REPUBLIC OF CONGO: Bongo In The Congo Second Try

[gillettehunter]

Lots of leaf litter. Rain helps keep it quiet. Interesting to watch the trackers work. Often lifting leaves to look at tracks in the earth beneath. It’s really an art.
Bruce

 

[ActionBob]

I have been too busy the past couple years to follow every report on here but I'm following this one with baited breath! Please keep them coming including the homeward journey

 

[gillettehunter]

Today was a little rougher. Up at 5 and gone around 5:35. A little after 6 Christophe stops for a “potty” break. Christophe had a place he wanted to go but the trackers apparently pleaded with him to go to another spot. So we did.
Off we went down an overgrown road. It was cleared just last year…. Elephant tracks. Hmmm. Something to look out for. Over the next 2 hrs we made around 10 sets. At the 3rd one I missed taking a shot. Operator error with the safety……. It turned out to be a female Bay duiker so it was good I didn’t kill it.
A couple of sets later another Bay came in. It was coming in fairly fast directly at us and I shot. Shot too fast and went low…. Couple of pellets appeared to hit the front legs. We tried to follow up to no avail.
I had been feeling pretty good about my shooting to this point having only lost one wounded monkey. Popped my bubble for sure. During the course of the hunt Christophe stopped for another rest room stop. Upon inquiry I found out he wasn’t feeling well. When we got back to the truck I gave him some medicine to hopefully help settle his stomach.
We only saw the 2 duikers. What was really weird was that we saw no blue duikers. Have seen some of them each time calling before.
I went out to the lodge in preparation for the evening hunt and Christophe wasn’t here. First time since I’ve hunted with him. When he got here I asked about his health. He said he wasn’t feeling well. Basically decided to just road hunt. Monkeys and blue duiker being the most likely.
We went out for a few hours and came back a touch earlier than normal. We stopped 3 times for monkeys. I shot once and bagged another red tailed monkey. The trackers are still excited by my shooting so there is that.
At one stop today while calling I saw an elephant track with a duiker track in it. Should have taken a picture. Was kinda cool. Tomorrow is last day. We’ll be out for Bay and Pieters duikers. Hopefully one or the other. Calling just hasn’t produced nearly as much as what Christophe has seen in the past.
Weather was a little cooler today with a few clouds. Since I’ve been here we have had only a couple of spotty thunderstorms. Rain is gonna need to happen for the next hunter.
Bruce

 

[Fordy]

Gday Gillette hunter
Not tired of the reports here loving them
Cheers

 

[Arañuel]

Reading your updates is like be there. Tough hunt, but totally different experience, congrats for the big bongo, I hope finally you get the forest buffalo.
Continue updating thanks.

 

[gillettehunter]

Last day last morning. Up at 5 and gone early around 5:30. Off to Christophe’s chosen spot for duiker. Driving in I’m told a blue duiker is still on the table. We’re hoping for Bay or Pieters though. We get there an hour later and head into the bush on a good trail. Seems a little odd. Too good of a trail….We get to a stream with a trail camera on it. Elephant tracks. Found a small old one with a duiker track in it. We’ll see about posting it.
We make 2 sets and see nothing. Christophe is then told that poacher’s have been here recently. Trackers had seen shotgun spent cases previously there. So the choice is made to go elsewhere. Fast walk the 1/2 mile out to the truck.
We go from there to the machan where we spent the first night. Into the bush we go. Fairly open Maybe 75 yds in we set up. I’m thinking we’re pretty close to the road and it’s actively. They start to call and I see a blue duiker coming in. So I shoot him. Christophe asks” what did you kill?”. Love the confidence. Not what did I shoot at. I said a blue duiker. Turns out I was the only one that saw it coming in. 4 Pygmy trackers had missed it.
He is a BIG male. Well over 2 inches with good mass. Christophe says they only get one this good every 2-3 yrs. We go in and make another set. Then we start getting into an area that was logged and the secondary growth sucks. After 1 hr Christophe pulls the plug and says time to try elsewhere.
Running out of time. Up the road a couple of miles and into the bush we go. Second set we had 4 blue duikers come in. Truth be told I only saw one……. Because of the concentration Christophe wanted to shift position some and continue calling.
We moved 100 ft to a hill and started again. Normally I’m sitting. This place they had me standing. The tracker to my left taps me and points left. I look and define the colors of a Pieters duiker. This takes maybe 2 seconds as I start to swing the shotgun left the muzzle catches a vine and it all moves. The duiker disappears in a heartbeat. When the shotgun hit my shoulder there just wasn’t a shot. He was gone. Last duiker we saw.
On the way out we stopped 2 times for monkeys. The first was a bust. The second thought he was hidden but wasn’t. Maybe 50 yds. Offhand and bang flop. The trackers are very excited again. Another putty nosed monkey. Big male with a tail almost 3 ft long.
Tonight we’ll go for a drive. Unlikely we’ll try any calling. We’ll see. I’m looking forward to being home. I am dreading the trip to get there. Tomorrow 12 hrs in a car. The next days flight isn’t until like 6:30 pm and then 28 hrs of travel to get to Denver. Then a 6 hrs drive home. My flight got changed leaving me just 65 minutes in Paris. Hopefully make that connection……
Bruce

 

[LivingTheDream]

Monster Blue Duiker!!

Some of the giant logs

Papayas

Duiker tracker in an elephant track

 

[Red Leg]

That is a world class blue duiker - literally. Have him scored when you get home.

 

[LivingTheDream]

That is a world class blue duiker - literally. Have him scored when you get home.

Trying for a little peer pressure here, like this post if you think Bruce should shoulder mount it!

 

[DieJager]

Trying for a little peer pressure here, like this post if you think Bruce should shoulder mount it!

Only full mount

 

[Hunt anything]

I’m with @DieJager , full body incorporating it in with the bongo.
At the foot of a pedestal or full body of the bongo, I don’t know Bruce’s plan for the bongo though.

 

[PARA45]

Wow, what an amazing adventure. Thank you for sharing and taking us along. That Bongo, wow, what an old bull. Congratulations on a trip of a lifetime.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Only full mount

YES!

 

[ActionBob]

I’m with @DieJager , full body incorporating it in with the bongo.
At the foot of a pedestal or full body of the bongo, I don’t know Bruce’s plan for the bongo though.

Yea both NEED to be full mounted

 

[ActionBob]

So sorry about the lost opportunity on the Pieter's Duiker. Great hunt though! Good luck tonight!