Hunting in French Equatorial Africa in the late 1950s

[DennyLedger]

Hey everyone, new poster here!

I am researching a book, and I am after some research on hunting in French Equatorial Africa in the late 1950s.

Whether it be books, articles, websites, etc, anything would be useful. Useful things would be what animals were hunted, what regions, things like that. I am being quite specific with the time period, so I want it to be as accurate as possible.

Many thanks in advance!

 

[DennyLedger]

I don't speak French unfortunately.

 

[grand veneur]

There are many books on this topic, but in French language. I cannot recommend any in particular because I read hardly anything about hunting report in general and also about hunting report in Africa. If you don't speak French it will be difficult to find something. I myself only know one book in German on this topic, but none in English.

 

[DennyLedger]

Oh!
That is good to know though, many thanks for replying.

 

[LucasK]

Fred Bear's Field Notes would have some information on his safari in 1955 to French equatorial Africa (i think it was in what would become the C A R). It was only modestly successful; bowhunters taking a Korrigum, Kob, a couple of Reedbuck and an Oribi. Hope this helps.

 

[DennyLedger]

Fred Bear's Field Notes would have some information on his safari in 1955 to French equatorial Africa (i think it was in what would become the C A R). It was only modestly successful; bowhunters taking a Korrigum, Kob, a couple of Reedbuck and an Oribi. Hope this helps.

Fantastic, thank you very much, I will see if I can find it.

 

[Kouprey]

Hello Denny!
I`m also very interested in this time and place, a fascinating and exciting topic.
As already mentioned, there are lots of books in french by "guide de chasse" many are still available by the french publishing house "Montbel".

I recommend the following books in english about hunting in French Equatorial Africa, they have lots of interesting facts (although some of them deal in parts with the period before or after the 1950s):

Christian Le Noel: "On Target - History and Hunting in Central Africa" (Best source on hunting in the french colonies, one of my favourite books, great historical hunting photos).
Gilles Tre-Hardy: "The Path of a Hunter" - The author was a Game Warden and Professional Hunter in Oubangui Shari / CAR from the 1950s on. Great reading and stunning pictures of huge elephants).
Robert Montvoisin: "Professional Hunter" - Memoirs of a french hunting guide from the end of the 1940s up to the 1990s! Much about hunting in the french colonies.
Francois Sommer: "Man and Beast in Africa" - Foreword by Ernest Hemingway (!), mainly about big game in the french colonies, but also East Africa.
Hans-Otto Meissner: "One-Man Safari" - Several self-organized hunts in Oubangui Shari, Gabon, Tchad, Congo, etc. early 1950s.
Ernst A. Zwilling: "Jungle Fever" - Memoirs of an Austrian PH in Cameroon, Central Africa and Tchad.
Albert Mahuzier: "Tragic Safari" - Photography and hunting in Tchad and Oubangui; the author's french hunting guide is killed by a lion...
Giorgio Grasselli: African Sunsets - Book by an Italian PH, much on CAR, also Cameroon and Zambia.
Sache de Montbel: "Big Game Hunting" - Worldwide hunts, but also some chapters about Central Africa and Congo in the 1950s.

I also recommend the books by Frank Hibben ("Hunting in Africa" or "Under the African Sun") and Warren Page ("One Man's Wilderness"). Both writers hunted in French Equatorial Africa in the 1950s for Bongo, Giant Eland and other game. But there are chapters about other countries as well.

Check out Tony Sanchez-Arino (he started hunting in 1952 in Guinea and French Equatorial Africa). The best books for your purpose are "From the Congo River to the White Nile", "Claws and Fangs", "The Last of the Few", "Elephant Hunters, Men of Legend". He is now 94 years old, but maybe you could contact him and ask some questions.

All the other material i have about hunting in French Equatorial Africa is either in the wrong timeframe or in the wrong language.

Good luck for your research and best wishes!

 

[grand veneur]

Some of these books are known to me by their title and author, but I did not know that they were translated into English. Perfect !

 

[DennyLedger]

Hello Denny!
I`m also very interested in this time and place, a fascinating and exciting topic.
As already mentioned, there are lots of books in french by "guide de chasse" many are still available by the french publishing house "Montbel".

I recommend the following books in english about hunting in French Equatorial Africa, they have lots of interesting facts (although some of them deal in parts with the period before or after the 1950s):

Christian Le Noel: "On Target - History and Hunting in Central Africa" (Best source on hunting in the french colonies, one of my favourite books, great historical hunting photos).
Gilles Tre-Hardy: "The Path of a Hunter" - The author was a Game Warden and Professional Hunter in Oubangui Shari / CAR from the 1950s on. Great reading and stunning pictures of huge elephants).
Robert Montvoisin: "Professional Hunter" - Memoirs of a french hunting guide from the end of the 1940s up to the 1990s! Much about hunting in the french colonies.
Francois Sommer: "Man and Beast in Africa" - Foreword by Ernest Hemingway (!), mainly about big game in the french colonies, but also East Africa.
Hans-Otto Meissner: "One-Man Safari" - Several self-organized hunts in Oubangui Shari, Gabon, Tchad, Congo, etc. early 1950s.
Ernst A. Zwilling: "Jungle Fever" - Memoirs of an Austrian PH in Cameroon, Central Africa and Tchad.
Albert Mahuzier: "Tragic Safari" - Photography and hunting in Tchad and Oubangui; the author's french hunting guide is killed by a lion...
Giorgio Grasselli: African Sunsets - Book by an Italian PH, much on CAR, also Cameroon and Zambia.
Sache de Montbel: "Big Game Hunting" - Worldwide hunts, but also some chapters about Central Africa and Congo in the 1950s.

I also recommend the books by Frank Hibben ("Hunting in Africa" or "Under the African Sun") and Warren Page ("One Man's Wilderness"). Both writers hunted in French Equatorial Africa in the 1950s for Bongo, Giant Eland and other game. But there are chapters about other countries as well.

Check out Tony Sanchez-Arino (he started hunting in 1952 in Guinea and French Equatorial Africa). The best books for your purpose are "From the Congo River to the White Nile", "Claws and Fangs", "The Last of the Few", "Elephant Hunters, Men of Legend". He is now 94 years old, but maybe you could contact him and ask some questions.

All the other material i have about hunting in French Equatorial Africa is either in the wrong timeframe or in the wrong language.

Good luck for your research and best wishes!

Thank you so much for the wealth of information, absolutely perfect for what I was after! I will look into them and see if I can find copies. That is another story though!

 

[SABENA1]

Hey everyone, new poster here!

I am researching a book, and I am after some research on hunting in French Equatorial Africa in the late 1950s.

Whether it be books, articles, websites, etc, anything would be useful. Useful things would be what animals were hunted, what regions, things like that. I am being quite specific with the time period, so I want it to be as accurate as possible.

Many thanks in advance!

Hello Denny,
Look at Henry Eyt Dessus, the prince of Faro(Screens of the world) in English.
All about Cameroun.
Also plenty of books by Dr. Emile Gromier, a French colonial Docter,only in the French language I think.
Best regards,
Marc

Hey everyone, new poster here!

I am researching a book, and I am after some research on hunting in French Equatorial Africa in the late 1950s.

Whether it be books, articles, websites, etc, anything would be useful. Useful things would be what animals were hunted, what regions, things like that. I am being quite specific with the time period, so I want it to be as accurate as possible.

Many thanks in advance!

 

[PerH]

https://ia800208.us.archive.org/0/items/onemansafari029913mbp/onemansafari029913mbp.pdf

 

[PerH]

https://ia800208.us.archive.org/0/items/onemansafari029913mbp/onemansafari029913mbp.pdf

Meissner book , One Man Safari . Several save options there for it

 

[Kouprey]

Thank you so much for the wealth of information, absolutely perfect for what I was after! I will look into them and see if I can find copies. That is another story though!

If you are from the US, you may have access to some old copies of "Sports Afield". Frank Delano hunted in French Equatorial Africa and wrote some articles for this magazine (late 1950s / early 1960s, if i'm correct).

You will also like the stories of Elgin Gates, who hunted with Jack O'Connor and Herb Klein in Tchad for Addax, Leopard, Gazelles and Barbary Sheep. I think this was in 1958. Story is in Gates' book "Trophy Hunter in Africa".

I found some old flyers about hunting in AEF, will search if i have more (but most likely in french and german). I remember i had one leaflet about hunting and fishing in Gabon with PH Maurice Patry.