I will be hunting Leopard in Zim on a private owned area where shooting after dark is legal. Figured i would bring my own flashlight, but could not find information on a few things....

1) Are Leopards scared off by any certain types of lights more than others?

2) Is there a colour (red/green?) light filter that should be used?

Any information you have on this type of Leopard hunting would be appreciated. We will be hunting baits from a blind, and hope to get one during the day, but there may be an opportunity after the sun goes down and i want to be prepared.

The ph should have one.
A big hand held spot light with a red filter hooked up to a 12v car battery is what they used. You are better off bringing trail cameras to set over baits to evaluate the cat and his feeding times.
The leopard that I shot wasn't too concerned about a red light but I shot him quickly after being confirmed he was the male we were after.
Good luck

I did a night leopard hunt and the PH had a mag light with lousy Chinese batteries and a piece of red cellophane wrapped across the lens. It was terrible. To play it safe I would buy a decent quality small but bright handheld flashlight (Surefire or Fenix) and get one of the red lens attachemnts that are like a Butler Creek scope cap. For less than $100 bucks you can get something small and really bright. If you don't need it great but it still would come in handy. I'm partial to the Fenix 35 with adjustable brightness. I think I paid about $70 for mine.

I cannot help post this bit of family legend!

My dad shot 2 leopards in India in 1957 & 58 using a FN 423 (10.75X68) - open sights and a Winchester 5 cell DD torch! Both cats were DRT.

One cat had 2 lives. Dad missed the first shot. The shikari with him said that the cat might mistake the light & rifle shot for lightning & thunder!

Sure enough the cat came back in a couple of hours.

Sensitivity to light is usually an issue with animals that have been hunted a lot around villages and farms. These animals are very cunning as they know human activity very well. Wilderness hunting concessions should not be an issue. But then each cat is unique and they are never stupid - especially the big toms.

About 600 to 1100 lums

quote:

Originally posted by LJS:
I did a night leopard hunt and the PH had a mag light with lousy Chinese batteries and a piece of red cellophane wrapped across the lens. It was terrible. To play it safe I would buy a decent quality small but bright handheld flashlight (Surefire or Fenix) and get one of the red lens attachemnts that are like a Butler Creek scope cap. For less than $100 bucks you can get something small and really bright. If you don't need it great but it still would come in handy. I'm partial to the Fenix 35 with adjustable brightness. I think I paid about $70 for mine.

If you find yourself in position to have to make a follow-up on a wounded Leopard, more common than not, I suggest a very good - and bright white - headlamp as well as a small, bright handheld. And I agree with LJS, the PH light may not be the best available!

You might want to have a roll of electrical tape in your Leopard kit, in order to tape the small light to your rifle. But if this is your plan, please get in some practice with it before you go over.

Lots of options for lights and batteries at:

batteryjunction.com

I carry the TerraLUX TLH-50 LED Headlamp - 540 Lumens using 2 x CR123A and the TerraLUX TT-4 LED Tactical flashlight - 520 Lumens using 2 x CR123A.

Hope this helps.

Leave Illuminating the Cat to the PH. I prefer a red bulb in the tree with a rehostat in the blind so I can gradually turn up the light. Many prefer a powerful spot light with a red Gel cover.

For a client, a good head lamp makes good sence- you will need it in camp anyway.

Many years ago , streamlight experimented with a barrel mounting sustem for some of their hand held lights- given most of the samples away , but my shotgun still wears one. I put a Weaver rail embedded into the forend of my 9,3 and that wears a surfire. I also have a bunch of adaptors that fit any barrel and hold a regular surefire 2 cell light. Got them at $2 each from a military supply Company and have been dishing them out to PH friends as presents. It shouldn't be necessary for a client- a good headligight will do...but a barrel mounted light is the best if you have to do a night follow up.

Not that I have hunted leopard but boar hunting lead me to this super light...

http://www.klaruslight.com/plist_show.php?id=5

Thanks Everyone! This is pretty much the answers i was looking for...

Bryce,

Why don't you find out exactly what your PH has and how he likes to conduct the hunt before you buy anything. If he is often successful on leopard he probably has good equipment and a very precise way of doing things.

Mark

Check out HarrisBipods.com. They make a rail that attaches to your front swivel stud. It is the SRA. You can get a one inch ring to fit your flashlight and attach it to the rail now on your rifle. There are some other people making a similar product. Seems like a pretty handy thing to have if you're doing any follow up in dark places.

What Mark and Ganyana said.

take this advice for what you paid for it. Zero. I realize that a leopard is not a house cat. My house cats and dog loves to chase a red laser light all over the place. When I use my green one, they can't see it. Period. I don't know how that would translate to leopard. Before I noticed this, I used to use a red light to walk in deer hunting. I now use a green light and have "stumbled over" several deer sneaking in to stand in the dark.

I have been using Armytek Predator (Canadian) light with XP-E green emitter- you can have it in red also. It is mounted to the barrel with an Olight magnetic mount (X-WM02). The light is activated via a silent pressure switch, also from Armytek. The light gives you 150-180 yards usable illumination and it is built like a tank. Price tag in the US is about $120.

What about some sort of night vision scope for leopard? There are some now that can be used in the light or the dark. Are these allowed in Africa for hunting?

Very interesting observation Shoulderman, thanks.

Thanks again. Shoulderman, that is definitely interesting. I can't believe there is not more information on what kinds of light cats can see and cannot see...

Think i will get a light about 1000 lumens or so and bring red and green covers for it...If i don't use it, then no big deal. The lights now are not overly expensive anyway or bulky to take.

Definitely taking a few trail cameras too. I know my PH well and he will have most of what we need, but never hurts to have more trail cams. I already have a good head lamp that i will definitely be taking too.

Just had an idea....

Saeed can do an lighting experiment on his pet Cheetahs... That might be the closest translation to leopard...??