POLL: Would you hunt Leopard with Dogs?

[SvanZyl]

Yes, I own a pack myself

 

[SvanZyl]

I voted "NO".
Before getting to final conclusion, following questions should be asked.

When hunting with dogs, does the driven Leopard have better chance of getting wounded, as opposed to type of hunting when Leopard is shot on bait?

If chances of wounding leopard are higher when hunted by dogs, what are additional risks involved for hunter, trackers, PH, and others in hunting party? (Leopard is DG, so its not hard to guess)

Really to get a good answer for this question it would be advisable to get some numbers in which type of hunting the leopard get wounded in most cases? If some official statistics is not available, then proffesional PH's could give their views based on their experience with this.

From my point of view: Experiencing a driven hunts for boar in Europe, there is very high percentage of wounding the game, bringing other sets of questions to this type of hunting, which brings concerns on my side, from this particular angle.

Mark-Hunter

I've hunted the majority of leopards shot with clients from blinds, even with rifles tied down on a bench rest, we had the occasional wounded cat. I doubt it is because of poor marksmanship, as your typical leopard hunter has done a fair amount of hunting and shooting before he/she books a leopard hunt. I believe the intenseness and the rush of adrenaline plays a big role here.


Both types of hunting has their pros and cons. I enjoy both.

The area you hunt can have a big role to play with your decision to hunt over bait or over hounds.

Normally areas with very little human activity will be very productive for hunting over bait. Typically areas that have been well conserved.

When you're hunting on tribal, farming or on some of the old reclaimed farms, especially where cattle have been reintroduced, the old cats are very cautious to human smell, due to constant prosecution. It is more productive to hunt these old toms with hounds, because you only need a fresh track to start with.

On the contrary what most think about hunting over hounds, is that approximately only 1 out of 7-8 of loads (when you put the hounds down on a track) results in treeing a cat.

But it is a very active hunt, unlike hunting over bait, where, once you have hanged your baits and made your drags, you have to wait for cat to come to one of the baits. And actually feed.

Over hounds you are constantly busy, sweeping roads, and then early mornings you're out checking for fresh spoor. If permitted you can hang baits to have a fresh starting point, a cat with a full stomach do not go very far.

Once the cat has been bayed, hopefully up in a tree, trophy and age assessment can be done more effectively, as most of time it will be in daylight. If not the trophy sought, dogs can be pulled off and continue the hunt.

If you are a dog person, you will enjoy seeing the hounds work.

If you don't have time, hunt over hounds

If you're an impatient person, hunt over hounds.

If you can't sit or keep still in a blind, hunt over hounds.



But whatever you prefer , just go hunting, African wildlife needs your financial input, now more than ever.

 

[siml]

Once the cat has been bayed, hopefully up in a tree, trophy and age assessment can be done more effectively, as most of time it will be in daylight. If not the trophy sought, dogs can be pulled off and continue the hunt.

That is a fact.

 

[Velo Dog]

I have absolutely no disagreement with the ethics or politics of using dogs to hunt leopard.
However, I voted "NO" to the question of whether I personally would use dogs to hunt leopard, only because I'm under the impression that there would be plenty of barking and potentially, after the cat is "brought to bay", my having to run through a bush obstacle course, in order to get into position for a hurried shot, before one or more dogs is crippled or killed.
Even if I was young and agile again, I would not be interested in the noise and potential chaos, not to mention possibly being strapped with the guilt of having "zigged, when I should have zagged", resulting in a dog being mauled by the enraged cat.
Again, I have no complaint against this method of hunting leopard but, it is just not appealing to me personally.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Question design again.
Thanks for clarifying your response.

 

[cmnhunt]

I would go every day if I could.