You'll recall the very downbeat report we published in 2011 from Hunting Report subscriber Bob Caudle and his partner Van Johnson. (See article ID 2708.) Later, I met with Director of Wildlife and Protected Areas of Congo Claude Etienne Massimba at the Safari Club International Convention in Las Vegas, where he cleared up a number of issues about hunting in Congo and said Saaiman's operation should not have any more problems. (See article ID 2803.) Now Shockey's report seems to confirm that Saaiman and van Deventer have gotten their operation on track and are providing quality hunting. Here's how Shockey described his experience in his email:
"The hunt was arranged on short notice when my friend, Cam Greig, came down with a last-minute health issue and was unable to come to the Congo for a chasse libre hunt a hunt that we'd worked on making happen for two years. Thankfully, the people at Congo Safaris had space available, and, after a few emails, we had alternate plans arranged.
"Obviously, with all the negative press associated with the Congo safaris of 2011, I had reservations, but virtually all of those reservations proved unfounded. We (my cameraman and I) landed in Brazzaville, Congo, and, with no guns to declare, waltzed right through Immigration and Customs. The rep from Congo Safaris met us and took us to a simple, clean and safe hotel, where we stayed that night and the next (at a cost of $970 USD, including meals), waiting to catch one of the twice-weekly domestic flights to Ouesso.
"Just a side note, there is virtually nothing to do in Brazzaville; very little shopping for artifacts and folk art, and photographers are........(continued)
