Forest : Area Info
The hunting areas in the Cameroon
forests are found in the far South-Eastern reaches of the country.
This is true Tarzan country, and plays host to Gorillas and Chimpanzees as well as some incredibly massive trees and vines.
The hunting here takes place during the
"short rains", which run from April through to the end of July.
These rains get the animals to move out of the dense forests where
the constant dripping of water from the foliage above keeps the
animals wet, long after the rain has stopped. These animals move out
of the forests and into the clearings and roads in an attempt to escape
this. This is where we are able to cut their tracks.
The terrain here can be very varied,
with lots of undulations and even mountains, streams and big fast
flowing rivers. The vegetation is incredibly dense, with visibility
sometimes measured in feet. The logging of timber in these areas
offers us vehicle access to areas within the concession that we
would never have been able to access before.
The temperatures at this time of year
are not incredibly high and average between 700 and 800,
but the humidity in the forest is unbelievable. The rains offer
respite from the humidity.
The bird and animal life in the
forests is incredible, but unfortunately one gets to see little of it
due to the density of the vegetation.
Hunting in the forest is done with a
team of Pygmy trackers and their dogs. The dogs are held on a short
leash whilst the Pygmies do the tracking. Once an animal has been
bumped or spooked from its "bed", the dogs are set free and
hopefully bay the said animal allowing us to sex and judge the said
animal more easily.
Typical to forest species, the Bongo
are very secretive and can only be found by tracking them. The Dwarf Forest Buffalo, Forest Sitatungas and Giant Forest Hogs are very elusive and can be
hunted by tracking, but more successfully from machans over clearings
within the forest. Gorillas can often be seen from the machans as
well. A wide array of Duikers are also present within the forest, the
most common being Blue, Peter's, Bay and Yellow Backed. Ogilby's,
Gabon and Black-Fronted Duikers are also present, but hunted on a
chance encounter.
The hunting here is done by tracking
the bigger animals, and the smaller Duikers are "called" in by
the Pygmies who imitate a distress call using their noses. The
vegetation and the slippery surface underfoot make walking in the
forest challenging.
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