The Accurate Reloading Forums
Who Are The Cat Men of Zimbabwe?
Who Are The Cat Men of Zimbabwe?
In your opinion, who are the best in Zim for producing consistent results on trophy lion and leopard?
"There are worse memorials to a life well-lived than a pair of elephant tusks." Robert Ruark
20 July 2007, 11:11
mouse93For leopard I'd go
Shangaan 
20 July 2007, 11:34
Bill CIan Gibson has a good rep for lion in Chewore North. Lots of PH's good with the leopard, perhaps more a matter of the concession and the type of hunt desired.
20 July 2007, 11:39
BwanamichFirst you have to define "Trophy Lion" and "Trophy Leopard"?
"...Them, they were Giants!"
J.A. Hunter describing the early explorers and settlers of East Africa
hunting is not about the killing but about the chase of the hunt.... Ortega Y Gasset
20 July 2007, 12:46
GanyanaIt always helps to hunt a good area
Richard Cook gets results on lion even in hard to hunt areas, Wayne Williamson and Wayne Grant do the same with leopard (bait and blinds)
Tristan peacock is the houndsman for dogged leopard.
20 July 2007, 12:47
ozhunterif I was to hunt Lion again in Zim I would be booking with ether Buzz Charlton, Andy Hunter, Ian Gibson, Andrew Dawson, Barry Styles or Doug Carlisle .
20 July 2007, 13:11
Ahmed Sultanquote:
Lots of PH's good with the leopard, perhaps more a matter of the concession and the type of hunt desired.
I agree with Bill, I have hunted with Derek Adams of HHK and he is also very good on both Lion and Leopard. Between my father and myself, on three different hunts we have sat 5 nights in blind with 3 good Leopards collected.
Ahmed Sultan
20 July 2007, 14:49
SpartanWhen it comes to leopards, I concur with Ganyana's mention of Wayne Williamson. While I haven't hunted with him yet, I would not hesitate to do so having met him and based on his high standing among his peers.
20 July 2007, 16:06
BwanamichWayne williamson is hunting Tz full time from July to Nov.
He's fully recovered from the mauling he had.
"...Them, they were Giants!"
J.A. Hunter describing the early explorers and settlers of East Africa
hunting is not about the killing but about the chase of the hunt.... Ortega Y Gasset
20 July 2007, 16:47
smarterthanuFor leopard I vote for Leon duPlessis. He consistantly kills one giant cat after another. I have never seen a density of large leopards like he has any where else, and he can get them in the salt. He doesn't get lion tags all the time but he got one this year and I will try and kill him in Sept. I will post a report when I get back.
20 July 2007, 18:19
Dutch44Norman Crooks has an excellent reputation in Zim.
Dutch
20 July 2007, 19:15
Greg RI know a lot of those guys and work with some of them. They are good, but I believe Norman Crooks is the best leopard guy in Africa. My clients are 7 for 7 with him on big toms so far this year. He does about half baited and half with dogs.
You need to include John Sharp on this list!!
20 July 2007, 19:37
BwanamichSBT I pity you; sooo many choices
"...Them, they were Giants!"
J.A. Hunter describing the early explorers and settlers of East Africa
hunting is not about the killing but about the chase of the hunt.... Ortega Y Gasset
20 July 2007, 19:43
L. David KeithRonnie Sparrow produced a lot of cats from several countries. He lives in Zim but hunted a lot in Zambia etc.
Gray Ghost Hunting Safaris
http://grayghostsafaris.com Phone: 615-860-4333
Email: hunts@grayghostsafaris.com
NRA Benefactor
DSC Professional Member
SCI Member
RMEF Life Member
NWTF Guardian Life Sponsor
NAHC Life Member
Rowland Ward - SCI Scorer
Took the wife the Eastern Cape for her first hunt:
http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6881000262Hunting in the Stormberg, Winterberg and Hankey Mountains of the Eastern Cape 2018
http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/4801073142Hunting the Eastern Cape, RSA May 22nd - June 15th 2007
http://forums.accuratereloadin...=810104007#810104007 16 Days in Zimbabwe: Leopard, plains game, fowl and more:
http://forums.accuratereloadin...=212108409#212108409Natal: Rhino, Croc, Nyala, Bushbuck and more
http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6341092311 Recent hunt in the Eastern Cape, August 2010: Pics added
http://forums.accuratereloadin...261039941#926103994110 days in the Stormberg Mountains
http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/7781081322Back in the Stormberg Mountains with friends: May-June 2017
http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6001078232"Peace is that brief glorious moment in history when everybody stands around reloading" - Thomas Jefferson
Every morning the Zebra wakes up knowing it must outrun the fastest Lion if it wants to stay alive. Every morning the Lion wakes up knowing it must outrun the slowest Zebra or it will starve. It makes no difference if you are a Zebra or a Lion; when the Sun comes up in Africa, you must wake up running......
"If you're being chased by a Lion, you don't have to be faster than the Lion, you just have to be faster than the person next to you."
20 July 2007, 19:44
Die Ou JagterNORMAN CROOKS is not called Mr Cat of Zim for nothing. The man knows cats and by and large it is about all he hunts. I may be wrong but I don't think he has been skunked on Leopard with dogs in his career.
quote:
Originally posted by AKA:
You need to include John Sharp on this list!!
concur:
John Sharp's leopardsjorge
USN (ret)
DRSS Verney-Carron 450NE
Cogswell & Harrison 375 Fl NE
Sabatti Big Five 375 FL Magnum NE
DSC Life Member
NRA Life Member
20 July 2007, 20:02
katiesgunsanother vote for John Sharp
20 July 2007, 20:10
zimbabweTheo Bronkhorst of Bushman Safaris has a good pack of hounds and a very good success rate on Leopard in Zimbabwe. I think he has been hunting hounds as long as anyone in the country.
SCI Life Member
NRA Patron Life Member
DRSS
20 July 2007, 20:23
Dr. Tim BurkhartIf you want a monster leopard.....hunt with Jonathan Hulme of Zambezi Hunters. Check it out at
www.zambezihunters.com20 July 2007, 20:38
Aspen Hill AdventuresYou've all forgotten about the Hallamores and Ivan Carter who posts here now and then. All have had excellent success. I got my leopard with Buzz so count him in too.
~Ann
20 July 2007, 21:16
PWN375Good luck getting Theo to hunt anything in Zim other than a way out. Last I heard he was dodging the Police. I paid him to dip, pack forward my and my stepdad's and friend's trophies from a 2003 safari. The shipment included a leopard taken by my friend under very memorable circumstances. All that P.O.S. has managed to do was take my money, lose the trophies and fail to communicate with me in any way. All permits were in order and the CITIES permits have been applied for and sent 3 times because of that S.O.B. If you want the gory details send a PM to Don Heath.
Perry
20 July 2007, 21:48
MARK H. YOUNGLet's not forget the Duckworth's. When I asked Neil Duckworth about leopard success a couple of years ago he said that 20 out of his last 22 leopard hunters had shot a Tom leopard between 130-180+ pounds. Garry Duckworth also told me at the same time that all clients over the last 4 years had an opportunity to kill a mature lion.
Mark
MARK H. YOUNG
MARK'S EXCLUSIVE ADVENTURES
7094 Oakleigh Dr. Las Vegas, NV 89110
Office 702-848-1693
Cell, Whats App, Signal 307-250-1156 PREFERRED
E-mail markttc@msn.com
Website: myexclusiveadventures.com
Skype: markhyhunter
Check us out on
https://www.facebook.com/pages...ures/627027353990716 20 July 2007, 21:55
smarterthanuI don't know if they are my favorite but no bull them Duckworth boys run a damn good operation.
20 July 2007, 22:07
Capt.BobLET'S NOT FORGEWT ROGER WHITTALL IN MY OPINION HE IS ONE OF THE BEST IN ZIM.
20 July 2007, 23:28
LeopardtrackJohn Hunt of Georgia Safaris!!
21 July 2007, 00:03
500grains
21 July 2007, 00:15
HunterJimI would go with Gordon Duncan of Shangaan Hunters too for leopard (I did and the leopard I took with him is on the lower left of the three photos on the Shangaan link above).
Those cats pictured are from the Save' Conservancy, and there are a lot of them there. Gordon is excellent on leopard too. My leopard was the seventh leopard I saw during that hunt. It is a real trip to see them during the day.
jim
if you're too busy to hunt,you're too busy.
21 July 2007, 00:34
bwanamrmFor the biggest cats in Zim I'd hunt in the Lemco with HHK or Save with Duckworth, Whittal, Hulme etc. Huge leopard and lion... limited availability on lion. Can hunt leopard at night.
In the Valley, I would recommend CMS and Chifuti but would want the Sapi, Dande North or Chewore North areas to hunt. Nice sized leopard for the Valley, but smaller on average than lowveldt cats and the lions were huge bodied but average manes, however I saw good numbers there. Just my $.02.
On the plains of hesitation lie the bleached bones of ten thousand, who on the dawn of victory lay down their weary heads resting, and there resting, died.
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch...
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!
- Rudyard Kipling
Life grows grim without senseless indulgence.
21 July 2007, 02:52
22_hornetHHK does not have Lemco any more.
It is a good area though.
If I wanted a big leopard, I would hunt the Lowveldt area. I have seen two cats killed there that were huge with big heads. One was 16 3/4 inches which is well into the book. Check the most recent SCI book and see where the biggest cats are coming from and the PH whose name repeats. The problem with a question like this is if your PH gets you a cat he is the greatest and then he is recommended. There is a PH recommended who I hunted leopard with and I felt he was a reckless and from what I subsequently learned did not do well with cats.
I have not been to Zim for three years but when I was last there Butch Walker was highly recommended for lion and John Sharp was considered excellent for leopard. Things are changin fast in Zimbabwe. I would put myself in the hands of a first class booking agent and follow their advice.
21 July 2007, 17:19
MJinesquote:
Originally posted by Bwanamich:
SBT I pity you; sooo many choices
I guess so! There are already more than twenty names mentioned in this thread, with a couple receiving more than one mention. Seems like there is no clear leader in the area but rather a number of good choices.
Mike
21 July 2007, 18:03
yukon deltaIf you look at HHK's website, they were 90% last year on a 16 leopard quota in the Omay. Average skull was 15". They state it is their best area and night hunting is allowed since it is communal.
Another good leopard man is Dries Visser (both father and son). They have over 100 cats between them and hunt multiple areas.
_______________________________
21 July 2007, 19:46
Bob in TXThis is a great thread. I appreciate all the good input.........except 500grains.
5g...you post the trophy, get us excited, and don't post the PH info?!?
Great Thread,
Bob
22 July 2007, 19:25
Bryan ChickYou should consider Shaangan(Gordon Duncan/Glen Stockill)
Thanks you guys, lots of information here to begin our research.
"There are worse memorials to a life well-lived than a pair of elephant tusks." Robert Ruark
24 July 2007, 14:26
ozhunterSBT,
Did you take your Lion from a Blind or did you track him up?
Norman Crooks is known as the Cat Man for good reason. His propertys in the West Nicholson area are famous for huge leopard.
I just spoke with his dog handler and he told me they picked up some more country for 2008 that has not been hunted for leopard in years. He was excited about it because they have spotted some big tracks.
Here are a couple of clients cats from this year. Some of these were on there 3rd and 5th try for leopard. Just not with Norman.
www.TexasLSO.com 281-228-2533
ozhunter,
We saw the lion three times before taking him. Twice walking the river and once resting away from the bait tree in the tall grass. I killed him from a bait.
"There are worse memorials to a life well-lived than a pair of elephant tusks." Robert Ruark
25 July 2007, 18:07
butchloci took a 10'2" black maned lion and a 200# 7'10" 17 13/16" leopard both on the same hunt with jumbo moore in the loveld, but he it mainly in mozm now
