I wanted to write and tell you what it meant to me and my son to come to Cameroon on safari. First, I must thank Mayo Oldiri Safaris for donating the trip to the African Hunting Gazette drawing. Your willingness to provide such a trip as this to a hunter and, in my case, my son, demonstrates the depth of your generosity and your love of hunting. We were treated as if we had purchased the hunt and could not have asked for a better safari experience.
Lognia Camp was very nice, and we enjoyed how it was set back in the trees across the small stream. All the staff were so helpful and went out of their way to make our stay both comfortable and special. We spent many afternoons after lunch and at night after dinner, sharing stories on the porch of the dining building. The forest noises and bugs greeted us enthusiastically each time, however, the staff provided citronella for us to burn to drive the bugs back. I really can’t say enough about Doula the Chef and William, his helper. They never waited for us to ask for anything. Each of them was so observant and quickly responded to all our wishes. I’m not sure how many Bongo recipes Doula had, but he treated us to many delicious meals. They truly made every meal special.
Now about the hunting; which was an INCREDIBLY challenging hunt! Little did I know all the secrets the forest held. My son and I were both physically and mentally prepared but, as we averaged 7-8 miles of tracking each day, the level of concentration could be exhausting. Especially when the buffalo busted through the brush 20-30 yards away and we never even saw them. This happened several times, yet we all knew the next trek might be the one. The guys on the truck were great, each one wanted our success. They worked well as a team and helped me get my wonderful Bongo trophy. Even with the dogs barking, I would have never seen it without them. They worked hard and never surrendered to the constant challenges of hunting in the forest.
Toti, the Lognia Camp Director, could not have been any nicer to us. He was always on the move, but constantly checked on us. Vaughn, our PH, was a wonderful conversationalist, as well as a leader on the truck. While he was relatively new to the forest, his years of experience helped make our hunt a success.
We took 22 new or barely worn t-shirts for the men in the camp as well as 5 button up shirts for special guys. My wife and I collect body wash, shampoo, conditioner and lotion from hotels we stay in, and I had 4-gallon Ziplock bags of these that we separated for the women. Toti arranged for all the staff to gather. The married couples came up first then the single men. I got choked up watching these humble people accept such a small gift. I will never forget that moment and am including pictures of it!
We will remember the beauty of the rainforest for years to come and our memory of the safari will be with us forever. Thank you for your generosity and the opportunity to visit such a wild and beautiful part of Africa.
Thanks so very much,
Steve and Harris McGrade
PS – The African Hunting Gazette works hard to provide such experiences with our trusted DAWN members providing incredible prizes. We arrange a regular lucky draw for AHG Members and this past end of June, we have just drawn the Spiral Slam – an all-in Safari in South Africa. If you have read this, and are not yet an AHG member, this is the time to sign up.
