Holy Crap, I Like Adventure As Much As The Next Guy, But This Is A Little Much.....

[Scott CWO]

The Chinko River and forest near Rafai.

 

[Scott CWO]

Jacques picked me up at the Rafai strip and then we crossed the Chinko on a small ferry.

 

[Scott CWO]

Father Kordian on the left with Jacques at the Catholic Misson and school in Rafai where we stopped for lunch.

 

[Scott CWO]

We drove 3 hours east to Dembia and then 3 hours north to camp. This was my tent. It was a two-room tent with a single twin bed in the back room.

 

[Scott CWO]

Dining hall

 

[Scott CWO]

We drove two-track roads and then we hiked through miles of forest to check muddy salines like this one for a big fresh bongo track. Then we would follow the track and cut our way through the forest. Very hot and humid conditions.

 

[Scott CWO]

One of many streams we crossed while hiking and driving. The trackers drank right from these streams!

 

[Scott CWO]

Driving through the forest. Very thick until you pop out into a savanna.

 

[Scott CWO]

After following several tracks, I got my 31" bongo on June 14. I made a tough perfect running shot as he ran.

 

[Environ]

Im going to the CAR for Bongo in April any advice will be really appreciated Scott

 

[Scott CWO]

The bongo is the most beautiful animal in the world in my opinion and I can't wait to see him mounted in my trophy room.

 

[Environ]

C

Hunting the CAR and Cameroon for Lord Derby Eland, Bongo, etc., has always been one of those bucket list items of mine. I'm not sure if it will ever happen, but this type of stuff for darn sure makes one very wary of ever going there......

That guy was extremely lucky to make it out alive. Sounds like one hell of a scary situation..........

Cameroon is safe Sandman and the prices are getting very reasonable for Eland and Bongo now

 

[Environ]

Incredible story and a miracle to have survived. I can imagine how Scott felt, I was caught 2 years ago in an ambush, when the first shot rang out, pure shock them your survival instinct kicks in.

What happened? was it poachers?

 

[Scott CWO]

I am not a duiker guy but I shot this blue duiker for meat as we were running low. The only duiker I really wanted was a yellow back. I also shot a bush pig and countless guinea fowl for camp meat. I saw a few giant forest hogs off the side of the road but didn't get a shot. Notice the bamboo in the background.

 

[Scott CWO]

Having grown up in the Black Hills of SD and living in the CO mountains since college, I am not a heat lover so this was my favorite part of camp - the shower. I took one before dinner and again after dinner when it would finally cool off enough to quit sweating - maybe.

 

[Scott CWO]

Now the not so fun photos. The mirror on my side of the Cruiser took three different bullets as we drove away on two shot-out rear flat tires.

 

[Scott CWO]

Bullets are very hot. This one went through my headrest and out the side wall but not before splattering sticky melted foam all over us and the cab.

 

[Scott CWO]

This bullet came through the windshield and then into my door. The elevated rear seat behind the cab was really shot up and likely shielded us from numerous bullets that otherwise would have entered the cab. A bullet also came through Jacques' door and went into his seat cushion just below his buttocks. A miracle none of them hit us on the ground when running away or after we made it to the Cruiser!

 

[Scott CWO]

The day after the attack and being held hostage in Dembia, we finally made it back to Rafai with the UN soldiers. In this picture, they are escorting me back across the Chinko River ferry to the airstrip. Notice the bed mounted machine gun between the soldiers.

 

[Scott CWO]

The Beechcraft King Air 350, pilot, and former French SF soldier that Ripcord sent to fly me back to Bangui from Rafai.