Just wondering how many on here have taken Leopard with a bow? What bow, draw weight, arrow weight and broad head did you use? What time of day (or night and was a light used) did you shoot the Leopard? How far was the shot? Baited or over hounds? Is type of hunt is really starting to intrigue me. Where and with who would you book a hunt if you were going again?

The Lepards were not shot with bows but my wife shot her's at 17 yards and I shot mine at 19 yards off bait in the Niassa Reserve, Mozambique with Derek Littleton. He has guided archers who have taken Leopard from a blind at 9 yards.

These are wild Leopards in an area where they are not persecuted by locals thus the chance of a daylight Leopard with a bow is probably better than most places.

Cheers
Jim

Derick Van Staaden is the PH you need to speak to, he has successfully guided more Leopards with a bow than any other PH. Operates in the Luangwa Valley in Zambia

In 2007 I shot a treed leopard with the bow and arrow, with PHs Buzz Charlton and Tristan Peacock.

Look at my report

bowhunting ele and leopard

cheers

I was hunting on Sango a few years ago. There was a guy there hunting from another camp that took a leopard with a bow.

First off, a leopard is a thin skinned / easy to kill animal if shot in the right place. A huge/giant leopard would be 180+ pounds, not even the size of a full grown mule deer for example. Plus, the shot would likely be 30 yards or under - so nothing special would be required for a particular setup IMO. I would consider a single pin sight, set at the exact distance from blind to target. The less to concern yourself with the better - once the cat shows up.

As for where / who, I would decide if there's anything else you want to hunt. I would pick only real / wild / remote places where the leopard is likely to show up in the daylight - Tanzania, Zambia, parts of Moz. Decide if the size of the leopard is important - for example, the leopards in the Luangwa Valley in Zambia are a fair bit smaller than those in the Kafue Region of western Zambia, on average.

My plan is to try for leopard with a bow on Mt. Kitinbene (spelling) in Tanzania, in the next 1-2 years with Dean Kendall. Huge leopards on the mountain, in a place where they are rarely harassed! Same place Mars Bowman shot that 198lb Tom a few years ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsXDSwIlDu8


pacecars,

The attached video has Archie Nesbitt's hunt for leopard in Damara Ethiopia. I was with my husband here in 2009 and the place is crawling with big cats. While packing out his Mountain Nyala the trackers stopped and began looking up in the trees and there was a warthog killed by a leopard up in a tree. Leopard sign was everywhere and you would hear them grunting all night.

The bad side is Ethiopian leopard are non-importable into the USA. There is a chance for a black leopard and the hunting is during daylight hours.

Rich Elliott who posts here on AR represents Ethiopian Rift Valley Safaris.

Best of luck.

I took a leopard with my recurve quite a few years back, I believe it was still the Northern Transvaal in South Africa at the time. Bow was a 72 pound recurve with a 720 grain arrow and 175 grain Wensel Woodsman broadhead. The shot was about 18-20 yards from a ground blind to the bait, it was a bit of a down hill shot I remember on the edge of a canyon.

The shot on my cat was just at dark and the PH had a red light on a rheostat over the bait. I shoot instinctively so seeing sights was not an issue, just had to pick a 'spot'.

Thanks for all the replies. I would definitely want to be able to import the leopard into the USA. I would think my deer hunting setup should be ok to use. A Hoyt Charger at 58 lbs (could up it to 65lbs if really needed) with Magnus Black Hornet 100gr broadheads. I am currently shooting Beman arrows but would think that the Easton full metal jackets might be a little better for the increased weight in case a bone is hit. I would think penetration (and accuracy) would be of utmost importance.

Hi Pacecars
I agree with You that a deer hunting setup is perfect and prevents You from lot of hassles. None th less I am very reluctant to use Easton full metal jacket or any aluminum shaft. Aluminum shafts may slightly bend without your noticing it, not so with full carbon arrows. I love Easton axis 300 along with the devasting eskimo BH
good luck

I have not taken leopard but I have taken several mountain lions with my bow along with a lot of other large creatures. I would second the opinion that a heavy carbon arrow would be preferable to an aluminum shaft for the reason stated above. A well built two or three blade cut on contact head like the zwickey eskimo or the wensel woodsman would be just the ticket in case a bone is struck. Good luck, should be exciting!

I have never used the easton FMJ but just named them because I knew they were heavy carbon arrows.

I am currently shooting Beman ICS Hunter 340 arrows with 100 gr heads which puts me right at 368 gr all up. These are 9.3 GPI and I was thinking the full metal jackets at 11.3 GPI would be more appropriate. They have a carbon core and a 7075-T6 metal case fused to them.

FMJ's kick ass.

I spin check mine regularly to look for any minor imperfections and you can't beat them for penetration.

I shoot the 340's out of my 70 lbs Elite 35 and shoot the Dangerous Game 250's out of my 80 lbs Elite Synergy.

Been getting pass throughs on about everything I shoot with the exception of a warthog that I stuck the arrow through the off-side shoulder. Still had the broadhead hanging out the other side.

The warthog was shot with the 340's.

I think they are a heckuva arrow and I believe Aaron Neilson used them on his recent lion.

My .02, but I think they are a quality item.

Correct, I used the DG - FMJ's on my Tanzania lion and I am using them next week in the Yukon for moose.

But remember, mine are strong/heavy arrows at 15.5 grains per inch, thus a fairly heavy draw weight is required to get the speed necessary to gain the KE / penetration benefits. Otherwise its counter productive, if your arrow is extremely slow. My total arrow/head weight was roughly 625 grains, but I am shooting an 81lb bow, using the WASP - Drone 100 grain head.

I don't think this set up is necessary for leopard, but frankly, its what I will use myself. With my 150 grain Sledgehammer heads - bringing my total weight to 675 grains and roughly 92lbs of KE. I am confident I could drive that through a leopard's shoulder into the vitals - should I make a not-so-good shot.

We now have 2 on quota per year in 4 different Concessions. Two of these Concessions have never been hunted for leopard before.

What happens if you wound it?

quote:

Originally posted by fairgame:
What happens if you wound it?

The same thing that happens if one wound's a leopard with a gun, you go look for it.

Were you expecting a different answer?

Whats the price range to hunt a ethiopian leopard ?

quote:

Originally posted by Aaron Neilson:

quote:

Originally posted by fairgame:
What happens if you wound it?

The same thing that happens if one wound's a leopard with a gun, you go look for it.

Were you expecting a different answer?

Fair enough and you have to have big balls to walk into the long grass after a bleeding cat with a bow.

quote:

Originally posted by fairgame:

quote:

Originally posted by Aaron Neilson:

quote:

Originally posted by fairgame:
What happens if you wound it?

The same thing that happens if one wound's a leopard with a gun, you go look for it.

Were you expecting a different answer?

Fair enough and you have to have big balls to walk into the long grass after a bleeding cat with a bow.

I think at that point a switch of weapons might be in order.

quote:

Originally posted by pacecars:
I think at that point a switch of weapons might be in order.

I believe that would be correct!

quote:

Originally posted by A.Dahlgren:
Whats the price range to hunt a ethiopian leopard ?

I would like to know that as well.
Probably top much for my blood....

Just saw next week's "Jim Shockey Hunting Adventures" will be leopard hunting with a bow in Ethiopia.

Previews look like an excellent show.

quote:

Originally posted by Kathi:
Just saw next week's "Jim Shockey Hunting Adventures" will be leopard hunting with a bow in Ethiopia.

Previews look like an excellent show.

That is unless Mike Fell blasts it first.