shot to the right. Fortunately, the shot dropped him, and I had a grand old Harnessed Bushbuck Ram.

The vehicle came and after photos they quickly loaded the Ram and took him to camp to skin and process the meat. It’s approaching 107 now and time is of the essence to preserve the meat and hide.

Once they left, we made our way back to the blind and wait for Kudu. We enjoyed some cold sandwiches and Gatorade while sitting in the shade of a big tree.

Within minutes Monkeys and Baboons came back to the water followed by a lot of Warthogs. We saw some Oribi come in along with the odd Bohor Reedbuck. After more than an hour the first Kudu showed up, two cows and two calves. Before they reached the water two young bulls were spotted coming in and passing within 50 yards of our ground blind.

The cows and calves all watered and left but the young bulls hung out in the periphery, browsing and lounging in the shade. About a quarter past three Francois called the car so we could go check some other waterholes before sunset.

We drove about a half hour then walked in to one location but no Kudu. We did see some fresh tracks along the water’s edge. The car came around to pick us up and we carried on to the next water hole. Just as we approached, Donno the game scout said “Kudu” and pointed out to the driver side. François raised his binoculars and could see the bull running away and said he didn’t get a real good look, but it appeared that one of the horns had a broken tip.

We continued on to the other water holes as the day grew shorter. While driving along through the bush, something caught my eye to the left, I knew the coloration, and immediately said “Gazelle, Gazelle!” It was a Red fronted Gazelle, and it ran in front of us and cross the road. Quickly we bailed out and took off. The trackers were up with us right away and we cut the track within minutes. We followed it up and within a couple hundred yards jumped him out of some thick bush. We were never able to get on it again, so we made our way back to the vehicle.

We pushed along to camp as this is the last day of Ramadan and the staff will have the feast with their families. We arrived at camp shortly before seven and I hit the shower immediately.

After a cold beer, dinner was served. We started with buffalo tail soup followed up by warthog Milanese and green vegetable. Desert was a chocolate mousse, and it went down perfectly. Everyone was tired from a long, hot day and we said our goodnights shortly after dinner and I was in bed by 9 o’clock. Same plan tomorrow at 4:30, out at five.

It’s been an amazing day and a half, the hunting is difficult, but the game is here, and it’s been a wonderful experience thus far.

 

[LivingTheDream]

Beautiful bushbuck!! Congratulations!

 

[Travis2282]

Congratulations! Can’t wait to read more!

 

[JES Adventures]

Day 4

I woke a couple of times in the night but was startled by the alarm at 4:30. I quickly dressed and went to breakfast as we want to leave by five. Francois and Melcom were already there, and I had my two cups, and some cake then went back to my room to put my boots on and gather my gear.

As we pulled out of camp the sky was lighting up and the plan is to go to an area and focus on Red Fronted Gazelle this morning, then go sit at water for the heat of the day.

The bush was sparser in this area being in patches with open space between. We passed by a lot of cattle and a large herd of camels the first hour.

Somewhere around seven Melcom said “Gazelle”. Standing in the shade close to a drainage about 150 yards away. Before I got my binoculars up, she was gone, and Francois said “female”.

We carried on, seeing no cattle or camels for a while. About 7:30 Francois said “Gazelle, it is a Ram” and I could see it running. He stopped and I was out of the vehicle and on the sticks. There was some brush obscuring part of the vitals, so I was searching for a shot when he ran. We took off in pursuit and within minutes the trackers froze, and Francois raised his binoculars. He set the sticks and said “there, in between the black bushes he is facing us”. I scanned with the scope and found the Ram. I asked if I should take the shot and Francois reminded me it is a small target but said “if you are comfortable, go for it”. While driving and talking Francois explained that the gazelle are very nervous little animals. You usually bump them while driving and see them running. They will go some distance and stop to watch. If you bump them again you can try to get on them once more, but they become increasingly more skittish each time you bump them.

I always travel with my 4-Stable Sticks (shooting sticks made in France) as they have proven invaluable to me many times while hunting. The stability they offer by holding both the front and rear of the rifle give me the ability to shoot much greater distances with proficiency.

I started with the crosshairs between his horns and took a few deep breaths then slowly lowered to the center of his chest. I felt very good about the shoot and began the trigger squeeze, remembering how heavy the pull is.

To my surprise the gun jumped, and I asked “was it a hit” as I lost sight with the recoil of rifle. Francois with a huge smile on this face turned to me and said “excellent shot, he dropped immediately.

Hameed and Hinessini, the trackers took off immediately with Francois and me in tow. We got to the Ram and could see the shot was perfect, right in the center of his chest. An old Ram, very heavy and broken off on his left horn. I was elated to have collected such a rare trophy, one of only four that were taken this year. It is truly an honor to be here in Chad and hunt these rare animals, I thank the Lord, I have been Blessed today.

After photos and videos, I asked Francois if we could put a tracker in the place where the gazelle was standing and go to where we shot and check the distance. My gut told me it was 160-170 and Francois said he thought 200. It was 183 yards, right between what we both thought.

It took over an hour to get to camp but Francois didn’t want to take any chances with the skin, so we went straight back. Suddenly the trackers tapped to stop and said “Kudu”. I could see a bull bedded under a shade tree less than 100 yards away. Upon inspection he was a young bull who then got up and melted into the bush. Francois said he’s never seen Kudu this close to camp. The bull was bedded 300 yards from the airstrip.

After a snack we went to a waterhole to sit for the day. While we were driving, we came upon a Kudu cow and calf not 25 yards off of the track. I got my phone and snapped a couple of pictures. It has been so nice to see so many Kudu calves over the past two days. It appears the herd is healthy and productive.

By 11:30 we got to the place overlooking a waterhole and got set up. I checked the range and we were from 200-240 from the water. The rifle is set in a tripod rest so if I need to shoot that distance, I will be confident in the shot.

Warthog and Baboon were at the water and didn’t pay a lot of attention to us as we sat down. They came and went for quite a while, then at 11:20 Francois said “Roan”. A nice bull, in prime condition about 26” by my estimation. He approached very cautiously and took him several minutes to finally go and take a drink.

We had some lunch and Francois made himself a coffee. Shortly after he had taken a sip he whispered “Kudu”. It is 1:18 and a group of six cows and calves went to water. Then a Hartebeast cow appeared off to our left. After four minutes the Kudu went back the way they came.

Between two and three there was a steady stream of Baboon and Warthog along with a young Kudu bull, cow and calf.

As the four o’clock hour drew near, Francois called the car, and we would drive the balance of the day. We went to a road along a dry river and shortly after dove came across a nice Kudu bull in the 38-inch range. Once again Francois said we will pass this one so Melcom spent some time getting video footage then we carried on.

The average size taken for a Western Greater Kudu is 40-42” with the best one this season being 45”. For me, Kudu have always been difficult to judge, and these are no different. The body size is considerably smaller than the Southern Greater Kudu, so I have to keep that in mind.

Shortly after checking another water hole the trackers tapped the roof and there to the left maybe seventy yards from the vehicle was a beautiful Roan bull. Francois looked at him carefully as the bull was calm. He got back in the car and said, “nice bull, he is pushing 29”. I said, “then we have to shoot him”. He said “are you sure, as he took out his phone to do the conversion from centimeters to inches. Then said, “I am sorry, I did the math wrong, he is 27 inches”. I said, “no problem, let’s look for a bigger one”.

About a half hour before sunset, we walked into another water hole where Francois had seen Egyptian Mongoose previously. We set up about a hundred yards from the water and waited. Within a few minutes Francois said “there they are, under that tree he pointed. I struggled to find them, and they were less than 50 yards away. The large tuft of dry grass was obstructing my view and even though I was right next to him I could not see what he was watching. I told Francois I cannot see, and he said, “slide over this way”. When I did, the mongoose saw the movement and disappeared back into the bush never to be seen again.

Over the next 40 minutes we say several Bushbuck females and one very handsome male. Francois said this was the most bushbuck he had seen in one place the entire season.

We arrived back in camp just after seven, I took a whiskey with me and had a shower. After dinner we sat and relived the day, toasting the Red Fronted Gazelle and making a plan for tomorrow. Francois said we do not have to leave so early now that we have the gazelle in the salt so we will wake at 5:30.

 

[VertigoBE]

Waidmannsheil on a beautiful bushbuck and red flanked gazelle @JES Adventures !
Well done and thanks for sharing your adventures so far!

 

[Wheels]

JES, It is enjoyable to live vicariously through your hunts. Congratulations on your animals so far.

Just curious, how close are you from CAR and Sudan?

All the best on the rest of your hunt!

 

[Firebird]

Always enjoy your reports-thank you for sharing your adventures with us!

 

[Wyfox]

Outstanding, look forward to the rest. Really excited to see the video, I bet Ive watched your hunt in Uganda 50 times, most well done hunt film in Africa.

 

[JES Adventures]

JES, It is enjoyable to live vicariously through your hunts. Congratulations on your animals so far.

Just curious, how close are you from CAR and Sudan?

All the best on the rest of your hunt!

Thanks @Wheels it was an amazing adventure. We were approximately 500 KM's from Sudan and 300 KM's from CAR in a straight line.

 

[JES Adventures]

Outstanding, look forward to the rest. Really excited to see the video, I bet Ive watched your hunt in Uganda 50 times, most well done hunt film in Africa.

Thank you @Wyfox, I hope to have this one by the end of the year.

 

[JES Adventures]

Day 5

I was the first one at the table, so I made myself a coffee and listened to the doves as the morning came life. The mornings are magic in a Safari camp as you enjoy all the sights and sounds, wondering what the day has in store.

We went to a new water hole and set up by seven. Within minutes after the car leaving Warthogs started to show up. Hundreds and hundreds of doves came to water, and it was reminiscent of my trips to Argentina.

Around 7:30 some Hartebeast appeared to our left coming to water. A yearling calf was out front and another not far behind. They went straight to the water followed by a cow. The second cow was in tow with the bull at the back. When the second cow got close to our blind, she noticed something was out of place. We were all dead still, but she just wasn’t having any of it and snorted then retreated a few yards. The first cow saw that and ran back. When the calves figured out, they were alone at the water they quickly ran back to their parents and the group stood back at a distance with the cow snorting every twenty to thirty seconds. Finally, they moved on, I suspect they will travel to another water hole.

A little after nine a gorgeous young bushbuck came for a drink. He stayed for several minutes drinking until a big male baboon walked over and ran him off. Once the baboon left, he came back to drink. Then another male baboon walked over and pushed him off. It’s almost like the baboons were bullying him as there are many places they can drink around the dam.

A few minutes later, a pair of Oribi walked within 10 yards of us. We all froze, and the male stopped to look at us for a few seconds then followed the female to the water.

Just before 11 we saw a raptor swoop down and try to take a fish from the Heron’s mouth. I raised my binoculars and to my surprise it was not a fish but a dove. The heron tried to swallow it but after several attempts the raptor stole it from his mouth.

Not moments later the heron caught another dove, and I watched him swallow it whole. He wet it several times before it finally slid down his throat. An amazing sight, something I have never seen before.

A few moments later a family group of Roan came for a drink. There were four cows and four calves, all of which were males. Such a beautiful sight to see these most regal antelope drinking right in front of us.

For the next couple of hours things slowed down with the odd Baboons and Patas Monkeys coming in for a drink.

After lunch Francois set out some pads and I had a short siesta. Around 1:30 I was awakened by the bark of a Kudu. There was a cow and calf downwind of us and she didn’t like our scent. They circled wide around us but never came in for a drink. A young Roan bull came by and the Kudu cow and calf that barked at us earlier made their way around or came to the water.

Shortly after three Francois called the car and we packed up and left. The plan to spend the balance of the day checking the various water holes.

While driving at a pretty good speed there came a loud tap on the roof. The trackers spotted a Kudu feeding off on the distance. We quickly offloaded and moved back down the road to locate him. Hameed pointed and there was the bull about a hundred yards away. The view of his horns was obstructed by the tree he was feeding in so Francois had to kneel down and glass him. After a few seconds, he turned around and shook his head “no whispered he’s not fully mature”. I took a look at the bull and could see he had very wide horns, but only starting his second twist, so definitely needs a couple of years.

We carried on checking several water holes. We would stop short and walk 3 to 400 meters in to each one of them and glass the area thoroughly. We encountered many warthogs’ baboon and the occasional Oribi and Duiker. While driving we did jump a Jackal, odd for the middle of the day but it quickly disappeared into the bush.

Towards the end of the day, we could see Kudu standing on top of an ant mound, and upon further inspection, there were a total of five cows and calves together.

About fifteen minutes before sunset, we came upon a herd of Lelwel Hartebeast with a nice bull. I had taken a nice bull in CAR back in ’91 so we passed as it is late in the day.

The clouds have been building all afternoon and the distant sound of thunder caught everyone’s attention. As the sun set, we began to see lightning off in the distance. I know the rain is much needed, but it will definitely change the Kudu’s pattern as they will most likely disperse from the water holes we have been hunting. Water will be scattered and more readily available. There will be new growth vegetation in the coming days as well.

We arrived back in camp just after seven and I hit the shower. While we chatted before dinner, the sound of distant thunder was present. We dined on Gazelle kabobs and potatoes au gratin. I started to feel tired and said, “it must be after nine” and Melcom confirmed. I said my good night and was off to bed.

 

[JES Adventures]

Day 6

I woke to the sound of rain in the three o’clock hour and went back to sleep. When the alarm went off at 5:30, there was a steady rain as a thunderstorm was sitting over the camp. I lay in bed saying my prayers and finally got out after six. Francois and Melcom were having coffee and I joined them.

Francois said we will give it some time for the roads to soak up the water then we will start driving. Hopefully we can find a bull walking the road or up feeding.

I remain hopeful, but this big rain could be a real game changer if it was widespread.

Shortly before 9 we left camp and there were many large pools of water in the roadway. As we traveled further into the hunting area, the roads were surprisingly dry, but I could see pools of water in low areas.

At 10:20 fresh Roan tracks were spotted crossing the road. We took the tracks and followed as the ground had enough moisture that we could make good time tracking. About 20 minutes later we bumped them about 50 yards in front of us unable to see how big the bull was, so we left them and called the car.

We continued on and the further South we go the drier it is. It seems camp may have gotten the biggest rain which makes me very happy. The first few water holes we passed had few animals, but the farther South we went the drier it was.

While driving to the farthest water hole to sit, about 12:30 the trackers tapped the roof, and we stopped the car and bailed out. They had seen a good Warthog sleeping in the shade by a big tree. We eased back down the road and Hameed pointed then Francois set the sticks. I was up on them but could not make out the boar. Francois said “you can only see the ass” but I couldn’t even see that.

He moved a bit down the road then waved me on. I set the sticks and he began to dial me in. This time I could see the hind quarter of the boat but could not make out any vitals from the underbrush. As we continued to whisper, he must have heard us, and he popped up and Francois said, “shoot him”. I put the crosshairs on his shoulder and squeezed the trigger. A solid hit and he was running dead on his feet. I lost sight of him at about 40 yards in the tall grass then he jumped straight in the air and fell over dead. After a few photos we were off to sit at the water.

Francois sent a man yesterday to watch this place and he saw three Kudu bulls, one big one and two young ones. We are hopeful they will return to drink today, so we set up in a good place with a broad sweeping view of the dam. After a sandwich and some fruit, we settled in for the afternoon. As the temperature rises the flies and sweat bees become more annoying so I donned my head net. The sun is back out and it wasn’t long the temperature was over 100.

Over the next few hours, we watched Warthog, the occasional Oribi and a troop Patas Monkeys come to drink. Just after four, Francois called the car, and we started a slow drive back to camp checking water. About fifteen minutes later we spotted three kudu cows close to the road but no bull. It was a rather slow evening with only some Duiker, Oribi and Warthog being seen along the way.

We were back in camp before seven and I grabbed a beer and headed for the shower. Dinner was Bushbuck cheeseburgers and fries along with a salad. We topped that off with bananas flambé for dessert. After a visit I was off to bed at nine, we will leave a little earlier tomorrow morning, so I said my good night.

 

[JES Adventures]

Day 7

I woke to the alarm but to my surprise when I got to the phone the alarm was not going off. My brain woke me a half hour before the time I had set the alarm.

I stayed in bed for a bit, saying my prayers and gathering my thoughts. When I finally got up and checked my phone, Melcom had sent me a message he was up all-night sick with food poisoning. Not sure what happened as we all had eaten the same thing and I am not feeling bad. At breakfast I told Francois, and he said that he woke with an upset stomach but not serious. I am fine so far and had coffee and toast for breakfast then gathered my gear and we hit the road.

We got to the far waterhole at 6:55 and by 7:02 the blind was set, and the car drove away. I settled in the day, looked up and saw a very nice Oribi making his way to the water. Then a few minutes later a Side Striped Jackal showed up. As I watched them go down to drink my gut started to rumble. Whatever hit Melcom seems to have hit me. I thought it best to take care of business now, so I quietly slipped out of the blind and went about a hundred meters away.

When I got back, I asked Francois if I missed anything and he said “no, the jackal finished drinking and left”. At 8:25 five Kudu cows and calves came in and went to water. They stayed about fifteen minutes then carried on. There has been a steady stream of Warthogs, Patas Monkeys and Oribi all morning.

A couple of hours later three Kudu cows and calves appeared. Five minutes later the Kudu blew out of the waterhole, and we didn’t know why. Then two riders appeared on horseback. Illegal grazers coming to water their horses. This is a real problem and it’s just about impossible to control.

Somewhere around 11:00 a Red Fronted Gazelle Ram came to water. Francois said very it is rare to see them at a water hole. He stayed for the better part of a half hour drinking and eating around the water hole.

Sorry for poor quality, photo taken with iPhone 14 at 102 yards

Once he left it slowed down considerably. About half past twelve I asked Francois for lunch, which was a ham and cheese sandwich. Within the hour, my stomach started to rumble, and I knew there was a problem. I slipped out of the back of the blind and have been plagued by dysentery. Whatever hit Melcom has now taken a shot at me. I brought meds with me to the field so started on Cipro and Imodium.

I felt uneasy most of the afternoon with the temperatures well over 100° it did make for a comfortable day. Francois called the car a little bit before three and we started to drive. By 3:30

We came across six Kudu cows and calves browsing. Then, less than a half hour later three more Kudu cows. A half hour later we came across a group of seven Kudu cows and calves. We traveled less than 200 yards and there was another group of three. That’s a total of 27 kudu cows and calves we have seen today. The population seems to be very healthy, and I am confident if we continue to put our time in, we will find the right bull.

We checked several water holes on the way back to camp, but no more Kudu. We arrived back in camp about 7 o’clock and I was happy to see Melcom awake and standing. He’d had a rough day but was able to get some rest.

After a light dinner of soup and bread, we called it a day. A good night, rest, and some time for the meds to kick in, I’m hoping that I will be 100% by tomorrow afternoon.

 

[JES Adventures]

Day 8

I had a rough night sleeping; my gut is just not right. The alarm went off at 5 and I just lay there. When I finally got out of bed it was 5:13 so I got dressed, brushed my teeth and headed to the car. Melcom was at the table and appears to be doing better. He said his gut is still running. I said to him “I’m ready when you are” and he was off to gather his gear.

We finally got out of camp at 5:42, we have approximately an hour and a half drive to the far water hole. While driving to the water hole about 6:10 we came upon a young Kudu bull at water.

We carried on not seeing any more Kudu and got to our place about 7:15. Francois and the trackers set up the blind, but Francois didn’t like the wind, so we packed everything to the other side of the water hole. The wind seems to be steady now but will no doubt change as the day heats up.

Hameed cut some brush and got settled in just before eight a Kudu heifer calf came in for water. Strange, it’s been ten minutes and no others have shown up.

It’s been a relatively slow morning, a few Oribi, Warthog and Monkeys. The wind has started to swirl some which certainly is a disadvantage but stays mostly in our face. We are downwind of the water a little over a hundred yards. I sipped on a Gatorade for a while and am starting to feel a little better.

I got up at ten and eased out the back of the blind to have a leak. When seated again I continue to sip on Gatorade and scan the bush.

Just a few minutes later I looked up through some branches to my right and saw a Kudu bull about a hundred twenty yards away. I did not want to move so I whispered to Francois who is sitting on the ground, much lower than me.

He confirmed it is a young bull, so I kept scanning the bush for more but found nothing. We sat motionless as he made his way past us to the water for a drink. There was a trio of Oribi that came to water and after some time one male started to chase the other.

It was growing hotter as it has most days, the temperature reaches 100 by ten o’clock and the wind gets noticeably warmer.

Melcom was not feeling well, it is obvious he is struggling. Francois asked him how he was doing, and he simply replied, “I’m Ok”. A few minutes later I asked if he wanted to go back to camp as it is early, and we will be staying here several hours anyway. He said no, he will be fine.

Just before eleven Hameed made a noise and Francois acknowledged. He put up his binoculars glassed and the forest. Then he said, “there are two bulls coming from the right, I want you to shoot the first one”.

There were a lot of dead branches in front of me so I would have to wait until the bull was completely clear and perpendicular to the blind. I followed him in the crosshairs as he walked out of the bush headed towards the water. Francois said, “tell me when he is clear, and I will make a noise to stop him”. He went on to say, “they are completely calm, unaware we are here so taking your time”.

I found the place that the bullet path was free from any obstructions and waited. I could feel my heart rate increase as he approached so I took deep breaths and tried to calm myself. I made a metal note to focus precisely on the shot placement and trigger squeeze when the opportunity came.

When he appeared left of the heavy brush, I got on his shoulder as he slowly strolled and then said, “he’s clear”. Francois made a noise like calling forest Duiker and the bull stopped and looked our direction. I could see he was slightly quartering towards me, so I put the crosshairs on the point of his shoulder and squeezed the trigger. The bull bucked up in the air kicking his hind feet like a bucking bronc, confirmation of a solid hit. He ran in a semi-circle to the right. Immediately Francois said, “good shot he is finished.” As we watched him running, then erupted a cloud of dust as he tumbled to the ground about 70 yards from where I shot him.

Congratulations were shared all around and we made our way to the bull. When we arrived, the width of the bull caught our attention and is impressive. The body is definitely much smaller than the Southern Kudu, and the coloration paler.

While we waited for the vehicle, I knelt down and said my prayers of thanksgiving for this amazing and rare animal. It is still somewhat surreal for me that I am on Safari in Chad, a place I honestly thought I would never see.

When they arrived, all of the crew helped to carry the bull to a suitable place for pictures and once finished we loaded him and headed for camp.

Back at camp I took some measurements of the body for my taxidermist as he will be full mounted then we went to have lunch. I’m certainly not feeling 100%, my stomach uneasy and a faint headache on top of my head. So, I told Francois we are finished for today, I will go have a shower and sleep.

When I awoke after five, I felt much better but still not normal. After dinner we stayed up and spoke for a short while but shortly after nine, I called it a night. The heat, stomach issues and excitement have all taken their toll on me.

 

[JES Adventures]

Day 9

We will leave at six today, so my alarm was set for 5:30. I woke a few minutes early and felt much, much better. After a coffee and some cake, we were on the road. We are going to the same water hole where I collected the Bushbuck. I am looking for Patas Monkey, a big old Baboon and anything else exceptional that comes in.

We got set up a little after seven and within minutes the Warthog were back. We watched a steady parade of pigs and baboons come to drink over the next couple of hours.

I started to study all of the big male Baboons to see if I could find an old one to take. I checked every pig that came in as well looking for a big Warthog, but so far only a few nice males along with lots of females and babies. I have never hunted a place with such a high concentration of Warthog.

Suddenly, I heard some whispering from behind me, and then Francois said, “shoot that pig”. I was busy looking at Baboon through my binoculars and didn’t hear him clearly, so I turned and said, “shoot that Baboon?” He said “no, not the bloody Baboon shoot that pig, that’s the big one”. I said, “where is it and he said coming into the water”. Then I looked left and saw him stepping into the water. I eased the safety off and put the scope on his head can see tall, curving tusks, so I settled in on his shoulder and squeezed the trigger. The shot went off, and the pig dropped straight down into the muddy water, stone dead. By far the best Warthog trophy I have ever collected in 37 years of hunting Africa. He has a beautiful, curving shape, classical of Central African Warthog.

The tracker called the car as we walked over to the water’s edge to retrieve the pig. Francois was ecstatic and continued to shake my hand and slap me on the back telling me he was so happy that we got this pig. He had seen him earlier in the year but was unable to get a shot.

He took off his boots and socks and waded into the water just below his knees. He grabbed the boar by his tusks and pulled him into shore, and we got a good look at it. An amazing old trophy, hard to believe he has made it this long, without breaking off the tip of his tusks.

When the car arrived, they cleaned the boar up and set him for photos. It took quite a while because rarely do you shoot a warthog like this, so we took many angles to best show the impressive tusks of the old boar.

When we finished, they loaded him into the vehicle and heading for camp. The sun is high, and it is very hot now, definitely over 100°.

My stomach feeling much better now, and I am hungry for lunch. I decided to have a beer and celebrate this most amazing Warthog. We spent some time talking before lunch and had a nice meal of Warthog schnitzel and fried potatoes. Then it was off to a nice, cool, air-conditioned room for a siesta. We will go back out again this afternoon, and search of whatever the bush has to offer us.

We left camp at four and made way to a waterhole near where we will sit this evening for Egyptian Mongoose. Francois stopped the car to go check a water hole and everyone got out. Immediately Melcom said “I’ve been stung by a bee”. Then I heard them buzzing about and Francois said “Bee’s, let’s move quick”. He pulled the vehicle up a hundred yards or so and stopped. Melcom got out and used the mirror and tweezers to pull the stinger from his forehead. The swelling had already started so he took an antihistamine then we were off to sit.

When we got within view of the place we could see Crown Cranes, Warthog and Baboon but nothing to shoot. Hameed called the car, and we went to the place we will sit the balance of the day. We walked in first and saw a female Duiker at the water. Hameed called the car, and they brought the chair, rifle rest and bait. Francois set the bait and did a drag back towards the place we saw the Mongoose the last time we were here. It’s 5:40 and sunset is 6:00 it will happen soon if it works. We stayed sitting quietly until the light was too low to shoot and then called the car.

It was another great day in the bush, and I look forward to whatever is in store tomorrow. Back in camp, with Melcom and me are both feeling a bit more normal, so we popped the cork on the bottle of Krug Champagne I brought from Paris to celebrate the Kudu. Dinner was gazelle kabobs, linguine with a blue cheese cream sauce. I finished the night with a cigar and whiskey then went to bed just before ten.

 

[JES Adventures]

Day 10

I woke a little after five after a great sleep. We had a leisurely morning and left camp about 6:15. We are headed to the same water hole where I shot my Kudu. The objective is Patas Monkey but if we see any other mature species, I have not yet collected in this Safari we will switch gears.

At 6:55 we came upon the second waterhole and six Roan cows and calves were drinking. We carried on seeing the occasional Warthog and Duiker.

Around 7:20 as we came to the next water hole some Baboon and Warthog trotted off. Then Francois said, “there’s your trophy”. I said “where”? He said “there, the Spurwing Goose”. So, I stepped out of the truck and chambered a round in the 22 mag and settled just below where the neck and head come together and squeezed the trigger. He was hit in the spine so went down and flopped a bit but was easy to recover. I’m all my years of hunting Africa, I had never taken a Spurwing, so it was nice to see one up close.

We finally arrived to the place at 8:10 and as we approached the water hole Melcom spotted Kudu on the dam wall. Two bulls, a young bull which I think we saw two days ago and a nice shooter bull. He is narrow with nice curls but has good mass. A couple of minutes later a heifer came towards the water. They are all calm, the vehicle is just over a hundred yards and the bulls are motionless in the bush.

When the bulls left, we drove to the spot we will sit and Melcom said “Kudu, twelve o’clock in the bush” as he pointed straight in front of us. Francois counted six cows and calves in that group. By 8:30 the blind was built, and we were set up for the day. Shortly after settling in a big male Patas Monkey went to sit in a tree about 70 yards from the water. We’ve had the steady stream of warthog, but otherwise slow. Around 9:45 cattle appeared coming to water so the tracker got up to run them away.

Around noon three Kudu cows came to water and stayed in the shade of the brush on the brush of the dam. About fifteen minutes later we saw the Patas monkey come down from the tree and disappear behind the dam. A few moments later he showed up. When he got clear of the brush and sat down, I put the crosshairs on his shoulder and pulled the trigger. Yes, I pulled the trigger and clearly missed him! Not sure why I rushed it, but he scampered away to live another day.

We had sandwiches and fruit for lunch then went to another waterhole for the balance of the day.

The plan was to go back to the waterhole where I shot the huge Warthog yesterday. It was ten past two when we arrived and there were lots of Baboon around. One big male drinking but he walked off before we got set up. It’s the heat of the day and everything has retreated to the shade. As the day grows in more animals will come to drink.

Just before 3:00, a man old male Baboon came from far behind the water hole following a female. Francois said, “that is a big male, shoot him when you want”. He sat down on the bank above the water, and I settled the crosshairs on him and just as I began the squeeze a Warthog walked behind him, and he got up and started walking away. He never stopped and disappeared behind some bush. Francois grabbed the sticks and said, “let’s go”. We slipped off into a drainage behind us and slowly made our way towards the Baboon. Stopping to glass a couple of times then Francois set the sticks. The old male was sitting under a shade tree, and I put the crosshairs below his chin and squeezed the trigger. The 300 cracked and the old Baboon rolled over stone dead. Upon inspection we found he had broken three canine teeth, and the fourth one worn down considerably.

After a few photos we loaded him up and headed for the place we have been hunting Mongoose.

We arrived a little after 4:00 and got set up. Due to a change in the wind direction we are sitting opposite of where we sat yesterday. Hameed cut some branches and we set up under a small acacia above the water. We will stay until dark, or we get a shot whichever is first.

At 5:51 the wind switched to the South and was blowing out scent in the wrong direction. We could smell rain in the air but can’t see any clouds in the distance. Sunset is at 6:00 so we have about a half hour of shooting light left. Well after sunset the Mongoose appeared parallel to us about 40 yards. He trotted along but when he caught our scent he went back into the bush. A few moments later he showed up again and made his way down to the water. I am using the camp .22 and with my poor vision I had to wear my reading glasses to see clearly through the scope. The Mongoose was about 70 yards and I settled the crosshairs on him as he drank and squeezed the trigger. It appeared to be a clean miss, but we went to the place to where he was to check for blood. Francois called the vehicle and when they got there everyone searched the area but no Mongoose.

It was almost eight o’clock when we got to camp so after a quick shower and dinner, we called it a night. I'm just not as young as I once was and these, long hot days are wearing on me.