I hunted for leopard in the Outjo area of Namibia a few months ago with no luck. I stayed for almost a month, and my PH tried incredibly hard to get me one, but I didn't even see one. We had 10 baits out on and off, and cats did hit a few times on a couple of them, but the feeding was on and off and we never met up. Any of you score in Namibia?? I would love to hear your experiences. By the way, which country has the highest success rate for leopard??

My son went on several leopard hunts while PG hunting with friends in the Erindi Ranch area. They have virtually 100% success with dogs and chasing them in the rocky kopjes. I think they are permitted for 6 a year, but only harvest 4. The one they shot 2 weeks ago was 75-80 kilos.

I hear that the sucess rates are high with dogs, I hunted over bait. How much do they charge for hound hunts??

Last time I talked with Paul it was an extra $2500 to use the dogs for the duration of your hunt. They will put out 4-6 baits to hunt or strike from, and hunt leopards as many days as you are able. My son was able to take 2 cheetahs while hunting, and participated in 2 or 3 other cat hunts. He said digging them out of a cave up on a mountain, while pissed off and fighting the dogs, was something else!

quote:

Originally posted by Blank:
...The one they shot 2 weeks ago was 75-80 kilos.

Wow! Who did your son hunt with?

George

Pro-Safaris in Zimbabwe have a 10 day leopard hunt with dogs. They have been 100%. Baits are hung and then checked in the mornings for sign.
Dogs are only released after determing the size of tracks. Big males of course having larger tracks. If you want to take a cat in the daytime and without sitting in a blind this is definitely the place to go. This May we came across leopard tracks everyday while hunting plains game. LOTS of cats in there areas.

I've done a leopard hunt with Wildfarm Felseneck near Okahandja ...fels-eck@iway.na three years ago. My friend Bill (from B.C.) and I each killed a leopard on that trip. While we were baiting, the cats were/are very sporadic on taking them ... Both our cats were killed without dogs or baits .. The first was actually in a high blind watching Bill and Helgaard as they came driving by. It tore off down the ladder and as it streaked through the bush my amigo gunned it !!! (Try to duplicate that shot !!! ??? Question is meant only for dumb guys .. of course !!!) Mine was spotted near dark where it had followed a defunct warthog we had drug earlier .. A piece of rotten meat had come off and the cat was lying on the trail ,,, 280 meters away facing us .. Both cats required a follow up in the long grass which is always good to get the juices flowing .. but luckily not outside the body as it turned out .. One cat was dead .. the other quickly was taken out by ol' Bill. Another friend from B.C. followed us a few weeks later and gunned a buster on top of a kopje .. He stalked it and shot it as it sat on his haunches watching the land cruiser touring far below on the 'plains' .. He was probably 60 yards away at most ...

An American came the following year and killed another by sniping it from a ledge on a kopje .. Anyways, as near as I can remember they have shot at least 8 leopards in the last three years there .. and almost all were whacked by running into them ...

I'm leaving in a few minutes for Namibia on a six week hunt .. (Christie's Adventures) Christie has been taking some big leopards on baits but it is never ever easy ...(for some reason .. maybe they have too much natural food and lots of tall grass to sneak up on the warties and such ??? ) I really don't know ...

But if you love Africa and manage to get over there ... if possible sit in a blind and listen to the sounds of the bush as darkness comes ... And see if you have the nerves to hold that rifle steady .. and after the cat crashes off into the bush and you have to go find it ... will the cojones be there ????

Good luck, amigo !!!!