As a Big Game PH one always expect to be charged something with horns, claws, teeth or tusks when out hunting dangerous game.
It is inevitable but in this case I was taken completely by surprise.
Last night at 11;00, after saying good night to my clients, I headed back to my house. Closing the yard gate behind me Savanna, who is my trusted tracking hound, jumped of the truck and stormed to the back of the house.
Next moment he came around the other side of the house with a leopard in front of him. The cat came in through the open gate but with the gate now closed the cat had no where to go.
What she was doing in my yard I have no idea but she was in there and Savanna was chasing her around on the front lawn.
With no gun with me I phoned the other PH's who were till at the lodge to bring me a rifle. By the time the guys arrived I managed to call Savanna into the house in the hopes that the leopard would find his way out by himself. With loaded gun in hand I let Savanna out again to see if the cat is still trapped in the yard.
He immediately picked up the cat again. We made our way behind the house with just a flashlight and the next moment a very upset kitty came at us in full charge growling. Now caught in a small alley way between my house and the yard fence with Savanna chasing it from behind, it had no where to go but straight for us.
I dropped it with one shot at 6 feet from where I was standing.
Years of experience saved my skin this time as there was no real time to think things through, this all happened in a split second and at night with just the light of a flashlight and you just have to react.






Alleyway behind my house, we were standing 6 feet from where the blood pool is on the ground.

It might have been a better deal to just lock the hound in the house and leave the cat to find its way out .... I'm pretty sure you would not have found her in the morning.

Just as well she wasn't weaning else there would have been a few dead kittens as well.

Yes, in a perfect world that would have been the ideal solution.

I'm glad you, your family, your clients, staff, and hound were not surprised/hurt by this cat in the morning.

"Years of experience as a Big Game PH" should've taught you something about cats, Leopards in particular and their habits.

Yeah, she charged because she was being hounded (literally), cornered and had nowhere to go.

Sorry old boy, but this was an unnecessary waste of a Leopard's life.

quote:

Originally posted by fulvio:
"Years of experience as a Big Game PH" should've taught you something about cats, Leopards in particular and their habits.

Yeah, she charged because she was being hounded (literally), cornered and had nowhere to go.

Sorry old boy, but this was an unnecessary waste of a Leopard's life.

Years of experience also taught me that a leopard that gets this close to my home is a risk to my pets,kids and livestock. Rather it's live than any of the other.

I now remember why I stopped posting on AR as a lot of other good PH's.

PS. I'm also not that old.

You know what they say about opinions.

I don't blame you one bit. Id say its a 50/50 chance on whether the dogs harassment would have kept the cat away in the future.
I'm not familiar enough with Namib leopard's to know if that's a big cat or not. It doesn't appear to be. Was it a young cat?

Well done. That cat could have become a dangerous nuisance. If legal some kind of mount, perhaps a rug, should be in the house.

quote:

Originally posted by Shona:

quote:

Originally posted by fulvio:
"Years of experience as a Big Game PH" should've taught you something about cats, Leopards in particular and their habits.

Yeah, she charged because she was being hounded (literally), cornered and had nowhere to go.

Sorry old boy, but this was an unnecessary waste of a Leopard's life.

Years of experience also taught me that a leopard that gets this close to my home is a risk to my pets,kids and livestock. Rather it's live than any of the other.

I now remember why I stopped posting on AR as a lot of other good PH's.

PS. I'm also not that old.

You did well,very well,& thankfully you resolved this before anyone came to harm,I would do exactly the same,cheers.

You did the right thing Johann. Don't listen to Fulvio- he's being a douchnozzle. Did that happen at your place next to L'wyk's place and across C35 from Lorens du Plessis? Thank heavens Zoe wasn't around with this leopard on the loose

quote:

Originally posted by fulvio:
It might have been a better deal to just lock the hound in the house and leave the cat to find its way out .... I'm pretty sure you would not have found her in the morning.

Just as well she wasn't weaning else there would have been a few dead kittens as well.

Your expert advice comes from....?????

Well and appropriately done.

Nothing like having a stupid armchair quarterback second guessing from a computer screen. You did the right thing , protect your family and don't take any chances.
Disregard the fulvio arrogance.

quote:

Originally posted by Bud Meadows:
You did the right thing Johann. Don't listen to Fulvio- he's being a douchnozzle. Did that happen at your place next to L'wyk's place and across C35 from Lorens du Plessis? Thank heavens Zoe wasn't around with this leopard on the loose

Thanks Bud
Yes it was on my property. Luckily Zoe was not around but she walks to home often and could have been a real bad incident if she and Savanna went home by themselves last night.

Will do the same if confronted with the situation again.

quote:

Originally posted by DCS Member:
I'm glad you, your family, your clients, staff, and hound were not surprised/hurt by this cat in the morning.

Very unlikely to get hurt seeing the frigging thing was already dead and stiff by then.

Absolutely right move
Fulvio, I can see your point some, but at the same time, you were not in that situation
About big cats, you really never know so this close to the house, proper cure was administered

quote:

Originally posted by Marty:
Well done. That cat could have become a dangerous nuisance. If legal some kind of mount, perhaps a rug, should be in the house.

I already report the incident to the authorities and strangely they also reckoned I did the right thing.

Will definitely be a mount going into my lodge.

Well done. The safety of your family comes first and foremost with little time for second guessing. Ignore the naysayer(s).

quote:

Originally posted by dogcat:

quote:

Originally posted by fulvio:
It might have been a better deal to just lock the hound in the house and leave the cat to find its way out .... I'm pretty sure you would not have found her in the morning.

Just as well she wasn't weaning else there would have been a few dead kittens as well.

Your expert advice comes from....?????

Close to 40 years in the profession and been around more cats you will ever see in your lifetime.
When individual such as the OP shoots Leopard "because it was on his property" he needs to first thing long and hard before taking that step.

Ever heard of CITES Listings Appendix 1 - if not, look it up and digest the contents and I sincerely hope the authorities pay the OP a visit.

Well done Johann, close encounter of the spottet kind !
Was that at Tualuka and the house your parents stayed in?

quote:

Originally posted by boarkiller:
Absolutely right move
Fulvio, I can see your point some, but at the same time, you were not in that situation
About big cats, you really never know so this close to the house, proper cure was administered

I don't agree with it being the right move as it was a situation which could have easily been averted had the hound been locked up and for Johann to retire within the confines of his house. The Leopard would have found its way out of the compound without too much fanfare.

To claim the right to kill because "it was on his property" is pretty lame as it is he who is encroaching on the Leopard's domain and his duty to respect/share territorial rights with the surrounding wildlife.

If you are faced with a problem animal (which it was not) I would fully agree that it be disposed of but in this instant puts himself on par with the common villager who because it was too close for comfort, decides to handle the matter the way he did.

If we had to shoot every Leopard that came into camp and every camp I have run has always had the "camp Leopard" or several, which would slink in the moment the lights were doused and rummage around for scraps, your way of thinking would therefore legitimize its demise simply because of our presence (clients, staff and wet trophies).

Maybe our Johann should just go about his business the way he knows best, Oh I forgot, its Namibia where Leopard are considered vermin and conservation ethics are sometimes forgotten.

quote:

Originally posted by fulvio:

quote:

Originally posted by dogcat:

quote:

Originally posted by fulvio:
It might have been a better deal to just lock the hound in the house and leave the cat to find its way out .... I'm pretty sure you would not have found her in the morning.

Just as well she wasn't weaning else there would have been a few dead kittens as well.

Your expert advice comes from....?????

Close to 40 years in the profession and been around more cats you will ever see in your lifetime.
When individual such as the OP shoots Leopard "because it was on his property" he needs to first thing long and hard before taking that step.

Ever heard of CITES Listings Appendix 1 - if not, look it up and digest the contents and I sincerely hope the authorities pay the OP a visit.

40 years experience and you still come up with such a dumbass position? Congrats.

It's been kinda quiet here on the forum lately...

That sure changed in a hurry!

Don't think I need to justify myself to someone old timer who is obviously bored.

Can't see what this has to do with Cites, last time I looked Cites Stood for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. With the emphasis on TRADE.

It has nothing to do with Namibian Government Regulation for a land owner to defend his livestock and lives of humans and pets.

I have been at Tualuka for the last 17 years, this is the first leopard I personally Killed.

quote:

Originally posted by DLS:
It's been kinda quiet here on the forum lately...

That sure changed in a hurry!

Glad I could provide you with some entertainment.
We also do Trophy leopard hunts if Fulvio is interested.

quote:

Originally posted by fulvio:

quote:

Originally posted by dogcat:

quote:

Originally posted by fulvio:
It might have been a better deal to just lock the hound in the house and leave the cat to find its way out .... I'm pretty sure you would not have found her in the morning.

Just as well she wasn't weaning else there would have been a few dead kittens as well.

Your expert advice comes from....?????

Close to 40 years in the profession and been around more cats you will ever see in your lifetime.
When individual such as the OP shoots Leopard "because it was on his property" he needs to first thing long and hard before taking that step.

Ever heard of CITES Listings Appendix 1 - if not, look it up and digest the contents and I sincerely hope the authorities pay the OP a visit.

Sounds like your experience is a bit limited if you see things this way. You criticize ethics in Namibia???? Really????

Your lack of knowledge and ethics are showing. Namibia is probably the most progressive country on planet earth when it comes to management and ethics. They surpass North America for sure.

I have no clue who you are or what you do or what country you live in but to take "Shona" to take over this is moronic. The life of a cat over the potential for a serious cut up. You have to kidding.

The was not baited into his home as your "camp leopards" are baited in to your camps for your amusement. This one apparently came in looking for a meal be it the dog or the garbage or a child.

Get real please...


Johann,
If you get a leopard on quota in the next couple of years, send me a note. I would be most pleased to hunt with you. I like your ethics and skills.

Shona - BRAVO!

quote:

Originally posted by JGRaider:

quote:

Originally posted by fulvio:

quote:

Originally posted by dogcat:

quote:

Originally posted by fulvio:
It might have been a better deal to just lock the hound in the house and leave the cat to find its way out .... I'm pretty sure you would not have found her in the morning.

Just as well she wasn't weaning else there would have been a few dead kittens as well.

Your expert advice comes from....?????

Close to 40 years in the profession and been around more cats you will ever see in your lifetime.
When individual such as the OP shoots Leopard "because it was on his property" he needs to first thing long and hard before taking that step.

Ever heard of CITES Listings Appendix 1 - if not, look it up and digest the contents and I sincerely hope the authorities pay the OP a visit.

40 years experience and you still come up with such a dumbass position? Congrats.

40 years experience and the dumbass doesn't know when to shut-up. He added nothing to the discussion after stating his opinions in the 1st 2 posts. Yet, This kind of continued criticism/harassment is one of the reasons people are reluctant to post their hunting experiences!

quote:

40 years experience and the dumbass doesn't know when to shut-up. He added nothing to the discussion after stating his opinions in the 1st 2 posts. Yet, This kind of continued criticism/harassment is one of the reasons people are reluctant to post their hunting experiences!

+1

The contribution to this thread by fulvio is a classic example of what AR has become, what is wrong with it, and why so many experienced and knowledgeable people no longer post.

It's just like lawyers. That 99% mess things up for the other 1.

TWL,
Agreed, but, this forum is self-policing and can easily deals with fools or self proclaimed experts. They are always found out and "shat" upon. They lose all credibility as Fulvio has done.

I would suggest that we continue to call BS on morons and post our experiences and hunt reports. Don't let a few meatheads push you away.

Glad everyone is safe and you didn't let that cat become someone else's problem.

Honestly, I try not to take sides on this type of stuff, but the comments made were so outlandish and off the mark, I did not restrain.

If that had been my neighbors dog, I would have shot it as well. Anytime there is a choice between the animal and the mere threat to a person - the animal goes! That goes for gang bangers, thieves and anyone who wants to pose a threat to me or mine.....

quote:

Originally posted by dogcat:
Honestly, I try not to take sides on this type of stuff, but the comments made were so outlandish and off the mark, I did not restrain.

If that had been my neighbors dog, I would have shot it as well. Anytime there is a choice between the animal and the mere threat to a person - the animal goes! That goes for gang bangers, thieves and anyone who wants to pose a threat to me or mine.....

+1

Well done in a challenging situation - WOW !!

As to letting it alone, if a rattlesnake is out in the desert or woods, I will go around it and leave it alone. Not posing a risk to people or pets, so no point in taking it off the table. However, if around the house, it dies.

I see no difference with any predator. If a threat, don't take a chance.

Good shooting, by the way !

quote:

Originally posted by H T:
Well done in a challenging situation - WOW !!

As to letting it alone, if a rattlesnake is out in the desert or woods, I will go around it and leave it alone. Not posing a risk to people or pets, so no point in taking it off the table. However, if around the house, it dies.

I see no difference with any predator. If a threat, don't take a chance.

Good shooting, by the way !

Good analogy. I agree.

+1

Great job. Fantastic!

Glad you are all safe.

What a thrill and true old fashioned hunting.

Just ignore the guy with sour grapes.

I see the guts popping out.

Where did you hit it? Between the shoulders - going down?