Leopard Question

02 December 2013, 05:46

AK145

Leopard Question

I've been a daily reader of AR for years, just started posting though.

I've been on several plains game hunts (going again in July)...but I'm ready to seriously look into a leopard hunt. Hunting leopard is my bucket list dream hunt. It seems many companies offer leopard/buff combo hunts. Is it possible to just do a leopard hunt without the buff thrown in? I would rather just concentrate on the leopard.

I know there are some top grade companies that post here and guys/gals with lots of experience...so I feel comfortable asking.

Thank you!

02 December 2013, 06:00

LionHunter

You should have no problem booking a Leopard-PG hunt. I'm sure you will receive some offers right here on AR, but almost any reputable outfitter should be able to arrange such a safari for you, providing they have the Leopard quota available.

Good luck to you.

02 December 2013, 06:02

MJines

You gotta have baits and for leopard a buffalo will make a number of baits (I would guess four or five). If you forego buffalo you will spend a lot of time hunting impala and other antelope for baits. That said, I am sure that many reputable outfits would work with you to drop the buffalo, realizing that you will have to shoot a number of other animals for bait in lieu of the buffalo.

02 December 2013, 06:08

AnotherAZWriter

quote:
Originally posted by AK145:
I've been a daily reader of AR for years, just started posting though.

I've been on several plains game hunts (going again in July)...but I'm ready to seriously look into a leopard hunt. Hunting leopard is my bucket list dream hunt. It seems many companies offer leopard/buff combo hunts. Is it possible to just do a leopard hunt without the buff thrown in? I would rather just concentrate on the leopard.

I know there are some top grade companies that post here and guys/gals with lots of experience...so I feel comfortable asking.

Thank you!

I hunted with a guy last April in Namibia. One package price and includes all the bait you can shoot. He as 2/3 this year.

PM me for details.

02 December 2013, 06:18

Beretta682E

Leon DuPlessis or Mike Payne of Save Safaris.

Check out the Admiral/subsailor74 hunt report with Mike Payne.

I don't have the mindset to sit in a blind and don't want to hunt leopard with dogs. So I will be waiting till I develop the patience to sit in a blind.

Mike

02 December 2013, 06:25

mmassey338

I hunted with the same outfitter/ph as AAZW, and was one of the two successful ones. Sebra Safaris and Jan du Plessis was an incredible time. Fantastic food, facilities and Jan knows what he's doing and is fun to hang out with. You can also pm me if you want to know more. I hope to post a hunt report and pics soon.

02 December 2013, 08:59

AK145

I appreciate the responses. As soon as I finish putting up these Christmas lights I'm going check them out!

Thanks!

02 December 2013, 11:47

jkhunter

morning AK145

when booking a leopard hunt in South Africa, you are able to book it as a package deal, most include pre baiting as well as bait for the safari, you will also be able to hunt plains game as you wish,

when you see hunts sold as Leopard Buffalo combo, this will be either Zimbabwe Tanzania or Mozambique,

what you are getting is a Day rate price with Leopard, Buffalo + plains game on your licence,

Namibia is different as Buffalo only really occur up on the caprive, but for the rest of the country, you are able to get a package deal just for Leopard,

as far as success goes on Leopard,

Tanzania ,Zimbabwe are on par with high success rates < northern Mozambique with a company like Jumbo Moore has a very high success rate as well as a company like Mcdonald Safaris who hunt the Sabi conservancy also have almost 100% success on great cats, the rest of Mozambique is a hit and miss for me personally,

Namibia is a hit and miss for me, there are some great companies with awesome areas that have not been hunted hard, but then there are areas where cats are seen as a pest and shot on sight by farmers as they kill calves sheep and goats,

price wise , Tanzania will be the most expensive and the rest very similar and South Africa probably been the cheapest,

a bit more info than I know you asked for, but I hope it helps,

02 December 2013, 12:34

470EDDY

John Sharp in Bubeye Valley Conservancy is where I took mine....after three other failures in SA, Zim and Namibia. You will thoroughly enjoy hunting with this legend!!
Cheers,

02 December 2013, 12:48

AK145

quote:
Originally posted by jkhunter:
morning AK145

when booking a leopard hunt in South Africa, you are able to book it as a package deal, most include pre baiting as well as bait for the safari, you will also be able to hunt plains game as you wish,

when you see hunts sold as Leopard Buffalo combo, this will be either Zimbabwe Tanzania or Mozambique,

what you are getting is a Day rate price with Leopard, Buffalo + plains game on your licence,

Namibia is different as Buffalo only really occur up on the caprive, but for the rest of the country, you are able to get a package deal just for Leopard,

as far as success goes on Leopard,

Tanzania ,Zimbabwe are on par with high success rates < northern Mozambique with a company like Jumbo Moore has a very high success rate as well as a company like Mcdonald Safaris who hunt the Sabi conservancy also have almost 100% success on great cats, the rest of Mozambique is a hit and miss for me personally,

Namibia is a hit and miss for me, there are some great companies with awesome areas that have not been hunted hard, but then there are areas where cats are seen as a pest and shot on sight by farmers as they kill calves sheep and goats,

price wise , Tanzania will be the most expensive and the rest very similar and South Africa probably been the cheapest,

a bit more info than I know you asked for, but I hope it helps,

Brother, there is no such thing as too much info for me. I appreciate it very much.

02 December 2013, 17:08

subsailor74

If you are thinking about hunting in Zimbabwe, there are a couple of guys who have specialized in hunting leopards for years. Wayne Grant, author of "Into the Thorns" is one, and Lou Hallemore, author of "Chui" is another. Both specialize in hunting really big cats. I strongly recommend you read both of these books before you embark on your leopard hunt. They both contain a wealth of information about hunting leopards in Zimbabwe, and as I recall, both of these guys offer primarily leopard / plains game hunts.

02 December 2013, 18:57

Kathi

http://huntnetwork.net/modules...ankyou,old%20Boy.pdf

Another vote for the Bubeye Conservancy(Lemco).

02 December 2013, 18:59

Kathi

http://www.mazungasafaris.com/mazunga-species.html

Leopard statistics from the Bubeye Conservancy

02 December 2013, 19:21

Pegleg

If hunting in Zimbabwe you should look into hunting with Thierry Labat. He IS the leopard guy. Outstanding record.

02 December 2013, 21:44

zimbabwe

I would add Bushman Safaris in Bulawayo,they have a very good record on Leopard either baited or dogs.

03 December 2013, 02:34

AK145

Thank you all very much for your PM's and respones. Much appreciated!

03 December 2013, 03:27

joester

I hunted for hyena in one of John Sharp's Bubye Valley camps; When I turned on that bushpig-in-distress call...leopards galore! I got my hyena, though. John Sharp is a fine fellow and he knows his cats. I also met a neat young young guy, an Oxford Rhodes scholar, working on his doctorate specifically with leopards, can't recall his name but John can put you in touch with him.

03 December 2013, 04:22

Bud Meadows

quote:
Originally posted by mmassey338:
I hunted with the same outfitter/ph as AAZW, and was one of the two successful ones. Sebra Safaris and Jan du Plessis was an incredible time. Fantastic food, facilities and Jan knows what he's doing and is fun to hang out with. You can also pm me if you want to know more. I hope to post a hunt report and pics soon.

Like M Massey I too have hunted with Jan at Sebra Hunting Safaris and can HIGHLY recommend him. See my Hunting Reports from August 2012 and May 2013.

03 December 2013, 04:46

AR79

quote:
Originally posted by mmassey338:
I hunted with the same outfitter/ph as AAZW, and was one of the two successful ones. Sebra Safaris and Jan du Plessis was an incredible time. Fantastic food, facilities and Jan knows what he's doing and is fun to hang out with. You can also pm me if you want to know more. I hope to post a hunt report and pics soon.

I was the the other successful leopard hunter with Sebra this year. I would recommend him for the hunt also. I did a hunt report with some pics and you can find more details there. Jan has a good sense of humor and knows the area very well. In my time there, I saw signs of leopard at multiple sites.

03 December 2013, 05:59

lavaca

Look at Michel Mantheakis Safaris. The man thinks like a cat. Plus, his area in Lukwati has more cats than anywhere I've ever hunted. My cat from this year is the first picture under leopard in the gallery section of his website. I thought it was a pretty nice chui for Western Tanzania.

03 December 2013, 06:07

crbutler

As a rather unsuccessful cat hunter (one in 3 for lion and 1 of 5 for leopard) I think you had best have something else to use your time on as well. All hunts were with good operators and mostly (one leopard and a mixed bag were in areas chosen for other reasons (elephant))

The leopard will have you sitting in blinds in the morning and evening when you have one feeding, so the rest of the day is open for hunting other animals. If you can swing it, combining a leopard with buffalo or tuskless would seem like good combos to me, but make sure you let the PH know which is your priority species- it would suck to miss the cat because you decided to go buff hunting and didn't pull off until it was too late to get to the blind in time.

Hounds offer a better chance of success, but its not for everyone.

Same with hunting at night with a spotlight.

Know what you are getting in to before you go.

Also, its been my experience that success percentages are not necessarily what they seem- commonly its percent of quota taken, not the chance that any particular hunter will get one- admittedly, its somewhat beyond the outfitter's control his clients shooting skills.

04 December 2013, 04:17

David W

Brent Hein was four for four on leopard this year at Bubye with a couple of truly large cats taken.

IMO, it is false economy to try to cut corners in any respect when planning a cat hunt. Go where the cats are and hunt with a PH with an established reputation of producing leopard trophies.

04 December 2013, 04:56

Matt Graham

quote:
Originally posted by joester:
I hunted for hyena in one of John Sharp's Bubye Valley camps; When I turned on that bushpig-in-distress call...leopards galore! I got my hyena, though. John Sharp is a fine fellow and he knows his cats. I also met a neat young young guy, an Oxford Rhodes scholar, working on his doctorate specifically with leopards, can't recall his name but John can put you in touch with him.

Can you (are you allowed to) use a distress caller on leopard? Which countries?? Sounds interesting...

04 December 2013, 07:58

Imbada92

I second Dave's post. We just got back from a hunt in Zimbabwe on the Bubye with Brent Hein. We had 4 big leopards feeding at one time and on the 4th night shot a monster. Leopard hunting is a real art and requires experience from both the trackers and the PH. The Bubye is a great place to find a big leopard but not every PH knows how so produce even in a good area. It was a great hunt and I will be going back with Brent. [URL=

]

04 December 2013, 08:48

David W

Carson, yours was one of those big cats I was referring to! That thing is a toad and a wonderful trophy. Brent knows his cat hunting, for sure. Congratulations again!

04 December 2013, 09:13

jdollar

but what is Brent doing with a shotgun? everyone knows that is not adequate for a followup- NOT!!!!

04 December 2013, 09:17

DAL

Besides Jumbo in Mozambique, Guy Whittall has an operation there with plenty of hungry cats!
RogerWhittallSafaris

04 December 2013, 09:42

AK145

quote:
Originally posted by Imbada92:
I second Dave's post. We just got back from a hunt in Zimbabwe on the Bubye with Brent Hein. We had 4 big leopards feeding at one time and on the 4th night shot a monster. Leopard hunting is a real art and requires experience from both the trackers and the PH. The Bubye is a great place to find a big leopard but not every PH knows how so produce even in a good area. It was a great hunt and I will be going back with Brent. [URL= ]

That is awesome! Thanks for sharing the pic.

04 December 2013, 16:40

hunter123

You can e-mail bushman safaris for an offer at bushmann_zim@yahoo.com or facebook bushman safaris zimbabwe

28 December 2013, 17:37

Neil Duckworth

What a beautiful cat taken with Brent. Both the BVC and SVC have great reputations for good leopards. Both areas also carry good buffalo ,I would recommend to try the leopard hunt without the buffalo. Many combo hunts are successful yet can put alot of pressure on both PH and client . Leopard are renowned for being unpredictable and most first time leopard hunters don't fully appreciate the time, skill etc required to shoot a big cat.It is important not to cut corners on a leopard hunt from the price of the hunt, to every aspect of the hunt such as dedicating alot of time to the perfect bait site, the perfect blind etc etc . Like with most things you get what you pay for.