Central African bush is like no other. It is a vast land,
where environments change in a matter of miles, from mountains, to low riverein
valleys- from far stretched savannah, to thick secondary forest. It is perhaps
one of the only places in the world, with such a drastic combination of
completely different species in one place. It’s a place where Lions- King of
the grassland, occasionally take down forest species like Giant Forest Hog, and
on the rare occasion, even Bongo. Most tourists, or professional documentary
watchers who stay at home, have never even heard of many of the animals here.
Even many of the rivers have no names. It is as wild, and bizarre as Africa
gets these days.
But if you
come here expecting to see the vast amount of game as found in east Africa,
or southern Africa, you will be disappointed. The game
densities are so low, and the bush so thick, that a traveler here can go days
without seeing any big game. But when the mysterious animals reveal themselves,
the experience is that much more rewarding. And even with low amounts of game,
the success of the hunt is guaranteed, and most animals taken are true
trophies! No where else does one learn the habits, and the connectedness of
every living creature in an ecosystem, then when traveling the bush here.
Because of
these circumstances, your African trackers are usually some of the most
competent in the continent. Most of these guys are the best ex-poachers around,
and when their skills are put to use in the professional safari operation, the
best hunting teams come together for a grand safari. The Lord Derby’s Eland
hunt is the finest example of a team working together; and perhaps few other
hunts can justifiably be describes as true “hunting.” –One has to put in work
for each animal. The hunts for other special species, like Yellow Backed
duiker, Bongo, and Giant forest Hog, found in few other places in Africa, are also unique in their own right.
Many times,
during a hunt, one will have the opportunity to take a break for lunch in one
of the many forest galleries dotting the land. It is nice to sit back with your
feet in a crystal clear, spring creek, and sip on a cold beer, or walk the
waters edge in search of Harnessed Bushbuck, or Red River Hog. Or if you’re
like me, try and make fun with the small crocs found scattered in small pools.
Another feature of this land that
will appeal to the keen naturalist/hunter, is the vast, and unique variety of
colorful birds found only here- be sure to pick up a bird watching book before
coming, even just for a bit of fun!
If you, the
dreaming safari hunter make the decision to come to CAR, get ready to take it
all in! It might not be the funnest safari of your life, but it will certainly
be one of the most memorable. Pack your best gear, and get ready to explore one
of the most wildest place left in the world- and whatever you do, don’t forget
your camera.
Central Africa has never been known for its Buffalo hunting. The body and trophy size of the central African savannah species is quite small. The central African buffalo stands no chance in a comparison against the massive body, and impressive sweeping horns of the much more appealing trophyCapeBuffalo. But the species still has a lot to offer to the keen African hunter. First off, the hunting is usually much different than other types of Buff hunting in Africa. Second, when hunting Buffalo in CAR, one usually has no idea what kind of trophy they might find.
THE HUNTING:
The type of hunting varies to each concession based on geography, but in general, the hunting for buffalo in eastern CAR is usually similar. In my experience at least, I have found that only about 30% of the time, the buffalo my clients take are spotted from the hunting car. Another small percentage of buffalo are taken by bumping into them on one of the various salt-licks scattered throughout the bush. Usually, one has to follow fresh tracks from the morning before they ever lay eyes on the wary creatures. This means, they never actually know what kind of trophy they might find.
A typical hunt usually starts off by leaving camp at dark, , and driving a distance away from camp, and then start systematically checking salt-licks for tracks, and driving slowly along the road looking for sign. Once a track is found, the team usually stops to inspect the sign further. By finding a pile of droppings in the morning, one can determine roughly how long ago the buffalo had been there. One also looks for clumps of grass kicked up by the heavy footed creatures while they walk, or chunks of grass they chewed and dropped. If a dropping pile is still warm, or the saliva on the grass still wet, its time to get into predator mode and keep in eye on the bush in front of you!
As in all game numbers throughout central Africa, the buffalo densities are usually quite low. This can be caused by a number of factors: First, the bush is usually dotted with innumerable forest stream belts- called forest galleries. Such environments, naturally, make it quite difficult to spot animals. In other words, a group of hunters can be quite close to a group of buffalo without ever knowing they are there! This is why the local’s tracking skills are invaluable in this type of hunting. A second factor contributing to low game densities, is the abundance of water sources in this type of environment. In an area with little water available, one can usually predict the few water sources around will hold game; In eastern CAR, where water abounds, a hunter doesn’t have such a luxury.
It is this abundance of forest and water that I believe, also contributes to the small, spread out groups of Buffalo. The Cape Buffalo is usually found in massive herds, with each herd containing multiple trophy bulls. The Central African savannah species, in eastern CAR are usually in groups of 25-30- maximum. It is not uncommon to find herds as small as seven animals. Usually, only one big male is found in each herd. This has its advantages in itself; there are not as many eyes or ears or noses in such a small group to give a way a hunters position. Also, the task of identifying a single trophy bull in such a group is usually a fairly simple matter.
For calibers, I have seen a buffalo dropped by a single shot from a .300 Win. Mag. But then again, I have seen a buff take seven shots from a .416 Rem, before dropping. In general, I believe a .375 H&H is a good all around cartridge for Central Africa; but there is no substitute for a good shot, in a rifle a person feels confident with. For bullets, I prefer partially expanding copper loads because there is a lot of brush in this environment. With a hard bullet, even after hitting brush, the projectile usually stays close to course. Also, a hard, but expanding bullet is best for the bigger animals like buffalo. Extremely soft bullets, favored by many people in north America, usually blow up when hitting an animal close, due to high velocity- and in CAR, shots at times can be quite un-expectantly close. My favorite bullet here, for all game, but especially Buff, would be the Barnes TSX.
THE ANIMAL:
There has been much talk, and debating in the African hunting community concerning whether or not there are indeed dwarf forest buffalo to be found in Eastern CAR. After four years of living in that bush, I am certain there are not, completely genetically separated groups of dwarf forest Buffalo. But working so close to the large secondary growth forest stretching from the border of Congo DRC, north through the Rafai, and Bangassou forests, it is quite clear, from the variety of buffalo sizes, and colors, and trophies types that there are indeed genetic mixing going on between the dwarf and savannah species.
This variety in itself is a unique feature offered to the traveling hunter. In no other area can one see such a collage of animals. One might come across an old, small horned dwarf-type trophy bull, with unbelievably bright red fur, and in the same area, find an old, wide horned black bodied bull. The color of the animals also varies in each group, with some male and female alike being red, and the others black. If one is lucky, they might even find a bull with dark black upper body, and orange under-parts.
Another good thing about hunting in CAR, is that usually two buffalo are allowed on one hunting license. It is not unusual, for a lucky hunter to take one big bodied, black, wide horned bull on one tag, and a small bodied, small horned, red buffalo on the other tag-that one could almost swear was a legitimate dwarf forest buffalo.
Many experienced hunters also complain that the Central African Savannah Buffalo isn’t as exciting to hunt, because they are not known to be as dangerous as their Eastern cousins, the Cape Buffalo. It seams they are no doubt less aggressive, but this I believe, is owed to the fact that the areas where the species exists, are usually more remote than the countries where Cape Buffalo are hunted. In other words, low human pressure means the animals are naïve to the hunters bullets, and usually not as aggressive.
But the hunt for the Central African Savannah Buffalo still has its risks. For one, the buffalo are smaller, and the bush quite thick. When a buffalo is shot in this environment, the first thing it usually does is run and hide in the thickets, possible forest it can find; which is usually not far away. Trying to see the small, quick moving animal in such environment is un-nerving.
Even after only 4 years, I have had two close calls with buffalo: One, had been shot through both lungs with a .375 H&H, and had dropped immediately. As we walked up on the seemingly dead bull, he suddenly jumped to his feat as fast as we could comprehend, and aimed his head in preparation for a charge. But our .375 and .458 were enough to stop him before I could take a step forward. Another time, after being wounded, a Buffalo ran quite a ways before completely pulling a walk-around on his back trail and waited for us in thick brush, head lowered. Luckily, the sharp eyes of my African trackers caught the animal, as he crouched motionless with eyes fixed on our intended trail in front.
Two of my co-workers, and mentors- Christophe Morio, and Phillipe Clero- some of the top PH’s in Central and West Africa, both can attest to the Savannah Buffaloes potential aggressiveness. The closest Christophe came to dying, was when a red Savannah Buffalo in Benin gored him after being wounded. Christophe’s hunter shot the buffalo off of him, saving his life, but not before the animal had tore open his throat. To this day, the scar is clearly visible, and my friend is left with a signature raspy voice.
Phillipe has worked almost 20 years in both CAR and Tanzania, and has experienced more charges from the Central African Savannah Buffalo, than the famed Cape Buffalo in Tanzania. His closest call in the hunting business, in fact came from a Savannah Buff in CAR. The buffalo took multiple bullets before catching a hold of Phillipe’s Hunter, before he could put the animal down. It is only by luck, the animal did not harm the hunter, apart from a bruised torso.
CONCLUSION:
If you, the African Safari Hunter, dream of coming to CAR to hunt the famed Lord Derby’s Eland, or the Mythical Bongo, don’t pass up a chance to take one, or two Central African Savannah Buffalo. You never know what you’ll find; a big, black bull, or a small, red one. And when you take your shot, on whatever trophy you come across, make sure to shoot straight! It only takes experiencing walking through the thick forest galleries dotting eastern CAR, to imagine the unpleasant experience of following a wounded buffalo in their! Good luck, and good hunting.
As I write this, I am just getting finished with my fourth season in the Central African Republic. When I flip through the photo albums containing nearly 600 pictures of trophy Eland, Bongo, Buffalo, African friends, snakes, spiders, bush life- representing memories of those four years, I am blown away by the incredible circumstances that led me there.
I was born and raised in Kansas, and up until leaving for Africa in 2008, I had never left the United States. Even then, I had only started hunting a few years before. I come from a long line of non-hunting family members. At 15 years old, a friend took me out into the woods and I shot my first deer; a 6 point buck. Regardless of my lack of hunting experience, I knew early on (or rather, hoped) I would some day end up in Africa. I had read all the classic stories from the likes of Ruark, Patterson, Capstick, Hunter, and Roosevelt. I ate up all the magazine articles I could find from some of the top African safari writers today, like Craig Boddington, and Cameron Hopkins. All these fascinating stories led to my obsession with Africa, but in the end, the one object of interest that led me to make the jump to finally go to Africa, was one animal: the mythical Bongo.
Ever since seeing my first bongo in the Kansas City zoo at around the age of 10, and then seeing the amazing photos of the rare animal published by National Geographic, I became obsessed. My laptop computer at home began to fill up with photos and stories of the elusive animal. In my teens, I contacted many safari companies in Central and West Africa, and then on toward East Africa. I was turned down by a few, but mostly just ignored by the rest. No one wanted to hire a 16 year old American boy with no experience in African hunting. I gave up the idea of becoming a PH, until later in life. I hoped, someday I could get out there; but my fascination with Central Africa, and the mythical bongo never ceased.
In 2008, I read a small excerpt written in the Hunting Report, about a young Swedish man named Erik Mararv, who had just started his own safari company the year before in the CAR. At first, I had no intention of asking for a job, I just was extremely interested in this development of his new business in the heart of wild Africa, and one of the main animals there: the Bongo. So, one day I emailed him. We exchanged a few emails, and all of my obsession and book smarts filled every paragraph I wrote. Erik suddenly stopped emailing me back, as he was in the middle of the season, and I forgot all about him. And then, one day as I was sitting at the bank I was working at, I got an email from Erik. I nearly lost my breath when I read his words…
“Dear Adam. I can tell you are interested in Central Africa. I need people with the fire you have. If you are interested in a job, maybe I can help you.”
After that, it was as simple as replying. The next couple of days, I gave my two weeks notice to the bank, spent the next month buying gear and getting my vaccinations, Passport and Visa, and making other preparations. Two months after that email, I was on a plane bound for Bangui, CAR. I was 19 years old. In no other circumstance, could I have ever been given a chance to work in Africa that early on in my life. You could say, I contacted the right person, at the right time. I owe a lot to Erik for giving me a chance.
That first year, I spent almost 9 months in Central Africa. Most of the time I was out in the bush, away from any camps, cutting new hunting roads with 10 or more Africans at a time. I picked up Sango, the local language, fairly early on since there was no one else to talk to except for the Africans, and during that time I earned, painfully, a priceless amount of bush craft. Luckily for me, my main job that first year was to scout out bongo areas, and set up a camp in the forest where the species could be hunted. I found much bongo sign, and learned a lot about the species from my time spent in the forest. The first bongo of the company was even killed from a high stand my African workers and I had built over a new salt lick.
The time I spent in the bush was the greatest adventure of my life, and changed me forever: I had played tag with crocodiles, had our camp raided by two large elephants, interrupted a very large male lion while he was sleeping, and had countless other animal encounters. I ate up as much hunting skills as I could from the best poachers in the area. Even after 9 months, when it was time to leave, I still wasn’t sure if I ever wanted to go back to the states. As I climbed the plane on our bush airstrip, Erik shook my hand and said, “Well done Adam. You’ve proven yourself here. I hope to see you next year.” With a smile and a wink we parted ways.
…The next year, in September, long before our first hunters would arrive, I found myself in CAR once again. Shortly after, I would begin guiding my first safaris in collaboration with a local African PH. As they say, from then on, the rest is history… I’m still in Africa most of the year, and soon hope to start my apprenticeship in Tanzania- I have no intention of parting ways with the Dark Continent I now call my second home. My job now in the states, is to share my love of Africa, and hope to feed the dreams of hunters and adventurers that hope of going there… Welcome to Central Africa!
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