Hi folks,

I got a quick e-mail from Christie de Sousa last week. I have a hunt booked with him in Namibia next year and he was just saying hello between clients(I presume). In the message, Christie mentioned that a PH working for him got mauled by a leopard this season. The PH is/will be fine and the leopard is dead. He also mentioned something about 3 times in 5 hours that I didn't quite understand, but it sounds like there might be an interesting story there. I haven't heard back from Christie yet and curiosity is getting the best of me. Has anyone else heard of this incident? Any details available?

Cheers,
Dean

maki,

If the PH was Claude Thorburn, I hunted with him about 3-4 weeks after the "incident". He still had a scab or two, but was no worse for the wear. Claude was indeed charged three times before the cat was killed. There is plenty more to the story, but I cannot do it justice. I have seen the scope that was "bitten" though and that is prety impressive.

Kernel,

I didn't get the name of the PH. I look forward to hearing the rest of the story, but it looks like I'll have to wait a bit.

Hope you had a good hunt,
Dean

Kernel,
I hunted with Christie this June, and Claude left us early to hunt with you. He is quite a character, isn't he? I heard his story and saw his wounds too. I think it hit Claude once, at which point he knocked it off him, and it then ran off, then hit the client and bit the scope off his rifle and ran off again. Third attack Ckaude managed to kill it with his beat-up 308.
I was pissed...I didn't get mine!!

Wolfgar,

Claude is a character to say the least. Makes the trip a more fully rounded experience. He will definitely work his tail off to get you onto good critters, but he has that special camp charm too . Did he get you with the "this water smells funny" bit?

Sorry to hear you didn't get the cat. I wasn't after Mr Spots, but I did get a good kudu, eland, warthog, and a bonus baboon up near Etosha. Next trip with Claude will be for leopard, provided my wife will donate a kidney to pay the trophy fees

The water trick!! He did get me, how I fell for it I don't know. He also fucked with me all week from A to Z, which made the trip much more fun. I don't think that he could remember any of our names, since he gave us all nicknames by the first day. An awesome guy as well as hunter. I hunted mostly with Christie, and young Francios, and besides the leopard, I killed everything I wanted. We walked in and out of Christies house like we owned the place...they are very special people and I miss them. Madeline is pregnant, and the big black dog died in child birth. Do you remember Bulla?? Ask Christie what happened to poor old Bulla, I give Christie top marks for all his operation...we all had tears down our cheeks on the day we left,,,bunch of hommo's!
By the way, Christie felt really bad that I didn't get my cat...but I tell you what, he worked his balls off for me, but it just didn't happen,we had tracks, hit baits, and I even heard one growling out a ways, but he didn't come.

Ah yes, the nicknames! He is pretty quick with those. I garnered the nickname "bin Laden" as in hunting for that POS --- I was one of the first Americans to hunt with him after the 9-11 attacks. One of my friends that hunted with him earned the dubious nickname Texas-heart-shot (no explanation needed!).

I didn't hunt through Christie and so have never been to the place. Guess I'm not much help there.

The first trip I hunted with Claude on a farm called Eitalo which was about an hour drive from the airport. It was great and I was one of the first to hunt the place as it made the transition to hunting from farming. I booked to hunt with Claude and so have not maintained any contact with the owner, but there was a clear separation between the owners and the guests (which included Claude to some extent because he was not the 'official' PH for the place).

The second hunt with Claude was at a place called Farm Karagombe owned and operated by Jurgen Beddies who is also a PH. Here, we very much got the run of the place treatment as you described and I would highly recommend them. It certainly makes you feel more relaxed when folks aren't treating you like a walking bank account. There are a ton of leopards up there and that is where I'll be next time for sure! We cut lots of spoor when after eland and kudu in the hills. One of the guys I was with wanted a hyena so Jurgen was setting out some bait prior to our arrival to get their attention. Bait is used rather loosely here. Mostly it was entrails that had festered for a few days in a burlap sack, a stinky baboon carcass and a petrified hartebeast one of the farm hands found. Anyway, checking the baits on the day we arrived showed more leopards than hyenas hitting the bait! Alas, I wasn't prepared to dole out that kind of cash....

I really did enjoy Claude's act, but I think some people wouldn't know how to take him. I really got on his ass too (not literly!!) and we had a great time. He knows his stuff, and took the hunting seriously. I'll take a guy like him anyday compared to an up-tight a-hole.

Wolfgar, did you say Kiara died ? I was just there for six weeks and the day that we left Madelein was taking her to the vet's as she was ill. The puppies were three or four days old by then.. If she died that will break my heart as she was a very nice hound !!! Boola, or however one spell's his name .. I always expected him to murder someone judging him from a puppy last year ... Poor poor Kiara ...

Scruffy, I'm sorry to say that she has. I believe that a few puppies were born, but two wouldn't come out, causing her death. She was a beautiful dog. When I was there, her and Bulla attacked the other brown dog (Daisy?) and almost killed her. After that, Bulla bit me on the cheek as I was taking a picture with him.
Christie felt that the dog was out of control, but said that he didn't have the heart to kill him, so he asked me if I would do it.
I feel bad to kill a man's dog, but we took him out to the field besides his house. I did get to use his 416 Rigby!! All kidding aside, I do believe that that dog would have one day mauled or killed one of Christie's children. I did get payback for getting bitten though...
I loved everything about Christie, the hunt etc, and I wished that I could have spent 6 weeks with him there. I do want that Leopard though....

Poor Kiara. I did get an e mail from Christie this morning answering my query about her. The three puppies are being bottle fed so he hopes that they make it. I wasn't at all surprised about ol' Bulla however. Whenever I corresponded with Christie I would always ask him if Bulla had killed anyone yet ??? I believe that you were her third human victim ... with Christie being #2. I agree with you entirely - that dog could easily have injured or killed one of his two little kids ... When my friends from Uruguay arrived a year ago I had to show them the fierce little puppy so I picked it up and by the time I got to where they were I was bleeding !!! You must get a leopard. I'll be cheering for you !!!

quote:

Originally posted by Kernel:
Wolfgar,

Claude is a character to say the least. Makes the trip a more fully rounded experience. He will definitely work his tail off to get you onto good critters, but he has that special camp charm too . Did he get you with the "this water smells funny" bit?

Looks like I'll be hunting with Claude this June. What is this "this water smells funny" bit?

Dean

Please what is the name of Christe's outfit?
I found him on NAPHA list but can not access
he's web site. Any help

thanks

Try Christies Adventures ... He is absolutely top notch .. and I'll be back in August .. 3rd year in a row ... Six weeks in each of the previous years ... Good man !!! Very good PH!

Bulla was a killer since it was a little puppy..
What a great time we spent there Richard..Joe's Beerhouse, Kamanjab, Etosha, etc.

L

doe's any one have a link to Christies adventures== every thing I try will not connect

thanks
michael

Christie's web site was down for a couple days. It's back up now.

http://www.christiesadv.com.na/

Maki,

The water smells funny bit is usually performed in the field when everyone has walked a good bit. Everyone is thirsty and when you get to the Bakkie for a drink of water is when the prank is played. There is usually some chatting about this or that, but eventually Claude will start sipping his water and frowning. Eventually, he'll really ham it up and say this water stinks! He'll then invariably ask you to smell the water. When you lean over to take a whif from the bottle, he squeezes and you get a face full of water!! Startling at first, but mostly it feels refreshing. You are the target of a little laughter for a bit though. Just good fun, but when in the field Claude is all business!

Good luck in June. I'll be there in July chasing some 4-legged beastie or other ....

quote:

Originally posted by Kernel:
Maki,

The water smells funny bit is usually performed in the field when everyone has walked a good bit. Everyone is thirsty and when you get to the Bakkie for a drink of water is when the prank is played. There is usually some chatting about this or that, but eventually Claude will start sipping his water and frowning. Eventually, he'll really ham it up and say this water stinks! He'll then invariably ask you to smell the water. When you lean over to take a whif from the bottle, he squeezes and you get a face full of water!! Startling at first, but mostly it feels refreshing. You are the target of a little laughter for a bit though. Just good fun, but when in the field Claude is all business!

Good luck in June. I'll be there in July chasing some 4-legged beastie or other ....

I think I can turn the tables on that one . Thanks,
Dean