Beck
AH fanatic
I'd look into Cabassa Safaris. They've got a spot in Mozambique where they've had a 100% success rate for three years in a row.
You hit the nail on the head. Save for an extra year and go to one of the places above and 99% is the expectation when leopard hunting.I’ve hunted leopards 4 different times, taking 3 nice Tom’s.
May,1983, Deka Safari Area, Zimbabwe. This was my first ever safari, a 24 day full bag hunt with Roy Vincent as my PH. I shot a big Tom about 2 hours into my first sit. IIRC, we had 4 baits up and 3 were being fed on.
June, 1989, Kalahari Desert, Botswana. Another 24 day hunt, with the first 8 days in the desert. Our 1st day we cut a big track and the Bushmen jumped off the truck and started tracking. About 4 hours later we had a beautiful, pale desert cat. It was long and lean.
Late October, 2021, Mlele Reserve, Tanzania. This was my unsuccessful hunt. It was late season and hot. There were lots of young animals everywhere so leopards had easy pickings and didn’t need to hit baits. Still, we had nice Tom’s feeding in 3 different trees. But the cats zigged when we zagged, had no pattern and at the end of 16 days I left without having a leopard opportunity. Saeed preceeded me and had the same problems. I will not hunt leopards during late season in the heat and after animals have dropped their young.
August 2023, Selous Game Reserve/Madaba, Tanzania. This place is absolutely lousy with leopards and Alan Vincent is a damn good leopard hunter. We had 7 baits up with cats feeding on 6 of them. We built a blind where we had pictures of a nice Tom feeding and sat the blind the next morning. The Tom came in at 7:55 and I shot him at 8:00 AM. The hunter before me also shot a cat right about at 8:00 AM. Interestingly, I shot the leopard on a full ‘super moon’.
I think anyone interested in a quality leopard hunt should focus on area first, then PH. I’d also hunt earlier in season when it’s a bit cooler and newborn animals haven’t yet dropped. Stick to places like the Selous, Luangwa Valley or Niassa Reserve and you’re likely to get an opportunity without too many days invested.
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I've often wondered about some of the last minute or late season deals.Many times, a cancellation hunt for a leopard means that someone didn’t get one and a tag is available. Tells you something right there and should be avoided unless it is with someone you have researched and would normally schedule a future leopard hunt with.
Fantastic and with a bow! Very nice cat.My 1st and only leopard hunt was in Zambia. I got him on day 5 of the hunt. It was one of my top adventures of my life!!
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What a great first cat and with a bow! congrats to you.My 1st and only leopard hunt was in Zambia. I got him on day 5 of the hunt. It was one of my top adventures of my life!!
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Sorry to hear about the unfortunate outcome of your skin. That's pretty bad, do you think it was the skinning job and lack of salting or the D&P storage facilities themselves? I've been to a number of them and can't imagine my trophies sitting there for a long period. Can you please share (or PM) the company/persons handling the d&p. Want to avoid avoid this from happening.50%.
Both leopard hunts were in Zimbabwe, in National Parks areas (so no night hunting). In the first, we had leopard on baits but were unable to get them to come during shooting hours and in fact never saw one. But spent a lot of time driving from bait to bait and sitting in blinds.
The second hunt was in the same area two years later (Matetsi Unit 2). Had a leopard on bait within a few days, sat twice, and got him on the second sitting at about 6:20 pm - last shooting likely around 6:30 then. Nice cat. By the time the dipped and packed skin made it to Canada, much of the skin was rotted and unusable. My taxidermist was able to get a head mount out of it (not full shoulder), but had to replace the ears with a pair from a cougar! I also got a hat band and a tail!
Going back in 2025 to see if I can connect again and get a decent skin this time.
This happened back in 2009, I think (maybe 2010) and I can’t recall who did the dip and pack. I do recall it took more than a year to get the skin (and other trophies) home from Zimbabwe. My taxidermist here thought it might have been a poor job of skinning, but that was speculation - my PH on that hunt was meticulous and none of the other mounts had an issue.Sorry to hear about the unfortunate outcome of your skin. That's pretty bad, do you think it was the skinning job and lack of salting or the D&P storage facilities themselves? I've been to a number of them and can't imagine my trophies sitting there for a long period. Can you please share (or PM) the company/persons handling the d&p. Want to avoid avoid this from happening.
thanks for the info, that's a long time to get back your trophy and it's unfortunate even with a dip and pack it still rotted out. I know there are other factors that play into timeline but definitely more motivation to get any trophy shipment back faster.This happened back in 2009, I think (maybe 2010) and I can’t recall who did the dip and pack. I do recall it took more than a year to get the skin (and other trophies) home from Zimbabwe. My taxidermist here thought it might have been a poor job of skinning, but that was speculation - my PH on that hunt was meticulous and none of the other mounts had an issue.
I probably should have added that the skin was in rough shape anyway - that will happen after a wounded leopard charges you at about four yards (I can see that face to this day) and swallows a few loads of buckshot. And that was due to poor local re-loads which I had to use because I couldn’t bring my own firearm (UN embargo). Good shot placement but lacking in penetration. But I could still have had a decent mount, but for the rot.
Thanks. Don’t want to get off topic . . . But It was an interesting experience. The shot had looked good - the leopard fell out of the tree like the proverbial sack of potatoes. We got geared up to go have a look, and got the pep talk from the PH - we go slow and in a line, if we get charged everybody stands still, and most importantly, no shooting the leopard if he’s on someone unless there is a very clear shot - more danger from a bullet than a leopard (that last bit was for me - I was the only one carrying a rifle). PH traded his rifle for the shotgun, and we walked slowly to the bait tree. No leopard. I said “now what?” and that’s when he came at us. He had rolled into a depression covered in grass a few yards from the tree and about four yards from where we were standing. Good thing they growl when they let loose! No one was hurt - the trackers stayed put and the PH was incredibly fast with the shotgun. Semi-auto is definitely the way to go. I found it quite exciting. The PH? Maybe not so much!thanks for the info, that's a long time to get back your trophy and it's unfortunate even with a dip and pack it still rotted out. I know there are other factors that play into timeline but definitely more motivation to get any trophy shipment back faster.
Skinning jobs can be dicey at times. I've also seen the good and the bad. I know of some who've had their taxidermist join them and handle their skinning & prep to ensure a good job is done. Not for everyone of-course but there's no replacing a Leopard/Lion trophy.
Glad to hear you made it out of that charge (hopefully) scar free. 4 yards is incredibly close and I can't imagine the expression on the Leopards face. There's nothing like hearing a leopard groan/growl in close proximity.
Karl is damn good on leopard also. We are 3:3 on leopard with Ndumo.I will be hunting with Nick the first half of July 2025. My non-hunting wife will be with me. After that, she'll head home and I'll head to the Caprivi for a buff hunt with Karl Stumpfe and @ndumo HUNTING SAFARIS. I was thinking about doing one hunt one year and the other the following year, but figured I could save on the air travel and do both hunts back to back.
What caliber were you using, assuming the bullet passed through?Thanks. Don’t want to get off topic . . . But It was an interesting experience. The shot had looked good - the leopard fell out of the tree like the proverbial sack of potatoes. We got geared up to go have a look, and got the pep talk from the PH - we go slow and in a line, if we get charged everybody stands still, and most importantly, no shooting the leopard if he’s on someone unless there is a very clear shot - more danger from a bullet than a leopard (that last bit was for me - I was the only one carrying a rifle). PH traded his rifle for the shotgun, and we walked slowly to the bait tree. No leopard. I said “now what?” and that’s when he came at us. He had rolled into a depression covered in grass a few yards from the tree and about four yards from where we were standing. Good thing they growl when they let loose! No one was hurt - the trackers stayed put and the PH was incredibly fast with the shotgun. Semi-auto is definitely the way to go. I found it quite exciting. The PH? Maybe not so much!