Small cat hunts and night hunts

[ActionBob]

I took a bat eared fox, aardwolf, Bossie took a second aardwolf, and a serval.

I worded that poorly. After I took one of two aardwolf, Bossie said "I'm always guiding and have never personally taken one of those. Bob can I borrow your rifle?" He shot the second aardwolf. Later that night I took a serval. We literally has a huge ice chest full of ice and salt water stuffed with critters and on the way out of that big property we spotted a serval way up ahead. I was down to 2 rounds of 173 grain cheap local ammo for my Ruger African in 275 Rigby. I'd had a couple failure to fire. Got lined up on the serval's chest... click! Reloaded with my last round and shot it frontal chest sitting up looking at us. It dropped right there. I was whooping and hollering as that was number one in my list for that trip and to take it at 3 AM with my last round was just to much

 

[Green Chile]

Amazing trip to have all of that action. I need to talk to Bossie about that and some other hunt ideas.

 

[MarkB]

I have done the night hunt in 3 countries, Zim, hyena and jackal, Namibia for jackal, ant bear and SA for many. SA report from 2021 on here.

As others have stated, it is a very specialist hunt, find an outfitter who knows his stuff if you want a good chance at success. I did not hunt SA with @LIMPOPO BIG GAME SAFARIS from this site, but getting recommended by a another PH and company plus the raving reviews on his outfit and success's I should have and may still, I did not get a honey badger yet.

As for weapons, 375 for hyena and ruined, ripped jackals, even with solids, 22 hornet for Namibia, worked well but only shot jackal, missed a running African cat, ant bear with 308, in SA we used 223, 22 magnum and 308 with 165 gr solids. As others stated a combination gun would certainly be best, shotgun for genets, close cats and 22 magnum/hornet for the others would work great and damage less.

As for type of hunt, bait for some, (treat as serious as leopard for success) and drive for others with light. I absolutely love these type of hunts, hence every safari has nights doing this. I would rather night hunt than drink around fire.

I always take a couple mouth blown calls, outfitters never did this but driving out and parking, stay quiet for 15 mins then start a calling sequence, pan with light every few minutes. Awesome what shows up, not all are predators but lots to see, Zim and Namibia PH's were shocked at responses. I have always left these calls at the PH's request. Buck Gardener has a double call, deer and rabbit and it works.

These type of hunts rank as high as other glamor hunts for me, best part most can be added to other glamor hunts. Spend the time to find a real Pro outfit with verified success rates and have a blast. Having life size mounts of these critters in a trophy room adds a wow factor. My ant bear (old name aardvark) gets many WTH's.

After your hunt is done make sure you write a report and post so we all can do again thru your hunt.

MB

 

[AZDAVE]

@ActionBob I am on the fence on if I wanted my serval or the aardwolf the most.

I would have liked to have done a hunt with Bossie but covid ruined a year for everyone.

 

[Green Chile]

Great responses all around. Can we get more photos from the field or taxidermy?

I've been considering a gun for this kind of hunt...combination guns or even drillings.

 

[Green Chile]

MB, what are some of the stranger things that have shown up to predator calling in Africa? I wouldn't worry about most things coming in but you could call a lion. We used to predator call grizzly when I lived up north above the arctic circle. That gets the blood moving.

 

[MarkB]

Duiker, warthogs, kudu, reedbuck, mongoose, to name a few, never lions but we did have a small leopard make an appearance in Namibia. PH was amazed that some of the PG species would actually come in at night to investigate. In Zim after ele down we hunted a place with no cat permits, OMG there were tons, we were after jackal and hyena but the cats put on a show.

Here in BC I have called in and shot cougar, wolf, coyote and black bear, strictly using call, also lynx, bobcat, wolverine, marten, fox, and birds of prey without shooting, called in grizz but did not shoot it. Son and I seen it 700yds down and across a valley in the alpine, for shits and giggles I took out call and started. It immediately stopped eating grass, looked our way and came at a run. We also turned and ran to higher ground with a "warning view". It never showed up but our hearts were racing, last time I deliberately called a visible grizz.

Pic as requested, would take time to find hunt pic, just ran in room for this.

Do a night hunt, you will not regret. Or better do as I and include one on every safari, tell outfitter at booking to get permits for night animals or do a specialized week hunt before or after. Your already there.

MB

 

[Rider717]

I would like to hear from those who have done some small cat hunting and/or night hunts for the cool small critters like honey badgers, civets, caracal, etc. It's something I would like to do in the future. Who specializes in this and what are some of your experiences and recommendations? Is this a shotgun hunt or a small bore rifle setup? Are we talking baits, spotlights in a blind or truck drive, some combo of all that? Thanks in advance!

I hunted twice this last year with Lloyd Safaris in Mpumulanga. Night hunting I bagged a jackal, serval, porcupine and a couple of southern duikers. Saw tons of servals and jackals and genets. They hunt a multitude of night critters and really know how to find them and call them in. I posted hunt reports on both. Stephan will be at SCI in Nashville. Look him up!

 

[IvW]

I always carry a critter call.....works way better when you want to stop any animal or get it to stand up vs a whistle....as mentioned be prepared when calling anything can appear

 

[MarkB]

I hunted twice this last year with Lloyd Safaris in Mpumulanga. Night hunting I bagged a jackal, serval, porcupine and a couple of southern duikers. Saw tons of servals and jackals and genets. They hunt a multitude of night critters and really know how to find them and call them in. I posted hunt reports on both. Stephan will be at SCI in Nashville. Look him up!

I followed your reports with envy. Lloyd Safaris was who I hunted night critters with in 2021, albeit they were sub contracted from company I booked complete 21 day safari with. Stephan and Gerry were awesome, great camp, tons of game and they had the night drive hunts dialed in, hundreds of eyes nightly to verify. It seamed that bait hunting was not as dialed in as other places I have done it. Serval, civet, reedbuck and large spotted genet were taken, we had an opportunity on small spotted genet but I was told they would be no issue at next camp. We never saw another in 15 days at all other camps. We failed on honey badger also. I would verify that species as possible before if I wanted that critter. They do not normally hunt them and are very rare in their area. They did have an unknown to me species, water mongoose, should have taken we did see a few.

MB

 

[Green Chile]

MB that's a cool photo. I don't know many who have taken the "ant bear". Tell me you ate it?!? Love the hyena rug also.

 

[Nyati]

I got a hippo at night.

 

[Green Chile]

Hippos on land at night has to be one of the top adrenaline hunts out there. That's on my list.

 

[geoff rath]

Fascinated by the idea of small critter night hunts, possibly on top of a plains game, or D/G hunt.
Funds and time permitting, one could spend a month over there, doing one hunt or another, really learn the place...

 

[MarkB]

Fascinated by the idea of small critter night hunts, possibly on top of a plains game, or D/G hunt.
Funds and time permitting, one could spend a month over there, doing one hunt or another, really learn the place...

That's exactly what I do, long hunts are the norm, my shortest has been 14 days but was followed by 18 in another country. In country for at least a month is what I prefer. Going so far to get there, gun hassle may as well have extended time to enjoy.

MB

 

[MarkB]

MB that's a cool photo. I don't know many who have taken the "ant bear". Tell me you ate it?!? Love the hyena rug also.

Ant bear and hyena was the only two animals I did not eat. ALL the rest I eat. Serval was gulped down by all except the PH's??? Same for jackal and baboon, scared Wayne. Haha hope you read that.

MB

 

[Green Chile]

How bad could the ant bear be? Hyena is a no go for me. I can't eat one.

 

[MarkB]

We did not eat as we were heading to leopard blind. Camp was a big cave, awesome place, shot a cobra behind the stove, lizards all over bug net and real Africa. Did not get leopard that night but did get another the next night after we found his fresh kudu kill. Did eat leopard over ant bear.

MB

 

[Green Chile]

Cool. I've got fresh mountain lion in the freezer to try soon. What did leopard taste like?

 

[MarkB]

All cats taste great. No strays for long around here. Now dogs? They have a taste all their own, one I know immediately its dog and one I prefer not to eat.

MB