We are indebted to Ludo Wurfbain of Sports Afield for early word that an Austrian booking agency by the name of Mistral Hunting has been given the green light to begin booking hunts for a wide variety of mostly forest game. Indeed, the first hunters should already be in the field by the time you read this. European correspondent Christophe Schüle knows some of the early hunters and has promised us an update soon.
Initially, according to Wurfbain, only hunts in the central part of Guinea will be conducted and only forest species will be available. Two hunt options are offered: a one-week buffalo and small game hunt with a chance for a hippo; and an 11-day bongo or elephant hunt with a chance for buffalo, hippo and small game. The prices for 2005, not including trophy fees, are 3,850 Euros ($4,700 USD) for the buffalo hunt and 6,050 Euros ($7,400) for the bongo or elephant hunt.
Trophy fees are in line with other West African countries, with the exception of bongo, which carries a basic fee of 8,000 Euros ($9,631) for any head up to 26 inches and 10,000 Euros ($12,039) for a trophy with a horn of 26 inches or greater. Buffalo are 700 Euros ($843), hippo are 1,200 Euros ($1,445), elephant are 3,500 Euros ($4,214) and waterbuck are 750 Euros ($903). All other animals are 300 to 600 Euros ($360 - $722).
US citizens should be aware that there is no chance that ivory from this country will be importable any time soon. Indeed, it does not appear Guinea even has a registered CITES quota for elephant at this time. This does not mean ivory will not be importable........(continued)
