Any stories on Leopard hunting with hounds. I'd like to hear some first hand accounts.

prairiewolf

I am currently smoothing out the rough edges of a hunting journal that concerns leopard hunting with hounds. I shall send you the journal once it is complete - few days from now. In the meantime, you can look up some AR posts I made about the same hunt, under the heading 'The first hunting day of 2007'. Hope you enjoy the tale - it was a great hunt. Sorry, I don't know how to post the link.

Dave

PW:

I posted the story of my leopard hunt with hounds in the hunting reports. If you have other questions, feel free to PM me.

Joel

I will have a story or two for you in 30 days or, should I say, upon my return from the leopard hunt with dogs that begins in 30 days.

We do this hunt in Botswana, right up against the Kalahari Central National Park. It's a hot pursuit hunt and the cats always head for the park. By Botswana law, however, if you are on a track and it goes into the park, you can follow, provided you have a permit. Huge remote roadless area. You have the feeling no white man has been there, at least not for a very long time. A team of bushmen trackers work the spoor, whistling to each other and jogging on the track. When the track is hot (usually a few hours in) a couple of dogs are put down to try to bay the leopard. Once the leopard bays (usually in a thick thornbush), the dogs are called off and the hunter moves in. When you make eye contact, leopard will come for you. Shoot fast and shoot well..12 ga heavy buck pump is the usual medicine, with a similar in backup. It's a unique experience...wingshooting a flying chainsaw.

Good news is it's as close to a sure thing as you can get on leopard. Very high success on 10 day hunt. Sometimes, very rarely, leopard will give the trackers the slip, or go to ground in a hole, or you run out of daylight. But 9/10 times, you will catch up with the cat and then it's white knuckle time.

I posted my hound hunt taken in April this year about a month ago on here. On pasge ten now "Back after 23 days"

I will be in Moz in a few days (7/4)chasing spots with hounds. Let you know later.