The sale of bushmeat has been referred to as both a ‘safety net’ and ‘stepping stone to greater prosperity’ for households at the lowest end of the income scale. This paper proposes a closer look at the local bushmeat economy in order to understand how livelihood strategies vary between those involved. Integrated Conservation and Development Projects (ICDPs) tend to focus on the suppression of commercial bushmeat hunting whilst encouraging alternative incomes for hunters. Based on anthropological research undertaken in the Dja Reserve, Cameroon, the paper looks at the economic behaviour of different local ‘hunter types’ as well as the role played by the local non-hunter bushmeat traders, proposing a more targeted approach to conservation and development activities relating to the bushmeat economy.