Who are the cat experts operating in the Bubye Valley Conservancy?

Never hunted Zim and am looking for names to research.

Brent Hein and Shaun Buffee both hunt there and are good PH's. I think John Sharp does too...

Agree with Bwanamrm. Also think Dave Langerman still works in BVC.

Dave definitely hunts that particular lowveld conservancy and later in the season the Niassa. John Sharp remains very active as well.

Nigel Theisen is a good as they come also. I would hunt with him Anyday!

The only question I would ask.Is Leopard all you really want or are you wanting to be around the Big Five. There are cheaper alternatives in Zim. If money is no object go for it. I have hunted every camp in the BVC. Unbelievable place!!!!

I have shot 2 big Toms with Shaun Buffee, highly recommend him.

I have done the Bubye twice with John Sharp. The first a buffalo/plains game and rhe most recent a leopard hunt. John has hunted the Bubye for many years and knows it
like his own back yard. Highly personable and a super staff.

As of right now…there are no leopard available in BVC for 2024.

I currently have a 2024 hunt booked there and am on the wait list should one come available.

Realize you asked about Zimbabwe. But have you considered Zambia and the Luangwa Valley?

Not sure what the Leopard cat success rate is there but its gotta be in the nineties?

I have 2 Leopards, one Lion with a total of 7 sittings for all three cats.

There are guys that have hunted Zim numerous times and have come home empty handed.

Steve,

I've shot two lions and one leopard in the Luangwa. Four sits total and all in daylight. It's just not that much work there.

I had a guy a few years ago inquire about a leopard hunt. He had hunted Zimbabwe and Mozambique 7 times unsuccessfully for leopard and on top of that he had never seen a cat in the tree. I told him about the Luangwa, the success rate and pricing. He said it was too expensive and booked another hunt in Zimbabwe where he was successful.

OK! Let's do the math Luangwa $40,000 approx. Success rate if the hunter does his part %99. Zimbabwe, Mozambique 8 hunts $20,000 approx. One leopard cost $160,000. Ouch!!!!!!!!!

Mark

quote:

Originally posted by MARK H. YOUNG:
Steve,

I've shot two lions and one leopard in the Luangwa. Four sits total and all in daylight. It's just not that much work there.

I had a guy a few years ago inquire about a leopard hunt. He had hunted Zimbabwe and Mozambique 7 times unsuccessfully for leopard and on top of that he had never seen a cat in the tree. I told him about the Luangwa, the success rate and pricing. He said it was too expensive and booked another hunt in Zimbabwe where he was successful.

OK! Let's do the math Luangwa $40,000 approx. Success rate if the hunter does his part %99. Zimbabwe, Mozambique 8 hunts $20,000 approx. One leopard cost $160,000. Ouch!!!!!!!!!

Mark

Mark -

Between two two of us, 3 Lions, 3 Leopards in a total of 11 sittings.

Why would anyone even consider going anywhere else?

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Ahrenberg:
Realize you asked about Zimbabwe. But have you considered Zambia and the Luangwa Valley?

Not sure what the Leopard cat success rate is there but its gotta be in the nineties?

I have 2 Leopards, one Lion with a total of 7 sittings for all three cats.

There are guys that have hunted Zim numerous times and have come home empty handed.

Some operators can boast 100% success

If you're dead set on BVC, Brent Hein is a great PH. He will freelance to other areas as well.

Last time I looked, BVC prices were very high. Ri-frickin'-diculously high. If your goal is a mature cat & a cool adventure, I'd do the Luangwa Valley as stated by Steve and Mark. Wilder place, more adventure in my opinion.

That said, that portion of Zim produces some "supercats." So if the goal is a giant, good area to be looking at. I hunted next door to BVC, at the Bubiana Conservancy, with outfitter Nyamazana & PH Scot Bailey. We had 3 big cats on bait & I took a really big one in daylight on the first sit. THAT said, it was a very specialized hunt, PG hunting there was spotty & quite difficult. Scot absolutely knows leopards & outfitter Wayne did a great job organizing everything.

Thanks all for the names. I was hoping for one name to stand out as "The Cat Man" so my research continues.

For the record, I have taken three leopards in Zam with Alister. Two in the Luangwa and one Kafue so I'm 100% there. Perhaps oddly, my two biggest cats from NW Namibia were bigger in weight as well as skull size than the Zambia cats. Go figure!

Leopards will nearly always be my primary target and Zim would just be a different place to hunt them.

And Lane, good luck on the tag! It would drive me nuts not knowing!

Thanks again for the comments!

Thierry Labat is easily one of the best. He is a cat man for sure. One poster here has taken 4 leopards with him.

quote:

Originally posted by dogcat:
Thierry Labat is easily one of the best. He is a cat man for sure. One poster here has taken 4 leopards with him.

Very good choice

THE leopard man, in my opinion, is PH Wayne Grant. Have you heard about or read his book on Leopard: "Into The Thorns"? I shot a brute of a supercat in Zimbabwe with PH John Hunt on Jonsyl Farm, southwest of Colleen Bawn, and not far from the BVC. 180 lbs, 8' 1". We ran into Wayne in Vic Falls after the hunt and talked with him about the hunt. Very impressive gentleman and as knowledgeable about leopard as any man alive. I've hunted with Shaun Buffee, Martin Nel, and Ade Langley on the BVC, but not for leopard. Shaun does have a very good reputation on big cats as well.

quote:

Originally posted by Ongwe:
Thanks all for the names. I was hoping for one name to stand out as "The Cat Man" so my research continues.

For the record, I have taken three leopards in Zam with Alister. Two in the Luangwa and one Kafue so I'm 100% there. Perhaps oddly, my two biggest cats from NW Namibia were bigger in weight as well as skull size than the Luangwa cats. Go figure!

Leopards will nearly always be my primary target and Zim would just be a different place to hunt them.

And Lane, good luck on the tag! It would drive me nuts not knowing!

Thanks again for the comments!

Thank you kindly.

quote:

Originally posted by Use Enough Gun:
THE leopard man, in my opinion, is PH Wayne Grant. Have you heard about or read his book on Leopard: "Into The Thorns"? I shot a brute of a supercat in Zimbabwe with PH John Hunt on Jonsyl Farm, southwest of Colleen Bawn, and not far from the BVC. 180 lbs, 8' 1". We ran into Wayne in Vic Falls after the hunt and talked with him about the hunt. Very impressive gentleman and as knowledgeable about leopard as any man alive. I've hunted with Shaun Buffee, Martin Nel, and Ade Langley on the BVC, but not for leopard. Shaun does have a very good reputation on big cats as well.

Love that picture.

I did a 21 day safari with Wayne Grant in TZ. We passively hunted Leopard. I was there for an EA Sitatunga, the 4th Eland and the third Roan.

Just talking with him about Leopards and Leopard hunting is fascinating.

quote:

Originally posted by Use Enough Gun:
THE leopard man, in my opinion, is PH Wayne Grant. Have you heard about or read his book on Leopard: "Into The Thorns"? I shot a brute of a supercat in Zimbabwe with PH John Hunt on Jonsyl Farm, southwest of Colleen Bawn, and not far from the BVC. 180 lbs, 8' 1". We ran into Wayne in Vic Falls after the hunt and talked with him about the hunt. Very impressive gentleman and as knowledgeable about leopard as any man alive. I've hunted with Shaun Buffee, Martin Nel, and Ade Langley on the BVC, but not for leopard. Shaun does have a very good reputation on big cats as well.

One of the very best leopards I have ever seen.

What a beast!

Mike and Steve: