REPUBLIC OF CONGO: Bongo In The Congo Second Try

[Field28]

bongoView attachment 693555

Outstanding!!!! Congratulations, beautiful animal!!!

 

[Sideshow]

Yes, these guys are terrible. I set out to buy a budget scope at one point, asked for advice, ended up with a fucking Zeiss!

Be a collectors item by next year or when they stop making them!

 

[Sideshow]

Those are Christophe’s chimp pics.
Bruce

That’s a big chimp offf seen them on Lake Victoria in Uganda. But he looks a lot larger than those fallas.

 

[Beck]

Be a collectors item by next year or when they stop making them!

I sold it to buy a Meopta!

 

[NIGHTHAWK]

Congratulations Bruce! Great report and hunt!!

 

[gillettehunter]

Another day without an animal. I did take a shot at a monkey. As we were going to the machan we stopped 3 times to try a get a monkey. The pigmies love to eat them….. I took one shot with the.222 and clipped one but it stayed in the tree and never gave me another chance. Crap happens I suppose.
This particular machan is far from the lodge. 1 hr 20 minutes driving fast. Stopping for monkeys……. It’s a full 1/2 mile from the road where you leave the truck. Christophe dropped his pack at the base of the machan and took the trail to the camera. While he was checking the card and setting the motion sensors I climbed into the machan. I was rather surprised to see a dwarf forest buffalo cow out in front of the machan. She was maybe 40 yds from me and 50 from Christophe. He couldn’t see her. I got several good pics and a video before she figured out Christophe was there.
The night passed uneventfully. The birds in the morning were incredibly noisy. Their wings beating can be heard for great distances. Mostly hornbills. At 7 the trackers joined us to go call duikers. Maybe 8 sets and no shots fired. The trackers said they saw 2 blue duikers and 1 Pieters but I never caught sight of them. I don’t think Christophe saw them either.
The walk back to the machan was miserable. They took a “shortcut “ through a swamp. Small hummocks with nasty drops beside them. I went in one to my knee and almost lost a shoe. It was so hot and humid, my shirt was soaked in no time. Perspiring profusely…..
Then there were the ants. We put up with ants every day. There seems like there are 280 varieties of ants here and every one is trying to bite you! If you see an ant within 5 feet of you then you can expect that one is climbing on you somewhere. Some of the bites are annoying. Some hurt. Some are downright painful. Heaven help you if they make it to the family jewels!!!
Both Christophe and I have had our pants down trying to find an ant. Today they were especially bad. Was really glad to get back to a shower today. I’m not gonna lie, my butt got kicked today. I was really glad to get back to the truck. Not a lot of gas left in the tank!
Hopefully @LivingTheDream is able to post a picture of the buffalo. Was a great experience.
Bruce

 

[buck wild]

Another day without an animal. I did take a shot at a monkey. As we were going to the machan we stopped 3 times to try a get a monkey. The pigmies love to eat them….. I took one shot with the.222 and clipped one but it stayed in the tree and never gave me another chance. Crap happens I suppose.
This particular machan is far from the lodge. 1 hr 20 minutes driving fast. Stopping for monkeys……. It’s a full 1/2 mile from the road where you leave the truck. Christophe dropped his pack at the base of the machan and took the trail to the camera. While he was checking the card and setting the motion sensors I climbed into the machan. I was rather surprised to see a dwarf forest buffalo cow out in front of the machan. She was maybe 40 yds from me and 50 from Christophe. He couldn’t see her. I got several good pics and a video before she figured out Christophe was there.
The night passed uneventfully. The birds in the morning were incredibly noisy. Their wings beating can be heard for great distances. Mostly hornbills. At 7 the trackers joined us to go call duikers. Maybe 8 sets and no shots fired. The trackers said they saw 2 blue duikers and 1 Pieters but I never caught sight of them. I don’t think Christophe saw them either.
The walk back to the machan was miserable. They took a “shortcut “ through a swamp. Small hummocks with nasty drops beside them. I went in one to my knee and almost lost a shoe. It was so hot and humid, my shirt was soaked in no time. Perspiring profusely…..
Then there were the ants. We put up with ants every day. There seems like there are 280 varieties of ants here and every one is trying to bite you! If you see an ant within 5 feet of you then you can expect that one is climbing on you somewhere. Some of the bites are annoying. Some hurt. Some are downright painful. Heaven help you if they make it to the family jewels!!!
Both Christophe and I have had our pants down trying to find an ant. Today they were especially bad. Was really glad to get back to a shower today. I’m not gonna lie, my butt got kicked today. I was really glad to get back to the truck. Not a lot of gas left in the tank!
Hopefully @LivingTheDream is able to post a picture of the buffalo. Was a great experience.
Bruce

And this is why (well the money also ) I don't think I could ever do a jungle hunt. Kudos to you for enduring the elements even after shooting a great bongo

 

[Green Chile]

Thanks for posting the good, bad and ugly Bruce. That's what makes these reports so valuable. This is real hunting...and it's hard. I know you're not giving up but I hear you on the relief of getting back to the truck or shower or camp. You've got time left and you never know what shows up on the last set.

 

[LivingTheDream]

Another day without an animal. I did take a shot at a monkey. As we were going to the machan we stopped 3 times to try a get a monkey. The pigmies love to eat them….. I took one shot with the.222 and clipped one but it stayed in the tree and never gave me another chance. Crap happens I suppose.
This particular machan is far from the lodge. 1 hr 20 minutes driving fast. Stopping for monkeys……. It’s a full 1/2 mile from the road where you leave the truck. Christophe dropped his pack at the base of the machan and took the trail to the camera. While he was checking the card and setting the motion sensors I climbed into the machan. I was rather surprised to see a dwarf forest buffalo cow out in front of the machan. She was maybe 40 yds from me and 50 from Christophe. He couldn’t see her. I got several good pics and a video before she figured out Christophe was there.
The night passed uneventfully. The birds in the morning were incredibly noisy. Their wings beating can be heard for great distances. Mostly hornbills. At 7 the trackers joined us to go call duikers. Maybe 8 sets and no shots fired. The trackers said they saw 2 blue duikers and 1 Pieters but I never caught sight of them. I don’t think Christophe saw them either.
The walk back to the machan was miserable. They took a “shortcut “ through a swamp. Small hummocks with nasty drops beside them. I went in one to my knee and almost lost a shoe. It was so hot and humid, my shirt was soaked in no time. Perspiring profusely…..
Then there were the ants. We put up with ants every day. There seems like there are 280 varieties of ants here and every one is trying to bite you! If you see an ant within 5 feet of you then you can expect that one is climbing on you somewhere. Some of the bites are annoying. Some hurt. Some are downright painful. Heaven help you if they make it to the family jewels!!!
Both Christophe and I have had our pants down trying to find an ant. Today they were especially bad. Was really glad to get back to a shower today. I’m not gonna lie, my butt got kicked today. I was really glad to get back to the truck. Not a lot of gas left in the tank!
Hopefully @LivingTheDream is able to post a picture of the buffalo. Was a great experience.
Bruce

As requested!! Here is the buffalo picture.

Such a cool picture, sorry about the ants!!!

 

[gillettehunter]

Continuing the daily reports. We headed back to the same blind. Got 1/3 of the way there and the trackers figured out they left their food in camp. So back we go. Fast trip in! Christophe put the hammer down.
Got to the blind and had a nice quiet night. For me anyway. Christophe had a little more excitement. Both of us are in our 60’s and urinate a couple of times a night. We have 1 liter water bottles with the top cut off for that purpose. So he gets up at 12 midnight or so picks up a bottle and starts to go. Then he figures out there’s ants on/in the bottle. Apparently he got bitten on his hand and well his rod. From the way he tells it a bit of urine made it to the floor of the machan and he did a bit of a dance!!! Amazingly I slept through it all……. Apparently the machan is getting another spray of insect spray when we get back. I hate to say it but I’m glad it wasn’t me…. Still sorry for him!
We had lightening on the horizon around us a good part of the night. A promise of rain to come. We left the machan early to go visit a savanna in the forest and do some duiker calling. On the 3rd set in came a young male Bay duiker. When they come in you just shoot. If it’s a trophy you pay the trophy fee and it gets shipped to you. Or like this one it’s “for the pot” and N/C. So I’m not shooting any more blue duikers. Looking for Bay and Pieters. I verified the shells. 1 1/4 oz #2 shot in a standard 2 3/4 inch shell.
We made a couple of more sets and then clouds moved in. It got dark. In the jungle it’s always lower light than outside. The first time I experienced this it blew my mind how much light the vegetation absorbs and blocks. It got so dim at 8:30 that I started to think about a flashlight ! My depth perception was really affected.
We headed quickly to the Savannah so I could see it. Then the rain started. Luckily we were on the edge or else I’d of gotten my daily shower early. You could really hear it. We beat feet to the truck and loaded up. Went back to the trailhead to the machan we had been using. Picked up a couple of items and drove down the road 1/2 mile more or so. There’s a natural mineral lick there that is used by a number of animals. Rain had stopped and Christophe asked if I was up for some more duiker calling.
I said yes so off we went. 5 sets and no real response. A blue duiker I never saw. Everything else seemed to be hunkered down because of the rain? We called it and headed back. We’ll see about getting a picture or two posted.
Bruce

 

[Green Chile]

This last update brings up a big question I have had about jungle hunts and duikers specifically. As you said, when they come in and the PH says take them, you shoot. It's very difficult to quickly judge duikers on their gender and age as they zip around. So if you shoot and take an extra blue...or a female...I have wondered what happens when you take something that wasn't a target animal but the PH calls for the shot...it all happens so quickly. I'm sure it varies depending on the PH but your comments on it going to into the meat pot are related to my questions. I wonder how common that is because it seems VERY helpful to have the option.

 

[LivingTheDream]

Here is a picture or two from Bruce's adventure.

Where the trackers sleep, while Bruce and Christophe play with ants in the Machan.

 

[gillettehunter]

In answer to @Green Chile’s question. With Christophe and the operation here when we kill a non trophy duiker for the pot I’m not liable for the trophy fee. Only if I decide that I want to keep it as a trophy does the fee apply. At least that’s my understanding.
With the machan that we have been using we are only in camp 3-3 1/2 hrs a day. The rest of the time is travel, in the machan or calling. As we travel the roads we see an occasional animal. Not too uncommon are blue duikers which we are done hunting. Usually a couple of Francoline. We also regularly see monkeys. The trackers really like eating the monkeys. They have “fat” on them that the bongo and duikers lack.
Going to the machan we found some monkeys. One stopped where I could see him so I killed him with the .222. Red tailed monkey yesterday. Probably just shy of 100 yds. The trackers were excited. To tell the truth I’m not sure how I feel about it. They gutted it in the jungle before getting it to the truck so I didn’t even attempt a picture. I guess I’m not into monkey hunting…….
As we went past one of the roadside mineral licks we spooked a gorilla. He was quite unhappy with us. Unfortunately no time for a picture.
The machan was slow again. It get very loud after dark. Then as dawn starts to break it gets quiet. The birds haven’t started yet, but the night birds and insects have gone quiet. Kinda weird but very noticeable. Just as it was starting to get light I heard the buzz that tells us the motion detector has caught movement. False alarm as it was just a mongoose. We pulled up stakes for greener pastures.
Going down the road to a new calling location we saw a blue duiker and then a Pieters duiker crosses at a fork in the road. It never gave me a chance. Not even sure if it was male or female. One of the trackers and I walked the last few hundred yards to a salt lick. Found where a blue duiker had been eaten by a bird of some sort.
Camera at the salt showed a very nice Pieters duiker so we went into the jungle with high hopes. I think we did 5 sets and saw nothing. Christophe is very unhappy. He is used to seeing 2 duikers come in to a set relatively often. So to have none is not sitting well. He feels that the weather is fine. We see tracks and droppings. The only thing that makes sense to him is poachers have called so much as to have them scared to come on in.
Poaching is an issue across Africa. The local sawmill here used to employ 600 people. During Covid it dropped to half that. It seems like less now. Those out of work people need to eat. The Republic of the Congo is interesting. Outside of private property, parks and hunting concessions you can hunt year round legally. Snares or whatever you want. So they are only a poacher when on a property they shouldn’t be on. Of course that’s where the most game is.
The government has an anti poaching team of 4 people here with one vehicle. Congo forest safaris also runs anti poaching but they legally can’t touch the poachers. About all they can do in contact the anti poaching team so they can handle it. 30 shotguns confiscated in the last 1 1/2 yrs. Plus some snares. So hard to find in the jungle…….
Last year CFS opened up a new area and did very well on Bongo. At the end of the season they still had 9 big mature bulls on trail cameras. Christophe was expecting a stellar 2025. Those bulls are mostly gone now. Poaching and human activities have pushed them out. My bongo had buckshot in him. How much this is affecting my hunt is unknown. The guy before me didn’t get a bongo. He did get a forest buffalo and a sitatunga tho. Things to think about.
Tonight we’ll check the new machan where the YB had been coming into regular. If he is on the trail camera we’ll stay. If not then back to the lodge and over for forest buffalo in the AM. Down to 3 hunting days.
Bruce

 

[Green Chile]

Thanks for the reply and additional info. When we see areas with a lot of poaching, it really can affect the hunt mood. Of course, you have been wildly successful on the front end of your hunt. I remember a place in Zim where the poachers and dogs had caught multiple kudu at the water. It was just a sick feeling. Everything alive is turned into biltong but with no plan for the future. Such an empty hollow feeling.

 

[LivingTheDream]

A few pictures from Bruce's adventure.

Corn growing in the jungle.

Typical Duiker Calling location

Typical Housing